So, recently, I had a conversation with a friend about whether God is fair or not. It seems like an interesting question...and something that should seem so simple right? of course God is fair. Of course, like most philosophical questions, it's a lot more difficult to answer than it first seems.
Now, I will tell you right away, that I do in fact believe that God is a fair God. Many people may disagree, and that is ok, and I understand why they believe that God is unfair. So...without further ado, let's get to the discussion.
People that believe that God is an unfair God often bring up the argument that "God is unfair because we deserve death, as sinners, and yet God loves us and brings us life". That is absolutely correct. We do deserve death, and we deserve punishment, and yet God doesn't always punish us in the ways we believe he should. Does that not make him unfair? Well...let's first look at the definition of fair. According to dictionary.com (I was too lazy to grab a real dictionary...I apologize), fair means, "free from bias, dishonesty, or injustice". To me, that sounds like a fair description of God, does it not? Does God have a bias? I don't think so. Is he dishonest? absolutely not. and he truly is a God of justice. So...according to that definition, God is fair. However, there are things that God does, that may seem unfair. For example, there is a parable in the bible about workers in a field. A farmer goes out looking for workers, and finds some. He offers to pay them a cartain wage (which they both agree on), and then they go to work. Later, the farmer goes to get more workers, and then later goes to get more. This continues until the farmer gathers some workers who work for the final hour, before the day is over. At the end of the day, all of the workers recieve the same amount of pay. The first workers are livid, they can't believe that they recieve the same amount as the workers who only worked for an hour. What the farmer did was seen as unfair. But was it really? Of course not, the workers and the farmer agreed on a set price, and that is the price that they received. Incredibly fair.
I think there are 2 reasons why people see God as unfair:
First of all, life is unfair and so therefore God seems unfair as well. I understand this reasoning. Bad things happen to good people. and good things happen to bad people...unfair! But it is accurate to associate God with the unfairness of life? Is unfair life and unfair God the same thing? I don't believe so. In life, people have choices to do certain things, and sometimes, their choices cause an unfair life for others. Not everything that happens is a direct result of God's Will. Yes, I just said that...and I'll let you catch your breath, because you are probably shocked. Do I beleive that God has an ultimate plan? Definately...I believe that He is in control, and that everything will work out according to his plan...however I believe that there are things that happen, that aren't part of the plan. Let's look at Adam and Eve. God gave them a choice, and ultimately I believe that God knew what they woudl choose...but his plan WASN'T for them to eat the forbidden fruit. His plan was for them to live in harmony with him in the garden, and unfortunatly that didn't happen. Later on, God destroys the world with a flood, saving only Noah and his family. Was that part of the plan? Of course not, but something had to be done, and so God did something that he didn't want to have to do. I would even go as far to say that Jesus wasn't part of the plan. If everything went according to plan, Jesus never would have had to come to Earth, because we all would have been living in perfection in the garden. God's plans were changed because of the action of man...now in the end we WILL live in harmony with God, but until then, the plans are changing and God's Will is being affected by man's actions (at times at least).
The Second reason people believe that God is unfair, is because they judge God on a human level. God does things that we don't understnad, and that humans would deem unfair. However, we all believe that God is perfect, and therefore everything he does is perfect. Can something be unfair and perfect? I don't belive so. We don't understand everything God does, and so we often just jump to the conclusion that he is unfair (both for the good and the bad). But God is truly the most fair of all; he is just on a level that is so fair and so perfect that we can't comprehend it or understand it.
So, according to me at least...someone who doesn't even come close to fully understanding everything, God is a fair God...but what do you think? I've given my opinion, now give yours.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Monday, January 25, 2010
A Lesson from Mandela!
I just began reading a book called "Playing the Enemy: Nelson Mandela and the Game that Made a Nation". This is the story that inspired the recent movie Invictus (a movie I haven't seen yet, but definately want to see). I'm only at the third chapter, but this book has already inspired me. I have to be honesty, I don't know a lot about Nelson Mandela. I know that he was a prisoner for many years, and was president of South Africe...other than that, I'm pretty much in the dark. Already, however, I have become a major Mandela fan. My father-in-law raves about Mandela...he is his hero, and from reading only 2 chapters of this book, I can see why.
While Mandela was imprisoned, he faced many challenges. Just like Martin Luther King Jr., he was loved by his black brothers, but hated and despised (or at the very least, misunderstood), by the white opressors. He could have been bitter, and angry, and he could have focused all of his energy on making life miserable for the white prison guards, who did their best to make life miserable for him, but he chose a higher road. Instead of hating his enemy, he got to know them. He read books about the Afrikaner (the white south africans who were opressing him) history, learned their language and got to know them as people, not enemies. If they loved rugby, he would learn about rugby. He learned about their families, and had conversations with them. So what happened? He won them over. They no longer saw him as a threat, but instead as a friend.
I remember a few years ago when the Da Vinci Code was released, there was a huge division that formed. There were those people who read the book, LOVED the book and thought it was the most amazing thing ever. And then there were those people, those Christians, who thought that the book was the root of all evil. That it was the most putird, vile thing ever to be published. A small war broke out...people bashed one another, Christians released books talking about how wrong the Da Vinci Code was. So what did I do? I did what most Christians were scared to do...I read it. I read the book, and guess what? I enjoyed it. I thought it was one of the best pieces of fiction I'd ever read to be honest with you. Did I believe everything in it? Of course not, but at least I could now have a conversation with someone who had read it, and does believe everything in it. Had I have never read it, a conversation would have gone something like this:
I could spend this entire blog raving about how great Mandela is, and I may do that once this book is complete, however instead I am going to use an instance of Mandela's life, and talk about what we can learn from it in our spiritual life.
While Mandela was imprisoned, he faced many challenges. Just like Martin Luther King Jr., he was loved by his black brothers, but hated and despised (or at the very least, misunderstood), by the white opressors. He could have been bitter, and angry, and he could have focused all of his energy on making life miserable for the white prison guards, who did their best to make life miserable for him, but he chose a higher road. Instead of hating his enemy, he got to know them. He read books about the Afrikaner (the white south africans who were opressing him) history, learned their language and got to know them as people, not enemies. If they loved rugby, he would learn about rugby. He learned about their families, and had conversations with them. So what happened? He won them over. They no longer saw him as a threat, but instead as a friend.So what can we learn from this? Well, as a Christian, we face opression often. Sometimes is opression from the secular world, telling us that we have to be a certain way. Other times, its opressions from fellow Christians, telling us that we have to believe certain things and act a certain way. The important thing to remember, however, is to never see someone as an enemy. Yes, they believe different things than you do, and perhaps they do things that you find offensive, but you can make common ground, and you can win them over by being a friend. For missionaries, the hardest part isn't preaching the gospel; it's building up a relationship with someone to a level that they actually want to hear what you are saying.
I remember a few years ago when the Da Vinci Code was released, there was a huge division that formed. There were those people who read the book, LOVED the book and thought it was the most amazing thing ever. And then there were those people, those Christians, who thought that the book was the root of all evil. That it was the most putird, vile thing ever to be published. A small war broke out...people bashed one another, Christians released books talking about how wrong the Da Vinci Code was. So what did I do? I did what most Christians were scared to do...I read it. I read the book, and guess what? I enjoyed it. I thought it was one of the best pieces of fiction I'd ever read to be honest with you. Did I believe everything in it? Of course not, but at least I could now have a conversation with someone who had read it, and does believe everything in it. Had I have never read it, a conversation would have gone something like this:Me: "Hi, i see you are reading the Da Vinci Code...That book is very wrong, in what it says about Jesus"
Them: "Oh...really? Have you read it?"
Me: "No. But I've heard it from really reliable sources...hey, where are you going? I was just telling you that..."
But now that I had read it, a conversation could actually happen. I could tell them that yes, i did read it, and actually enjoyed it, but here are few things that I thought were wrong in the book, and we could then have an educated discussion about it. The same thing has happened with the dawn of the Atheist books. Books such as "The God Delusion", and "God is Not Great". I have to admit, I have not read those ones yet, but I do intend to, but the principle is the same. Instead of arguing with someone, or seeing someone as an eney, you need to understand them, learn about them. Speak their language, talk about what they like, and actually learn about it (even if you don't like it at all). This goes beyond Christians befriending non-believers. People you normally would not associate with can become good friends. You may even learn to appreciate something you never would have dreamed of appreciating. So take a lesson from Mandela. Learn about your enemies, and those who are different from you. Relate to them on their level, and you can win them over. If everyone did this, then there would be much less violence, war, and intolerance today. It starts with you!
