More Than Words...

Many Christians today read Galatians as if it were primarily about personal salvation:  salvation is by faith, not by works. That is certainly part of Paul’s message.  But it is not the whole story. Paul’s deeper concern in Galatians is whether churches themselves are aligned with the true gospel and living in step with it as a community . The issue is not just how individuals are saved. It is whether churches are  walking the straight line of the gospel . Paul states the problem bluntly at the beginning of the letter: “I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel.” (Galatians 1:6–7) Throughout the letter, he returns to this concern, especially in Galatians 2:14, 5:2–12, and 6:12–16 . Something had shifted in the Galatian churches. The gospel had begun to be subtly redefined. “Not in Step With the Truth of the Gospel” One of the most revealing moments comes when Paul confr...

  As I think about the things God has been teaching me over the past year, one moment stands out with surprising clarity. It was the experience of tasting what has come to be known—at least in our family—as a two-million-dollar bottle of wine . Shortly after Sue and I arrived at my father-in-law’s house, he pulled me aside and said, “I was saving this bottle of wine for when the hospital was complete. I’d like to share it with you and Sue over dinner sometime this week.” Several years earlier, he had purchased a rare bottle of wine with a very specific purpose in mind. He was deeply invested—financially and personally—in the construction of a children’s hospital. The project wasn’t just a business venture; it was a labor of love. He had poured his expertise into it, along with nearly all of his savings. Other family members had invested as well. If the project had succeeded, his payout would have been approximately two million dollars. But through a series of unfortunate events...

  A couple of weeks ago, I witnessed a scene in the mall that has stayed with me. After grabbing a hot coffee and finding a seat in the food court, I opened my laptop to catch up on some emails. Suddenly, I heard an excited lady exclaim in a loud voice, "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you, Pastor!" I looked up to see a middle-aged woman completely overjoyed as a young pastor unloaded a small grocery cart filled with potatoes, tomatoes, bread, and fresh fruit into her arms. "Thank you! You remembered me," she said. After handing over the groceries, he offered a short prayer, gave her a big hug, and then continued on his way. It was an overcast Monday morning when I had not seen a single smile, only many tired and weary commuters with heads down and shoulders hunched. That scene felt like a bright light piercing through the darkness, and her joy was contagious. A few moments later, a young mom and her child took a seat at the table in front of her. The two connected with...

Jesus knew that the kingdom He was establishing would be so different from what people were accustomed to that He spent much of His ministry teaching about the Kingdom of God.  At times, He directly contrasted His kingdom with the ways of earthly kingdoms, as He does in Matthew 20:25-28. In this passage, Jesus explains to His disciples that the way authority is exercised in God’s kingdom is very different from the ways of earthly kingdoms.  Leadership in His kingdom is not about power and control but humility and service. The kingdoms of this world rely on power, force, wealth, and hierarchy. Success and greatness in leadership are seen as climbing up the ladder to a position of status where one can give executive orders from the top and enforce change on those below to control outcomes and make things happen. But Jesus tells His followers, “Not so with you.” God’s kingdom operates differently, and He points to Himself as the example.   So, how does Jesus exerci...

The Bible tells a unified story of God’s plan to overcome evil and restore all of creation through Jesus, who died and rose again to build His redeemed family—the church and bring God’s good kingdom rule.  However, God’s kingdom is not coming all at once; we live in an overlap of time where God is rescuing people from the world’s kingdoms into His kingdom, which has already begun but will not be fully realized until Jesus returns.  As His kingdom people, we are called to live by the values and ways of his kingdom, yet we often adopt the world’s ways of thinking about success, life, and the church.  Paul warns us in Colossians 2:8 not to be taken captive by worldly philosophies. Yet, if we don’t put some effort into realigning our thinking with God’s kingdom, we risk embracing a version of Christianity that fits into cultural expectations but lacks the power to transform lives. The first section of Acts tells the story of the coming of the Holy Spirit and the very beg...

Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.    -   Ephesians 5:15–21 ESV What is the big purpose of your earthly life now that you belong to Jesus Christ?  The New Testament reveals that God's explicit will for your life involves serving Christ by pursuing his way of life and joining him in making disciples.  All of which brings glory to his name. (Col 2:6-8, 5:17, Matt 28:18-20, Acts 1:6-8) How are you going to do this? Well, that's the million-dollar questi...

  The Gospel has two shoes.  The church reformers of the sixteenth century were right when they insisted that salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone.   Yet the good news of the gospel is not only that we are saved by grace, but also that we are called by grace into Christ's plan for his church.  The pattern of teaching throughout the New Testament often referred to as 'the faith' or 'sound doctrine', lays out the basics for both our salvation and  for fulfilling our calling.  "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,  not a result of works, so that no one may boast.  For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." - Ephesians 2:8–10 (ESV) Christian faith is not merely mental assent to the facts about Jesus.   Just agreeing with the great truths of the gospel; is som...

This week the city of Toronto, in response to COVID-19, made wearing a mask mandatory in any public building, no sooner did the bylaw go into effect and there were people protesting their rights and refusing to wear a mask.  This seems to be the typical response of a number of people, many of whom are Christians.  I can sympathize with the concerns about government restrictions yet I wonder if our response is really any different from those who have no knowledge of Christ.    I've been studying Luke chapter twenty and looking closely at how Jesus responds to the religious authorities who oppose him which has raised a couple of important questions:    How should followers of Jesus respond to the authorities in this world?   And how are we responding to God’s authority in our lives? The question the spies bring to Jesus in Luke 20:20-26 is meant to be an impossible question.  Should we pay taxes to Caesar?  (This question is very...

Not so many months ago we were happy to pay millions of dollars to see someone slam dunk a basketball but we gave little thought about how well we paid nurses or personal support workers. All that has changed now. The global response to COVID-19 is revealing how important certain types of work are; work that we’ve often taken for granted and undervalued. One of the things this pandemic has shined a spotlight on is the important work of mothers. Mothers have been thrust into managing their homes and serving their families at a whole new level during this lock-down. Mom, you are now home 24/7 with children, feeding them, caring for them, and educating them now that school has gone online. Some Moms are doing all this and are also expected to work another job from home. I can’t even imagine the burden of being a single mom with a toddler right now. To make things even worse modern-day philosophies and values marginalize the hard work associated with raising children and managing homes ...

A friend of mine sent me an excerpt from Francis Chan's book Forgotten God as a reminder of two key factors that blind us to God's presence and activity in our lives: Comfort (a life that is too safe) and Volume (a life that is too noisy). Being on Sabbatical I've been struck by the amount of noise (What Chan calls Volume) is now part of our culture and how hard it is to get away from messages, tweets, updates, constant demands, and distractions.  Developing a healthy rhythm of work/rest that includes being still before God and turning off our devices is something we need to be very intentional about!   And it often means being willing to accomplish a little less and forgo some comforts in order to live more simply. I agree with Chan that we need some discomfort.  In a culture where comfort and convenience are of ultimate value, we often avoid the medicine required to cure the disconnect we feel.    Ironically, it is a...