Month: September 2014

This is my year of Jubilee. Last Saturday I turned 49. That means I am now in my 50th year. They say some things, like cheese, get better with age. I hope that’s true of me! In the Old Testament the Israelites were commanded to observe the year of Jubilee. After 7 sets of 7 years the Jubilee would be declared. It’s not clear to scholars whether that was the 49th or 50th year. Furthermore, we don’t really know if the year was ever properly observed. The Jubilee dealt mainly with land and property rights. However slaves and prisoners were to be set free as well. Debts were to be forgiven so that the poor would have a fresh start and not be subject to generations of poverty. “You shall make the fiftieth year holy, and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee to you; and each of you shall return to his own property, and each of you shall return to his family.” (Leviticus 25:10) In addition, they were not to work the ground that year but to let it rest. The year of Jubilee was all about freedom and restoration. It was to be a kind of ‘re-set’ button that would enable everyone to begin again, get out of debt, reclaim their inheritance and declare that God was the true ruler of everything. The laws relating to the Jubilee in the Old Testament were for the nation of Israel. But it pointed towards the coming of Jesus and something even better for those of us who come to faith. Jesus is our Jubilee. Jesus has come to give us liberty and freedom. Paul tells us, “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” (Galatians 5:1) Christ has come to set us free, not just once every fifty years but each and every day. I’ve been thinking about what Christ sets me free from: from sin, from the need to conform to the power of this world, from the opinion and oppression of others, from fear, from guilt, from jealousy, from bitterness, from unforgiveness and, even from a sense of inadequacy. Sin had once enslaved me but Jesus declared me to be free and then, by his Holy Spirit, empowers me to live in this new freedom. There is nothing magical about my 50th year. Each and every day I have the opportunity to walk in the freedom that Jesus offers me. This is also true for you. While people in the Old Testament had to wait for good things to come – our wait is over. Jesus has appeared and says to all of us: “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind,to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” (Luke 4:18-19) I pray that you are experiencing the freedom that comes with knowing Jesus and the joy of Jubilee.

Sometimes we don’t know how to communicate our love towards others. One night, a man decided to show his wife how much he loved her. After dinner he began to recite romantic poetry, telling her he would climb high mountains to be near her, swim wide oceans, cross deserts in the burning heat of the day, and even sit at her window and sing love songs to her in the moonlight. After listening to him go on for some time about this immense love he had, she ended the conversation when she asked, “But will you wash the dishes for me?” If you have ever heard of the five love languages you will understand that story. Gary Chapman wrote the book, The Five Love Languages, explaining that all of us have different love languages. He says that we need to learn to express our love towards others in a way that they will understand. Here’s a quick overview of those languages. 1. Words of Affirmation. Some people need to hear a verbal expression of love and appreciation. They like to be complimented on their appearance and achievements. If they never hear words of affirmation they feel uncertain about the status of the relationship. 2. Acts of Service. The woman in the story above wasn’t interested in words, she wanted the dishes done. Her love language was likely acts of service. When someone does a caring and thoughtful act to help her she feels love and support. 3. Receiving Gifts. Who doesn’t like to get a gift? We all enjoy receiving a gift but it speaks louder to those who enjoy getting something tangible as an expression of one’s feelings. Remembering a gift on a special occasion is particularly important. 4. Quality Time. Giving someone your undivided attention can be a powerful sign of commitment and love. We’d all like to multitask but sometimes we just need to put everything else down and be present for the person we care about. 5. Physical Touch. There is emotional power in physical touch. When we carefully pick up a baby and gently hold him in our arms we are communicating love and care in an unspoken way. Touch continues to be a primary way of expressing ourselves and showing love for others. Paul reminds us that God took the initiative to love us first. “But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.” (Romans 5:8) God didn’t wait for us to love him but reached out to love us. That’s the pattern we need to follow. So what’s your love language? How do you like people to show love to you? Are you able to show love to others in a way that is meaningful to them? The thing we have to watch out for is always expressing our love in the same way that we like to receive it. We need to reach out to others first. If we truly want to communicate with those closest in our life then we need to understand what is meaningful to them. The best way to find out is to ask them.

