Kevin's Kiwi Konversations

Divine Favour and 2012

2011-12-29T13:11:00.003+13:00

Happy New Year everyone! It is a new year and with each new year comes new ideas, new commitments, new challenges and new opportunities. As we gaze off into the future most of us will either view it through the eyes of faith or the eyes of fear. We will either see potential and perhaps the making of a new dream to pursue or we can see it more like a nightmare and fear what could be coming, what could happen to us, to our jobs, our families and our personal lives. Some of us will seek to make resolutions to lose a few pounds or stop some other bad habit. But, unfortunately most of us end up joining the ranks of those who fail within a few short days or weeks of the new year’s start. But here is an interesting question. If someone came along and asked you, “What is the one thing you pray about the most? What would be your answer? Safety, health, prosperity, children, parents, unsaved loved ones, future mate? What is it that you tend to bring to God more than anything else? Recently I was reading a book about prayer called “The Circle Maker”, it is an inspirational writing designed to fan into fame our prayer lives. If you feel your prayer life could use a lift as you approach this new year I highly recommend it to you. Mid way through the book the author Mark Batterson is writing about the promises that are found in the scriptures that God makes to his people. He believes that by conservative estimates there are more than three thousand promises found throughout the pages of the Bible. He rightly believes that however many promises there are, that in Christ all of these promises were fulfilled. It is therefore also true that in Christ and through faith in Christ that we come to posses these promises as our own. His question is: How many of these promises have we prayed with full assurance that God will answer? His suggestion is that we must commit ourselves to reading the bible as a promise book and a prayer book at that same time. He writes on page 95, “While reading is reactive, prayer is proactive. Reading is the way to get through the bible; prayer is the way you get the bible through you. As you read the Holy Spirit will quicken certain promises to your spirit. It’s very difficult to predict what and when and where and how, but over time, the promises of God will become your promises.” It was during one of these reading/prayer times that he stumbled across a passage that would become for him the prayer that he prays more than any other prayer. It is found in the blessing that Moses gave to Joseph as they were about to enter the Promised Land in Deuteronomy 33:13-17. In verse 16 Moses declares the blessing of the “favour of him who dwelt in the burning bush”. This is what Mark prays for often and for pretty much any and every situation he finds himself in; the favour of God. The divine favour of him who dwelt in the burning bush! Could I make a suggestion to you on this first day of the year 2012? I would suggest that you follow the example of our brother in Christ Mark Batterson and begin to read/pray scripture. I would also suggest that praying for God’s favour is something that all of us are meant to do in whatever situation we find ourselves in. May the favour of him who dwelt in the burning bush rest upon us as we enter 2012.

Inspiration

2011-12-14T11:20:00.002+13:00

Monday nights at our home is almost always packed with young people squeezed in around our dinner table feasting on some delicious meal that my wife has somehow put together in the midst of all her other activities. Most of the time our guests are the friends of my daughters, who have come to enjoy Monday Night dinners so much so that even when our girls are not home they still show up. On a few occasions we have invited an extra guest to come and share their story with the group which has proven to be quite an inspiration to these young men and women. This past Monday a new game came across our table which included a stack of cards with a series of personal likes or dislikes and best or worst experience type questions. One of my cards had this written on it, “What is the most inspirational story you have recently heard and tell it.” At first I wanted to simply tell the story of Jesus and move on but as I thought about it I had to admit I have heard so many inspirational stories in my life not to mention all the heroes of the Bible that have inspired me, it was hard for me to choose one. My wife pointed out it had to be something I had recently heard and so I told the story that had a strong influence on my life a couple years ago that is known as the The Heavenly Man. (you can read his story online at http://books.google.co.nz/books?id=QJy7zunxfhIC&printsec=frontcover&dq=The+Heavenly+Man&hl=en&ei=SsXnTv6bAqzSmAWkypSeCg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CDEQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=The%20Heavenly%20Man&f=false )

Anyway, yesterday I stumbled across another amazing and inspirational story about a woman named Esther Ahn Kim. I will simply copy it from a book I am currently reading called “Forgotten God” by Francis Chan, a book I highly recommend to you. “It was during WW ll and the Japanese occupation of Korea that Esther’s journey of faith really began. She refused to bow down at the shrines set up in every corner of her country and was eventually imprisoned for six years from 1939-1945. Knowing she was destined for prison for refusing to bow down to idols Esther began to prepare herself both physically and spiritually. Each day she would find and eat food that was decaying, knowing that was what she would be served to eat in prison. The discipline she demonstrated is humbling, how many of us would choose to eat rotten food? While preparing for prison she memorized more than 100 chapters of the Bible and many hymns because she knew she would not be allowed to keep her Bible. She spent countless hours seeking God through fasting and prayer. These times of fasting and prayer and scripture reading lead to great clarity and she was able to surrender her fear of being tortured to Christ.” Esther did not just survive her horrific experience in prison she turned it into a thing of glory. Many lives of her fellow prisoners were touched by the love of Christ demonstrated over and over again in acts of selfless love. She brought healing to their hearts and gave them hope. Her faith in Christ brought many murderers, swindlers and outcasts and even hardened prison guards and corrupt government officials into faith in Christ during her time there.

I hope you have found a little inspiration from this tiny bit of Esther Ahn Kim’s story. May God forgive us for our complacent, comfortable, and complaining style of life. May he give us a new passion and strength to demonstrate selfless acts of love over and over again, without fanfare or need for praise to the Glory of God our Heavenly Father.

Succeeding at What Doesn’t Really Matter

2011-11-02T10:54:00.002+13:00

Recently I read a statement that made me pause. I found it in a quote from another book called “Crazy Love” by Francis Chan. A book I would highly recommend to you for good solid devotional type reading. In it he quotes Tim Kizziar who writes, “Our greatest fear as individuals and as a church should not be of failure but of succeeding at things in life that don’t really matter”. As I pondered this statement the truth in it seemed to echo Jesus words in a powerful teaching he once gave attacking the attitudes and mixed up priorities of the religious leaders in his day. In a series of verses found in Matthew 23 (vs 13-29) that start with the words “Woe to you teachers of the Law and Pharisees…” Jesus says some of his most harsh words ever recorded. At one point he says in vs.24 , “You blind guides! You strain at a gnat but swallow a Camel.” In other words they had become experts at succeeding at things in life that really did not matter!

It sent me on a search of my own heart wondering what things I was succeeding at the really don’t matter and conversely what things I was failing at that really do matter. As I reflected on what I believe the scripture teaches are God’s top priorities I set out my top priorities and measured to see if they are even remotely close! For example in Matthew 23 Jesus makes these little statements that reveal what is of value to him. “The greatest must be your servant; Whoever exalts themselves will be humbled and whoever humbles themselves will be exalted; You neglect the more important matters of justice, mercy and faithfulness.” Am I willing to take the low road, to actually serve others for their benefit and not my own? Am I willing to actually humble myself, put others needs before my own, listen to what others are saying without condemnation or trying to push my pearls of wisdom on them? Am I more worried with the way things look, more concerned over my reputation than what is actually going on inside my heart and doing the right things? Am I more troubled over defending my rights than the rights of others? Do I love to receive mercy from others yet find myself being stingy with mercy when it comes to exercising it towards others? Am I more worried over my own comfort and my level of enjoyment over being faithful and true to my convictions?

Ultimately it needs to be asked am I committed to the things that Christ is committed to. As individuals and as a church are we committed to what really matters? Are we succeeding at things that don’t really matter at the expense of things that really do matter? These are healthy questions to ask ourselves on a fairly regular basis and make the necessary adjustments in the power of the Holy Spirit. We must be determined to stop straining at gnats and swallowing camels.

2011-10-13T13:54:00.002+13:00

This week the calamity that is unfolding on our coastline near Tauranga has been difficult to accept. The impending doom that looms over the beaches, the majestic coastline and of course the birds and fishes is maddening to say the least. The livelihood of so many people who depend on this area for tourism, food and recreation will be seriously affected and will be for a long time into the future. But not only those who live along the coastline will suffer loss, there will also be the loss incurred by the owners of the goods on board the ship, those who own the ship and also those responsible for this terrible tragedy. The captain will suffer fines, demotion and even face possible termination from his career over this accident. It seems as though nobody will win from all this except perhaps those who are contracted on to salvage this shipwreck.

The cry all week long has been “why hasn’t somebody done something?” over and over again and in various ways the anger and the sadness and the frustration has been pouring out. It is something that no one wants to see and yet at the same time no one can stop from watching. Time is not our friend in this case. It marches forward, hour after hour, as wave after stormy wave beats against the ship threatening to tear it to pieces. There are so many procedures, so many dangerous tasks, and difficulties involved in getting the oil off the ship as well as the containers from off the deck that it is slow and treacherous going. And all we can do is watch this drama play out to its completion. Very sad indeed!

However, shipwrecks out on the ocean can also act as an excellent metaphor for what can happen in people’s lives as well. We use the expression, “They shipwrecked their lives.” when we are describing someone who has gone off and done something naughty and got caught. “Shipwrecked” can be used to describe someone who has given into a vice like drunkenness or addictive gambling, lost their life’s saving, sometimes even their families and often their jobs. They have shipwrecked their lives.

The Bible also uses this metaphor to describe someone who does not hold fast to the faith and live it out with a clear conscience. In 1 Tim 1:19 Paul writes, “Cling to your faith in Christ, and keep your conscience clear. For some people have deliberately violated their consciences; as a result, their faith has been shipwrecked.” The apostle Paul was no stranger to being shipwrecked. It happened to him three times in his life and he even spent a night and a day out in the open seas before being rescued (2 Cor. 11:25). These frightening and awful experiences were not something that he would have taken lightly and so for him to use this metaphor is serious stuff. By not taking the teachings of our faith seriously, by living contrary to what we know to be true from God’s word, by ignoring our conscience or making excuses for our wayward behaviour, we put ourselves in a position to shipwreck our most precious faith. As you watch the drama of the shipwreck Rena unfold reminding us of the awfulness, the frightfulness, and the tragic loss that a shipwreck is, may it cause us to pause and consider our lives of faith. Is there another shipwreck on the horizon? I pray not!

