I'm getting Better!

Life is looking brighter. My hacking and coughing is supsiding. My cold chills are warming up. My "I'm Siiiiiiiick!" is turning to "Honey, what's for lunch?". The body is an amazing instrument.

I'm reminded of Jesus and his coming into the room of a young child who had died. Funny how your mind jumps from one topic to the next.

Luke 8:54 But He put them all outside, took her by the hand and called, saying, “Little girl, arise.” 55 Then her spirit returned, and she arose immediately. And He commanded that she be given something to eat. 56 And her parents were astonished, but He charged them to tell no one what had happened.

The first thing he commands them to do is feed her. Here is a great picture of the Christian experience. We're raised from the dead "spiritually" and the first thing we need is food "the word of God".

Christian, how is your diet going? Are you feeling better and better? Have you grown since last year in your spiritual health? Are eating on a regular bases? How is your "real" health - not the physical but the spiritual?

God is good. He knows how to get a sick body well and He knows how to give a "dead" spirit life! He knows what is important, so we should follow is command and "Eat".

I'm Sick!

I find it fairly easy to do things to the glory of God when I'm feeling at the top in my health. This week I've been sick. Wanda looks at me laying on the couch saying, "I'm sick! I'm sssssiiiick!" Her patience is sainthood stuff!

When we are down in health, mental or physical it seems to take greater effort to remain consistent in a non-complaining walk with the Lord. Complaints seem to be easier to say when our health is also at a low.

This brings deeper meaning and impact to those who went to the persecutions of the early church disciples. To stay focused on what is most important even through weaknesses is amazing!

Philippians 2:26 since he was longing for you all, and was distressed because you had heard that he was sick. 27 For indeed he was sick almost unto death; but God had mercy on him, and not only on him but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow. 28 Therefore I sent him the more eagerly, that when you see him again you may rejoice, and I may be less sorrowful.

2 Corinthians 12:9 And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Snow all Over the Place

Snow is falling. Cars are stuck. People are slipping. Life is frustrating. Unusual Vancouver weather to say the least.

Isn't it interesting something so small, a tiny little white flake of snow, but when they come together with a whole bunch of others they can become a mighty force to stop you in your tracks. The power of the small and insignificant.

Christianity started with just a small band of brothers but over the years the disciples began to mount up into a significant number. That number changed the history of the world. From Rome to the present known world.

A young girl came to the Lord after service. Pastor Ceasar preached, the gospel went out to accomplish its mission, to bring a world back into the presence of the Lord. The young lady rejocied.

Another snow flake had fallen. The world would be slighty hindered in its mission to turn from God and His ways. Snow flake by snow flake it will eventually be stopped in its tracks.

Philippians 2:9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Risk = Faith

Babe Ruth is one of the greatest hitters in baseball,...he also was the one who struck out the most of any other player! What made him great? His 714 home run hits or the 1330 strikeouts?

Babe Ruth's career mark of 714 home runs stood as the all-time record for 39 years. He led the American League in home runs 12 times (1918-1921, 1923, 1924, 1926-1931.) His attitude was give it all you got, win or lose, give it all you got.

Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

Many times we play it safe. We live life where it takes little if any faith to go through our days. What will we have to do to be a person who walks by faith instead of sight? Does our faith force us to reach out, or do something when others quit?


In the country of Armenia, in 1988, Samuel and Danielle sent their young son, Armand, off to school. Samuel squatted before his son and looked him in the eye. “Have a good day at school, and remember, no matter what, I’ll always be there for you.” They hugged and the boy ran off to school.

Hours later, a powerful earthquake rocked the area. In the midst of the pandemonium, Samuel and Danielle tried to discover what happened to their son but they couldn’t get any information. The radio announced that there were thousands of casualties. Samuel then grabbed his coat and headed for the schoolyard.

