A GREAT VICTORY

I love Bible stories. I love them because they are exciting and mostly because they are true. I love to read how God worked in people's lives and circumstances. I also love to read the Word of God because no matter how many times I read it over and over again, something new stands out and speaks to me about God's character or purpose, or about mankind, or about how God is moving history to His final conclusion.
I have been reading through Samuel and was much encouraged by 2 Samuel 23.11-12. "And next to him was Shammah, the son of Agee the Hararite. The Philistines gathered together at Lehi, where there was a plot of ground full of lentils, and the men fled from the Philistines. But he took his stand in the midst of the plot and defended it and struck down the Philistines, and the Lord worked a great victory." First of all you have to appreciate the name of the hero in this story, Shammah the son of Agee the Hararite. But above all the courage of Shammah is so amazing. The men fled from the Philistines, but Shammah took his stand in the midst of the plot of Lentils. Shammah was not looking for victory to keep the Lentil field for Israel. Like David before Goliath, Shammah was standing for the Glory of God against the enemies of the Lord. Shammah gave everything he had and would have given his very life in standing for his Lord and the Glory of God if needed. Then, and here is the best part of the story, God worked a victory. No actually, God worked a GREAT victory.

God honors the courage of those who make a stand for Him. The "and" result may be death. The "and" result may appear as failure for the moment. But as sure as God is God, the "and" result will by the working of God in a great victory. Some victories are evident at once. Shammah was recognized by David as one of his mighty men. Other victories will only be evident in eternity. God is the one who decides when the story, our story, will come to an end and be fully told. We are called to take our stand against the enemies of God. As Ephesians 6 exhorts us, "stand against", "withstand", "stand firm", "stand therefore".
I rejoice at the thought of one man, Jesus, standing against his enemy, Satan, to win the greatest victory of all, redemption for those who have faith in Jesus Christ, eternal life with God. What a GREAT VICTORY. Glory to God.
Christian you have your orders from God, "take a stand" for God's Glory and God's name against the enemies of God. Tell the Gospel, live the truth, expect the victory of God.

PLASTIC BRAIN MOLDED BY SIN

"The iniquities of the wicked ensnare him, and he is held fast in the cords of his sin" Proverbs 5.22
The brain is plastic. "'Every experience begins and ends in your brain. The actual physical patterns of the brain have a dramatic impact on how we think, feel and behave from moment to moment.' There is a competitive nature of brain plasticity that effects each of us. This is the 'use it of lose it' quality. Without getting too technical, a synaptic pruning of neurological connections occurs. The thoughts and emotions we "feed" as we mature become strengthened, while those we ignore diminish - some to the point of annihilation. The more we practice an activity the more ingrained it becomes in our brain, mapping out brains for future similar experiences. The saying goes, neurons that fire together, wire together". [Closing the Flood Gates by A.E. Gillies p.49]

Our brains are not hard-wired but molded by the actions we repeat which create a brain map. What is then mapped in the brain becomes the compulsions that drive the individual to pursue more and more of the same experience. The conclusion for some who continue to practice certain sins may be that "I was born this way" because the brain map has so much become their driving compulsion. Our bodies and brains are so intricately connected that we can become slaves to sin as the Bible teaches, feeling that we can never be set free from this habitual slavery to sin. But God is able to bring forgiveness and break the bondage of sin from those past actions. The brain can be renewed and will be restored over time through a new slavery to righteousness. We are indeed fearfully and wonderfully made and become what God has created us to be when we are submitted to the God of all Grace.

YOUR BODY FOR GOD

Philippines in May: I have been invited to join the teaching team to the Philippines Mindanao site from May 24th to June 3rd to teach the book of 2 Timothy and I have accepted this opportunity. This is the last of nine courses in the three year curriculum for this site. I have been to this site twice already and it will be encouraging to see these Pastors graduate. So please pray for me and for all that is required for this next trip. You can find more information at this link <https://trainingleadersinternational.org/short-term/260/philippines-mindanao-may-2018>

 In Romans 12.1, Paul exhorts all of us who profess to be saved (brothers, and this includes sisters also) to present our bodies to God. The verb "present" is in the aorist tense which means one past action with present ongoing consequences. As Christians we have in our confession that Jesus is our Lord already presented our bodies to God. We need to daily work out this offering that we have already made to God as part of our confession of faith in Jesus Christ.
We are no longer slaves to serve sin with our bodies but we are now enslaved to righteousness by the Grace of God (Romans 6.18). God bought all of us at the cross with his blood and this includes our bodies. One day we will get glorified bodies but for now we live in these mortal bodies so used to serving sin. But we are not to serve sin with these bodies but we are to serve God. We have no basis whatsoever to say we cannot serve God with our bodies and that they need to be satisfied with sin, even if only occasionally. The teaching of the New Testament is quite emphatic about the capacity God has given us to be holy and for our bodies to serve God. Our bodies include our mind, will and emotions. By walking with God in the Spirit we CAN present our bodies to God as a sacrifice of worship.

