WRATH AND GRACE

Every year-end I return to Psalm 90.12, "So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom". This is a reminder to me, as I head into a new year, that my days are short in this fleeting world, and that I need to make the most of what days/months/years are left to me. Verse 10 declares that I/we are nearing the close of this short chapter of our lives. For those who truly believe in Jesus and who are known by God, the next chapter of life will last and last in a state of full righteousness and joyess worship. ["Therefore since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God." Romans 5.1-2]
As I read Psalm 90 this morning I was surprised at what made up this "heart of wisdom". The Psalm begins with the declaration that God is our dwelling place. Not this earth, not this house I am sitting in, not my local fellowship, but God is my dwelling place. And who is this God, "The One who is from everlasting to everlasting". I want to live in God forever and I rejoice in the fullness of being "in Christ" even now. Then Moses, who wrote this Psalm, reminds us that God is Sovereign and we are but God's creation subject to His power and timetable. Moses also reminds us that this God is Holy and is a God of wrath who judges all sin, and that we live under His wrath.
Perhaps we need to enter 2018 with a fuller understanding and recognition of the wrath of God and of the Sovereign power of God over His creation, and learn afresh that the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom (verse 11).
Praise be to God that Moses closes this Psalm with by reminding us of the Grace of God, a Grace not taken for granted but daily sought and requested and bestowed upon us to establish us as God's workmanship, to enable us to live out and proclaim His Gospel, and to do His good work in this evil world.

My dear friends and saints, as I grow older you grow more precious to me. As I remember your many kindnesses to me and my family my heart wells up with thanksgiving to God and love for you. I am so thankful to God as He enlarges my heart and mind with every passing day, preparing me to enter into His presence. So my dear friends may you cry out to God to draw you to Himself this year and may you make every effort this year to become all that God wants you to be. As Moses prays in this Psalm, "Teach us, Return O Lord, Have pity on us, Satisfy us, Make us glad, Let your work be shown and your glorious power, Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us, establish the work of our hands upon us".

 Ask God for His Grace and expect the Grace of God to be upon you this year [we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand]. May 2018 find us often crying out to God for His favor, His Grace, as we remember His Sovereign power and His wrath upon sin. May we enjoy more fully God Loving us.
For 2018 I pray that you will desire and find more of the Love and Grace of this wonderful Father-God that is ours because He gave us the gift of His Son Jesus Christ and enabled us to call Jesus Lord.

REJOICE IN THE BIRTH OF JESUS

I plan to write a summary on my trip to Liberia over the next couple of weeks but want to take this opportunity to wish each of you a blessed Christmas celebration as we remember the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Jesus is not only our Lord but The Lord over all creation, over all powers and authorities. One day every creature in God's creation will acknowledge this great truth. Even the physical creation is now moaning and groaning for its redemption also acknowledging its Creator. I want to leave you with these two portions from the Bible as we remember the birth of Christ along with his death and resurrection to save many sinners for his eternal kingdom.

 

⁵ Make your own attitude that of Christ Jesus,

⁶ who, existing in the form of God,
did not consider equality with God
as something to be used for His own advantage.
⁷ Instead He emptied Himself
by assuming the form of a slave,
taking on the likeness of men.
And when He had come as a man
in His external form,
⁸ He humbled Himself by becoming obedient
to the point of death—
even to death on a cross.
⁹ For this reason God highly exalted Him
and gave Him the name
that is above every name,
¹⁰ so that at the name of Jesus
every knee will bow—
of those who are in heaven and on earth
and under the earth—
¹¹ and every tongue should confess
that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.

Philippians 2.5-11

¹⁶ And most certainly, the mystery of godliness is great:

He was manifested in the flesh,
vindicated in the Spirit,
seen by angels,
preached among the nations,
believed on in the world,
taken up in glory.