When he reached the area, what he saw brought tears to his eyes. Armand’s school was a pile of debris. Other parents were standing around crying.Samuel found the place where Armand’s classroom used to be and began pulling a broken beam off the pile of rubble. He then grabbed a rock and put it to the side, and then grabbed another one.One of the parents looking on asked, “What are you doing?” “Digging for my son,” Samuel answered. The man then said, “You’re just going to make things worse! The building is unstable,” and tried to pull Samuel away from his work.

Samuel set his jaw and kept working. As time wore on, one by one, the other parents left. Then a firefighter tried to pull Samuel away from the rubble. Samuel looked at him and said, “Won’t you help me?” The firefighter left and Samuel kept digging.

All through the night and into the next day, Samuel continued digging. Parents placed flowers and pictures of their children on the ruins. But, Samuel just kept working. He picked up a beam and pushed it out of the way when he heard a faint cry. “Help! Help!” Samuel listened but didn’t hear anything again. Then he heard a muffled voice, “Papa?”Samuel began to dig furiously. Finally he could see his son. “Come on out, son!” he said with relief. “No,” Armand said. “Let the other kids come out first because I know you’ll get me.” Child after child emerged until, finally, little Armand appeared. Samuel took him in his arms and Armand said, “I told the other kids not to worry because you told me that you’d always be there for me!” Fourteen children were saved that day because one father was faithful.

I'm Back!

For the past few days I've been in Calgary working on a national wide Leadership Program. It will be a great way to teach every believer when it is ready to be implemented.

The Lord instructed us to "go make disciples"... not JUST decisions but real breathing disciples. Learners of the ways of God Himself. I had the privilege of seeing one of these disciples "birth" today in my office. This young lady gave her complete self to the Lord, it was beautiful to witness.

The power of conversion! The gospel of Christ is the Power of the Lord. What other action our statement has brought such long term value and respect back to the human race. The Evil One striped us of our dignity and our Christ wrapped us in His. Oh, what a Saviour!

Pray for this lady as she lives out her relationship with the Lord. Pray for Royal Heights as it continues to grow in number and depth. God loves us and we love Him.

Romans 10:9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

Matthew 28:18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

Sunday Service

An invitation to join Gary and Brenda Hunter reach the Muslim community with the gospel. A testimony by Andrew saying he's coming back into the arms of the Lord. A mini sermon of passion by Soogie as she reminds us of the faithfulness of God. Little Macey was new born as of two days earlier. Ah...........Sunday was great!

We had the most amount of people, 162, at a non-event service. God is bringing joy and freedom into Royal Heights. It is just exciting to be a part of a loving body of Christ.

It is a joy!

You MUST be Born Again

You must be born again!

John 3:3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

I was at the hospital this past week visiting mother's of new babies. Two in one week! Wow! The Bible says we are fearfully and wonderfully made and how true it is.

Jesus said there is beauty in birth and still greater beauty in the second birth. May the Lord lead many to experience the second birth into the kingdom of His Son.

Encouragement

"What the caterpillar calls the end of the world, the master calls a butterfly."~ Richard Bach

The Study of God

It has been said by someone that "the proper study of mankind is man." I will not oppose the idea, but I believe it is equally true that the proper study of God's elect is God; the proper study of a Christian is the Godhead. The highest science, the loftiest speculation, the mightiest philosophy, which can ever engage the attention of a child of God, is the name, the nature, the person, the work, the doings, and the existence of the great God whom he calls his Father.

There is something exceedingly improving to the mind in a contemplation of the Divinity. It is a subject so vast, that all our thoughts are lost in its immensity; so deep, that our pride is drowned in its infinity. Other subjects we can compass and grapple with; in them we feel a kind of self-content, and go our way with the thought, "Behold I am wise." But when we come to this master science, finding that our plumbline cannot sound its depth, and that our eagle eye cannot see its height, we turn away with the thought that vain man would be wise, but he is like a wild ass's colt; and with solemn exclamation, "I am but of yesterday, and know nothing." No subject of contemplation will tend more to humble the mind, than thoughts of God....

