Oh, How Time Goes By

It is amazing how fast time goes by.

Seven years ago today, Bonita, Melissa, Ashley, and Rachel rolled into Grande Prairie.

Our plans were to stay for a couple months and then head back south...the Lord had different plans.

Where Are The Children? [Part 2]

A little while ago I talked about "not having" and "having" children.

Often time the "have nots" just can't see what all excitement and fuss is about when it comes to these ill-mannered, dirty faced, snot nosed, hobbit look alikes [minus the hairy hands and feet, and other weird features].

Why? Firstly, for the most part because they really don't "want" children at that time in their lives.

And because they don't have the children...they have never had the joy of watching a human being born into this world, watching them breathe and eat...and even get rid of their previous eatings.

They have never invested their lives into the life of these little ones and therefore can't muster up imaginary feelings of love toward an imaginary baby.

They have never learned what it is like to lower your standard of speech to teach some one else to speak.

They have never learned how to build their time table and schedule around the life of a child so that the child may be nurtured and grow.

They have never had to try to enter into the immature life of a child so as to help that child where he/she is at that particular time in life. Using their mature experiences to help the child get through trials and troubled times...because mom or dad had to get through similar struggles at one point in their life.

And because of all this...they just can't understand hearing parents rant and rave about their wonderful children...because they just seem like so much work.

Changing gears

Have you ever pursued someone...just for the sake of bringing them to love and trust Jesus?

Note--I didn't say..."have you ever shared or witnessed to someone".

I said...have you ever pursued someone...built a friendship with them, loved them in all their sinfulness, listened to them, helped them in their struggles, had them over for dinner, watched a movie with them, etc.

And you did all of this because you loved them and wanted to see them come to know the Lord Jesus Christ.

But the Holy Spirit doesn't work like a can of hair spray...a quick little spray and "their saved"...

I believe that people who have never had the incredible experience of being used by God to bring another person to Jesus, and to help raise them in the faith, are much like the singles sitting on the couch listening to parents speak about the joys of children and parenthood...

...they just don't see what all the fuss is about.

This is because they have never seen someone come out of darkness and enter the marvelous light of Christ's kingdom...or in other words...they have never seen a child of God being born...again.

They have never invested their life into a 'newly born' Christian's life, helping them to learn to eat [reading and understanding God's word, learning to eat the Lord's table in faith], how to talk [pray, fellowship, evangelize], how to walk [walk in faith, loving goodness and hating evil], and how to grow and finally reproduce.

So when they hear about evangelism and sharing about Jesus, they just smile [slightly], politely nodding...but inside they really don't know why this person in front of them is so excited.

We need to learn to get excited...it is the purpose and mission of the Church.

Double Income.

Once upon a time most homes had one income.

Dad went to work [outside of the home].

Mom worked at home [managing the home]

The people who loved their children most actually raised their children...wow...what a concept!

Then one day some bright family thought that they could get ahead in life...they figured out that they could make more with two incomes then only one...and in the end their children would be better off...

...right?

...wrong!

Now, the kids are left being raised by those who have no real vested interest in what their future will become...to the daycare they are simply $$

Dad earns the money for the family, from the sweat of his brow [his curse]

and...dad likes to share...he will share his curse with mom.

Now mom can go out and work too...and the money she makes they can pay to those who won't raise the kids as well as they would.

Then mom can come home and do all the house duties...because dad's sharing schedule works in only one direction.

Now, the kids don't get to see mom or dad...all day.

Dad and mom have two totally different lives...apart from one another.

This doesn't promote unity...as our escalating divorce rate shows.

But the money is rolling in and that is good for the kids...right?

Wrong!

The only generations who profitted from the double income were the ones at the very beginning.

We live in a supply and demand world. This means that the more money a household makes the more money everything else will eventually cost.

If the average home makes 20,000 a year, and no one can afford 300,000 dollar homes then it is only a matter of time where the home builders lower their prices or go broke...the opposite is also true.

We have prepared a future for our kids where many of them will not be able to afford a home...unless they too become "dinks"...double income, no kids.

If you want to make a change in what the future is to become it might mean that you will have to tighten your belt up and suffer a bit for it.


If you are newly married I have some good advice for you.

If you are both working until children come...that's cool.

Guard yourselves against temptation. Live off of the husbands pay check, and put the wifes pay check into savings or future childrens school funds, etc.

If you live on both salaries then this will make giving one up very hard...you are used to eating steak and will find yourself eating Kraft dinner.

If you want best for you children...then you spend time with them, you raise them...because you love them best.

We need to rethink culture

The following is from Tim Keller.

He has much to say on church planting.

"If you over adapt to the culture it means you have bought into their idols. If you under adapt to the culture than you have bought too much into the idols of the culture you are in (i.e. the church culture)."

We're Home

We made it back from the conference...it was a busy week!

We spent the weekend with some friends...Tym and Hester Vanbraedon...they showed us around Vancouver and showed us much hospitality...it was fun.

The conference was very challenging...it showed that many Christian churches viewed missions as something the church "did" instead of seeing itself as "the mission".

