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A Weekend To Remember

There is always an expectation that we will get a return on our investment.  No one wants to be like the guy who made a million dollars – out of two million!  Most of the time we do get a return, in line with the saying, “You only get out of something, what you put into it.”  That is for sure true in a marriage.

Many people go into marriage 50/50.  I put in my half and she puts in her half and together we make a whole out of it.  It doesn’t work that way!  Marriage is for two adults who each bring their healthy whole and God puts their 100/100 together to make one new whole.  The math doesn’t add up but that is how it works in God’s kingdom.

Margaret and I regularly invest into our marriage.  Recently we went to “A Weekend To Remember” marriage conference sponsored by Family Life Canada.  We have been asked, “Do you really need that after almost 30 years together?”  Here is what we get from our investment:

1.    Remember the basics!  You don’t get to finesse the puck into the net if you can’t get to the net with the puck!  (That’s a hint for all you sports minded dudes.)  It is amazing how we can forget the basic elements that make a relationship work well.  We need reminders about time and communication and our differences.
2.    Get a handle on it!  We often come away with a new way to verbalize issues.  We have words to put to things we are dealing with, for ourselves and for others we talk to.  We have a handle to put on a problem.
3.    Resources!  There are some great books out there that are standards, and there are new ones that bring perspective and insight.  I picked up one on “Coffee dates for couples.”  Time with my friend and coffee – now that’s a win/win!!
4.    Away with reason!  No, I don’t mean get rid of “reason,” I mean get away with purpose.  It’s good to go away, not just for time as a couple, but to take time to think and talk about us as a couple.  “How are we doing?” is a great question to ask regularly, even when the answer means we have some work to do. 

Even after 30 years we have more to learn and apply.  We have more to learn to help others.  It is worth the investment!  Want to invest a little yourself?  There is another “Weekend To Remember” in Niagara Falls in February.  That sounds like another win/win!  Now is the time to plan!  For more information go to www.powertochange.com

I know God’s will for me

There’s a ton of confusion over God’s revealed will versus his concealed will. I have a suspicion that if we paid closer attention to matters of his revealed will (what we already clearly know he requires of us), we would have far fewer issues with his concealed will (who should I marry? where should I live? what kind of shaving cream should I use?)

As Paul concludes his first letter to the Thessalonians, he fires off a bunch of final instructions to his readers saying, “This is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” As our time in 1 Thessalonians concludes we’re intent on confirming that the people we prove to be are people who know God’s will for us and are living it out.

But lest anyone be disappointed because they don’t come away knowing who their future spouse is to be, this is about God’s clearly revealed will.  These are the things we ought to be doing no matter where we work, what school we attend or who we’re married to.

Take some time to read through 1 Thessalonians 5:12-28 for Sunday and pray that God will indeed bring us to a greater place of obedience and blessing as we prove ourselves to truly be his followers.

See you Sunday,

Todd

Haiti

The earthquake of last January was devastating to the island nation of Haiti. Yet it is really just the latest blow to a country that has faced perpetual instability and poverty.  Since the earthquake, a hurricane, a cholera outbreak and post-election political tension have added to the misery and hardship.

Yet God is at work and there are many of his people in Haiti who are seeking day by day to continue to live for him amidst the nationwide struggle.

After the earthquake, a wave of relief efforts swung into action. As a fellowship of churches, we partnered with the Acts29 Network churches, raising $1.6 million for an effort that would be known as “Churches Helping Churches”. The idea is that while NGO’s, governments, and the U.N. will help rebuild streets, sewers, hospitals and such, there would be no one helping rebuild the churches that were destroyed.

And we, as the church, wanted to be involved in rebuilding churches as well as helping pastors lead those churches in the wake of the disaster.

When we announced the project, you responded in an amazing way, giving close to $20,000 to help churches in Haiti. A portion of that offering was given to two orphanages founded by Dave Lock, a Toronto businessman and member of Harvest Bible Chapel York Region.

