Cityview New Testament Challenge 2009

17 09 2009

This Sunday Cityview begins a 13 week journey through the New Testament.  I am expecting God to do amazing things in our lives as we read and apply His Word together.  I hope you will be a part of the New Testament Challenge by doing three things:

1.  Commit to read the New Testament with us over an 83 day period.

2.  Join a Growth Group for encouragement and growth.

3.  Be a part of our weekly gatherings to explore the challenges God’s Word presents to our lives and how to meet them.

You can sign up Sunday on the Communication Card.

You can download the Cityview New Testament Challenge 2009 Guide.  This guide has the schedule for the readings, questions for your personal reflection after each message, and a weekly memory verse.  It is also packed with information about our Cityview Growth Groups and with other pages on how to grow in your faith.  Download the pdf and print it out as a booklet.


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SPECKA–bible study any place any time with anyone

19 02 2009

I’m always on the lookout for ways to promote study and application of God’s Word.  I believe we need to move our western romance with information or knowledge on toward speedy obedience when it comes to us and the Bible.  Please don’t hear me saying that I am against education.  I just think we get inoculated against the power of God’s Word to change our lives when we become dependent on a “studied person” as opposed to seeing every person empowered to open the Scripture and experience the shaping work of the Holy Spirit.  Here is a way to do that.

If you are using a narrative passage of Scripture have someone prepared ahead of time to tell the story.  Then have someone read the text.  Then make your way, one question at a time through the following questions:  SPECKA

S  is there any SIN to confess or avoid in this passage?

P  is there any PROMISE to claim?

E  is there any good EXAMPLE to follow or bad EXAMPLE to avoid?

C  is there a direct COMMAND to obey?

K  is there any KNOWLEDGE about who God is or how He works?

A  what is the APPLICATION?
     1st.  What are the general APPLICATIONS from this passage?
     2nd.  What are your personal APPLICATIONS from this passage?

 

Enjoy.  And if any of you do this by yourself or with a group of friends please give me feed-back on how it went.


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learn wisdom from the stories of Scripture

11 02 2009

Here is our Big Idea this past Sunday at Cityvew:  Seek to honour Jesus today by learning wisdom from the stories of Scripture.  We were camped out in Daniel 5 building on what it means to Live Like Strangers in our culture but not of it.   Belshazzar knew the story of Nebuchadnezzar’s humiliation and exaltation, but he failed to grasp the wisdom to be found in the story; Daniel had to re-tell the story for Belshazzar now that B. had seen the writing on the wall.

Unfortunately, like Belshazzar we can be the same way about history–we don’t learn from our mistakes or the mistakes of others.  The Christian worldview presses us to learn from other people–particularly their stories in the Scripture–without having to learn solely from experiences.  There is great benefit in godliness, holiness, righteousness, in living an undivided life from relationship with Jesus; and that benefit can be ours if we learn wisdom from the stories of Scripture.  We don’t have to go out and experience ALL THIS WORLD HAS TO OFFER in order to be a whole person.  Belshazzar was literally living the last day of the Babylonian Empire in a party of bravado and drunkenness.  Devastation was at his doorstep, yet to the end he never humbled himself and declared himself dependent on God as Nebuchadnezzar had done.  So… how can we avoid the same mistakes.  We can learn wisdom from the stories of Scripture.

1.  Listen to the stories of Scripture to enlarge your view of God.  Daniel tells a story that Belshazzar knew but had been unable to access the wisdom in it.  Proverbs 9:10 says, “The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom.”

2.  Put the story in its context.  This was easy for Daniel to do and sometimes more difficult for us.  But the context is often where the story begins to show us the HOPE we can have for today and tomorrow.  The Apostle Paul highlights gift of Scripture in Romans 15:4;  ”For everything that was written in the past was written to encourage us, so that through the endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.”