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
An Unwholesome Post
For those of you who know me really well, you should know that I enjoy debating. I love arguing with someone, and having a deep discussion about something, anything really. I've been known to argue about hockey ("Why Bertuzzi was unjustly labelled a goon", "Why Crosby is over-rated", "Why the Leafs will be the next Canadian team to win the cup"), to movies ("Johnny Depp is the best actor ever", "Syriana was the worst movie I have ever seen"), to Ethics ("Why abortion is sometimes ok", "Is homosexuality really as bad as we make it seem?"). But the one thing I love to argue most of, is philosphical ideas. I love to stir the pot, turn up the heat, and get things sizzlin. Sorry, I'm married to a chef, so those analogies just sort of poured out of me.
During my time at Bethany College, some of my favourite moments were times when I would sit on the couches, and just begin debating and arguing with people. Sometimes I would legitimately disagree with someone, other times I would play the devils advocate, and secretly agree with them, but argue on behalf of a position that I don't condone or agree with. I loved it! Sometimes people would get fed up and leave, other times more people would join the discussion. I remember a few occasions when people were legitimately angry with me (those times I'm not proud of). Anyway, all this to say, that this blog of mine is intended to get people thinking. I don't want this to be a blog about what I'm doing with my life, although there will be aspects of that. I want this to be a blog about things I believe, and things that are possibly controversial. I want discussion. I want people to say what they think...whether agree with me, or completely disagree with me, just voice your opinion.
This post isn't really about how I love to argue....I just began with that to warn you that this post may offend some. I apologize in advance.
I've been thinking a lot lately about swearing. Ok, perhaps not a lot, but I have thought about it. I feel kind of ashamed to say this, but I have become a bit more loose with the tongue lately. I say things now, that I wouldn't have imagined I would have said a few years ago. Words that I thought were horrible and disgusting now exit from my lips. Does it have to do with music and movies that I watch and listen to? Perhaps partly, but not completely. Before I went to Bible School, I thought I knew a lot about the Bible. I translated everything as literal. I didn't believe that the bible would exageratte, or write 'legends'. Of course, now I see things differently. I beleive now that there may be things in the Bible that are stretched a little bit...as the culture in the day saw things differently than we do now. It was ok to smudge the numbers a bit, or to exagerate at times. I'm not saying that I don't believe the Bible is true, I'm just saying that a completely literal translation of the Bible could be dangerous. Anyway, that's for another post...I want to talk about the verse "Let no unwholesome talk come from your lips" (Ephesians 4:29).I was told, growing up, that swearing was wrong. Anything remotely close to a swear was taboo...which is probably why as a kid, I remember being mortified that we would say 'ass' in church...even though we were referring to a donkey. This teaching was mainly because of the verse mentioned above..."Let no unwholesome talk come from your lips". But what exactly does that mean? Well, in my opinion, that doesn't necessarily include swears. What the verse is about is encouragement, and building one another up. In essence, what the verse is saying is "Don't say anything that is going to discourage, or tear someone down. Be uplifitng!". Can swears tear someone down? absolutely, and in those cases swearing is 100% wrong. But at the same time, can Scripture not tear someone down too? Hear me out on this one...I'm referring to Scripture used out of context, or Scripture that is used at an inappropriate time. For example, if someone is praying hard for something, and the opposite happens, and you were to go up to them and say "if you only have faith the size of a mustard seed, that mountain will move" (paraphrased), will that not discourage them, and tear them down? Did they not have faith before when they were praying? (Now I do want to say that there are times when people need to be torn down...if someone is extreemely cocky, or is misusing their power, then they need to be taken down a few notches, but that's not what I'm referring to here).
I beleive that there is a time and a place for swearing. In times of intense frustration, such as the death of a loved one, the loss of a job, or other agonizing moments, then I feel a swear is not only justifiable, but encouraged. In my opinion, swearing isn't a sin. Is it appropriate? No, not usually...but a lot of things are rude and inappropriate but aren't sins (such as burping, or chewing with your mouth open). Yes, there is a limit to how much one should swear, but should we judge someone based solely on if they swear or not? I remember, as a kid, I would hear someone who claimed to be a Christian swear, and I would immediately think that they weren't a Christian at all, and would think of them as a heathen. Is that fair? No, of course not. There are a lot of influencial Christians who swear, and not just a little either. I think of Bono. Many may disagree, but Bono, in my opinion, is one of the most influencial and most radical Christians alive today. The things he stands for is amazing...his organizations, and passions are unbelievable...but he swears a lot. GASP! Does that make him any less of a Christian? No.
I honestly believe that Jesus swore. I know, "How dare you say that!"...I can hear the hate mail and the mumbles of blasphemy...but let me explain myself. I'm not saying that he made a habit of saying bad words...but I strongly believe that when Jesus walked into the temple, and saw the debacle going on inside, and he got angry and turned over the tables, that he said some words that were "innapropriate". I highly doubt that avoiding the taboo words were on his mind, when the house of God was being used in such profane ways. I truly, honestly believe he swore. It's not in the Bible, and I don't know for sure, but that is my opinion.
Wow, I'm just realizing that I am all over the map on this one, and not being very concise with this. All I'm trying to say is, perhaps swearing isn't as forbidden or sinful as we may think, provided as we are aware of our surroundings, are doing our best to not cause people to stumble, and focus on encouraging eachother and building one another up. That's my opinion...what's yours?
Monday, January 18, 2010
A Human Guinea Pig
Recently, I have been reading A.J. Jacobs new book "The Guinea Pig Diaries". A.J. Jacobs is the author of "The Year of Living Biblically" (where he...lived a year following every rule in the bible), and "The Know-It All" (where he read the entire Encyclopedia Britannica from A-Z). I haven't read either of those two books, however I would love to. Anyway, this book is about him doing a bunch of smaller experiments, such as outsourcing his entire life to India, posing nude in a magazine, being 100% completely honest with people (that chapter is title "I think you're fat"), and following George Washington's 110 rules. I'm not going to give a review on the book (it's very good...funny and insightful), instead I'm going to talk about some principles in the book, starting with the chapter on radical honesty.Being completely honest. Sounds good right? Isn't that what we are called to do? Well, to some extent yes, however there are times when it is important to lie. The hilarious movie Liar Liar comes to mind, but there are moments when the truth has to be stretched a little bit. Such as when you are trying to give someone a surprise birthday party, or you see a hideuosly ugly baby. I'm not saying living a completely deceitful life is good, in fact the contrary. A.J. Jacobs, during this experiment, finds it incredibly difficult, and he never does get completely honest with people, however it does make him more aware of what he is saying, and to this day he tries to be much more honest. If someone asks him to go for coffee, instead of making excuses, he will be honest and say that he really doesn't want to go. For the most part, people respect that. I think we can learn a lot from being radically honest. In the book, he talks about how the radically honest movement states that you shouldn't even have a filter...just say what comes to mind. I think that is a bit much as filters keep us from saying things that will hurt someone else. But I do think that, when possible, honesty is the best policy. If you don't want to go somewhere, say it. If you have a problem with the food in a restaurant, admit it, don't just suffer and complain to yourself.
The other chapter I want to talk about a bit is the chapter about following George Washington's 110 rules. This chapter seems very similar to his year of living biblically experiment, except there are way more than 110 rules to follow in the Bible. Thsi chapter made me question the legalistic lifestyle many people have, and percieve Christians of having. Agnostics (such as A.J. Jacobs), Athiests, and people of other religions often see Christians as people who have lots of rules, no freedom and can have no fun. Even fellow Christians sometimes fall into that mindset. It's too bad, because Christianity doesn't rely on a legalistic lifestyle. Yes, there are lots of rules in the bible, but God doesn't expect us to follow every single one every single hour of the day. God knows that we are human...he created us. He knows that we sin, and that we will make mistakes. Does that mean we shouldn't even bother to follow the 'rules'? Of course not, but we shouldn't be so focused on the rules that we forget about the exceptions, or we lose the joy in life. Christianity should be a joyful relationship with Christ, not a harsh, boring life slaving ourselves to follow strict rules. Even Jesus himself breaks the rules. He heals on the Sabbath, he talks to and touches lepers. He forgives sins, he speaks to women. There are many things that Jesus does that the Pharisees (the strict followers of the Law) see as sinful. It's the reason why they wanted him to die (that and the fact that he claimed to be God). Rules are good. They keep people in line. They give people boundries that they need to try to stay between. But rules become bad, when they leave no room for error. In sports, athletes break the rules all the time, but they always get the opportunity to play again after serving their penalty. It is the same thing in Christianity. Yes, we should do our very best to follow God's commands, but know that when we mess up, he is always there to forgive. Also, don't be so focused on the legalism that you can't make exceptions. As Jesus healed on the Sabbath (which was classified as work, and was taboo), you too must choose between following strict rules and doing what is right sometimes.
