Consider this

    Most people believe that there is some sort of God somewhere. To prove that, all you have to do is go to a hospital or a funeral home. People pray to God in those places.     A God who created everything and has now left us alone while we run our day-to-day lives is easy to take. He is on call when we need him, but he does not interfere. It is not hard to believe in that sort of God.     However, that is not the God of the Bible!     The real God is active and involved. Here is how he describes himself: “See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland… I provide water in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland, to give drink to my people, my chosen, the people I formed for myself that they may proclaim my praise” (Isaiah 43:19-21).     God says that he is forming his people and making us into what he wants us...

            In many parts of the world, arranged marriages are still very common.   Obviously, making that type of relationship work requires a very specific mindset.   For example, most North Americans believe that you meet someone, fall in love and then make a commitment.   Arranged marriages ask you to make a commitment to someone and then learn to love him or her.     Why am I telling you this?   Well, I think that the church is an arranged marriage.   Generally, you do not get to choose the people in the church.   Therefore, to make that community into what God envisioned, we must choose to act in certain ways towards one another. That is Paul’s message when he says, “As God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience” (Colossians 3:12).   I like the word “clothed” in that sentence.   We are to put...

Ask most people how their day is going and they will say, “Busy!” We like the word busy.   Busy sounds important.   Busy sounds like we are doing something.   Busy is a badge of honour in our culture. Jesus certainly had busy days.   However, I do not think that “busy” was his word.   In fact, Jesus made a point of emphasizing another attitude, as you will see in Luke 8:40-56. The day begins with Jesus sailing to the western shore of the Sea of Galilee.   As he arrives, he can see that a crowd has gathered.   They have heard that he can heal people and they need his help.   In fact, the crowd is so large and so demanding that they almost crush him as they try to get his attention. In this group is a man named Jairus.   His twelve year old daughter is dying and so he comes to Jesus and begs for his help.   Jesus agrees and heads towards the man’s house.   Along the way, a woman grabs Jesus’ robe and is healed o...

“No one eats until the battle is won!” (1 Samuel 14:24)     Those words seemed like a good idea at the time.   King Saul’s army was battling the Philistines and they needed all the help they could get.   By putting the people under this vow, Saul was hoping to garner some favour from God and gain a victory.   Unfortunately, the message did not reach everyone.   As the army cut through a grove of trees, Saul’s son Jonathan spotted some honey and ate it. Eventually, this news came to Saul and he said, “Jonathan most certainly will die. It’s out of my hands” (verse 44). Do you see what happened there?   Saul made rule and then he acted as if that rule was an unchangeable truth that he had to follow.   He made a box and then trapped himself in it. Now, you may be thinking, ...

               The meeting had the potential to be a disaster!   The topics on the agenda were liable to cause heated discussion and several board members had strong opinions about what ought to happen.   I also knew that others had equally strong opposing ideas.   It was not going to be fun.                 You have probably been in a similar situation.   Whether in meetings, or in interpersonal relationships, we often have to navigate the tension that comes when people do not see things eye to eye.                 Churches are not immune to disagreements.   In fact, one entire section of the book of Romans deals with a discussion that was going on in the church at Rome.   The interesting part of that section is not issue that they we...

                If we are ever going to move forward in any area of life, we must become convinced that it is ok to learn as you go.   In fact, awkward beginnings often lead to great success.   The story of “David and Goliath” (1 Samuel 17) is a great example of this principle.                 When we first meet David, no one expects anything of him.   Instead, he is left at home to watch his father’s sheep while his older brothers go to war against the Philistines (verses 13-15).   When David does get to the front lines, it is not as a warrior but as a delivery boy taking supplies to his brothers and reporting back about how they are doing (verses 12-17).   Then, when his brothers see him, they tell him to get lost and go back home (verses 26-29).   Somehow, David finds his way to King Saul and offers to f...

                John the Baptist had one job and that was to “prepare the way for the Lord” (Luke 1:76).   He did that by highlighting three blessings that Jesus would bring.                   First, he talked about a restored relationship with God.   Reunions can be wonderful.   In fact, many of you are looking forward to the Christmas season because of the reunions that will take place.   John said that Jesus would come, “To give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God” (verses 77 and 78).   Sin separates us from God, but through his Son, God gives us a way home.             ...