3.  Pay attention to the warnings that illustrate the consequence of being consumed by your culture’s independence from God.  Every culture has aspects of it that seek to move us toward independence from Jesus Christ.  Nebuchadnezzar’s personally testimony in Daniel 4 was a proclamation of God’s sovereignty and grace:  ”Now I, Nebuchadnezzar praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, because everything he does is right and all his ways are just.  And those who walk in pride he is able to humble.”  Belshazzar missed the warning.  In one of his letters to the church in Corinth, Paul seeks to help them grasp God’s purpose for the stories of Israel for them:  ”These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come.”  1 Corinthians 10:11

4.  Adjust your belief and behaviour accordingly.  A genuine change of heart and is reflected in a change of behaviour.  When we change our allegiance from self to Jesus our beliefs and behaviours should reflect His exclusive claim to our lives.  The stories of Scripture are used by the Holy Spirit to heal us and to move us into the way and mission of God.  Paul reminds his mentee, Timothy, that “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”  2 Timothy 3:16-17

Learn wisdom from the stories of Scripture.  Hey try it yourself as we get ready for this coming Sunday’s message, by reading and reflecting on Daniel 6.


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a case study on humility and persuasion

9 12 2008

Are you nervous when people in suits knock on your door?  Ha, I am too.  And there you know that I understand emotionally one of the objections to Christian faith that I encounter:  the missionary zeal of those who follow Jesus.  The accusation is that it is deeply arrogant to believe that every one needs faith in Jesus Christ in order to know God and enjoy Him.  While I believe that is possible and necessary for us to examine our “beliefs” as exclusive claims to understanding reality, I do not believe that the attitude of those holding to exclusive faith statements, whether christian, religious, or of material and “secular” nature means that one must be arrogant.  Some who believe are arrogant and some who believe are not arrogant.  Arrogance is that quality of heart that pervades both word and body to communicate that I am better than you, for you have failed, and I have not; I am worthy of love and you are not.  Conviction of heart and the desire to persuade is often confused as arrogance in our setting. 

I believe liberty is the common grace of God to all people in a society whereby a collective value on freedom of conscience within that setting requires the energetic debate of ideas but the utmost respect of the dignity of persons–even and perhaps most desperately–when they disagree.

A fascinating case study on humility and persuasion is contained in the apostle Paul’s writing in Romans 9-11.  It should be observed that this former Jewish persecutor of the followers of The Way, as the earliest followers of Jesus were known, was a flaming evangelist.  He wanted to convince others even at the cost of his life that Jesus was the messiah, the Christ, the destined judge of all humanity.  Notice Paul’s zeal and passion for persuading his “tribe,” the Jews, to trust Jesus as their Saviour:

“I speak the truth in Christ–I am not lying, my conscience confirms it in the Holy Spirit–I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart.  For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my own race, the people of Israel.”  Romans 9:1-4

“Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved.  For I can tastify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based in knowledge.  Since they did not know the righteousness that comes from God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness.  Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.”  Romans 10:1-4

“I am talking to you Gentiles.  Inasmuch as I am the apostle to the Gentiles, I make much of my ministry in the hope that I may somehow arouse my own people to envy and save some of them.”  Romans 11:13-14.

Paul argued that the inclusive claim that Jesus was the only saviour for all humanity–both Jews and Gentiles– could not be accompanied by arrogance.  He says “Do not boast over these branches;” the branches of many in Israel who have been broken off.  In looking back over the discourse from Romans 9 to 11 Paul gives  seven reasons that could be said to that rule out arrogance and argue for humility.

1.  The benefits of knowing the messiah are rightly Israel’s.  Romans 9:1-5.

2.  Knowing God and living in fellowship with Him, depends not on the efforts of humans, but on the mercy of God.  Romans 9:14-18.

3.  Righteousness–or being in right relationship with God–comes about not by works, but by faith in Christ.  Romans 9:30-Romans 10:4.

4.  Our faith in Jesus–which came from hearing the Word of God–was dependent on the obedience of someone else to the call of God.  Romans 10:5-15

5.  The Gentiles who believe have been graciously grafted into the  covenant relationship with God.  Romans 10:11-24.

6.  The Gentiles who believe and enjoy the covenantal relationship with God will be a source of envy stirring up saving faith among the Jews.  Romans 11:25-32

7.  The Merciful God is greater and wiser and more inclusive than I am.  Romans 11:33-36

So, when I step into the realm of persuader I must also check into the realm of humility.  I do not argue for Christ in fear that I need you to believe in order to justify my belief; that’s the stance of a fundamentalist.  Rather I argue for faith in Christ out of the generative and humble stance of one who has been blessed and senses that it is not just for me to keep it to myself.  I’ve been blessed and must pass it on as a life-giving and enhancing option available to others.