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Running With The Devil, and Preaching With Actions
I'm going to join the many thousands, and give my condolences to Haiti. It's an absolute terrible thing that happened. I could spend this entire blog telling you to go to Haiti, or send money, but I'm not going to do that. Not because I don't want you to do that, but because I am going to talk about another issue...actually, a few different issues. Let's begin with a man named Pat Robertson.
Pat Robertson is a televangelist, who I'm sure has a great intent, however some of the words he says makes me ashamed to be a follower of Christ. (I attempted to upload a video from Youtube, but I have no idea how to do it, so I'm going to describe it to you to the best of my ability). Right after the earthquake, Pat made this comment:
"The people of Haiti made a deal with the devil. They were under the rule of the British, and the pleaded with the Devil to save them. The Devil said "Ok", true story, and he freed them from opression. Ever since then the Haitians have had one issue after another".
Now, I don't want to say that this 'legend' didn't occur...but the fact is, none of us were there. This is apparantly something that happened during Napoleon's day, so how are we to know what is true. Secondly, even if this story is true and the Haitians made a deal with the devil...that is something that occured generations ago, none of the people that are affected by this earthquake were even close to being around when the deal was made. Thirdly, the Haitians were never a Christian nation. Why this is significant is because it would determine why they would have made a deal with the devil (if they in fact ever did). It's one thing for a Christian person to turn their back against God and begin serving the devil. That is blasphemy and heresy and is definately a major issue. The Haitians on the other hand, never served God, and don't even know the name of Jesus. How could they ask God to save them if they don't even know he exists? They can't. They call out to the one thing that they believe in, and ask him to save them. Is God judging them for this? Is God angry that they sold out to the devil? Honestly, I don't know. The fact is, I'm not predicting why this happened. I do know one thing, regardless of the reason, God is grieving right now. He hates to see people suffer, especially innocent poor people, which is the entire nation of Haiti. God isn't up in heaven happy that he judged these heathen devil worshipers. I believe he is crying, hurting that there is such pain. I don't even want to get into why this earthquake happend, all I'm trying to say is that this is not Judgement because of a generations ago pact with the devil (in my opinion anyway).
The second thing I want to talk about right now is mission work. I'm not an expert on missions, I've only ever done 2 cross culteral missions trips in my life, but I do still have an opinion about this. Before I start, i do want to say that this is likely controversial, and I am attempting not to offend people. This is my opinion, and you are free to have your own opinion about things. Anyway, there are many Christians who have the mindset of "Preach First, Serve Second". They believe that the very first thing that should be done is convert people, and then give them food, water and shelter. I say, that's bull---- (sorry). If you look at the life of Jesus, before he preached to people, he would heal them. There are many stories of lepers, sick people, paraplegics, who come to Jesus, and he heals them. He could preach to them for an hour, tell them that they need to follow him, but he doesn't. He heals them first. There are even times when he never preaches at all. If we are suppossed to be like Jesus, is this not an example of what our missions should be like? I'm not saying that the Haitians shouldn't hear the message of Christ, they definately need to hear it, however if a Christian were to go over to Haiti right now, stand on a street corner, and tell people that "Jesus Loves You, Turn to Jesus, He can save you",. I can guarantee you that harsh words would be said, and not many people would turn to God. On the other hand, if Christians went over to Haiti with no purpose but to just love, give food and shelter, I can guarantee you that Haitians would come to Christ. But even so, even if a Christian went to Haiti, gave food and shelter, and not on Haitian came to know Jesus, they still better fulfilled the mission of Christ than if they went to Haiti, preached to everyone and thousands came to Christ. All I'm saying is, "Serve First, Let God do the rest". Definately, as you serve, you can read scripture or tell them of God, but don't spend the whole time preaching the word that God loves them, well all the evidence that they see points to the fact that God hates them. Think about it. If your house burned down, and everything you owned was inside, including family and friends, and someone came up to you and said "I feel terrible, but God loves you", how would you react? Now, in the same scenario, if someone came up to you, didn't even say anything to you, but hugged you, and began rebuilding your home, how would you respond? In which instance is Christ most evident? Serve. Go out and give food, shelter and show love to the needy, the homeless, the poor and the innocent. Whether they are in Haiti, India, Mexico, or just down the street from you. Sorry if that stepped on people's toes...let me know if your opinion differs, or if you agree.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Outgrowing "Why?"
As kids, one of the first questions we learn how to ask, and then ask over, and over again is, why. It's a short question, but often it is the hardest to answer. When we are kids, we ask why for everything. "Why can't I stay up later?", "Why do I have to eat my vegetables?", "Why can't I hit my sister?"...over and over again. And then, when we received an answer, like, "you can't stay up late because you need to get a good sleep so that you can have a lot of fun tommorrow"...we would respond once again with "Why?". As annoying as this practice is, it's human nature to know why things happen. Unfortunately, as we get older, we tend to stop asking why. We tend to just go with the flow, not really sure why things are happening, but too embarrassed to ask about it. The other unfortunate thing is, that the things that would make us ask why, are much bigger and more important, and yet we think it is childish, or worse yet, un-Christian to ask why, especially of God. Well, I have news for you...it's ok to ask God why.
God want's to hear from us. We are his children, and he cares for us. Like a parent answers all of the child's "Why?" questions, God too, wants us to ask him. Fortunately for us, he never gets sick of hearing ut...unfortunately for us, he doesn't always answer it. At least, not the way we want.
In my life, I have had a lot of why questions to ask God. Some of them, have been answered, others haven't been yet, and some never will be fully answered. Those are the most frustrating ones, the ones that will never be fully answered...and we know that, and have to continue living our lives, asking the question "Why?" anyway. For me, those unanswered questions are about death. Why did Nate (Kristi's brother), have to die? Why did Paul (Kristi and My good friend) have to die? They were so young, had so much life left to live. GOD WHY!? I'll never know. I won't wake up one day and have the answer. Instead, I get up every day, watch Kristi and her family struggle, knowing that their brother, son, husband, isn't coming back. It's hard to watch, really hard to watch, and there's nothing I can do. It's the same with my friend Paul. I see his picture on our fridge every day, and remember the good times we had together, in the short time that I knew him...and I ask "Why?". And all I hear is silence. Talk about frustrating!
The important thing isn't that we get the answers. The important thing is to ask the question. If you think of all the great hero's in the Bible, they all asked why? Ok, well maybe not all of them, but a lot of them did. Moses asked "Why me?" when he was at the burning bush, Abraham asked "Why don't I have a son?", before Sarah became pregnant. Even Jesus asked, "Why have you forsaken me?" as he hung on the cross. Why is a great question, one that needs to be asked, regardless of whether we will get the answer.
I don't know what's happening in your life right now. I don't know if things are going good, going bad, sort of "meh" (as the kids say), or what. But I do know, that we can always talk to God, and always ask him why? I remember when I was 13, living in Ontario. I found out that my family would be moving to Manitoba. I was angry, frustrated and confused. I spent months, every night crying out to God, asking why. It wasn't until I finally got to Manitoba, met the people, found amazing friends, that I got a glimpse of why, and it was good. The answer to Why isn't always good though. Another story, while I was at Bethany College, I auditioned every year for the Bethany Players (the travelling drama team). And every year, I made it to the final cut, but didn't make the team. In my mind, I was the best actor there (which wasn't true...but I wasn't the most humble of people), so I asked why. To this day, i still don't know the complete answer, but I do know that God wanted me to grow in a different way. It hurt a lot. I still remember the pain of not seeing my name on that list, but it was for a reason.
So I encourage you...ask why. When things are good, or when things are bad, ask God why. He may tell you right away, or he may never tell you, but things happen for a reason, and unless we ask, we will never find out why.
God want's to hear from us. We are his children, and he cares for us. Like a parent answers all of the child's "Why?" questions, God too, wants us to ask him. Fortunately for us, he never gets sick of hearing ut...unfortunately for us, he doesn't always answer it. At least, not the way we want.
