June 25, 202

I recently read the story about a boy who went to a worship service in a beautiful ornate church building. It had stained-glass windows with pictures of individuals made to represent “Saint Matthew,” “Saint Mark,” Saint Luke,” and “Saint John” to name a few.

When the boy grew older he was asked to define “saint.” He reflected on the beautiful stain glass windows through which the sun shined brightly. He said, “A saint is a person whom the light shines through.”

I’ve heard several folks who claim to be Christians exclaim, “I’m no saint!” However, my Bible tells me something different about one who is a true New Testament Christian. A Christian is a saint. Phillipians 4:21 says, “Salute every saint in Christ Jesus. The brethren which are with me greet you.”

Who are the saints? All those who “are in Christ.” What does it mean to be in Christ? It means to be a Christian. Every Christian is in Christ.

Now, not every saint acts like one. In other words, not every saint let’s the light shine through.

What about you? Maybe you need to take out the Windex and clean the glass so that the light will shine through and show the glorious light of Jesus Christ. We call that the blood of Jesus. As Christians, when we make mistakes, falter, and fall, God will forgive us if we but ask him, and repent of our sinfulness.

Is the light of Jesus shining through your life?

Neil Richey 

~Kevin Cleary

June 18, 202

“I’m Becoming My Father” 

Most adults I know have found themselves using phrases and even engaging in behaviours that they learned from their parents (much to their dismay). 

Recognizing this tenancy:

– What if your child sees you start every day with prayer and Bible study?

– What if you child sees you thank God for the blessings you enjoy in life?

– What if your child sees you show love and sacrifice to the people around you?

– What if your child sees you regularly attend Bible study and Worship?

– What if your child sees you tell your spouse you love them, more importantly sees you demonstrate that love?

– What if your child sees you take responsibility for mistakes, seek reconciliation and forgiveness?

– What if your Child sees you model your life after Jesus?

With Father’s day upon us lets be the kind of fathers (and mothers but’s that’s a different day) that would be glad to have our children say “Oh no I’m becoming my father”

We might further reflect on this idea by bringing to mind that our Heavenly Father calls us to lay aside earthly influences and the weakness of the flesh and be like him. Our children model our behaviour because we rub off on them over time. If we want our Father and his unique son to be the primary influence in our lives we will need to spend time with them. Rom 8:29; I Pet 1:13-17; Gal 2:20

Happy Father Day

Kevin Cleary

June 11, 2023

Sometimes You Need To Doubt Yourself

I have over the years been fortunate enough to know many good and lovely people. I count these relationships as a blessing from God. I know many reading this share the same sentiment.

Some of the best people I know however don’t appreciate their own value or worth. Scripture clearly teaches us to be humble and not to think of ourselves more highly than we should Phil 2:3. However that in no way suggests that we should think less of ourselves than we should. We are called to love our neighbours as ourselves. This is a tall order if what we feel about ourselves is hatred, inadequacy, doubt, and or weakness. 

We are told these days that the worst thing we can do is question someone’s self-perception. However if you deem yourself to be someone worthy of hatred, I want you to know that you are wrong. A person who feels this way often struggles with a lot of self-doubt but they are sure about one thing. They are no good. 

I also know if you feel this way it’s very hard to believe that anyone else loves you and equally difficult to love them. Hence you may experience many failed or strained relationships.

I would like to remind you of a very important truth. When you woke up this morning God had you on His mind.
Psalm 139 is a wonderful chapter that outlines the omniscient nature of God. In this chapter the psalmist reminds us that God knows everything about us–from conception, through adulthood, to the grave and eternity.
Add to that, he takes great personal interest in us, and exalts us as His special possession. When He looks at us, He sees great value. In point of fact, He sees one thing after another that raises our value in His own mind. The writer says, “How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them!” (Psa. 139:17).

Imagine, everyday, the Almighty God of the universe is laying one good thought about us next to another, to another, and to another. He sees our value when we go to work, go home and at night. He’s still counting the ways He finds value in us.
In the next verse, we observe that we’re still on God’s mind when we wake up. “If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee” (Psa. 139:18).

If you have a hard time thinking good things about yourself perhaps you should take time to reflect on what God things of you. How much he values you. How we was willing to orchestrate all of history and sacrifice his own son to save you. It may be hard to believe others when they say they love you, and especially hard to say that about yourself. At those times maybe you should doubt yourself and believe God.

Kevin Cleary

The final chapter of the book of Romans is often ignored because it contains the names of people we know little about – and many of them are hard to pronounce. After all the deep doctrinal explanations of the previous 15 chapters, the 16^th seems out of place. But a 5-minute read of its 27 verses reveals it to be a well-chosen way to end the book.

Just like Hebrews 11 and its “Hall of fame” (as we often call it) illustrates the heroics of great people of the past who had strong faith, Romans 16 flashes the names of 35 who exemplify all that Paul has said in his book. Most of them lived in Rome and its suburbs, and they all served their Lord in admirable ways. But most of them are unknown to us.

While we are familiar with Priscilla and Aquilla and Timothy, and perhaps some basic information about Phoebe the female church servant, the rest are pretty well obscure. Besides Phoebe, several other women are named, such as Mary “who has worked hard for you” (the church in the city); and Julia, who with several others likely hosted a smaller congregation somewhere in the capitol. Someone named Apelles is described as “approved in Christ,” and Persis “the beloved, who has worked hard in the Lord.” Gaius – probably living in Greece – was so helpful with hospitality that Paul describes him as “host to the whole church.” A cluster of five names, including Hermes and Hermas, also seem to be hosting a congregation. That’s at least four churches in the capitol besides the larger one Paul was writing to. To Paul these people were all famous in the Lord, but to us they are unknown.

Why did the Holy Spirit choose to include these names as the book of Romans comes to a close? They not only display people of faith living in a tough city, but they also provide us with examples of people who found ways to serve their Lord in their own setting.

But there’s one more lesson to learn from them. It doesn’t matter if you are well-known or obscure, wealthy or poor, well-connected or not, your service for Jesus and His church counts a lot to Him. Fifty years from now we will all probably be forgotten, but our Lord will not forget.

Like the obscure people of Romans 16, you may be unknown to many, but God knows your name.

– Tim Johnson