 1 Timothy 3.16

SIXTH DAY IN LIBERIA

What a great day especially this afternoon. The Pastors were full of Pastor questions and what a joy it was to try and answer some very basic questions on leadership, salvation, baptism, communion, women in ministry, eternal security and so many others. The air was alive in that small room. I tear up just thinking about the privilege of just being here for this day.
Tomorrow I speak in the opening session to all the Pastors so pray about that. Then we have 1/2 day of teaching and finish around 1:00 with lunch. Then we come back to the hotel for a cold shower and change of clothes and out for supper at a beach around an hour from here. We will rest there and then make our way to the airport for our flight just after midnight to Amsterdam. Friday will be a long day. I arrive in Welland if all goes well around 9 pm on Saturday. Pray for safe and healthy flying.
My health as been amazingly good. Many of the other have had little problems of different sorts but I have been well.
Here are a couple more pictures one of my class, one of all the 75 Pastors that gathered for training this week, and one of our tired team.

Our team and Pastor Dyonah our national host

My class of 13 men and one woman. What a great bunch

The whole group

FOURTH AND FIFTH DAY IN LIBERIA

We did not have internet yesterday so I was not able to post the blog and tonight I have a lot of preparation to do for tomorrow so I will be brief.

Yesterday and today is hot and humid (about 28 degrees) with a little bit of rain yesterday afternoon as we were finishing up. The class went well both days even in the heat and cramped spaces. They have spaced us out with an empty class between each active class so noise from other classes is not an issue. Also for the most part understanding what the students are saying is not an issue and the students I do understand interpret those I do not. So thank you for praying for these things.

My greatest joy is when the class recognizes something in the Bible verses and teaching that they never realized before and their faces light up with wide eyes and a big grin of understanding and delight in God's plan. I love those moments which cannot be planned into the class outline for that day but that the Holy Spirit just drops into our discussions. I can say that I sense moments when the Holy Spirit is directing my thoughts and words with such clarity that I know it is not me but God working in me. I thank God that I can be one of His servants here this week. Thank you for praying.

Here are some pictures of the class.

Eggs and bread every morning. Chicken or fish and rice in the afternoon and at supper. Plain menu but tasty.

Gives a new meaning to fish and chips

THIRD DAY IN LIBERIA

I hope you are enjoying my creative blog titles!
Teaching today for 5 1/2 hours in the humid heat in a small classroom with no open window and no air conditioning was exhausting. Sweat was pouring out and the small towel I had with me was soaked by the end of the afternoon. We have 15 people in a room about 15 X 15 feet with a small overhead fan. I do not have any pictures of my class or classroom but hope to post some tomorrow. I have 14 students and we have a total of 75 students so far in 6 classes.
I broke down and had a cold shower when we got back to the hotel because I was so hot and sweaty. The shower was actually refreshing after the initial shock of the cold water. I did cheat a little by using the hand shower and slowly getting used to the cold water. I am feeling a little tired but healthy and hope to get to bed a little bit earlier tonight after a little more preparation for tomorrow's class. The teaching went well today and I find the class is following the material but have a lot to learn. Most of my students have been Christians for less than 10 years and are in leadership positions. They have a real need to spend more time in the Bible to become more familiar with it. None said they read all of the Bible in one year and I challenged them to follow a chronological Bible reading plan I gave them to apply themselves to read the whole Bible in one year.
Pray for a tired team to be refreshed with a good sleep.

College compound where classes are held

College compound where classes are held

SECOND DAY IN LIBERIA

Today is Sunday. After breakfast we all went to different churches to preach. I found out after I was dropped off and began talking to the Pastor that I was at the wrong church but by that time I had already been drawn to those in the Sunday School and to the Pastor and felt like the message God had given to me on Justification by Faith would fit well with this group so we contacted the church I was supposed to be at to see if Brian was there and I remained at the Divine Love Resurrection church. I found this to be a very biblical sound church with an excellent preacher. He is attending the TLI training. I was also impressed with the Sunday School teacher who was just a young man. The preaching went very well and I was richly blessed. We had lunch with our national host and then back to the hotel to rest and prepare for tomorrow's teaching. Here are some pictures from today.

