Resolved; no more resolutions

Here is a list of resolutions from one of my dead mentors. Jonathan Edwards wrote these in one sitting one evening in 1722. (No it wasn't on New Years Eve!)Hope you find them inspiring so that you may write your own...

1. Resolved, that I will do whatsoever I think to be most to God's glory, and my own good, profit and pleasure, in the whole of my duration, without any consideration of the time, whether now, or never so many myriad's of ages hence. Resolved to do whatever I think to be my duty and most for the good and advantage of mankind in general. Resolved to do this, whatever difficulties I meet with, how many and how great soever.

2. Resolved, to be continually endeavoring to find out some new invention and contrivance to promote the aforementioned things.

3. Resolved, if ever I shall fall and grow dull, so as to neglect to keep any part of these Resolutions, to repent of all I can remember, when I come to myself again.

4. Resolved, never to do any manner of thing, whether in soul or body, less or more, but what tends to the glory of God; nor be, nor suffer it, if I can avoid it.

5. Resolved, never to lose one moment of time; but improve it the most profitable way I possibly can.

6. Resolved, to live with all my might, while I do live.

7. Resolved, never to do anything, which I should be afraid to do, if it were the last hour of my life.

8. Resolved, to act, in all respects, both speaking and doing, as if nobody had been so vile as I, and as if I had committed the same sins, or had the same infirmities or failings as others; and that I will let the knowledge of their failings promote nothing but shame in myself, and prove only an occasion of my confessing my own sins and misery to God.

9. Resolved, to think much on all occasions of my own dying, and of the common circumstances which attend death.

10. Resolved, when I feel pain, to think of the pains of martyrdom, and of hell.

11. Resolved, when I think of any theorem in divinity to be solved, immediately to do what I can towards solving it, if circumstances don't hinder.

12. Resolved, if I take delight in it as a gratification of pride, or vanity, or on any such account, immediately to throw it by.

13. Resolved, to be endeavoring to find out fit objects of charity and liberality.

14. Resolved, never to do anything out of revenge.

15. Resolved, never to suffer the least motions of anger to irrational beings.

16. Resolved, never to speak evil of anyone, so that it shall tend to his dishonor, more or less, upon no account except for some real good.

17. Resolved, that I will live so as I shall wish I had done when I come to die.

18. Resolved, to live so at all times, as I think is best in my devout frames, and when I have clearest notions of things of the gospel, and another world.

19. Resolved, never to do anything, which I should be afraid to do, if I expected it would not be above an hour, before I should hear the last trump.

20. Resolved, to maintain the strictest temperance in eating and drinking.

21. Resolved, never to do anything, which if I should see in another, I should count a just occasion to despise him for, or to think any way the more meanly of him.

22. Resolved, to endeavor to obtain for myself as much happiness, in the other world, as I possibly can, with all the power; might, vigor, and vehemence, yea violence, I am capable of, or can bring myself to exert, in any way that can be thought of.

If you want to view the other 48 click on the title...

TSC Library Contributions

Just finished a great book dealing with the topic of 'worldliness'. Very good read, especially the chapter entitled, "My Heart, God and Stuff".

Three new addtions that I received for Christmas this year;

Faith Alone?

Well, it's been so long since I've written anything. It seems a little strange to be back in the blogger. And this entry has been on my mind quite a bit and I'm not even sure that I am going to post it - I guess if you're reading it then it means either that I decided to post and take my chances or I've had some kind of mental disconnect and will regret it later.

Faith alone. That what Sola Fide means. It's roots are buried deep into the Reformation and it means that we as Christians have been saved by grace through faith alone. It means that with every step we take we should be walking in the reality of taking God at His word, trusting in His decisions and placing one foot in front of the other knowing that He has my back, my front, my sides and my future.

Now don't panic - I'm not having a crisis of faith. I love my Saviour and I am not afraid to declare publicly that Jesus is my king, my priest and my shepherd. I have not turned my back on God, the church or my relationship with him. But...

