Blog Posts

How Well do You Know Jesus?

4/17/2018

Have you ever noticed how the Apostle John started his first book? I'm sure you have as it's not hard to miss. He is clearly making a statement about new beginnings and he does it by using Genesis as his foundation. He is making two points very strongly by using Genesis. The first is a not-so-subtle message to the Jewish people - God has started something new - pay attention. He then follows that up with who he meant by God.

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What Are You Living For?

3/21/2018

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This post has been a long time coming. I feel that I need to explain to those of you who read my blogs, where I have been and why. First, I haven't been writing. At all. As some of you know, I have stage 3 lipo-lymphedema which is a painful fat disorder that affects my lymphatic system. It has resulted in an increase of congested tissue that I have running down my leg from my knees to my ankles. This is also painful and makes my legs immobile. If I want to go out my husband literally has to move my legs for me to get me in the car. So, needless to say I am finding it hard to concentrate on anything right now. On top of that, I have severe arthritis that has affected my spine which is degenerating and I also have meralgia parasthetica, (caused by the congested tissue) which feels like someone has picked a hot poker out of the fire and is constantly stabbing me with it. So, that is what is going on with me right now.

Do I need prayer? Yes, please! I am constantly fighting off depression, have increased insomnia because of the pain, and writing has become a thing of the past. I desperately wanted to finish my Bible Study on Revelation that I was writing, but I simply can't do it - right now. I have every confidence that if God wants it written, it will be written at the right time and not before. God knows what I'm going through and He knows what I am capable of (or not capable of) right now.

In the meantime, I am able to keep Interviews & Reviews up and running and it is providing a creative outlet for me (of sorts) in the form of writing book and movie reviews. So I apologize to everyone who has been coming here and expecting more. More will come - I just don't know when.

That said, today I once again missed church because of all the stuff I'm going through, but the wonderful part is that I can still attend online. Today, on Resurrection Sunday, our Pastor talked about hope. A message I desperately needed because sometimes when you are dealing with constant pain and sickness you start to feel there is no hope in sight. It gets depressing when every day is the same. It gets lonely when you have no Christian fellowship. You start to feel you have no purpose and you wonder, "Why am I here, anyway? What is my purpose?" So I needed the reminder that I am not living for today, but for eternity. And everything I say and do will have an impact on where I spend my eternity and how I will spend it. This pain is for but a moment, but eternity - well . . . it's forever! And this blog of mine may not reach a lot of people, but I know it will reach someone who needs a word of encouragement today. I am writing and posting it only because of Jesus, who is my hope.

My Pastor shared this video by Francis Chan at church today. If you are experiencing a life that "seems" hopeless and without purpose, this might change your perspective a little bit. I know it lifted my heart.

Happy Resurrection Sunday!

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Are You Fasting for the Right Reasons?

2/14/2018

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Ash Wednesday, for main-stream churches is traditionally the start of forty days of fasting to observe the Lenten season. I grew up in the Anglican church where it was observed, but when I married into the Baptist church this observance went largely unnoticed. If it wasn't in the Bible it was not something God ordained, so it simply wasn't a "thing" with Baptists or any or Bible-based churches.

Ash Wednesday and the Lenten season is a man-made construct but one that was created with good intentions. It is to be a period of reflection and preparation for Christ's burial and resurrection. It can be a very satisfying spiritual journey when done in the correct way. The forty days is in rememberance of Jesus' time spent in the wilderness, where he fasted and was tempted to sin by the devil, for forty days and forty nights (Matthew 4). But for many Christians this commitment to "fasting" has transitioned more into a second attempt at a New Year's resolution that was forgotten. Now people are goal setting (losing "X" amount of pounds in forty days) or giving up a luxury or guilty pleasure of some sort, (taking the bus instead of a car, or giving up chocolate). Sadly, what the church began as an exercise in growing spritually has devolved into how one can best help themselves for the next forty days. So today I am going to re-appropriate a post I wrote on the true meaning of fasting and share it again here.

This is what God said true fasting should like like:

“Is this not the fast that I have chosen:
To loose the bonds of wickedness,
To undo the heavy burdens,
To let the oppressed go free,
And that you break every yoke?
Is it not to share your bread with the hungry,
And that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out;
When you see the naked, that you cover him,
And not hide yourself from your own flesh?
Then your light shall break forth like the morning,
Your healing shall spring forth speedily,
And your righteousness shall go before you;
The glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.
Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer;
You shall cry, and He will say, ‘Here I am.’
“If you take away the yoke from your midst,
The pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness,
If you extend your soul to the hungry
And satisfy the afflicted soul,
Then your light shall dawn in the darkness,
And your darkness shall be as the noonday.
The Lord will guide you continually,
And satisfy your soul in drought,
And strengthen your bones;
You shall be like a watered garden,
And like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.

