Take up His Yoke

Monday, March 5, 2012

A Question For the Ages

I am mentally exhausted. Yesterday I made the time wasting error of stopping to think about a claim in the Christian and creationist Quick Study publication called The Discovery Letter. I read a familiar claim, as the genealogies in the Bible do indeed support, that the age of the earth is 5,770 years. I then went online to do a little research; thus the exhaustion. Secular science ages the solar system and the earth at 4.5 billion years old. One has to admit that the difference in the estimation is quite simply staggering. I began to read mind boggling reasons, observations, theories and postulations on both sides of the argument. When I became a Bible believing Christian, I made a promise to myself, that as best as I could, I would continue to research and to question everything that I read, in the Bible or out of the Bible. After several hours of reading both sides of the argument, I am no further ahead. Even as a Bible believing and born again Christian, I have an admission to make. I have no idea how old the earth is. I suspect strongly that I am not alone. Does it matter to my faith? Does it interfere with my personal relationship with Jesus? Does it make me doubt the veracity of the Bible?

It certainly does not! The words in Genesis 1:1 make that assertion all so clear.

1* ¶ In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

I must admit that despite wanting to know exactly how old the earth is and whether or not man walked with dinosaurs, referred to, as some assert, as dragons in the Bible, I do not need to know the exact number of years to have rock solid faith. For reasons we will not understand in this life, God has not told us in a definitive manner exactly when He created the earth. No matter what creationists and evolutionists claim to know and to prove, I need to know only one thing. God created the earth and us “in the beginning” and continues to watch over us now and into eternity. In times of doubt, we have only remember the words of Paul written for times just like this in 2Corinthians 13:12. I love the King James Version translation of this very wise statement.

12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

It is as if, now in the very real present on this side of eternity, that we look into a very poor quality mirror in order to make some sense of this world that surrounds us. We perceive partially reflected images, but the picture is always somewhat incomplete. When we finally triumph and enter into heaven, we will know the truth even as we see Him who saved us for heaven as clearly as He sees us now and forever.

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Sunday, February 19, 2012

The Word of God

During the first half of the seventies, a youthful Lozanne and I worked together summer and winter to complete my undergraduate and graduate degrees in education. We spent every summer with my parents or in a rented home away from home with an ever increasing number of very young children so that I could attend school.

I continue to marvel at the stark differences in the way graduate courses were conducted in the decade that followed the very free and easy sixties. Each summer I would take two courses for a period of six weeks. During the summer of 1974, I took one course that was quite simply an afternoon group discussion held, believe it or not, at the Brunswick House, a well known pub just down the street from the Ontario Institute of Studies in Education. There was no credible written component nor examination to evaluate student progress for this Sociology of Education credit. In stark contrast, that same summer I took an extremely traditional course in the History of Education in Ontario. There was a formal ninety to one hundred and twenty minute lecture each and every weekday afternoon. Half of the marks for the course were based on a formidable written examination and the other fifty percent consisted of a major term paper that could be completed from primary sources only. It took the professor one full session to get us to understand that we could not use one source of anyone writing about any particular subject. We could use original documents only for research, footnotes and quotations.

Since the computer and internet age had not yet dawned, I spent virtually every morning of the month of July, 1974 in the Archives of Ontario, at a microfiche machine pouring over the original writings of Egerton Ryerson. Much of the material was written in his own hand with straight pen and ink. What had started out as a much resented and forced academic imposition became a labour of love. For once in my life, I was expected to read the original documents and make my own conclusions, completely separate from countless scholars who had written on the subject. I came to recognize Ryerson as the father of modern public education in Ontario and most probably, Canada.

Ryerson was a “saddle bag” itinerant Methodist preacher who was eventually named the Chief Superintendent of Education for Upper Canada in 1844. He authored the three successive School Acts which made education available to all instead of the historical reality of only the privileged few. I and many like me from working class backgrounds, who started school just seventy-one years after his death in 1882, owe reformers like Ryerson a very great amount of gratitude. The provision of universal quality education is a very substantive gift to those who embrace it.

I will never forget the lessons from that summer and indeed I remember far more of that arduous course than any other I experienced. I have come to realize that having to use the primary sources and not what others have to say about any given subject is far more valuable than the second hand alternative. I have also come to realize in later years that the Holy Bible is just such a primary source. Reading a commentary about the Bible is just that...another mortal man or woman’s comments about the Bible. The Holy Bible is God breathed and contains the word of God. Hebrews 4:12 makes a very clear declaration about the word of God.

