Thought of the Week

A Reasonable Faith

Posted on by Shannon

In Jerusalem at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre there is a ladder on one of the
ledges referred to as the Immovable Ladder.  It was believed to have been left there
by a mason working on the building in the mid 1700’s.  As time went by it remained
and it has gotten to the point where the ladder cannot be moved because in 1964
Pope Paul VI decreed it represented the divide between the Catholic and Orthodox
churches and it should remain there until the two reach a state of agreement on
ecumenism.  Is this the type of faith God wants for His people? Judging by scripture I
sincerely doubt it.   It seems that man has always placed emphasis on things around
him that have great age and mysterious origins; it is often falsely labeled
supernatural.  When in reality the supernatural, what Christians call the things of
Spirit, is really quite straight forward and laid out plainly by God through His
inspired Word.  He revealed His son to man in a plain matter. “And a voice came out
of a cloud saying, ‘This is my Son, my Chosen One, listen to him!’” (Luke 9:35).  He
gave man the way of salvation and the Great Commission directly. “Go therefore and
make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the
Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all I commanded you.” (Matt.
28:19,20).  And in numerous verses given man His overarching will for His creation
“fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.” (Ecc.
12:13).  It is easy to get caught up in the superstitions of our culture but let us have
the confidence to remember that we are “fearfully and wonderfully made” in the
image of the Almighty God.

-Jon Jackson

All Things Royal

Posted on by Shannon

With a royal wedding his weekend, the attention of the world is on London, England. It’s also Victoria Day weekend in Canada. And just a few weeks ago, everyone was excited because Prince William and Kate had their third baby. All things royal is certainly on people’s minds.

In Canada, living so far away from these events makes us feel a little out of touch, even though we appreciate them. Sure, the royals like to occasionally visit our country, but very few of us have any direct links with the royal family. None of us will attend the wedding, cards and flowers will be ignored, and we can’t call them up to congratulate them. It’s as if they are living in a different world.

The apostle John spoke of another kind of royalty in his Book of Revelation. He said the actual words of the book came from “Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the first-born of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us, and released us from our sins by His blood, and He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father; to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.” (1:5-6)

Jesus is far above any royal family in this world. While they don’t know it, Jesus even rules them. It’s the personal nature of Jesus’ rule that is so impressive. He gets involved with each of us. He loves each of us, paid the price to save us from our sins, and made us His own Kingdom. Each of us is a priest serving God. We can speak to Him any day of the week in prayer, and He listens. No wonder John exclaimed, “To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.”

The events in London are fascinating, but what we have with the King of kings is much more valuable and enduring. Some day He will welcome us into His home.

To Him be the glory!

– Tim Johnson

Time to Run

Posted on by Shannon

This is the time of year for marathons, before the heat of summer invades. Every major city seems to have one; even smaller cities host runs of various lengths. Perhaps the most famous is the Boston marathon; they’ve been doing it every year since 1897. This year’s race took place on April 16th with 26,948 runners; all but 5% of them finished. People come from all over the world to participate, including a good number who do it in wheelchairs.

Many of us are getting older and the thought of running a long race seems preposterous. While it’s certainly appealing to those who are young, some seniors actually run marathons. Eighty-five-year-old Katherine Beiers, a former librarian from California, was one of the last to finish the Boston marathon – but she did it!

The Scriptures compare the life of faith to running a race. In Hebrews 12:1-3 the writer says we must “lay aside every encumbrance” to do it. Runners don’t need baggy clothes or heavy footwear; they slim down and try to be as light as possible. Likewise, Christians disentangle themselves from sin and the distractions that come with it, and “fix their eyes on Jesus.” He crossed the finish line ahead of us, so we focus on Him and what He did. The secret of running a long race is endurance, for no one can do it by speed alone. It’s not a sprint, it’s carefully measured work. Many Christians forge into the life of faith in a hurry, but they don’t last. We live with determination and stamina. How you serve the Master at 70 years old is quite different than how you did it at 25.

The apostle Paul also spoke of running the race. “Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim” (1 Cor.9:26-27). He was always aware that he could easily veer off the track or give up entirely. “I buffet my body and make it my slave, lest possibly, after I have preached to others, I myself should be disqualified.” Let’s be aware of how far we’ve come in life as followers of the Lord and make sure we don’t give up in weariness as we approach the end. Jesus is waiting there for you.

Run with endurance.

– Tim Johnson

We Are Free

Posted on by Shannon

John looked out over the Agean Sea from the high hills of Patmos, as he no doubt often did, and saw islands tantalizingly close. One wonders how difficult it must have been for the apostle in exile (Revelation 1:9). Used to a busy life, it must have been suffocating to be confined to this lonely place surrounded by endless water. He longed to be with his brethren.

In his book he speaks of Jesus Christ “who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood” (1:9). For a prisoner, the word released is all-important. John looked forward to the day when he would be free again. What made his exile tolerable was the fact he had been released from his sins. No matter his surroundings, he was free.

Released in Greek is very close to the word washed, which is the way the King James Version translates it. Here we have our cherished phrase, “washed in His blood.” Freedom from sin is the result, so our modern versions translate it “released” or “freed.” His blood washes away our sins and grants us freedom. The tense of the verb indicates a one-time action in the past that still affects us today. John is reminding us that when Jesus gave His blood on the cross, it was all that was needed to free us. It flows down through the centuries and frees us today.

I find it remarkable that John felt free even while confined. Paul expressed similar thoughts in 2 Tim.2:9, “I suffer hardship even to imprisonment as a criminal; but the word of God is not imprisoned.” Freedom from sin’s penalty and practice grants us a tremendous new life inside, even if life seems outwardly shackled in some way.

We are free indeed! 

–  Tim Johnson

The Wars of Spring

Posted on by Shannon

With snow banished and winter finally subdued, nature seems to be coming alive again. Flowers are shooting up in warms spots, the grass is turning green and buds are swelling on many trees itching to burst into leaves. We look forward to warm days ahead.

But even though spring looks peaceful, nature’s wars are being fought all around us. Early flowers have pushed up through the remaining snow and must tough out cold conditions. Small, hungry animals view these early flowers as a snack to gobble up. Gardeners ask, which ones will survive? Birds are squabbling and fighting for prime sites to build nests; it’s a noisy world in the morning. Skunks and raccoons are busy at night digging holes in people’s lawns looking for bugs to eat. Out in the woods, bear and deer desperately scrounge for anything edible. Nature is a tough environment in the spring until things grow in better.

God promises Christians forgiveness, joy and peace (Phil.4:4-7), but there is war all around us at the same time. The Devil leads attacks on us every day. It is dangerous to be unaware him. Paul warns, “Finally, be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, that you may be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil” (Eph.6:10-11). Well-equipped soldiers are ready for conflict. We are to be decked out with all the protection God provides. “Take up the full armor of God that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm” (v13). How is our great opponent trying to conquer over you? How is he picking away at your weak spots? What temptations is he laying in your path?

You have nothing to fear if you prepare yourself every day. “Be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints” (v18).

Things may look warm and peaceful, but do you have our armor on?

– Tim Johnson