Did God Make A Mistake?

A few days ago, I spotted this gangly, prehistoric-looking bird perched on the top of a lamp tower that stands in the middle of an island of a nearby lake.

My son Matthew at first thought it was a type of a loon. I wasn't so sure. I thought the bird might be a vulture, so I zoomed in with my camera to get a closer look, hoping that I could identify it later when I got home. Well, Matthew and I were both wrong. It turns out that this funny-looking bird is a Double-crested Cormorant.

I was impressed to see how the bird's large webbed feet were able to grab the sides of the narrow metal beam on which it was perched. As you can see, he has a long, kinked neck with a head that isn't much bigger. He also has a small, yellowish-orange patch on both sides of his face.

When the Double-crested Cormorant took flight, I was surprised to see how graceful he flew, despite its uncouth appearance.

Upon further research, I discovered that these birds have made an amazing comeback in recent years after they were almost completely wiped out by the use of environmental pesticides forty years ago.

Yesterday, when I went for the same walk, the Cormorant was back, perched again on top of his lamp post. As I stood there watching, the bird spread out his wings to dry them out. Then a fisherman walked by and scowled, "That Cormorant will eat all the fish in the lake!"

"OK," I thought, "that's an awful lot of fish for one bird." Apparently, Cormorants are hated birds, at least by fishermen anyway.

When I went home, I did some more research, and I found that Cormorants are greatly misunderstood:

http://www.zoocheck.com/cdiwebsite/cormorantfactsheetlowres.pdf

God never made a mistake in creating them! Cormorants eat mainly Alewives and Round Gobies, fish that can be destructive to the ecosystem. They also eat fish, like the fisherman said, but not the ones that a commercial fishermen would care about — Sticklebacks and Yellow Perch, both of which exist in massive quantities all over Canada and United States.

It is ignorant to criticize God's creation. The Bible doesn't say, "God looked over all He had made and said, 'Oops, I made a blunder here, and bungled that up over there. Oh well, it may not be perfect, but it's pretty good anyway.'" No, instead, the Bible says, "God looked over all He had made, and He saw that it was very good!"

"Then God looked over all He had made,

 and He saw that it was very good!"

Genesis 1:31a (NLT)

Creation Speaks Volumes

One night this week, as I was going for a walk, I spotted a weird-looking bird that appeared to be an odd conglomeration of chicken, duck, and goose all in one. It walked like a chicken, bobbing its head up and down; it swam like a duck, even though it had lobed toes instead of webbed feet; and it honked and hissed aggressively like a goose when I came too close to its nest. Needless to say, I was perplexed as to the kind of bird it was. Therefore, when I came home, I immediately searched the Internet to find my answer: the bird is called an American Coot.

Here is the female American Coot walking to the edge of the lake after she spotted me. Previously she was pecking on the ground eating food.

Here again is the female American Coot honking at me for getting too close for her comfort. Her nest must have been hidden in the nearby grass.

The male American Coot is nearby, swimming back and forth as he keeps an eye on his family.

This is the breeding and nesting season for birds, ducks, and geese. As I observe winged creatures that God created, I am amazed to see just how naturally protective the parents are for their babies and how closely the mother and father work together.

Yet in our human society, millions of children live without the protection of one or both of their parents. I always hear in the news so many children in our world who are being abused, neglected, unloved, and uncared for, living in split homes that are unstable and full of strife. Some are even being murdered by their parents, molested or raped by their fathers (or male friends of their mothers), locked in cages or closets, severely malnourished, and left forgotten in stifling hot cars.

Children need both mother and father, united together, to love, care, protect, and teach them. And as Christian parents, our first priority should be to love God, then our spouses and children. But in our society, most people, even those that go to church, have become lovers of themselves first and foremost, leaving their children to suffer.

Men and women can learn a lot through nature. After all, it was God who created every living thing. We just need to take the time and observe, and then let God speak to us.

"The heavens declare the glory of God;

the skies proclaim the work of His hands.

Day after day they pour forth speech;

night after night they reveal knowledge.

They have no speech, they use no words;

no sound is heard from them.

Yet their voice goes out into all the earth,

their words to the ends of the world."

Psalm 19:1-4 (NIV)

God Goes Before And Behind Us

Yesterday, my son Tim took a picture of this family parade of Canadian geese while I stood far off with my dog, so as to not to frighten them. The mother goose is leading the pack while the father goose is behind, making sure their goslings are protected. The goslings will not leave their parents' side until their first Spring migration when they return to their birthplace.

The Bible says that God is like both the mother goose and the father goose. God goes before us and behind us to lead and protect.

"You will not leave in a hurry,

running for your lives.

For the Lord will go ahead of you;

yes, the God of Israel will protect you from behind."

Isaiah 52:12 (NLT)

All of God's children in this world are like those goslings in the picture. God in His great wisdom leads us and at the same time lovingly protects us from evil.

We Have The Power Over Sin

Yesterday as I was mowing my lawn in a hurry to beat the oncoming thunder and lightening storm, I severed the electrical cord by running over it with the lawn mower. Fortunately, the breaker in the house blew immediately, so I didn't get electrocuted.