Isaiah 58:6-11, NKJV

Jesus carried this teaching through to his disciples. He wanted to see a change of character in those who followed him. He taught the need of purity and simplicity of motive in our fasting. Yes, there were times when fasting was needed (Mark 9:25-29) and yes, private fasts were observed by Jesus (Matthew 4:1-11) and his disciples. Paul fasted to seek God's guidance (Acts 14:23).

Giving up chocolate for Lent or going on a diet for 40 days has no spiritual value. The value comes when you truly deny yourself for the sake of another, not so that you can be edified, but so that someone else can be. That's true fasting and it falls in line in regard to what Jesus taught us about denying ourselves (Luke 9:23) and loving others (John 13:34).

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When God's Plans are Hidden From Us

1/18/2018

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I read an interesting article the other day that has calmed my fears somewhat in regards to Justin Trudeau's recent attack on Christians. It reminded me that even people like Trudeau who think they are in control - really are not. God has the final say, and way before Justin came into the world, God had already set his plans in motion. Much like he did with King Nebuchadnezzar (see Daniel).

For those of you who do not know what I am referring to, let me get you up to speed. In Canada, we have a government-funded summer jobs program that is supposed to help local small businesses, non-profit, and faith-based organizations by providing wage subsidies to create summer jobs for secondary and post-secondary students. We have had this program for years. When I was a teenager, I got a job through that program, and that was over 40 years ago. Everything seemed to be running smoothly. Students got jobs and businesses, non-profits and churches were able to afford to pay them because of the extra funding. But this year Justin has decided to attack anyone who doesn't hold the same beliefs he does in regards to abortion. Simply put, if you are against abortion, you can't have any government funding.

The new application for the Canada Jobs Grant requires that businesses or organizations applying must respect the core mandate of “reproductive rights” along with other human rights, and unless that “attestation” is signed, the online application cannot be submitted. In other words, part of the core mandate of your business or church must be in support of abortion. If you don't believe that abortion is right, because of religious or even personal beliefs, don't bother applying.

That's right. We have a dictator here in Canada who is telling all faith-based organizations and churches that if they don't agree with his perspective on abortion and a woman's right to choose, then they can't have any government funding. The absurdity of this line of reasoning is that the organizations and businesses Justin is attacking, deal with compassion for the poor and the elderly, or feeding and clothing the homeless, or bringing help to those with addictions. None of which has anything to do with abortion!

When I was a student in this program, I worked in a Day Care Centre. I took care of babies and little children until their parents came to get them. But according to Trudeau, those babies and children will not have that extra care now if the Day Care centre doesn't have something in its core mandate that deals with abortion. Why in the world would a Day Care Centre have that as part of its mandate?

This is dangerous ground because what is the next step after this? Denial of pensions or medical care if I don't tow the party line? Trudeau says he is doing this in the name of "inclusion" and "tolerance," but to those of us who don't share his beliefs, his words sound more like those of an unstable dictator like Kim Jong Un.

Sadly, the people who would be helped by this program (like the poor, homeless and those struggling with addictions), will be the ones who have to suffer because of Trudeau's intolerance. Think about organizations whose core mandates are founded on Christian principles like The Salvation Army and Mission Services who provide food, shelter and clothing to those in need.

Stephen Wile, CEO of the Christian aid organization The Mustard Seed, had this to say to the Calgary Herald, "The Mustard Seed doesn’t take a position on abortion, but with the government making this a requirement for funding, it’s trying to force us from a neutral position to an affirmative position on abortion, and we’re not prepared to do that,” said Wile from his Calgary office.

“We’re not willing to support the government’s position in order to get the funds, it’s just not worth it for us."

“It seems,” added Wile, “like the government is saying, ‘The issue of where you stand on abortion is more important than the work you do and the people you serve,’ and that’s really sad. At the core of who we are, we’re really against fear and hate, and unfortunately, the government is taking a position that instead of decelerating division, it’s accelerating it.”

If you don't support the views
of the Liberal Government you lose.

Not only is this a clear attack on Christians and people of conscience in general, it is also a violation of our Fundamental Freedoms in our Canadian Charter of Rights. Which says and I quote:

Everyone has the following fundamental freedoms: (a) freedom of conscience and religion; (b) freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression, including freedom of the press and other media of communication; (c) freedom of peaceful assembly; and (d) freedom of association.

Getting back to that article I read and why I am not afraid of intolerant people like Trudeau. Eight words in the article encouraged me and they were:

Even bad leaders have a mandate from God.

They may not know it. In fact, in their arrogance they are probably like King Nebuchadnezzar of Bablyon, who thought it was by his own power and might that he was a great king (Daniel 4:28-33). He suffered for his arrogance.

But as the Apostle Paul said in Romans 13:1: "Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God."

They are appointed by God. Even if they are bad. Ever wonder why? Because they are necessary for God's ultimate plan. We might not be able to see right now what that plan is, and evil rulers may think God is not using them at all, but He is and we must never forget that. Every world leader today may falsely believe that they are actually in control. They would be wrong.

As Christians, we know the truth and we know things are going to get worse for us. This is a fact! We are now "living in the days of Noah" (Matthew 24:37) but we must not be discouraged because God has a plan and it has been unfolding since time began.