Certainty in Great Uncertainty

2011-08-17T08:28:00.003+12:00

The icy blast of winter descended upon us this week with snow falling in places that hadn't seen snow in some 40 plus years. There were even reports of snow in Auckland which had never seen snow at all. The white stuff falling from the sky caused a wide range of responses from people. Some went out and played in it while others admired it from the warmth of a cozy room. Some bravely tried to travel in it, while others just decided not to and stayed home waiting for it to be safe to travel. It created havoc for our emergency services who had trouble getting enough staff to come in and then had trouble getting to people who were in need of their assistance. The news of snow in uncommon places and cities made its way around the world as news agencies, looking to get a scoop, deemed this unusual event newsworthy and spread the word. At the very least the snow and cold weather that we experienced can simply be added to a steady stream of many unusual events in New Zealand’s recent past. Altogether these events have served to keep reminding us all that we live in uncertain times. Uncertain weather patterns, uncertain earthquakes, uncertain tornadoes, uncertain economic times, uncertain job futures, uncertain family situations, uncertain health issues, uncertain churches, and uncertain personal times. What do we do when we face uncertain times, when our lives are full of uncertainties? Yes, we fret, we worry, and our stress levels go through the roof. Some crumble under this heavy load of uncertainty and seek a way of escape, and others stand tall in the face of it by putting a positive spin on the events hoping to make it through, while others just try to ignore it hoping it will simply go away. Thinking back to the tragic days of the Christchurch earthquakes and its many aftershocks one person stood out as a calming, inspiring individual during those dark and uncertain days. In spite of his own personal loses Mayor Bob Parker was able to guide that city (and even our country) through those deeply uncertain times with tremendous grace and skill. Bob Parker would be the first to admit his own failing and shortcomings but even with these he did a pretty good job. If Bob Parker who has faults of his own, has no power to change anything, and yet was able to bring a sense of certainty during seriously uncertain times, how much more, is our heavenly Father able to guide us, protect us, comfort us, strengthen us and bring a solid sense of certainty to our lives during uncertain times? In fact, one could argue that the only thing that remains certain at all times is our sovereign God. The scripture does not promise that our circumstances will change, it does promise that we can embrace them knowing that God is at work in them. I recently read that it is in those darkest moments, when it seems God is inactive, he is actually most active. He is always active, always at work, seeking his followers to keep an eye out for him and his activity and join in, especially during dark days. While all of life may be in upheaval and uncertain our heavenly Father is not, he is certain, he is Sovereign, and he has the whole world in his hands. We can take comfort from this and trust him in the midst of life’s uncertainties.

I Just Went for Pizza

2011-06-21T07:41:00.002+12:00

The past few weeks I have had this internal debate going on with the Lord. It mostly centres on why I am still here in New Zealand and pastoring this particular church. For about 4.5 years now, we have poured our lives into this little fellowship, hosting evangelistic style meetings, using tools such as ALPHA and the UNDERSTANDING CHRISTIANITY series. We've worked on discipling and motivating people through small groups and had some delightful times of prayer in our Prayer Pinnacle Meetings. The group is a wonderful mix of South African, Indian, Chinese, Fijian, Solomon Island, Kiwi, Canadian, Filipino, and American, a lovely group, dedicated and passionate about their Lord Jesus and faith in him. But since we have come the church has gone from about 45-50 down to 20-25 and while personal spiritual growth is happening, numerical and financial growth is not happening at all, in fact it is shrinking! We came with a vision to see hundreds of people from all over the world raising their hands in worship together. We came to assist the International Christian Centre in the dream of gathering the nations for this purpose in this massively multicultural city. We have not seen this come to reality. I do not believe we have mistakenly come here, that somehow we missed what the Lord said to us or took a wrong turn as we followed the master. I do believe we are meant to be here, and minister here and bring the gospel to this dry and thirsty land. However, I have not seen as much fruit as I believe we should have seen by now.
Anyway, yesterday I went to get pizza. While i was sitting there waiting an Asian man came in and few minutes later a tiny African lady came in to wait for her pizza. Finally, my name was called and I went to the counter, the tiny lady moved to the counter quickly and shyly mumbled something that I thought sounded like "don't give up on your dream". I thought she was speaking to the guy behind the counter but then she turned to me and said what sounded like the same thing. I laughed and grabbed my pizza and headed home. While sitting in the car waiting for the light to turn green thinking about what I thought this lady had said to me, I decided to spin the car around and go back and ask her if that was what she had said, and if so, why she had said that. I went back and thankfully she was still there. I motioned to her to come outside and asked her if she had said what I thought she had said. She told me that she was a Christian and that while she was sitting there, God told her to tell me "Don't give up on your dream'" She continued, "He is right behind me, he is there, he knows what I am going through and that I should hang on to the dream." She said that she had done this kind of thing before and only gotten mocked and silenced by those who she said it to, so she stopped. But when she looked into my eyes, she saw kindness there and decided to go for it. When I told her I was a Christian as well and a Pastor she was sooo excited and filled with joy that she had obeyed what the Lord had told her to do. I thanked her for her bravery and that her message couldn't have been timelier for me. This kind of thing has happened to me before, about 4 or 5 other times, where God has used a complete stranger to send me a message. Her words it seems have attached themselves to my mind and heart. I went to bed thinking about them and woke up early with them on my mind. I will ponder them for the next few days and lay them out before the Lord to be sure they are from him. Mmmm, all I had done was go for pizza!

FIrm Faith

2011-06-14T11:58:00.003+12:00

This week we bid our youngest, 18 year old Mackenzie, farewell and sent her on a big adventure. She has been planning this for months and my wife has meticulously helped her plan each aspect of the journey. So, this past Monday she packed up a few of her belongings and we all headed for the airport to give our hugs and kisses and watch her head off out of eyesight as she boarded her plane. She is off to Europe, Austria to be specific, and will spend the next 4 months working at a Bible School, traveling and making new friends followed by a trip back to Canada to renew friendships and spend some time with family.
As a family we are all at varying degrees of both excitement and nervousness for her as she does this. Excitement, because we know that adventure always brings with it an element of change, a pushing past what is comfortable in order to experience something bigger than we are, bigger than we know, bigger than just our tiny little circle of life. This comes with possibilities that seem to reach the sky and joy that soars bringing memories that can remain so vivid and full of life they are not easily forgotten. Nevertheless, we are also nervousness, because when something so precious as one your daughters follows a dream the worst part for me is that I know that such dreams can be crushed and bring pain and hurt because the world can be such a nasty place sometimes. Of course we all hope for the best and pray for a terrific experience for her. However, always somewhere in the back of the mind there is a little nagging sensation that something could go wrong and that this could turn out to be less than what we had hoped for. That sense of protection from the big bad world is strong within parents and it can push our hearts beyond simple nervousness to worry and even fear. This was brought into a tangible feeling when we awoke Tuesday morning to discover that her original flight out of Auckland was delayed by several hours, which meant her connecting flights were all going to be missed. This news for a moment created a sense of panic and a feeling of helplessness that was so raw and so real.
This is when our faith becomes so essential to how we handle this kind of scenario. We talk, we consider the options, and we pray. We trust in the Lord with all of our hearts, we seek his strength to face each day with all its ups and downs and spin-arounds. We know he loves us more than we could know and that he will watch over all of us, especially MacKenzie while she is so far away from us. This assurance calms our hearts, releases our fears and comforts us. It moves us outside of our tiny perspective and gives us an inkling of his viewpoint and thus creating a firm place, as the bible says a table-land, to stand reassured that he is actively involved in all our ways, all our comings and all our goings as a family... at least until the next bump in the road when the cycle is repeated again.

Please Stop Giving This NUT an Audience!

2011-05-25T18:48:00.002+12:00

This man should be forced to wear a "toxic" or "Poisonous" warning on all of his clothes. What is our responsibility towards these people who simply cannot admit they are way off track? Is it not painfully obvious that they are full of a lying deceitful spirit and therefore cannot speak the truth for they have deceived themselves and the truth is not in them. Claiming to be wise they have become fools, exchanging the truth of God for lies; Claiming not to offer their own opinions they go on to offer their own opinions. Claiming to simply say what the Bible says (which by the way it CLEARLY states that no one knows the day or the hour... taken to mean "no one" not even Harold)they invent new ways of sinning. This man has shipwrecked his faith and is determined to take as many as possible with him. Stay away from him he is toxic and his brand of faith is toxic!

Managing Our Doomsday Inclinations

2011-05-24T16:32:00.012+12:00

May 21^st came and May 21^st went and yet once again, as always, another doomsday prediction has not come true. For literally 1000’s of years there have been prophets of doom, setting dates and getting people all wound up over their predictions of a coming apocalyptic event. And, every single time since these predictions have been made, there are way too many people who buy into the doomsday forecasts. They sell their possessions, they put their beloved pets down, and they get themselves ready for rapture. In some ways I have some sympathy for these folks. Their wholehearted dedication to announcing and getting the word out of coming judgement is quite staggering. I saw on TV, a man from New York who spent most of his life’s savings advertising on billboards and putting signs on subway walls and buses. He spent hundreds of thousands of dollars trying to warn everyone of the coming judgement. When interviewed he seemed genuinely sad that so many people had not heeded the warnings and just went on with their day. He finished by saying it was still money well spent because it may not have happened on the 21^st but it will happen this year. Which is the sad part of all this. People have been so completely and totally deceived. The final shot of the news story of him sitting in his living room reading his well-worn Bible made me both sad and angry; sad because he was searching the scriptures daily and yet he was completely missing the message therein. The message is we bring heaven to earth. Our faith is not an escape out of this messy world. Angry because once again the good name of Jesus and his many faithful followers was dragged through the mud of lunacy and scam.

But doomsday predictions are not solely generated by religious kooks and fanatics. Science has joined in the march toward the end with predictions of the sun burning out, giant asteroids hitting the earth, a super-volcanic eruption that creates an ash cloud so thick it jokes out all of life, and who can forget all the climate change warnings that roll off the presses seemingly every day, blaming pretty much every single disaster in the world on climate change. The end is coming they warn and the future is bleak they shout.

Hollywood producers have also joined in the collective rant about the end of the world with a steady stream of movies that try to capture through cinematography what the end will look like. The Terminator series, Armageddon, The Day after Tomorrow and one of my personal favorites, The Book of Eli, are some of the more popular movies that have nurtured and furthered the end-time fascination and speculation.

But why are human beings so interested in this topic? Could it be that we are simply longing for a better place, a paradise, nirvana, an end to all the trouble, turmoil and tribulations? Even when things are good they fail to completely satisfy our innermost desires and so we dream of a place that completely satisfies all of our deepest longings for meaning, purpose and total love. All of nature joins in with its groans for deliverance and all of humanity right along with it seeks a way out, an exodus to a land of milk and honey.

Well, the scripture teaches that God has placed eternity within the heart of all humankind. This means that we know intuitively that what is here is temporal and must come to an end to make way for a new and desirable future. The doomsday forecasters are partly right. There will be an end. There will be a new beginning. God has promised that much for sure. But the day and hour NO ONE KNOWS, and no one ever will. I guess the big thing is are we ready?

Thoughts about Clouds

2011-05-10T11:18:00.002+12:00

When the kids were growing up we had a trampoline in the back yard. From time to time the girls and I would go outside and jump and play on it. When we stopped we would lay on it and star at the sky. We would always be fascinated by the clouds and the different forms they took. We made a game of identifying different shapes, like whales, dogs, people’s faces, and sheep, lots and lots of sheep! There was something mesmerising about the clouds.

Each morning before I head off for my daily walk to the gym I look up at the clouds. Depending on what I see there in the sky I choose my clothing for the walk. There are many kinds of clouds in the sky and even a few different colours. There was fog the other day that was thick, there are low clouds that seem like you could almost touch them, there are thunder clouds that produce a huge mountain of cloud, and there are wispy clouds and then there are the patchy fluffy clouds, the kind that kids always seem to draw on their pictures. At times they shine like gold as the rising sun reflects off of them, sometimes orange, gray, blackish, and at times such a bright white they are hard to look at. Of course there are those rare occasions when they are not even there.