I am working through an issue that has been on my mind for quite awhile. It affects me personally, it affects my family, it affects my relationship with my wife and it has implications on my job. It is an issue that has plagued me for years, and quite frankly has bothered me for as long as I can remember. And interestingly enough is connected to how I view sola fide. You see, if I claim to live my life by Sola Fide then why can't I deal effectively with this issue? If I claim that my Jesus is as powerful (if not more) than what the Bible says, then why can't this issue be dealt with once and for all? Why the constant struggle? Why is there so much baggage that comes along with it? If I claim that Jesus is powerful enough to deliver then why are the chains still there? Sometimes I feel so hypocritical when I have opportunities to preach the power of the resurrection and yet daily look in the mirror and see meager attempts that lead to disappointment and frustration. I'm sorry but I'm just trying to be real with myself. You just get to read 'into it'.

So, enough already; what's this big issue that I'm dealing with that has me so upset and discouraged at the same time? It's my weight. There, I said it. I've wanted to write about this for so long but I've been afraid to because I figure that once it's out in cyber-land then I'll have to stay committed for the sake of those few who read this. And I've been held captive by fear for so long that I have done nothing about it. I've been so worried about what people will think and more importantly - how those will judge my faith and my saviour by my actions, that I've been paralyzed to do anything except become more and more frustrated and dis-content. But that's been the down fall all along. I can't do this for you. I can't worry about what you think or what you'll say. All I am supposed to do is trust my Saviour and honor His name - not mine.

Our youth pastor had a great blog awhile ago in which he described himself as the 'fat-pastor'. I first thought that he was insane for putting it out there for everyone to read and to judge. But he made his goal and is sticking to it. And I am proud to know him. I thought, 'should I do the same thing, only call it the 'fat elder' program? Can I chronicle my attempts at transformation knowing the risk of failure? Can I post about how I really feel about myself and risk the ridicule? I thought about starting a new blog and not telling anyone, that way if I failed then no one would really be able to place a face with the name. No one would be able to connect the real me with the cyber-me. What a joke - if I did that why even bother with the program? If there's no risk of accountability then why even blog about it?

So, where does this leave me? Well...it leaves me with this gigantic post. It leaves me with yet again the proverbial question - Am I willing to put it out there? Am I willing to share my journey with all it's bumps and bruises? Am I really able to give up Bacon? Can I cook without real butter? If I don't, we go back to the regular routine. I go back to feeling like an idiot because I can lead people to the cross and I can lead people through deep theological issues but I can't lead myself through the steps necessary to change my body composition.

Faith alone. Grace alone. Christ alone. I know that I believe in these with all my heart, mind and soul. What I also know is that I can't do this alone and I can't be fake about it any more. Despite what others may say, do or think.

More to come...

Starting Something New

As of this September, our care group will be working through the book of Hebrews. We want to invite you to join us as we walk through what has been deemed as the 'most comprehensive collection of information on Jesus Christ - outside of the gospels and the revelation.'

It will be an interesting and hopefully an interactive exploration. This means that you will have the option of doing as much or as little work with the material as you wish. There will be an email option for those who may want to remain somewhat anonymous. I encourage your feedback and comments. I really want this to be as effective as it can be as well as honoring to Jesus as it can be.

Just click on the title and you will be transported to the new blog. Have fun,

peace

give me a break

OK, so we've heard and seen the ads for how restaurants are offering your hamburgers and sandwiches in the form of a wrap. This is to help us feel that the restaurant is looking out for our best interest. Its like they are trying to help us feel better about the healthy choices we are beating ourselves into while at the same time trying to cater to our 'indulgent' side. I mean really - do you want your Big Mac in a wrap? Do you want that Italian meatball sub in a wrap instead? Here I am as a discerning consumer trying to switch my love of the bread slice for the healthier wrap. It's thinner, has less volume and it even tastes bland - all the pre-requisites for a healthier tomorrow.

Until now.

My darling wife - who happens to have graduated from University with a science major - sheepishly (yet with that cute smile she gets when she knows she is right)tells me that the wrap I am about to consume is boldly ling to me and that any thoughts of 'healthier' choices should be cross-referenced with the nutritional notes on the package. In a half-mocking, half 'I can't believe it' tone I refer to those sections where the math does not lie.

