A Cautionary Tale ......

Hebrews 10 :23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

I don't think anyone goes through life without a few regrets. Who can look back and not say , man what was I thinking. But what I want to share is one of the biggest regrets of my life.

Back about 14 years ago , I was involved in a church plant that went sour. I was deeply involved , so when it happened ,I was broken and hurt . Full of pride and unable to see my own culpability , I played the self righteous card . I held all the right doctrines, and all our local churches were a "den of vipers" . So I stayed away. Thinking I could be a "lone ranger" christian .

But that was a major mistake. My pride led me to a fall . My sin over took me and I even began to argue against what I used to hold . All my sinful habits began to swell up inside me again , I felt conflicted at times. Hating and loathing myself .I had given the enemy a foothold , and my flesh did the rest. Oh I tried to maintain some sense of religious duty . At Christmas I would tell my boys about Jesus, and at Easter would do the same.

Finally, I began to see my sins, but still would not budge to go back to church . I was still struggling with my inner demons , those sins that ate at me till it all came to a head. Absolutely failing at work , not caring , not doing what was right , and then my precious wife getting cancer . It all came to a huge collapse. It cost me dearly . My job ,and a dear friend that I hope one day I can reconcile with .

I was humbled and broken. But through it , I have been brought back to a friend, who I truly missed. A church that I love, and a love for God that is more profound and deeper.

So a word to the wise . If you confess Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior , then love His church. Find one you can go to . Sure it will not be perfect . You are there , and you are a sinner . But it is His church and he bled for it. It is a community of saved sinners , walking the pilgrims road . It will hold you accountable,teach you,love you and allow you to worship the God who gave Himself so that you might live.

If I had to do it over , I would have swallowed my self-righteous , hypocritical pride and acknowledged my sin, and need for the Church. You cannot be a lone ranger christian , for we are meant to be in community.Never forget that.

A Time For Good News ....In A Very Bad News World

Christmas is supposed to be all about being merry, and happy, and joyful, is it not. That's the image most people seem to have of it. But, the reality is that life is full of pain, suffering, and disappointment. Recently, as I was reading news headlines, I came across the heartbreaking story of a little autistic boy who wandered off and was lost.

As the story unfolded, it went from hope to despair. After 2 days in the woods, he was found alive, but barely. Sadly, he succumbed to severe hypothermia. So, for this family, Christmas will be filled with pain and sadness.

If Christmas is just a "day". If its about family , a time of peace , hope etc.. what can the day offer to those in pain, loss of job,broken relationships and losing a loved one.Absolutely nothing . You can say all the platitudes you want like , have hope , have faith etc.. but what is faith in faith or hope in hope. It is empty air. It can not sustain or give comfort to a hurting soul.

But the day is more than that. It celebrates a miraculous event . When God entered into the pain, the suffering and brought good news.

Chapter 2 "And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. "

The world is broken and fractured.Sin has left the world scarred , as we are as well. However the message of Christmas is one of true hope. Because in Christ , God has come to give hope amid pain. To bring peace , when life is full of struggles. When we realize we are sinners , in need of forgiveness and trust in Christ , our souls become anchored into the one, who will uphold us amid the pain.

As a Christian , we need to pray for those who are weeping. Hopefully for this family , someone will come along side and listen,pray,cry .

So may the God of mercy be with this family. May the truth of Christmas , that God is with us , give peace amid their grief .

These Are A few of My Favourite Things ...

Love Christmas specials and movies . Old ones that is . In my recent memory , I do cannot think of any that have been any good. For starters they are usually totally devoid of any reference to Jesus at all and in general favor a new age , lets all hug mantra. So here goes.
1.A Charlie Brown Christmas- Classic . Hands down the best ever.
2.Little Drummer Boy - totally fictional I know but the story always brings a tear to my eye when that little lamb comes back to life. Metaphor anyone .
3.A Christmas Carol - The two I love the most are the 1951 Alistair Sims version and the 1984 version with George C Scott(great sets and wonderfully acted). The new one will be reviewed in full soon!
4.Its a Wonderful Life- moving story with a amazing cast and the great Jimmy Stewart.
5.How the Grinch tole Christmas- The TV animated version (not the movie) . Cute and touching with a wonderful vocal performance by Boris Karloff.
6.The Christmas Messenger- A forgotten jem. It stars Richard Chamberlain as an angel that returns to earth on Christmas eve to hear carols and revisit the story of Christ birth.
7.Bing Crosby Christmas Specials - I grew up with these specials so they have a unique spot in my heart. Plus no one does White Christmas like Bing.
8.Veggie Tales Christmas DVD's- Touching , Christ centered stories told by talking vegetables. Hey its a win,win.
I'm sure I'm forgetting a few but these are one I will be watching numerous times over the next couple of weeks.

The Countdown ....

Only 22 days till Christmas. Usually as it draws near I try to read a couple of different books dealing with the birth of Christ.Last year I ordered what is one of my favorites.

It is called Come,Thou Long Expected Jesus. The book is complied by Nancy Guthrie . What she did was put together excerpts by many great pastors and theologians all concerning the birth of Christ. The authors range from Luther,Calvin,Edwards,Spurgeon to more recent men of God such as Piper,Beggs,Sproul.

It is very well done and each chapter is short and works as a great devotional that has some true meat . Can easily be incorporated into your advent time and family worship. Highly recommended .

Sad Reality .....but

Recently I was reading an article from Compassion about the reality of poverty around the globe and it is staggering.Children orphaned and exposed to violence,sexual exploitation , robbed of any innocence. The fact that sixteen thousand children die everyday from hunger related illnesses. Let that fact sit in your mind and then let it connect to the heart.

That is real poverty . They have no social net,no welfare . They awaken to a stark reality . In North America there are poor , I'm not saying that there is not. It is a sad reality here as well but the fact remains , even the poorest of the poor here have at least some resources to try and keep the wolf outside the door. Granted it doesn't always work here regardless of our social net .

So as Christmas draws near take a moment to look around in your community and around the world and ask God , what would you have me do. Give to a foodbank , sponsor a child, look for ways to reach out and extend the love of God.

It is a sad reality but is not hopeless.

Not That I'm Complaining....

Well the last day of November and so far not a speck of snow. Now I will tell you I like snow. The look of a fresh snow fall is beautiful. Things right now look dirty and messy.

However I will take the warm air for now. Its easy on the oil and lights. Since we have moved the house we are currently living in , the price to fill our tank has gone up about 300%.

Plus now we are officially into the Christmas countdown. Decorating tomorrow . Looking forward to it .

To Blog or Not to Blog...That is the Question

I have a clear challenge to myself . As of tomorrow I will blog everyday. They may be short or long. Personal or a review or whatever pops in my mind . So I hope the Lord gives me the discipline and wisdom to write.