Recently the Toront
o Star reported that every 44th person living in Toronto is a millionaire. The city boasts the 15th highest concentration of millionaires in the world. While this is impressive to us, I wonder what the Lord would say about it? Continue reading
Thought of the Week
Kindness
Tabitha is not remembered because she was raised from the dead(Acts 9). She is celebrated in this statement, “…this woman was abounding with deeds of kindness and charity, which she continually did” (v36). By it she helped convert many in Joppa.
A country may have great buildings and famous attractions, but it’s not worth living in if it lacks kindness. Last year it was reported that there is an epidemic of meanness in our society. Many people seem to go out of their way to hurt and humiliate others. It was the same in ancient Israel, and it disgusted God. Through Micah He said they must learn to “do justice and to love kindness” (Mic.6:8).
Think back and remember the times in your life when people were kind to you when your behavior demonstrated you were hardly worth it. That’s what God did for us through Jesus Christ. In Titus 3:3 we’re reminded that we were once busy “spending our life in malice and envy, hateful, hating one another.” Then something happened that changed everything. “But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared…” (v4). Kindness is what motivated God to send us a Saviour. And now we are to love kindness. “Put on a heart of compassion and kindness” (Col.3:12). Put away meanness, learn to practice kindness, and live the way Jesus did when He was in this mean old world. He was kind to people – even on the cross. It saved the world. How will you treat people this week?
– Tim Johnson
When Life Isn’t Easy
It’s the height of summer in Barrie. The temperatures are warm, many are away on vacation, barbeques are roasting away in back yards, and there’s another big festival at the waterfront. With all the bad news in the world, it’s good to have a few days to think of nicer things. The well-worn phrase is true, “the living is easy.” We Canadians put up with cold, messy weather most of the year and the living is tough. And when times are tough we learn, grow stronger, and become more patient. We think we’d like warm, easy weather all year long; but if we did we’d find ourselves weak in many ways. Continue reading
Victory
The Greek Island of Patmos is a popular place these days. Surrounded by the Agean Sea, this small, idyllic outcrop of land is dotted with resorts, spas and beaches. But in the 1st century it was the lonely, rugged home of the apostle John, near the end of his life. In Rev.1:9 he said he was there because of tribulation and his work to spread the testimony of Jesus. The Romans had exiled him to Patmos, no doubt trying to silence his influence. They certainly failed! Continue reading
Duty
This month one hundred years ago, Europe slid into war with Germany. On August 12 the British declared war and that brought Canada into the conflict. Suddenly every city and town in the country was busy drumming up men to go and fight. People stepped forward by the thousands. They thought the war would only last a few months and everybody would come home. Little did they know it would take four agonizing years, then six more in WW2. But they went willingly; they felt it was their duty. Continue reading