But while the subject humbles the mind, it also expands it. He who often thinks of God, will have a larger mind than the man who simply plods around this narrow globe.... The most excellent study for expanding the soul, is the science of Christ, and Him crucified, and the knowledge of the Godhead in the glorious Trinity. Nothing will so enlarge the intellect, nothing so magnify the whole soul of man, as a devout, earnest, continued investigation of the great subject of the Deity.
And, whilst humbling and expanding, this subject is eminently consolatory. Oh, there is, in contemplating Christ, a balm for every wound; in musing on the Father, there is a quiet us for every grief; and in the influence of the Holy Ghost, there is a balsam for every sore. Would you lose your sorrow? Would you drown your cares? Then go, plunge yourself in the Godhead's deepest sea; be lost in his immensity; and you shall come forth as from a couch of rest, refreshed and invigorated. I know nothing which can so comfort the soul; so calm the swelling billows of sorrow and grief; so speak peace to the winds of trial, as a devout musing upon the subject of the Godhead. It is to that subject that I invite you this morning.

These words, spoken over a century ago by C. H. Spurgeon (at that time, incredibly, only twenty years old) were true then, and they are true now. They make a fitting preface to a series of studies on the nature and character of God.

What Do You Smell Like?

When we wash and cleanup before our day begins many of us put perfume on so we'll smell great to those who come into our presence. The fragrance is sent out from us continually all day long even when we forget it is happening. This is the picture the Apostle Paul uses to show how we "smell" to those who know and don't know the Lord.

2 Corinthians 2:15-17 15 For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. 16 To the one we are the aroma of death leading to death, and to the other the aroma of life leading to life.

To some the smell of perfume is death because they are allergic to the odour. Perfume makes them sick. The gospel is also the same to many. When the gospel is shared with some they are repelled by the very words of Christ. They want nothing to do with the Lord and His gospel.

To some the smell of the gospel is sweet and the drink in the odour like a sweet taste of heave. They love to hear the old, old story of Jesus on the cross. The gospel is great in any and every language.

Who are you? Do you love the odour of the gospel? Are you putting the perfume of the gospel on every morning? When people are close to you do they pick up the scent?

You can put the perfume on by visiting and believing - Romans 10:-10!

Not getting along

Do you ever have family problems? Times when the family does not get along? One of the family must be right to the pain and suffering of the other?

If you have had children you are aware of the struggle to keep peace in sometimes non peaceful situations. If you have been married for any length of time you are aware of the difficulty to keep your relationship healthy with your wife or husband.

The story of Joseph in the Bible lets us into the world where struggle occur. Joseph was a young man who was favoured by his father. The other children in the family became jealous.

One day they decided to kill Joseph. Latter on they changed their minds and threw him into a pit. When a travelling caravaan was passing by to go to Egypt they sold him. Can you imagine how Joseph must of felt to watch his own family give him up to strangers and slave owners?

The years passed and young Joesph grew up in his captivity. He was falsely accused by his master's wife of rape. He was then thrown in jail to rot. He advanced in jail and soon became the leader there.

Two men needed their dreams interuppted, which Joseph did under the hand of the Lord. Evenually Pharoah had a dream he needed undertanding of and Joseph was sent for. With God giving the correct interuption through Joseph, Joseph became the highest leader under Pharoah.

When his brothers come one day to buy food for their families Joseph meets them. And although wickedness had occured to move Joseph to Eygpt he saw the wisdom and hand of the Lord in all the situation. He makes a remarkable statment at the end of Genesis.

Genesis 50:20 But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.

The Principle: Sometimes things appear that they are falling apart and life is heading into emptyness and confusion but look with faith to the end. God is a great God. He knows how to bring beauty out of ashes. He knows how to take a bad situation and bring out its redeeming qualities. Trust Him even when it does not "appear" that the best is happening. You don't know how it will end but I can tell you God will be right there!