In my life, I have had a lot of why questions to ask God. Some of them, have been answered, others haven't been yet, and some never will be fully answered. Those are the most frustrating ones, the ones that will never be fully answered...and we know that, and have to continue living our lives, asking the question "Why?" anyway. For me, those unanswered questions are about death. Why did Nate (Kristi's brother), have to die? Why did Paul (Kristi and My good friend) have to die? They were so young, had so much life left to live. GOD WHY!? I'll never know. I won't wake up one day and have the answer. Instead, I get up every day, watch Kristi and her family struggle, knowing that their brother, son, husband, isn't coming back. It's hard to watch, really hard to watch, and there's nothing I can do. It's the same with my friend Paul. I see his picture on our fridge every day, and remember the good times we had together, in the short time that I knew him...and I ask "Why?". And all I hear is silence. Talk about frustrating!
The important thing isn't that we get the answers. The important thing is to ask the question. If you think of all the great hero's in the Bible, they all asked why? Ok, well maybe not all of them, but a lot of them did. Moses asked "Why me?" when he was at the burning bush, Abraham asked "Why don't I have a son?", before Sarah became pregnant. Even Jesus asked, "Why have you forsaken me?" as he hung on the cross. Why is a great question, one that needs to be asked, regardless of whether we will get the answer.
I don't know what's happening in your life right now. I don't know if things are going good, going bad, sort of "meh" (as the kids say), or what. But I do know, that we can always talk to God, and always ask him why? I remember when I was 13, living in Ontario. I found out that my family would be moving to Manitoba. I was angry, frustrated and confused. I spent months, every night crying out to God, asking why. It wasn't until I finally got to Manitoba, met the people, found amazing friends, that I got a glimpse of why, and it was good. The answer to Why isn't always good though. Another story, while I was at Bethany College, I auditioned every year for the Bethany Players (the travelling drama team). And every year, I made it to the final cut, but didn't make the team. In my mind, I was the best actor there (which wasn't true...but I wasn't the most humble of people), so I asked why. To this day, i still don't know the complete answer, but I do know that God wanted me to grow in a different way. It hurt a lot. I still remember the pain of not seeing my name on that list, but it was for a reason.
So I encourage you...ask why. When things are good, or when things are bad, ask God why. He may tell you right away, or he may never tell you, but things happen for a reason, and unless we ask, we will never find out why.
Monday, January 11, 2010
Celebrity Failures
First of all, I want to apologize to both of my readers for not blogging in a few days. And by a few days I mean 5 months. Sorry. Ok, now on to the blog:
For Christmas, my lovely wife Kristi gave me Theoren Fleury's biography. For those of you non-sports people, Theo Fleury was a hockey player who grew up in Russel Manitoba, played for the Calgary Flames, Colorado Avalanche, Chicago Blackhawks and New York Rangers (but spent most of his time with the Flames). He was also a part of the Gold Medal 2002 Salt Lake City hockey team. Anyway, his career was marred with drugs and alcohol, and he eventually had to quit hockey a few years ago (although he attempted to make a comeback this season, but the Flames didn't resign him). The book has been a major eye-opener for me. During his career, people called him a crackhead, an alcoholic, whatever cruel things they could think ok. People only saw his flaws. What most people didn't know, was that when he was 13, he was sexually abused by his hockey coach...and it lasted for a few years. It was only with the release of his biography that he actually admitted this abuse. Now, I'm not saying that this aweful event gives him permission to use drugs and alcohol, but it does put things a bit more into perspective. People like to judge. It's a part of our culture. We especially love to judge celebrities, because we think that they should be perfect. The problem is, they aren't perfect. Unfortunately for them, when they mess up, they have paparazzi and fans all over the place watching their every move. When we mess up, usually we are either by ourselves or with close friends who won't judge us as harshly. I'm not saying that celebrities should be free to live a life of sin, but I think it is wrong of us to judge them...as it is wrong of us to judge anyone.
This past year has been yet another year of celebrities messing up for the public to ridicule and scorn. Chris Brown alledgedly assaulting Rihanna, Kanye West's Teen Choice Award/Taylor Swift debaucle, Tiger Woods affair...the list goes on. While what these people did (or alledgedly did) is wrong, who are we to judge. We get such a high from tearing people down a couple notches, when we deserve to be brought down a few notches too. We all mess up, we all sin, and we all make mistakes. Luckily, most people don't bring all of our flaws out for the world to see. Leave the judging to the one who created us...God. Let him be the one to judge us for our faults, because he's the only one who truly knows our hearts, and who is holy enough to judge. Instead of trashing these celebrities, pray for them. Instead of gossiping about your friend, or enemy, who messed up, forgive them. Encourage them to turn their life around, in a non-judgmental way...because when we judge...we will end up being judged by God as well, perhaps even more harshly.
Oh, and a final note...this past year marked the passing of Michael Jackson. I was not his biggest fan, howver I did enjoy most of his music. Anyway, i just want to say that, even though he lived a life that was bizarre, and was perceived to be a wacko, he was a person just like all of us...and he was also loved by his family and by God. People who make jokes about him, or who say that they are glad he is dead are not showing the love of God. I'm not saying you need to encourage his lifestyle, or condone what he did (if he even did the stuff he was accused of), but think of his family. How would you feel if your son, father, brother, husband was killed and all you heard were people saying that he was a psycho and deserved to die? It would tear you up inside. Please, instead of spreading hateful jokes and saying hurtful comments, at least pray for his family that God would give them peace. Thanks...and that was my turn on the soapbox.
For Christmas, my lovely wife Kristi gave me Theoren Fleury's biography. For those of you non-sports people, Theo Fleury was a hockey player who grew up in Russel Manitoba, played for the Calgary Flames, Colorado Avalanche, Chicago Blackhawks and New York Rangers (but spent most of his time with the Flames). He was also a part of the Gold Medal 2002 Salt Lake City hockey team. Anyway, his career was marred with drugs and alcohol, and he eventually had to quit hockey a few years ago (although he attempted to make a comeback this season, but the Flames didn't resign him). The book has been a major eye-opener for me. During his career, people called him a crackhead, an alcoholic, whatever cruel things they could think ok. People only saw his flaws. What most people didn't know, was that when he was 13, he was sexually abused by his hockey coach...and it lasted for a few years. It was only with the release of his biography that he actually admitted this abuse. Now, I'm not saying that this aweful event gives him permission to use drugs and alcohol, but it does put things a bit more into perspective. People like to judge. It's a part of our culture. We especially love to judge celebrities, because we think that they should be perfect. The problem is, they aren't perfect. Unfortunately for them, when they mess up, they have paparazzi and fans all over the place watching their every move. When we mess up, usually we are either by ourselves or with close friends who won't judge us as harshly. I'm not saying that celebrities should be free to live a life of sin, but I think it is wrong of us to judge them...as it is wrong of us to judge anyone.
This past year has been yet another year of celebrities messing up for the public to ridicule and scorn. Chris Brown alledgedly assaulting Rihanna, Kanye West's Teen Choice Award/Taylor Swift debaucle, Tiger Woods affair...the list goes on. While what these people did (or alledgedly did) is wrong, who are we to judge. We get such a high from tearing people down a couple notches, when we deserve to be brought down a few notches too. We all mess up, we all sin, and we all make mistakes. Luckily, most people don't bring all of our flaws out for the world to see. Leave the judging to the one who created us...God. Let him be the one to judge us for our faults, because he's the only one who truly knows our hearts, and who is holy enough to judge. Instead of trashing these celebrities, pray for them. Instead of gossiping about your friend, or enemy, who messed up, forgive them. Encourage them to turn their life around, in a non-judgmental way...because when we judge...we will end up being judged by God as well, perhaps even more harshly.
Oh, and a final note...this past year marked the passing of Michael Jackson. I was not his biggest fan, howver I did enjoy most of his music. Anyway, i just want to say that, even though he lived a life that was bizarre, and was perceived to be a wacko, he was a person just like all of us...and he was also loved by his family and by God. People who make jokes about him, or who say that they are glad he is dead are not showing the love of God. I'm not saying you need to encourage his lifestyle, or condone what he did (if he even did the stuff he was accused of), but think of his family. How would you feel if your son, father, brother, husband was killed and all you heard were people saying that he was a psycho and deserved to die? It would tear you up inside. Please, instead of spreading hateful jokes and saying hurtful comments, at least pray for his family that God would give them peace. Thanks...and that was my turn on the soapbox.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Joshua 1:9, God is with us wherever we go!
