In writing to the Corinthians of Greece Paul said, “For indeed Jews ask for signs, and Greeks search for wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block, and to Gentiles foolishness” (1 Cor.1:22-23).  In the Greek language foolishness is skandalon, from which we get our English word “scandal.” The philosophy-ridden world of Greece just could not understand how any benefit could come from a beaten, bloodied, and murdered man. Why should they line up behind a spiritual leader who couldn’t prevent his own execution? It was not attractive to them; it was scandalous. But God used what the world considered offensive to be the very power that could save them.

We are a bit bewildered today as our society heads more in the direction of accepting and promoting social issues that God has declared to be wrong. To us, it is shocking and scandalous. At the same time, society points its finger at the church and calls it a scandal because we do not go along with them. This tension between society and the church is nothing new and should not surprise us. Christianity was founded upon the unjust and scandalous death of a righteous man sent from God. The world has never been happy with it. Why should they be happy with us now?

Jesus frankly told his apostles, “They will make you outcasts from the synagogue, but an hour is coming for everyone who kills you to think that he is offering service to God. And these things they will do, because they have not known the father, or Me” (John 16:2-3). The world has done these things  every century since.

But Jesus also threw us a life saver: “These things I have spoken to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world” (v33). Don’t be shocked or discouraged when the world heads the wrong way and makes things hard for us when we won’t go along with them. If it happened then, it will happen today.

But we keep on living for Him and speaking for Him.

– Tim Johnson

“Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 15:13)

It’s been a disappointing week. After just one Sunday of meeting together at the church building, we’re back to isolation at home for a month. Tighter restrictions are a hard pill to swallow after a full year of fighting Covid-19. The virus has proven to be tenacious. We are tired and wonder when life will return to normal.

If we simply concentrate on the world’s troubles, we’ll be discouraged and disappointed. It’s easy to do with endless news reports reminding us of the difficulties we face. Somehow, we must rise above the bad news and concentrate on God who sustains us. The world has forgotten Him, but we must not. If you look again at the scripture above, it will remind you of His desire to give us hope.

We’ll always have disappointments in life. Someone compared them to shipwrecks – the shores of life are littered with them. But out of them arise great things, like joy, peace, hope and power. The Bible was written by men who knew many disappointments. They faced murderous rulers, military occupation, and churches wracked with controversies and upsetting cultural adjustments. Yet all of these inspired writers were great men who relied on the God of hope. He saw them through to victory, and He has continued to give people perseverance and hope for 2,000 years.

John Newton, the once-reformed British slave trader of the 18^th century and author of the hymn “Amazing Grace,” said this about disappointments: “There is many a thing which the world calls disappointment, but there is no such word in the dictionary of faith. What to others are disappointments are to believers intimations of the way of God.”

Viruses and disappointing restrictions are no match for God. He’ll see us through. There is peace in believing. Read our scripture one more time.

– Tim Johnson

After many months of Sunday Zoom meetings, it’s great to be back at the church building where we can worship along side of each other. I’m grateful for computer programs like Zoom – and we may have to use it again – but nothing works better than a physical meeting.

Let’s not forget that Covid-19 still rages all around us. The medical people are warning us about the strength of the third wave. Many restrictions remain in place. Some families among us long to travel and visit relatives in the United States, but that isn’t possible. Some people are suffering from poor mental health due to confinement. It’s been over a year of restrictions, cautions, and masks. It seems endless. We are impatient as we wait for things to improve.

I want to turn our attention to a little flower that is blooming in my back yard. Wild crocuses must be he first flower that blooms in early spring. In some places in Canada, they will push right up through the melting snow. The one in my yard waits until a good patch of grass is snow-free before it opens up. These flowers amaze me because they spring up immediately after our typically long, brutal winter. Likewise, spring birds have invaded my neighbourhood. Cardinals and Robins start their loud chorus early in the morning (who can sleep?!).  Nature doesn’t seem to care about the pandemic. Life surges all around us after many months of freezing temperatures.

My point in all this? If flowers and birds can emerge after a whole season of horrible weather, we can overcome our lengthy season of pandemic hardships too. Nature knows how to do it. We should too.