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.

The more you actually read and hear the word of God, the more you recognize the living power of it. It indeed can cut through any subterfuge and and deceit. Having said that, I have to give the final word to Jesus.

28 But He said, “More than that, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!” (Luke 11:28)

Monday, February 6, 2012

Little Doggies

As I reached the brow of the hill, I could see him waiting for me.

He was actually waiting for anyone to walk in front of his property. Daily he would protect what he considered to be his corner which consisted of a few rental cottages and a small confectionery store. Even as a twelve year old, I found it odd that a business that depended on walk-in customers would keep an untied and ill-tempered full sized black Doberman pinscher on their property, not to mention the public road that led to my elementary school. Passing this mean and at times vicious dog was a common noon-time challenge for the few kids who walked to and from school on Premier Road.

Younger readers may find such a situation hard to imagine. The best way I can explain the world of the fifties is a pervasive belief by parents that kids should learn early how to take care of themselves. Anything short of requiring multiple stitches for a dog bite would not prompt adult intervention or indeed even a telephone call to the owner to complain about the situation. There were simply no animal control agencies to call. By the same token, protecting yourself in a physical manner did not elicit the actions of any animal protection agencies. As a child, I well remember an upset neighbor shooting a purebred Boxer in the offending dog’s own yard. The police gently admonished the man for discharging a firearm in a built up area. There were no other charges.

At the age of twelve, I had long since learned the art of either ignoring or blustering my way past this nasty waist-high beast that was always outside and blocking the road at 12:45 P.M. On this particular day, his mood appeared somewhat darker than usual as I approached. His tail was between his legs and his menacing growl was, well, more menacing than usual. He was baring his teeth as he growled louder and louder. Bluster would not work on this day, nor would ignoring him. It was winter and in the fifties, pre-teens wore very uncool large and heavy boots called over-shoes in the winter. I took very careful aim, kicked with all the strength I could muster and my right boot caught the Doberman right under the chin. His head snapped back and his body arched in a sickening manner as he collapsed apparently unconscious to the side of the road. Suspecting he would wake up soon in an even worse mood, I continued on my way to school. The incident was so minor, I probably neglected to mention the encounter to anyone over the age of thirteen.

The next day I approached the corner establishment with great caution. Indeed I had spending money in my pocket at the ready for a purchase of candy. My nemesis was sitting on his property well back from the side of the road and simply stared sullenly at me as I passed and entered the store. He was never to approach me again.

Anyone who has read more than three of my messages will know that I am a dog lover. The exploits of our English Springer Spaniel named Marley are close to legendary. Her picture has actually been published in my blog. For this reason, I marvel at the reputation of dogs in the Bible. The word “dogs” appears 23 times in the entire Holy Bible. With the exception of one parable, the word “dogs” bring forth visions of those being thrown to the dogs or dogs cleaning up after a battle. Dogs are associated with the wicked, the greedy, the fraudulent; not to mention murderers and idolaters. The singular word “dog” is present eighteen times and is used for a negative connotation each and every time. The one parable where "little dogs" are presented in a more positive manner is in Matthew 15: 22-28.

22 And behold, a woman of Canaan came from that region and cried out to Him, saying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed.”

23 But He answered her not a word. And His disciples came and urged Him, saying, “Send her away, for she cries out after us.”

24 But He answered and said, “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”

25 Then she came and worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, help me!”

26 But He answered and said, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.”

27 And she said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.”

28 Then Jesus answered and said to her, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed from that very hour.

One has to remember in this parable that Jesus is simply stating the fact that He came first to offer salvation to the Jewish nation. This Canaanite woman, like me and perhaps you, is a Gentile. Our time for salvation was to follow after His death on a Roman cross. This woman shows remarkable understanding and humility. Instead of being insulted by the reference to little dogs, she embraces the metaphor and by doing so shows her great humility and faith. Jesus healed her daughter at that very moment! Given the obvious bias against the word “dogs” in the Holy Bible, I find it all that more heartening that Jesus loved, before their time had come, even the “little dogs”, especially those who showed Him their faith.