We might have a missions budget...send out a team to mexico or some other place but we don't seem to understand that the church itself is "the mission".

We are to be about the work of making disciples of the nations...including our own.

Our mission is NOT to circle the wagon...build up walls to keep the world out...and then live in a nice, comfortable getto.

The church is called to reach out into the culture in which it has been placed...and to use that culture to transform people's lives...bringing them to Jesus.

Church Planting Conference

Bonita and I are flying out to Vancouver tomorrow [D.V], we are going to a conference on church planting...held by Acts 29.

It should be a good time, please pray that the Lord will give us His wisdom as we learn from these experienced church planters.

God bless you all, have a good week.

Bye Bye Bulwinkle

I saw an "only in Grande Prairie" event today.

Grande Prairie is in northern Alberta...this winter was a bad one.

...we had over 7 feet of snow...we still have quite a bit.

...all the snow has made slim pickings for grazing...and the wild animals have come into the city to eat.

We have seen deer and moose in our neighborhood for months.

Today, as I was delivering mail...I saw a moose run onto a playground...the fish and wildlife guy drives up and jumps out of the truck...

...this must be a bad, bad moose...because the wildlife guy has a gun.

...Mr. Moose doesn't like sharing the playground...so he charges at the wildlife guy.

The moose runs right threw a swingset and heads right for the wildlife guy...

...this guy was quite the Clint Eastwood...he took aim...two loud shots that shook the neighborhood...and Bulwinkle crumpled to the ground.

I am not a firearm expert but I am pretty sure that the gun was not just putting the moose to sleep...a sound that loud had to be pushing lead.

Bye, bye Bulwinkle.

Somewhere out there is a flying squirrel...and he's choked!

I Called...But Nobody Was Home

Where Are the Children?

I can remember when I didn't have children...it was quite a long time ago.

I can also remember getting together with people who did have kids...that's all they could talk about...their kids.

I would politely smile...laugh along with them...nod my head along with their story...

...but enough is enough...right?!

The problem?

I couldn't relate.

I had no idea of the incredible joy that came from being used of God, as an instrument, to bring another life into this world.

I had never invested my life into the life of another to such an extent that their life actually depended upon my actions.

Without this intense investment I couldn't relate to this intense love...God's love.

This all changed when Bonita and I began having children...but even then I began to see a life long lesson to be learned.

Bonita would be holding our first born, Melissa, and she would ask me a question that was filled with passion and love...she would say "Don't you just LOVE her?"

...of course I love her...I'm her dad!

...what kind of question is that!?

...but I didn't love her with the depth and passion that my wife was speaking of...what was wrong with me?

...it took me time to figure this out...but learn this lesson well...if you learn it you will learn the secret of a strong marriage, friendship, parent/child relationship...or any relationship.

The more you invest in a persons life, the more valuable they will become to you.

Love is a committment to do good to someone else...when you follow through with that committment, then the feelings of love follow.

Bonita was breast feeding Melissa, changing her diapers, and spending most of her waking moments investing in the child...the result...a deep and passionate love for the child.

As I began to invest in Melissa I began to feel that same love that my wife spoke of...amazing!

Now, our lives to a large extent are our children, we have become THOSE people who talk about our children when we talk about life...

...why? because God has given these children to us and much of our lives now revolve around them.

...teaching them, feeding them, spending time with them, guiding them, disciplinging them, learning about ourselves from them.

...in this relationship one must lower his/her maturity level for the purpose of fellowshipping with the child...not to stay at their level...but with patience to slowly bring the child to a level of adult maturity [of course this takes years...thus the patience].

Once you get a taste of having children...you honestly cannot imagine what life would be like without them...they bring life and joy and spontanaity into the home...and yes they are messy and rough around the edges.

6 o'clock news

Jesus said that He was the Resurrection and the life...if you trusted in Him you too would have eternal life.

Saul of Tarsusl...a man who once hated Jesus, fought against Jesus, thought Jesus was a false Messiah, killed Christians...and tried with all his might to wipe the church of Jesus off the face of the earth...met the Resurrected, glorified Jesus...as he traveled on a mission to hunt Christians down and kill them...

...he never finished that mission...

...instead the Lord sent him on a new mission...

The King of the universe made him an apostle...

...a sent one...to proclaim the "Risen" Lord and Savior...King of kings and Lord of lords...

...Jesus Christ!

This new mission would cost him everything...family, friends, job, social status, power, the honor of men...

...then why would he accept this mission?

...because he saw Jesus, in all His supreme glory, honor and power...

...and all that once seemed valuable and worthy...now seemed like a pile of trash in comparison to the Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul suffered greatly for his new office as Apostle...

beatings without number, continual opposition, 5 years in prison...and eventually death...

Why?

Because he met the source of all life and every blessing...Jesus Christ!!

Paul tells us something that surely hit the 6 o'clock news...for the next 2000 + years!

Jesus rose from the dead...revealed Himself to over 500 people at one time!