The church building

Me preaching

Pastor Havon Johnson

Pastor's wife and 3 of 5 children being driven home by a friend

 

FIRST DAY IN LIBERIA

          My trip to the Toronto airport: by car to St Catharines (thank you Eric), bus to Burlington GO to union station and then UP express to airport went very well even though I had two bags, mostly because of books to be left behind. All connections were on time and for a cheap guy like me the price of less than $15 and one Tim’s Horton (for Eric) coffee made me smile. Thank you for praying.

          The flight to Amsterdam was excellent but packed with almost 400 passengers, I really like the airport in Amsterdam and am impressed by their unique clock. Our team of 6 got to meet up and chat for awhile before our trip to Liberia via a stopover in Sierra Leone. This plane was also packed but many deplaned in Sierra Leone where we picked up passengers for Monrovia and the return trip of this plane to Amsterdam after midnight. This is the plane we will take on our return. While the plane was being cleaned on our stopover I had an encouraging conversation with a woman. After I told her what we were doing in Monrovia she said, “Pastors need this kind of help”. Then she told me she led a weekly Bible study in her church and then confessed, “I am Catholic”. I was disappointed inside and asked her, “how does a person get to heaven” expecting a Catholic answer of baptism and good works. But she kind of looked at me like that was an odd question and said, “By accepting Jesus as your Savior”. Then I asked her, “not by sacraments and good works”. No a person can only be saved by Jesus. I discovered they study only the Bible and study sequentially through a whole book and that her priest which she called her Pastor knows what is happening. That was encouraging. I mentioned about the syncretism in the church and the prosperity gospel and she said that was a real problem and rampant in Liberia.

          We landed in Monrovia and made it through customs by about 12:30 am on Saturday morning. Customs and baggage pick up were typical third world chaos. Hundreds of people in a 30 by 40 room which included the baggage conveyor. Once it got jammed at the opening to the public access area with so much luggage on it that it pilled itself 5 high trying to get through that opening and stalled requiring much luggage to be removed by hand to get it going again. All our luggage arrived safely. Brian on our team recognized and introduced himself to the Samaritans Purse nurse who nearly died from Ebola and was featured in the Facing Darkness movie. We drove one hour to the hotel and made it to bed just a little after 1:30 to get up at 7am to prepare for breakfast at 8. I slept well but morning came suddenly. I am feeling good but occasionally am nodding off.

          The night air as we drove from the airport smelled of cooking fire smoke. Bars were open and busy but not well lit and people were busily moving about on this Friday evening. The vegetation along the highway was rugged with sporadic trees and shrubs and rocky outcrops much like Northern Ontario but the trees were larger and included Palms which we do not grow in our colder climate.

          My room is spacious and clean with a king size bed. There is no hot water but the air conditioning works well, except of course when the electricity goes out which so far seems to be a few times in a day. A flush toilet and a tub with hand shower compliment the room. I washed my hair but I need to get a lot more filthy before I will have a full cold shower. Maybe I should make a schedule to “shower” certain parts of my body every day. That would not be so shocking to my body. I was able to boil my own coffee today but notice they bring us hot water at breakfast and I will use that tomorrow to make my coffee. The power just went out and has been off for about 5 minutes so far.

          We went to Monrovia today. Our first stop was a coffee shop with wifi because the hotel had not paid for their data plan (it is on now but we have to go to one spot in the hotel to connect). Internet is so important to us white dudes. We drove through the government district, saw the president’s house and a number of embassies. We shopped for souvenirs and then went to lunch. Enjoyed a hamburger and fries and a Pepsi. (Power is back on now)

          There are people, all over. Little shops selling new goods, used goods, repaired goods. Vendors in the middle of the road with everything from sticks of gum to phone chargers, from wiper blades to cookies. With an unemployment rate of 75% many become individual entrepreneurs. Beggars are common. Police are common as well, some dressed in street clothes but the guns are real. All that is required is a Police vest, no uniform is needed.

          The Christian background and need is evident in the names of the businesses along our drive such as the “Faith and Joy Bar and Grill” and the “Trinity Hotel”. There are many churches of assorted denominations as well as cults. Buses and trucks seek favor from God with various biblically inspired slogans on their vehicles. Public transportation vans are sardine cans on wheels.

