I have been reflecting on part of my last blog. Actually, I have been considering in more depth the concept of hope. All of us have hopes and dreams. Some of them are day to day, selfish and not worth mentioning. Some of them are of much more import. We hope that we can make a decent living. We hope we and those around us will be healthy. We hope for happiness in relationships. We hope our children and grandchildren will be strong, capable and succeed on their own in this world. Some of us hope for a comfortable and healthy old age. To hope is a very human condition. I have realized this morning that there are basically two hopes that have very long lasting consequences. Both are described in the Bible and both are guaranteed to happen if indeed you believe in the Son of God. In Hebrews 6: 18-19 we read of the first of the two really important hopes that we should acknowledge often.
18 that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us.
19 This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil,
By the assurance of two unchangeable things, the promise as well as the oath taken by God, and God does not ever deceive us, we can hold onto a very special hope. We who believe have that hope that is anchored so solidly that it cannot be pulled from our grasp. Indeed it is anchored by the very presence of God. That hope is the certainty that when we die, and except for the fulfillment of the second and following hope, there is no escaping that event, we will go to heaven and we have the further assurance that Jesus has gone before us to prepare the way for us.
The second hope that we have is often overlooked and that is the return of Jesus to this earth to gather all believers both living and dead and take them to heaven. This is often called the rapture, a word which is not in the Bible. Although we have no idea when this event will occur, this promise is also spoken as a guarantee. We find this hope in Titus 2:13
13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
The word “blessed” in this context signifies that it is an immutable promise to us by God that indeed His son will appear and take us directly to heaven. We always have the hope as believers that Jesus will return for His church. His church is quite simply those who believe and worship Him.
We therefore have two hopes that make all of our other hopes of minor consequence. Both hopes rest on a reality that lasts for eternity. They do not just contain the hope of success and good health for just a few years here on this earth. These hopes are for eternity. These hopes centre upon two promises that last forever. There are two possibilities that both end in an eternity in heaven with Jesus. We can enter through the portal of death or we can enter by way of a magnificent escort. Either way our hope rests on heaven. What an empty life it must be to hope only for this short and sometimes difficult life time.
(Comments, corrections, suggestions or rebuttals are welcome. My email link is contained in “About me: view my complete profile” to the right of this page or use the comment section below which requires that you have a Google account.)
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Monday, February 15, 2010
Our Forerunner
During my career as an educator, for better or for worse, I suffered from what I now acknowledge as an affliction of sorts. That affliction was ambition. The teacher had to become a vice-principal. The vice-principal had to become a principal. The principal had to become a superintendent and finally the superintendent had to become the director of education. In order to become a superintendent, it was necessary to become qualified as a supervisory officer. It was a qualification that I thought about achieving for several years before attempting it. The final encouragement came from observing a respected colleague go through the gruelling process and become qualified. Indeed in making the grade, he became a forerunner of sorts for me. He became an example I thought I might be able to follow.
In those days there was no set of courses you could take and become qualified as is the case today. There was simply a provincial written examination followed by an oral examination if you passed the written. The written examination consisted of curriculum and program questions as well as questions relating to knowledge of the Education Act and its regulations and as well as a lesser section on business items. After resolving to sit the written examination, I studied about three hours per day by myself from July until I traveled to write the exam in early January. The exam was termed an open book examination, but I had already been warned by my forerunner that if I took the time to verify facts in the three hour examination, I was probably not going to pass. I discovered by the sheer volume to be answered in order to achieve at least a 60% passing grade that I didn’t even have time to look up. It was also a well known rumour that I suspect was fact that the Ministry of Education allowed a passing rate of 37% of those who wrote the supervisory officer examination. When I left the examination completely drained, I was sure that I had failed and that I would not attempt the examination ever again. I was shocked the next month when I received a phone call informing me of an unknown passing grade and an invitation to the oral examination. The oral component consisted of five or six Ministry Education Officers assaulting me with every question they could dream up for about an hour. Composure was as important as the actual answers, I am sure.
I was duly granted a Supervisory Officer Certificate and waited another two years in order to become a Superintendent of Education. I doubt I would have attempted the very challenging process without a forerunner…the one who went before and shed light on so many of the unknowns before me.
I have found another forerunner and how I value Him! The word “forerunner” is found only once in the whole of the Bible. It is found in Hebrews 6: 18-20.
18 that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us.
19 This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil,
20 where the forerunner has entered for us, even Jesus, having become High Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.