On Sunday, December 5, Dave MacDonald and I will have the privilege of travelling to Haiti for five days to survey the work of Churches Helping Churches and the Freedom House orphan homes. In addition, Pastor Paul Whittingstall from HBC York Region, who will also be travelling in the group, and I will be preaching at the “Churches Helping Pastors” conference on Ile de la Gonave off the coast of Haiti on Thursday, December 9.

We are looking forward to serving the people of Haiti in Jesus’ name and on your behalf. Pray for us as we travel, observe, minister, preach and encourage the faithful servants of Christ who are persevering for him in Haiti.

Dave and I look forward to reporting back to the church here in Barrie on Sunday, December 12.

It is God who works in you

You know when you're reading through Scripture and there's that verse that really hits you right where you're at?  Well that verse for me of late has been Philippians 2:13 which says "For it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure." 

I don't know about you, but sometimes I find that I lack the will power to love and follow Christ.  Other things in my life become more important than they should and I shove my relationship with God to the back burner.  I slack off in my quiet time with him, I become less sensitive to the Spirit's leading in my life and I find that my desire to do his will kind of disappears...

So what do I usually do?  Well, what happens is I'll hear a convicting sermon or have a conversation with a friend and be reminded of how I've been neglecting God.  So in the past I've tried to dig deep and find that passion within me again only to be discouraged because what I find there is a love for myself and a desire to serve my flesh. 

This is where Philippians 2:13 cuts right to the heart.  It's God who works in me to will and to work.  My human strength has proved to be weak and doesn't cut it - I need more Holy Spirit power working in me to produce godly desire and strength to live for him.  I've found that the more I simply humble myself, admit my weakness and confess the sin of pride in my life, the more God works in my heart to transform me.  Loving Jesus with my whole life doesn't come from trying really hard to be better - it comes from realizing that I don't have that ability in and of myself, and I need the Spirit of God to be my strength and power. 

I love how God's Word remains so relevant and practical for every day life.  What verse/passage has stood out to you lately?

Mike

In the quiet, in the stillness I know that you are God

I am a night owl…well, I used to be…I’m in transition, desperately trying to train my body for mornings.  I am well aware that personal time with the Lord needs to be a significant priority and I tried, sometimes harder than other times, to keep my priorities straight and make sure that I spent time with the Lord every night before I went to bed. Lately I’d been failing in this a lot more than I’d been succeeding and many of my successes were weak.

My small group just finished reading Good to Great in God’s Eyes by Chip Ingram (GREAT read!) and the last chapter focused on developing great habits.  Kerry asked each of us to share what habit the Lord was laying on each of our hearts – I will admit to not being initially thrilled about what the Lord was laying on my heart but I knew that disobedience was no longer an option. I’ve been spending years making up excuses as to why I don’t spend my time with the Lord in the morning: “I’m a night owl, morning isn’t my ‘best’ time, the words don’t even make sense to me in the morning, people in my life don’t even try to talk to me before 9 a.m. so why would I spend my miserable hours of the day with God?” …I had more excuses than that but I will spare you!

Honestly as we went around the circle sharing what habits we needed to change I was pleading with the Lord to direct me to a different habit – pretty much anything other than getting up earlier would be fine. However, it was the Lord’s timing and I committed to turning things off earlier at night and trying for one month to get up earlier to spend time with the Lord. I’ve done pretty well with this new resolve and am about three quarters of the way through my specified time commitment…and I’m LOVING it.

The line from None but Jesus that says, “in the quiet, in the stillness I know that you are God” has a whole new meaning for me.  There is something so precious about sitting on my couch, wrapped in an afghan, fireplace on, listening to worship music, sipping coffee and spending time in God’s Word by the light of a lamp while the rest of the house is silent – I LOVE it.

I love that there hasn’t been any distraction to my day that early in the morning – no problems that need solving, no emails (that I know of) that need answering…I’m rested and ready to begin a day with my priorities straight and my heart being tuned to the Lord’s. I’ve found myself to be much more aware of my words, thoughts and actions and that I seem to be operating on more grace than I would say is usual for me.  I feel like my relationship with the Lord has grown immensely in three short weeks and I’m a bit stunned.