          Thank you again for praying. Tomorrow I preach at a local church so keep that in mind. We are 5 hours ahead of you here in Monrovia.

          We have a great team and national sponsor. Tomorrow I preach at a church in the morning so I will review my message this afternoon and maybe have a short nap and then read.

Brian, Ron, Dick, Mark, Greg, Weyman

 

Pastor Dyona our national sponsor

ALL IN

Liberia: Leaving tomorrow (Thursday) and spending today packing and making final preparations. Thank you to all of you who have encouraged me by saying you are praying. I will try to keep in touch. Click prayer requests in header for prayer. Click donation to this trip in header for information if you would like to make a donations to this trip. Click Home to return to blog. I thank God that I am ready to go.

 I read Romans 12.1-2 this morning. Our salvation in Christ requires us to be all in, body, mind and spirit. In Christ our spirits are fully redeemed. We are no longer dead in our trespasses and sin but are alive unto God in Jesus Christ. Those who are truly born again are now spiritually alive and look forward to the promise of complete redemption. But our bodies are not yet redeemed. They continue to naturally gravitate toward sin and the passions and pleasures of this world as do our minds. So both our bodies and our minds must be brought under the discipline of the will and learn to serve God [see Philippians 2.12-13]. Romans 6 gives both the reason why we can make our bodies slaves to righteousness and how we are to do that. In the same way we are to transform our minds to the teaching of God's Word and live out that biblical worldview.
I can think of nothing more exciting and challenging and fulfilling than to live for the Glory of God with our spirit, mind and body both now for for eternity. This new life in Christ is not easy but it is deeply fulfilling and what God created us for. Oh, the riches of a relationship with God in Jesus Christ by the Holy Spirit.

EXEMPLARY SERVANTS

Liberia: Visas are all in hand, tickets are purchased, and my teaching notes are complete. This week I will be working on two sermons, one to preach in a Liberian church on Sunday, and one shorter message to the Pastors at the open session on our closing day. Please continue to pray for our team, the Pastors and the country of Liberia.

I love to read about the heroes of the faith, Abraham, David, Elisha, Paul and so many others. But I know I am not one of those Bible heroes, nor will I ever be, and that is why I so appreciate the minor characters in the great story of the Bible.
In my reading through Genesis I have particularly been impressed by two faithful unnamed servants. The first servant is found in Genesis 24. He is given the task to go to Abraham's kindred to find a wife for Isaac and he obeys Abraham without question. He shows great trust in God to accomplish his mission, and successfully completes his mission without wasting any time. The second servant is found in Genesis 43 to 44 and is called the steward of Joseph's house. This servant obeys Joseph's commands, which at the time would have been rather strange requests, immediately and without question not knowing what purpose Joseph had in these requests.
Here is what impressed me with these two faithful servants. Their complete loyalty to their master which also earned them promotion to their present positions of trust by their master. (Joseph knew about the rewards of loyal service in his own faithful service in prison and then to Pharaoh). They knew the character and the integrity of their master and wanted to serve them well, even if they may not have understood the purpose of the request. They knew the goodness of their master and that this request was for good and not for evil. They did not know how these requests from the master would turn out but they trusted their master and willingly obeyed every detail of the task they were given whether they understood the reason for the request or not.
I am not an Abraham or David or Paul, but I can certainly be a loyal, faithful, obedient, master-minded servant who loves my master, knows his goodness and knows I can trust my master in whatever request he makes of me, even if I do not understand the why of the request.

My AAA card from last year's anniversary

I am reminded of three things from the New Testament as I think of these faithful servants. 1) This saying from Jesus in Luke 17.7-10, "
“Will any one of you who has a servant plowing or keeping sheep say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come at once and recline at table’? Will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare supper for me, and dress properly, and serve me while I eat and drink, and afterward you will eat and drink’? Does he thank the servant because he did what was commanded? So you also, when you have done all that you were commanded, say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.’” 2) That the word "servant" used by Paul is most often the Greek word "doulos" which means slave. 3) Those words I want to hear from the lips of Jesus, "Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master."
I want to be that kind of servant. Do you?