Friday, January 27, 2012

He Carries Us

I have made an observation of late. It is obvious to me that for various societal, economic and cultural reasons, a lot of parents are about a decade older that Lozanne and I were when they start to have children. I have also observed that they seem to be more tired and indeed harried than I remember. Looking after the every need of infants and very young children was and continues to be all consuming and a challenge. Dare I dwell on the daunting prospect of “older” parents dealing with the continuous battle of wits that characterizes the teenage years?

Lozanne gave birth to four children within an eight year period from the time she was eighteen and twenty-six. She enjoyed every minute of her “baby years”. I was a father at the age of twenty-one. We both remember those years fondly and I dare say they were the happiest years of our lives. I marveled at how Lozanne could cook supper with one hand while she held a baby in the other. I remember enjoying changing, holding and feeding those beautiful babies in the early hours of the morning during the nights when it was my turn. We had so much to see, talk about and share in those hours. I don’t remember being tired. Indeed being tired is one of the realities of middle and old age, not of youth. One of the great things about babies and toddlers is that most of the time they have to be held.

I miss holding babies, but I gracefully admit I could no longer properly do the job. I miss carrying babies and toddlers around at family and public events. A young father is usually the strongest in the family and is even made stronger by carrying around a dynamic moving weight of twenty, thirty or forty pounds. I remember so well the smell of freshly washed hair and the aroma of baby oil and baby powder. I remember the intimate conversations with infants who could communicate in so many ways except speech and then the fascinating babble of toddlers and the clipped descriptive language of two and three year olds as they whispered in my right ear. Much less prevalent in my mind are the memories of frequent illnesses, sleepless nights and dirty diapers. Those were realities, but are by far over-shadowed by the joys of youthful parenthood. In Isaiah 46: 3-4 we discover that our loving and all-powerful God feels the same way.

3 “Listen to Me, O house of Jacob, And all the remnant of the house of Israel, Who have been upheld by Me from birth, Who have been carried from the womb:

4 Even to your old age, I am He, And even to gray hairs I will carry you! I have made, and I will bear; Even I will carry, and will deliver you.

We who are believers are part of the remnant of the house of Israel. In these two beautiful verses we learn that as loving fathers we are simply emulating the loving actions of our Heavenly Father, the Father who made us. He holds us in the womb. He holds us from birth and he promises to carry us not just as long as we are little children, but until we are old and gray. Now that is a loving Father...my loving Father. I pray He is or will soon become your loving Father.

Saturday, January 21, 2012

Lean Not On Your Own Understanding

For the last three months, my health has improved to the extent that I have been able to deliver a short gospel message from the pulpit in our chapel. Since I am scheduled to speak again in two months, I have spent hours researching how I could use Lozanne’s iPad in order to combine a PowerPoint presentation of prepared slides with my speaking. Since I am of the generation that was introduced to the digital age after we turned forty, new computer skills can provide a rather steep learning curve. The Apple equivalent of PowerPoint is called Keynote. When I was ready to purchase and download the Keynote software, I then discovered that I must download the latest operating system for Lozanne’s iPad. Knowing first hand the devastation of lost data that can be the result of an operating system update, I then researched for hours the new IOS 5.1 update recommended before I could purchase Keynote. With some difficulty and much trepidation I successfully backed up all of the data on her tablet computer. That completed with minimal damage done to my wife’s iPad, I then purchased Keynote, whereupon I spent hours learning how to make a presentation in Keynote on my iMac and then transferring it to her iPad.

Having completed these challenging feats, I then researched how to use an iPad with a conventional digital projector. After considerable reading and asking a Christian brother for advice, I purchased the proper VGA adapter. Adapter and iPad in hand, I planned to test out a sample Keynote presentation on the chapel digital projector between services last Sunday morning. With the assistance of the young man who looks after the audio-visual needs of our chapel and who possesses towering technical knowledge as compared to mine, I connected the iPad to the digital projection system. I turned on the iPad and brought up the Keynote software. I opened my sample presentation and was immediately disappointed with the huge blank and dark screen behind the pulpit. I tried every imaginable variation of settings on the iPad. He tried every possible adjustment of the projector with absolutely no success. Exasperated, I went into the crowd in search of the brother who had advised me which adapter to purchase. I knew he had successfully shown a Keynote presentation with his iPad on the chapel projector. I asked for his help and he willingly came up to the pulpit.