By the assurance of two unchangeable things, the promise as well as the oath taken by God, and God does not ever deceive us, we can hold onto a very special hope. We who believe have that hope that is anchored so solidly that it cannot be pulled from our grasp. Indeed it is anchored by the very presence of God. The hope is the certainty that we will go to heaven. Why I am not afraid to enter into an eternity in the presence of God? My forerunner, Jesus Himself, has entered in and patiently awaits my arrival! I know that since he died for my sake and rose from the dead that so shall I.
One of my favourite hymns “Whispering Hope” written in 1868 by Septimus Winner sums up the glorious hope before us. The words of the hymn describe in a very poetic way the dark process of physical death followed by the glory of entering into eternity with our forerunner, Jesus. The refrain between the verses sums up the hope we have in our forerunner.
“Whispering hope, oh, how welcome thy voice,
Making my heart in its sorrow rejoice”
(Comments, corrections, suggestions or rebuttals are welcome. My email link is contained in “About me: view my complete profile” to the right of this page or use the comment section below which requires that you have a Google account.)
In those days there was no set of courses you could take and become qualified as is the case today. There was simply a provincial written examination followed by an oral examination if you passed the written. The written examination consisted of curriculum and program questions as well as questions relating to knowledge of the Education Act and its regulations and as well as a lesser section on business items. After resolving to sit the written examination, I studied about three hours per day by myself from July until I traveled to write the exam in early January. The exam was termed an open book examination, but I had already been warned by my forerunner that if I took the time to verify facts in the three hour examination, I was probably not going to pass. I discovered by the sheer volume to be answered in order to achieve at least a 60% passing grade that I didn’t even have time to look up. It was also a well known rumour that I suspect was fact that the Ministry of Education allowed a passing rate of 37% of those who wrote the supervisory officer examination. When I left the examination completely drained, I was sure that I had failed and that I would not attempt the examination ever again. I was shocked the next month when I received a phone call informing me of an unknown passing grade and an invitation to the oral examination. The oral component consisted of five or six Ministry Education Officers assaulting me with every question they could dream up for about an hour. Composure was as important as the actual answers, I am sure.
I was duly granted a Supervisory Officer Certificate and waited another two years in order to become a Superintendent of Education. I doubt I would have attempted the very challenging process without a forerunner…the one who went before and shed light on so many of the unknowns before me.
I have found another forerunner and how I value Him! The word “forerunner” is found only once in the whole of the Bible. It is found in Hebrews 6: 18-20.
18 that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us.
19 This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil,
20 where the forerunner has entered for us, even Jesus, having become High Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.
By the assurance of two unchangeable things, the promise as well as the oath taken by God, and God does not ever deceive us, we can hold onto a very special hope. We who believe have that hope that is anchored so solidly that it cannot be pulled from our grasp. Indeed it is anchored by the very presence of God. The hope is the certainty that we will go to heaven. Why I am not afraid to enter into an eternity in the presence of God? My forerunner, Jesus Himself, has entered in and patiently awaits my arrival! I know that since he died for my sake and rose from the dead that so shall I.
One of my favourite hymns “Whispering Hope” written in 1868 by Septimus Winner sums up the glorious hope before us. The words of the hymn describe in a very poetic way the dark process of physical death followed by the glory of entering into eternity with our forerunner, Jesus. The refrain between the verses sums up the hope we have in our forerunner.
“Whispering hope, oh, how welcome thy voice,
Making my heart in its sorrow rejoice”
(Comments, corrections, suggestions or rebuttals are welcome. My email link is contained in “About me: view my complete profile” to the right of this page or use the comment section below which requires that you have a Google account.)
Friday, February 12, 2010
The Summer of 76
It was a warm sunny day in early July, 1976. I was sitting in our almost new forest green American Motors Sportabout station wagon with our three children. Tami was seven years old, Jeremy four and Jess was 18 months of age. Our small station wagon was packed to the rafters with everything required to survive yet another summer in a university residence apartment. We had repeated this summer adventure for the previous six years. The number of dependents kept growing throughout those years. Lozanne returned to the car, after receiving laboratory results, to announce with her usual good humour that the next summer there would be four young ones in the car, should we choose to go to summer school again. I immediately tried to imagine where the fourth would fit into our present vehicle and drew a blank. Strangely enough, Josh fit in just fine the following summer.