Anyways, I had to run to the hardware store to buy a new cord so I could finish mowing before the storm hit. However, to make sure I didn't run over the cord again, I bought a bright pinkish-orange one that stands out better in the tall grass.

When my husband phoned me from his truck later in the day, I sheepishly told him what I had done. But the lesson I learned from my experience is this: when the lawn mower was connected to an electrical power source, I was able to cut the grass. But once the power supply was cut off, the lawn mower became useless, allowing the grass the freedom to grow wildly.

We are like that too. When we are connected to the power of the life-giving Spirit of God, then God is able to mow over all our sins. But if we are not connected to the power of the life-giving Spirit of God, then our sins will grow wildly, leading to death and destruction.

"And because you belong to Him

the power of the life-giving Spirit

has freed you from the power of sin

that leads to death."

Roman 8:2 (NLT)

You Do Not Belong To Yourself

"Don't you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit,

who lives in you and was given to you by God?

You do not belong to yourself."

1 Corinthians 6:19 (NLT)

When a person commits his/her life to Jesus Christ and becomes His, the Holy Spirit of God comes to reside in him/her. In other words, he/she becomes God's dwelling place. In the Old Testament era, the presence of God only inhabited a physical building, first the Mosaic Tabernacle, and later Solomon's Temple. After Jesus' death and resurrection, however, the system changed, and the bodies of genuine followers became the temples of God.

Now, when the Holy Spirit of God comes to live inside a person, He takes ownership of the whole person and begins to do His work in transforming him/her into the image of Jesus Christ. This is why the Church is a body of believers and not a building. For this reason, the focus of a church should always be the people, not the building. Similarly, the focus of a church ministry should always be to bring people's hearts to God and have them commit their lives fully to Him; it should never be the focus to satisfy people's carnal desire for entertainment, fun, social events, and freedom to live life whatever way they choose without conviction or repentance.

Once a person becomes a child of God and a temple of His Holy Spirit, he/she no longer belongs to him/herself. He/she has been bought for a price and now belongs to God. However, if there's no change in his/her life, then it's evident that the Holy Spirit is not at work inside him/her. And if He's not at work, then He's just not there. People need to fully commit their hearts to God and His Word because The Word is God. One cannot love God and not His Word. The two go hand-in-hand.

The Word of God should always be the main focus in church ministry, never a sideline reference to which one occasionally refers. If the Word of God is not a church's focal point in ministry, whether it be Sunday morning services, youth groups, children's ministries and programs, or Christian counselling, then God is not at the centre, man is. And if man is, then the Holy Spirit cannot do His work.

Warning: Today's Sermons Should Be Content Rated

In today's modern city churches, I am shocked and appalled to hear increasingly frequent sex jokes coming from the pulpit — jokes of the sort you would imagine being told in night clubs and bars, not churches. Years ago this kind of thing would certainly have caused an outrage from the congregation, maybe even mass riots in the pews. Today, however, the typical response is that most laugh out loud at the jokes, some just smile, and the rest are frozen in their seats — most likely feeling the discomfort of the Holy Spirit within them. But will any dare to speak up?

Of course, mixed in with the congregation are the tweens. They are too old to go to children's church. What kind of message is the church giving them about marriage and sex? Basically, so-called pastors are teaching them that marriage is a joke: men will never be satisfied by their wives (more like tortured), and to women, fulfilling their husband is a drudgery.

As I regularly attend church services in today's urban society, my heart is greatly disturbed and grieved to see churches becoming more and more desensitized and ungodly. What was once considered totally inappropriate twenty years ago is now being accepted as humorous, entertaining, and trendy.

The Bible says marriage should be honoured by all and the marriage bed kept pure, but when people make repulsive jokes about sex and marriage, they degrade the sacredness and beauty of it. They defile the godly institution of marriage!

"Marriage should be honoured by all,

 and the marriage bed kept pure."

Hebrews 13:4a (NIV)

Let God Build Your Home

Two nights ago, my son Matthew and I had fun building two simple birdhouses for my rock garden. I hammered in the nails while Matthew held the pieces of wood together. Then I painted them sunshine yellow to accent my red wooden bench. I feel my rock garden is now complete.

Birds make their own nests or use vacant ones made by other birds. And sometimes birds will make their nests in birdhouses that people build for them. Next spring I hope two birds will choose to raise their families in the homes Matthew and I built.

The Bible says that unless God builds our homes, our work is wasted. In other words, as married couples, we need to put God first in our lives and obey His Word. If God blesses us with children, then, as parents, we need to raise our children with the wisdom and guidance of God and teach them to love, honour, and serve Him. If we fail to allow God to build our homes, then heartache, misery, and division will occur. Our homes will crumble because they were not built on a firm foundation in the Lord Jesus Christ and His Word.

"Unless the Lord builds a house,

the work of the builders is wasted."

Psalm 127:1 (NLT)

The Lord Longs To Be Gracious To You

My husband Brian came home last night around midnight. Before he went to bed he checked to see if the back door was locked. It's a good thing he did too, because there stood our Sheltie, Barney, with his nose pressed to the glass, eagerly looking through, wagging his tail. Barney was so excited to finally see, after waiting for hours, someone who would open the door and let him in!

