Month: August 2015

Sue Markham really wanted a dog. Her husband wasn’t so keen on the idea. He finally relented and agreed that they could get a dog if it was a small one that wouldn’t take up too much space in their home. Sue began looking for a puppy at animal shelters and when she saw little Yogi she just had to have him. She brought Yogi home and told her husband that he was a Jack Russell Terrier and would not likely ever be over twenty pounds. Then Yogi started to grow and Mr. Markham became concerned over the amount of food that Yogi was eating. Mrs. Markham had to confess that Yogi wasn’t really a Jack Russell. She was hoping that her husband wouldn’t notice her little “white lie” until it was too late to change his mind. She hoped he, too, would love their new pet. In reality, Yogi is a Great Dane. And not just any Great Dane but a Boston Great Dane, which just also happens to be one of the single largest breeds on the planet! A news reporter writes: “Today, Yogi is weighing in at about 200 pounds, and is around six feet, ten inches from tip to tail. Much bigger than your everyday Jack Russell, that’s for sure. He’s a neighbourhood favourite as well, gaining tons of attention for his very large size and gentle giant manner.” Mr. Markham must be the forgiving type because he and his wife are still living together and he has come to love the small pony that now lives in his home. The story has a happy ending but not all little white lies end so well. King Solomon offers advice to all of us in the Song of Songs: “Catch us the foxes, the little foxes that spoil the vines.” (2:15) Solomon tells us that it is the little foxes that spoil the vines – the little things that can have a big impact. This appears to be a warning to you and me. We need to watch out for subtle dangers of so-called “little sins”. It is often the “little sins” that grow into larger problems if they go on unchecked. God’s word is clear that sin is sin. We try to excuse these “little sins” by saying something like, “It was just a little white lie. It won’t hurt anyone. No one will really notice. It’s not like I murdered anyone.” Indeed, the consequences of certain sins may be more serious than others. What we need to guard is the attitude of our heart. We don’t want little things growing into big problems. It’s better not to start with any “little sins” but rather to stop them from starting. Most of us don’t have room for a Great Dane in our lives.

Jesus brought a simple message of hope into this world. You could call it his mission statement. Standing in front of people who had watched him grow up, who knew him and his family, Jesus read from the prophet Isaiah.   The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me,     because the Lord has anointed me     to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,     to proclaim freedom for the captives     and release from darkness for the prisoners,  to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor     and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn,      and provide for those who grieve in Zion— to bestow on them a crown of beauty     instead of ashes, the oil of joy     instead of mourning, and a garment of praise     instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness,     a planting of the Lord     for the display of his splendor. (Is. 61:1-3) When he finished, Jesus told his listeners that this passage was about him and his ministry or mission. What a needed mission in our world today! To proclaim the good news of God’s kingdom to people who are tired of this sin-sick world. To bind up the brokenhearted and help those in pain. To set people free from captivity that robs them of life. To turn sadness, disappointment and grief into joy and praise. To establish people with great strength. What a difference this makes. This was the mission of Jesus and it needs to be the mission of his church. As a pastor I get distracted with so many things. The towels in the washroom need changing. Our internet is down again. We need more Sunday school space. The sound system isn’t working properly. And on the list goes. All these things need to be cared for but they aren’t why we are a church. In doing these things we can’t forget our main calling as a church; which is to echo the mission and message of Jesus. Otherwise we fall short. I’m committing this passage to more prayer, spending more time examining my activities and believing more than ever that Jesus is still in the business of doing this kind of work. It’s what the world needs but more importantly it what I need. Let’s make room this coming season at Crossroads for Jesus to do his life giving work. Let’s be people who actively cooperate with the mission of the risen Savior. Nothing could be more significant. 

I like to spend some time during the summer months getting organized for the next season ahead. Once September comes along I find I’m non-stop busy until Christmas. If I don’t do some planning I get overwhelmed when the rush comes. So I’ve been doing some reading on being more productive at work. I want to be productive and engage in meaningful work but sometimes it also means hard work and difficult circumstances.   What was the most productive time of your life? Can you think of a period of time when you experienced great productivity and perhaps great personal growth? I bet as you look back there is a sense of satisfaction as to what was achieved and what was accomplished. I also bet that, given the choice, you wouldn’t want to go through it again. Our growth, our productivity, often comes in times of pressure, hardship and opposition. When I think about the international moves our family has made I know they were challenging but also brought growth. There is a sense that we are stronger and have achieved something that we would not have it we hadn’t jumped into living overseas. We grew through some very hard trials.   Our personal and spiritual growth often comes in those difficult times; the breaking of long-term relationships, the death of a loved one, changing jobs, losing a job, health issues and illness, or difficult financial times. None of us ever wants to enter those periods but when we emerge we know that God has used those times to enrich and build us. It seems so counter-intuitive. I often say that the Kingdom of God is the upside-down kingdom. The easy-going times are times for coasting but the difficult times are times for growth and productivity. You can get very good at lifting a five pound weigh but you won’t grow muscle until you add some new weigh and struggle to lift it. So James writes:  Dear brothers and sisters, whenever trouble comes your way, let it be an opportunity for joy. For when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be strong in character and ready for anything. (James 1:2-4) As crazy as it seems joy can come in the midst of difficult circumstances and hard times. That’s because joy that comes from God isn’t based on our surroundings but rather on our relationship with him. Because we know him, because he loves us, because he is in control – we can have deep seated joy in the storm. We just need to remember he is present.