We proceeded to drive the distance to Laurentian University where my principal’s certificate awaited after six weeks of classes. The weather that summer was very wet and cool. There were other young families present in the residence as well. The kids had the run of the campus and enjoyed a great summer. I will always remember young children and toddlers running joyfully through the library making just a little too much noise. No one, including the librarian, seemed to notice or care. It was the summer of the 1976 Montreal Olympics and the Russian athletes were sequestered at Laurentian University and were often seen working out on the outdoor track and fields nearby. The USSR was very communist at the time and there was always the fear that some of their athletes may try to defect. We often walked the kids down to the track facility to watch the amazing athletic ability of the Olympic competitors. We were very welcome to do so…from a distance. I don’t know whether to call them KGB agents, security police or just bodyguards, but there was definitely a rather menacing line of them to stop any adult from approaching the athletes. When the action had slowed down; however, small children were allowed to mingle amongst the friendly young Russian competitors. On several occasions we watched the kids interact on the field with the athletes while we adults in turn were watched equally as carefully.
As I remember these events, I am reminded of a scene in the Bible where children were initially not welcomed but turned back. This description is found in the Book of Mark 10: 13-16.
13 ¶ Then they brought little children to Him, that He might touch them; but the disciples rebuked those who brought them.
14 But when Jesus saw it, He was greatly displeased and said to them, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God.
15 "Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it."
16 And He took them up in His arms, put His hands on them, and blessed them.
Jesus was not happy at all with His disciples for not allowing the little children to come to him. Their parents had, in faith, brought the children to Jesus so that he could bless them. Jesus then tells us one of the great truths of His good news. In order to enter into the kingdom of God, we all, no matter our age, must receive our salvation with the innocence, wonder and awe of a child. I have also realized through this scripture selection this morning the importance of allowing children exposure to Jesus while their minds are so ready to learn and receive the great truths of the gospel. There is an admonition to all parents within this selection. Jesus is telling us of the importance of introducing the wonders of the gospel to children from the earliest possible moment. Verse 16 is one of the most beautifully descriptive snapshots in the Bible. What a blessing those children received!
(Comments, corrections, suggestions or rebuttals are welcome. My email link is contained in “About me: view my complete profile” to the right of this page or use the comment section below which requires that you have a Google account.)
We proceeded to drive the distance to Laurentian University where my principal’s certificate awaited after six weeks of classes. The weather that summer was very wet and cool. There were other young families present in the residence as well. The kids had the run of the campus and enjoyed a great summer. I will always remember young children and toddlers running joyfully through the library making just a little too much noise. No one, including the librarian, seemed to notice or care. It was the summer of the 1976 Montreal Olympics and the Russian athletes were sequestered at Laurentian University and were often seen working out on the outdoor track and fields nearby. The USSR was very communist at the time and there was always the fear that some of their athletes may try to defect. We often walked the kids down to the track facility to watch the amazing athletic ability of the Olympic competitors. We were very welcome to do so…from a distance. I don’t know whether to call them KGB agents, security police or just bodyguards, but there was definitely a rather menacing line of them to stop any adult from approaching the athletes. When the action had slowed down; however, small children were allowed to mingle amongst the friendly young Russian competitors. On several occasions we watched the kids interact on the field with the athletes while we adults in turn were watched equally as carefully.
As I remember these events, I am reminded of a scene in the Bible where children were initially not welcomed but turned back. This description is found in the Book of Mark 10: 13-16.
13 ¶ Then they brought little children to Him, that He might touch them; but the disciples rebuked those who brought them.
14 But when Jesus saw it, He was greatly displeased and said to them, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God.
15 "Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it."
16 And He took them up in His arms, put His hands on them, and blessed them.
Jesus was not happy at all with His disciples for not allowing the little children to come to him. Their parents had, in faith, brought the children to Jesus so that he could bless them. Jesus then tells us one of the great truths of His good news. In order to enter into the kingdom of God, we all, no matter our age, must receive our salvation with the innocence, wonder and awe of a child. I have also realized through this scripture selection this morning the importance of allowing children exposure to Jesus while their minds are so ready to learn and receive the great truths of the gospel. There is an admonition to all parents within this selection. Jesus is telling us of the importance of introducing the wonders of the gospel to children from the earliest possible moment. Verse 16 is one of the most beautifully descriptive snapshots in the Bible. What a blessing those children received!
(Comments, corrections, suggestions or rebuttals are welcome. My email link is contained in “About me: view my complete profile” to the right of this page or use the comment section below which requires that you have a Google account.)