Previously, I had asked one of my sons, (I won't mention who because I already embarrassed him yesterday), to let the dogs out before he went to bed. The usually routine is that we always let Barlow, our Yorkie, out first and then Barney. I guess my son forgot to let Barney back in.

When I heard this story I was amazed that Barney never became impatient and barked to wake us up. (Or should I say, to wake up one forgetful person in particular?) Instead, he sat there patiently waiting, understanding and instantly forgiving.

This incident brings to my mind another familiar story Brian recently told me. Not too long ago, a truck driver forgot his Yorkie puppy at a truck stop. By the time the truck driver realized his mistake, it was too late for him to turn around. He had a deadline to make. Three days later, when he was finally able to return to the spot he last saw his pup, he never expected the miracle he was about to see. There was his young dog still sitting there waiting for his master to return! The man's heart was completely won by such a small creature so devoted to him. But that's God to us!

'Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you;

He rises to show you compassion."

Isaiah 30:18a (NLT)

God Humbles And He Exalts

"The Lord sends poverty and wealth;

He humbles and He exalts."

1 Samuel 2:7

My son Matthew experienced this verse a few days ago. As part of his summer job at the church, he was required to update and print seventy booklets for the children attending the two summer day camps. The inside pages will just be printed in black and white, but the cover was to be printed in colour on order from Staples using thicker and more expensive paper. Before Matthew placed the order, he proofread the cover sheet several times just to make sure there were no mistakes. He even asked his older brother Tim, a second year Ph.D. student, to proofread it as well. I guess I was busy. Here is a copy of the cover below. Do you see his big blunder?

Two days ago, Matthew picked up his order, came home, and proudly showed me one of the covers. It was just at that moment that his face turned red in horror. His name was printed in bold letters on every one of the seventy sheets of paper! He had, as an example to show his boss, typed his name in the space where the children were to write their own names. Except he forgot to delete it before placing the order. Oops!

I told Matthew, as he was still in shock, not to worry about it, place the order again, and then have a good laugh about it, because these incidents make interesting stories to tell later as lessons to both children and adults.

When it comes to work, Matthew is a perfectionist, but even perfectionists are not perfect. God humbles and He exalts.

God Knows Us

The wind last night rocked my bird feeder bath and forth and all the seeds fell to the rocks below. This morning when the returning House Sparrows saw that there were no seeds left in the feeder, they flew to the ground and discovered the seeds between the rocks. I guess that's what beaks are for.

"I know every bird in the mountains."

Psalm 50:11a (NIV)

Did you know that God knows these birds and every other bird in His creation, just like He knows each and every one of us? We can never say to Him, "You don't understand," or, "You don't know me," because He does. He knows everything about us!

The Bible says that God saw us before we were ever formed and every day we live and breathe was already written in His book beforehand.

"Your eyes saw my unformed substance;

in your book were written,

every one of them,

the days that were formed for me,

when as yet there was none of them."

Psalm 139:16 (ESV)

Just Think How Much More Excited God Gets!

Last week I bought a bird feeder that keeps the seeds from getting drenched by the rains, which would otherwise rot the feed. Amazingly, within only a few days, Chickadees and House Sparrows discovered my feeder and are now coming regularly into my garden, eating the seeds.

I get so delighted every time I see them! I love the sounds of wild songbirds. Their songs fill the air with sweet-sounding notes that soothe even the most troubled soul. I've wondered why that is, and I think it's because their voices are a reminder to us just how much God excites over seeing and caring for us, especially when He hears our voices praising and thanking Him.

"Look at the birds of the air;

they do not sow or reap or store away in barns,

and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.

Are you not much more valuable than they?"

Matthew 6:26 (NIV)

As we hear the songbirds in our neighbourhoods making joyful noises, let's not neglect letting God hear our voices throughout the day just the same. He loves to hear from us!

Never Boast About Anything Except Jesus

Christian ministry always needs to be centered, not around the person whom people see leading it, but around the Lord Jesus Christ.

For example, if, in the course of normal circumstances, a pastor, teacher, or leader resigns from his/her position and takes on a new ministry in a different area or location, and if this is followed by a massive drop in the number of people participating in his/her previous ministry, then you know, in all likelihood, that the person has succeeded in attracting people to him/herself, but failed to attract people to a devoted, intimate relationship with their Heavenly Father.

Consider these questions:

• Have you ever heard an announcement at church or read a brochure that, to promote a retreat or special event, excitedly advertises the speaker as if he/she were the main attraction?
• Have you ever been corrected because you failed to call a pastor, teacher, or leader by his/her title?
• Have you ever heard a pastor, teacher, or leader imply he/she is particularly spiritual or anointed?
• Have you ever heard a pastor, teacher, or leader brag from the pulpit about the good works he/she has personally done for Jesus?
• Have you ever heard a pastor, teacher, or leader boast from the pulpit about a dream or vision God has given specially to him/her when, in reality, God's purpose was only for the message of the dream or vision to be shared publicly?

If the answer to some or all of these questions is yes, then you've probably witnessed an instance in ministry where a person other than Jesus is promoted.

"As for me, may I never boast about anything

except the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Because of that Cross,

my interest in this world has been crucified,

and the world's interest in me has also died."

Galatians 6:14 (NLT)

Christian pastors, teachers, and leaders need to always be on guard never to boast about anything except the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. And all of us, as God's children, need to always be on guard never to become a follower of a person when we should only be a follower of Jesus.