Why God? Answer by Paul Johnson

Here's a question from a young student: I have recently read a book called night. The story talked about a Jewish person's experience in the concentration camp. It was horrifying how the Nazis slaughtered these poor people. The infants were burned alive. People was mercilessly killed. The problem is that these Jews were all religious. They have been constantly praying for the God's mercy on them. And obviously, the almighty God did not do anything to help these poor people. You might say, the Jews did not believe in Jesus, the real Bible, the Real God. However, these people were not much more sinful than the Nazis, were they? Why were they punished so cruelly? Why didn't the God throw them a miracle to just stop the brutal killings?

I read that book too – by Elie Wiesel? He's a fine thinker/writer. I often quote his delightful statement: "God made humans because he loves stories."

You've stumbled upon the great dilemma, one of the most significant questions in life. Sometimes it's worded this way, "If God is love, why the pain and suffering? If God is all-powerful, why doesn't he stop it?"

Maybe the main reason people turn from God and reject his invitation to love im: pain and suffering. I remember talking with a woman in V'ver about God – she'd done exactly this, turn from God. She was Dutch and saw firsthand the horrors of WWII, evil let loose, and decided there can't be a God, or certainly can't be a loving God. Case closed – she didn't want to dialogue – I respected her choice.

Yes, an important question, and not always an out-there academic one – pain and suffering may impact us or those we love. It will, in fact.

I can't promise a comprehensive answer, but I can give some thoughts:

First, a step way back; Why's the world like this? Why do Nazi death camps happen? Why are they "allowed"?
Answer: this world of ours isn't the world/environment God planned for us – this is the world we picked – this is one of the first insights the Bible gives us. That is, we had a choice: God or ourselves? We chose a life independent of God – we wanted to be 'god' – very intoxicating, that possibility, even today for each of us!

However, the choice had consequences. One of them: evil was unleashed into our lives and world. Sometimes mild evil (meanness, nastiness) and sometimes raw evil (like the Nazis…). Sadly, this is the reality we're born into, the dark side of our culture, of life; Worse, it's our own inner reality too: pride, critical spirit, anger against others, unconcern (the "I don't care and I don't care that I don't care attitude) – we have in ourselves seeds of evil (like anger, which can become a murderous rage and result in a death; or the independent "I'll do what I want" attitude which can cause a drunk-driving fatality; or ego, which can become racism and prejudice).
Sobering: at the trial of Adolph Eichmann, one of the architects of the Nazi's "Final Solution" to kill the Jews, people were sickened to realize he wasn't a "monster", not a psychopath – no, he was a normal human being, like everyone else in the courtroom, who chose to be evil, do unspeakable evil things
Sometimes that darkness in us, in our cultures, becomes profound, lethal – that's what you referred to in your question…

- and the damage is indiscriminate – that is, the Nazi concentration camps contained Jews (6+ million), homosexuals, gypsies, other ethnic groups, handicapped, and yes, faithful Christians too – God didn't exempt Christians from this evil;
- one famous Christian was Dietrich Bonheoffer – he was hung by the Nazis days before his camp was liberated (his book "The Cost of Discipleship" was formative in my life.)
- another was Corrie ten Boom, who survived, but her sister Betsy didn't – she was beaten savagely, and died in the camp (these people are heroes of mine)
- so the question, "Why doesn't God throw them a miracle?" applies to a cross-section of humanity in those camps, including Christians who are Jesus-followers…

- again, your question may be the deepest question: why does God allow pain and suffering? How can he be Love? And why doesn't he stop it? How can he be powerful?