So, during my internship, I got the opportunity to preach a sermon at Level Ground Mennonite Church in Abbotsford. This worked out well, because I needed to preach a sermon for a Homiletics course I was taking DS through Bethany college. I thought I would share the sermon with you all via my blog. Just a quick note, this sermon was spoken on Father's Day...I'll attempt to edit out the specific Father's Day references, but if I miss a few, that is why. I hope you enjoy, and please let me know what you think:
I remember the day my parents told me the news. I was 13, in grade 9 and everything was going very well, until they sat me down, and told me something that would change my life forever; we were moving!. To make matters worse, my parents told me that we were moving to Manitoba. Being from Ontario, I didn’t know a lot about Manitoba; in fact, I was certain that Manitoba was nothing but a barren wasteland. I was angry at my parents, and thought they were being selfish; but as angry as I was at them, I was more angry at God. He had the power to stop this, he had the ability to prevent us from moving and he was doing nothing. He was just sitting up there, all high and mighty, watching as my life was about to fall apart. I had never moved before, which made the idea of having to move to a completely new part of the country even more frightening. I didn’t know what to expect. My entire life, up to that point, I lived in the same house, went to the same school, same church and had the same friends, and now everything was changing. Change is hard isn’t it? Starting a new job, moving to a new place, attending a new school. It’s not easy. It can make us really scared about what is to come, and we often end up questioning if God really knows what he is doing.
I wish I could say that, prior to the move, I learned to accept that God would always be in control. I would love to tell you that I trusted God, and had faith that everything would work out. But as the time grew closer, my outrage and frustration grew. Instead of trusting that God was in control, I was convinced that God didn’t know what he was doing. I thought that I would be alone and my life would begin to unravel piece by piece.
It’s not just us modern people that forget that God never leaves us, and is in control. Even the great biblical heroes who saw God do miraculous and incredible things, had to be reminded at times. In the Old Testament, Gideon had to test God’s presence 3 times before he fully accepted it. The Israelites continuously doubted that God would provide for them and protect them. Moses, the great leader who led the Israelites out of slavery, gave God numerous excuses, before he finally accepted the word of the Lord. Even Joshua, the strong leader, was terrified, and needed to be reassured that God would be with him.
This conversation, between God and Joshua, can be found in Joshua Chapter 1. It reads:
“After the death of Moses, the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses aide: ‘Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give them--to the Israelites. I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses. Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates--all the Hittite country--to the Great Sea on the west. No one will be able to stand against you; I WILL NEVER LEAVE YOU NOR FORSAKE YOU.
Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them. Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and Courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go’”
While this passage is meaningful all on it’s own, it’s very important to understand the context. What happened prior to this conversation between Joshua and God.
The Israelites, God’s chosen people, had been freed from slavery, after spending over 400 years in Egypt. Moses was called by God, and led the Israelites out of Egypt, and through the wilderness. While being led through the wilderness, God showed his people his power and protection. He separated the waters of the Red Sea, so that they could cross on dry land. Everyday, He sent manna from heaven for them to eat. So they wouldn’t get lost, he led them by a pillar of smoke by day and a pillar of fire by night. Once, he even gave them water from a rock. God was always present with his people, and provided all they needed. But they still often disobeyed Him and forgot about Him. They even built an idol in Exodus 32, while Moses was receiving the 10 Commandments at Mt. Sinai. It’s easy for us to judge the Israelites for making an idol, but we really aren’t as different as we’d like to believe. When times get difficult, and we can’t feel God’s presence, we turn to other things to sustain us. We trust in the power of money. We turn to Dr. Phil and Oprah for advice on how to live a meaningful life. We focus all of our attention on our jobs so that we will be able to provide for our family. While these things aren’t bad in themselves, they can easily become idols. I can completely relate to what the Israelites did, and I’m sure most of you can too. It’s very easy to trust in God when we can feel him. When he is doing miraculous things all around us, of course we are going to trust that he is there. But it’s those times that he seems to be silent. Those times that he feels distant, those are when it is most important to trust God. He is still there, he does still care for us, we just have to have faith and trust him.
Back to the Israelites now, after wandering through the wilderness for many years, they finally arrived at the land God promised to them. This promise was given to their ancestor Abraham in Genesis 12:7, “The LORD appeared to Abraham and said ‘to your offspring I will give this land”. The promise is again mentioned in Genesis 15:7, “I am the LORD, who brought you out of Ur, to give you this land and take possession of it”. It is for this recurring promise, that the land was called “The Promised Land”. The promise was finally about to be fulfilled, after hundreds of years.
The Israelites were very excited, and they sent in 12 spies to inspect the land, and tell them how great it would be to live in. At least, that was the intent. The reality was, that 10 of the 12 spies gave very bad reviews. Numbers 13 tells the story, and I’ll paraphrase what they reported from verse 27:
“They gave Moses this account: ‘We went into the land in which you sent us, and it does flow with milk and honey! Here is its fruit. But the people who live there are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large. we can’t attack these people; they are stronger than we are, and the land devours those living in it. All the people we saw there are of great size. We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them’”
The spies were terrified. They forgot the promise of God, and instead focused on the danger. Instead of remembering what God had done for them, and thinking of what God was capable of, they thought only of what they could do. Without God, they didn’t stand a chance. Of course, they didn’t have to worry about fighting without God, but the spies failed to remember that. We also easily forget about all that God has done for us. When we are up against the impossible, instead of turning to God and having faith that he will lead us through it, we crumble. We focus on the “cities” and “armies” in our way, and we doubt that we’ll make it through. It’s very easy for us to act like these spies, forgetting the promise that God will be with us always.
The rest of Israel listened to the 10 spies, despite the pleas of the other 2, Caleb and Joshua. Because of this disobedience, and lack of faith, God punished those who listened to the spies by forbidding them to enter the Promised Land. In Numbers 14:22, God vows:
“Not one of the men who saw my glory and the miraculous signs I performed in Egypt and in the desert but who disobeyed me…not one of them will ever see the land I promised on oath to their forefathers. No one who has treated me with contempt will ever see it”
So, the Israelites were forced to spend 40 more years in the wilderness, one year for each of the forty days they spent exploring the land, while the faithless died off.
It is here, after the excruciatingly long 40 extra years in the wilderness, that God spoke to Joshua. Moses has just died, and Joshua had just been commissioned as the new leader.
When we think of Joshua, we often picture him as the strong, courageous leader, which he was. He did great things, and is one of the most courageous, and exciting leaders in the entire Bible. However, we often forget that he was human and he felt afraid just like all of us. Everyone is afraid at times. I was terrified to move to Manitoba. Students are scared of exams, and worry about the future. Adults are afraid of the economic downturn. Simple things like going to the dentist make many people afraid. Thousands of people are terrified of flying, and nearly everyone has some fears related to death. Joshua was no different, he felt afraid like everyone else.
During this conversation with God, you know that Joshua is dealing with a lot of stress. His mentor, leader and friend, Moses, has just died. He is now in charge of the entire nation of Israel. Joshua is also standing in front of the Promised Land. He, unlike the rest of Israel, has actually been in it. He spent forty days, as a spy, scouting out the land. And while he saw the good in the land the last time he was there, you know that he is also remembering how big and strong the cities and armies are. The words of the other 10 spies must have been echoing through his head:
“We can’t attack these people, they are stronger then we are…Their cities are fortified and very large…The land devours those living in it”.
While on the outside he has to look strong, and courageous, inside, he was probably terrified. And that is why God is speaking to him. God encourages him, reminds him that this land is promised to him. And more importantly, God tells Joshua, “I will never leave you nor forsake you; I will be with you wherever you go”.
No matter what would happen, God would be there.
Do you know what happens next? The Israelites enter the Promised Land, and they take it over. They conquer the cities and defeat the armies. They didn’t win every battle. There were a few times that they disobeyed God were defeated. But God kept his promise and was always there. He never left them, they were never forsaken
Now, I have to ask the question. Is this promise consistent throughout Scripture. Are there other places in the Bible where God makes a similar promise, or is this the only one? In other words, can we take this promise as our own. Does it apply to us today, struggling with broken relationships, financial issues and everyday stresses? or was it intended strictly for Joshua and the Israelites entering the Promised Land.
Well, this promise, given by God to Joshua, is very consistent throughout Scripture. Deuteronomy 31:6, is a striking similarity to Joshua 1:9. In this passage, Moses has just been told that he will not enter the Promised Land, and is naming Joshua as his successor. Moses is encouraging the Israelites as they prepare to enter the Promised Land, saying “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you or forsake you”.
God promises to be with his people, and encourages them in Isaiah, chapter 41 verses 10 and 13, saying “Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand”, “For I am the Lord your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not Fear; I will help you”. This passage is written to the nation of Israel, while they are in exile in Babylon. The land that was promised to them, has been taken away. They are discouraged, scared, and feel very much alone. But God promises them, reminds them, that he is there. Times are tough, everything they had worked for is now gone, but God remains. Just as he was with them as they were entering the Promised Land, he is with them still as they are forced out of it.