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
CEA
Two weeks ago I went for my regular three month blood test. There is one number that gets my attention and that of my oncologist. One test is called, in order to simplify I am sure, CEA, which stands for carcinoembryonic antigen. It looks for the quantity of a protein in the blood that is normally present during fetal development. It is a key to causing cell adhesion in the developing baby. Since the production of this antigen stops before birth, it should not be found in the blood of healthy adults. It has been known since the sixties that it appears in the blood of those who have colorectal cancer. In the follow up period after treatment, it can be an indicator of metastasis of the cancer to other parts of the body. The test is used in other types of cancer and oddly heavy smokers will show raised levels as well. I have taken this test every three months since 2006. Each and every one of those more than twelve times causes anxiety in this patient.
Like most cancer related testing, it takes two weeks to process and come up with a number. I am very aware of my average which has been consistently low. Despite that, I continue to dread the third week following testing. That is when I learn the number and breathe a sigh of relief. Human nature causes us, at least it causes me, I am sure, to wonder each and every time if this is the test that will suggest that the cancer has spread. As a Bible believing Christian, I wonder when I will finally submit and simply trust and obey. This morning I sought some comfort in the Bible and found myself in the Book of Isaiah. I have read this verse several times before, but a very stark truth rose up from the print this morning. In Isaiah 26:3 I read:
3 You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You.
I am reminded by the Lord that there is a something that I have to do in order to find peace. My mind must stay on Him. In doing so, I exercise and demonstrate my faith and my trust. I realized today that when I do indeed stay within His Word and stay in prayer then the promised peace becomes perfect. It is then and only then that I can relax and leave it to Him.
(Comments, corrections, suggestions or rebuttals are welcome. My email link is contained in “About me: view my complete profile” to the right of this page or use the comment section below which requires that you have a Google account.)
Like most cancer related testing, it takes two weeks to process and come up with a number. I am very aware of my average which has been consistently low. Despite that, I continue to dread the third week following testing. That is when I learn the number and breathe a sigh of relief. Human nature causes us, at least it causes me, I am sure, to wonder each and every time if this is the test that will suggest that the cancer has spread. As a Bible believing Christian, I wonder when I will finally submit and simply trust and obey. This morning I sought some comfort in the Bible and found myself in the Book of Isaiah. I have read this verse several times before, but a very stark truth rose up from the print this morning. In Isaiah 26:3 I read:
3 You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You.
I am reminded by the Lord that there is a something that I have to do in order to find peace. My mind must stay on Him. In doing so, I exercise and demonstrate my faith and my trust. I realized today that when I do indeed stay within His Word and stay in prayer then the promised peace becomes perfect. It is then and only then that I can relax and leave it to Him.
(Comments, corrections, suggestions or rebuttals are welcome. My email link is contained in “About me: view my complete profile” to the right of this page or use the comment section below which requires that you have a Google account.)
Monday, February 8, 2010
Time and Chance
As I age, I continue to be amazed with the speed of change in this world, particularly technological change. Just assessing what is on my desk this morning has started me to think about the effects of time. I have decided to list the items that I would not have been able to identify on sight without a lot of investigation when I was twenty-two years old. I was not a student then, but a married man and a practicing educator. Here is the stunning list.
laptop computer
usb thumb drive
Ipod Touch
highlighter
calculator
remote telephone receiver
inkjet printer
digital clock
blank cd’s
desk top computer with monitor
3.5 inch floppy disks
power bar
television remote control
VHS videotape
Post it Notes
compact fluorescent light bulb
keyless car entry remote control
I am shocked that I can find 17 items on my desk alone without getting up to walk around the house. I wonder what the total would be then. In forty years the changes are quite simply astounding. I would suggest that there has never been a forty years in all of human history to rival the speed of change. The words of Solomon in Ecclesiastes 9:11 come to me this morning as I reflect on this.
11 ¶ I returned and saw under the sun that––The race is not to the swift, Nor the battle to the strong, Nor bread to the wise, Nor riches to men of understanding, Nor favor to men of skill; But time and chance happen to them all.