He took one look at the setup and simply said, “Did you press play?” Alas, with a red face I had to admit that I had not pressed play, not that the arrow before me was anything but obvious! My delight with the successful projection of slide 1 overshadowed my embarrassment for being so dumb. The irony is, of course, that I had figured out all of the complexities, but in the end was stumped by the most simple of all the steps in the process. Upon pondering the situation later, the words of Proverbs 3: 5-6 came very clearly to mind.

5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding;

6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.

When left to our own devices, we inevitably will forget to "press play". How we need the Lord! I had in my human wisdom turned the simplest of steps into something highly complex. Then I looked again at my first test slide and realized that the simple truth on that slide should not and shall not be made complex. It is the simplest yet the greatest of truths.

16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)

Monday, January 16, 2012

Persistence in Prayer

My father-in-law and grandfather to our children practiced as a very well known and respected Registered Massage Therapist in our community from 1946 until 2005. He is remembered by many as a man with the gift of healing hands. During the 1970’s, when two of his chiropractor sons took over the family clinic, he became a land developer and a commercial and residential builder who turned farm land into a suburban neighbourhood. A mini-mall, a large medical plaza, apartment complexes and residential neighbourhoods were all the result of his ability to put his careful plans into action. A condominium development rounded out his dream for the area.

One of the jobs of a developer, after the plans have been approved by the municipality and once the infrastructure like water and sewer lines is in place, is to suggest names for the new streets that have been created. The municipality approves the names, but it is the developer who really has control over the naming of streets. Customarily, developers put forward names of business partners, investors and finally family members. I well remember during the building of the final residential neighbourhood the rather broad hints dropped by my father-in-law’s four daughters. Lozanne, in keeping with her personality, was very persistent about her wishes for the choice of names for the remaining streets. She was good natured in her reminders to her father. He in return was characteristically non-committal in his equally good natured responses. The memory of her persistence puts me in mind of the widow in the parable given by Jesus in Luke 18: 1-7.

18:1 ¶ Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart,

2 saying: “There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God nor regard man.

3 “Now there was a widow in that city; and she came to him, saying, ‘Get justice for me from my adversary.’

4 “And he would not for a while; but afterward he said within himself, ‘Though I do not fear God nor regard man,

5 ‘yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.’”

6 Then the Lord said, “Hear what the unjust judge said.

7 “And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them?

The true lesson of the parable is actually in the line introducing the story. We are told to continually pray and not loose heart. Persistence even in prayer demonstrates strong and abiding faith which is rewarded with answered prayers. Indeed Lozanne’s persistence paid off with her earthly father and resulted in her name being attached to a large crescent that will be the home of hundreds of people potentially for a century or more.

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

How Can We Thank Him?

My grandson Liam has soared to new heights this year. He has been so very much on his game of making sure all concerned are only too aware of his Christmas wish list. For the last three months, he has used personal reminders, written notes, telephone calls and email to make sure Grandma and Grandpa know exactly what he wants for Christmas.

Due to my advancing maturity, like so many others of my generation, I have done my best to learn computer skills in order to literally keep up with this world. One of my weaknesses has been all aspects of video capturing, editing and saving. The other day I was trying to expand my horizons by simply rooting around in the Photo Booth software on my iMac. There before me was a file entitled “My First Project”. I knew that I had never used the software and had certainly not saved any such file on my computer. There was Liam’s smiling face. I clicked on his face and was treated to a 90 second clip of just what he wanted for Christmas. I have no idea when he recorded the digital video on my computer and Liam had never mentioned the clip to me. I am beginning to realize that wherever I go on my computer, my eleven year old grandson has been there before me.

I felt truly blessed. Liam’s diagnosis of moderate autism before he was two years of age had included a prognosis of limited speech and indeed the likelihood of a life bereft of any clear communication. The ninety second video clip was an animated and expertly choreographed verbal masterpiece in which he clearly outlined his deep desire for Pokemon White, Pokemon Black (books) and a DVD including the original soundtrack of Disney’s “The Emperor’s New Groove”. The delivery was spirited and downright entertaining with the use of many pertinent gestures and intonations. There was an introduction and a conclusion to his creation. At eleven, Liam not only knows more about my computer than I do, he can read and write at grade level or better and best of all he can express himself on an impressive oral level. I can only thank God for such unexpected blessings.

