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Showing posts from 2012

God Came Down

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I love listening to Christmas music for the entire month of December.   One of my favourite songs has a line that says, “…and God came down at Christmastime.”   It’s so easy to forget God – the God who spoke the heavens and the earth into being - came down as a helpless baby, dependent on the hands of humans He created. It begs the question, why would God come to earth as a baby?   Or even more basic, is it true? I heard a story recently about a man who had the same question.   His wife was a Christ follower, but her husband couldn’t believe the story about God, Jesus and the resurrection.   It was Christmastime and his wife was going to church on Christmas Eve.   She invited her husband but he declined, saying he would feel like a hypocrite if he went to church because he didn’t believe the story. So the husband found himself alone in the house.   He heard a loud bang outside his living room window and he discovered two birds had flown into the window.   He wen

Metamorphoo? Is That a Swear Word?

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The first time [I remember] that I gave my testimony was for Grade 12 English class. I don’t remember why or how it fit with the assignment but I do remember the absolute conviction I had when I shared a particular Bible verse. It was the crux of what was relevant to me at the time. Romans 12:2 , Do not be conformed any longer to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will. I admit, in my naivety I thought once I made the decision it was as good as done. No one could characterize me as wishy-washy about anything I do. Either I’m all in or I’m out. It’s kind of like someone’s preference for olives – either you like them or you don’t. No one is on the fence about olives*. You can imagine how frustrating it was when I realized there was still incongruence in what I was supposed to be and what I actually was and the older I am in the Lord, the more I

It's a Mystery

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I don’t often have conversations with self-professing atheists, not because I avoid them but I don’t have a lot of access to anyone with that mindset. This week was different; this week I had an online dialogue with someone who used really big words. Then she asked me for proof, not just any kind of proof – scientific proof – about a statement I made, “To live is Christ, and to die is gain.” Within two sentences I was stumped. A bit more dialogue between us until she finally said I appeared to be willingly scientifically uninformed. Yep, you got that right. I don’t have to explain everything, especially things that don’t interest me; I’m okay with the mystery. Others, like her, want more information. And that’s okay, too. There are others who can intelligently argue for faith and Biblical claims. I’m smart enough to know it’s way over my head. Tell me when it’s over and I’ll rejoin the conversation. I wonder if a self-professing atheist has to scientifically prove love or

What Do You Want?

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I haven’t written a new post for a couple of weeks but it hasn’t been for lack of trying. I’ve been at my computer a lot, a blank screen staring back, trying to formulate my million thoughts into something profound and life changing. I have about 25 half-starts - ideas that will eventually turn into posts and/or messages because I firmly believe if it’s good for me, it’s good for others. But through all the ideas I have to write about, I am stuck on the one thing I want – more than anything. It’s especially front and centre in mind because as we approach the Christmas season, I’ve been asked by family to formulate my Christmas wish list. I love everything about Christmas and I especially love Christmas presents (heck, one of my love languages is gifts) but what I want can’t be bought by anyone and it can’t be given by anyone either. All I want is his Presence. I don’t mean his abiding presence, but his manifest Presence. The Presence which is also his power, you can’t sep

Lessons from the Glory

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It happened. I’ve been asking the Lord for more than a year, and it happened. I saw a glory cloud. I’ve just returned from more than a week in Redding, CA where I attended a Leaders Advance conference at Bethel Church – 800 leaders and pastors from 37 countries. I stayed a few extra days to spend time with friends. All week, the Presence of God almost felt tangible. It’s why I love going to Bethel. During the conference, the hunger and single-minded focus on Jesus of everyone there was inspiring, and I wouldn’t have been surprised if a glory cloud showed up at any one of those meetings – even if we were talking about strategic parking plans or discussing the coffee shop offerings – everything was focused on Jesus. Everything in heaven centres on Jesus, so if I had been heaven’s stage director, I would definitely have chosen one of those high points to introduce the glory cloud. But it didn’t happen during the conference; it happened during the Friday evening service. Ther