Reflections from this Morning

Who knew talking about money could be so fun!  I'm still smiling from this morning thinking of the "Tithe Rap".  You can see some video clips from the West and Connections Campus floating around on YouTube and Facebook. How fun to watch God at work at all our campuses together.  And just in case you think the Creative Team has reached their peak, there is an amazing surprise element already in the works for next week.  You won't want to miss it.

I was reminded again this morning, that the issue of money and tithing is really not as much a financial issue as it is a faith issue.  How odd that we can trust God with so many other things in our lives, but not our finances. We want God to invade every area of our life, but finances. We give God our eternal destiny and then offer Him only a tip.  This is such an area of faith for many of us.

A few years ago, Chantelle and I went from two incomes down to one income. We added not only a child, but a special needs child. The costs for equipment were exorbitant. The choices for a variety of therapies were costly. And our income was reduced. We realized you cannot outgive God.  All our financial needs were met. God was very faithful.

What I didn't have much time to speak about this morning is what Paul writes about the decision of giving.  He writes in II Corinthians 9 that each person should give as they have decided in their heart to do. Paul reminds us of the importance of developing a financial plan and of developing a plan for giving. Giving, like faith, comes with decisions. It is a decision that doesn't come with reluctance, but with joy.  So I would encourage you to develop a plan and make a decision about your finances. What are you going to trust God with? How are you going to respond to His word?

I particularly want to speak to young people, who often don't think they have much to really give, but that they would start this practice of bringing the first (of their allowance, paycheck, etc) to the Lord.  There is no better time to learn the joys of giving than now. The younger the better. And because it is an act of faith, every time we give, it will enlarge our faith and deepen our trust.

Already today, you have decided something. What have you decided in your heart? I pray it will make you an hilarious giver.

Terry

Stories From This Week

A Quick Message

Seeking Guidance

Last weekend we talked about this baby, born in Bethlehem as the Wonderful Counsellor.  He came to give direction.

We looked briefly at a few questions to ask yourself when you are making a decision and trying to listen to the guidance of the Wonderful Counsellor. Some people have asked for them again. People sometimes want  formula for making decisions. Sometimes it is less a formula and more decisions based upon principles.

When making a significant decision, here are some questions to ask:

1.  Do I want God’s guidance?  Do I want to follow God’s plan or do I simply want God to bless my plans?

2.  Am I in fellowship with God? Am I in a good spiritual condition to make certain decisions? Sin, relationships, attitudes and deeds in my life can cloud our moral judgment.

3. Have I asked God for wisdom? James writes: If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God who gives generously to all without finding fault and it will be given to you. (James 1:5) Praying and searching the Bible should go hand in hand.

 

4.  Do I have all the facts? Solomon writes: Every prudent person acts out of knowledge, but a fool exposes his folly. (Pr 13:16

5.  A fifth question to ask is: would I want everyone to know about it? If you are making a decision and you would be embarrassed if other people found out about it that means it is probably not a good decision. Proverbs 10:9 says: The person of integrity walks securely but the one who takes crooked paths will be found out.

6.  Is this going to make me a better person? Everything is permissible, but not everything is beneficial, and not everything is constructive. (I Cor 10:23)

7.  Will this choice control me, or will God still be in control of my life? Could this be something that is addictive to me? No matter how enjoyable it is, or how simple it may be, will it dominate my life? Paul writes: All things are lawful for me but I will not be dominated by anything. (I Cor 6:12) I won’t let anything master me, consume or control my life.

The Good bye's have started

Chantelle, the girls and I had dinner at the Goetzes on Friday night.  It brought back a lot of memories. When I was a young (as opposed to now middle aged) pastor at North Park, I would have dinner at Richard and Peggy's house once a week. Somehow I had managed in those years to have a standing dinner invitation at a different family's home on a different night of the week. Yes it meant I didn't have to cook much and yes I only had condiments in my refrigerator!

Twenty years ago Richard and Peggy's daughters were adolescents.  We would sit around the table and laugh, talk about life and ministry at the church.  At the time, Richard was the senior pastor until he retired and I grew into that role. During Friday night's dinner 2 decades of memories came sweeping past.  Most importantly, I got to share with him just how meaningful his ministry to me in those early years were.  I started ministry at North Park not the most confident and greatly unsure of myself. Richard was a quiet encourager. He saw things in me that I never saw and consistently and gently encouraged me to walk outside my comfort zone. I'm forever grateful.  I owe more to him than he or anyone will ever know.