The Lord Has Compassion On All

"The Lord is good to all;

He has compassion on all He has made."

Psalm 145:9 (NIV)

Last week in our city, a tragic event occurred in which a young man twenty-one years of age took the lives of three of his coworkers and seriously injured a forth.

Yesterday, the pastor of our church prayed, as I'm sure did many others in Alberta, for the victims' families. However, there is still one more person who, right now, needs much prayer: the woman who, twenty-one years ago, bore a son and cared for him, undoubtedly being there to hear him say his first word, see him take his first step, hold his tiny hand on his first day of school, help him steady his bike when the training wheels first came off, celebrate with him the day he received his driver's license, congratulate him on obtaining his first job, and beam with pride the day he graduated from high school.

Today, this woman not only bears the anguish of the families of the victims her son killed, but also the anguish of losing her son who will almost certainly spend most of his remaining life behind cold, iron bars. She will probably be the one who bears her son's guilt, all the while facing severe criticism and judgement from others, including those who used to be friends. Even if people don't attack her directly with words, I'm sure she will be ignored, stared at, rejected, and avoided. Let's pray that people instead will have compassion upon her and show her love. And even more importantly, let's pray that she will come to experience God's precious love and His everlasting kindness.

Let's also pray that her murderous son would repent and come to know God as His forgiving and loving Heavenly Father. Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners, and if He could save someone like Paul, who was responsible for persecuting and slaughtering hundreds of early Christians, he can save a triple murderer today.

"This is a trustworthy saying,

and everyone should accept it:

'Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners' —

and I am the worst of them all."

1 Timothy 1:15 (NLT)

A Happy Heart Makes Life A Continual Feast

I gave my cat Osha a bath yesterday, and if looks could kill, we would all be dead.

Afterwards, I went out to dinner with my husband and our son Daniel at a French restaurant in the French community where we live. The restaurant is small, quiet, and yet very elegant. The food is delicious, the atmosphere is comforting, and the waiters are refined. Needless to say, we enjoyed our dinner thoroughly. Unfortunately, the wife, husband, and daughter seated at the table behind us seemed to have a very different experience. Judging by their conversation, they were in the area looking at potential houses to buy. However, their search had been unfruitful so far because the wife didn't like any of them.

As the evening progressed, the waiter stopped by their table and asked how the food was. Before we could hear the husband's opinion, the wife spoke up and immediately proceeded to criticize everything on her plate in every way she could. We sat there in disbelief because we were all eating and very much enjoying the same dish she had ordered — the steak special. (I never saw the woman's face, but that image of Osha came to mind.)

When it came time to pay, the wife refused to wait and simply walked out of the restaurant with their daughter, leaving the despondent husband to pay alone. He never spoke a word to the waiter. He walked by us and out the door with his head hung down. As he did, I intensely felt his misery and whispered a prayer for him and his family.

I can't help but think how many wives or husbands in the world live in despair because their partner is negative and critical. The Bible says that a happy heart makes life a continual feast.

"For the despondent,

every day brings trouble;

for the happy heart,

life is a continual feast."

Proverbs 15:15 (NLT)

Last night, what should have been a pleasant family night out at an elegant French restaurant was ruined. Instead of a fond memory etched forever into their minds, all they acquired was a negative, miserable experience, best forgotten.

Let's make life a continual feast by being happy and appreciative. Let's enjoy every moment of life that we are blessed by God to have.

I Thank God Every Time I Remember You

"I thank my God every time I remember you."

Philippians 1:3 (NIV)

My son Tim and I went for a walk yesterday night. (He is doing much better now that he is on a gluten-free diet.) On our way home, Tim spotted a white golf ball lying in the grass. As Tim picked it up and gave it to me, several fond memories immediately came to mind.

When we lived in Hope, BC, we lived near the Coquihalla River. In the summer time, the water level would lower significantly, and I would periodically take my son Matthew and his childhood friend to a spot on the river opposite the community golf course. There we would wade across several small, knee-deep side channels until we came to a long, rocky island in the centre. Then I would let the two boys loose and they would find and collect the golf balls that had been hit into the river and trapped by the rocks.

Those ecstatic wide-eyed boys would yell out each time they spotted an abandoned golf ball. "I found one!!! It's a . . . " (naming the brand). I would stand back and smile at both of them because it was like they were discovering gold. The boys always left with a bag full of golf balls.

To this day, Matthew has his collection. And the picture below shows only one of his many containers that are full of them.

Matthew will never depart from these golf balls, as they too hold a special memory in his heart. Matthew's childhood friend died at nineteen years of age in a car accident. Even though he may be gone, he will always be remembered and loved.

Live And Breathe Jesus Christ

I went outside to water my flower gardens and my Yorkie named Barlow has to watch. He is always close by and in watching distance when I am at home. He seeks my face, and if I am not home, he waits for me on top of the living room couch looking out the window. We need to do the same with God.

"My heart says of you,

'Seek His face!'

Your face, Lord I will seek."

Psalm 27:8 (NIV)

Seek God's face all day long, everywhere you go and in everything you do.

When you get up each morning, rejoice that God has given you this day to enjoy.