People have told me MANY times about the value of spending time with the Lord in the morning…and there are LOTS of verses in the Bible to support the idea of morning devo time – Psalm 5:3 for example - "O LORD, in the morning you hear my voice; in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you and watch." I’m not up preparing a sacrifice of anything but my time/sleep…I just needed to come to this on my own and in the Lord’s timing.

If you have the same excuses that I did let me challenge you to give mornings a shot for just one month to see if it makes a difference in your life.  You’ll likely need to be intentional – I have to write out the verses I’m reading that really stick out to me and I’m journaling my prayers daily…because early mornings aren’t my sharpest time of the day I do need some tools to ensure that my time with the Lord is meaningful…but it’s working!

Our Journey is another EXCELLENT tool – there are always copies at the bookstore on Sunday mornings. If this is a tool that benefits you make sure to order your copy for the new year!

I would love to hear from you what tools you use in your time with the Lord…

Amy

Where’s a good plumber when you need one?

It's been a full week. Going into it I knew it was already a week with a full calendar. Then some family stuff came up, the car had an unexpected repair and the week was full, full, full.  And by “full” I mean busy though I’m not overly fond of that word. I was just running from here to there with little time for other things that I want my life to be about: time to pause, reflect…think. I know that’s a challenge for anyone, but most of you who are reading this expect me to have something coherent and impactful to say on Sunday morning. And so, I need my mental faculties to be flowing. And I find that such seasons of busyness that invariably come up from time to time can lead to a genuine brain clog. I just can’t think about anything other than the things I have done and have yet to do. I am preoccupied with the fifteen things I have to do today and tomorrow. There’s no time to think.

There’s a clog and I need a brain plumber. There’s so much stuff in my head, I can't think about other things…important things. Essential things.

I recently led our small group in a study of Chip Ingram’s book, Good to Great in God’s Eyes. One chapter was titled “Think Great Thoughts” and among the great thoughts we could possible think about is the one we’ll look at together this Sunday in 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11…Jesus is coming again. And as much as that is an amazing and encouraging thought, I was simply having trouble getting my head around it this week.

So I took some time to get quiet and allow a particular song to push that clog out. It is one we’ll be singing this Sunday morning in worship and again at our concert of prayer in the evening.  It is a beautiful and amazing song based on Revelation 4 where the Apostle John wrote this account of his vision of heaven,

After this I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven! And the first voice, which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet, said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.” At once I was in the Spirit, and behold, a throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne. And he who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian, and around the throne was a rainbow that had the appearance of an emerald. Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and seated on the thrones were twenty-four elders, clothed in white garments, with golden crowns on their heads. From the throne came flashes of lightning, and rumblings and peals of thunder, and before the throne were burning seven torches of fire, which are the seven spirits of God, and before the throne there was as it were a sea of glass, like crystal.
                  And around the throne, on each side of the throne, are four living creatures, full of eyes in front and behind: the first living creature like a lion, the second living creature like an ox, the third living creature with the face of a man, and the fourth living creature like an eagle in flight. And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within, and day and night they never cease to say,
 
                  “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty,
                                    who was and is and is to come!”
 
                   And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who is seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne, saying,
 
                  “Worthy are you, our Lord and God,
                                    to receive glory and honor and power,
                  for you created all things,
                                    and by your will they existed and were created.”

 
Here's the song:

As I read this and hear the song, I begin to understand that there is no possibility of being distracted, clogged or whatever we would call it if we were actually in the presence of the Lord. There is no greater thought. No greater preoccupation for our lives. There is no one more awesome or more worthy of our attention. His name is Jesus Christ.  But I’m not there yet. I’m here facing all the struggles, distractions and busyness of life on planet earth.

