Devotion 2.29/81: John 15:13: Life

Presented to River Street Cafe, 11 November 2016

Read John 15:12-15

Greater love has no man than to lay down his life for his friends, John 15:13.

On November 11, 1918, the armistice was signed to end the Great War, the war to end all wars – the First World War. Canadians, our friends and our family, in service to God, King, and country, marched overseas to lay down their lives for our friends.

Greater love has no man than to lay down his life for his friends.

On November 11, 1813, 200+ years ago, Canadians repulsed an horrific enemy invasion, with the help of our friends, the British and the First Nations. We laid down our life for our family. They laid down their life for us, their friends.

Greater love has no man than to lay down his life for his friends.

On November 11, we remember also our friends and families who headed overseas for World War II, in service to God, King, and country to lay down their lives for their friends.

Greater love has no man than to lay down his life for his friends.

In the Cold War that followed, again Canadians headed overseas – this time to Korea – to offer our lives on behalf of our allies and to lay down our lives for our friends.

Greater love has no man than to lay down his life for his friends.

As the cold war progressed, Canadians donned blue berets for the first time protecting and reconciling populations, and still offering our lives for our friends.

Greater love has no man than to lay down his life for his friends.

2000 years ago, Jesus died on the cross so that we all may live.

Greater love has no man than to lay down his life for his friends.

Through the real horrors of the wars a great thing happened: Canada’s primary foes during 1814, 1914, and 1944 are now some of our closest allies. Our soldiers laid down their lives for us, their friends. And they laid down their lives so that we could be reconciled to our brothers. Canada is reconciled to her old foes and united with them more than ever because of the sacrifice of friends, siblings, parents, grandparents, our veterans.

Greater love has no man than to lay down his life for his friends.

And it was through Jesus’ death and resurrection that we all may experience this same reconciliation with God.

Jesus laid down his life for us, his friends.

Jesus is the Prince of Peace and today we are still fighting for peace as our soldiers are still laying down their lives so that one day the dreams of World War I can be realized; one day ‘the war to end all wars’ will finally have been fought and then their deaths will not have been in vain for their will be no more need for tears or for brave young men and women lay down their lives for their friends.

Today as we remember those who have laid down their lives for us, their friends, so that we could be reconciled with our old foes, let us us – as veterans do every year – remember that Christ laid down his life for us, his friends so that we could be reconciled to God.

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Devotion 2.28/80: Genesis 18:14: Nothing

Presented to River Street Cafe, 04 November 2016

Read Genesis 18:1-15.

Every month we go to the Arthur Meighen Centre to lead a service for the senior citizens. Can you imagine if when we are at the retirement home next a ninety year-old lady gives birth? This is the miracle of Isaac’s birth. Nothing is too difficult for God.

An angel of the Lord tells Abraham that his 90 year-old wife will give birth.Sarah hears this and she laughs. The Angel calls her on it, saying, ‘why did you laugh when I said you were going to have a baby’? Sarah replies, ‘I didn't laugh’; The Angel says, ‘yes you did’; so God and the Angel call her child ‘Isaac’ which means ‘Laughter’ to remind her and us not to doubt the power and the providence of God. Nothing is too difficult for God.  

Every time Abraham and Sarah would be tempted to doubt that in the future they simply had to laugh or recall their son Isaac’s name, and they would be reminded of his miraculous birth and that nothing is too difficult for God.

This is important. Nothing is too difficult for God. Sarah and Abraham had some really difficult challenges in their lives but nothing is too difficult for God. Twice Sarah said that she was Abraham`s sister instead of his wife so people wouldn’t kill her husband and take her away. And even though Abraham and Sarah messed things up by trying to solve the problem on their own, God took care of them. Nothing is too difficult for God.

Having a child was seen as being blessed by God; someone who did not have a child was thought to be cursed. This troubled Sarah and Abraham greatly. And even though Sarah messed things up a bit, God took care of them. He gave her a child and named him ‘Laughter’ to remind them that even though they laughed at the prospect of having this child, here he is because nothing is too difficult for God.

Before that Sarah even went so far as to force her slave girl to have relations with her husband so that she could have her child. And even though Abraham and Sarah messed things up by trying to do things without Him, God took care of them. He gave them this child and another child, named ‘Laughter’, who was begotten of them both to remind them that nothing is too difficult for God.

Every time after that someone laughed or every time after that they heard their son’s name, I’m sure they could laugh assuredly in the providence of God. Many times in their life Sarah and Abraham messed up but God took care of them; nothing is too difficult for God.

Many times in my life I have messed up, made serious mistakes, done bad things, but God takes care of me. Nothing is too difficult for God. God has been with me through my darkest hours, just like he was with Abraham and Sarah and later Isaac and his sons and their sons. Nothing is too difficult for God.  God took care of them and God can take care of us no matter what our challenges for we are invited to remember that nothing is too difficult for God.

Devotion 2.27/79: 1 Samuel 28: Ghostly

Presented to River Street Cafe, 28 October 2016

1 Samuel 28:3-25:

Now Samuel was dead, and all Israel had mourned for him and buried him in his own town of Ramah. Saul had expelled the mediums and spiritists from the land.