Other than just saying thank you in prayer, what is it that we mere mortals can do to properly show our gratitude for blessings allowed in our and the lives of our loved ones. Admittedly there is not much we can do for an all powerful and all knowing God. Psalm 116 does give us some insight in verses twelve to fourteen.

12 What shall I render to the LORD For all His benefits toward me?

13 I will take up the cup of salvation, And call upon the name of the LORD.

14 I will pay my vows to the LORD Now in the presence of all His people. (Psalm 116: 12-14)

By taking up the cup of salvation, we determine in our minds to make Jesus our lord and our savior. We admit our sinful and weak nature and submit fully to His taking all of our sin upon Himself and dying for our sake in order that we may spend eternity in heaven. In short, we accept his offer of salvation by believing and following Him. We call upon Him for all of our needs. There is something else we can and should do within verse 14. Just as Jesus paid His vows to God before and during His cruel death on the cross, so we should speak out and make our faith a public matter. All those around us should know our stand and our submission. To put it even more simply, they should know by our thoughts, words and actions that we are saved. By doing so we are truly thanking God appropriately for His endless grace.

Thursday, December 15, 2011

Prayer and Proverbs

During our last winter at our country home, we enjoyed a family gathering consisting of two Lozanne’s siblings and their spouses. Our visitors called ahead and offered to treat us to a takeout supper of fried chicken. We thoroughly enjoyed our evening and after our guests left rather late, we decided to clean up all the dishes in the morning. I placed all of the chicken bones and other disposables in a large garbage bag, as I have often done from time to time in the past, beside the waste pail in the kitchen and went to bed.

I am a restless sleeper and I could hear sounds that I mistakenly interpreted as middle of the night personal grooming which Marley is wont to do from time to time. Of necessity, last year especially, I was up and around every two hours. As I was moving out of the bedroom, I heard the same smacking sounds I had heard earlier. As a I approached the kitchen, Marley slinked past me rear end close to the floor and with her tail decidedly firmly pressed down between her legs. Her guilt was so evident that it was palpable. As I continued into the kitchen, I was shocked to find the garbage bag in the same position that I had left it hours earlier; however, its contents were now all over the floor. A closer inspection confirmed my worst fear. Marley had eaten every last chicken bone that were the remnants of a meal by six adults. She had never touched a garbage bag before in her five years with us, but the temptation was just too great this time. The amount of bones she had consumed was staggering and scary.

My heart rose to my throat. I had always believed that soft cooked chicken bones, which actually splinter when chewed, would surely cause a dog a horrible and painful death. The quantity consumed conjured in me a belief that a death sentence loomed over the head of our good friend. My immediate reaction was to pray for what I then believed to be a miracle. My second act, since it was the middle of the night and emergency wards do not exist for our canine friends, I consulted the internet by way of Google. I was surprised to find several websites dealing with the same problem. Much to my relief, another myth was debunked by the website of an eminent American veterinarian. In most cases, I learned, the bones simply pass with a possibility of diarrhea. In some, but not many, cases the bones cause intestinal distress and may require expensive and extensive veterinary intervention. The welcome advice was to monitor her carefully for forty-eight hours watching for signs of intestinal distress or blood in her stool. I felt marginally better and indeed watched her very carefully for the two day period.

It occurred to me several days later that my actions in the middle of the night were very biblically based. I did two things in the face of what I initially considered a catastrophe. Most importantly, I started with prayer and then in response to prayer and I sought expert advice. Jesus tells is in Matthew 7: 7-8 just exactly what we as believers should do.

7 ¶ “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.

8 “For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.

In the face of difficulty, we should always start with prayer. In this case, I was convicted to seek the advice of an expert which in this digital age is a not a difficult thing to do. In Proverbs 18:15 we read just that admonition.

15 ¶ The heart of the prudent acquires knowledge, And the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.

In seeking that knowledge we should search out wise counsel as we learn in Proverbs 11:14

14 ¶ Where there is no counsel, the people fall; But in the multitude of counselors there is safety.

Marley was closely observed for the next two days. She suffered no serious ill effects. Despite her cast iron digestive system, I learned a very valuable lesson. All edibles, including chicken bones, should be properly sealed and left out of reach.

