I’ve mentioned before that the farm just up the hill from us is being developed into a subdivision. That has displaced many small animals and birds.
That includes brown rats. There is a misconception that brown rats carry bubonic plague, but the biggest carrier of the plague during the Dark Ages was humans, followed by black rats.
Still, even brown rats can be pests. Cute in their own way, and smart, but pests, nonetheless. I don’t mind them out in the wooded areas, but once they start visiting the yard, the rules change, and they have to go.
I don’t blame the rats for moving down the hill. After all, their home has been turned into a construction zone. I can empathize.
All believers are displaced people. We have been transferred out of the kingdom of this world into the Kingdom of God. As the old song (whose authorship is disputed) “This world is not my home, I’m just a-passing through,My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue;The angels beckon me from heaven’s open door,And I can’t feel at home in this world anymore.”
We are pilgrims, strangers in a hostile foreign land. That concept is threaded through Scripture but is particularly highlighted twice in Hebrews.“These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.” Hebrews 11:13
“For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come.” Hebrews 13:14
Displaced pilgrims waiting to go home. Citizens of another land, refugees. Yet, we are far from homeless. The Kingdom of God is manifested in this life; we just won’t experience it in full until we get to glory.
When times get hard, when discouragement comes, don’t despair. We’re not home yet.
Hang fast, my dear friends, home is just around the corner.
You don’t have to be a Rhodes Scholar, have an advanced degree, or have a genius-level IQ to see our world is in rough shape. Everywhere you turn, things are in turmoil. We sometimes ask ourselves, “What lies ahead?”
It’s a fair question. Many of the problems seem insurmountable from a human perspective. What can we do about wars, crime, addictions, bad economies, corporate greed, governmental corruption, poverty, wholesale exploitation of ecosystems, and more?
To be honest, not a lot. That doesn’t mean we don’t do our part, but big problems are a part of living in a sin-filled, fallen world. What lies ahead for this world is more problems.
So, what keeps us from sliding into depression, despair, and utter hopelessness?
As believers, we know the character of God, and we know that He is sovereign over everything. We know that justice will eventually prevail in the hands of God. Most importantly, God declares,
“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”Jeremiah 29:11
God is speaking to the Jewish exiles in Babylon, promising their eventual restoration — so it’s a corporate promise to a people in a hard season of waiting, not a guarantee of individual comfort. That said, the theological principle it reveals about God’s character — purposeful, good, forward-looking — has deep resonance for believers in every generation.
It doesn’t mean things will get magically better and all the problems will go away. It’s a promise from God for our future and hope.
What lies ahead? Hard times, conflict, and more. Yet, we have hope because we know God has it under control and that better things are in store for us.
When we see the world falling apart around us, hold fast to your faith, strive to live as Christ has commanded us, and rejoice in the promise of better things to come.
What’s your story? We all have one. In Christian circles we call it your testimony.
The Bible is a book made up of stories. They are all true, but stories of God and how he worked in His people. They tell of His steadfast love, incredible patience, and endless mercies. They tell what He requires of us and the consequences for our wrongdoing. His stories tell of His redemptive plan for us.
We are called to share our stories. It’s urged from many places in the Bible.
“Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples.” Psalm 96:3
“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” 1 Peter 2:9
“Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage — with great patience and careful instruction.” 2 Timothy 4:2
“How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard?” Romans 10:14
The problem is that we often think about our testimonies as being who we were before Jesus and the moment that changed. That’s part of the story, but it’s ongoing. Our story grows non stop because God is relentless in His love and mercy and his patience knows no bounds.
It’s time to dig out your five, ten, twenty, or more-year-old testimony and blow the dust off it. What did you see God doing of late?
That answered prayer. That unexpected kindness. The job offer or check that materialized out of the blue at just the right time. The marriage that was healed. Your peace over a decision. A friend’s life changed.
That’s all part of your story, your testimony. Those are things worth sharing.
When we do, it brings glory to God and encourages others. Only you can tell your story. Don’t keep it hidden.
We spotted this lovely little waterfall a week or so ago on a drive down a local area forest service road. What you can’t see is the bigger picture. It’s a tiny section on the lower part of a waterfall that probably drops 150 feet or more.
The area we traveled through has several reasonably large falls, and, because of the rain, dozens of beautiful seasonal falls of various sizes. I always find being near a set of falls relaxing, and seeing the water’s power reminds me of God’s power.