Clouds are usually if not always mentioned in the weather reports. In fact a multi-billion dollar industry has arisen devoted to a large degree to the study of reading and interpreting cloud formation and tracking their movements. All this so that it can be reported several times a day to an interested and even demanding public. Recently we witnessed a rare cloud occurrence that left parts of the North Shore City in ruins. The tornado that ripped through Albany was many things. It was ferocious because one person was killed by it, it was fascinating as there were several video recordings of the clouds as they twisted into funnel shape and touched down, it was forceful as we witnessed several buildings damaged, cars overturned and written off and the rubbish and debris scattered everywhere, and it was frightening as it produced a mixture of wonder and fear depending mostly on how close one was to it. It brought thunder, lightning, rain and in some places flooding, it brought winds that gusted at times up to 200 kilometers per hour, strong enough to uproot massive trees like they were matchsticks. But at the end of the day it was the clouds that did all this.

We can all know one thing for sure. Clouds never stay the same. They are constantly changing, always shifting, moving, thickening and thinning, speeding up and slowing down, sometimes delightful other times dreadful. Life is often like the clouds. Uncertain, difficult to read, even the wisest among us can get it wrong. Life is always changing, shifting, shaking. Life is sometimes awesome and sometimes fearful. At one point Jesus mentioned that people are better at reading the clouds than they are at reading life. In this case the light of life was standing right in front of them and they missed it, misunderstood him and maligned him. They were better at reading the clouds than reading Jesus. At one point the clouds made him disappear while his disciples watched, gazing up into the clouds until it was announced to them that the same way they had seen him disappear was the same way he would reappear. Not long before this event Jesus had announced that at a certain time in history he will return and at that time people, “will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory”. Even the most significant event of human history will include the clouds.

iLove Easter

2011-04-26T07:59:00.005+12:00

I love the entire Easter season, from Ash Wednesday, Lenten, Good Friday, to Resurrection Sunday and Easter Monday. I love the idea of sacrificing something to keep me focused on the sacrifice of Christ. This year I tackled a big one... a fast from sugar. I was 70% successful at it and even lost a couple of kilos for my efforts. This year we (me, my family and our entire church family) were involved in an Easter production with our brothers and sisters from the Chinese Alliance Christian Church called iTouch Easter. This was so excellent. The church building was transformed into a kind of walk through the old Jerusalem format. We broke Easter down into an acronym, E= Entering the City, A= Accusing Jesus, S= Suffering, T= tomb, E= Eyewitness, R = Resurrection. Then we added a twist by associating each of the sections with one (or more) of the 5 Senses. E/A= hearing, S= bitter taste, T= smell of death, E= seeing, and R= touch. It was very well done and we had over 500 people walk through over four evenings. The weather was perfect and the effort was well worth it. We all had such a great time. It was good for our church to take on an ambitious task, it was good for our two churches to work together on a project and it was good personally to be immersed in the significance of the amazing story of love and sacrifice that Easter is. This year as usual I seek the Lord to help me find fresh meaning in this ancient and often told story. I landed on the verses from Matthew 27: 50-54. And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split and the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. They came out of the tombs after Jesus’ resurrection and went into the holy city and appeared to many people. When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, “Surely he was the Son of God!” This passage speaks of such amazing things that grab the imagination and fuel a sense of wonder and awe. Jesus gives up his own Spirit, at that moment, the temple curtain tears in two, there is an earthquake, rocks split and tombs open, then holy saints of old are resurrected and after Jesus resurrection they all go into the city of Jerusalem... Imagine the panic, the bewilderment, the absolute horror of seeing dead people up and eating breakfast, trying to enjoy being reunited with shocked family and friends, I mean, what do you talk about with resurrected Uncle Abraham? All of this took place to give us confidence that what we believe is no fairy tale or mythical story, it was real, bonafide, proven, historical and powerful enough that a wily, battle worn, tough as nails, centurion and his entire cohort of guards were not only terrified but also uttered the astounding words, "Truly this man was the Son of God!" Given the circumstances that he and his men found themselves in what other options did they have? It was pure crazy pandemonium and all of it from start to finish just happened to coincidentally coincide with Jesus shouting out his last words and giving up his Spirit. So cool! So if you are a believer be encouraged you are not putting your faith in some mystical fable. If you are not yet a believer what other options do you have given this overwhelming eye witnessed evidence? Hope you all had an incredible and enjoyable Easter Season this year.

Jack Be Nimble

2011-03-28T12:45:00.004+13:00

Yesterday we enjoyed a great message from the current director of the Christian and Missionary Alliance of New Zealand, Rev. Andrew Marshall. He spoke from a well known passage about endurance, focus, and discipline found in the first two verses of Hebrews 12. It reads this way from the The Living Bible. "Since we have such a huge crowd of people of faith watching us from the grandstands, let us strip off anything that slows us down or holds us back, and especially those sins that wrap themselves so tightly around our feet and trip us up; and let us run with patience the particular race that God has set before us." Part way through his message he used a word that I had not heard anyone use for quite some time. Andrew spoke of a marathon runner being cheered on, stripped down to the bear essentials, running toward the finish line. Then he began to encouraged us to rid ourselves of anything that could hinder our marathon run of faith as we also head toward the finish line. He spoke of the Christians need of being nimble and the word lodged in my brain. To be nimble means to be quick and light in movement; moving with ease; agile, active; rapid. I began to think through my life wondering if the great crowd of people cheering me on would consider how I live my life, (i.e.how I run my race) and describe it as being nimble. As I reviewed the various activities, actions, attitudes and attributes of my life of faith it became painfully clear that there were things in my life that were keeping me from being a nimble runner. I confessed my need and began to formulate a plan for ridding myself of everything that weighs me down and keeps me from being the nimble runner that God desires me to be.
One of the greatest blessings in my life is the many wonderful and meaningful church services I have participated in where the word of God is preached well. Services where the whole atmosphere of the crowd of believers present is to meet with and eagerly worship our Great God. To hear the word, to let it sink, saturate, and stimulate my life and faith is such a privilege. Often after hearing the word I can recalibrate my life, move forward, run with less to weigh me down, becoming more and more nimble in the race that God has laid out before me. Thanks brother Andrew for being the Lord's servant yesterday morning as you faithful administered the Word of God to us.

Shaken not stirred....

2011-03-17T08:32:00.003+13:00

Lots of people know this phrase from author Ian Flemings well known fictional series of novels and movies about a British Secret Service Agent named James Bond. ‘Shaken not stirred’, refers to the characters preference for how his martini should be made, the indication being that a shaken martini will be colder and more watered down so as not to interfere with the super sleuths senses or slow his reactions down while on assignment.
Shaken but not stirred deep enough is how I would describe many of the comments I have heard recently from both Christians and those who are not of the house hold of faith regarding recent world events. Shaken is abundantly clear. People everywhere are feeling the sense of insecurity and uncertainty as literally the earth beneath our feet is moving. Earthquakes are happening around the globe at an alarming rate and this has shaken confidence, it has shaken the already fragile economic world and it has shaken people out of their little individual worlds to lend a hand to a neighbour in need. However, one church that was sensing the near hypocrisy of the moment wrote on their bulletin board, “You don’t have to have experience an earthquake to be a good neighbour.” My read on this was that they are trying to get their readers to push a little deeper than just being ‘stirred” by the moment; to dig a little deeper than to suddenly be interested in something or someone other than themselves! Shaken, indeed, but stirred, not nearly deep enough as this billboard would indicate.
Listening to some Christians blather on about judgment and gays and lesbians and sin and this is how God deals with the world today is disheartening and frustrating and simply a sign of not being stirred deep enough as well. It is a fall-back position for those who have the luxury of saying such things because their hearts are hard, their love is shallow and their thin understanding of God is disgracefully projected on a poor, broken and needy world of hurting people. Agenda driven and shaken but not stirred deep enough is what is so troubling about these brothers and sisters.
On the other hand, Christianity is not the only group that has its share of doomsayers out there babbling on about ‘just desserts’ and other nonsensical things like ‘karma’, i.e. what goes around comes around. I read recently of the whale protectionist group who spoke this way of the Japanese, attributing their current multi-front disaster, quake, tsunami, and nuclear meltdowns to karma because of their whale hunting practices. This is so aggravating! It is a clear case of kicking someone when they are already down. Shaken but certainly not stirred deep enough!
In my estimation we need to see how deeply stirred Jesus was when he encountered the destructive power of death in the story of Lazarus. Jesus saw how it causes such turmoil and grief and his response was to be angry about death, to be angry about its destructive nature, to be angry because it is clearly the greatest of enemies to all of life. But he was not only moved to anger he was stirred to weep as well. The grief, suffering and pain that death had brought moved him to weep with those who wept, to be empathetic, compassionate and sorrowful for those affected by this great tragedy. Finally, his anger mixed with his grief stirred him to action. In this case it was to counter the work of death and bring life and hope back into the picture. Jesus efforts were meant to restore, to deliver, to turn around the effects of deaths devastation and bring back joy, laughter and life.
As believers we must imitate the master. We must follow his lead. Be angry at our common enemy death and the destruction it causes, weep with those who suffer and then begin the work of restoration, to counter the effects of death and restore life, joy and laughter wherever we can.

Outcomes...

2011-03-15T13:52:00.002+13:00

Who can really control any outcome from any decision or even non-decision made? I was thinking of the tragedy that is almost 24/7 in our faces from newsprint to TV down in Christchurch. Outcomes… two stories come to mind. One man saved from under the rubble and the action was caught by TV cameras. They pulled him out very much alive and rushed him to an ambulance and off to a hospital. He never made it as his internal injuries were just too severe, a casualty of this terrible earthquake. Another man, pinned down with his legs caught under concrete slabs was on the phone with his wife giving her his exact location. Some doctors in town for a convention heard his cries for help, found him, assessed the situation, and decided to amputate both of his legs to free him. All they had was a hacksaw and a pocket knife to do the job. They successfully removed him from his situation however; he had lost a lot of blood. They put him in an ambulance and he was zipped off to a hospital and he is currently recovering from his ordeal and very thankful for the quick minded efforts of the visiting Australian Surgeons who saved his life. Outcomes. In both scenarios the rescuers were brave, quick, efficient, in both cases they had desires for the patient to “make” it, in both the rescuers did everything they could humanly do and in both cases the outcome was completely out of their hands.
On a less traumatic front, my wife is currently searching for a job as a school teacher. She does everything she can do to get a job; dropping off CV’s, volunteering in classrooms, sending emails, and taking upgrade classes and training seminars. She can do all this and do so diligently but the outcome is completely out of her control. She prays, she believes this is God’s leading in her life, she has made many “signs” that this is the right direction but in the end the outcome is completely out of her hands.
As a pastor I moved my entire family here to NZ to work in a church that wanted to grow. We’ve done everything humanly possible to inspire and encourage this fellowship to grow. We’ve hosted music concerts, we’ve held ALPHA classes, we’ve done community volunteering, we’ve hosted evangelistic meetings, we’ve had discipleship training in our home groups, we’ve prayed in big groups, medium groups and small groups. We’ve done strategic planning weekends, we’ve had people come to faith in Christ and we’ve have been working, almost tirelessly, to grow people into maturity in Christ. But in the end the outcomes are not ours to control.
Working towards a desired outcome is not bad, but without understanding that a key ingredient in working towards a desired outcome is trust in the Lord can prove disastrous to our faith. Faith that God will do what is best for his plan, best for us and best for those who we love and care about is a matter of trust. We cannot control the outcomes. Learning to let this sense of control go is difficult, but the result is total freedom to enjoy the journey we are on today. Worrying, stressing, forcing, anxiety, and striving are all symptoms of those who believe they can control outcomes. Joy, peace, patience, calmness and trust are the results of those who labour but entrust the outcomes to God.
Jesus had a conversation with Peter in John 21:18-19 I tell you the truth, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go." 19 Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, "Follow me!" What really matters is that we simply follow the master, leaving the outcomes safely in his hands.