Remember the words of Jesus in Matthew 6:25-26? (And what good is a bulletin article without a scripture?) “For this reason I say to you, do not be anxious for your life, as to what you shall eat or what you shall drink; Nor for your body as to what you shall put on. Is not life more than food, and the body then clothing? Look at the birds of the air that they do not sow, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they?”

Our first in-house church assembly yesterday proves it. Welcome back!

– Tim Johnson

It is said of Enoch that he walked with God for 300 years (see Genesis 5:22). God was so pleased with him that he took him straight to heaven, skipping death. Walking with God seems to be very important. To do it for 300 years speaks of commitment and dedication.

Health experts have been urging us for years as Canadians to get out and walk. It keeps our hearts and lungs healthy, enables our muscles and limbs to stay strong, and even fights depression and melancholy. For many people it’s also a social event because they talk and catch up with friends as they cover the miles.

To walk with God is not an exercise event. It’s a way of life during which a person pays attention to God every day, speaks with Him in prayer, consults with Him through His word, and develops a strong relationship with the Almighty. Like Enoch did over time, we learn more and more about God and come to love Him for all His goodness. Genesis 6:9 tells us “Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his time; Noah walked with God.” He was unlike the sin-filled people of his day. Walking with God made him into a great spiritually minded man.

The disciples of Jesus walked with Him all over Palestine. They covered the territory all around the Sea of Galilee, down the Jordan valley, throughout Judea and Jerusalem, Samaria, and even up through Tyre in Phoenicia. They must have been healthy, rigorous people, but I’m sure they tired of traveling so much, especially on foot. But Jesus talked as they walked every day, discussed all kinds of things together, shared meals, and dealt with the multitudes. And often the 12 were mesmerized by his miracles of healing, mastery over nature, and authority over the demons. Their walk with the Master changed their lives.

Physical exercise will keep our bodies healthy. Walking with God is more of a spiritual experience, strengthening our lives – body, soul and spirit. Paul told Timothy, “…for bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.”

Go and walk with God. Take someone with you.

– Tim Johnson

I’m talking about Apollos. Unfortunately, he’s only mentioned in just seven passages of the New Testament. Paul never wrote an inspired book to him like he did for Timothy and Titus. And Apollos was not given the role of writing any of the New Testament books, although some believe the book of Hebrews may have been his. But the small window of information we do have about him is enough to find great encouragement.

The lengthiest piece about him is found in Acts 18:24-28, which tells us he was a Jew born in Alexandria, Egypt. The city was renown for its scholars, schools, and its great library, and it would seem natural that eloquent Apollos would come from there. He bursts into New Testament history when he visited Ephesus and began teaching in its synagogue. He fervently believed in Jesus Christ, having been instructed by followers of John the Baptist and his temporary baptism of repentance. In the synagogue audience were Priscilla and Aquila who confronted him with a more accurate knowledge of the way of God. Acts 18 implies he accepted their thoughts and made any necessary changes.

With encouragement from the young Ephesian church, Apollos went to Corinth and helped the new congregation there, and “he powerfully refuted the Jews in public, demonstrating by the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ” (18:28). The man’s zeal and persuasive ability impressed not only the church in Corinth, but also the Jews of the city. In fact, Paul reveals in 1 Cor.1:12 and 3:5-6 that some members of the church were idolizing him, and division was beginning to happen in Corinth. No doubt Apollos was as upset about this as Paul. It seems that Apollos later returned to Ephesus where Paul encouraged him to consider going back to Corinth with some other traveling Christians, but he declined (1 Cor.16:12). He probably didn’t want to stir up any more division. The last we read of Apollos is in Titus 3:13 where Paul urged Titus in Crete to help him on his way to another location to preach.

Good preachers are in demand, but how precarious their position can be. Apollos was educated and articulate, but he had the humility to accept correction about the truth. He was impressive but would not ride the wave of popularity. Above all he was zealous for the Lord and modeled his life after Him. What a great example for all of us from just a few verses in the New Testament.

– Tim Johnson