The words “time and chance” really are excellent descriptors of what has occurred in the last forty years to bring about so many unprecedented changes. Solomon who was granted great wisdom by God Himself speaks in the Book of Ecclesiastes at considerable length of the conditions that he saw “under the sun”. By this phrase he is describing worldly things not spiritual things. He is describing the way the world works without tapping into the power of God. Throughout the 12 chapters he constantly reminds us that whatever happens in this world under the sun is nothing but vanity. Life without God is futile, vain, false, and short. We might be tempted in this modern world to make some or all of my list of seventeen items our idols. Haven’t we become so self-reliant? Solomon offers us a warning that in the world the fastest doesn’t always win the race, the most powerful does not always prevail, the smartest aren’t always the best fed and don’t always get rich, nor are they always promoted to lofty positions. Time and chance stand in their way. You win some and you lose some. The most telling of Solomon’s wisdom comes at the very end of the book in Ecclesiastes 12: 13-14.
13 ¶ Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man’s all.
14 For God will bring every work into judgment, Including every secret thing, Whether good or evil.
There is only one answer that makes any sense. We are to revere and love our Creator. We are to know who He is and to worship Him. The only way to cope with “time and chance” and to find true happiness is to find our God. We know with the benefit of being able to read the New Testament that this is best done through the acceptance of the Son of God. When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Saviour, we are freed from the harsh judgement outlined in verse 14. Rise above this world of vanity and deal with “time and chance” through the power of God and His Son!
(Comments, corrections, suggestions or rebuttals are welcome. My email link is contained in “About me: view my complete profile” to the right of this page or use the comment section below which requires that you have a Google account.)
laptop computer
usb thumb drive
Ipod Touch
highlighter
calculator
remote telephone receiver
inkjet printer
digital clock
blank cd’s
desk top computer with monitor
3.5 inch floppy disks
power bar
television remote control
VHS videotape
Post it Notes
compact fluorescent light bulb
keyless car entry remote control
I am shocked that I can find 17 items on my desk alone without getting up to walk around the house. I wonder what the total would be then. In forty years the changes are quite simply astounding. I would suggest that there has never been a forty years in all of human history to rival the speed of change. The words of Solomon in Ecclesiastes 9:11 come to me this morning as I reflect on this.
11 ¶ I returned and saw under the sun that––The race is not to the swift, Nor the battle to the strong, Nor bread to the wise, Nor riches to men of understanding, Nor favor to men of skill; But time and chance happen to them all.
The words “time and chance” really are excellent descriptors of what has occurred in the last forty years to bring about so many unprecedented changes. Solomon who was granted great wisdom by God Himself speaks in the Book of Ecclesiastes at considerable length of the conditions that he saw “under the sun”. By this phrase he is describing worldly things not spiritual things. He is describing the way the world works without tapping into the power of God. Throughout the 12 chapters he constantly reminds us that whatever happens in this world under the sun is nothing but vanity. Life without God is futile, vain, false, and short. We might be tempted in this modern world to make some or all of my list of seventeen items our idols. Haven’t we become so self-reliant? Solomon offers us a warning that in the world the fastest doesn’t always win the race, the most powerful does not always prevail, the smartest aren’t always the best fed and don’t always get rich, nor are they always promoted to lofty positions. Time and chance stand in their way. You win some and you lose some. The most telling of Solomon’s wisdom comes at the very end of the book in Ecclesiastes 12: 13-14.
13 ¶ Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man’s all.
14 For God will bring every work into judgment, Including every secret thing, Whether good or evil.
There is only one answer that makes any sense. We are to revere and love our Creator. We are to know who He is and to worship Him. The only way to cope with “time and chance” and to find true happiness is to find our God. We know with the benefit of being able to read the New Testament that this is best done through the acceptance of the Son of God. When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Saviour, we are freed from the harsh judgement outlined in verse 14. Rise above this world of vanity and deal with “time and chance” through the power of God and His Son!
(Comments, corrections, suggestions or rebuttals are welcome. My email link is contained in “About me: view my complete profile” to the right of this page or use the comment section below which requires that you have a Google account.)