Riptides and Christians

2011-03-04T11:02:00.004+13:00

Living in New Zealand, a place surrounded by two large bodies of ocean water, has been a real education for me.

My first experience with swimming in the ocean came while I was an intern in Salem Oregon. I remember all too well the frantic feeling of being smashed by a wave that took me by surprise as I was mesmerised by a sea lion not too far from me. The wave tossed me around like a rag-doll and then plunged me head first into the ocean floor. I heard all the bones in my neck crack as I collided with the bottom. I finally got my legs under me and stood up only to be greeted by water that was rushing down the slopped beach back into the ocean. I stumbled, fell, got turned around, and became so dizzy that I was having trouble knowing which way to head back to shore. Needless to say, my respect for the ocean and the mighty power it wields has never left me. One must keep their wits about them whilst playing in ocean waters.

New Zealand has hundreds of beautiful beaches, many of which are decent for swimming, surfing and body boarding. However, the best places for these activities usually include a serious riptide. A riptide is an underwater current, also called an undertow. It seems that over the 4 years I have lived here every couple of months we hear the sad news of someone being swept away by these dangerous riptides. The problem as I understand it is that just forgetting for a split second that you are swimming and playing above a riptide can be fatal. Suddenly the tide has you in its grasp and starts pulling you out to the open seas. The first mistake is that is often made is that people swim where they are not supposed to swim, outside the watchful eye of the life guards. The second mistake that many make is they try to swim against the tide. Doing this very quickly exhausts them and they succumb to the drag of the tide and are swept out to sea. The only way to survive is first of all not to panic and second is to swim across the tide in slow and steady strokes, stopping every so often to wave your arms and cry for help.

I was thinking of this and how it relates to Christians and the power of the culture we live in. The culture is much like a riptide. Forgetting it is there, even just a few seconds, and it starts to drag you off under its tremendous power. Swimming against it is also not wise, for soon you will become exhausted, and with no more power to fight it it begins to consume you or at very least sidelines you. Swimming across the tide is the only way to survive until rescue comes.

This swimming across the tide is called being wise or discerning about how much we allow culture to influence our day to day lives. How often do we passively approach the culture we live in? How often have you seen someone go off taking on the evils of society head on only to run out of gas, get into a rut, and fizzle out against the relentless pressure of culture. Jesus instructed us as his disciples to be crafty as serpents yet innocent as doves in regard to these matters. To swim across the current, to be smart about what we call good, and to remember where we are living and who we are living for is the only way to survive until rescue comes. He commanded us to be in the world just not of it.

Star Gazers Beware!

2011-01-18T16:07:00.007+13:00

Hi fellow blog-watchers.... it has been many moons since my last blog. It seems life has been passing me by and I have not been keeping a record of it either here or in my personal journal for about the past 6 months... any who...
This past Christmas season saw us attend an observatory & planetarium event which advertised that we could come and learn how the "Star of Christmas", that the wise men from the east followed to the birthplace of Jesus, came to be. It was well presented and even quite credible especially the theory about the two planets lining up and thereby producing a star-like brilliance in the sky that would have lasted for a significant amount of time (long enough to fit with the Biblical story any way). Afterward, in the car on the way home, one of my daughters said boldly, "No matter what they say, I think God just did a miracle, and that's why the star was there." Somehow the mixing of science, in this case astronomy, and faith is always a fragile mix and often hard to decipher. In my opinion the two often work hand and glove and, in the end, who is to say what God actually did? Perhaps he simply timed the event to coincide up with the planetary alignments, or, he could have just as easily created a special star just for this wondrous occasion. I guess only God could really answer that one.
Recently I read of the serious difficulty that many folks are facing over the announcement that the astrological signs have been misinterpreted over the past 2500 years. Those who read their horoscopes and plan their lives accordingly have been dealt a death blow to their "faith". The zodiac signs they put so much of their trust in have been proven to be wrong! Astronomist Robert Roy Britt is quoted as saying, "The shift in the alignment of the stars, which has come about because the Earth has been wobbling on its axis for millennia, means most people go back a sign." This means that if you thought you were an others-focused and kindly Taurus...guess again... you are actually a self-centered and aggressive Aries! Talk about confusion reigning!
I guess all this simply supports what Christians have been saying all along. We need to put our faith in the maker of the stars no in the stars themselves. We must put our trust in the Creator not in his creation. At least then we can be confident in whom we have believed in rather than completely confused, uncertain and left with nothing but to 'wish upon a falling star'!

40

2010-02-25T09:11:00.002+13:00

I heard a preacher say once, “In our western culture it is a form of treason to be unhappy." In fact one of the few places left in society where you can be free to express openly your pain, suffering and misery is in a therapy session after which we are encouraged to medicate until those nasty bad feelings go away... for good!
If there was ever a time and place where we need a season of Lent it is most certainly now. So I have eagerly set out on my journey of Lent this year and I have not been disappointed! (or maybe I should say I have found disappointment?)
I've believe that this season of lent has become for me a dark place. The church calendar calls the 40 days prior to resurrection, "Lenten" which comes from the Latin word meaning "40". Despite its "creative" name it is not meant to be a happy season. It is meant to commemorate the 40 days that Jesus spent fasting in the wilderness. At the end of which Jesus goes head to head with his (and our) mortal enemy Satan and defeats him with the Word of God. Lent, is meant to take us into the dark places of our lives; it is both a sober and somber time where we are encouraged to explore the parts of ourselves that we tend to hide from, ignore and even despise. The idea is that it should therefore set out a counterpoint or better a contrast to the heightened sense of joy, celebration and power that comes from the resurrection of Jesus Christ known as Easter.
Something powerful has surfaced during these darkened days. I have discovered it is OK to be sad about the things of my life that are displeasing to me. The things which I believe affect the joy of God's wonderful gift of salvation to me; the things which decrease my sense of the presence of God in my life. It is OK, not because some morbid sense of wallowing in my disparity or self pity, but rather it is a place where I find God there! He is already there. He is waiting for me to come and shine his light on these dark places, to experience his light push away darkness, to dislodge it from my soul and banish it from there.
I know it has only been a few days, well a week to be exact, since I have started my journey but it is already having this wonderfully unsettling affect upon areas of my life that normally I am complacent about.
I'm sure there will be more to come about this later as I journey along in my season of Lent. I am already anticipating with greater expectancy the glory and wonder and majesty of Jesus Christ bursting forth from darkness, from the tomb, to absolute and indescribable joy and light

Haiti and Siloam's Tower

2010-01-17T11:49:00.004+13:00

Wow the devastation is the worst I’ve seen in my life. They are now reporting that hundreds of thousands could perish from this devastating earthquake. I saw one video of the ground bouncing like a trampoline. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UhLUMNdO8ic How horrifying and devastating to these poor people.
TV Evangelist Pat Robertson seems to think it is because of some ancestral curse, others think it is a judgment of God. Why has this happened? Or better yet, if you believe in God why would he let this happen?
Jesus taught one day about a tower that had collapsed on a bunch of people, maybe it was an earthquake that caused it, but none the less the death toll was significant. Jesus never asked why. In fact his response on the surface seems cold and callus. Do you think they were any worse than anyone else he asked? I tell you no, but all of you will likewise perish unless you repent. The presence of evil was not shocking to Jesus but what was shocking is that people somehow thought the people who died in the tower deserved it or had done something really bad for that to have happened to them. In other words there had to be some legitimate reason for it. But Jesus never concerned himself with the reason, since sin and the presence of it in this world was and is still reason enough. What Jesus concerned himself with was the necessity for repentance or death will be victorious over anyone who doesn’t repent. Then he told an interesting parable about a tree that had born no fruit for 3 years. The farmer had had enough and said cut it down but his partner said no leave it one more year, I will fertilize it and dig around it and give it special attention and see if it bears fruit. If still doesn’t produce fruit then we will cut it down. In other words God is patient with all of humanity, He desires all to repent, when these things happen it should bring us to our knees first, for as Jesus instructed, there will come an end to God's great patience with unrepentant humans.
In some ways worrying about why is like getting upset about spilt milk. We could spend an enormous amount of time figuring out how it got spilt but perhaps the better use of our time would be spent cleaning it up and consoling the one that spilt it. Haiti has experienced a terrible tragedy. Instead of worrying about the why, let’s allow it teach us to realize that life is full of evil because of sins effects on all of creation. We should let it lead us to repentance, and then let it lead us to pray, give or go and help with the clean up. Compassion is the evidence of good in the midst of such horrific evil.

holding tightly?

2010-01-02T14:58:00.002+13:00

I've been thinking.... i know i know it is a rare commodity in this day and age and especially coming from me... but I have been thinking. It seems that at the end of something, like the end of a year or end of a decade, I find myself contemplative. I was thinking about who holds who in our christian walks? Do I hold on to the masters hand as my girls did when they were little as we walked through a crowd? Or does the master hold my hand with a promise that he will never let it go, like I did to my little girls hand determined not to lose her in the crowd. Who was holding who? I have noticed that a good number of newer christian worship songs seem to place a large amount of emphasis to what I do to maintain my relationship with my God but very little on what God has promised to do to keep me close to himself. It seems as though we live out our lives as though the relationship we have with Jesus was mostly up to us. I am as you can tell, not convinced this is the whole truth and nothing but the truth.
It would seem to me that I cannot trust myself to hold on. I cannot say with certainty that I will keep my faith, or i will never let God down, or i will never stop loving him, or only want to do what's right.... it seems that all of those things are true of God but certainty not of me. Yet I sing them to God anyway! Is it just me or is that just a whole-lot-a-proud covered up by lovely music and good intentions.
He is my strong tower, he is my rock, he is my fortress, he is my faithfulness, he is my joy, he is my love, he is my life, he is my comfort, he is my confidence, he is the one who holds me when I'm hurting, he is the one who holds me when I fall, he is the one who holds me when I stumble, he is the one who holds me when I cant find the strength to go on.... he is the one!
I've been thinking....
Happy New Year everyone!