The Psalms are also filled with promises of the Lord’s protection and guidance. Verse 4 of Psalm 23 reads, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff they comfort me.” David, the writer of this Psalm, is confident that whatever comes his way, God would be there.
This promise to never leave us isn’t limited to the Old Testament either.
The New Testament mentions it as well, including this verse in Hebrews 13, “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you’”.
These four passages are only a handful of times God promises to be with us always. All through Scripture, God promises to never leave us, and never forsake us.
I wish I remembered this promise while I was preparing to move. Had I of remembered that God would always be with me, I know that my attitude and my perspective would have been much different. Instead of fear and anger, I would have been filled with excitement and curiosity of what great things God would do.
Now it is important to remember, that just because God is always there does not mean that everything will be easy. Life will throw curveballs that you don’t see coming. Relationships fall apart. Jobs are lost. Disasters ruin homes. And people you love die. We don’t understand it. If God is always there, why do these things happen? We begin to question, we doubt that God could truly care about us. When we think of suffering and hardships in the Bible, most of us would immediately think of Job. The story of Job is a hard one for us to hear. It’s a story of suffering, and pain. In a very short amount of time, Job loses his home, his livelihood and his family. Despite all of the loss, he never doubts God. He always remembers that God is with him, right by his side. He doesn’t understand it, but he doesn’t have to. He just trusts God. Such a powerful example for us to follow.
If you read the rest of the story of Joshua, you’d discover that there are many instances where the Israelites lose battles. Taking over the Promised Land wasn’t all smooth sailing. People turned from God, and got discouraged. But God never broke his promise, he was always with them.
God never promises that everything will be easy. On the contrary. Jesus tells his disciples to expect persecution, and during the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5, Jesus blesses the poor in spirit, those who mourn, and those who are persecuted. But through all of the struggle. Through the pain, through the heartbreak, disaster, hurt, and frustration, God is there. He will never forsake you. He will never leave you on your own. He will allow us, on our free will, to disobey him, and push him away. He will let us try to live life without him, relying on our own strength. But when our strength runs out, and we can no longer sustain ourselves, he is there, waiting for us to return to him.
Your probably wondering what happened to me after the move. Well, as I look back on it, I know that God truly did care. In fact, the move to Manitoba actually was the best thing that could have ever happened to me. I found solid Christian friends, attended an amazing youth group, went to Bible College and met my wife, all because of the move. I can honestly say that God knows what he is doing. If you look back on your life, I can guarantee you will be amazed at the amount of times you see God’s hand directing you. Often, the times that were the most difficult, and we felt more alone than ever before, those are the times that God was the most present. I encourage you to think back on your life. Think through all that has happened, good and bad, and see how many times God shows up. There may be things going on now, that we don’t understand. We may not see God working right away, and often it takes a long time before we realize that God truly was there, walking us through a certain experience. We hear the promise all the time, “God is always with you, and he cares about you”, and often because we hear it so much, we don’t think about it. It becomes just another Christian cliché, that we say to others, but don’t truly believe ourselves. But the truth is, God is always there, and he will always be there.
The promise to Joshua and the Israelites is alive, and applies to us as well. God will never leave us, nor will he forsake us.
So whatver you plan to do with your life, wherever you plan to go, know that God is always with you.
If the financial crisis is hitting you hard, and you can’t see a way out; or if you are financially stable, remember that God will never leave or forsake you.
If your life is easy, and without pain, or if everyday you struggle to get out of bed because the pain and hurt is so much to bear, Be Strong and have Courage.
As a husband, there are days that you don’t see eye to eye with your wife. Arguments about finances and other important issues can take a difficult toll on a person. While there are a lot of great things about marriage, it’s not always easy. But through the tough times, and the great times, God is always there.
For whatever you are going through, whether difficult or easy, the promise given to Joshua is the same promise God is giving to you. Be Strong, Have courage, and know that God will never leave you, and never forsake you. He is with you always.
Thanks for reading my sermon, hope you enjoyed it and got something from it. God Bless
I remember the day my parents told me the news. I was 13, in grade 9 and everything was going very well, until they sat me down, and told me something that would change my life forever; we were moving!. To make matters worse, my parents told me that we were moving to Manitoba. Being from Ontario, I didn’t know a lot about Manitoba; in fact, I was certain that Manitoba was nothing but a barren wasteland. I was angry at my parents, and thought they were being selfish; but as angry as I was at them, I was more angry at God. He had the power to stop this, he had the ability to prevent us from moving and he was doing nothing. He was just sitting up there, all high and mighty, watching as my life was about to fall apart. I had never moved before, which made the idea of having to move to a completely new part of the country even more frightening. I didn’t know what to expect. My entire life, up to that point, I lived in the same house, went to the same school, same church and had the same friends, and now everything was changing. Change is hard isn’t it? Starting a new job, moving to a new place, attending a new school. It’s not easy. It can make us really scared about what is to come, and we often end up questioning if God really knows what he is doing.
I wish I could say that, prior to the move, I learned to accept that God would always be in control. I would love to tell you that I trusted God, and had faith that everything would work out. But as the time grew closer, my outrage and frustration grew. Instead of trusting that God was in control, I was convinced that God didn’t know what he was doing. I thought that I would be alone and my life would begin to unravel piece by piece.
It’s not just us modern people that forget that God never leaves us, and is in control. Even the great biblical heroes who saw God do miraculous and incredible things, had to be reminded at times. In the Old Testament, Gideon had to test God’s presence 3 times before he fully accepted it. The Israelites continuously doubted that God would provide for them and protect them. Moses, the great leader who led the Israelites out of slavery, gave God numerous excuses, before he finally accepted the word of the Lord. Even Joshua, the strong leader, was terrified, and needed to be reassured that God would be with him.
This conversation, between God and Joshua, can be found in Joshua Chapter 1. It reads:
“After the death of Moses, the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses aide: ‘Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give them--to the Israelites. I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses. Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates--all the Hittite country--to the Great Sea on the west. No one will be able to stand against you; I WILL NEVER LEAVE YOU NOR FORSAKE YOU.
Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them. Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and Courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go’”
While this passage is meaningful all on it’s own, it’s very important to understand the context. What happened prior to this conversation between Joshua and God.
The Israelites, God’s chosen people, had been freed from slavery, after spending over 400 years in Egypt. Moses was called by God, and led the Israelites out of Egypt, and through the wilderness. While being led through the wilderness, God showed his people his power and protection. He separated the waters of the Red Sea, so that they could cross on dry land. Everyday, He sent manna from heaven for them to eat. So they wouldn’t get lost, he led them by a pillar of smoke by day and a pillar of fire by night. Once, he even gave them water from a rock. God was always present with his people, and provided all they needed. But they still often disobeyed Him and forgot about Him. They even built an idol in Exodus 32, while Moses was receiving the 10 Commandments at Mt. Sinai. It’s easy for us to judge the Israelites for making an idol, but we really aren’t as different as we’d like to believe. When times get difficult, and we can’t feel God’s presence, we turn to other things to sustain us. We trust in the power of money. We turn to Dr. Phil and Oprah for advice on how to live a meaningful life. We focus all of our attention on our jobs so that we will be able to provide for our family. While these things aren’t bad in themselves, they can easily become idols. I can completely relate to what the Israelites did, and I’m sure most of you can too. It’s very easy to trust in God when we can feel him. When he is doing miraculous things all around us, of course we are going to trust that he is there. But it’s those times that he seems to be silent. Those times that he feels distant, those are when it is most important to trust God. He is still there, he does still care for us, we just have to have faith and trust him.
Back to the Israelites now, after wandering through the wilderness for many years, they finally arrived at the land God promised to them. This promise was given to their ancestor Abraham in Genesis 12:7, “The LORD appeared to Abraham and said ‘to your offspring I will give this land”. The promise is again mentioned in Genesis 15:7, “I am the LORD, who brought you out of Ur, to give you this land and take possession of it”. It is for this recurring promise, that the land was called “The Promised Land”. The promise was finally about to be fulfilled, after hundreds of years.
