Author: David Fortune

Amazon delivery driver Alexis Prochniki thought she was seeing things last week as she was driving her route through southern Ontario, Canada. At first, she thought it was a deer, not an unusual sight on her travels.  But the ‘deer’ appeared to have little arms and was hopping along the road.  She backed up her truck for a second look. Were her eyes playing tricks on her? It looked like a kangaroo. If you live in Australia, a kangaroo might be a more common sight. However, in southern Ontario during January, it’s pretty unusual. The kangaroo had somehow escaped from a local zoo. The police received several reports about the rouge marsupial and put out a statement assuring people that they weren’t hallucinating. In Exodus 3, Moses saw something that caught his attention.  “The angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. So Moses thought, “I will go over and see this strange sight—why the bush does not burn up.” (Exodus 3:2-3) We get used to our routines and surroundings. When the unexpected happens, we aren’t always prepared. We don’t always stop to look. Moses was curious and went over to see what was going on. It turned out to be a significant moment in his life. It’s good he paid attention. Not every sighting of a bouncy kangaroo is necessarily a divine moment. But how prepared are we to take a second look at the unexpected? Are we open to a divine interruption in our day? Or are we too busy to stop and ponder? Are we open and curious about where the Lord may show up in our lives? Like Moses, we may just have an unexpected life-changing encounter. Paying attention is the key.

“Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;    worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness.” Psalm 29:2 I wonder how much time, in an average week, we spend ascribing glory to the Lord. After all, this is what Psalm 29 tells us to do. What exactly does ‘ascribe glory to the Lord’ mean? It just means talking about God in a way that honours him. Many of us spend time talking to God. We have a long list of things that we need help with. There’s an ever growing list of concerns. God is interested in our problems and we should bring those needs before him. The book of Psalms, however, reminds us how important it is to praise God for his greatness; to ascribe the glory due his name. For some reason, we find it difficult or hard to put into words. Our hearts are worshipful, but we don’t know what to say. If you need help, just open your Bible to some of the Psalms and pray along. Psalms is an ancient prayer book that has helped God’s people express themselves for centuries. While we find the whole range of human emotions in the Psalms, they do a particularly good job of praising the Lord. I encourage you to take some time this week to read a Psalm and pray along. Check out Psalm 8, 65, 76, 100, 103, 111, 145-150. Our God is great and awesome. Our hearts need to offer him praise and thanksgiving simply because he is worthy. “Bless the Lord, O my soul;And all that is within me, bless His holy name!” Psalm 103:1 See you Sunday,

One of the most helpful books I read last year was James Clear’s Atomic Habits. I’ve been thinking about it again as 2024 begins. Often, people make resolutions at the beginning of a new year, and those good intentions tend to fade after a while. Full of ambition and desire to change but seldom is there a plan of action. What I liked about Atomic Habits was its focus on making small changes rather than instant transformation. We really are creatures of habit and if we change our habits, we end up changing our behaviors. Habits are often things we do without thinking. Maybe you find yourself scrolling social media too much. Or perhaps you aren’t in the habit of preparing healthy meals. Maybe it’s as simple as the morning routine or preparing to go to bed and get a good sleep. Rather than making many resolutions, we might be better off examining some of our habits and how they impact our daily lives. What is one thing you would like to change during this coming year? What is one healthy habit you would like to add that might move you slowly closer to your goals? Clear writes “Your habits shape your identity, and your identity shapes your habits.” We ought to think of ourselves as followers of Jesus first and find habits that reinforce our identity in him. The Apostle Paul writing long before the insights of modern psychology said, “For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love.  For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (2 Peter 1:5-8) Our daily habits build on one another. If we start in the wrong place, we end up heading in the wrong direction. Don’t be overwhelmed with trying to make all your life changes in this one week. Think about one habit that might be helpful to change or one practice that will be helpful to start. You might be surprised at how it impacts the rest of this year.