When you're at work, do your job to your very best ability, because everything you do, you do unto God.

When you're cleaning house, thank God for providing a safe haven for you and your family to live in.

When you're with your children, praise God for the miracle of them all. Pray continually for them and revel in their strengths and goodness.

When you go grocery shopping and see the variety of fruits and vegetables, be amazed that He created them for your taste buds to enjoy.

When you're at a store, think of God's goodness. Be friendly, smile easily, and be patient.

When you mow the lawn and care for the flowers and trees in your yard, thank God for designing such beauty and colour for you to delight in.

When you talk to your unsaved neighbour, feel God's deep love for him/her and His earnest desire for him/her to be part of His Kingdom.

Live and breathe the Lord Jesus Christ every minute of the day.

Those Claiming To Be Wise Become Utter Fools

Last night, I watched a movie with my sons Tim and Matthew entitled, "Ben Stein — Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed." It's a documentary interviewing several brilliant, rational scientists and professors (as well as several others who were mindless and irrational) concerning Darwinism (aka evolutionary theory). It was shocking to hear firsthand accounts of American scientists and professors who have been publicly ridiculed, denied tenure, and even fired, never to be hired again by another university, because they dared question the evolutionary theory and mentioned only the possibility of intelligent design.

Meanwhile, as Ben Stein calmly interviewed the evolutionists, it was frightening to see how they would become upset, angry, rude, and even hostile towards him. It was also unbelievable to hear how the evolutionists would defend their beliefs (they certainly weren't scientific facts) using hateful, denigrating language coupled with idiotic ideas that were completely illogical. It was almost like they were insane. The Bible is right when it says that those claiming to be wise became utter fools.

"Claiming to be wise,

they instead became utter fools."

Romans 1:22 (NLT)

What's even scarier is that these powerful evolutionists and atheists who have no godly morals to govern them are the ones training the minds of young people in schools and universities today. The scientific world is nothing less than a breeding ground to raise the forthcoming anti-Christ.

They Speak Not, But Their Message Is Heard

The seven colours of the rainbow paint our world with brilliant beauty. They reveal the glory of God's handiwork in creation. That is why I love gardening so much. I love to see all the different colours God created in my own garden and yard.

This year I decided to add even more colour to my yard. I recently painted my rocking bench red and my wooden lawn chairs green. (These chairs are the ones that God surprised me with last year.) Here are some pictures I took this morning:

My yard even received a compliment from a neighbour last night. I was excited because I hope even my yard is a testimony of God's glory and goodness.

"The heavens proclaim the glory of God.

The skies display His craftsmanship.

Day after day they continue to speak;

Night after night they make Him known.

They speak without a sound or word;

Their voice is never heard.

Yet their message has gone throughout the earth,

and their words to all the world."

Psalm 19:1-4 (NLT)

My flowers, shrubs, trees, and yard do not speak, but I believe their message goes forth throughout the neighbourhood and reveal the glory of God and His craftsmanship.

The Lost And Lint-Covered Mate

My son Matthew wears Vibram FiveFingers on his feet. He likes them so much that he actually has two pairs. With Five's, you need special toe socks that are only sold at certain sports stores. However, the cheapest toe socks Matthew could find were $20 a pair. Matthew bought two pairs. If he bought any more, I would have probably hit him over the head to put some sense into it.

I know this is not going to come as a surprise, but less than a week later, Matthew lost one of his socks. He was quite upset. "Mom, that's a ten dollar sock!"

When the sock didn't turn up over the following week, I decided to go look for it. (I mean, really, can you picture a man looking for his sock, no matter what price he paid for it? )

Well, the good news is I did find his sock. It was covered in lint behind the dryer.

The laundry basket is on a shelf above the dryer, so I guess Matthew must have missed. It's a good thing Matthew is a runner, not a basketball player.

The moral of this story is: a sock is useless without its mate. I find this true of married couples, particularly in ministry. When a pastor, evangelist, or missionary is married and does not acknowledge or appreciate the importance of his/her partner, that partner is like the lint-covered sock: lost and forgotten. Eventually, this will lead to failure in the ministry.

God tells us in His Word that when a man and woman marry, the two become one.

"This explains why a man leaves his father and mother

and is joined to his wife,

and the two are united into one.

Since they are no longer two but one,
let no one split apart what God has joined together."

Mark 10:7-9 (NLT)

A married pastor should always sit with his/her wife/husband in church, and they should always work together in their ministry as a team.

The Church Of God Is Not A Building, But People

If one desires to reach for Jesus Christ the homeless in the centre of a city, which does one build: another church or a dedicated mission.

Although I have pondered this question for over a week, I haven't been able to rationalize choosing to build another church. If we desire to reach the homeless, then caring for their physical needs should be our first priority. The homeless need a home. They need food. They need protection. They need clothes. They need physical care. They don't need another church building. They need people with the heart of Christ to reach out to them and meet their foremost needs. Then the Gospel of Christ can be shared with them and His power can be used to deliver them from drug, alcohol, and other addictions. Jesus told us to care for the homeless, and the most effective way to do this is to build a dedicated mission where they can live and experience the love of God in a real, practical way.

"For I was hungry, and you fed me.

I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink.

I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home.