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the gospel of mark: a window on the authority of Jesus

25 11 2008

1.  Jesus comes with power.  John the Baptizer proclaimed, “After me will come one more powerful than I, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie.  I batize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”  Mark 1:7-8
2.  He comes with the Father’s blessing and the Spirit’s annointing.  Mark 1:9-11
3.  He passed the “test” of Satan’s temptation and was ministered to by animals and angels.  1:12-13
4.  Jesus had authority to usher in the Kingdom of God.  1:14-15
5.  Jesus called people to himself as his followers.  1:14-20
6.  Jesus had authority over the demonic.  Mark 1:1-25
7.  People observed that his teaching was “with authority.”  1:27
8.  Jesus had authority over sickness; 1:29-31.  Deafness, 7:31-37; Blindness, 7:22-26
9.  Jesus had authority to restore people to religious and social society.  1:40-43
10.  Jesus had authority to forgive sins.  2:1-12
11.  Jesus could call people living outside the bounds of society’s norms.  2:13-17
12.  Jesus had authority over the Sabbath.  2:21-28, 3:1-6
13.  Jesus could share his authority with those he called.  3:13-19
14.  Jesus had authority over Satan’s havoc.  3:20-30
15.  Jesus had authority over nature.  4:35-41, 6:45-56
16.  Jesus had authority over death.  4:35-43
17.  On occasion Jesus excercised his authority according to the faith of people.  6:1-6
18.  Jesus had authority to send the disciples out to preach and heal.  6:7-13
19.  Jesus had authority to provide for people’s needs miraculously.  6:30-44, 8:1-13
20.  Jesus had authority to discern the values that ordered the application of the Law.  7:1-25
21.  Jesus had authority because of who he was.  Mark 8:27-30
22.  Jesus had authority to know and share his future.  Mark 8:31-37
23.  Jesus had authority greater than Moses and Elijah, the Law and the Prophets.  9:2-13.
24.  Jesus used his authority to call his disciples to serve and welcome the weak.  9:33-37
25.  Jesus had authority to usher people into eternal life and the Kingdom of God.  10:17-31
26.  Jesus had authority to lay down his life as a ransom for many.  Mark 10:45
27.  Jesus had authority over the activities of the Temple.  Mark 11:12-21
28.  Jesus’ authority became a “bone of contention.”  11:27-33
29.  Jesus understood his authority to derive from his identiy.  12:1-12, 35-40
30.  Jesus did not use his authority as an excuse for himself or his disciples to recklessly abandon the earthly authorities.  In fact he called on people to honour both appropriately.  12:13-17
31.  Jesus had authority to identify the greatest commandment.  12:28-34
32.  Jesus had authority to speak prophetically about the future.  13:1-37, 14:27-31
33.  Jesus had authority to receive the worship of people.  14:1-10
34.  Jesus had authority to recast the Passover meal to the delivereance He would bring.  14:12-26
35.  Jesus used his authority to fulfill the Scriptures.  14:48-50
36.  Jesus spoke his authority when he remainded silent except to declare his identity in court.  14:53-65
37.  Jesus had authority to open the way between God and humanity.  15:33-39
38.  Jesus had authority over the grave.  16:1-8

And because of the Resurrection of Jesus I accept that the authority He had, He still has.


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17 observations from 1 John on the difference knowing Jesus makes

17 11 2008

The writer of 1 John observes differences that knowing Jesus makes in the lives of people.