To my horror I discover that one measly, skinny, ridiculously thin and flimsy freak of the leaven has more calories, more fat, more sodium and more carbohydrate than two - yes that's right two - pieces of my beloved yet "bad for me like oil to a duck" slices of bread. Well, snap. I lose it. What a joke. What a waste of my time and effort. By the time I have forced myself to consume two of those discs of displeasure I could have enjoyed five slices from the bread bag of fun. Never again. People, stop buying into the lie and return to the freshly baked loaf of goodness. Besides, has anyone ever seen anybody dip a plain wrap into their gravy? I didn't think so.

Too Long

Hey everyone,

Its been too long since we've shared a blog together. I just wanted to send a link out there. This is an important topic and we need to include somewhere in our gospel talks with those whom God brings into our lives. If it was one of the most important issues that Jesus taught, can we consider it any less important?

http://www.redeemer.com/news_and_events/articles/the_importance_of_hell.html

out.

a King, a Lamb, a Bridegroom

Some thoughts as I read and prepare for Isaiah 63-64.

How is Christ to be glorified and how does He reign if His followers will do nothing about their sanctification?

Do you feel Christ-followers subscribe to the idea of sin as; "the sworn, deadly, do anything at all costs, enemy of the Lamb?

Why would God allow the Human's sinful condition to persist on it's demonic and destructive ways?

Does God exist for His people or does the Church exist for her Bridegroom?

feel free to respond...

To Whom Shall I Be Compared?

Isaiah 40:1-32 (ESV)
¹ Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. ² Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins. ³ A voice cries: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. ⁴ Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. ⁵ And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.” ⁶ A voice says, “Cry!” And I said, “What shall I cry?” All flesh is grass, and all its beauty is like the flower of the field. ⁷ The grass withers, the flower fades when the breath of the Lord blows on it; surely the people are grass. ⁸ The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever. ⁹ Get you up to a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good news; lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, herald of good news; lift it up, fear not; say to the cities of Judah, “Behold your God!” ¹⁰ Behold, the Lord God comes with might, and his arm rules for him; behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him. ¹¹ He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young. ¹² Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand and marked off the heavens with a span, enclosed the dust of the earth in a measure and weighed the mountains in scales and the hills in a balance? ¹³ Who has measured the Spirit of the Lord, or what man shows him his counsel? ¹⁴ Whom did he consult, and who made him understand? Who taught him the path of justice, and taught him knowledge, and showed him the way of understanding? ¹⁵ Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket, and are accounted as the dust on the scales; behold, he takes up the coastlands like fine dust. ¹⁶ Lebanon would not suffice for fuel, nor are its beasts enough for a burnt offering. ¹⁷ All the nations are as nothing before him, they are accounted by him as less than nothing and emptiness. ¹⁸ To whom then will you liken God, or what likeness compare with him? ¹⁹ An idol! A craftsman casts it, and a goldsmith overlays it with gold and casts for it silver chains. ²⁰ He who is too impoverished for an offering chooses wood that will not rot; he seeks out a skillful craftsman to set up an idol that will not move. ²¹ Do you not know? Do you not hear? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth? ²² It is he who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers; who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them like a tent to dwell in; ²³ who brings princes to nothing, and makes the rulers of the earth as emptiness. ²⁴ Scarcely are they planted, scarcely sown, scarcely has their stem taken root in the earth, when he blows on them, and they wither, and the tempest carries them off like stubble. ²⁵ To whom then will you compare me, that I should be like him? says the Holy One. ²⁶ Lift up your eyes on high and see: who created these? He who brings out their host by number, calling them all by name, by the greatness of his might, and because he is strong in power not one is missing. ²⁷ Why do you say, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel, “My way is hidden from the Lord, and my right is disregarded by my God”? ²⁸ Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. ²⁹ He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. ³⁰ Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; ³¹ but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

If God can intimately care for the universe, can He not do the same for the people who have been bought by the blood of the Lamb?

What hinders His people from living out the truth, grace and power of Isaiah 40?

The Door

A man stumbles in the darkness. Although at that moment the sun could be blazing down on him and if not for the sake of it's warmth he would still not know it. He stumbles again. This time he's fallen to his knees. His hands touch the cold stone beneath him. He traces out the individual bricks and realizes that he has been traveling in circles. he hears voices but cannot determine any memory to them. He is cold yet determined to be warm. He gropes the ground. Hoping to find some sense of direction or sign of new territory but he knows that his search is in vain. He's been here before.