Friday, December 9, 2011

The Light

This afternoon I was finally able to finish stringing some Christmas lights on the tree in front of our home. Such ordinary seasonal jobs don’t get done nearly so easily or quickly as in the past. Later, as I drove Lozanne to the hospital for an evening of pastoral care work, we had the opportunity to see many homes decorated with thousands of brightly colored light bulbs. Each year the display of lights becomes more impressive. Lights are now strung on every possible outside structure including very tall trees. The result at night is really quite impressive. New this season are the inflatable and lighted Santas, snow men, sleighs, skidoos or Santa helicopters actually placed on the roofs. The sight is really quite beautiful. I began to wonder to myself this evening as Marley and I returned alone from the hospital why so much time, effort and money is spent on Christmas lighting at this time of year.

I would like to believe that the majority of these beautifully decorated homes dramatically underscore the true reason for the season and that would be the birth of Jesus. I am only too aware that the recognition of Christmas has become all too secular and is celebrated simply as a long and commercially entrenched early winter festival. I was reading an article the other day by the environmentalist Dr. David Suzuki who was postulating that, since December 21 is the shortest and darkest day of the year in northern climes, by putting up many lights we are attempting to shed great light in the darkness in the hope of reminding ourselves that spring will actually come with longer days. He could be right. Personally, I regard Christmas lights as representing Jesus Himself as he came into this world two thousand years ago. In John 1: 4-9 we read that Jesus Christ is regarded as light or as in His case, “The Light”.

4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.

5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.

6 ¶ There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.

7 This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe.

8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.

9 That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.

In these five verses we learn that John the Baptist was sent by God as a witness to “The Light”. Jesus, who is “The Light”, provides believers with the light they require to understand and follow in the ways of the true Christian life. Verse five tells us the light shines in the darkness of this world and yet the darkness (world) did not and can not comprehend it. This verse summarizes my thoughts on the ever increasing assault of Christmas lighting. The light gets brighter and brighter with each passing year, but the vast majority just don’t understand why the lights are installed in the first place.

In John 12: 46 Jesus tells us Himself that he has come into the world as a light.

46 “I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness.

Monday, December 5, 2011

Ever Watchful

This morning I was walking with Marley, our Springer Spaniel, on the road that borders on a resort that provides wildlife tours of game animals kept within its electrically fenced boundaries. We have walked near there most of the last two seasons and have rarely seen more than a glimpse of any wildlife in the fields and trees. This morning was different. A group of eight female deer were feeding from a large round bale of hay placed by handlers not more than fifty feet from the fence. The does, who were under the watchful eye of a very large buck lounging on the snow covered ground behind them, heard and smelled us long before I became aware of their presence. Marley’s low and tentative growl caused me to look to my left only to be met with sixteen big beautiful brown eyes staring straight at us.

Even as they clamped down on the hay already in their mouths their heads were raised as high as possible and their stare was so firmly fixed that it was actually a little disconcerting. They didn’t blink and moved not one muscle. Their concentration on the possibility of danger had rendered them immobile with rapt attention. Only one thing was of any significance to all eight of these impressive creatures and that was our presence at such a close proximity. Marley, predictably, in the face of larger animals than herself, was careful to not escalate the situation beyond a tentative muted growl, hoping, I suspect, that I would simply tell her to move on. I stood there for several minutes admiring their silent and perfect attention. Marley returned the same. It occurred to me as I admiringly stared back at them that this was the kind of attention that we all should emulate when it comes to a prediction made in the Bible.

The second coming of Jesus is predicted more than a few times in the Holy Bible. The words of Luke 21: 25-27 tell us:

25 “And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring;

26 “men’s hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of heaven will be shaken.

27 “Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.

These startling words, all but ignored by modern mainstream religion, are the words of Jesus Christ. Years ago, when I became a professing Christian, I made a conscious decision to accept what the Bible says, as best I can understand it, as the truth and only the truth. In my Bible, the actual words spoken by Jesus are printed in red ink. Every verse I have quoted above and below is printed in red. When I see the actual words of our Savior in the Bible, I sit up and take particular notice. If Jesus said it, you can be certain that it is going to occur. We have no idea when He will actually return to take His saints, living and dead, to Heaven, but we know that He will come for those who believe in Him and follow his ways. He tells us very clearly to pay particular attention in our watch for His return. We are to watch and pray with the intensity of wild animals seeking out that which is dangerous. What we are watching for is not dangerous to believers, but it promises to be a glorious and joyful sight and eternal experience.

