Christ

Vision

Posted on by Shannon

The world cries out for men of vision. Great problems of society long for solutions. Elections loom and we look for leaders with solid ideas. People listen to those who speak with wisdom and foresight. Visionaries of the past are still honored today. If there is no vision, there is decline and corruption (Prov.29:18).

The secret to wise vision is the wisdom only God can give. For eighty years Moses had the wrong vision. God had to break him before he paid attention to the correct one. Even then, he complained and objected to God’s vision. But he soon agreed, and gave himself to his new vision for his final 40 years on earth. And what a great leader he was! God must break us before He can instill His vision into our hearts. Continue reading →

The Church That Celebrates Jesus Every Sunday

Posted on by Shannon

Easter. Many people feel today is the highlight of the year. Churches swell on Easter Sunday, just as they do at Christmas time. While we enjoy having extra people this day, let’s think a little more about Easter.

The entire Bible revolves around the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. There is no doubt that these events are the heart of the faith. But isn’t it strange that the New Testament does not mention the celebration of Easter – as a specific yearly day above all others? Historically there was a debate over the date when the crucifixion took place; nobody really knew for sure. It grew into an early church squabble, so a date was chosen at the first church-wide council (Nicea) in 325 a.d. Even then the controversy continued. Two hundred years later the church had become more institutionalized and preferred to baptize people only on Easter Sunday. While Jesus Christ didn’t reveal in the New Testament a special yearly day to celebrate his death and resurrection, men chose one anyway. Continue reading →

Our Captain

Posted on by Shannon

The world values good leadership. Without it armies falter, companies go bankrupt, the economy sours, and whole countries weaken. We’ve seen all of these things happen lately in the world. When wise leadership does not exist, people long for someone to provide guidance.

Jesus Christ is described with an interesting term in Heb.2:10 – “The captain of our salvation” (KJV). More modern versions translate the word as “author” or “leader.” It’s used a second time in Heb.12:2, where he calls Jesus the “author and perfecter of faith.”  We’re told in that verse to keep our eyes on Him, for He is our leader. Continue reading →

An Anchor of the Soul

Posted on by Shannon

 If you’ve been to the Maritimes, you probably saw something that’s common to all coastal communities: an anchor propped up in a seaside park. Besides being a nice spot to take pictures, anchors are a connection to great ships of the past that were manufactured there, or maybe the town served as a home port. Some anchors are man-size, but many are gigantic. Once deployed, a huge ship isn’t going anywhere.  Continue reading →

A Colony of Heaven

Posted on by Shannon

If you weren’t born Canadian, you probably went through an expensive and complicated process to gain citizenship.  The rights of citizenship are valued around the world, for with it comes all the benefits of the state.  Pride of citizenship motivates a person to appreciate their new country and to live in a way that honours it.

Paul told the Philippian Christians that they possessed citizenship in heaven. (Phil 3:20)  The original language means either the state itself, or the rights of belonging to it.  Thus some versions of the New Testament use the word “commonwealth.”  One version says, “We are a colony of heaven.” (Moffat)  No doubt this thought is what the Philippians gathered from Paul’s words. Continue reading →