Just as the image today shows a complete waterfall, but misses the big picture, so it is with our lives. We often live as if we are the center of the universe and if everything that happens is about us.
In truth, while every one of us is loved by God, we are just one of billions of people alive today, and God only knows how many have come before us and will come after. The thought that we are one of many shouldn’t cause us to despair.
God created each and every one of us in his own image. Every single one of us is uniquely crafted and gifted by God. Each of us has a divine purpose to fulfill in bringing about God’s kingdom. Knowing that should bring us joy.
The person we are today isn’t who we were in the past, and it’s not who we will be in the future. I’m not the man I was 10 or 20 years ago, nor will I be the same in 10 or 20 years from now.
The big picture of who we are in God’s economy is something we can’t yet see. I hope it will be revealed in glory, but even if it isn’t, we will be able to rejoice in our fellowship with Him, and in the wonder that He chose to love us and adopt us as his children.
We get a fresh start when we become believers
“Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him.” I John 5:1
… since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; …1 Peter 1 ESV
The Lord will finish the work He started in us. The final big picture will be something more amazing than we can ever imagine, and as believers, we will get to see it.
This weekend, our local assembly is celebrating its fortieth anniversary. That’s both a huge milestone and a stepping stone for our little church.
Statistically, over 80% of new church plants last less than five years, so this one has done very well. Depending on which source you look at, churches that make it past the first 5 years last somewhere between 75 and 100+ years. There’s lots of time to go yet.
Like most congregations, this one has ebbed and waned over the years. It’s presently undergoing significant change, with a much larger multicultural makeup reflecting our community as a whole. That’s a good thing.
I’ve often spoken of the need for unity in the church, and an area that doesn’t often get touched on are cultural differences between what differing communities think of as “church.” I’m excited to see what we will look like at our 45th and 50thanniversaries,
Will the music change? The service format? What about the ministries we are involved in? It’s likely. The question is by how much. Will we even recognize the church?
Will you move as the Spirit leads, or will we fight change it tooth and nail because it isn’t the way we think church should be done? Probably some combination of both.
We can forget that it is never “our church”. The church in all its forms belongs to God. His pleasure is to use the church (both as the body of believers and the organizations therein) to fulfill His goal, of seeing all who will be saved come to Him, and as a training ground for believers to be shaped into His image.
And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rockI will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.Matthew 16:18
And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.Ephesians 1:22-23
He is preparing His bride (the church) to present to the Father and will shape her as He wills.
That’s great news for us. We don’t have to fret about change. We are free to simply follow the Lord as He leads and walk by faith.
I don’t know what the next 40 years hold for Immanuel: growth, decline, or even demise. I do know I needed worry. I can celebrate what God has done, is doing, and will do.
The church is full of program junkies. We seem to have a fascination for the “latest and greatest” from our best-selling Christian leaders or speakers. It comes from our heartfelt desire to see people come to Christ and the church grow. That’s a healthy desire.
Oftentimes, there is solid meat in the product or program, but we tend to throw out the good things we have going for us and jump on the latest bandwagon without a second thought.
I’m not going to name them, because some of them really work in certain situations. Yet, if you have been a believer for any length of time, you could probably name several of these fad programs without thinking too hard about it.
The problem comes when we adopt these tools as “the” solution for the church’s problems. Then they become idols instead of tools.
Do not be afraid to try a new program or product, but weigh it out against what God is calling you to do and be. We are not called to be identical. Perhaps, it did work well at ”my old church”, but that isn’t a guarantee it will work at your new church.
Just because First National Reformed Bapticostal down the road is running “How to Grow Your Church in Ten Easy Steps With No Effort” does not mean you have to do so. It may or may not work for First National Reformed Bapticostal, but remember that you are not First National Reformed Bapticostal.
The fact that your favorite televangelist is saying that his new book, “Jesus … Know Him As Only I Do,” is a “must read” does not mean your Christian walk will be incomplete without it.
There is nothing wrong with new things or new methods. We need to always be checking that we are relevant (without ever compromising the truth) and be willing to adapt. Use them (or any other program or tool) as they fit, but do not confuse them with what the old snake oil salesmen cry, “Good for what ails you, and if nothing ails you, it is good for that too.”
It is simplistic in a way, but the key to success does not rest in methodology. It rests in being obedient to God’s call for you and the congregation you are affiliated with. Churches grow and reach people by loving them, accepting them (but not compromising on their sin), and pointing them to Jesus Christ as the answer to their problems.