While I am sure I will see him over the next few weeks, I won't have time for that same intimate conversation. And so it begins....the many opportunities not to say goodbye...but to say thank you. It makes me long for a new word to describe one's gratitude for people during a time when they are transitioning away. It is more than thank you. It is greater than goodbye. It is well of deep gratitude.  I see Paul the Apostle struggling with that in scripture as he made his many transitions. How do you say what people mean to you and how do you possible express that gratitude.  

There are many more of those conversations to come. I'm blessed beyond measure to have so many great people in my life.

Doing a great work and can't come down!

I experienced a rare privilege today as the speaker at London's Christian Prayer breakfast. About 500 people from various walks of life (political, business, church) gathered for inspiration and prayer. What made this somewhat intimidating for me is that I am the first "local" speaker  the city has had for this breakfast. Usually we bring in someone to speak to the city. It was a rare honor to share with my "peers". I suppose currently I am local, in a short while I won't be so local!!!

I felt prompted to share on two themes. The first is that God is a God of cities. So often when we think of spiritual things we think of rural images. We don't put Bible verses on posters with big cities, we use rivers, waterfalls and flowers. We leave the city for a spiritual retreat. People don't usually come to a city for a retreat. When we think of scripture, it starts in a garden. But then we see it ends in a city. It ends with the new Jerusalem. Between the garden and new Jerusalem, we read how when the people of God become gripped with God, they also become gripped with impacting their city.  Through Jesus we see impacted lives. God used Joseph in the midst of a city. David built a city. Solomon grew a city. Esther spared the people of her city. Rahab met the Israelites in a city. Jesus wept over the city of Jerusalem. And it is in the city, as well as the country, only Jesus can give hope and change lives.

I love this quote from Spurgeon, the great 19th preacher about the church capturing God's heart for the city.

A church …which does not exist to do good in the slums, and dens, and kennels of the city, is a church that has no reason to justify its longer existing. A church that does not exist to reclaim heathenism, to fight with evil, to destroy error, to put down falsehood, a church that does not exist to take the side of the poor, to denounce injustice and to hold up righteousness, is a church that has no right to be.

As we had gathered to pray for the city, it made to sense to talk about the power of prayer for a city. Jeremiah is a classic biblical example of how one person can make a difference praying for the city.  Nehemiah is as much a prayer journal of a leader as anything.  He is burdened with helping the city and as he prays, God opens up many opportunities.  In 55 short days, the city is completely rebuilt. One of my favorite verses in Nehemiah is when he is building the wall, and Sanballat (his enemy) wants to have a meeting with him, largely to distract him from what he is doing. And Nehemiah says...I am carrying on a great work and cannot come down.  (Nehemiah 6:3)  Jesus did a great work on the cross and even though people urged him to call the angels and come down...he wouldn't. He was doing an important work. He didn't come down, but stayed there for you and I.

God calls you and I to a great work of sharing Jesus with people whose lives are broken, battered, bruised and hurting. It's a great work, so great, we can't come down. May God give us perseverance, determination and strength. Bold prayers, for bold determination.

Ta Da! or Ta God!

I took Jovanna to a parent and tot gym class on Monday.  You've pictured it right!  I was doing the gymnastics moves right along with her. There were 2 other dads and 3 moms and the six toddlers all struggling together to get their children to listen. And no, I will not attach pictures!  As you can picture, Jovanna is just 18 months old and still not used to following instructions and certainly not accustomed to listening to a teacher.  To say it was was a mix of fun and frustration would be an understatement at best!!!

At the end of each of the different moves, the instructor was trying to teach these youngsters to say, "Ta Da!"  They were to jump up, put their legs together, raise their arms and shout, "Ta Da!" I can only assume that "ta da" really means to look at me. Aren't I talented! I'm the centre of the world.  While Jovanna has mastered getting a doggy stamp on her hand, she hasn't quite mastered the "ta da" yet.  And to be honest, I'm not sure that is something I want her to master.

