We went to Wilson’s Prom for the first time last week and I fell in love. Squeaky Beach was delightfully pristine, beautiful, and squeaky. The sand was perfect for the boys, and the view was spectacular.
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Christmas is a season of gifts – not just toys and presents to our loved ones, but gifts of service, forgiveness, and generosity towards those who aren’t on our “nice” list. It’s also a great time to remember those who are in need. Here’s a list from ADRA in Victoria that may inspire you to get into the holiday spirit:
From Day 31 of “Forty Days Wild” by Pastor Troy Fitzgerald:
“Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside. He was teaching in their synagogues, and everyone praised him. He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written: “the Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. the eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is ful lled in your hearing.” (Luke 4:14-21)
From “Forty Days Wild” by Pr Troy Fitzgerald:
“When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.” Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.” When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and led both boats so full that they began to sink. When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” (Luke 5:3-8)
Waterskiing didn’t look complicated. “How hard can it really be?” I thought to myself as the group of girls asked me if I knew how to waterski and whether I would like to go.
If you’ve joined our 40 days with Jesus challenge, then you might have read Day 11: Mirroring the Mind of Christ from Pastor Troy Fitzgerald’s book, “Forty Days Wild.” Here is an excerpt from Day 11 that really touched me:
It’s November. In just a few months, 2017 will be history. Christmas is just around the corner and there are still too much to do, but I’m running out of steam.
I’m treading water, but just.
Excerpt taken from my favourite little book “Shine on Beautiful Soul” written by Jennifer Gerelds. I hope you find it strengthening and empowering!
We are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world…Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armour so you will be able to resist the enemy. – Ephesians 6:12-13
Every morning you roll out of bed and head to the bathroom. Yes, there it is, the mirror with your disheveled reflection in it. Already you know the drill: Brush teeth, take a shower, find an outfit, fix your hair, and brace yourself for the day’s tasks you can already hear calling your name.
One night I dreamed a dream.
As I was walking along the beach with my Lord.
Across the dark sky flashed scenes from my life.
For each scene, I noticed two sets of footprints in the sand,
One belonging to me and one to my Lord.
I was born into a Seventh-day Adventist family and grew up attending Adventist schools and, for the most part, attending Sabbath School and Church Services. One of the many consistencies throughout this very consistent upbringing was, and still is, the Bible.
However, while it was always there, I never really understood the importance of this book. Sure, I had been told that it was God’s Word, I was to treat it with respect and it provided a great source of test material for many of my teachers’ who delighted in forcing my fellow classmates and I to learn ‘memory verses’. This was the extent to which I interacted
with the Bible until the age of about 15.
Then, due to my attendance at an Adventist secondary school I had to study the subject ‘Texts and Traditions’. Sometime during the remainder of my time at Secondary School I studied The Gospel of John.
My mind was blown, my eyes were opened somewhat wider and my life was changed.
Now, I think that most Christian related life changing experiences seem to have to do with accepting Christ as a personal saviour, for me that came later. Until this point people had told me that the Bible was amazing ‘because it spanned hundreds of years and yet remained consistent and that many of the authors we poorly educated but had somehow (most likely divine intervention) managed to write coherent stories, poetry or sermons.’
But in studying the Gospel of John I realised that the Bible was more amazing than I had ever imagined. I had no idea that one book, indeed even one passage, could be read into on so many different levels. I mean on the surface, the Gospel of John tells a story but if you break it down, the very first verse is amazing in itself. It obviously links back to the book of Genesis referencing ‘the beginning’ and then says some strange things about ‘The Word’.
I remember our first assignment when studying John – Our teacher told us that the key term of the Gospel of John was “Word” or in the Greek “Logos” and we were to investigate what was meant by “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (John 1:1) As this is not a Bible study I won’t go into a dissertation of my findings but I was, from this point on, hooked on John.
My study took me deep into Jewish traditions and festivals, parallel imagery of light and dark, birth and death, significant numbers, metaphors about water and bread and, most importantly, forced into decisions about who this man Jesus actually is. And that’s still only scratching the surface! So impressed was I by the masterful use of linguistic structures in this text that I wanted to know if other books offered the same kind of depth. I got hold of some bible commentaries, concordances and interlinear translations of the Bible and was not disappointed.
The consistency of the Bible as a whole, the links between the books and the complex structuring yet in many cases simple prose and beautiful poetry leaves me in awe. I literally can’t find the words (even with a thesaurus) to express how amazing this collection of books really is! I’m not sure that those who told me that the Bible was amazing ‘because it spanned hundreds of years and yet remained consistent and that many of the authors were poorly educated but had somehow (most likely divine intervention) managed to write coherent stories, poetry or sermons’ actually understood how they were completely underselling the Word of God to me.
Now, I used to love to pore over my commentaries, concordances and interlinear translations but somehow life as a working adult has become busier than I was as a studying student and I find myself either time or energy poor. However, resources are so readily available now days – you don’t need to buy a several volume commentary, concordance and interlinear Bible – you can find them all on the internet.
I would also highly recommend checking out The Bible Project as a fantastic starting point to studying The Word. It lays out in simple terms how to read the Bible while giving each book historical context and alluding to topics and themes for further study.
In closing I am reminded of one of my favourite texts in John “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6) and what I found when I studied into what it means to be a ‘follower of the way’.
“Peace in Midst of the Storm” Jack Dawson
“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippines 4:6-7
What do you envision when you think of a peaceful life? A life free from trouble and drama, or perhaps full of luxury and ease?
When we normally think of having a peaceful life, we assume this means a life where hardships for the most part are removed and thus tranquillity results. We pray for the removal of impediments so peace can prevail.
However, God’s peace is not necessarily about removing tribulations as it is about fortifying our hearts and minds in spite of them. God’s peace stands in the midst of hardship, not in the absence of them.
God’s peace is depicted as a guard to our hearts and minds. It is active during troubled times. It is not the default passive peace that befalls us when on a relaxing holiday for several weeks. His peace transcends circumstance.
This type of peace perplexes the natural world and the natural man. That is why it is called the peace that surpasses all understanding.
How do you obtain God’s supernatural peace? It is a gift to believers “in Christ Jesus” who petition their requests to God.
Jesus states in John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”
In Mark 4:39, Jesus calms a storm. His disciples wake him while aboard a ship fearing for their lives. Jesus commands the storm ‘Peace! Be still!’ and the storm ceased. Jesus later scolds his disciples by asking “Why are you still afraid? Do you still have no faith?”
Note how Jesus is recorded as sleeping during a storm. His disciples full of fear and doubt wake him asking in verse 38, “Teacher, don’t you care that we are perishing?” The lack of faith in Christ Jesus is the real hindrance to our peace. God’s peace is an inner calmness despite the outward storm. It is a gift to those who have faith in the promises of scripture and a source of strength when we need it the most.
The next time we find ourselves wrought with anxiety, may we be graced with this peace that can calm both a stormy sea and any tempests that howls in our hearts.