1.  Loving relationships with God and with other people.   1:1-4
2.  Honesty about sin(s), purfication and forgiveness from sin.  1:5-2:2
3.  Obedience to the commands of Jesus as a lifestyle that reflects that character of Jesus.  2:3-8
4.  Loving “your brother” rather than living in the darkness of “hating your brother.”  2:9-11
5.  Progressive growth;  new beginnings–the delight of being forgiven by your heavenly Father; youthful zeal–the delight of overcoming the evil one through the strength of God and His Word; parental joy–knowing God and passing on the life of faith to others.  2:12-14
6.  A willingness to do the will of God that triumphs over the desire to possess the stuff and powers of this world.  2:15-16
7.  An annointing from God that leads into the truth and ultimately into confidence before Christ.
8.  An Intense desire to live purely and abandon sin, in response to the love of God through Christ that creates a child of God.  2:29-3:10
9.  Love for others even when it brings the Christian into conflict with the world.  Love for others even when it costs.  3:11-20
10.  Effectual prayer life.  3:21-23
11.  Personal awareness of the presence of God via the Holy Spirit.  3:24
12.  Discernment regarding the “source” of messages and their messengers.  4:1-6
13.  Growing maturity in loving and receiving love in and out of the church. 4:7-21
14.  Overcoming the world through faith in Jesus, the Son of God.  5:1-5
15.  Deep conviction of the divinity of the incarnated Jesus Christ and the necessity of knowing Him for eternal life.  5:6-12
15.  Confidence in prayer.  5:13-15
16.  Concern when a brother is caught in sin.  5:16-18
17.  Persistent devotion to Jesus in a world devoted to the evil one.  5:19-21


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11 statements from James on the power of speech

10 11 2008
  1. Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life God desires.  James 1:19-20
  2. If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless.  James 1:26
  3. Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful.  Mercy triumphs over judgment.  James 2:12-13
  4. The tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts.  Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark.  The tongue is also a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body.  It corrups the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.  James 3:5-6
  5. …no man can tame the tongue.  It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.  James 3:8
  6. With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness.  Out of the both come praise and cursing.  My brothers, this should not be.  James 3:7-8
  7. What causes fights and quarrels among you?  Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you?  You want something but don’t get it.  You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want.  You quarrel and fight.  You do not have, because you do not ask God.  When you ask, you do not receive because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.  James 4:1-3
  8. Brothers, do not slander one another.  Anyone who speaks against his brother or judges him speaks against the law and judges it.  James 4:11
  9. Now listen you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.”  Why you don not even know what will happen tomorrow.  What is your life?  …as it is you boast and brag.  All such boasting is evil.  James 4:13-14, 16
  10. Above all, my brothers, do not swear–not by heaven or by earth or by anything else.  Let you “Yes” be yes, and your “No,” no, or you will be condemned.
  11. 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.  James 5:17

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sit, walk, stand–with Jesus

25 09 2008

I like to walk fast.  Sure I enjoy the journey, but I like to get there too.  Its part of my problem in leading and life.  Let’s get into the battle and get something done.  But I’ve been reminded over and over that I am at risk both in the walk and the fight if I have not also sat with Jesus.

A few years ago my youngest would interrupt a walk with the plea…”Sit down Daddy.  Let’s see what we can see.  Sit down with me Daddy.”  And I had to make a choice.  I could keep walking without him, or I could sit down with him.  For you see, he had already found a log, or a bench at the beach, and he had sat down.

One of my favourite commentaries on the book of Ephesians is Watchman Nee’s little book, Sit, Walk, Stand.  In the book, part commentary and part testimony of God’s activity in China, he outlines Ephesians according to these three verbs:  sit, walk, stand.  These three verbs have been regular reminders from Ephesians of how I am to live with Jesus Christ.

Sit
“–it is by grace you have been saved.  And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him int he heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.”  Ephesians 2:5-7  NIV

Unless I make it my habit to be still and to sit with Jesus in communion and prayer I will live poorly.  Unless I sit with Him at His throne of grace or at His banquet table and receive His lavish gifts of forgiveness, grace, truth, healing, right perspective, I will live like a wealthy pauper, ignorant of the riches and status I have inherited as His child.

Walk
“I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called with all lowliness, and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”  Ephesians 4:1-3 NKJV

Unless I have sat with Jesus I will definitely have trouble in the command to “walk this way.”  Walking requires that I enter from solitude into the fellowship of the saints.  It requires that I keep in step with the Spirit by engaging people in a manner consistent with the truth and love I have received from Jesus.  Walking means I don’t walk alone but that I walk with the company of the committed; it means that I share life with a collection of people who share the same calling from Jesus to be His–that would be the church.  Surprise.  If you have spent much time with the church you quickly realize that those modifiers in verses 2-3 are extremely important–humilty, gentleness, patience, bearing with one another–if love and truth are going to inhabit the community and our relationships in church, marriage, home, or work.  Our life with the church becomes the training ground for a new way of living in relationship with all of society. 

