The Pastor's Blog

(Note -- I missed a blog on Big Question #4: Who is Jesus and is He the only way?) === Our Scripture passage for this Sunday is Ephesians 2:1-14. === If you look back to the first blog post for this series, this question wasn't one of the ones listed. Instead there were two questions: "How many will be saved?" and "Is hell real and necessary?" But in order to answer both of those questions we have to talk about the same thing: Election. So I am combining them in the question, "How can a loving God only save some?"...

Our Scripture reading for this Sunday is Psalm 22:1-11. === Why do we suffer? Before we even begin to answer that question we have to acknowledge that people asking this question, ourselves included, ask this question often out of deep pain and suffering that can just feel so senseless. How could a good and loving God allow such suffering? My grandmother was such a lovely lady, such a strong believer in her Lord, Jesus Christ, ... why did she have to suffer for so many years until her death? She deserved better. How can a loving God watch as children...

The Scripture reading for this Sunday is Isaiah 43:1-7. === What is the meaning of life?  That's the kind of question that can make us wonder, stop us in our tracks, and possibly throw us into despair. Sometimes things just seem so meaning-less. I like that comic, showing Snoopy sitting on top of his doghouse wondering. We don't usually tackle the question of the meaning of life when we are in the midst of an activity, or when things are going great. It's when things go wrong that we start wondering about the meaning of life and all the things...

Our Scripture reading for this Sunday is 2 Timothy 3:10-17. === In 1 Peter 3:15-16, the Apostle Peter writes: "Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behaviour in Christ may be ashamed of their slander." Over the next number of weeks we are going to be looking at some of the big questions that people may ask Christians (or that we may have of Christianity)....

Our Scripture reading tomorrow morning -- as we celebrate Pentecost -- will be Romans 8:12-17. === However, in preparation for Pentecost, I invite you to read Acts 2:1-41 quickly as a reminder of the first Pentecost, and the amazing things that happened on that day as the Spirit was poured out and as the church spread throughout the world.  As you read it, I invite you to think about the work of the Spirit today. How do you see the Spirit working? Do you see the Spirit working? When you think of the Spirit's power, or what the Spirit does,...

Pastor Fred will be leading the service on Sunday as Pastor Aaron is away for a classical appointment. === Last night I watched the news in horror as videos of the wildfire engulfing parts of Fort McMurray were shown. The videos showed what Peter Mansbridge noted was an "almost apocalyptic" scene.  If you haven't heard much about the wildfires yet, here's a link to a story on the CBC website. And here's a live blog that is being updated in real time. Help as far as firefighters, equipment, and supplies is on the way to fight this ugly, nasty fire. ...

This Sunday is GEMS Sunday. All year the GEMS focused on the theme "Choose Truth" based on Psalm 119:105 -- "Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path." (NLT) That verse is found inside the front cover of many NIV Bibles, it's known by many Christians, and was sung often in many churches in the 1980's, 90's, and still today (Thy Word by Amy Grant with Michael W. Smith). It instructs us that God's Word is a light for us in a world that, increasingly, may seem more and more dark. But here's the...

If you've been listening to or reading through Hebrews this past month you've probably noticed that a large chunk of it -- from 4:14-10:18 -- deals with Jesus as our great High Priest and as the sacrifice offered for the forgiveness of our sins. This Sunday we will be reading Hebrews 8:1-13 and Hebrews 9:11-15 as our Scripture reading. In preparation, though, I invite you to read Hebrews 9:1-15. In the first 15 verses of chapter 9 there is a comparison between the sacrifices offered in the old and new covenant. And so here we see the difference between what...

Today is “Ash Wednesday”, which is the first day of the season of Lent (the season of preparation for the celebration of Christ’s death and resurrection at Easter). So today we begin our Lenten journey of preparing ourselves to celebrate Easter. Typically (or maybe traditionally) people give something up for Lent as a way of preparing themselves to celebrate Easter - chocolate, sugar, coffee, extra things that are ‘unnecessary’, etc. The act of giving something up is an act of sacrifice meant to help prepare to celebrate Easter. However, in the Reformed tradition it’s common, instead of giving something up...

In Philippians 2:5-11 we read what most scholars today say was a hymn or confession in the early church. It describes the humility of Jesus Christ, God's only Son, who set aside all His power and authority in heaven to come to us as a human being, born of Mary, and to pay for our sins on the cross (and then His exaltation). It's a wonderful picture of God's grace. And that humility and grace is seen throughout Jesus' life in the Gospels. It's on display in the passage we will read this Sunday - Luke 5:1-11. Here we see...