A King is Not a King Unless he Rules

2009-12-19T14:11:00.000+13:00

A King that does not rule is no king at all. Now granted in our day and age, being King is more of a governmental status than anything else. More for pomp and circumstance than a real live ruling kind of king. However, back in Jesus day, a King that did not rule was not a king at all.
The wise men arrived in Jerusalem asking questions about one who was born king of the Jews. Upon hearing this news King Herod became very suspicious and it disturbed him very much. Those wise men had some stones going to a king asking for directions to another king born to the Jews! Herod had a terrible history of violence and insecurity and so it followed that the whole city of Jerusalem was very nervous and disturbed not knowing how this insanely jealous King Herod would react.
Herod called two strategic meetings. One a public one were he gathered all the religious leaders together to discern the foretold birthplace of the King born to the Jews. Once finding out the information he called a private meeting with the wise men; telling them of the prophecy that Bethlehem would be the birth place of such a king. Finding out when the star had first appeared he sent them on their way only asking that when they find the child they return and tell him so he could also go and “worship” him too.
After the wise men had found the little king and worshipped him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh, they were warned in a dream not to go back to Herod but to go home another way. Which they did post haste.
When Herod found out he had been outwitted he went from disturbed to furious. In his uncontrollable rage he issued an order to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and surrounding area under the age of two. He did this based on the intelligence gathered from the wise men regarding when they had first seen the star.
This part of the Christmas story is not often told. We hear of peace on earth and good will toward all people in songs and carols and Christmas readings. But, try and tell that to all the moms and dads of Bethlehem. Try and explain to them that Christmas is the happiest season of all or the most wonderful time of the year.
You see the existence of another king is serious business. A king demands allegiance. A king demands loyalty. A king demands your life. Or more simply a king demands…full stop!
If Jesus really is a King then his demands must be met or the consequences could be very dire! We are not accustom to being told how to live. We humans like to think we are the masters of our own destiny. We all think we are like royalty. Nobody has the right to tell us anything, especially how to live!
But King Jesus is very clear about this. If we try to save our own lives, if we try to rule them and be the masters of our own destiny then we will lose our lives. However, if we lose our lives, if we submit to him, if we give him rulership of our lives, then we will find our lives full and rich and rewarding forever.
This Christmas try and think through how the birth of Jesus was responded to by King Herod. Think of how those families in Bethlehem, for the rest of their lives, were minus one little boy. The pain never went away completely like a not so wonderful Christmas gift that keeps on delivering grief.
Jesus is a king. He makes demands. The question is will we react like Herod trying desperately to hang on to the rulership of our own lives or will we respond differently, handing over our lives to King Jesus and in doing so find true life.
The darker side of Christmas is not often spoken of. But now you know the rest of the story.

The Real Unsung Hero of Christmas

2009-12-13T12:14:00.002+13:00

Jesus Birth: Through the eyes of Joseph Matt 1:16-24
Have you ever just wondered about Joseph? Who was he? Where did he come from? Talk about a quick entrance and a mostly unnoticed exit in story of the nativity. But what would the Christmas story be like without old Joe? The expressions "second fiddle" and "unsung hero" definitely come to mind when we examine this remarkable man. His short but rich documentary is found mostly in the first chapter of Matthew in the New Testament.
We are introduced to him at the end of a long genealogy where he is uncharacteristically and certainly in ancient Middle Eastern culture, unceremoniously noted as the "husband of Mary". I'm not sure we can fully appreciate this description in our day and age but back then, in a deeply entrenched patriarchal society, was there a more profound insult than to be known as somebody’s husband? This is where he appears on the pages of scripture and then a few verses later he disappears never to be seen or heard from again. Mostly unsung, certainly un-thanked, largely unrecognized, and almost completely unknown in life. I guess in some ways you could say like most of us! And yet, what we do know of Joe is anything but unimportant. He is profoundly faithful, seriously devoted to Mary, meticulously righteous, and wonderfully gracious. Pretty much what every man wants to be like and pretty much what every women wants her man to be like. Good ol' Joe!
But how did the birth of Jesus affect him? A pledge to be married was only broken through death or divorce. A year long waiting period as the couple prepared for married life after the dowry was paid and the transaction was complete. Yet, his bride to be is suddenly found to be pregnant and not just pregnant but apparently loosing her mind becuase she was blaming the pregnancy on God! And just like real life, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, all his dreams are shattered! The little white tent, 3.4 goats, 20 or so sheep, a wood shop to ply his trade and somewhere between 10 and 15 children running around. All of it gone with the wind. Crushed, destroyed, and broken, all his future dreams vanished. He knows he not the father. He believes his beloved Mary has been unfaithful to him. Why else would she run off to her relative Elizabeth's place for 3 months without a word to him. Now he must make the most painful decision of his life. He must divorce her to protect his righteous reputation. To salvage at least his clean name. Yet, his profound commitment to her pushes his broken heart to quietly get this done and save as much face for Mary as could be saved in such a nasty situation.
Exhausted and worn out from his most horrible bad day, his head hits the pillow and the tears begin to flow and he falls into a restless sleep. Thinking he has only two options before him, to stone his bride to death or to simply divorce her.
But God.... those two famous words appear on the page. When those two words appear we can with certainly know that God can make a way when there seems to be no way forward. When all is lost and our dreams are crushed, God steps in, and brings about things that we could never have imagined. And God's way, well, his way is truely astonishing. The child is from God. Mary is not deluted. She will be his again, he will be given the most sacred responsibility of any human father... to raise a son that was not his own, and to bring him up in the fear and admiration of the Lord.
The new dream is so delightful that Joseph wakes, gets dressed and does exactly as the Lord told him without hesitation. Who cares what everybody thinks. I'm going to raise the son of the living God. Who cares about my old dreams... this dream supersedes them all by far!
So, he doesn't mind being known as Mary's husband because Mary was the mother of Jesus. He can handle the scandal this little fella would make because he, Joseph son of Jacob, son of the great King David, is a significant part of a grand play written by the God of the universe.

Joe, a man for all men to model their lives after. Joe. A man that every woman would be proud to marry. What a treasure his man's life is for us to ponder this Christmas. The real unsung hero of Christmas.

Merry Christmas everyone

Mary's Boy Child

2009-11-29T08:03:00.003+13:00

Yesterday afternoon we enjoyed our churches Christmas car park party to bring in the 2009 Christmas season. Before that we had spent time at the Howick Christmas Parade. A float went by that was a giant birthday cake with big letters spelling out "HAPPY BIRTHDAY JESUS" around the cake. Both events help put us in the spirit of the great season of Christmas. Birthday parties at our house have always been massive events, a kind of season if you like, as all three of our girls share the same birthday. My wife Cheryl has always been very creative at putting together a celebration that the kids all enjoyed. When babies are born, most of the time any way, it is an occasion of great joy and rejoicing for the parents and surrounding family and friends.
My thoughts this Christmas have turned to a unique prophecy that was spoken by one of Israel’s ancient prophets named Isaiah. In the book of the bible that bears his name Isaiah 9:6-7 it reads, For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.
Many people have heard these lines in Handles great musical piece known as "Handle's Messiah." But have you ever slowed down and noticed the subtle yet powerful way in which Mary's boy child is described here? A child is born...a son is given. It is the primary reason for this Christmas season otherwise it would simply be the birth of any other person in history. But a child is born... a son is given makes all the difference in the whole world. A child is born speaks to the human nature of Christ the messiah. He was human as we are human and was tempted as you and I are tempted. He can identify with all we face as humans. But a son is given changes everything. The son pre-existed. He was not born he was given to us by God the Father. Yes he was tempted in all ways we are tempted yet…. without sin! He was perfect in every way. He was God wrapped like a Christmas gift in human skin! That is why we celebrate his birthday. It is the reason we have this strange ritual of giving gifts to each other at someone else’s birthday party. Because we have all been given a gift from God the Father…. A son is given. Mary’s boy child… Jesus Christ. Have you by faith recieved this wonderful gift? Merry Christmas everyone!

Uniformed Imaginations...

2009-09-08T16:40:00.002+12:00

The caption reads "
Keep your eyes on the stars, and your feet on the ground"
Last week I wrote of the power of prayer to open up our imaginations to all the goodness that God has in store for all of us. Most of us, if not all of us, use our imaginations to dream of a life that is beyond words to describe. A life full of joy and marvellous in as many ways as it could be here on earth. We imagine for ourselves and for those who we love “great things” that are all positive and glorious and wonderful. We often use our imaginations as a form of “escape” from this current life of hardship, difficulty, trial, suffering, cruelty and pain. When we come to prayer with our imaginations engaged our prayers take on this type of language as well. We mostly pray for good things, great things, remarkable things, miracles, bliss, healing and basically all things positive, glorious and wonderful. I pray this way too but I wonder, I wonder if this is all that God has in mind when he speaks to us about his will for us as immeasurable more than we could ever think or imagine? Is there a way to inform our imaginations so that what we actually dream about is saturated with what the Holy Spirit really desires for us and not so much what we want the Holy Spirit to desire for us?
Remember Peter, after Jesus had informed him of his soon coming suffering and death. Remember how he responded? Even in his wildest imaginations he could not for the life of him imagine that the Messiah would have to endure such horrible things nor should he have to. The Son of God, the Anointed One, the Chosen One, the Holy One of God, most certainly would not have to go through such terrible things! In essence, his imagination was more informed by his religious culture than the words that had just come out of the Son of God’s mouth. The Son was trying to inform the disciple’s imaginations of what was truly great, what was truly positive, glorious and wonderful. Peter took offense; he took Jesus aside and in no uncertain terms told the Lord of the Universe that he shouldn’t talk like that.
I think Paul worked hard in most of his letters to debunk poorly informed imaginations about what the Christian life is all about. In what could be argued as his literary master piece, known as the Christ Hymn in Philippians 2:4-13, his writing is beautiful, poetic and dripping with powerful imagery to inform our imaginations of the true pathway to greatness, to glory, to wonder and to exaltation according to the mind of God.
When we imagine great things in the Lord, we must include this vital information about the pathway to the great things we imagine when we pray. Remember Peter? Remember what Christ said to him? Jesus responded to Peter’s rebuke with a shocking rebuke of his own, “Get behind me Satan! For you only have in mind the things of men and not the things of God!”
When we pray with our imaginations intact and engaged let us never be guilty of having only the things of men in our imaginations and not the things of God!
Let your imagination be well informed and stop trying to arm wrestle what we consider good things, great things, wonderful and positive things out of God and calling it prayer!

5 Habits in Spiritual Formation

2009-09-08T16:22:00.003+12:00

I have been asked a couple of times to summarize the sermon on Saturday evening by reviewing the 5 habits we discussed. These habits are essential to good healthy growth in our spiritual lives. However, unless we are genuinely dissatisfied with our current rate of growth or perhaps our overall lack of growth in our Christian life these habits will become rigid and rule driven rather than stemming from a deep desire for greater intimacy with the Lord and each other.

Habit #1: regularly meditating and studying the scripture (2 Tim 3:16, Luke 4:4, Rom. 15:4)
Habit #2: a progressive, contemplative & imaginative prayer life. (Lk 5:16 & 18:1-8; Eph. 3:20)
Habit #3: cultivating relationships with fellow believers (Acts 2:46; Heb. 10:25)
Habit #4: an attitude and general posture in life of being a generous person (2 Cor. 8:7)
Habit #5: Volunteering in the greater community ( Mt.5:16 & 1 Peter 2:12)

Repetition, doing something over and over is the only way for it to turn into a habit. Not sure where this saying comes from but it is a good.
Sow a thought, reap an act
Sow an act, reap a habit
Sow a habit, reap a character
Sow a character, reap a destiny!