- let's start this way: God's high respect for this creation, these humans He made.
- which begs the question: why did God even make humans?
- answer: to have a being with characteristics like himself (creativity, community, ability to relate, freedom) , a being who can respond freely to him in love; companions who would delight in him and communicate with him voluntarily

- two key words are free and love:
- God took a staggering risk: the risk that in giving us freedom to choose, we'd choose not to love Him.
- God took that risk, because love is never forced, never coerced; we had freedom to love Him, or not; (you can't make someone love you, right…)
- what did we do? took the freedom to turn from Him; the first parents, Adam and Eve, did (the story's here – a "must" story to understand our present world's mess)
- and each of us has our own "Garden of Eden" experience; we know what's right, what God says; we choose another way, our way – we want to be "god", to make our own rules ("I'll lie if I want to…"), be in charge of our own universe (I'm #1") – we all do this, and it's the sin and evil
- so this is our world, the one we got when we chose to push God out (and we've pushed Him out of most everything in our culture – like the Nazis did…)

Can God intervene with miracles to counter evil? He can, and has at times, but…
- if God intervened every time there was evil (evil mild or severe), we would no longer be human; we'd become robots , robo-slaves
- imagine: if God zapped us with a divine taser, every time we lied, or hated, or thought something wrong… we might cringe before Him, conform in fear, but it wouldn't be love, and we wouldn't be free to respond to Him

- so although God at times has intervened and done miracles for people (the Bible has such stories, and Christians have experienced more through the centuries), He generally doesn't – He lets us experience the results of our choices
- and they have brought real, horrible consequences into our world, like your Nazi camp illustration.

- but that's not the end of the story – God didn't just abandon us and walk away, like an absentee landlord, letting evil take over.
- and He didn't just exterminate us as a failed experiment; no, He interacted with us (the many stories in the Old Testament show this), and then in Jesus, He Himself stepped into history to share our mess, our troubles

- perhaps this is the best of this whole sad saga of human history: God decided not only to share life with us, He chose to jump into the pool of our suffering and pain; He is an incredible, incredible God for doing this!
- in Jesus, you see God addressing pain and suffering – first, by pushing it back (all his miracles to feed and heal and cast out evil spirits…), and then by voluntarily stepping into the evil of military, religious and government leaders, who captured and tortured and give Him an unjust trial, then killed Him in the most painful way they knew how – God was in Jesus, in the midst of this evil and suffering we all experience.
- on the cross, it is God-in-Jesus looking down on us in love, having been subjected to raw, dark evil; He joins us in our suffering

That's God – that's love I can't get away from (don't want to get away, now!)
- He gave us freedom, but loved us so much, He takes our suffering on Himself thru His Son Jesus, and absorbs it by dying for us, forgiving us, coming alive with a new life, and giving it all to us a sheer gift – that's this incredibly kind God we get to meet in Jesus!

- so God doesn't stop evil (not yet – someday he will!) – to do so by force would be to stop humans from being "human"
- instead, He offers us a choice: stay in the "pool of evil", doing damage to ourselves and others and being twisted by the darkness, or step into his Light, to Jesus, and get a new life, break the cycle and help others too; sadly, many choose to stay in the dark

-again, it doesn't mean Christians won't experience pain – no, Christians suffer too – there were Christians in the Nazi camps. And Jesus suffered too, even before the cross (vicious words against Him, His family rejecting Him, friends abandoning Him).
- what it does mean: God promises to be with us, promises that the evil around us won't conquer us – instead, God will put us in dark places where his Light will shine through us, and we'll turn the evil back
- you can also this with the abolition of slavery, such a monstrous evil – the recent movie Amazing Grace shows how Christians were in the frontlines of stopping slavery
- and I see it in the story of Corrie ten Boom's family, in the book The Hiding Place shows this; she and her dad and sister helped many Jews hide from the Nazis and escape, only to be captured themselves; later, in the death camps, they brought light and hope and God's life to many there amid the horror and suffering
- perhaps I'll give Corrie the last word, for she survived the Nazi death camp: "No matter how deep our darkness, he is deeper still."