Read 1 Kings 18:16-46. After King David came Solomon as King over all of Israel. Then then kingdom split with Israel to the north and Judah to the south. And once these kings stopped listening to God, God sent prophets to call the people back to Him, one being Elijah. Here, on Mount Carmel, Elijah stands against all the prophets of Baal to wake the people up to who the true God is. They shouldn't have needed this powerful reminder, though, since their ancestors were rescued out of Egypt through the Red Sea, sustained in the wilderness, and brought into...

Read 2 Samuel 15:1-12. There's a saying, "The heart wants what it wants." Often it's said in defense of something - a relationship that shouldn't be entered into, a job offer that shouldn't be accepted because of ethical conflicts, or a desire that shouldn't be fulfilled - in an attempt to pass it off as worthwhile.  The heart wants what it wants. But most of the time the heart just proves that it's a fickle thing.  All it took for Absalom to turn some of the people away from King David was a little flattery and a kiss. In doing...

Read 2 Samuel 11. For the most part, everything has been good for David up to this point. With each chapter we hear about God's promises to David, David's victories, and his military prowess. But then the first verse of chapter 11 hints at an upcoming problem. "In the spring, at the time when kings go off to war, David sent Joab out with the king's men and the whole Israelite army." David wasn't where he was supposed to be. And the story only gets worse. He sees Bathsheba, gets her brought to the palace, and he sleeps with her....

Read 1 Samuel 17. Goliath was a huge man. He stood about 9 1/2 feet (2.9 metres). Even from a distance he intimidated the Israelites and as they looked at him they wondered how they would ever win the battle against the Philistines.  In those days, battles were sometimes decided between champion fighters for each army. Rather than a huge bloody war, one person from each nation was selected to fight and through them the nations fought against each other (and one god against the other). This was Goliath's challenge day after day after day. And each day the Israelite...

Read 1 Samuel 8. The time of the Judges was a terrible time. The Israelites could never seem to stay faithful. As soon as the judge who rescued them on God's behalf died the people chased after other gods and forgot about God. And that happened over and over and over again. Then came Samuel, the last of the judges. And he wasn't the last one because God's people finally got it all together. No, he was the last one because by that point God's people had finally and completely given up on recognizing God as their king. In verse...

Read Judges 2:6-23. Throughout the time of Moses the people lived in the wilderness where they had nothing. Everything they needed to survive came from God's hand. Manna arrived in the morning, quail at night, and God even provided water from a rock. In a wilderness of rock and dirt and sand (and that's about it) there was no denying that they couldn't survive on their own. Everything around them was a reminder that their very existence depended upon the Lord.  But it wasn't so in the Promised Land. It was a land flowing with milk and honey. And as...

Read Exodus 2:1-10. Who would have thought, after Pharaoh commanded his people to throw all newborn Hebrew boys in the Nile, that one of those Hebrew boys would grow up in his own palace? Who would have thought that it would be Pharaoh's own daughter who would unwittingly bring the Hebrew boy into the palace that would lead the Hebrew people out of Egypt (which was Pharaoh's biggest fear AND the reason for ordering the death of all Hebrew baby boys)? It's an ironic turn of events (after the last verse of Exodus 1) for us who know who this...

Read Exodus 1. With verse 8, all the hope that was building at the end of Genesis seems to die. It seems to die in verse 8 when we read, "Then a new king, to whom Joseph meant nothing, came to power in Egypt." With that statement begins the forced slave labour of the Hebrew people. There are too many of them Pharaoh reasons, and if their enemies attack the Hebrew people will join with their enemies and leave the country. And they can't have that. Not with all the free labour available through them. And so slave masters are...

Read Genesis 28. Jacob was a cheat and a liar. A trickster. A scoundrel.  He took advantage of Esau's foolishness and stole his birthright for a bowl of stew and some bread. And then, with the help of his mother, Jacob the trickster stole his brother's blessing and took what rightfully belonged to his brother. And there's something unfair about it all that makes us wonder if Jacob will, at some point, get what he's due. If, at some point his trickery and lying will catch up with him. Maybe even God will punish him for his actions? Then comes...

Read Genesis 22:1-19 How do we find hope in something so cruel, so sickening? How do we find hope in this situation that makes us ask more questions of God than anything else? How could God ask such a thing? How could God make a promise to Abraham that he would have a son, Isaac, only to rip him from his hands? These are legitimate questions. But perhaps the most startling part of this story is those questions aren't asked. Abraham doesn't stop and ask God a list of questions, or even say that it's unfair. Abraham does what God...