34 “But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly.

35 “For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth.

36 “Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.” (Luke 21: 34-36)

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Green Wood

One of my earliest memories is excitedly climbing up onto a pile of wood slabs and throwing them one by one through the coal chute opening into the basement of our house. We moved from that house when I was six years old and I well remember the day that the workmen installed the ultra-modern oil furnace in that house. As I consider both memories, I suspect that I was four or five years of age when I began to work with wood. I loved to move and pile the wood, not just because I got to help and be with my father, but because deep down I truly enjoyed the process of dealing with wood for the purpose of heat. I didn’t know that fact then, but within one year of owning a home, we burned wood for supplemental heat and continued to do so in every one of our future homes. My love affair with wood heat has gone on for thirty-eight years. My obsession has necessarily been replaced, due to my recent inability to keep up with the much loved labour, with more modern forms of central heating; namely, natural gas and electricity.

I truly love the smell of seasoned wood in the woodshed and indeed the aroma of just a wisp of smoke from a good fire. The heat produced is like no other. It is pervasive, heats every part of the home and creates a comfort like no other fuel. Of course the beauty of an open flame held captive in your home is a very primitive pleasure. I actually dreamed that in retirement I could heat a home with wood.

For the last six years of our lives, the Lord allowed me that pleasure and we were able to heat our country lakeside home with wood heat. We possessed a modern wood furnace as well as a large two sided old fashioned stone fireplace. I loved, while I was able, to split and pile twenty cords of wood late in the spring of each year. The purchased birch would arrive in front of our woodshed in a very green form. By green I mean that it was full of sap and not suitable for burning at all. The moisture in the freshly cut wood prevents it from burning properly and indeed the smoke created from burning green wood can result in the build-up of dangerous creosote in the chimney. By splitting and piling in the open ended woodshed this vast amount of wood, we were able to provide four or five months of curing of the wood. During the warm summer and fall days the wood dried out so that it could be burned with efficiency and safety. There is a short, but fascinating statement attributed to Jesus in the twenty-third chapter of Luke that speaks of green and dry wood. To put it in context, let us start at verse 28.

28 But Jesus, turning to them, said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children.

29 “For indeed the days are coming in which they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren, wombs that never bore, and breasts which never nursed!’

30 “Then they will begin ‘to say to the mountains, “Fall on us!” and to the hills, “Cover us!”’

31 “For if they do these things in the green wood, what will be done in the dry?” Luke 23: 28-31

I find these four verses to be quite remarkable. Jesus has spent the previous night and day being brutally dragged through the mock courts of the high priests, Pilate, Herod and back to Pilate. He had been mocked, beaten, spit upon, and scourged. Just the chastisement of the whip as wielded by the Roman Soldiers was enough to kill some men before they were crucified. Jesus is unable to carry his own cross due to his exhaustion and injuries; yet he miraculously stops to speak to a group of women who are lamenting and mourning his tragic end by the side of the road on the way to Calvary. He is forecasting about thirty-seven years into the future the destruction of Jerusalem by the Roman army in the year 70 A.D.

It is the words in verse 31 that have the most effect on me. Jesus is several times in the Bible referred to as a tree or a vine. In this case he is referring to himself as the green wood that is not filled with sap and the promise of life, but green wood that is filled with goodness, grace, innocence, healing and miracles. This “green wood” is not fit to be cut down for fuel. Jesus is telling the women and us that if Roman soldiers will do such evil and violence to He who is innocent, just imagine what they will do the the “dry wood” which represents the evil and rebellious inhabitants of Jerusalem. There is another level to this metaphor. If God the Father could see fit to so severely punish his innocent son the “green wood” in order to pay for our sins, just imagine what He will do the the “dry wood” which is fit for burning for all of eternity.

Saturday, November 26, 2011

As the Bridegroom Rejoices

As I headed for my Volkswagen which was parked, due to the lack of a parking lot, on a distant street, I began to look forward to the weekend. Another week of teacher’s college was over. The 9:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M. hours were a shock to the system after attending university for a year. I longed for the fifteen hour lecture week, especially since class cancellations and skipping early or inconvenient classes reduced the university workload down to a more manageable grind. Missing class at North Bay Teacher’s College was, we imagined, punishable by immediate expulsion. I was eagerly driving to pick up my bride of three months.