Please understand, I’m not against programs or books. They can be great, they just aren’t the perfect solution for your church
The Bible does not lay out a formal program, but it does lay out some principles.
Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
Maybe, just maybe if we did those two things well, we could fulfill our mandate as a church.
Perhaps King Solomon was on to something when he said
The words of the wise are like goads, their collected sayings like firmly embedded nails—given by one shepherd. Be warned, my son, of anything in addition to them. Of making many books there is no end, and much study wearies the body. Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.Ecclesiastes 12:11-14
Use the tools that God makes available, but with wisdom and discretion. Try the Jesus plan first and foremost “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment and love your neighbor as yourself.”
Until next time, may your life be filled with the love of Christ.
My social media has been abuzz with a “newly found” gospel and claims that will revolutionize the church. It’s not the first time these things have gone around in circles.
What is this new gospel? It’s the gospel of Judas. Will it truly revolutionize the church? Let’s examine that claim.
Despite the claims of some, this “gospel” is not news to the church. One of the early church fathers, Irenaeus, spoke of it around 180 AD. So, what did he have to say about it?
“They declare that Judas the traitor was thoroughly acquainted with these things, and that he alone, knowing the truth as no others did, accomplished the mystery of the betrayal; by him all things, both earthly and heavenly, were thus thrown into confusion. They produce a fictitious history of this kind, which they style the Gospel of Judas.”
This so-called gospel was already known to be fictitious 1800 years ago. It was the work of one of the groups of heretics known collectively as “Gnostics” from the Greek gnosis or to know.
Gnosticism was an early religious movement that taught salvation comes through secret, hidden knowledge (gnosis) rather than faith or grace. Gnostics believed the material world was not created by the true, highest God, but by a lesser, flawed divine being called the Demiurge — often identified with the God of the Old Testament. Human souls were seen as divine sparks of light trapped in corrupt physical bodies, longing to return to the true spiritual realm above. Salvation, in this view, meant awakening to one’s divine inner nature and escaping the material world entirely.
The early Church firmly rejected Gnosticism because it contradicts core biblical truth — that God created the physical world and called it “very good” (Genesis 1:31), that Jesus came in real flesh (1 John 4:2), and that salvation is by grace through faith in Christ alone, not hidden knowledge (Ephesians 2:8-9).
This pseudo-gospel was written by someone holding a faith that, from its inception, held differing beliefs from those of Christians. It is not Scripture, any more than many of the other false gospels that pop up periodically, such as the Gospel of Thomas, The Secret Book of James, The Gospel of Mary and many others. It was written by a false prophet.
There is nothing “new” about these gospels. From the earliest days of the church, they have been recognized as non-Christian, heretical works at best, total fiction at the worst.
The church will not be shaken to its core by this revelation. No doubt there will be some scholars who jump on the bandwagon and embrace it, but many of the same scholars already deny the authority of Scripture, many of Jesus’ teachings, and even the resurrection. They are Christian in name only.
We need never worry about these attempts to “change” or discredit the faith. They are nothing new. Scripture warned us that these things would happen.
And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.Matthew 24:11-14
For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds. 2 Corinthians 11:13-15
But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed.2 Peter 2:1-2
God is not surprised by the “sudden revelation” of this “newly discovered” book. His Word is not suddenly void because of the uncovering of an old heretical document. He remains God. He remains in control of all things. His Word is still the measure of truth.
If the gospel of Judas does not match up with the inspired Word of God, then it is the gospel of Judas that is wrong.
The Word is truth and that will bring attacks to try and discredit it, but God remains sovereign.
Until next time, rejoice that we have God’s inspired Word available to measure the counterfeit against.
These posts and a mostly demolished brick building are all that remain of a once-thriving logging industry and the community it supported. Fortunes were made here, and lives lived. People were born and died. Eventually, the posts will be gone, and all that will remain of the building is an ever-shrinking pile of rubble. It served its purpose and was gone.
There are many such places all over the world. Some are remembered in name only. Some are not remembered at all. Entire civilizations have come and gone, leaving nothing behind but a few artifacts, if that.
These ghost towns and sites were once the focal point of people’s lives. For some, perhaps a few years; for others, generations. Yet virtually everything is gone.
Things don’t last forever. That’s the way it is with the material things of the world.