We live in this "ta da" generation where the attention is on us. It is all about us and what we can do and accomplish and achieve. We live in a look at me world and people do crazier and crazier things to garner the attention of the public. I can't help but wonder if this starts with the innocent "ta da's" of a gym class.  Look at my somersault. Look at my piano playing. Look at my outfit. Look at my grades. Look at my talents. Look at me. Look at what I can accomplish. Look at my needs. Look at my hurt. Look at my excuses! Look at my woundedness. Look at what I can do without any help and with out God. And the list goes on.

Now its not that I'm against having a healthy self esteem at all, but what about teaching our children to be excited about what the Spirit of God is doing in them. Instead of the "ta da" generation, what if we raised a generation who were truly aware of the ways God was at work in their lives, that they were accomplishing the things that only God could do through them and that they were bringing glory to God at a young age.

I want my children to have a healthy self esteem, but I also want them to be very aware that it is through Christ, that they can accomplish all things.  I want them to do so much more because they have been crowned with the glory of God and have not exchanged that glory for a few "ta da's", but are bringing glory to God.

The people who know their God...

I'm sure this is no surprise, but some verses of scripture are etched in my mind more than others. Sometimes I can remember where I was when I read that verse for the first time. (Well maybe it really wasn't the first time, but it was the first time it felt like I had seen it.) Other times I can't quite remember.

One of those verses is that one from Daniel 11 I touched on so briefly this morning. I don't quite remember when I first heard it or saw it, but it is etched there. It comes back to my mind again and again.

Looking towards a future for Israel that will be full of challenges, Daniel offers hope. He writes: but the people who know their God will be strong and take action.  (Daniel 11:32)  There is something about a deepening knowledge of God that invigorates the soul, strengthens the spirit, puts life giving words in our mouth and fits our steps to move forward.  He doesn't say that the people who know their God will pass the test, or impress others or get good grades from God. They will be moved to action. The end result of the pursuit of knowing God is that people find a new inner strength and a resolve to stand up,take action and move forward the Kingdom of Christ.  You get the sense that a lack of knowledge leads to paralysis and impotence.

I think about this verse for two "peoples of God" who belong to the people of God. As I teach these last few months at North Park, I want to leave with a sense that I have helped people know our God more. What a legacy to leave knowing that in the last 20 years, people have grown in their understanding of the power, strength, mercy, greatness, glory, goodness, holiness, omniscience of God.  And that knowing those truths gives people strength and action for the future.  The people of North Park who know their God will be strong and will take action.

The same is true as I think about starting to teach at Calvary in the next while.  Would it be true that I would assist the people of Calvary in knowing more about the nature, character, fullness, love, justice, truth and righteousness of God.  Would it also be said that the people of Calvary who know their God and will rise up, be strong and take action!!  What Calvary accomplishes for the kingdom will be a direct result of the confidence and faith we have in God.  We won't move beyond who we know.

Hang on church! We are in for a great ride towards a deeper understanding of this God, who while at times seems hidden, is never absent. We do this to be a people who rise up!

I have been studying the glory of God tonight, looking at scriptures that speak about God's glory.  You ever tried to define glory. Glory to God in the highest. His glory. Try to explain it. Talk about it to someone who doesn't know God. Stay tuned. Its leading to a wonderful weekend!

What an Easter it will Be!

I'm sitting here in the sanctuary listening to the final rehearsal for this weekend's Easter Celebration. What a service it will be. The music is awesome. It has such great energy and integrity in its words.  Brett, Brenda and Mark have amazing solos.  I've always been impressed by our musicians, but this one is really tops. Although you should see Pastor Bob tgrying to get the choir to sway to the musci at just the right way!  Some swaying cooperation is needed.

This years service speaks of the simple fact that our sin, guilt and shame separates us from God.  Yet within us, there is a desire to feel we are right with God.  But our vain attempts to bridge the gap to God are really a bridge to nowhere!  We can't bridge the gap to God.  God built a bridge to us and that bridge has a name.  The bridge's name is Jesus. The resurrection of Jesus provided a way for us to know God intimately, purely and eternally.

 

I'm sure in these troubled times, you know someone who needs to connect with  God and who needs hope in their life.  Please take a moment to invite them to come this Easter weekend. Three out of 4 people will come to church if they are invited by a trusted friend. Imagine if we each invited one person. I've got several on my list.

 

Looking forward to celebrating the resurrection with you this weekend.

 

He is Risen!