Happy Growing...

Imagine...

2009-08-31T07:43:00.003+12:00

My faith has so many unique qualities about it that it never ceases to amaze me. There is wisdom and insight and things that stretch even the wildest of imaginations in christianity. In the spectrum of world religions it really does make it difficult at times to see why others would want to believe in anything else! Sounds like I am bragging doesn’t it... well just maybe I am and I am doing it as one who is boasting in his Lord, and that is part of a what I believe is a healthy christian life. For too long now we christians have been told to hush up about our marvelous faith, we've been told our ideals, philosophies and values do not belong in the public arena, we've been marginalized by savvy spin-doctors and script writers from TV and movies, from tricksy authors of books and brash radio announcers and, tragically, we've been really good at doing what were told! We've forgotten the words of both the Older and Newer Testaments... Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord.
Last night our church hosted something we call a Prayer Pinnacle. An evening of meditation on God and his word, a time to sing worship songs that stir the soul, a place where prayer with other likeminded believers could take place uninterrupted. It was delightful to say the least. One of the things that so impressed me about the Lord last night was his ability to stir the imagination while in prayer. In fact, I would say that the bible pushes us to pray with our imaginations fully engaged, to let the word of God and the Holy Spirit leave stretch marks on imaginations, to pray with total confidence that whatever we ask of our God it will inevitably be smaller than what the Lord had in mind for us.
God is good all the time and his desire to lead us into greater goodness knows no limits. His love for us is described as abundant, his joy over us is described as exceeding, his mercy for us is described as new every morning and faithfulness toward us is described as great!
If that was all you knew about anyone else we would boast about them to the high heavens. If that was all we knew about the Lord there is enough here to keep our imaginations going for quite some time. Truth is, this little bit of information doesn’t even begin to scratch the surface of the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments and his paths are beyond tracing out...
now let your imaginations soar…
and for heaven’s sake brag a little bit more about him today…
what’s not to brag about?

The Thinker

2009-08-25T07:24:00.003+12:00

Romans 2:4 in the NASB bible reads this way... "Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience..." I suppose there could be a double meaning to the words "think lightly" here. One meaning could be to distain or hold in contempt or just not care the other meaning could be more literal, to just not give much thought to it. My challenge fell around the second meaning this morning. Not enough thought.
Thinking takes time. When we think about something intentionally we need space in our daily lives to do it. I believe that thinking time is on its death bed in our western culture. Thinking takes silence, that is the absence of noise, of T.V., telephones, text messages, DVD's, radio, CD's and MP3's and other people. Where can I go to flee from the presence of all these distractions?
Thinking needs a place. A quiet, comfortable, secluded place. A private place for solitude so that I can think undisturbed.
I think we think too little. We've lost the art of solitude. We've almost lost the capacity to think and spend intentional time thinking.
We must get it back or we will think too lightly which will lead to the first meaning. To hold in contempt; to just not care… and we breathe our last breath… and then it will be too late to think.

Death and Easter

2009-04-05T13:44:00.003+12:00

The evening service was finished and I made my way toward the back of the sanctuary. As I stepped through the back door I noticed a group of folks, forming a tight circle around someone and they were all praying. As the circle opened up it revealed the one who was the focus of all the care and support. I saw my friend, tears streaming down her cheeks, eyes puffy, swollen from much crying, nose rimed with redness, tender from all the tissues rubbing it, and she was barely able to speak.
As it turned out, she was very sad because unknown to all of us it was the one year anniversary of her father’s passing. He had died suddenly from a heart attack and my friend missed him so much.

What can you say? Probably the better part of wisdom is just to remain silent, offer a hug, and a sigh of sympathy.

Death is such a robber. I hate it. I hate what it does to people; I hate how it separates us from each other. It steals loved ones, it steals young and it steals old, rich or poor, strong or weak. It plays no favorites and is always just a breath away from each of us.

The Bible is full of the stories of death because the Bible deals with life as it really is. No rose colored glasses there! It even provides us with a window into the origin of death. It goes way back to Adam and Eve when death was allowed to enter the human experience after the first couple disobeyed God. First it appeared in the animal skins God made for them and then it manifested its full ugliness when Cain murdered his brother Abel. And death has been with us since then. It is the wages for disobedience to God.
Jesus came to destroy death. He came to die, the perfect and pure saviour for the imperfect and impure human race. He then rose from the dead, conquered it, because it could not hold him down. He rose victorious over death 3 days later. He offers life to all but only those who receive it for themselves are saved.

It truly is an amazing story of how death brought us life! How the death of one man, Jesus Christ, has offered life to all human kind. The truly good part is that every single human being has been forgiven of every single death wage ever paid out for sin. All we have to do is humbly receive this amazing gift that is offered to us freely.

As the bible asks, “Death where is your sting?” For all who believe the sting is gone and life forever more has come.

This is the true meaning of the Easter season.

The Cry of The City....

2009-03-06T20:21:00.004+13:00

5 conversations within a 24 hour period; 5 conversations with a common thread running through each one; 5 conversations with complete strangers, new acquaintances and intimate friends; 5 conversations expressing pain, suffering, longing, brokenness and uncertainty; 5 conversations and the city cries!
First it was my earliest encounter of the new day at the checkout counter of the grocery store. I said "good morning" she responded, "I will hold on the good"... a tale of a cancer fright, alone, with added relationship strain... all this while the queue behind us grew... Then onto a stranded woman, bonnet up, looking frustrated... I stopped and helped and out tumbled long term relationship broken, job lost and no luck finding a new one... what to do... it's been like this for year... from there I went for a cup a coffee and one of staff plunks themselves down as says, "something is wrong with me, a friend says it could be my heart, I’m kind of scared, I’m always so tired and my job is stressing me out like never before...." then later on as a conversation grew out dropped, "I feel so undervalued, so underpaid, so blah... I know that there is so much more out there for me but I feel trapped, unable because of circumstances to stretch out my wings and find it.... finally, a little boy, a broken home, he started reaching out to daddy's new girlfriend, mom freaks out and tells him to never come home again... he's 10 years old.
Pain, suffering, longing, brokenness and uncertainty and the city cries. The bible recognizes this condition of all human kind and it offers hope to the hopeless. It really is full of promises, full of wisdom, and full of stories of the human drama that can offer insights and guidance when times are tough. For example it says “The groans of those who are dying are heard from the city. Those who are wounded cry out for help.” And then it offers this council, God doesn’t hear! God refuses to move! At least that is our perception of him anyway... and ain’t that that how most of us really feel most of the time! But it goes on to tell us that He is indeed there, he is in the midst of whatever we are going through, hoping our desperate situation will cause us to call out to him for mercy and for salvation. And everyone who comes to him he will in no way cast out! He will listen to the prayers of the destitute. He will not reject their pleas. His invitation is sure… "Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me — watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly."

You've Been Robbed!

2009-02-25T08:21:00.004+13:00

There I was, walking along listening to my favorite podcasts on a beautiful late summer morning walk when all of a sudden I hear a voice from behind me. I turned to find a man in his mid 30's with a deeply concerned look on his face. As he spoke I immediately knew he was from South Africa by his accent and that he was not too happy about his current state of affairs. It seems that for whatever reason he had left his van unlocked during the night and for whatever reason he had left his wallet in there as well. In his hand he held his driver’s license and he was asking me if I had seen the rest of his wallet long the path I had taken for my walk. Apparently, what had happened is that when he went to hop into his van to go to work he noticed the door was ajar. He immediate made a search only to discover that his wallet was missing. He looked around, walked into a little park area where he noticed his driver’s license in the grass. He went a little further and discovered another piece of ID from his wallet. Evidently the thief had decided to chuck whatever he didn’t want from the wallet as he fled the scene of his crime. He told me his name and asked that if I see his wallet that I return it to him and I assured him that I would. We parted ways and i never saw his wallet along the rest of my journey home.
Theft is such a violation. Someone else invades your space and takes what belongs to you when you are not looking and makes it their own. The worst part about it is that they do this when you least expect it! You lock your vehicle 6 nights in a row and the 7th night you forget and that is the night someone decides to break in and steal from you.
Jesus used the image of a thief to describe what life is like. He stated that it is like a thief bent only on stealing from us, killing us and destroying us. But he said that he was the exact opposite of that. He claimed that he had come to give us life and that this life was not like anything that we’ve experienced before in this world. It is real life, more and better life than we could ever have dreamed of. He seems to be saying that anything less than what he was offering is a thief come to rip you off!
That is quite a claim. In fact the more you investigate Jesus the more you find him making these outlandish claims. As someone else has said, either Jesus was a lunatic, a liar or he was indeed telling us the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth!
Perhaps this week you could check into a local church near you and examine for yourself these claims.
I know you won’t feel like you just got robbed!

Breaking up the Fallow Ground

2009-02-22T21:26:00.004+13:00

Our church moved it worship service from the traditional Sunday morning time slot to not so traditional (for us anyway) Saturday evening. As a family we really like this and are enjoying the change very much. So far my Sunday mornings have been relaxing and enjoyable and slow paced which is such a huge change of pace for me. I have preached on Sunday mornings for the past 17 years and so I have to admit a fleeting bit of uneasy guilt that comes over me every once in a while. Fortunately I can easily dismiss it as I take another sip from my coffee cup.

This morning however, I took advantage of a Sunday morning off to visit another church. Something I have wanted to do but just never got around to it until this morning. It was great to just go, relax, and take in the worship and hear a good message from the bible without having to give oversight to anything at all.

The message was just right for me. It comes from an ancient prophet named Hosea. He was writing to inspire the people back then (as well as us today) that it takes preparation from us as we understand and anticipate that God is desirous of birthing a new thing in us. The passage is found in Hosea 10:12 Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap steadfast love; break up your fallow ground; for it is time to seek the Lord that he may come and rain righteousness upon you.

This struck a chord in my heart this morning. Fallow ground is just ground that has not been used for a while. It is good ground; it is just not ready for seed to be dropped into it. This can be like our lives. God is asking us to prepare ourselves, make ourselves ready to receive his new and often amazing plans for us. I see it as prayer, fasting, meditating on the passages of the Bible with a renewed sense of urgency.

I must begin anew to prepare myself for what it is the Lord is about to do in my life and the lives of those around me. I am excited to see where this will take me.

A Meandering Chat

2009-02-17T13:40:00.003+13:00

Today I had a lunch date with my girlfriend. It has been a while since we just sat and enjoyed a nice sub sandwich and chatted about whatever jumped into our heads. I like how our conversation snaked its way along heading in one direction then another, then back the other way. There is something relaxing about a meandering chat. It was interrupted easily by whatever came along, a mouthful of sub or a cute little olive skinned girl or a slurp from the straw to wash down the food. I thoroughly enjoy the generally easy going nature of our relationship.

Cheryl and I will have been married 21 years in June this year and from where I am sitting it seems like just a few! Age has been very kind to her as she is even more beautiful than the first day we met.... now you know where my girls get it from!

