There’s a pile of old bulletins in my desk drawer and I read a few of them recently. The oldest go back to 2005 and they are much like a snapshot of what the Barrie church was like 15 years ago. The church had three elders and three deacons; some of their names are different than today. The preacher was Shawn Redding, just beginning his work. It was a busy time for the church: there are pictures of ladies’ events with many present, men’s breakfasts, renovations being done in the building, and lots of kids. General attendance on Sundays was roughly 60 to 80 people, about the same as we were before Covid-19 hit us hard 9 months ago. And guess what: the church was raising funds to install a new sign on the front lawn; the goal was $6,500 (not unlike today as we save up for the sign’s replacement – at almost 4X the price!).

We look back with fondness at the church the way it was and people we once knew. Some congregations have had great people among them years ago and can’t seem to get out from under their shadow, as if they’re living in the past or hanging on to other people’s accomplishments. But the church was never designed to stagnate and be frozen by its past. We must focus on today and aim toward what we can be in the future. It’s our turn to plan, serve, worship, and grow. People of the past can’t do that for us.

When Moses died, they wept for him in the plains of Moab for 30 days, “Then the days of weeping and mourning for Moses came to an end” (Deut.34:8). It was time for Joshua to take over. It was his turn and he led them into the new land. A new chapter of history need to be written. Even John the Baptist, as great and influential as he was, knew it was time for Jesus to be front and centre before the people. He said, “He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30).

With a New Year around the corner, how will you fit into the church’s life? What plans will you lay to grow and serve? What can we do to bring new people into the fold? These are big questions that are not easy to answer, but they deserve pondering.

It’s our turn. Let’s do a great job for our Lord.

– Tim Johnson

Just behind Lake Louise in the Rocky Mountains is a beautiful waterfall that freezes solid in winter. It’s a magnet for people who like to climb such slippery slopes and make it to the top. I had a friend who enjoyed this dangerous sport and he said it was a thrill; everything looked beautiful from up there. You must admire his willingness to take risks. As somebody said, “If you want the view, make the climb.”

In an earlier article by David Johnson, he said, “The life that God has given us is a glorious experience. We only have one chance at it as we live here in this world. Each of us is a history and no history is the same. One child can become a saint and the other a demon. Doesn’t that say something about the specialness of each one of us? Life is full of choices and many of them have risks attached. When we take full responsibility for our lives, it may not be easy. Upon hearing Jesus say, ‘Follow Me and I will make you fishers of men,’ they ‘immediately left the nets and followed Him.’ (Matt.4:19-20). They risked it all.

“To laugh is to risk appearing the fool. To weep is to risk appearing sentimental. To reach out to others is to risk becoming involved. To show our feelings is to risk exposing our humanity. To take a stand for what is right is to risk losing a friend. To try to share the gospel risks rejection. To love is to risk not being loved in return. To hope is to risk pain. But loss of hope has a dreary end.

“To live life to the full, risks must be taken because one of the great hazards of life is to risk nothing. The person who risks nothing does nothing, has nothing, and is nothing. That person may avoid some suffering and sorrow but cannot experience the complete depth of living.

“It is far better to choose the way of love, the way of caring, the way of hope, the way of belief in tomorrow, the way of trusting, and the way of goodness – in spite of risks. Kermit the frog said, ‘It is a whole lot more satisfying to reach for the stars, even if you end up landing on the moon.’”

Climbing a frozen waterfall may seem risky, but what a view!

– Tim Johnson

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Out in the Rocky Mountains, just outside the town of Jasper, Alberta, Pyramid Mountain looms. Named because of its shape, it is a beautiful place to visit. For over a hundred years, it has been a popular place to go camping around the lake directly in front of it. A boardwalk was constructed out to a small island where you can get close to the mountain. From this spot you can yell “Hello!” and your voice will echo back several times. People often shout silly things and silly things come back. I heard someone yell, “I love you!” Well, that’s one way to hear love in return.

You get back what you give. Isn’t that one of the fundamental laws of living? Eventually, you receive the same kind of treatment from people that you give to them. If you treat people kindly, they will be kind to you. If you ignore people, they will ignore you. Even a smile is met with a smile. It all comes back to you. Sometimes a little more than you expected.

Quoting Psalm 34:12-15, Peter solemnly said, “Let him who means to love life and see good days refrain his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking guile. And let him turn away from evil and do good; let Him seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and His ears attend to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.” (1 Peter 3:10-12) If we pursue godly ways and decent behaviour, God will bless you and life will go much better. You will experience things that are not unlike the good things you have done for others.