The Israelites were very excited, and they sent in 12 spies to inspect the land, and tell them how great it would be to live in. At least, that was the intent. The reality was, that 10 of the 12 spies gave very bad reviews. Numbers 13 tells the story, and I’ll paraphrase what they reported from verse 27:
“They gave Moses this account: ‘We went into the land in which you sent us, and it does flow with milk and honey! Here is its fruit. But the people who live there are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large. we can’t attack these people; they are stronger than we are, and the land devours those living in it. All the people we saw there are of great size. We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them’”
The spies were terrified. They forgot the promise of God, and instead focused on the danger. Instead of remembering what God had done for them, and thinking of what God was capable of, they thought only of what they could do. Without God, they didn’t stand a chance. Of course, they didn’t have to worry about fighting without God, but the spies failed to remember that. We also easily forget about all that God has done for us. When we are up against the impossible, instead of turning to God and having faith that he will lead us through it, we crumble. We focus on the “cities” and “armies” in our way, and we doubt that we’ll make it through. It’s very easy for us to act like these spies, forgetting the promise that God will be with us always.
The rest of Israel listened to the 10 spies, despite the pleas of the other 2, Caleb and Joshua. Because of this disobedience, and lack of faith, God punished those who listened to the spies by forbidding them to enter the Promised Land. In Numbers 14:22, God vows:
“Not one of the men who saw my glory and the miraculous signs I performed in Egypt and in the desert but who disobeyed me…not one of them will ever see the land I promised on oath to their forefathers. No one who has treated me with contempt will ever see it”
So, the Israelites were forced to spend 40 more years in the wilderness, one year for each of the forty days they spent exploring the land, while the faithless died off.
It is here, after the excruciatingly long 40 extra years in the wilderness, that God spoke to Joshua. Moses has just died, and Joshua had just been commissioned as the new leader.
When we think of Joshua, we often picture him as the strong, courageous leader, which he was. He did great things, and is one of the most courageous, and exciting leaders in the entire Bible. However, we often forget that he was human and he felt afraid just like all of us. Everyone is afraid at times. I was terrified to move to Manitoba. Students are scared of exams, and worry about the future. Adults are afraid of the economic downturn. Simple things like going to the dentist make many people afraid. Thousands of people are terrified of flying, and nearly everyone has some fears related to death. Joshua was no different, he felt afraid like everyone else.
During this conversation with God, you know that Joshua is dealing with a lot of stress. His mentor, leader and friend, Moses, has just died. He is now in charge of the entire nation of Israel. Joshua is also standing in front of the Promised Land. He, unlike the rest of Israel, has actually been in it. He spent forty days, as a spy, scouting out the land. And while he saw the good in the land the last time he was there, you know that he is also remembering how big and strong the cities and armies are. The words of the other 10 spies must have been echoing through his head:
“We can’t attack these people, they are stronger then we are…Their cities are fortified and very large…The land devours those living in it”.
While on the outside he has to look strong, and courageous, inside, he was probably terrified. And that is why God is speaking to him. God encourages him, reminds him that this land is promised to him. And more importantly, God tells Joshua, “I will never leave you nor forsake you; I will be with you wherever you go”.
No matter what would happen, God would be there.
Do you know what happens next? The Israelites enter the Promised Land, and they take it over. They conquer the cities and defeat the armies. They didn’t win every battle. There were a few times that they disobeyed God were defeated. But God kept his promise and was always there. He never left them, they were never forsaken
Now, I have to ask the question. Is this promise consistent throughout Scripture. Are there other places in the Bible where God makes a similar promise, or is this the only one? In other words, can we take this promise as our own. Does it apply to us today, struggling with broken relationships, financial issues and everyday stresses? or was it intended strictly for Joshua and the Israelites entering the Promised Land.
Well, this promise, given by God to Joshua, is very consistent throughout Scripture. Deuteronomy 31:6, is a striking similarity to Joshua 1:9. In this passage, Moses has just been told that he will not enter the Promised Land, and is naming Joshua as his successor. Moses is encouraging the Israelites as they prepare to enter the Promised Land, saying “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you or forsake you”.
God promises to be with his people, and encourages them in Isaiah, chapter 41 verses 10 and 13, saying “Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand”, “For I am the Lord your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not Fear; I will help you”. This passage is written to the nation of Israel, while they are in exile in Babylon. The land that was promised to them, has been taken away. They are discouraged, scared, and feel very much alone. But God promises them, reminds them, that he is there. Times are tough, everything they had worked for is now gone, but God remains. Just as he was with them as they were entering the Promised Land, he is with them still as they are forced out of it.
The Psalms are also filled with promises of the Lord’s protection and guidance. Verse 4 of Psalm 23 reads, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff they comfort me.” David, the writer of this Psalm, is confident that whatever comes his way, God would be there.
This promise to never leave us isn’t limited to the Old Testament either.
The New Testament mentions it as well, including this verse in Hebrews 13, “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you’”.
These four passages are only a handful of times God promises to be with us always. All through Scripture, God promises to never leave us, and never forsake us.
I wish I remembered this promise while I was preparing to move. Had I of remembered that God would always be with me, I know that my attitude and my perspective would have been much different. Instead of fear and anger, I would have been filled with excitement and curiosity of what great things God would do.
Now it is important to remember, that just because God is always there does not mean that everything will be easy. Life will throw curveballs that you don’t see coming. Relationships fall apart. Jobs are lost. Disasters ruin homes. And people you love die. We don’t understand it. If God is always there, why do these things happen? We begin to question, we doubt that God could truly care about us. When we think of suffering and hardships in the Bible, most of us would immediately think of Job. The story of Job is a hard one for us to hear. It’s a story of suffering, and pain. In a very short amount of time, Job loses his home, his livelihood and his family. Despite all of the loss, he never doubts God. He always remembers that God is with him, right by his side. He doesn’t understand it, but he doesn’t have to. He just trusts God. Such a powerful example for us to follow.
If you read the rest of the story of Joshua, you’d discover that there are many instances where the Israelites lose battles. Taking over the Promised Land wasn’t all smooth sailing. People turned from God, and got discouraged. But God never broke his promise, he was always with them.
God never promises that everything will be easy. On the contrary. Jesus tells his disciples to expect persecution, and during the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5, Jesus blesses the poor in spirit, those who mourn, and those who are persecuted. But through all of the struggle. Through the pain, through the heartbreak, disaster, hurt, and frustration, God is there. He will never forsake you. He will never leave you on your own. He will allow us, on our free will, to disobey him, and push him away. He will let us try to live life without him, relying on our own strength. But when our strength runs out, and we can no longer sustain ourselves, he is there, waiting for us to return to him.
Your probably wondering what happened to me after the move. Well, as I look back on it, I know that God truly did care. In fact, the move to Manitoba actually was the best thing that could have ever happened to me. I found solid Christian friends, attended an amazing youth group, went to Bible College and met my wife, all because of the move. I can honestly say that God knows what he is doing. If you look back on your life, I can guarantee you will be amazed at the amount of times you see God’s hand directing you. Often, the times that were the most difficult, and we felt more alone than ever before, those are the times that God was the most present. I encourage you to think back on your life. Think through all that has happened, good and bad, and see how many times God shows up. There may be things going on now, that we don’t understand. We may not see God working right away, and often it takes a long time before we realize that God truly was there, walking us through a certain experience. We hear the promise all the time, “God is always with you, and he cares about you”, and often because we hear it so much, we don’t think about it. It becomes just another Christian cliché, that we say to others, but don’t truly believe ourselves. But the truth is, God is always there, and he will always be there.
The promise to Joshua and the Israelites is alive, and applies to us as well. God will never leave us, nor will he forsake us.
So whatver you plan to do with your life, wherever you plan to go, know that God is always with you.
If the financial crisis is hitting you hard, and you can’t see a way out; or if you are financially stable, remember that God will never leave or forsake you.
If your life is easy, and without pain, or if everyday you struggle to get out of bed because the pain and hurt is so much to bear, Be Strong and have Courage.
As a husband, there are days that you don’t see eye to eye with your wife. Arguments about finances and other important issues can take a difficult toll on a person. While there are a lot of great things about marriage, it’s not always easy. But through the tough times, and the great times, God is always there.
For whatever you are going through, whether difficult or easy, the promise given to Joshua is the same promise God is giving to you. Be Strong, Have courage, and know that God will never leave you, and never forsake you. He is with you always.
Thanks for reading my sermon, hope you enjoyed it and got something from it. God Bless
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Prioritize This!
Wow, so I recently remembered that I haven't blogged in a while. Correction, I recently remembered that I have a blog, which means that it has been a long time since my last post. Not blogging since March is completely unacceptable, and I will do my best to do much better than that now. Life has been great, I'm currently working with Kristi's brother Erik doing construction and stuff, and I have applied to work at Best Buy, which is opening up in Abbotsford very shortly, so we'll see what happens with that. Anyway, that brief update stuff isn't what I wanted to blog about. I want to blog about priorities.