Keep your eyes on the heavens. Be encouraged. Jesus is coming soon!

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Are You Taking Up Your Cross Daily?

11/25/2017

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Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it” (Luke 9:23-24, NKJV).

I was thinking about the verse above this morning and asked myself, "What is my cross to bear?" Is "cross-bearing" just about persecution? Or is it something more? Jesus said the above words right after he asked his disciples who they thought he was. Peter said, "The Christ of God." (Luke 9:20) And Jesus immediately commanded them not to tell anyone and followed that with the news that he would suffer, be killed and rise again on the third day. This would quite literally be his cross to bear. It had a purpose (our redemption and eternal salvation). But he had to put aside his desires and endure excruciating pain, rejection, and humiliation so that we might be saved. Jesus then lets his disciples know that to follow him, they also had to deny themselves by taking up their cross "daily." As Jesus' disciples, this also applies to us. But what does it mean to deny myself and what, more importantly, is my cross?

My cross is probably different than yours, and it has gotten heavier over the years, but it is something that I am only now learning to take up daily. It does, however, have a few chunks missing where I dropped it a time or two. It has, at times, been painfully heavy to bear, but for the most part, it has stayed with me. My cross has been trying to teach me for over 30 years not to complain about it. I have failed miserably at this and had the splinters to prove it. Each one reminding me of where I failed. By complaining about my cross, I haven't been a good witness or "cross-bearer" to my children. By thinking about my burdens, I have become bitter over what my life was like, compared to what it is now. Cross-bearing is not for the faint of heart. That's why Jesus told us first what it could look like.

But I have learned that not everyone bears the same cross. And not everyone has realized they are even carrying one. Some people look at the problems in their lives and say, "Why, me God?" And they blame God for everything that is wrong with their world. Others say, "Why not me?" And take up their burdens and push on toward the day when they can stand before God and hear Him say, "Well done, my good and faithful servant."

I don't want to be someone who keeps dropping my cross on the ground because it becomes too heavy. I want to keep my eyes focused on Jesus and be one of those people who says, "Why not me?" So today I sat down and drew a cross. And on that cross, I placed the burdens Jesus told me to give to him. But something strange happened. I realized while I was doing this, that my burdens were also my cross to bear. Yes, Jesus said, "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28). But he followed that with, "Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls" (Matthew 11:29). In other words, we can learn from our burdens. We can grow into the people God intends us to be if we daily take up our cross and follow Him. And we can find rest and fellowship with God even when life is difficult and stressful.

This is what my cross has looked like over the years:

Like I said, my cross to bear is different than yours. But it is mine to bear. I have an incurable disease which makes me gain weight at an alarming rate. It is resistant to diet and exercise, and it is called lipedema. It also affects my lymphatic system, so that it doesn't work correctly. Currently, I have stage 3 lipo-lymphedema. Right now I have congested tissue in my legs that is heavy and about as big as a five-pound bowling ball on each leg. It is like this because my lymphatic system is shot. To control my lymphedema, I must sit for an hour a day in something called a lymphapress (think blood pressure cup, but for your legs). It squeezes my legs to get the lymph fluid moving. It is a very painful process, but when the lymph fluid doesn't move it builds up into congested tissue (hence my bowling ball legs!). It is excruciating to walk, yet that is one of the suggested therapies for me so that the lymph fluid will move. However, at the same time, I am told the best way to control the lymphedema is to sit with my legs elevated. So, for the most part, I am stuck in my house all day with my legs up, because leaving them down for too long is quite painful. And walking on them to get the lymph fluid moving is just as bad. What a conundrum! I can no longer put my socks and shoes on by myself because I can't bend my legs. Nor can I clean my house as I used to (some might say that's a blessing), but when dust builds up it drives me crazy!

All that to say this - sometimes the troubles in our lives (especially if you have a chronic illness, debilitating disease or even a terminal one) can be all that we see, and we forget that others are suffering too. We forget to join in with the living because we are so bowed down in just dealing with life. While my cross to bear is a painful, incurable disease, my husband's cross to bear is (sad as this sounds) taking care of me. He is the one who now has to do the work I used to do, like the laundry, cooking and cleaning. While I try to do what I can, it isn't long before the pain overtakes me and I have to quit. Adding yet another burden to his cross, which adds guilt to mine.

We all have a cross to bear. Some of those crosses are horrific, and my heart cries for those of you suffering under the weight of them. Maybe, like me, you were looking at your problems with the wrong perspective. Cross-bearing is not just about being persecuted for your faith. It is also about how well you can stand up under the weight of your cross. Will you give up and say, "Sorry, God but this is too much!" and throw down your cross? Or will you continue to carry it, despite its weight? Knowing that every day that you do so, you testify to God's saving grace and you grow a little bit more like Jesus.

Not sure what your cross is all about? Download the PDF below, fill in everything that is a burden to you. Give it to Jesus, then take up your cross daily, and follow Him without complaint.