Jesus taught, “And just as you want people to treat you, treat them in the same way.” He went on to explain, “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. And do not judge and you will not be judged; and do not condemn, and you will not be condemned; pardon, and you will be pardoned. Give and it will be given to you…For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return.” (Luke 6:31-38) Jesus knew about echoes because he grew up in the hills around Nazareth.

Do you want friends? Be a friend. Want some mail? Write some letters! Do you want people to care about you? Care for them. Do you want a better marriage? Invest time, love, consideration, kindness, and a sense of humour, and you will discover some of the same great things coming back to you from your mate. The good things you invest turn around and head right back to you. Do you want a kinder, more forgiving and understanding congregation? You know what to do.

It’s like a mountain echo. You’ll be delighted with what you hear.

– Tim Johnson

Some thoughts from Charles Hodge

One of the first words a baby hears, learns and hates is “no.” He must learn there are things he must never do. Tragically, some never learn. The jail houses people who refuse to say “no.” Eve never learned it; she could not say “no” to Satan or to herself. Adam never learned it; he could not say “no” to Eve. Both sinned and were cast out of Eden.

We need to childproof our own lives by learning to say “no.” We live misspent and wasted lives. Jesus asked, “For what is a man profited if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul?” (Mt.16:26). Prior to this He told His disciples to deny themselves, take up their cross and follow Him. They needed to say no to themselves.

In our society, debt is one gigantic problem. Why? We couldn’t say “no.” We bought things we didn’t need with money we didn’t have to fool people we don’t like! Our failure has caught up with us. The only way out is to say “no” to our unnecessary wants. The word for this is maturity. Only grown-ups can say “no.”

You must say “no” before you can say “yes.” This explains most of the world’s problems. We tend to say “yes” without saying “no.” We try to say “yes” to God without first saying “no” to ourselves. Christianity is saying “no” to self and “yes” to God. Why is it easier to say “no” to God than Satan?

“No” is an answer. “No” is even a compete sentence. “No” is a decision and a lifestyle. Learn to say “no” to sin, self, Satan, and silliness. The foundation of a pure Christian life is the ability to know where, when, with whom, and why to say “no.”

Learn to say “YES!” It’s hard to say “no.” But the more difficult word is “yes.” Why is it hard to say “yes” to God? Many attend worship for years never obeying the gospel. Why? They cannot say “yes” to God. They cannot die to self. They cannot admit need. They are good with “no” but not with the commitment of “yes.” The majority of the world is saying “no” to God. Most don’t know it; most deny it.

We all say “no” to something. But what? We all say “yes” to something. But what? When temptation comes, just say “no.” This still works. It will never be defunct.

– Excerpts from Charles Hodge

(A retired preacher for a Texas congregation)

God made the His church to be a group of people who serve together and encourage one another. It’s nice to serve God where we are appreciated. But sometimes we must serve Him alone, without anyone noticing. It is a test of character to do our duty without attention or praise.

Ananias and Saphira donated money, but they were greedy for praise and lied to get it (Acts 5). Peter said, “Why is it that you have conceived this deed in your heart?” Would they have given at all if no one noticed?

Jeremiah didn’t have an easy preaching job. Day after day he spoke God’s word, but no one cared. Everyone treated him disrespectfully. He complained to God about this but kept on working for 40 years. He confessed, “Because of Thy hand upon me I sat alone” (Jer.15:17). This great prophet refused to give up just because nobody would pat him on the back.

Philip was used to being in the thick of things. Made a special servant of the church in Acts 6, he gained people’s respect. In chapter 8 he bravely preached in Samaria and the crowds were amazed with his miracles and preaching. What a great harvest in that old rebellious city. But then the Spirit sent him to the middle of nowhere to intercept the eunuch from Ethiopia. Nobody was there to congratulate the preacher as he baptized him. Soon after, God sent him to Caesarea; an important town, but certainly not Jerusalem. About 20 years later, Paul stayed with Philip as he traveled through to Jerusalem. Philip had been preaching in Caesarea faithfully for at least two decades, out of the limelight. He served God with little attention or praise.

People like Jeremiah and Philip are heroes to us. I’m sure they were eventually recognized for their service, but they didn’t work under those conditions just to get attention.

Serve the Lord because you love Him. Don’t insist on a crowd of admirers. Much of what we must do for Christ goes unnoticed by others. Offer that to Him with humility. He notices and you will be rewarded in the future.

“Whoever in the name of a disciple gives to one of these little ones even a cup of cold water to drink, truly I say to you he shall not lose his reward” (Matt.10:42).

– Tim Johnson