Blessed Are You When Men Hate You

Posted on January 16, 2015 by Shannon

This week the world once again witnessed the twisted combination of religion and hatred. Innocent lives were lost and many others felt threatened. The immediate reaction of the world was defiance.

Jesus warned us that we would sometimes be hated. “Blessed are you when men hate you, and ostracize you, and cast insults at you, and spurn your name as evil, for the sake of the son of Man.” (Lk.6:22) Hatred isn’t always violent; it can manifest itself by insults and giving people the cold shoulder. Nobody likes to be hated; we all want people to like us. But we can’t control what other people do. Sometimes hatred happens because people lump us together in their minds with abusive religions that have hurt them, or maybe people are simply afraid of what they don’t understand. Whatever the reasons, we need to expect that people will occasionally hate us. Continue reading →

Blessed are the Poor

Posted on January 14, 2015 by Shannon

When Jesus first made this statement, the poor must have laughed. What blessing could possible come from poverty? In first century Judea, poverty was common. Jesus also mentioned hungry people, and those who mourn. Loss of life easily happened from manual labour accidents, disease and war. Families were left to face extreme hardships.

Poverty is still with us, even here in Canada. Stats Canada says there are about 3.2 million people living with low incomes, including 634,000 children. That’s roughly 10% of all Canadians. I’m sure poverty was much higher in Jesus’ day.

The Lord didn’t say the answer to poverty was simply to feed people, although He did do plenty of that. In Luke 6:20-21, He said the poor would be blessed because they could have the kingdom of heaven. Likewise the hungry would be satisfied, but not just with food. Sometimes people with great possessions can feel poor in spirit, hungry for deeper things to make life worthwhile, and certainly nobody is exempt from “weeping” over inevitable losses. There is more than one way to be poor.

The poor are blessed when they turn to Jesus and find forgiveness, acceptance, love, depth of spirit, and new lives to live. They gain the ability to laugh again in a hard world; to be satisfied deep inside instead of trying to buy it with money; and feel the solid ground on which to build a better life.

The poor and hungry need our help. But they need the real blessings that can only come from facing poverty of the soul. This is our work as His people.

– Tim Johnson

Families Count

Posted on December 30, 2014 by Shannon

We crave family this time of year. Many drive long distances to be with them. Turkey dinners are carefully laid out for relatives. Even broken families wish for better times and may attempt reconciliation. Loneliness can be profound when one has little family left. Some people have so much family to visit, they become exhausted.

Scripture applauds good families. In Joseph and Mary’s family we see a glimpse of togetherness during a special time. Luke 2:41-52 tells us how their extended family traveled together to Jerusalem for Passover. This would have been a happy time for each of them. When the 12-year old Jesus went missing, they assumed he was somewhere nearby with relatives. We can safely let down our guard around family. Continue reading →

The Wisdom of Two

Posted on December 23, 2014December 23, 2014 by Shannon

One day Solomon thought about the labours of man, and wrote, “Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labour. For if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion.But woe to the one who falls when there is not another to lift him up.” (Eccles.4:9-10). In his day, most people worked on farms and in the fields where it is hard for one person to handle large animals and heavy harvests. Injuries were common, but easier to survive with friends helping out. Continue reading →

The Good Thing About Snow

Posted on December 12, 2014 by Shannon

After two weeks of green grass and bare sidewalks, snow blew back into Barrie Thursday morning. My next-door neighbour shouted, “I hate this!” Despite all the grumbling and complaining from those who shovel it and drive through it, let me point out something good about snow.

Isaiah said to his fellow citizens, “Come now, and let us reason together, says the Lord, though your sins are as scarlet, they will be as white as snow” (Is.1:18). Their nation was horribly corrupt and soon to be invaded and judged. But God would forgive them if they would only repent. Sin-stained hearts could be white as snow.

The colour of snow is certainly dazzling. When the sun shines on it we want to protect our eyes. Skiers wear sun block and heavily-tinted goggles. A dull world suddenly gleams. The browns and grays of late fall suddenly turn to bright white. Snow also has the ability to cover up the ugliest messes. The worst-looking yard in your neighbourhood suddenly looks fresh and clean after a decent snowfall. All that junk seems to disappear.

God knew what He was doing when he used the imagery of snow to describe His ability to forgive a sinful life and create something brand new all over again. All the decaying rot of a sin-infested life can be forgotten, as if buried under bright snow. Everything is transformed. God does that for us through Jesus Christ.

The next time you have to deal with great drifts of snow, remember that it’s a picture of what God has done for you. “Though your sins are as scarlet, they will be as white as snow.”

– Tim Johnson