So I must grasp for moments when I get it. I can choose to shut off the TV, close down the Internet, shut myself in a room. I can take some discretionary things off of my calendar and think these great thoughts instead…

Jesus Christ is the creator of all things. In him all things consist and hold together. It is this Jesus who came in human flesh and dwelt among us. It is Jesus who showed us the way, who made the way, who is the way to an abundant life here and eternal life hereafter. It is Jesus who provided us the perfect example that we should follow him.  It is Jesus who opened not his mouth in defense though he was falsely accused and brutally mistreated by those whom he loved and came to save. This Jesus submitted himself to a cruel death though he was perfect and sinless and more than powerful enough to stop it. He took on our guilt and shame and became sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God. This Jesus died and was buried. And he was gloriously resurrected to new life having conquered sin and death and thereby providing the means by which we can be reconciled to God. This Jesus is alive! He ascended to heaven and sits at the right hand of the throne on high. And Jesus gave us the promised Holy Spirit as a guarantee of what is to come. The Spirit is our helper, our comforter, and the one who comes alongside us until the day Jesus comes again to take us with him and to be with him forever.   

It is that thought that must consume me. With everything I know about Jesus, the thought that he is coming back is the greatest of all because everything else in redemptive history drives to this magnificent conclusion…“and so we will ever be with the LORD!” Oh let me think that thought throughout today! Let me think of nothing else.  Let that thought alter everything about my day…my attitudes, my words, my actions.

Paul gave his readers in Thessalonica these words of encouragement and assurance as he spoke to them about the end of the age and the coming of the Lord, “For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him.” 1 Thessalonians 5:9-10 ESV.

We’ll take a run at hearing what God has for us as we gather as the church on Sunday morning. Have your Bibles and hearts open to receiving that, and be sure to get the clogs in your brain cleared so nothing gets in the way of us fully grasping that Jesus is coming again.
 
See you Sunday.
 
Todd

A War of Attrition

Sometimes in a conflict two armies get positioned so neither has an advantage.  This is not a peace treaty, or even a truce, or even a cessation of hostilities.  It is not a stalemate.  It is a continuation of hostilities where men and women are continuing to die and be maimed.  It is called a war of attrition because each side is losing resources.  Without something changing the winner will be the side with the most to lose, so to speak. 

Perhaps it is not the best picture to use but there is another war of attrition going on.  Every organization that is empowered by volunteers faces it.  In the ongoing battle to serve, people who have been faithful, for various reasons, are unable to carry on.  On our shift at Barrie Out of the Cold, two members are not back this year because of health struggles.  We have recruited two couples to replace them but there are many positions not filled.  Sixteen men are needed for various 6 a.m. – 8 a.m. shifts.  Check out the needs for this particular organization online.

I was told most volunteer driven organizations are experiencing a slow response to recruiting efforts this year.  One of the practices that makes some organizations successful is that they are always recruiting.  (That doesn’t mean everyone who applies gets in!)  These armies know that sometime, somebody is going to have to stop serving and they will need to replace them.  Everyone who oversees a ministry here at Harvest knows this is true.  We are always recruiting, and we are looking for you!  (Of course, as we learned, we are not looking for volunteers, but slaves of Jesus Christ!) 

One of the marks of a true disciple is that they work for Christ.  Both inside Harvest and out there, your efforts are needed in a battle worth fighting.  Quite honestly, we have an incredible number of people doing double-duty.  (Thank you!)  How about you?  Can I ask you to consider signing on?  I would be glad to talk about it if you have questions.  It would be great if you leave a comment to tell us where help is needed.   Sign on, strengthen resources, bring a change and tip the scale!

Roger

Six Ways to Protect Your Kids on YouTube

The following article is taken from the Covenant Eyes blog.

YouTube.com is a force to be reckoned with in the digital world. Undoubtedly, it is the number one video-sharing website, with two billion videos viewed every day around the globe. YouTube lives up to its name, enabling everyday Internet users to create their own channel online, a place to showcase their own video masterpieces for public consumption.