GRUMBLING AGAINST GOD

Liberia: I confess I am starting to feel nervous and a little stressed as departure time looms near. One more on our team of six is waiting for their Liberian visa. I still have some course preparation and two sermons two prepare so I ask for your prayers for me, our team, the Pastors in Liberia and the country of Liberia.

Israel spent a lot of time grumbling about their circumstances and their leader Moses after having been supernaturally delivered from their slavery in Egypt by God's mighty hand. In Exodus 16.8, in response to one of those grumbling times, there is an insightful comment by Moses which has a very important biblical truth at its core. Moses' comment is, "Your grumbling is not against us but against the Lord". The biblical truth is that when we grumble or complain about our circumstances and our leaders we are denying and rebelling against the Sovereignty of God.
Since God is Sovereign, He either allows the circumstances we find ourselves in and the leaders that are over us, or He purposefully brings those circumstances into being or puts those leaders over us. God can intervene as He chooses or He can allow or establish as He chooses. Therefore, when I complain and grumble about my circumstances and leaders, I am rebelling against God and refusing to submit to His Sovereign rule over my life.

To submit to God in all my circumstances does not mean I have to enjoy or pretend to enjoy those circumstances but it does mean I have to thank God for them and work in them to fulfill whatever plan God has purposed in those circumstances and leaders. Looking back we may very well see why God allowed or established those particular circumstances or leaders but even if we do not see the hand of God in those circumstances we certainly must know the Goodness of God, the Love of God, the power of God, and the Sovereignty of God who works all things after the council of His own will.
So the next time you want to grumble and complain about your circumstances or leaders, Stop. You are grumbling against God's rule over your life. Rather in submission give thanks to God who knows and controls all things. The believer who knows and acknowledges the Sovereignty of God in all circumstances and gives thanks and praise to God will be filled with peace and joy that surpasses all his circumstances.

ABOUNDING IN LOVE

Liberia: Please join me this evening (November 15) at Rosedale Baptist Church, at 6:30 pm to view a video on Liberia and then to spend some time in prayer for Liberia. I will be leaving on this teaching trip with TLI <http://trainingleadersinternational.org/> in three weeks. I am started to feel the pressure. My passport, hopefully with a Liberian visa stamped into it, arrived in Welland today and I will pick it up on Thursday. Thank you for praying.

Philippians 1.9-11 says, "And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God."ESV 
Paul is praying for the saints in Philippi. He prays that their love will abound more and more. Because of the grace and mercy of God, and the love of God to them (1 John 4.19), these Philippian believers love God and love people. Love should be evident in our lives if we are truly born-again, and love is a fruit of the Spirit we should diligently and consciously nurture. Love for God and for others fulfills the Law of God and is the highest motivation for worship and service.
Paul wants their love to abound in knowledge. The Greek word used here means correct and precise knowledge. Christian love is not based on sentimental feelings but truth and doctrine from the Word of God. As Peter commands, "Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ".
Paul also wants their love to abound in discernment. Christian love is morally perceptive, understands right from wrong. Hebrews 5.14 teaches us that this kind of discernment is a sign of Christian maturity.

The result of love abounding in knowledge and discernment is the approval of what God calls excellent. Love abounding in knowledge and discernment results in purity and a blameless life before a Holy God in the day of Christ. Love abounding in knowledge and discernment enhances the fruit of righteousness that comes from Jesus Christ. And above all love abounding in knowledge and discernment brings praise and glory to God.
God has called his saints to the life-long pursuit of abounding love by seeking the knowledge of God and His will, and discerning right from wrong by the Holy Spirit as knowledge is applied to circumstances. The harvest of abounding love is what we were created for in this life and in the next. Can I hear a passionate and enthusiastic Amen?
 