Stand
“Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.  For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the power of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.  Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.”  Ephesians 6:11-13

Welcome to the resistance movement that Jesus started.  We are to stand together in the ground that he takes back from the darkness and the devil.  We are to infiltrate every domain of our cities with the truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation that accompanies the Kingdom of Jesus Christ.  Unless you and I sit with Jesus, and walk with Jesus together, it is unlikely that we will stand our ground when the day of evil comes.  There will be little readiness unless we have become familiar with each part of this armor that God has given us.  There will be little familiarity with the “sword of the Spirit which is the word of God.”  And there will be little alertness for engaging in the battle through intercession.  Standing requires the fortification that comes through sitting and walking with Jesus.  Without these disciplines of sitting and walking I believe we will be easily persuaded to not stand with Jesus.  Instead we will give up the pursuit of justice for those who are being devoured by injustice; we will give up trying to communicate the Gospel to those who have no stomach yet for Jesus; we will be pushed back into our circles of comfort and familiarity, whispering empty platitudes to each other, and hoping that someone will rescue us from our momentary discomforts.

Ugh!  Oh please Lord, not me, not us.  Let me sit, walk, and stand with you.  And grant to each of us a community that also sits, walks, and stands with you.


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pastoring in ephesus

12 08 2008

Jesus addresses the church of Ephesus first from the seven churches in the region.  This is one of the churches from which we can glean lots of history right out of the Biblical texts.  In Acts 19 Luke records the origins of the Ephesus church.  Some “disciples” where discovered in Ephesus who knew nothing of the Holy Spirit.  After some teaching these 12 or so men received baptism in Jesus name and they received the Holy Spirit.  After three months teaching in the synagogue, Paul spent two years discussing the kingdom of God daily in the lecture hall of Tyrannus.  The ministry in Ephesus was accompanied by miracles, spiritual confrontations, and with public acts of mass repentance regarding the systems of sorcery and of idolatry.  The Ephesus ministry had its share of conflict; in fact in 1 Corinthians 15:32 Paul says that he had fought wild beasts there.  Though we do not know the occasion of the event we can surmise that the emergence of the Gospel and the church in Ephesus, casts a wide net of influence.  Luke shows us that the economics of Ephesus were beginning to change because of the number of people who had come to Christ and had abandoned idol worship.  The tradesmen of Artemis raised a ruckus to protest against Paul and the Way until the city cleark read them the riot act and dispersed the crowd.  Paul soon left for Macedonia.

At the next appearance of the church of Ephesus Paul stops in at Miletus, south of Ephesus and sent for the elders of the church to meet him.  The account in Acts 20 is extraordinary to me because of the urgent and emotionally raw appeal Paul makes to these elders for their continued devotion to Jesus and to their oversight of the church.  He warns them that “savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock.  Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them.  So be on your guard!  Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.” 

The next appearance of Ephesus is the letter known by the name Ephesians.  There are extensive studies done regarding the authorship and the destination of the letter.  If it truly is to the saints in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus we are confronted with a church for whom things are still going well.  Paul, writing from prison, is intent on setting out a condensed view of their life sitting with Christ and forming their identity in Him, walking with Christ and forming a life of relationships shaped by Him, and standing with Christ and forming a stance toward the world that engages in the spiritual battle.

But when we get to 1& 2 Timothy, we are confronted with a church that is in trouble.  Timothy it appears may want to quit the job pastoring a troubled and divided church.  There has been a leadership catastrophe.  Paul writes,

“As I urged you when I went into Macedonia, stay there in Ephesus so that you may command certain men not to teach false doctrines any longer nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies.  These promote controversies rather than God’s work–which is by faith.  The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.  Some have wandered away from these and turned to meaningless talk.  They want to be teachers of the law, but they do not know what they are talking about or what they so confidently affirm.”  Paul goes on to encourage Timothy to hold to a Gospel of grace in Christ as illustrated by his own life and then goes on to even identify some who have abandoned this Gospel and good fight.  “Timothy, my son, I give you this instruction in keeping with the prophecies once made about you, so that by following them you may fight the good fight, holding on to the faith and a good conscience.  Some have rejected these and so have shipwrecked their faith.  Among them are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan to be taught not to blaspheme.”