The Legend of St. Valentine dates back as far as the mid third century AD. He was a priest who opposed the emperor Claudius II when he made a law that young men should remain single in order to build his army. Claudius thought that married men were not good soldiers so the order came down. But Valentine refused this order and secretly performed many marriages for the young men. Of course he was caught, arrested jailed and eventually martyred for his efforts. However, as legend would have it, he apparently performed a miracle and healed the daughter of the Roman Jailor at some point before he met his end. It was to this young woman that he scribbled one of his last notes addressing her as his beloved and then signing as "from your Valentine”.

Whether this story is the whole truth or part truth or just legend were not certain. The only thing we know for sure from the records is that there were several St. Valentines who suffered martyrdom for their faith during those early church years. This story comes from St. Valentine of Rome and is the one that most credit with the tradition of St. Valentine’s Day.

Whatever the case may be, I hope you have taken some time lately just to enjoy the special other person in your life. Somehow, I believe in our rush around world we forget to show appreciation to the ones we love most. Even if you missed Valentine’s Day don’t worry about it, just get out there and enjoy a leisurely cup of coffee or something of that nature and have a meandering chat.

Happy belated Valentine’s Day Sweetie!

FIRE & BLAME!

2009-02-11T14:37:00.003+13:00

I'm asking the Lord for rain for our neighbours across the ditch (Tasman Sea) who are continuing to battle not just the fires but the aftermath and destruction that follows those blazing hillsides. Whole town’s swallowed up as folks scramble to get out while they can... some overtaken by flames while fleeing in their cars! As the death toll climbs our hearts continue to go out to the families of those who are suffering the loss of family and friends. Not to mention the total sense of despair of those who have lost it all on top of the loss of human life. No words can say enough to bring any sort of relief. I suppose it does bring some measure of comfort just knowing that much of the rest of humanity is standing behind them to do what they can to help.
They say that South-eastern Australia becomes like a tinder box every 10-20 years as a cycle of weather patterns brings about the extremely dry conditions that make such an inferno possible. Now we are learning that this particular fire appears to have been the work of people, whether intended or not, and not a natural cause such as lightening. So now a massive hunt is on to bring some sense of justice if indeed it was set by someone. We need to hold somebody responsible for this mess either God or some person.
It seems human beings need to be able to sooth themselves through finding someone or something to blame. Don’t get me wrong; if there has been foul play then justice must be meted out. But I am speaking in simple generalities. Finding someone to blame for problems, pain, suffering, tragedy or just the trouble we find ourselves in is like a finely tuned craft that each of us is exceptionally gifted at. NOT taking responsibility for something we’ve done is as common as Marmite on toast!
Why are we like this? Why is my first reaction to flee the scene of a minor fender bender in a car park if no one is watching! Why not just take the blame, accept responsibility and the consequences for my actions?
The bible says that this type of attitude is the direct result of sin. A kind of proof if you like that each of us can act out like this even on our best days! It is proof as well that we need outside help with this problem as no amount of positive thinking or therapy can get us to abandon this stubborn streak within.
There is so much more that could be said but why not check it out for yourself by picking up a bible and giving it a read. If understanding it is what you’re looking for then perhaps connect with a church near you for some assistance. I wouldn’t blame you!

How do you see the world?

2009-02-10T10:08:00.003+13:00

This past weekend we took a step back in pace and made our way over to the Island of Waiheke (why-he-key). A short 35 minute ferry ride full of scenery that defies description. (http://www.waihekenz.com/index.html> if you want to check out some of this beauty) By 'we' I mean my family and a friend who is visiting with us from Canada. We went over to enjoy the beauty, the people, an outdoor sculpture walk and annual horse races held on Onetangi (Owe-knee-tan-gee) Beach. The day was without a single disappointment!

The island reminds me of home back in Canada so much. It is like taking a drive from Kelowna to Osoyoos with brown rolling hills scorched from the hot summer sun with many patches of deep green from well watered vineyards. The pace of the island is like slamming the brakes on compared to the rush rush of Auckland and for that reason alone it is most enjoyable.

The place was full of people from all walks of life and from many of the nations of the world. It seems like the local population must at least double from the sleepy 8000 or so island inhabitants during the peak tourist season. That means the place is buzzing with packed, hot, sticky busses running late, shuttles services and taxi’s taking people to the various bays and beaches to enjoy the activates.

Finding a shady spot on Onetangi beach with its limited tree coverage was a challenge but we did manage. The water was turquoise and warm and the big waves coming in added an extra bonus of fun for the girls as they enjoyed their time there. We got there only to witness a couple of horse races down the beach but the girls were not too disappointed as they got to do a little beach shopping in the booths provided as a part of race day.

The sculpture walk was really terrific. It is 2 kilometers of hills along the shore line. Some very creative works were on display and everyone seemed to enjoy it. The heat was a bit much at times but ice cold water in our water bottles helped sooth us and kept us hydrated.

Along the way an interesting conversation was struck about how differently we all view the world. Our guest saw the world through words, she likes to write, and she sees the world through a written description. My daughter and my wife see the world through pictures, photographs to be exact. They look at each thing as through a lens. I see the world as people. I love people watching (something there was no shortage of during our trip to Waiheke and back).

Having said this I must hasten to add that I also see the world as a bull horn; a loud speaker shouting in every tongue, in every nook and granny of the globe, the glory of the divine. The absolute majesty, brilliance and wisdom that could only come from an intelligent designer created all this wonder. It is well past even what our most creative minds could imagine. The sculptures were good but compared to the natural beauty of the setting around them, not even close.

Perhaps today, you could ask a friend how they see the world and enjoy the conversation over a meal or cup of tea or coffee.

this is my thanksgiving prayer

2008-10-10T20:45:00.005+13:00

Happy Thankgiving North American friends! It has been a long time since I jotted down some thoughts here…. I suppose with facebook it seems a bit redundant to write about your life when it is already online… so anywhoo…. I have had two weeks of our daughters at home and I have loved it. I chalk it up to one of those special and rare occasions left as a whole family group before the end of school in about 6 weeks. My two oldest will be finished this chapter in their lives and so times like this may be on the way out with only a precious few left. Trips abroad are planned, schools are being checked out and North American summer plans are in the making. Meanwhile, our youngest Mackenzie is loving life, living large and enjoying being sweet 16. They all make me a proud
papa!
I have prayed and will continue to pray that they are as prepared for the real world as much as possible. I pray that they grow up to love their God with wisdom and passion and then turn around and do the same for the people around them. I know that my wife has trained them well to be young women and for that I am soooo grateful. I hope I have done the same for them as the two oldest begin the journey of finding that special someone to spend the rest of their lives with. I hope and pray I have shown them a picture of what a good and righteous man is all about. Not perfect but honest, not consumed with being successful but rather faithful to the road that God has asked me to travel. Content with a bit of mystery, as there are something’s that cannot be known, but eager to grow in my knowledge of God, people and world that God has created.
This is my prayer.

Rythym

2008-06-11T18:32:00.003+12:00

Rhythm is powerful. I once read that a marching army will stop and stager there march steps before crossing a bridge. Apparently the reason for this is because if they march in unison the rhythm of their steps can actually cause the bridge to collapse. The way I understand it is there's a chance that their steps will coincide with the resonant frequency of the bridge and possibly cause the whole structure to come tumbling down.
In athletics rhythm is essential to victory. A championship team plays in rhythm. It is a finely tuned group that works in harmony with each other. In fact rhythm is more important than who is on the team. Lots of teams full of super athletes have been beat out by teams with lesser known players because of the rhythm they play at.
Even hit TV shows have come out in honour of rhythm as couples work hour upon hour to dance in perfect rhythm together to win the dance competition.
I'd say rhythm is really important to life too. Just as rhythm has the power to destroy a bridge being out of rhythm in our lives can really cause some serious damage as well.
I think we intuitively come to understand what our personal rhythm is. We get into a grove some people say or we're hitting the sweet spot if we golf. But when something comes along and it forces us out of our grove, breaks us out of our rhythm life can quickly get chaotic and fast.
Or if we ignore God's rhythm of creation, "six days you shall work but keep the seventh day holy", we can find ourselves falling apart. This something that far too many people have left behind and their broken down health, families and business are the fruit.
I like the way The Message puts it when Jesus says, "Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly."
I really like that... the unforced rhythms of grace... God is Good All the Time

Beyond Dragons

2008-04-03T15:25:00.005+13:00

I have found myself desiring a fresh sense of wonder these days. A wonder that is profound, a wonder that is deep and abiding and not a wonder that leaves me empty and feeling used after I have experienced it. I've been moved recently by Jesus standing in the temple courts at the peak of the feast of booths in John 7. He cries out with a loud voice; "If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Rivers of living water will brim and spill out of the depths of anyone who believes in me this way, just as the Scripture says. (By this he meant the Spirit)"
I'm desirous of an increased flow of these rivers of life flowing out of my belly and I sense it is time to set aside a good block of time to seek the Lord for a fresh filling of his Holy Spirit. Today I listened to Ravi Zacharias on podcast and he used this illustrative story of trying to insight wide eyed wonder with his 3 children when they were ages 5, 3 and 2. To the oldest he said imagine yourself walking up to a mysterious door, as you approach you think you hear something and it makes you curious so you open that door and out lunges a dragon... her eyes widen! To the second he says imagine yourself walking up to a mysterious door, as you approach you think you hear something and it makes you curious so you open the door... her eyes widen! To the third and youngest he says you see a big door and you walk slowly up to it... and his eyes grow wide! The five year old needed a dragon; the 3 year old only needed to open the door and his 2 year old just needed to be able to get to the door! His summary thought from the talk he gave coupled with this closing illustration was that the older we get the more it takes to fill our hearts with wonder and only God is big enough to fill that void.
I think I need a bigger sense of wonder and the sooner the better!
God is Good All the Time

Murky

2008-04-01T11:13:00.005+13:00

I remember as a boy growing up going to Bear Lake Bible Camp. Bear lake was really an oversized mud puddle. Im sure that if you tried open up a camp there in this day and age the Government would not allow you becuase of the dirty muddy murky waters of the lake. But I had some pretty awesome memories of that camp. It was a place God met me many a time. But the lake was impossible to see in because it was so murky.

Murky, I like the word, it is like one of those words that sounds like what it means almost onomatopoeic (that’s my big word for the day!) Murky according to the dictionary is obscure, vague, thick with mist, it can even mean dark and gloomy. Murky can also be spelled “Mirky” which I thought was kind of funny since the word means unclear and it is unclear which way to spell it is correct. Murky. Paul said that "Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known." There is a part of our faith which is murky. There is a part that is quite unknowable this side of glory. There is a veil, there is a reflection that is cloudy not clear like mirrors today but more like the reflection of off a broken piece of glass, or a polished piece of aluminum or tin. I think this is a vital part of our experience of faith in the here and now. We don’t have a corner on the truth. Any more than Paul didn’t have a corner on the truth. We can know certain things for certain but there is a huge amount of God that resides in mist, he is murky, unfathomable, unsearchable, unknowable. This keeps my faith fresh, my prayers earnest, my search for more understanding unending. It keeps my faith fluid and in motion and I am so glad for that.
God is also conscious of those not yet in faith who need to see him. To those outside the faith he is the exact opposite, he is clearly seen, his fingerprints are all over everything, his DNA is left behind for those who take the time and have the desire to know him. He has left behind a mountain of clear evidence that points to him. No fog or mist to hide him. As Paul affirms in Romans One, "For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse." So God in his mercy has made entrance into faith clear so that no one is without excuse and in his wisdom has made life inside of faith just murky enough to make us search to clarify, seek to have the Holy Spirit illuminate, ask questions to enlighten the truth of God’s word and our experience of him through his word.