He's been told that there is a door. He's heard the stories. He is not the only one who cannot see. Others have stumbled unto him. Sometimes he has stumbled unto them. But the end result was always the same. Stories are shared, some descriptions are given, previous locations discussed - but still no door. Nothing else matters. Only the door. It does not matter that they haven't seen it. It does not matter the color, the shape, texture, height, width, breadth. For those who have found it have never come back. For they have used the door for that which it is intended. Escape.

Then a voice is heard. Faintly at first, now stronger. Not sure if the voice is from within or without. It does not matter - the voice is heard and understood. Strange that this voice is different from all the rest. It is not filled with anger, malice, regret, pain, bitterness. It's not masking false motives or intentions. Clear, weighty, powerful. Like the sound of a large waterfall in the spring runoff. Compelling and compassionate. The voice draws those who are able to hear it. It draws those with hearts prepared. And for those who come close enough, the cataracts fade away and there stands the door. And it is more beautiful and more majestic and more powerful than anything anyone has ever seen.

"I am the door. If anyone enters by me he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture...I came that they may have life and have it abundantly." - John 10:9-10

May you all have a blessed Christmas. And if you hear his voice, draw near unto him and he will give you rest and rescue.

One Word can Make All the Difference

I am currently reading through Sinclair Ferguson's (FG) book 'In Christ Alone' for part of my devotionals. Today he was dealing with the issue surrounding the translation of John 1:1. It was interesting to see him unravel the interpretation of that text and highlight for me one word, 'the'.

SF stated that in the original Greek, John was careful to structure his sentence in such a way as to ensure that the reader would not misunderstand the implications of his description of the pre-incarnate Christ.

To summarize the chapter, SF shows how the Jehovah's Witnesses have mis-translated the original to read that Jesus was a god. One can only imagine the grammatical, contextual and theological implications of this rendering. Taken to the outer limits this would suggest that if Jesus was only a god and not 'God incarnate' then his birth, life, death and resurrection would lose it's power to save and sustain. In my opinion, if this were true then Jesus is no more than what other faiths claim him to be - a prophet, good teacher, courageous revolutionist - but not God.

SF ends the chapter with, "the Gospel of John, indeed the whole Christian faith, stands or falls with John's opening sentence. Christ as deity, God as Trinity, man's salvation - all depend on John's first words."

Maybe this is one reason why I love John's Gospel so much.

ABF Homework

We have just finished week six! Can't believe that it's gone this fast. We have had excellent sessions together and I have one request; Tell me what your favorite parable is. Tell me which parable you would want to know more about. Here's a list of the parable we have studied thus far;

The Wheat and the Tares
The Hidden Treasure / The Pearl of Great Price
The Workers in the Vineyard
The Wicked Tenants
The Ten Virgins

Next Week ; The Two Debtors - Luke 7:36-50
Memory Verse - Colossians 3:12-14

See you then,

ABF Homework

OK everyone...here it is.

Read through Matthew 25:1-13. What is Jesus communicating to his listeners?

Memory Verse: 1 Thessalonians 5:2-4

I'm almost finished the book, "Is Christianity Good for the World?". Not that it is a large book - just haven't had the time. But, as promised, I will give you a short review.

ABF Homework

well folks here it is...

Memory Verse: Philippians 3:13-14

Next Parable - Laborers in the Vineyard; Grace, Gifts and Jealousy

I'm reading a book called "Is Christianity Good for the World?". I'll give you a short review soon.

ABF Homework

Our homework assignment:

Read through 1 Thessalonians and note down what Paul says to the believers there in regards to how the church should be living out the Gospel.

Look forward to our next session together.

next parable - Hidden Treasure / Pearl of Great Price ; What are you willing to give up for God's Kingdom?