The letters of 1st Timothy and 2nd Timothy are filled with prescriptions of how to Timothy is to maintain his own vibrant faith in Jesus Christ and to lead the church out the mess they are in theologically and relationally.  The prescriptions involved extensive instruction on the reformation of leadership in the Ephesian church and encouragement to Timothy to not be drawn into bickering, false teaching, greed, power struggles, or any compromised position on the Gospel.  Paul writes, “Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to your care.  Turn away from godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge, which some have professed and in so doing have wandered from the faith.  Grace be with you.”  1 Timothy 6:20-21

When we get to Revelation Jesus indicates that the church has persevered and endured hardships for his name.  He references the leadership crisis that they had weathered:  “I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false.”  However, this journey through catastrophe has taken a toll on the very spirit and vibrancy of their faith and relationships.  Jesus says, “Yet I hold this against you:  You have forsaken your first love.  Remember the height from which you have fallen!  Repent and do the things you did at first.”

It is not enough when pastoring or leading a church to lead through crisis and problems, or to teach for sincere and true understandings of the faith.  Church leadership is ultimately about calling people into vibrant, loving, caring, trusting relationship with Jesus Christ and each other.  This “first love” that Jesus reminds them of captures the idea of tender yet zealous appreciation and devotion.  It is action accompanied with deep feeling.  Notice, Jesus says, “Remember…repent, and do the things you did at first.”

What was there “at first,” for the Ephesian believers?  What had love for Jesus and each other generated?  Let’s look again at Acts 19 and 20.  Here is a list of what I observe in their lives:  Yieldedness to the Holy Spirit, daily dialogue about the Kingdom of God, a desire to engage those who don’t believe in the Gospel, kindness toward the sick, sacrificial repentance and abandonment of the deeds and trappings of darkness, a shift in their economic habits, distictiveness in Christ shared across diversity of cultures and backgrounds, high value for the people of God, attentiveness to the needs of the church, emotionally openness and love.

These activities and attitudes are commended by Jesus indirectly.  However, it is the direct commendation of Jesus to which we must pay the most attention–first love–trusting that repentence from a reduced love for Him and His Church will generate the action that overcomes deathliness and enters into the promised life of God.  I believe that by calling and shepherding the followers of Jesus into deep and vibrant love for Him, we can create systems of relationships in the church that cooperate with the wind of the Spirit to draw more and more people to the grace-filled and prevailing life of Jesus and His Kingdom.


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the sound of many waters

29 07 2008
cheakamus lake, 28 July 2008

cheakamus lake, 28 July 2008

After all the Sunday service and gatherings my family with our friends Ryan and Andrea headed north into Beautiful BC.  In spite of our anxiety about traffic and the Pemberton Music Festival it was smooth sailing all the way to the parking lot for the trail into Cheakamus Lake in the Garibaldi Park.  We went in about 4 km before setting up our tents right on the lake in front of spectacular mountain views.  I was in awe!  Now I must confess that our plastic children’s wagon being pulled, dragged and cajoled over this trail was quite the sight!  We have been car-campers up until now, so all of our stuff is BIG, and weighs a lot!  Our guides were very kind!

In the morning as I awakened I was delighted to hear the roar of many waters–a small stream, a waterfall on the other side of the lake, and the Cheakamus River.  I was reminded of the Elder John’s description of Jesus’ voice, “His voice was like the roar of many waters.”  (Revelation 1:15)  When you are right in the midst of such a sound it is all you can hear.  It drowns out any other sound.  However it is not an overwhelming sound; rather it is comforting, soothing, peaceful–but ever-present and even commanding.  This is the voice of the Resurrected Jesus, familiar yet bigger.  John says, “I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me.”  (Revelation 1:12)  John’s experience is not something just happening in his head; rather this is an experience of Jesus’ revelation that occurs outside of him; it is real.

Day in and day out the spiritual discipline of making space to meet with Jesus means that I must clear out, turn down, and even turn off the many other voices that compete for my heart.  The moments of great clarity are not as frequent as I would like.  However, I am confident that Jesus still speaks and that He is guiding His church into fellowship with Him.


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