The Philistines assembled and came and set up camp at Shunem, while Saul gathered all Israel and set up camp at Gilboa. When Saul saw the Philistine army, he was afraid; terror filled his heart. He inquired of the Lord, but the Lord did not answer him by dreams or Urim or prophets. Saul then said to his attendants, “Find me a woman who is a witch, a medium, so I may go and inquire of her.”

“There is one in Endor,” they said.

So Saul disguised himself, putting on other clothes, and at night he and two men went to the woman. “Consult a spirit for me,” he said, “and bring up for me the one I name.”

But the woman said to him, “Surely you know what Saul has done. He has cut off the mediums and spiritists from the land. Why have you set a trap for my life to bring about my death?”

Saul swore to her by the Lord, “As surely as the Lord lives, you will not be punished for this.”

Then the woman asked, “Whom shall I bring up for you?”

“Bring up Samuel,” he said.

When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out at the top of her voice and said to Saul, “Why have you deceived me? You are Saul!”

The king said to her, “Don’t be afraid. What do you see?”

The woman said, “I see a ghostly figure coming up out of the earth.”

“What does he look like?” he asked.

“An old man wearing a robe is coming up,” she said.

Then Saul knew it was Samuel, and he bowed down and prostrated himself with his face to the ground.

Samuel said to Saul, “Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?”

“I am in great distress,” Saul said. “The Philistines are fighting against me, and God has departed from me. He no longer answers me, either by prophets or by dreams. So I have called on you to tell me what to do.”

Samuel said, “Why do you consult me, now that the Lord has departed from you and become your enemy? The Lord has done what he predicted through me. The Lord has torn the kingdom out of your hands and given it to one of your neighbors—to David. Because you did not obey the Lord or carry out his fierce wrath against the Amalekites, the Lord has done this to you today. The Lord will deliver both Israel and you into the hands of the Philistines, and tomorrow you and your sons will be with me. The Lord will also give the army of Israel into the hands of the Philistines.”

Immediately Saul fell full length on the ground, filled with fear because of Samuel’s words. His strength was gone, for he had eaten nothing all that day and all that night.

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What has happened in this story? Saul who was the King of Israel, his job then just like our Queen’s job today was to be Defender of the Faith. He was supposed to be a King who worked for God. But he abandoned God and went to a witch, a medium, to consult the dead for help instead. Saul left God and so in his darkest hour ahead, God was not with him. And it ended badly. He and his sons the very next day joined the ranks of the dead.

But it didn’t need to be that way. As the Bible tells us in John 3:16, ‘for God so loved the whole world that whosoever believeth in shall not perish but have everlasting life.’ If, instead of like King Saul here, like others we turn to God in our times of trouble He promises He will never leave us nor forsake us. As we persevere in our faith, God promises that He will see us through. And He will. We can trust Him who is faithful and He will give us the strength to keep keeping on.

Devotion 2.26/78: 3 John 11: Imitation

Presented to Riverside Cafe, 21 October 2016

Read 3 John 11

Late one night, a burglar breaks into a house that he thinks is empty. He tiptoes through the living room but suddenly freezes in his tracks when he hears a voice say: “Jesus is watching you!”

When it becomes quiet again, the burglar creeps forward. And again the voice says, “Jesus is watching you.”

The burglar stops dead in his tracks. He is frightened. Frantically, he looks all around. In a dark corner, he spots a… birdcage and in the cage is… a parrot.

Gathering his senses, he asks the parrot: “Was it you all this time who said, ‘Jesus is watching me?’”

“Yes”, said the parrot.

The burglar breathes a sigh of relief, then gaining some confidence he asks the parrot: “What’s your name?”

“Clarence,” says the bird.

“That's a dumb name for a parrot,” sneers the now confident burglar. “What kind of a silly person would name a bird, ‘Clarence?’”

The parrot replies, “The same person who would call his attack dog ‘Jesus’… Jesus is watching you.”

Parrots are good imitators and our verse today is exhorting us to be good imitators, it says, 3 John 11: “Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil but what is good. Anyone who does what is good is from God. Anyone who does what is evil has not seen God.”

Pertaining to this imitation: I think that we have all heard the analogy at one time or another in a sermon about counterfeiting counter-measures and how the authorities spot counterfeit currency. What they don’t do to learn how to identify counterfeit money is study counterfeit money. Instead what they do do is study real money. When they can identify the real thing then they know that all else is not the real thing. It is the same with us as it is only when we spend more time focusing on Christ, in prayer, worship, and Bible study, and less time on ourselves indulging in the selfish values of the world that we recognize what is good and what is evil. And also as we spend more of the currency of our time with God we will obviously become more like Him; however, there are those who will choose instead to use their time spending the counterfeit currencies of the world doing what is selfish and what is evil. 3 John tells us these people have not even seen God. We need to spend time with God to see Him and we need to spend time imitating what is good to build up for ourselves the real treasures that are in heaven (Matthew 6:19-24).

3 John 11: “Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil but what is good. Anyone who does what is good is from God. Anyone who does what is evil has not seen God.”