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Abba Father
This very early and frigid morning my mind has gone back thirty years to a family road trip we took to Florida. Our children were aged three, five, eight and eleven. My father-in-law graciously lent us his 1979 Chrysler New Yorker and we actually drove to his double wide mobile home in Hollywood, Florida. What was different about this trip was that we stayed in Florida for the whole month of July. Other than the obligatory excursion to Disneyland, we spent a fantastic and relaxing month pool side in very hot weather. Driving long distances with four young children requires some special planning. Days began very early with the rising of the sun. These same days ended by three-thirty in the afternoon with the registration at a hotel or motel that just had to have a swimming pool and air conditioning. Meals were eaten at every MacDonald’s Restaurant that we could discover along the way. Crayons and paper, as well as colouring books, were kept in plentiful supply. Age appropriate reading materials were mandatory. The first day of driving was the worst. Let’s just say that the kids were working out a lasting seating plan in somewhat of a combative way. Being larger seemed to be a real advantage. As we were navigating through the freeways in Toronto in order to head west to the Windsor/ Detroit border crossing, Lozanne turned to me and said, “Are we insane to even think we could do this?” Despite our initial doubts, we managed to make it across the border, get lost in the suburbs of Detroit and actually registered at a very bad Day’s Inn near Cincinnati, Ohio. On the following days, an easy routine was followed and other than the odd flare up in the back seat, behaviour was generally exemplary. The hotel quality improved as we learned what to look for in our accommodation. Lozanne and I have very fond memories of that trip. I am not sure how much our younger children remember of that month, but I suspect at least one memory has made it through the years.
In the days before DVD’s the only media that was available in a car was music. Cassette tapes were now in use and eight track machines had been retired. I remember one tape in particular that everyone enjoyed. That tape entitled “Momma Mia” was produced by the Swedish group called ABBA. I wish I could reverse the first "B" to make the name authentic, but my laptop will not cooperate. I have no idea how many times that tape was played during the four day periods spent travelling to and from Florida, but I am sure it was on a great deal. Everyone in the car enjoyed their music.
At the time, I had no idea that the word “Abba” appears three times in the New Testament. “Abba” is an Aramaic word which translates into English as “daddy” or “papa”. Aramaic was the language of the common man and woman in first century Palestine. It is the very intimate word for father that I suspect loses some of its meaning in the translation into modern English. This morning I have been thinking of its use in Romans 8:15.
15 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, "Abba, Father."
As be become born again believers, we receive, through the Holy Spirit, the realization that unlike those trying to live by the law and the total sum of their “todos”, we are no longer slaves to being afraid of punishment for our sins. Rather we become acutely and delightfully aware of our position as sons and daughters of a very loving and forgiving God. At this realization we can truly cry out to our Daddy. Those living under the law would probably not approve or such an intimate term of endearment. As believers we can come to our Father in the confidence that our relationship is indeed an intimate one. Our Daddy loves us and will for all eternity.
(Comments, corrections, suggestions or rebuttals are welcome. My email link is contained in “About me: view my complete profile” to the right of this page or use the comment section below which requires that you have a Google account.)
In the days before DVD’s the only media that was available in a car was music. Cassette tapes were now in use and eight track machines had been retired. I remember one tape in particular that everyone enjoyed. That tape entitled “Momma Mia” was produced by the Swedish group called ABBA. I wish I could reverse the first "B" to make the name authentic, but my laptop will not cooperate. I have no idea how many times that tape was played during the four day periods spent travelling to and from Florida, but I am sure it was on a great deal. Everyone in the car enjoyed their music.
At the time, I had no idea that the word “Abba” appears three times in the New Testament. “Abba” is an Aramaic word which translates into English as “daddy” or “papa”. Aramaic was the language of the common man and woman in first century Palestine. It is the very intimate word for father that I suspect loses some of its meaning in the translation into modern English. This morning I have been thinking of its use in Romans 8:15.
15 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, "Abba, Father."
As be become born again believers, we receive, through the Holy Spirit, the realization that unlike those trying to live by the law and the total sum of their “todos”, we are no longer slaves to being afraid of punishment for our sins. Rather we become acutely and delightfully aware of our position as sons and daughters of a very loving and forgiving God. At this realization we can truly cry out to our Daddy. Those living under the law would probably not approve or such an intimate term of endearment. As believers we can come to our Father in the confidence that our relationship is indeed an intimate one. Our Daddy loves us and will for all eternity.
(Comments, corrections, suggestions or rebuttals are welcome. My email link is contained in “About me: view my complete profile” to the right of this page or use the comment section below which requires that you have a Google account.)
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Sharper Than A Two-edged Sword
During a recent visit, my three year old granddaughter surprised and entertained me with her insightful questions. I was delighted by her quiet and demure approach to ask me specific questions. One question involved my choice of a particular style of clothing. She wanted to know why I always wear bibbed pants better known as coveralls. Without going into graphic medical detail, I explained to her that for me they are very comfortable and that I can’t wear a belt. Her look suggested to me that the explanation was in some way incomplete. In retrospect, as suggested later by my son, her father, I probably should have simply explained that I do a lot of work around the house and the working man’s clothes are my best choice.