I'm back

Well, it only took one phone call and I'm back to the blogging world. It feels great. Some things I'm working on right now;

Caregroup study - Isaiah 44-45
Sunday School - The Parable of the Wheat and the Tares (Matthew 13:24-30 & 36-43)
Renovating my Daughter's (all three of them) room.
Partially renovating our upstairs bathroom

Did anyone hear about the outcome of California's vote regarding gay marriage? They voted to completely ban it. Apparently the Mormon church had a lot to do with the mobilization of voters. They are now facing some extreme prejudice. I wonder if the Christian church in BC would be willing to take such a stand and be such a voice knowing that she would suffer for it? In our current Christian culture of 'God wants me happy and fulfilled with what I want' I would dare say that she would not, for the sake of a few. This Sunday's focus for the church is on those who are being persecuted. I'm tempted to pick something that will cause some sparks just to see what others will think and/or do.

If you haven't seen the movie 'Expelled' yet, you need to rent it and see it! Ben Stein does a masterful job revealing the darker side of science academia. How do you think the "theory" of Evolution stands up to the "theory" of Intelligent Design? Watch this movie. I think it is even worth the cost of purchasing.

Hey, maybe that's the thing that I should pick to use for my persecution experiment.

You Don't Say...

I was reading through the Province Newspaper today and I came across an article written about some insights that the Cardinal of the Province of Quebec shared with Rome. To our amazement, he has observed that the decline in Quebec's social and economic reforms has a deeper link to their spiritual life. It was an interesting article and if you want to read it click away...

http://www.canada.com/theprovince/news/story.html?id=685ffece-7152-49c1-baa1-0460dfb04c4d

One thing that I would have said differently is that the decline of Quebec (crisis of values) did not happen because the people lost their sense of heritage/culture and turned to crime and civil disobedience; but because they turned away from God and from following his word. There is a "crisis of values" and it is that crisis which is at the root cause of their loss. Until they return to Jesus and the word of God they will like the rest of Canada, continue to spiral down into further moral decay. May we pray for a revival in Quebec and the rest of Canada as well. Especially as we go to the polls.

Out

tough texts...

Our home bible study group is working through the book of Isaiah.It should only take us another three years to finish the final 26 chapters but I'm optimistic. One question that was not raised (and one that I thought would be for sure) surrounded itself with the concept of God changing His mind. So- I pose the question; Does God, who is described as omniscient (all-knowing) change his mind?

Trust and Action

As you may have noticed it has been over a month since I last wrote. We are still somewhat displaced, yet God has taken very good care of our family. We have shared many meals with our friends from ERBF and we had a great time of rest on VI. I'm prepping now for our bible study group and the theme is all about trust. The passage is Isaiah 36-37. Hezekiah says that he trusts in the Lord but when faced with the unstoppable Assyrian army, will his actions prove him false? The parallels to our lives today are remarkably similar. We say that we trust in the Lord but when a large and looming crisis rises to mock the God we believe in, when everything around us is pointing to discouragement and defeat - will we kneel to our Lord and King or will we try to stand with our own strength and effort to try and survive?

One thing I have learned from chapter 36; I need to expect adversity and be spiritually prepared for it when it comes. And being spiritually ready means that I need to take my hands off and allow God to demonstrate His love and care towards me. Then I can show that God can be trusted because we have seen Him in action. This is my strength and my prayer.

peace

water, faith and stuff

Here I am at my desk. Last Saturday, we had a flood. There's too much info to write down for you but let's say that the damage is not catastrophic but substantial. We are living in a hotel and aren't quite sure when our day-to-day will return. The issue of faith and life is ever before us. So are the insurance people, restoration people, strata people; lots of people. And yet our faith in a God who knows and feels and answers is growing stronger. I'll write more later as it's about 35 degrees in our house with a humidex hovering around 95%. I feel like I'm typing in the tropics. Pray for us - not that we would be comfortable (although that would be nice) but pray that where ever we go and whomever we meet that we would be lights for our Lord. Pray that our children would continue to see our God in action.

One question; How important a role does Biblical literacy play in our daily lives? How important is measuring what we see, hear and read up with the Bible?

ok - that was two questions - cut me some slack; I'm displaced.

Tell me what you think...

I finished reading "The Shack" by William P. Young. Has anyone else read it yet? Like it, love it, can do without it? Tell me what you thought. What do you think about the 'fiction theology' genre?