I was naked, and you gave me clothing.

I was sick, and you cared for me.

I was in prison, and you visited me."

Matthew 25:34b-36 (NLT)

Today in our Western society, churches are spending far too much money on beautifying, modifying, and amplifying their building. Churches talk about expanding and multiplying their buildings when there are already a multitude of unfilled churches around. The Church itself is not a building. It is a group of people who love God and want to serve Him.

I see too many pastors who want to glorify themselves by the appearance of a building. God is the only One to be glorified, and we elevate God by doing, not by making us or our church look good.

Of the money God gives us, let's serve God by using more of it to do what Jesus asks us to do: to house, to feed, to clothe, and to care for the lost, wandering, and unloved souls in our society.

Love Is A Choice

"And above all these put on love,

which binds everything together in perfect harmony."

Colossians 3:14 (ESV)

Two words in the above verse stand out: "put on." These words indicate that love is an action, not a feeling. In other words, love is a choice, and for harmony to exist between two people, a decision must be made by each of the two to put the other person first. This kind of love is what binds everything together in perfect harmony.

In today's world, if each on us learned the art of unselfishness, there would be a lot less divorces, failed relationships, split churches, and discorded families, all of which lead to heartbreaks, life-long hurts, and depression.

Truly loving one another brings the greatest amount of pleasure and happiness to all people. Love is an unselfish act that intensely satisfies both ourselves and the other people we love. Love is of God and a wonderful gift we can give and receive back.

A Look From The Past To The Future

Last night, my sons Tim and Matthew and I watched a movie called "Tim Changer" that had a profound effect on all of us. It was about a Bible professor and theologian in the 1890's who goes forward into the future to the early 21th century.

As soon as he arrives, this doctor of theology is absolutely shocked and horrified at how depraved the world has become and what the churches are like. He is overcome with grief. His heart is broken and his stomach is sick. Near the end of the story, he is asked to speak at a local church and, with tears in his eyes, he desperately pleads with the people in the congregation to genuinely commit their lives to God. However, his heart-felt message has no effect on either the pastor or the congregates. The professor's call is dismissed and his moral views are considered legalistic.

The church is large in number. Its programs are various and numerous. Yet, only a handful of people show up at the church's weekly prayer meeting, and, even worse, there is no evangelism — just a desire to increase numbers. The church people don't care about the unsaved spending eternity in hell because most of church-goers are also living for themselves and not for Christ. If Christ were in their hearts, they would feel His love and pain for those who do not know Him and they would share His earnest desire to see every one of them come into His Kingdom.

The best part of the movie is when this professor meets the owner of a dry-cleaner. The professor tells the owner about the love of God and His salvation message. At first the dry-cleaner pays little attention to what the professor is saying and finds him annoying. However, the professor refuses to give up. He continues to see the unsaved man and gives him a Bible. Finally, at the end, the professor wins him over. As a result, one more precious soul will spend eternity with Jesus.

The Bible theologian wasn't able to reach the church goers. Their eyes were blind, their ears were deaf, their minds were deceived, and their hearts were empty. But the Bible theologian was able to reach one man: a man who recognized his need for a saviour and understand the true message of being a child of Christ and living for Him.

At the end of the movie, you are left with the urgency to tell as many as you can about Jesus because His return is close — closer than any of us realize! Churches shouldn't be spending thousands to millions of dollars on new church buildings or remodeling their old ones when their own buildings are half empty. Instead, churches need to concentrate on using the money that God gives them for evangelistic outreaches to fill up all the existing churches in the area with souls who would otherwise go to hell. Time is short. Money and energy are being wasted on material things to construct new church buildings or make existing churches look better on the outside while, on the inside, they are in desperate need of repair.

We all need to have the heart of Paul and do everything we can to save the lost. It is our heart that wins the unsaved, not our church buildings, fancy sound equipment, or neat, little sermons that are preached without the passion and love of Christ.

"When I am with those who are weak,

I share their weakness,

for I want to bring the weak to Christ.

Yes, I try to find common ground with everyone,

doing everything I can to save some."

1 Corinthians 9:22 (NLT)

The Comfort In Familiarity

This is the time of year when, as you stroll through your neighbourhood, a sweet-smelling perfume fills the air. Lilac bushes of a variety of colours and petal shapes display their beauty in people's yards and along the walkways, emitting their distinct, but familiar, comforting fragrance.

This lilac bush has pale pink blossoms that are are cuped, making them appear like tiny tea cups. The blossoms are also double-layered, which contrasts the traditional single-layered purple lilacs.

There is comfort in familiar fragrances, like the cologne your beloved grandfather used to wear, or the talcum powder you used to use on your precious babies, or the fresh home-made bread you make on quiet afternoons, or the turkey you cook in the oven on Christmas day, or the coffee you or your spouse brews first thing in the morning.

But the greatest comfort anyone can experience, especially in the midst of a trial, a struggle, or unrest, comes from reading the welcome and familiar words of the Bible.

"Jesus answered, 'It is written:

"Man does not live on bread alone,

but on every word that comes from the mouth of God."'"

Matthew 4:4 (NIV)

None of us can live on just the things of this world. We live by every word that comes from the mouth of God, and the Bible is God's Word.