That's the God we encounter in Jesus! That's why I'm a Jesus-follower; that's why I've staked my life on this Father-God who sent Him to rescue me. You too – He was sent for you…

Some thought, to a deep, complex question – I certainly haven't answered comprehensively and you may see flaws in my answer I can't see> I'd appreciate your feedback if so.
Again, this isn't God's original, ideal world. It's the one we picked when we said, "Push off, God! We're god, not you." When we have a planet full of self-centred "gods", this is we get: nasty, brutal, "man's inhumanity to man". But God has given us a way out, a way to escape, first with a new life from him, powered by love and not self-centredness/evil; and then, with promise of a new world He'll give us, where evil will be gone, gone, gone!

Thx again for the chance to help you think thru this…
Paul

Disappointment

Many times things do not go as we have planned. We start or become involved in something from marriage to buying a new car and we believe it will all work out fine but life has a way of turning upside down quickly. All of a sudden the marriage is on the rocks and the new car is knocking like it is filled with rocks.

What happens? Doesn't God care? Why do these important things fall apart?

We normally react in one of three ways when we face life's disappointments.
1. To run from the problem.
2. To hide ourselves from the problem.
3. To go into self pity about the problem.

The first sign of a healthy understanding of discouragements comes when we believe certain truths about our Lord:

1. God's love is consistent - unconditional! You need to sing this out as you drive, when you're in the shower. When you listen to music.
2. God's love is revealed in special ways even through the sins we go through.
3. God's love has always anticipated the coming needs of every human.

Only when we move our eyes off of ourselves to our Lord will fear and discouragement leave. Only when we face the "death to self" is there true life to find. So often we hope in the things that are dying instead of the things that lasts forever. Place your heart deep into things that are beyond the touch of disappointment. Trust in the everlasting Lord.

Romans 5: 1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; 4 and perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

Sunday was Awesome!

The LORD was in the room! The worship was great. We baptized a young man. People commented on the presence of the LORD.

2008 is going to be an Awesome year!

Deal or No Deal

I watched the TV show, Deal or No Deal this week. The man was an NFL team player who chose the case 18 then had to eliminate the other cases by choosing them and revealing their content. The main case has 1 million dollars in it but no one knows which case it is in.

By near the end of the game four numbers were left to draw. 3 small numbers $5, $400 and $10000 and the $1,000,000 case were still in play. The banker offered him $189,000, what would you do? (Everyone screams their suggestions, "Deal" "No Deal")

He chose the $189,000!

As they opened up all the cases it revealed he had the 1 million dollar case! He gave up his 1 million dollar case for $189,000. Here's the question, do you think he would have played a different game IF he would have known he had the 1 million dollar case? Of course!

Christian, we have the 1 million dollar case and we know it! We are victorious in Christ. We can not lose. Heaven is ours and earth is thrown in as a gift! Play the game of life like you know what is in your case.

1 Peter 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

What Will 2008 Look Like?

Ahhhhh, life is an adventure! No one but God Himself knows what is in store for you in the coming year. The future is an unknown to us. There are physics out there claiming they could tell you what will be happening but their guesses are just that, guesses.

Psalm 139:2-4
2 You know my sitting down and my rising up;
You understand my thought afar off.
3 You comprehend my path and my lying down,
And are acquainted with all my ways.
4 For there is not a word on my tongue,
But behold, O LORD, You know it altogether.

God invites us into this life of adventure. It would be scary if was not for the safety of His presence and His assurance of our care. We may be crushed and brought down but we have the assurance that all is in His care and we will end up in His arms. This alone brings the comfort we need when things are not going the way we thought they should.

God knows and that's enough for me. He keeps me and sustains me. He watches over me and brings my life meaning and purpose.

I look at 2008 with anticipation because I chose to believe I serve a good and wonderful God. He is full of mercy and loving-kindness. He and I will do things in the new year that He has planned since the beginning of time itself. It is exciting to be alive and being a Christian.

2008 here we come!

Happy New Year

Happy New Year!!
Thank you LORD for all and everything!
Praise Your Holy Name.