It’s why Jesus said,
“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:19-21
We are beings created in the image of God. The physical bodies we have now wont’ last. Eventually, we die physically. Yet we live on forever, either in resurrected bodies to enjoy God forever or designed to withstand eternal punishment and separation from God.
The Westminster Shorter Catechism reminds us that the chief purpose of humanity is “to glorify God, and to enjoy Him forever.” We were built for far greater things than earthly pleasures and treasure.
We take nothing of this physical world with us. We know that, but somehow, we find ourselves lusting after the things that don’t last. We store up our treasures here in this life, where eventually they will be long gone, and we’ll be long forgotten by those left behind.
Who is remembered among all those who have gone before us? Very few, even after a generation or two. Where are the things they chased?
They are gone and forgotten here, but not by God. He knows each of them and loves them. He accepted their choice to be with Him or to reject Him.
After you are gone, what will remain? Where are your true treasures? Our treasure is in Him. We were created to be in relationship with Him forever. Heaven and Earth will pass away, but the word of God and its author will remain.
Are you building something that will endure or simply a pile of rubble?
Yesterday, I was sitting in my office at home watching the rain fall. At times it came down by the bucketful, and at others it was just a wet drizzle, something like walking through a cloud
At one point, just for a few seconds, the sun peeked through the clouds, while the rain kept falling. The sunbeams caught the rain, giving the drops the appearance of millions of delicate diamonds or prisms suspended in the air.
I simply do not have words for the beauty of the moment, and it was just that “a moment”. Within a matter of two or three seconds at the most, the sunshine was gone, and the moment had passed. Had I not been looking out the window at that very moment, I would have missed it all.
I thought about all those raindrops suspended in the light. I wondered how many drops were falling in the backyard alone, let alone the entire landscape around me.
I did a quick internet search and came up with a crude number. In the backyard, something in the order of 125,000 raindrops a second, assuming a moderate rainfall. Over the city of Abbotsford, that’s about 5.2 billion raindrops a second or 19 trillion an hour. I know those numbers are very rough, but they stagger my imagination.
Trying to comprehend the number of raindrops got me thinking of God’s incredible promise to Abram (soon to be Abraham)
After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: “Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.” But Abram said, “O Lord God, what will you give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” And Abram said, “Behold, you have given me no offspring, and a member of my household will be my heir.”And behold, the word of the Lord came to him: “This man shall not be your heir; your very own son shall be your heir.” And he brought him outside and said, “Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” And he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness. Genesis 15:1-6
God’s incredible promis is promise beyond comprehension, yet a true promise, nonetheless. It was fulfilled (and continues to be fulfilled) in ways that Abram could never have comprehended. Every believer is a spiritual child of Abraham.
What was Abram’s response to the promise? He believed, and God credited it to him as righteousness.
God also makes promises beyond our comprehension to us. He promises forgiveness for our sins. He promises life everlasting. He promises that we shall be joint heirs with Christ. He promises to return.
What should our response be to His promises? If Abram is any example, and I believe he is, we should believe. God never breaks a promise. Our whole future is predicated on one decision … do we believe and trust God’s incredible promises?
Until next time, may you believe and may it be credited to you as righteousness. If you already believe, ponder the miracle of your salvation and praise god for His mercy.
Over the past few days, we have been blessed to have temperatures well above seasonal norms. Things are budding out everywhere. In protected areas, spring bulbs are blooming. Pussy willows are making a strong appearance.
Starting today and for the next week, the forecast is rain. Normal temperatures, no frost in sight, but rain. Some days, non-stop rain, others off and on, and finally, occasional showers.
I confess I found myself mumbling about the change when I read the forecast. As thought occurred to me, “How did you think all that new growth is going to get watered?”
In the sermon on the Mount, Jesus used rain as a metaphor for His love and grace.
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” Matthew 5:43-48 ESV
He pours his love and grace out even on those who hate him. The Lord doesn’t hate sinners. He loves us all and blesses us all more than we deserve. It’s simply that sin cannot be in the full presence of a holy god, so those who reject His mercy suffer the consequences.
When the rain comes and when the sun shines, it can remind us of the vastness of His grace and mercy. It reminds us that He’s raining mercy, or in the lyrics of a popular song, there are “showers of mercy and grace, falling on every face.”
I don’t know what storms you face today (literal or metaphorical). I don’t know whether you have sun, rain, or snow in your forecast. I do know that God loves you and wants to bless you.
If you know Him already, rejoice that He cared enough to save you. If you don’t yet know Him, set aside your pride and run to His open arms.
