Month: May 2024

Rhonda and I are preparing for a transition in our life. After 14 years in one city and church we are moving back to Canada. There is an endless list of things to prepare and get ready for. That’s practical work that we can see and do something about. However, there is also the emotional and spiritual work of going through a transition or change. For us, it’s some uncertainty about what lies ahead and what life will be like after our years in Basel. In our case, we’ve had some time to think about and prepare for this move. That’s helpful. But not all transitions come in a timely way. Change can happen quickly and unexpectedly, and the future is suddenly a little more scary. Maybe you are in a season of change as well. It might be that you are between jobs. It could be the health of a loved one, a move between homes, or a change in your stage of life. It just seems like this is a season of waiting. You aren’t sure what is to come and you might not know what to do with yourself in the meantime. Max Lucado in one of his books says here’s what you need to know when you are in God’s waiting room: “while you wait, God works. God never twiddles his thumbs. He never stops. He takes no vacations. “Be still and know that I am God” reads the sign on God’s waiting room wall.” In times like these, we go back to our basic understanding of faith. God is good and he cares about what happens to us. We can trust in him because of who he is. When our anxious spirits get the better of us, we meditate on that verse: “Be still, and know that I am God. (Psalm 46:10) Be still and know that I am. Be still and know. Be still. The waiting room is a difficult place to be. We do not sit there alone. And we will not be here forever because ‘this too shall pass.’ God is at work.

The Devil Doesn’t Rest (But You Should) — One Sunday the pastor preached a sermon about the importance of keeping a Sabbath Rest. He mentioned that because Sunday was a busy day for him, he took Mondays off. After the service an older lady confronted him. “I can’t believe the pastor takes a day off. You know, the devil never takes a day off,” she said.  The pastor replied, “I know he doesn’t. That’s why I don’t work for him anymore.” When the children of Israel left Egypt God gave them a gift. “Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work … Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the Lord your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm.”  (Deuteronomy 5:13-15) God gave them the gift of rest. When they were slaves in Egypt they could not rest, the work was never done. Slave drivers made sure they never had a break. Modern slave drivers come in many shapes and sizes but continue to ensure that we don’t get the rest we need. In his Kingdom, God gives rest and invites us to trust him with our work and activities, even when everything isn’t finished. Finding rest in a busy modern world is challenging. Despite knowing that we need proper refreshing many people don’t have a good weekly rhythm to keep them healthy. Time taken to renew ourselves can include some of the following: Like the children of Israel, we too have been invited to enjoy God’s rest. He created us and he knows what we need. Accepting his invitation is a sign of wisdom.

Some people never really grow up. It’s like the bumper sticker says – “You’re only young once, but you can be immature forever.” Dealing with immature people is never fun. Just because someone has been a Christian for five, ten or twenty years doesn’t mean they are a mature believer. It’s amazing to me that people can hang around the church and other believers but never really grow in their own faith. The writer of Hebrews offers three ways to help spot the immature believer.First, they have a hearing problem. “About this we have much to say and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing.” (Hebrews 5:11) It’s not just toddlers and teenagers who have this condition, it’s a sign of immaturity when people refuse to listen or understand what someone is trying to teach them. The second sign that people are still immature is that they can’t help instruct others; “For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God.” (Hebrews 5:12) As believers we should be able to help lead someone else to Christ, we should be able to encourage others with Scripture, we ought to be quick to model prayer and godly living. But the immature believer forever needs to be reminded of the basics. Finally, the immature believer lacks discernment. “But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.” (Hebrews 5:14) Those who aren’t growing are not open to the Spirit’s leading and teaching. They aren’t worried about what is right and wrong and how to tell the difference. So they get focused on things which are not healthy for them. What’s the solution? The writer of Hebrews wants them to “go on to maturity” and understand the deeper things of Christ. The writer encourages them to get nourishing food from Scripture, to get sufficient exercise by applying their faith to daily living and to develop a keen ability to judge right from wrong. The bumper sticker may be right – some people will remain immature forever. But for believers in Jesus arrested development and lifelong immaturity isn’t an option. It’s time to grow up.

The Bible never tells us his name. We don’t know much about him or his family. We just know that he offered what he had and Jesus was able to use it. All of the gospels record Jesus’ miracle of feeding the 5’000. But only John tells us in John 6:8-9 that the food came from a young boy. Jesus had been teaching all day and the people had been listening but suddenly they realized the hour was late and no one had brought food. Jesus had compassion and told his disciples to feed the people. Where were they supposed to get food? Andrew stepped forward with a few small pieces of bread and fish from a boy. But even Andrew didn’t see how such a small amount could satisfy anyone. “What are they for so many?” Jesus commanded everyone to sit down, he prayed over the small meal and they began to distribute it. And everyone was fed. The little boy’s lunch was all that Jesus needed to do his work. There are a number of theological points in this story. The miracle of feeding that multitude was a sign that Jesus was the Messiah. Yet the passage speaks to me in a more personal way – Jesus can use what I have to offer him, no matter how small my offering is. When I was younger and bolder, I felt that I had a lot to offer God. I was well educated, had a variety of skills and was full of enthusiasm and vision. God was blessed to have me on his side. Or so I thought. I confess that as I get older, I’m not so sure that I have that much to offer. What I thought would be needed and helpful to God hasn’t been so useful. What I thought would be impressive has become rather shallow. I am coming to realize that God does his best work through the small and weak. Jesus takes our bread crumbs and pieces of fish and uses it for his glory. In our weaknesses he shows himself strong. With food for a small child he feeds a crowd. It’s his work and not mine. My abilities and talents are not nearly as important as my availability and willingness to let him work through me as he sees fit. I sometimes feel embarrassed when I come to him and say, “This is all I have today, some bread and a little fish.” But those are the days when he shows himself strongest and most able. Those are the days when I get out of the way and let him work. John the Baptist said it best when he said, “He must increase and I must decrease.” Offer him what you have and let him do the rest.

Snake Salvation was a reality TV show about “snake handling pastors” in Kentucky. They believe in a bible passage from Mark 16 that suggests a poisonous snakebite will not harm them if they are anointed by God’s power. Sadly, the series was cancelled when the main character died from a venomous snake bite. Does the Bible really say you should go around picking up dangerous reptiles? People often say things like, “I just believe what the Bible says, and I do what it tells me to do.” But in practice the Bible is open to a lot of interpretation and we tend to pick and choose what we like. Did Jesus really mean for us to cut off our hands if they cause us to sin? (Matthew 5:30) Should we feel guilty about wearing clothing with two different kinds of fabric? (Deuteronomy 22:11) Why don’t all women wear head coverings in church? (1 Corinthians 11) None of us comes to the Bible with a blank slate; we all bring our own interpretation to bear. And our interpretation can be faulty. There are many parts of the Bible that are clear and easy to understand. As we mature in our faith, we must wrestle with some of the more difficult passages and think about how we interpret Scripture. But, honestly, the most difficult parts of the Bible for me are the most straight forward and easy to understand. These are the passages that I know I should practice but somehow I fight with. Verses like: There are difficult and challenging questions about reading the Bible. Common sense though could really help those snake handlers. But like Mark Twain said, “It ain’t those parts of the Bible that I can’t understand that bother me, it is the parts that I do understand.” Yes, it’s the parts that are all too clear that bother me as well. I still have a lot of work to do.