In Grade Nine I studied my first Shakespearean play, The Merchant of Venice.  We had to memorize Portia’s speech which begins, “The quality of mercy is not strained.” While I have long remembered the first verse I had forgotten how the rest of it goes. The quality of mercy is not strain’d,It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven, Upon the place beneath: it is twice blest; It blesseth him that gives and him that takes.”   Mercy is a natural virtue and not a legal one.  Mercy is freely given and not an obligation. Of course he was right – mercy is twice blessed. Jesus said that long before Shakespeare was writing plays. “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.” (Matthew 5:7). What Jesus was saying, and Shakespeare was echoing, is that when you extend mercy you also receive it. It is not that you show mercy just to get mercy, that’s not it. You don’t give in order to get. That is not the spirit of mercy. But it just happens that the merciful become the obvious recipients of mercy. Mercy is never earned; it is unmerited. The merciful are humble people who also receive mercy. They have seen what sin and pain has done in people’s lives and rather than judging them – they provide mercy. We need more mercy in our world today. There are those who have been forgotten and abandoned, those who have been beaten up by various events in life, those who are aching with a pain that never ceases and, those who carry guilt and grief with no idea how to get rid of it. Most people know they need mercy, they just don’t expect to find it. How sad. Perhaps you have already discovered that since God has reached out and shown you mercy, you can reach out and show others mercy. We are here because of God’s mercy in our lives. He started it; he gave before we could do anything about it. When others around us need mercy we can be the first to offer it because mercy was freely given to us. Who do you know today that needs mercy? Does someone need a phone call, a friendly visit, an offer of forgiveness or, just your presence in the midst of their pain? Because you have received mercy, it is twice blessed – pass it on.  See you SundayPastor David

Shortly after passing my driver’s test I found myself on a major highway in the middle of a major traffic jam. It was all stop and go. I was a new driver trying to navigate through the city. At one point I was between two large transport trucks, each was carrying a load of new cars. I had been stopped for a few moments when suddenly my car began to roll backwards. Although my foot was already on the brake I pushed down even harder but the car was still rolling. I panicked and pulled the emergency brake.  Then I finally realized that I wasn’t moving at all but rather one of the trucks beside me was slowly moving forward. I had the perception that I was moving backward but in reality I was perfectly still. Perception is a powerful thing. Sometimes it is hard to see what is really happening around us. Our perception of things can play tricks with our physical and spiritual eyes. When I read the news updates about various trouble spots in the world I get the sense that things are falling apart. When I look at my long ‘to-do’ list and appointment calendar I think there is no way that I’ll manage to get through the day. I can get fearful about the future and what is going to happen to me. It’s easy in our 24/7 society to be overwhelmed and lose perspective.   The Psalmist Asaph once had a similar feeling. To him, it seemed that evil was winning the day; that the enemies of God were prospering and succeeding while his situation was bleak and depressed. His perspective was all distorted he writes until “I went into the sanctuary of God.” There, in that ‘sanctuary moment’, he saw things as they really are and his perspective on life was restored. It wasn’t him who was slipping and falling but those who weren’t following God. He was actually the one on solid ground and in a safe place. God gave him a glimpse of his reality and it settled his spirit. From time to time I also need that kind of ‘sanctuary’ experience; time alone with God to clear up my faulty thinking and restore my perspective. Not everything that I see presented is accurate, what I need is to view things from God’s position and when I get that quick insight everything in my spirit calms down. Don’t be discouraged or depressed by what’s happening in the world today. Don’t be overwhelmed by all the items on your list that must be accomplished. These matters are serious but God remains sovereign and in control. We belong to him. God has promised to be with us and to guide us for his glory and honor. We have to rest in him. Asaph concludes, “Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fall, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” (73:25-26) And that’s good counsel for all of us.