We Need Never To Feel Lonely

"Turn to me and be gracious to me,

for I am lonely and afflicted."

Psalm 25:16 (NLT)

Yesterday when I went for my walk, I saw five male Mallard ducks and one male goose congregating together near the shore while, most likely, their hens were hidden away on the island caring for their newly hatched babies. The five drakes and the one gander sure looked lonely and bored without their mates. I felt sorry for them.

Loneliness is a like a gaping whole in the heart. It leaves one feeling empty. It robs one of joy and happiness. Even in a midst of a crowd of people, the haunting feeling of loneliness can remain. It is a war within that many people battle with.

Many things can cause loneliness: no family support, a divorce, rejection, the death of a loved one, a failed relationship, the loss of a job, an uncaring and unfriendly church, a debilitating illness, a husband or wife who must travel and be away from home, a move to a new location, and so on.

Even Jesus felt the pain and suffering of loneliness. He felt it when He was in the Garden of Gethsemane and when He was being tortured and nailed to a Cross. He understands.

Jesus doesn't want any of us to ever feel the affliction and depression of loneliness. That is why we have His precious Holy Spirit who comes to reside within us when we accept Jesus as our personal Lord and Saviour. The Bible says that God is with us always — not sometimes, or most of the time, but always.

"And be sure of this:

I am with you always,

even to the end of the age."

Matthew 28:20 (NLT)

We can be certain that no matter what happens in our world or in our individual lives, God will be with us to the very end. We need never to feel lonely.

The Blood That Was Poured

I love going for walks this time of year. It's the breeding season for birds, and one can see and hear many different kinds at the various swamp areas around my neighbourhood. One of the common kinds is the Red-Winged Blackbird. Tim came with me on last night's walk and took this picture of one in flight. The stark contrast of the red to the black on his wings is amazing.

When I look at this picture, the two colours reminds me of the blood Jesus shed for a dark world that is full of sin and ruled by Satan. Sometimes I wonder if, when God chose the colouring for this bird, there was a deeper meaning behind it. I don't see the omniscient God choosing colours randomly without reason.

"For this is my blood,

which confirms the convenant

between God and His people.

It is poured out as a sacrifice

to forgive the sins of many."

Matthew 26:28 (NLT)

Think Of Others As Better Than Yourself

I confess. I have this quirk. I will go out of my way to park my car in the most empty part of a parking lot, far away from stores, even in Arctic temperatures, to prevent the doors of my RAV4 from getting dinged or scratched. And if the parking lot is crowded, I'll park next to the most expensive cars I can find. If any of my sons complain, I just tell them the exercise is good for them. It's funny, but now three of my sons have picked up this habit with their own cars. However, yesterday God decided to teach me a lesson about what is really important. He put me to the test. I initially failed, but eventually passed.

On the way home from shopping at Walmart, I got rear ended. Yes, you heard me right. I couldn't believe it. I was stopped and waiting at an intersection because the light was red, when BAM! a pick-up truck slammed into me. My first thought was, "My poor RAV4!" I dreaded getting out of my vehicle to assess the damages, but when I got out, the first thing I noticed was the pathetic sorrowful look on a scruffy man's face as he got out of his truck and was coming towards me. I looked at his truck which was now only inches away from my vehicle. It was old, scratched, faded, dinged, and rusty. I couldn't help but ask myself the question: "If I had to get rear-ended, why couldn't it have been a Porsche or a Lamborghini?"

I looked back at the man's face again and felt guilty at my selfishness and pride. This man obviously didn't have a whole lot of money. I decided then and there that I would offer to pay for the damages. I prayed quickly and silently that the damages wouldn't be too costly.

When we both inspected the back of my vehicle, we were astonished to see that there was neither dint nor scratch. We looked at each other in shocked disbelief and then inspected my vehicle again, this time a litte more closely. Nope, there was no damage in the least. We couldn't understand it. His truck had hit me hard, but there was absolutely no evidence of it.

I tried not to rationalize it by remembering that God works above our rational thinking. I whispered a prayer, "Thank you God," and then turned to the man and said, "You're free to go. Have a nice day." The man apologized again, but I don't think I've ever seen as great a transformation on a person's face as I did at that moment. He went from misery to elation, leaving me with a memory I will never forget: the most gigantic smile ever!

My lesson learned. Don't be selfish or proud. Don't think of yourself (or your vehicle) as better than someone else (or someone else's).

"Don't be selfish;

don't try to impress others.

Be humble,

thinking of others as better than yourselves."

Philippians 2:3 (NLT)

Taste And See That God Is Good

Saturday night, Brian and I went to a Marble Slab Creamery to have a medium-sized dish of ice-cream. It was heavenly! I enjoyed the delicious treat because eating desserts is something I don't do very often.

I think one of most wonderful things one person can do for another is to take the person out for ice-cream once in a while. God must think so too because He was obviously there at the creamery with us revealing His sweetness. While I was standing in line looking at all the different flavours of ice-cream, contemplating through the difficult task of choosing which one to have, the woman next to me turned and asked if I wanted her extra coupon, which stated if I bought one medium sized ice-cream I would get a second one free. I immediately thought, "Wow!" and said, "Sure," and thanked her very much.