I trust that you have been able to enjoy some time this Christmas with family or friends. This week is often a time to relax, reflect on the last year and ponder what lies ahead. As we prepare to say goodbye to 2023 and welcome in a New Year, I want to leave you with a simple verse of scripture: “Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 1:6) Each year brings its joys and sorrows. Whatever you have been through, whatever you are hoping for or expecting in the days ahead, know this – God is faithful. And he isn’t finished with you yet. He knows your fears and your dreams. He understands where you are and you can rest in him, full of confidence. Remembering this truth will help carry you through many good and bad days. May you grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour in 2024.

Many people no longer make the connection between Christmas and Christ, however, Christmas Day remains a prominent holiday. Most folks think it is a time to rest, enjoy family and take a break from all the stress. Maybe do some reflecting before the year is over. All cultures have holidays and festivals that are a part of their rhythm of life. Most of them were rooted at some point in a spiritual significance. Charles Taylor, who wrote A Secular Age says that secularism has flattened time. It has done away with sacred time, the concept of something or someone higher. The days and nights all pass back without any difference. Holidays are just another twenty-four hours.   Yet for believers, there is a higher order of time, something sacred. Christmas is set apart in a special space as it were. Taylor feels our religious holidays have meaning and purpose. He writes that these “higher times gather and reorder secular time. They introduce ‘warps’ and seeming inconsistencies in profane time-ordering.” But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. (Galatians 4:4-5) There is something about Christmas that is timeless or apart from time. God lives outside of time and when we stop to celebrate his work, he meets us in a profound way. We are drawn closer to the manger scene to adore the Christ child. In the modern, secular world, it is challenging to pull ourselves away and engage in those sacred moments. At Christmas, we often see people who are hungry for something more but are not sure where to find it. As believers, we know the story of God’s love gives meaning and purpose to the rest of our year. We are shaped and transformed by something far greater than ourselves. As you pause to celebrate the birth of the King, I pray that you will be drawn a little closer to him.

I haven’t always understood the Advent Season. It really wasn’t a part of my church liturgy growing up. Advent was seen as more of a pre-Christmas preparation period if anything at all. However, Advent was originally intended to give a different focus. In some ways, it was meant to help us understand the dark period of time before Jesus was born. The Romans occupied Israel, life was hard and there was silence from God. People had longed for the Messiah, but he had not appeared. Then suddenly, the birth of a baby takes place and everything changes. God has begun to fulfil his promises. He isn’t finished yet. The season of Advent also teaches us to remember that Jesus will come again. Our world can also seem dark and dangerous. Believers are expecting the return of Christ, but it’s been a long time. Some have begun to wonder if God will keep his promise to return and put evil away. My Advent readings over the last few years have included more passages from Isaiah, a truly amazing book. The prophet foresees the work and ministry of the Messiah, his birth and his return. So, a passage like Isaiah 65:17-19 is an Advent passage: “See, I will create    new heavens and a new earth.The former things will not be remembered,    nor will they come to mind. But be glad and rejoice forever    in what I will create,for I will create Jerusalem to be a delight    and its people a joy. I will rejoice over Jerusalem    and take delight in my people;the sound of weeping and of crying    will be heard in it no more.” This is the world we hope for.  Some doubted that a Messiah would ever appear. Some think he will never return. We aren’t to become cynical, callous or lazy. We are called to watch and wait. For at just the right time, our Saviour will appear.

We got a lot of snow this past weekend which always helps prepare you for Christmas. I love this season but sometimes I find all the noise around Christmas can be distracting. The simple birth of our saviour has turned into so many other things.  It’s hard to just slow down and listen to what God might have for us during this month. John begins his gospel account by saying, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” (John 1:14) Someone once said, that the coming of Jesus into our world was the beginning of the end. God’s plan for redeeming the world was entering its last stages. This is the hope I try to remember each December. It’s just that there is so much calling for my attention. Philip Brooks wrote the Christmas carol O Little Town of Bethlehem and included these lines: No ear may hear his coming, but in this world of sinWhere meek souls will receive him still the dear Christ enters in There is a kind of silent whisper at Christmas. We have to stop to hear it. It’s an invitation to make room for Jesus. It’s the opportunity to pause and reflect on how Christ has changed our world and can change our lives. As John says, “To all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” (John 1:12)