I've been thinking a lot about priorities lately, and what my priorities are. Of course, I can't take all of the credit about thinking about this...in fact I don't think I can take any of the credit. Kristi has been telling me that I spend WAY to much time on the computer, and watching tv (which is definately true). Also, our television has broken, which has helped me to realize how much I used to depend on it (and I'm also getting concerned about the lack of the tv for The Office premier on Thursday). Finally, in church on Sunday, the pastor talked about having a pure heart and prioritizing our lives.
My priorities are definately not the best. I focus so much on email, facebook, television, downloading music, buying movies, following my sports team (which, being a Leafs fan means watching them lose...yes, I did just admit that), and going to work. My bible reading is very minor, and my prayer life is suffering. I spend time with Kristi, but I know I definately need to dedicate time for her. Because my priorities are out of whack, the things that should be first in my life (God and Kristi, in that order), are suffering. I need to give up everything for God. I'm not talking about living in poverty, or never having fun or anything, but I need to prioritize my life so that God is number 1, and is involved in everything that I do. O-Town (yes, the band) has a song called "All or Nothing". While the rest of the song really doesn't apply, the chorus starts with the line "Because I want it all, or nothing at all". That is so true with God. He wants us to give everything to him, and if we aren't willing to give it all, then we may as well give him nothing. What are your priorities in life? Finding an amazing job? Getting married? Playing sports? Watching television? Give it up to God. Dedicate your life to serving and honoring him. You will still be able to do the things you love (unless those things involve sinful activity...then you probably shouldn't do them), but your priority will be honoring and serving God. Your life will be fuller, and your purpose will be clear. This is something I really need to do. It won't be easy, it's far to easy to live for our own selfish gain, but it's important. That's my challenge for you, and for myself.
I've been thinking a lot about priorities lately, and what my priorities are. Of course, I can't take all of the credit about thinking about this...in fact I don't think I can take any of the credit. Kristi has been telling me that I spend WAY to much time on the computer, and watching tv (which is definately true). Also, our television has broken, which has helped me to realize how much I used to depend on it (and I'm also getting concerned about the lack of the tv for The Office premier on Thursday). Finally, in church on Sunday, the pastor talked about having a pure heart and prioritizing our lives.
My priorities are definately not the best. I focus so much on email, facebook, television, downloading music, buying movies, following my sports team (which, being a Leafs fan means watching them lose...yes, I did just admit that), and going to work. My bible reading is very minor, and my prayer life is suffering. I spend time with Kristi, but I know I definately need to dedicate time for her. Because my priorities are out of whack, the things that should be first in my life (God and Kristi, in that order), are suffering. I need to give up everything for God. I'm not talking about living in poverty, or never having fun or anything, but I need to prioritize my life so that God is number 1, and is involved in everything that I do. O-Town (yes, the band) has a song called "All or Nothing". While the rest of the song really doesn't apply, the chorus starts with the line "Because I want it all, or nothing at all". That is so true with God. He wants us to give everything to him, and if we aren't willing to give it all, then we may as well give him nothing. What are your priorities in life? Finding an amazing job? Getting married? Playing sports? Watching television? Give it up to God. Dedicate your life to serving and honoring him. You will still be able to do the things you love (unless those things involve sinful activity...then you probably shouldn't do them), but your priority will be honoring and serving God. Your life will be fuller, and your purpose will be clear. This is something I really need to do. It won't be easy, it's far to easy to live for our own selfish gain, but it's important. That's my challenge for you, and for myself.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
"B" Atitudes and the Mountain Sermon
Hey All,
That is, if there is still anyone out there reading this. I have to admit, I have been really poor at keeping this up lately. For some reason I haven't had a lot of motivation to do this. Anyway, after a long wait, I am back and writing a new post.
So, as you all should know, I am in Abbotsford BC, working as an intern Youth Pastor at Level Ground Mennonite Church. That's an interesting name for a church eh? I have to admit, at first I found it kind of cheesy, but the more I think about it, and talk about it, it is exactly what a church should be. A place where people can come and feel on the same playing field as anyone else. The church has a huge impact on the Rehab community, which is awesome, and it is super great that those recovering from addictions can come to church, and instead of feeling like sinners and "less than holy", they can feel accepted and forgiven. I have loved attending this church, and hopefully can live out this thought of, "The ground is level at the foot of the cross". I need to be an accepting person, and treat everyone with love, whether they are friends, enemies, easy to get along with, obnoxious, perfect Christians or struggling sinners.
With that in mind, part of my work as intern is to lead Senior Youth Cell nights every second week or so. This week, as in Wednesday March 4, I will be talking about the Beatitudes. Looking over them countless times, it is really crazy what is all in there. As Christians, we are called to live a life that is much tougher and bigger than we could possibly imagine. It would be impossible to live the life we are called to on our own. The Sermon on the Mount is impossible. No one can live that out. And the truth is, I don't think God expects us to. Now, don't get me wrong, we expects us to try, and do our best to live as Christ would live, but he understands that we are human, and he knows that we will make mistakes. The Sermon on the mount is a Sermon about the ideal. "If you were perfect, this is what you would do, but your not perfect, and I understand that, so do your best, but when you fail I will be there to accept, forgive and life you up". What a beautiful thought. When you read the Sermon on the Mount, and the Beatitudes from a persepective of "This is what you must do", it is really daunting and discouraging, but when it is read from an ideal perspective, and from a perspective of "one day, when you reach the Kingdom of God, this is what life will be like" it takes on a completely different feel. Now, I know this may be a stretch for some of you, and I accept challenges and arguments for why the Sermon on the Mount is not an ideal, and I have to admit, I haven't compeltely grasped it myself, so please, comment and tell me what you think, whether you agree, disagree, or aren't sure either.
So, with that out of the way, I guess I just want to say sorry for not updating more often, and I hope I will be able to keep this up. I promise, I will start to add movies and pictures soon. Abbotsford is treating me well, and the church is phenomenal. Kristi and I are doing great, and everything is going well. God Bless you all, whoever is out there.
That is, if there is still anyone out there reading this. I have to admit, I have been really poor at keeping this up lately. For some reason I haven't had a lot of motivation to do this. Anyway, after a long wait, I am back and writing a new post.
So, as you all should know, I am in Abbotsford BC, working as an intern Youth Pastor at Level Ground Mennonite Church. That's an interesting name for a church eh? I have to admit, at first I found it kind of cheesy, but the more I think about it, and talk about it, it is exactly what a church should be. A place where people can come and feel on the same playing field as anyone else. The church has a huge impact on the Rehab community, which is awesome, and it is super great that those recovering from addictions can come to church, and instead of feeling like sinners and "less than holy", they can feel accepted and forgiven. I have loved attending this church, and hopefully can live out this thought of, "The ground is level at the foot of the cross". I need to be an accepting person, and treat everyone with love, whether they are friends, enemies, easy to get along with, obnoxious, perfect Christians or struggling sinners.
With that in mind, part of my work as intern is to lead Senior Youth Cell nights every second week or so. This week, as in Wednesday March 4, I will be talking about the Beatitudes. Looking over them countless times, it is really crazy what is all in there. As Christians, we are called to live a life that is much tougher and bigger than we could possibly imagine. It would be impossible to live the life we are called to on our own. The Sermon on the Mount is impossible. No one can live that out. And the truth is, I don't think God expects us to. Now, don't get me wrong, we expects us to try, and do our best to live as Christ would live, but he understands that we are human, and he knows that we will make mistakes. The Sermon on the mount is a Sermon about the ideal. "If you were perfect, this is what you would do, but your not perfect, and I understand that, so do your best, but when you fail I will be there to accept, forgive and life you up". What a beautiful thought. When you read the Sermon on the Mount, and the Beatitudes from a persepective of "This is what you must do", it is really daunting and discouraging, but when it is read from an ideal perspective, and from a perspective of "one day, when you reach the Kingdom of God, this is what life will be like" it takes on a completely different feel. Now, I know this may be a stretch for some of you, and I accept challenges and arguments for why the Sermon on the Mount is not an ideal, and I have to admit, I haven't compeltely grasped it myself, so please, comment and tell me what you think, whether you agree, disagree, or aren't sure either.
So, with that out of the way, I guess I just want to say sorry for not updating more often, and I hope I will be able to keep this up. I promise, I will start to add movies and pictures soon. Abbotsford is treating me well, and the church is phenomenal. Kristi and I are doing great, and everything is going well. God Bless you all, whoever is out there.
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