 We are to present our bodies as a living sacrifice. Saying no to sin which the body loves so much, and yes to God, may feel as empty and painful as death itself, and it is death to the flesh. Presenting our bodies to God is a living sacrifice empowered by God. We are to present our bodies as holy to God and as an acceptable sacrifice to God.
This presentation of our bodies as a living sacrifice to God involves the transformation of our minds from thinking like the world, like the way we once thought, to thinking like God and applying God's truth to all our circumstances and relationships.
We worship God with our bodies by our words, actions, attitudes, thoughts, our clothes, what we watch, our social media, how we satisfy our desires, what occupies our minds, and how we use our time.
It seems to me that many Christians are not aware of how much the body is part of the process of becoming holy (sanctification). Romans 6 is worth a month's meditation on this subject.
My prayer is that I would become wholly holy by presenting my body to God as a living sacrifice.

LIBERIA REPORT

As promised, I want to give you a report of my trip to Liberia last month with Training Leaders International.
I left Toronto on the evening of Thursday, December 7th and arrived the next morning in Amsterdam to meet the other 5 team members who arrived from various parts of the United States. We left Amsterdam together late Friday afternoon and flew to Sierra Leone for a stopover and then on to Monrovia, the capital of Liberia, landing after midnight. We were met at the airport by Pastor Thomas and some helpers and were driven to our hotel about an hour away. The windows of the car were opened, the weather was hot and the air was filled with the smell of smoke.

TLI team with Pastor Dyonah Thomas

 On Saturday we had a time of rest, went to a restaurant for lunch, had a quick tour of Monrovia, and went to some souvenir shops. The poverty of Liberia was evident everywhere I looked but I also noticed much new construction as a sign of a stable and growing economy and this was encouraging. Two civil wars ended in 1997 and the Ebola crisis ended in 2015 but stability seems to have finally come to Liberia.
On Sunday I was privileged to preach at Divine Love Resurrection Bible Center for Pastor Haven M. Johnson. This is a small church who loves Jesus and I sensed was being built on the Word of God. This too was encouraging.
From Monday to Thursday we taught for 5 3/4 hours each day and for 2 3/4 hours on Friday on Biblical Theology. The students, I had 14 in my class and 75 Pastors attended in total, had to read four chapters of a book which we had given them on the unified story of the Bible each evening, had a test each morning on the previous day's material, and will be writing an assignment to be handed-in in March before the next teaching session. These standards of achievement are part of Pastor Dyonah's intention to get government certification for Grace College. I had a busy week of teaching and knew without a doubt that I was sustained each day by prayer. I actually felt a special physical strength and mental awareness each day.
One of the highlights of the teaching was on Thursday just after lunch. Normally after lunch is a time of students nodding off and finding it hard to concentrate but one student asked a question and this cascaded into over an hour and one half of questions on church and pastoral practice, some of the circumstances they were encountering in their churches and communities, personal questions and so on. This question and answer time was worth the whole trip to me. Here is a picture of my class. I am the short white guy 😊. As I mentioned already, half of my class have been Christians for less than 12 years and are Pastors of churches without having had any formal training.

My class, 14 of 75 Pastors

Another highlight of my trip was my communication with the grade 4/5 class of Calvary Christian school which is the class of my grandson Jonas. I was able to direct them in some research on the country of Liberia. They in turn sent questions to my class in Liberia. My class sent them a video greeting and they in turn sent a greeting to my class. Part of that video was filmed in the snow which my class in Liberia found amazing. I was glad to be able to expose these students on both sides of the Atlantic to each other and the grade 4/5 class to a mission perspective. I will be speaking in the school chapel tomorrow and 1/2 of their Mission Fundraiser this year will support my next TLI trip.
We left Liberia on Friday just after midnight after a stop for supper at a beach resort on the Atlantic and arrived in Amsterdam on Saturday morning each team member then making their way home. I arrived home early Saturday evening because some gracious friends came to the airport and lovingly brought this tired brother home to his wife.

I have attached two files below. One is a testimony of Pastor Dyonah Thomas' vision for Grace College [excuse the background noises which I did try to filter out as best I could]. The second file is the latest Grace College newsletter. I found page 4 and 5 a great story of God's work in Liberia. Enjoy. Click on file name to open file in a new window.

Dyonah Thomas testimony

Newsletter

Final note. I posted this on Facebook this morning. "Would you commit to this? I have been praying about starting a prayer meeting in our home to pray for the continent of Africa. Each month we would pray for a different country and people and missions working in that country. This meeting would be on a Thursday evening from 6:30 to 8:00 pm once a month. Please answer yes publicly or privately only if you would actually commit to attending not just because you think it is a good idea for us to start this. Thank you." ron and gloria 

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