WHITE PAGES IN A BLACK BOOK

Liberia: It is less than a month before my departure. My passport and visa application are in Washington DC at the Liberian Embassy and I hope they will be coming home this week. Flights will be booked this week. I want to encourage you to continue to pray for the Pastors who will be attending training and for the teaching team. Thank you for your prayers, encouraging words, and support.

I recently read that the Bible has 1,189 chapters, only four of which do not involve a fallen world. Two of these chapters are found at the beginning of the Bible and two are found at the end of the Bible when a new heaven and earth are created. The Bible is like a book of black pages introduced by two white pages and ending with two white pages. What are written on those white pages?
On the first two pages we find man and woman created in the image of God, commissioned to be fruitful and multiply and to fill the earth and to subdue it. Mankind was to reproduce physically and to make known the image of God in and over all creation. This was to be done through the enabling given by God and in fellowship with God. Man was a natural, naive, untested, unproven, innocent, creation without precedent or history. This man choose to disobey God, failing his commission, resulting in a fallen world.

 On the last two pages of the victorious end of God's story we have resurrected man who is spiritual, wise, tested and proven, glorified, understanding man's failure in sin and God's purpose of redemption, worshiping God, ready and able to rule the world in God's name, in God's kingdom. God's original plan is now fulfilled, never to be disrupted. Glory to God.
What makes these last two white pages possible is what is found at the very center of the story - the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ for the sin of mankind, and the gracious work of God who joins us to Christ and justifies us in Christ. We shall indeed glory in the grace of God for all eternity.
For now we find ourselves in the middle of God's story, in this age of black pages, looking toward to new age of white pages to come. As believers we already have one foot in the eternal kingdom of God and we are called to pull the other foot into that kingdom by the renewing of our mind in line with the theology and worldview of the Bible, and by disciplining our bodies to serve the Spirit in all its compellings. We are to prepare our minds and hearts now for white page living and tell others about the possibility of white page living while we still live in this present evil world. What a Gospel, What a Christ, What a God, What a Grace, What a Story.

NEW DESIRES, NEW LIFE IN CHRIST

Liberia: My passport along with my visa application and payment have arrived at the Liberian embassy in Washington DC. Pray for quick processing and return so that this part of my preparations will be complete. Next is booking flights. Please pray for the Pastors we will be ministering to. These Pastors have a heavy responsibility to know the Gospel of Jesus Christ and to show how this Gospel can meet some very deep needs caused by war, disease, conflict and severe poverty. Pray that the Holy Spirit may work through these Pastors and churches that many may experience the transforming and sustaining power of the Gospel in Liberia.

"The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and to be saved. Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness." 2 Thessalonians 2.9-11. I was very much encouraged by this verse this week. How, you may ask, can a verse like this encourage me? Well this verse so clearly shows me that I am not of this world or of this age, but that I am a child of God in Jesus Christ and have new godly desires in the Holy Spirit. I do not believe what is false but it is very evident to me that I know and love and believe the truth, and my pleasure is not in unrighteousness but in righteousness. In fact I can strongly say that my desire for the kingdom of God is not to escape from this world (although I am looking forward to that) but to be fully righteous in every faculty of my new being while living in a righteous environment where there is no more sin, in the presence of a Holy and Righteous God. I thank God I am not blind, not deceived, not deluded, following Satan after false signs and wonders, but God has opened my eyes and made me a lover of truth in Christ.

 A believer in Christ is a supernaturally transformed person and this transformation applies to desires as well as thoughts. These new desires and thoughts in our human nature need to be supported daily by submitting our bodies to them and by saying no to those old and long-resident desires and thoughts generated in us by inherited and practiced sin. The Christ-like transformation is gradual and conflict is certain for those who choose this narrow road. We also help ourselves in this transformation by daily Bible reading and meditation, prayer, service and fellowship with like minded saints. Each believer is promised final glorification by the fact of their being foreknown, predestined, called and justified (Romans 8.29) but a number of believers seem to only casually pursue this road of transformation promised to all. May God give each of us a greater understanding and determination in accordance with Paul's prayer, "that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead". [Philippians 4.10-11]