Add to this that the Gospel of Matthew says that when Jesus rose from the grave "many" of the Old Testament saints who had died were raised from the dead, and when into Jerusalem and appeared to "many".

Tell me that didn't turn heads...

...you had three types of witnesses.

1. You had Jesus Himself...the Resurrection and the Life...revealing Himself for 40 days after His resurrection.
2. You had over 500 eye-witnesses traveling around telling everyone that they saw the Risen Savior.
3. And you had people whose funeral you were at last week or month, walking around...their very presense proclaiming that Jesus rose from the dead and all who trusted in Him also had eternal life...body and soul.

Jesus was the first fruits of the Resurrection.

Now that is good news.

Come and listen to my sermon on the Resurrection

http://www.christcovenant.ca/audio/

Come to our church website with the above link and then click on "The truth will prevail"

What's so good about it?

For Good Friday to be truly "good", you must look back at it...with the eyes of faith.

You must look at the cross from within the empty tomb...believing Jesus at His word.

When you do this "Good Friday" becomes truly "good"...

You do not see Friday as simply another common criminal being executed by the Roman Empire...but you witness "The" salvation of sinners!

Jesus said that no-one took His life from Him but that He voluntarily gave it up. He had the power to lay down His life...and He had the power to take it up again.

Jesus drank the cup of His Father's fury and wrath against all His people's sin.

When He said "It is finished", He was announcing to the universe that there was no longer any wrath left for the people of God...because Jesus emptied the cup...Jesus drank the full cup of hell fury, on His peoples behalf.

Those who come to Jesus, trusting Him, loving Him and following Him, will never taste God's wrath and fury...sure they will feel their Father's discipling hand at times...but never His punishment and wrath.

On Friday all looked hopeless and lost. The darkness that had overcome the land also filled the disciples hearts...all of their hopes and dreams had be shattered...it looked like the darkness had overcome the light...

...but it was only Friday...Sunday was a coming!!!

Drama Geek Guru

We live in an age where the most unlikely people have been given the "office" of teacher or guru.

These people have not drunken deeply at the well of wisdom and knowledge, their lips aren't even wet.

They have not studied the Bible, they have not studied from the great philosophical works throughout history...what have they done?

They have gone to acting school...and have succeeded in becoming famous...they are Hollywood's poster boys and girls.

They are the weird drama geeks from highschool...all grown up...well physically anyway.

They have drug problems, alcohol problems, sexual problems.

They get married four times a year!

These people spend their lives pretending they are someone else...and people who live in a dream world look up to them.

People want to know what they think on important issues...WHY?

Because they are well known.

They aren't well known because they have done anything great.

They are well known because they are known well.

Millions of people have seen them on the silver screen...so they must be important.

Tragically, millions of people listen to these T.V. gurus and take their word as if it were gospel.

May God give us the eyes to see these Drama Geeks for who they really are.

Do Your Math

It is amazing how muddled people get when they begin talking about "spiritual" things...or the things that pertain to God and salvation.

Its like there are two kinds of rules...

...rules for the things of everyday living...

...and rules for thinking about God


I was talking to a woman who was muddled in her thinking concerning these things.

She was sharing her view on things with a good friend of mine, a friend who has been seeking the Lord and has been reading God's word, learning more and more about God.

This woman was telling him that what really matters about god is "how you feel in here"...pointing to her heart.

In other words...what you think and feel about God is good for you and what I think or feel about God is good for me.

Even if we believe totally opposite things about god...both beliefs are still good for us.

My friend sat and listened, and I sat on the other side of him and also listened...

...I listened to an arguement that may have sounded new to my friend...and an arguement that may have even sounded new and novel to the person who was proclaiming it...but it was far from new...

...it is an arguement that I have heard many times over the 16 years I have been a Christian.

"I am very happy FOR YOU, that you found Jesus"...they will say

"That is so good FOR YOU"...they will encourage.

I asked this woman if 2+2 ever equalled 8?

Of course she answered 'no'.

I asked her that if she wanted to get to Edmonton from Grande Prairie could she take absolutely any road...stay on that road without connecting to other roads...and get to Edmonton?

She laughed...of course not.

Then why do we not believe in absolute truths when it pertains to ultimate reality...to God?

Jesus said that He was God, and that He was the only way to eternal life...if you wanted to get right with God then this meant you must come to God the Father through Jesus, the Son.

God has revealed Himself in His word, He has told us what He wants us to know...we either accept what He says...by faith...or we reject it...in unbelief.

I heard one man say "all roads do lead to God...but only one reaches Him in salvation".

What this guy was saying is that when you die you will stand before God...whatever belief you choose will get you standing before God...to be judged. But only trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ will have you standing before God with all your sins forgiven...standing before God in the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Jesus died on the cross to save sinners...all sinners who come to Jesus, trusting their souls into His hands...will be saved.

Jesus rose from the dead on the third day...proving that He is the victor over the grave.

Either He rose from the dead or He didn't...

Jesus was who He said He was [Creator God] or He wasn't...

There is no middle ground...

...even in ultimate reality 2+2 always equals 4