Another inquiry really impressed me. Her eye for detail caused her to ask why “that book” is always on the coffee table. The book she was referring to was the Holy Bible sitting open on a special ornate wooden stand on the table. Indeed, unless it is being read, it is always there. At times there are three different translations of the word of God open on the stand. I answered that the book was our Bible and it is very important that it be available and open to us. The answer was acceptable to her and I could sense that she felt that I had answered her question with the detail required she sought given her age.
I have since thought about her question and I have asked myself why we have “that book” out on the table for all who enter our home to see? I have itemized my answers to my own question.
1. The Bible is always readily available.
2. We always know where our Bibles are.
3. The ornate stand is decorative, as are the Bibles.
4. Visitors to our home immediately know that we read the Bible and that we are most probably Christians. Some who don’t know us that well, I am well aware, could and do conclude that we are “Bible thumpers”. I have spoken with several individuals who consider it a personal slight if you keep a Bible in plain view…a philosophical stance that has always escaped me, I must admit.
5. The Bibles are a visible testimony to our faith and our stand.
6. They keep the Word of God constantly before us and remind us of our love and respect for the Lord as well as his timeless communication to us.
7. Hebrews 4:12
12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two–edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
Indeed the Word of God is a dynamic living force. It is capable of great discernment. Through study we can become discerning and capable of much increased understanding of this world and our place in it…or indeed our lack of place in it. Despite the fact it was written over the span of fifteen hundred years almost two millennia ago, it is absolutely relevant to the issues we face each and every day. It cuts through all of the falsities and propaganda offered up by a so called modern world. Without the Bible, I never would have come to know the Lord. There was not one mortal man who could have convinced me that I must be born again. I spent more that three years reading and digesting the Bible. It was difficult at first. The more I read and looked for the contradictions that I was sure were there, the more I became convinced of the gospel story and its promises. I read to find the weaknesses and the contradictions in the Bible and instead I found Jesus. I highly recommend a Bible on your coffee table.
(Comments, corrections, suggestions or rebuttals are welcome. My email link is contained in “About me: view my complete profile” to the right of this page or use the comment section below which requires that you have a Google account.)
Another inquiry really impressed me. Her eye for detail caused her to ask why “that book” is always on the coffee table. The book she was referring to was the Holy Bible sitting open on a special ornate wooden stand on the table. Indeed, unless it is being read, it is always there. At times there are three different translations of the word of God open on the stand. I answered that the book was our Bible and it is very important that it be available and open to us. The answer was acceptable to her and I could sense that she felt that I had answered her question with the detail required she sought given her age.
I have since thought about her question and I have asked myself why we have “that book” out on the table for all who enter our home to see? I have itemized my answers to my own question.
1. The Bible is always readily available.
2. We always know where our Bibles are.
3. The ornate stand is decorative, as are the Bibles.
4. Visitors to our home immediately know that we read the Bible and that we are most probably Christians. Some who don’t know us that well, I am well aware, could and do conclude that we are “Bible thumpers”. I have spoken with several individuals who consider it a personal slight if you keep a Bible in plain view…a philosophical stance that has always escaped me, I must admit.
5. The Bibles are a visible testimony to our faith and our stand.
6. They keep the Word of God constantly before us and remind us of our love and respect for the Lord as well as his timeless communication to us.
7. Hebrews 4:12
12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two–edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
Indeed the Word of God is a dynamic living force. It is capable of great discernment. Through study we can become discerning and capable of much increased understanding of this world and our place in it…or indeed our lack of place in it. Despite the fact it was written over the span of fifteen hundred years almost two millennia ago, it is absolutely relevant to the issues we face each and every day. It cuts through all of the falsities and propaganda offered up by a so called modern world. Without the Bible, I never would have come to know the Lord. There was not one mortal man who could have convinced me that I must be born again. I spent more that three years reading and digesting the Bible. It was difficult at first. The more I read and looked for the contradictions that I was sure were there, the more I became convinced of the gospel story and its promises. I read to find the weaknesses and the contradictions in the Bible and instead I found Jesus. I highly recommend a Bible on your coffee table.
(Comments, corrections, suggestions or rebuttals are welcome. My email link is contained in “About me: view my complete profile” to the right of this page or use the comment section below which requires that you have a Google account.)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