At that moment as I was standing there, amazed and joyful at this small blessing from a complete stranger, I sensed God's presence and saw His smiling face upon us. God is sure good! Taste and see!

"Taste and see that the Lord is good."

Psalm 34:8 (NIV)

Thank you God for your sweet goodness!

A Fish Hook In The Neck

Early yesterday morning, I went for a walk to my neigbourhood park and saw the tiniest goslings I have ever seen. They must have just been born. They looked like little yellow puff balls that were hardly distinguishable. They were so cute! It was just too bad I didn't have my camera with me so I could take a picture of them.

When I got back home, I ate lunch hurriedly for I had a mission in mind. I went back to the lake with my camera in hand hoping to see the goslings again. However, I was disappointed. The parents were visible but their babies weren't. The goslings were probably on the small island in the middle of the lake for protection against animals and people. I can understand why! As I was able to get a closer view of the parents, I saw the father goose with a fish hook stuck in his neck. I so was annoyed to think how people can be so careless or purposeful in hurting innocent wildlife. The lake is stocked regularly with trout, and people have the freedom to fish there, but someone obviously misused their freedom. When I got home, I immediately phoned the town hall and left a message on behalf of this poor goose. Hopefully a Conservation Officer on Monday will be able to remove the fish hook out of the goose's neck without causing him or his mate too much distress.

As I post these pictures, God speaks. Sometimes we as people get fish hooks thrown at us, whether carelessly or purposely, and sometimes these nasty fish hooks jab and stick into us. I know we have all been there and felt the injury of unkind words. But through the loving kindness of God and the ability to forgive through Him, God removes the fish hook so our wound can heal and our pain can end.

At the same time, we all need to be careful not to throw fish hooks at others by our insensitive or cruel words, because words can hurt, bite, devour, and destroy. We are called to live in freedom, but we are not to abuse our freedom. Instead, we must use it to serve one another in love. God has commanded us to love our neighbour as ourself, and one way we can do this is by watching the words we speak.

"For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters.

But don't use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature.

Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love.

For the whole law can be summed up in this one command:

'Love your neighbour as yourself.'

But if you are always biting and devouring one another,

watch out!

Beware of destroying one another."

Galatians 5:13-15 (NLT)

Don't Uproot And Dump The Prayer

One of my most favourite plants that I had in BC was a Clematis. I loved seeing it bloom into purple flowers twice a year, early spring and late summer. So three years ago, just after I moved into my current house, which had an unfinished yard, the first perennial plant I bought was a Clematis. However, for the first three summers, there were no flowers, even though the plant looked healthy and was growing rapidly. So this spring, I contemplated digging the plant up, throwing it away, and getting another one. When I approached the non-flowering Clematis with a shovel in my hand, I thought, "I sure wish the plant was dead; it would make it easier for me to accomplish this murderous task." As I looked again at the Clematis with its multitude of green buds, my frustrations and disappointments seemed to disappear as hope set in once again. I decided I would give the plant another chance. I am sure glad I did. The Clematis is now loaded with beautiful purple blooms. I took a picture of it this morning.

In the Christian life, prayer is sometimes like that as well. We pray to God for a miracle with hope, eagerly waiting for the answer. When the answer doesn't come right away, we pray again, and hope some more. This can continue for what seems like an eternity, until we begin to loose hope and pray with less faith. Finally, we contemplate abandoning our belief that God is even going to answer our prayer. We give up, when in fact the answer to our prayer is just just around the corner, ready to bloom into beautiful blossoms. We never see the miracle because we discarded our prayer, ending it's power to see the answer fulfilled.

"Rejoice in our confident hope.

Be patient in trouble,

and keep on praying."

Romans 12:12 (NLT)

When there is prayer with hope, the life and power of that prayer continues even when the answer is not yet seen for years to come.

Chosen, Royal, Holy, And Peculiar

Hunter, my black Angora cat, is peculiar. She doesn't sleep like a normal cat, curled up in a ball. She always sleeps on her back with her legs sprawled out and her front paws curved. When I was about to take her picture, she turned her head to face the camera, but normally her head is facing upwards.

When I look at Hunter, I can't help but think how well she fits into our family. We are a peculiar family as well. Why? Because each of us is a Christian. We are different from others in the world who do not have God as their Lord and Saviour. In the Scriptures, God calls those who are His children "chosen," "royal," "holy," and, lastly, "peculiar."

"But ye are a chosen generation,

a royal priesthood,

a holy nation,

a peculiar people;

that ye should show forth the praises of Him

who hath called you out of darkness

into His marvellous light."

1 Peter 2:9 (KJV)

We are chosen because, once we accept Jesus Christ into our lives and love Him with all our hearts, God choses us to serve Him in various ways and ministries.

We are royal because we have been adopted by God as His sons and daughters, and are now part of His royal Kingdom.

We are holy because the death and resurrection of God's precious Son, Jesus, paid for all our sins, so that now when God looks upon us, He sees His Son in our hearts.

We are peculiar because we live by God's standards and are guided by His Word. We don't live by the world's standards and we're not guided by popular public opinions. We live for God and God alone, even if it means we'll be ridiculed or bullied by the world for our godly beliefs.

So if we are to describe ourselves as Christians: we are chosen, royal, holy, and peculiar.