“YouTube, of course, can be a very wonderful, creative medium,” says Cris Clapp Logan of Enough is Enough, “a place where kids can, at times, showcase their lives in a healthy way—in an entertaining way—but it should really only be used with close guidance and supervision from an adult.” Mrs. Logan contends that parents need to keep a close eye on both what their kids are viewing and what they are posting on YouTube.

Harmful Content

With more than 24 hours of footage uploaded every minute, it is impossible for YouTube staff to monitor this content alone.

“If you go on YouTube, you’ll find a lot of videos that are promoting drug abuse, that are promoting binge drinking, promoting unhealthy behaviours like anorexia and bulimia,” Logan said. But her largest area of concern is sexual content. “There is so much pornography—so much user generated pornography—and a lot of content that could actually be deemed as obscenity online that kids can have free and easy access to through YouTube.”

YouTube does have its own set of community guidelines that prohibit people from posting things like sex, nudity, hate speech, harassment, illegal acts, gory content, and other inappropriate videos. But a video can technically meet these guidelines and still have provocative content.

In 2009 the Media Research Center published an official report about the volume of sexually suggestive content on YouTube. They searched for the word "porn” on YouTube and studied the 157 most popular search results—videos that had been viewed more than 1 million times each. Two-thirds of these videos advertised themselves as being actual pornography, and many showed brief clips from porn films, interviews with porn stars, or advertisements for porn sites or phone sex lines.

Malicious users have been known to post blatantly pornographic video content on YouTube, pairing it with video clips of children’s programming. Children click on these videos and watch several minutes of what appears to be a benign program, only to have the video content suddenly switch to adults having sexual intercourse.

In addition, user-generated comments under each video can include foul language, or at times, links to inappropriate websites. Often appropriate videos will be paired next to other suggested videos that are not appropriate.

In short, YouTube can be a visual minefield.

YouTube Tips for Parents

In a “broadcast yourself” culture, parents are in a unique position to help the Internet generation guard their eyes and hearts.

   1. Establish a YouTube account for yourself – It is both easy and free to sign up for an account. Simply go to YouTube.com and click on the “Create Account” link in the top right-hand corner. You will be asked a few details about yourself, including a date of birth. By stating you are over 18 you will be able to have access to all of YouTube’s content, including content not available to minors or those who don’t have an account. Make sure you guard your password so no one else can access your account.
   2. Monitor YouTube – Make sure your underage kids have not lied about their age and created their own 18+ YouTube accounts. Check your kids Internet history, or better yet, use good Web accountability services like Covenant Eyes to see which YouTube videos they view.
   3. Restrict YouTube – Cris Logan says, “We know that 79% of a child’s access to inappropriate content occurs right through the home. If a parent is doing their job with regard to parental control and filters, the likelihood of their child accidentally coming across pornographic material will be significantly reduced.” YouTube has created something called “Safety Mode” to help parents to better guard against adult content. While this is a good precaution, it will not catch all inappropriate content and can be circumvented with relative ease. That’s why it can be helpful to go with software solutions, like the Covenant Eyes Filter, that can selectively filter inappropriate videos.
   4. Get to know YouTube – Cris Logan recommends parents start surfing around on YouTube, see what this video sharing culture is like for themselves, “and be ready to have an open dialogue—an ongoing dialogue—with your child regarding what they’re seeing, what they’re doing with this site.”
   5. “Flag” videos and teach your kids about flagging – Beneath each YouTube video is a small flag icon. When logged into your account you can “flag” a video you deem inappropriate. Usually YouTube staff will review this video within an hour or so. As you use YouTube, train yourself and your teens to be good cyber citizens and call out videos that do not meet the community guidelines.
   6. Have fun with YouTube – There are thousands of videos on YouTube to enjoy. As you come across these videos, you can make them one of your favourites in your account. Perhaps you will want to create an account for your teen (YouTube account holders who are 13 to 17 years of age do not have access to all the videos on YouTube). You can then start creating a catalogue of these favorite videos for you and your family to enjoy.

To hear the whole interview with Cris Logan about YouTube, visit the Covenant Eyes blog, Breaking Free.