A young mother found her four-year-old son crying as he was tying his shoes. “Why are you crying?” she asked. “I have to tie my shoes,” he sobbed. “But you just learned how. It isn’t that hard, is it?” “No, but I’m gonna have to do it for the rest of my life!”  Sometimes ordinary, everyday tasks seem too overwhelming. There are those moments when the thought of doing the same things every day for the rest of our lives seems devastating. We don’t want to become boring old people.  While our lives can be filled with exciting and fun activities, most of our time is taken up with routine tasks that just have to be done. We must keep the house clean, fill the car with gas, pay the bills, do the grocery shopping and replace light bulbs among our many chores. Author Gordon MacDonald writes that we must learn to “make peace with the ordinary.” That phrase has stuck with me over time. I have often found it difficult to stay interested in my everyday chores. Making peace with the ordinary is really about living a disciplined life. We can’t accomplish our dreams and desires if we can’t master the basics of everyday living. Like Mom used to say, “Make your bed before you go out and play.” There are lots of exciting and challenging things to do in this world. There are plenty of dreams to pursue and we shouldn’t make excuses as to why we can’t make progress. However, it’s necessary that we make peace with the ordinary. In order to make a difference in this world – to have an impact on others – we must first be disciplined in the ordinary areas of our private world. Go to the ant, you sluggard;    consider its ways and be wise!It has no commander,    no overseer or ruler,yet it stores its provisions in summer    and gathers its food at harvest. (Proverbs 6:6-8)

The rebuilding of the temple wasn’t going well. It seemed to be taking forever and people were starting to question if it would ever be finished. Jerusalem after the exile was still in ruins. Daily living was difficult. There was a desire to see the temple rebuilt but it had now been close to twenty years and work was progressing slowly. God spoke to the prophet Zechariah in a vision and among other encouraging words said, “Who dares despise the day of small things, since the seven eyes of the Lord that range throughout the earth will rejoice when they see the chosen capstone in the hand of Zerubbabel?” (Zechariah 4:10) Don’t despise these small beginnings might be a good translation. God was assuring Zechariah and the people that he was still at work and would be faithful to complete it. It is sometimes hard to see God at work in the small things we do. Our world emphasizes big and flashy accomplishments. Teaching a Sunday School class of four or five students might seem small, but you have no idea how God might use the lives of those children. Giving a small sum in the offering might seem like it makes no difference to the church budget, but God knows just how he is going to multiply that gift. Inviting someone to church can be a simple act of friendship but don’t underestimate the power of an invitation to change lives. From small seeds grow mighty trees. Don’t compare your gifts and contributions to those that get all the attention. Don’t despise the little things that God is doing. His timeline is different from ours, his ways above our ways. Don’t weary in well doing or serving the Lord. One day all the world will rejoice when they see what God has done with the small things.

Noah Muroff of New Haven, Connecticut bought a secondhand desk from an online ad for $150 dollars. When he got it home it won’t fit through the door. After several tries, he finally decided to dismantle the desk and take it piece by piece. Hidden under one of the drawers was a bag of cash. Not just a little cash – a lot. Like $98,000 in various bills, all rolled up in a bag. The family was stunned as they opened the bag and counted the money. What an amazing find in an old desk. Noah is an honest man and so he telephoned the seller ten minutes after the discovery. The seller had received the money as an inheritance and forgot where she had hidden it. Really! How do you forget where you stashed nearly $100,000? Many of us have fantasies about finding money in the attic or buying a missing Picasso at a flea market for $10. Discoveries like that are fun and financially rewarding. Some people spend their whole lives hoping something like that will happen to them. Others actually spend time hunting for hidden treasures, looking for an unexpected bargain or hoping to stumble onto a deal. Paul told the people at Colossae that they had already found a great treasure. He wanted them to understand the great mystery of God, “namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” (Col. 2:3) When I read the story about Noah finding the money I couldn’t help but think about what I would do with the cash. (Of course, I too, would return it. But in my mind I pretended the owner couldn’t be found.) To most of us, that is a large sum of money, a real treasure. But the Bible doesn’t equate dollars, gold, or riches with treasure. The real treasure is far more important and significant than money which will someday be all burned up. Too often we forget the value of what we already possess. Our search for treasure is over. In Christ, we have everything we need. We are to start living off the benefits that our treasure brings to us.