Our Friday evening routine was very quickly established during that year at normal school, so named because the teaching masters were supposed to inculcate the norms of standard teaching practices. I picked up Lozanne at our modest (I am looking back with rose colored glasses) one bedroom apartment in the heart of the industrial section of town. Our first stop was the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce which was in the downtown core. There was but one method to get money to spend in 1968. After parking and putting a nickel in the parking meter, you stood in a long line in a large high ceilinged and echo filled bank and withdrew the money from your account with a written withdrawal slip. Our usual weekly withdrawal was $25.00. We would then buy gasoline as required at thirty-four cents per gallon. The empty eight gallon tank would cost us $2.72. We then headed for the A and P grocery store to buy our weekly groceries for around $17.00. The money left over was our spending money for the week. We would then head home for a special Friday night meal like frozen chicken pot pie.

I have very fond memories of the early months of our marriage. For a brief period in our nearly 44 years, there was only the two of us. There were definitely times of tension as we adjusted to the complexity of married life. There were also times of joy and growing together as a couple. It is the times of joy that I best remember these days.

The Friday evenings stand out, as do the number of times I was late for class in the morning, which oddly seemed to be a very forgivable misstep at North Bay Teacher’s College. My uncharacteristic lateness on a regular basis became somewhat of a class joke for both students and teaching master alike. These memories have lately given me an enhanced understanding of Isaiah 62:5

5 ... And as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, So shall your God rejoice over you.

Throughout the Bible the concept of the church becoming the bride of Jesus is constantly developed. The prophet Isaiah, who wrote the above words about seven centuries before the birth of Christ, is forecasting a later day when God (Jesus) will rejoice and delight in His church given to Him as a bride. Who makes up the church? Simply stated, the church is made up of faithful believers. It does not consist of any one denomination or religion. It is made up of those who have professed their belief in the saving work of Jesus dying on the Roman cross in order to pay dearly for our sins. As I rejoiced over the bride of my youth, as I continue to do so to this day, so God rejoices over those who are true believers in his church. He sees every one of them as desirable and beautiful just as a bridegroom is expected to see his bride. I am thankful that I can count myself amongst those men who can truly understand the second half of verse 5 in Isaiah 62.

Sunday, November 20, 2011

The Work of God

Of all the possible idols that can separate us from God, the most insidious, personally speaking, is work. I have been retired for almost a decade. I worked on a part-time basis for another three years following my retirement. I have come to realize that what I considered to be nothing more than a healthy work ethic and admittedly driven ambition was much closer to full blown idolatry. All of my working life, I planned, prepared and studied as necessary for the next promotion. With the exception of one ten year stint as a superintendent of schools, the longest I remained in one position was four years. My average stay in many positions was three years before seeking a new job with better prospects. I moved from teacher to vice-principal in two different schools, to principal of small school, to principal of two small schools, to principal of a larger school, to superintendent, and finally to director of education.

The last thirteen years of my career consisted of 70 hour work weeks with some days ending after 11:00 P.M. I sat through countless meetings, travelled a lot and worked most evenings and a good part of weekends. The odd thing, as I look back, is despite my realization that I worshiped at the shrine frequented by driven workaholics, I am still proud of what I accomplished. I hope I did some good for the students and parents I served. I also had a very supportive wife who was with me every step of the way. I did not know the Lord Jesus as my savior until near the end of my working years. I began to become aware of work being my modern idol replacing ancient wooden statues of various small “g” gods just prior to my retirement.

One has only to browse through the the Book of Proverbs or the Epistles of Paul to learn that the Bible espouses a healthy work ethic. The key word is healthy. For the majority of my career, my approach to work was missing one very important element as presented to us by Jesus Himself in John 6:27-29

27 “Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him.”

28 ¶ Then they said to Him, “What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?”

29 Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.”

Without faith in Jesus, no work would be better than hard work. When you live and work by faith in the Son of God, then you are satisfying what God requires for a healthy and productive work life. If you truly fulfill this one requirement, whatever else you do for work will be blessed. Although so called “good works” which we do for the benefit of others around us are not required to achieve everlasting life, when we work with faith we will naturally tend to good works through our actions and our giving. As is often true of the Savior, the most beautiful component of what Jesus tells us in these three verses is the stark simplicity. The only work required of God is faith. Wow.