God is Good All the Time.

Gandolf's Wisdom

2008-03-29T12:49:00.003+13:00

I recently sat down and watched the first episode of Lord of the Rings. It was a bit like sitting down to a cup o coffee with an old friend. I hadn’t watched it for years. I still am taken aback by the profound wisdom in Gandalf’s advice to his young hobbit friend Frodo…
Frodo: I wish the ring had never come to me. I wish none of this had happened.
Gandalf: So do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us. There are other forces at work in this world Frodo, besides the will of evil. Bilbo was meant to find the Ring. In which case, you were also meant to have it. And that is an encouraging thought.
Ever wonder about the "other forces at work in this world"? I’ve been wondering about them lately. I’ve been keenly aware lately of just how vulnerable we are to the attacks of forces beyond our sight. Thankfully the forces that pulsate behind the scenes are not just dark ones but they are also from the light and good!
I remember someone once told me that we too often act like its peace time in the middle of war time...and I believe there is a significant amount of truth to this statement.
We forget that there are forces beyond our line of sight and this can be to our own discouragement. If we forget then we can be under attack and unaware or we can also miss the forces that are at work for our encouragement which we so desperately need.
As the Apostle Paul wrote... we wrestle not against flesh and blood...
The problem can also be that we just wrestle not! Period! We skip along whistling in the dark unaware of forces both bad and good at work in this world.
How about you... have you been wrestling lately or are you just whistling in the dark?
God is Good All the Time.

Blinded

2008-03-23T23:22:00.006+13:00

I had an interesting conversation the other day in a local book store. A complete stranger engaged me in a fairly one-sided conversation. It was one of those kinds where getting any more than an occasional grunt or mmmmm in sideways is all there was room for. Verbal diarrhea comes to mind; overly opinionated and reckless with his conversation he proceeded to move from issues of race, religion, politics and even conspiracy theories. It was rapid fire and I found it a bit shocking and even a tad bit rude.
I'm pretty sure that he mistook me for an avid fiction reader and things progressed from there. At first I went along with it, I even mentioned a new novel I had heard about thinking it was fairly new and that he wouldn’t have read it yet. Was I ever wrong! He not only had read it but had read several of the same author’s books. We danced around the books on the shelf as he picked one after another out and asked me if I had read it but never actually let me respond. He proceeded to tell me the main plot and a summary of several books.
At one point he got stuck. He looked at me for help as he tried to remember the name of a fabulous mystery author but I was of no use and so we went to the till and had the cashier do a search.
Finding little satisfaction at the till he led me off to the corner where the Divinci Code was and that’s when the conversation got interesting. He told me that he pretty much had to believe that Jesus was a real guy but that the miracles and stuff were just sleight of hand and the stuff of legends. He then proceeded to put all his faith in the fictional book that Brown had written. The Divinci Code was the real deal as far as he was concerned. I kept on mentioning that it was a fictional book based on conspiracy, conjecture and a pretty good imagination. But he was not about to back down. He preferred it that way. It was easier for him to dismiss the real Jesus and his claims and his miracles and completely embrace a wild fictional character whose name was Jesus and he had a sexual relationship with Mary Magdalene.
It was a fresh reminder that the god of this world has blinded the minds of those in this world from the truth. I walked away from that meeting a bit frustrated and even sad that this man would rather believe in crazy fictional conspiracy than the real deal Jesus Christ who rose from the dead!
Happy Easter Everyone!

Decisions

2008-02-25T10:24:00.005+13:00

I've been involved lately with a very important decision. One that will have long term affects on my time, my family, my ministry but probably most significantly on me! When faced with an important decision I have noticed that I have changed over time. I think the change is for the better but what do you think?
How have I changed? Well, I think that I used to just make a decision, go for it and let the chips fall where they may. This worked sometimes but most times it caused significant stress on all those who were trying to work with me or walk with me through different circumstances. I believe I have been called a "bull in a China shop" to often when it came to my almost reckless approach to decision making. I also remember praying more for everybody who might be affected by my decision to "get along" with it and "move along" with it. Fairly selfish I suppose.
Over time, and I believe it is from maturing in my faith; I have taken a very different approach to making decisions. I think I try to see them from every possible angle, deciding who will be affected most, what that affect will be, how will I communicate the decisions being made. I also have noticed that I talk to more people, inviting them to participate with the process in coming to some sort of conclusion. The focus of my prayers is more on searching His heart and mind so that I do not bring disgrace to his glorious name. I think I focus less on what the outcomes will be and focus more on trusting God and trusting his work in me over time to enable me to make wise, spirit-directed decisions. The journey is as important as the decision.

Recently someone I know was having a very difficult time trying to make a decision. It was during this process that I noticed how important motivations are in making decisions. If your motivations are split then it seems that making the choice and sticking with it is also split. Can I trust myself, can I trust the advice of others, can I trust that I won’t make a decision I will regret later on? Not wanting to make a mistake can really hold us back from moving forward. It almost freezes us. Prayer seems more focused on one word, “help”!

Have you ever sat down and figured out just how you go about making decisions? Do you make them and then change them often? Do you make them and not change them no matter how horrible they may be? Where does God fit into this process?

God is Good All the Time!

Cyclone

2008-02-01T20:07:00.000+13:00

Cyclone,
Hurricane,
Typhoon,
Monsoon,
call it whatever you want but it's basically just a big bunch of wind and water! From what I understand it has to do with hot air and cold air mixing which creates a circular ferocious and many times deadly wind. Of course of all this happens over ocean water and that's were the massive waves begin to smash anything that happens to get in their way! Truly nothing to mess about with, better to steer clear and run than to stand firm and face it! At least if you run you can live to brag about it another day!

And that's what our fearless captain did on a ship our family was sailing on a couple of weeks ago. When we came across a tropical storm called Cyclone Fiona we pulled anchor and skedaddled! We still managed to encounter 10 meter swells and at one point the ship pitched 10 degrees! It was a little bit like riding a GIANT roller coaster. I must admit I was a little surprised at how comfortable I was even through the worst of that stormy, topsy-turvy day and a night on the open seas.
Why so calm? I guess as I look back now I would say that I’ve had a life time of practice at trusting someone else with my life, sort of my personal life captain you could say. Yup, I've weathered a few storms in my day and all because I decided many years ago to ruthlessly trust in the Captain of my soul. It may sound funny but way down deep inside of me somewhere I've learned to let go of the ships wheel and let Him guide me into safe harbor when the storms of life hit!
I heard there were some on board who disagreed with the captain, who felt we should have gotten what we paid for, who thought he was way too careful in his judgment. I guess they must have trouble trusting the wisdom and understanding of a seasoned Captain.... Not me!
God is Good All the Time.

Unfinished

2008-01-11T17:55:00.000+13:00

Looking long and hard at that word can fill us with feelings of failure or it could fill us with the thrill of unseen hope. Failure if we think of unfinished in the sense that what should have been done was not done. This has a way of making us feel guilty about what is unfinished. I've had plenty of that in my life, in fact, I would say I have had enough of that in my life. Or, on the other hand, unfinished has within it something that could fill us with a sense of hope. Hope if we think of it as the journey being unfinished, that there is still more ahead, more mystery, more to do, more to be done, it's just that it is unfinished.
I have been enjoying a book by Brian D Mclaren called the "The secret Message of Jesus". At the end of the book he quotes a poem written by a man martyred in 1980, the Archbishop Oscar Romero of El Salvador.

It helps now and then to step back and take the long view
The kingdom is not only beyond our efforts,
It is beyond our vision.
We accomplish in our lifetime only a tiny fraction of
the magnificent enterprise that is God’s work.
Nothing we do is complete,
Which is another way of saying that the kingdom always lies beyond us

No statement says all that could be said.
No prayer fully expresses our faith.
No confession brings perfection…
No set of goals and objectives includes everything.

This is what we are about:
We plant seeds that one day will grow.
We water seeds already planted,
Knowing that they hold future promise.
We lay foundations that will need further development.
We provide yeast that produces effects beyond our capabilities.

We cannot do everything
And there is a sense of liberation in realizing that.
This enables us to do something,
And to do it very well.
It may be incomplete, but it is a beginning, a step along the way, an opportunity for God’s grace to enter and do the rest.

We may never see the end results….
We are prophets of a future no our own.

Restless

2008-01-07T22:35:00.000+13:00

I recently watched a young woman as she told me a tragic tale of love gone astray. Her voice quivered, her legs jumped up and down and up and down at the knees as she worked out her saga of woe in the chair across from me. She shifted often in her seat, like she was nervous to be taking about something so close to her heart but having nobody else to trust she figured she might as well spill her heart and soul to me. She was restless; wondering if it was all going to work out ok!
I've been feeling kind of restless as of late too. Can’t put a finger on it just yet as to why or even why now at this moment but it is a restless feeling. Almost like when you know you are supposed to be doing something but you can’t remember what it was you were supposed to be doing! Restless.
As far as I know the only thing I have ever found that helped relieve this uneasy feeling is to read the word of God and to pray and one of my favorite things is to sit outside at night and look at the stars. They are magnificent! And somehow they relax my soul, put my heart at ease and calm my restless spirit. The heavens declare the WOW of God and shout his praise. Somehow, I get lost in that and when I emerge out the other side... restless has been replaced with resting. My God has everything in his mighty care, including me!
God is Good All the Time!

Im Offically and Old Man Now!

2007-09-24T16:08:00.000+12:00

Well it finally happened! Today I spent the better part my early afternoon waiting in a small glass-walled room for Mackenzie Cheryl Nichol. Mackenzie is the youngest of three beautiful daughters all born on the same day, September 11th! I sat with several other parents all waiting with baited breath, (including one that could easily have been Jennifer Aniston’s twin sister just a few years older) for the soon expected return of our children from the examination room. At various intervals throughout the allowed 30 minute test a drama was being played out. It was communicated with sighs of relief, smiles of delight, smiles of proud parents, smiles from the happy clerk behind her massive desk, and even a few smiles from the other expecting parents. That's when the page waving, skipping, smiling MacKenzie came zipping around the corner with an "I-just-past-my-learners-test-for-driving-kind-of-smile" stretching from ear to ear. And it hit me right at that moment, it hit me like a ton of bricks and I felt old. Very old! Like where did the time go kind of old. Two weeks ago I was handing over the keys to the car to Danae and watched from the end of the driveway as she zipped away to her friends place for a birthday party all on her own. I shot a prayer up to the Lord to protect her! And felt old! What do you do when you feel old? You tell yourself you're really not that old yet! There are plenty of people older than me, right? I still seems like I’m in my twenties so I can't be that old! Any way, congratulations to Mackenzie on the passing of your learners test I'm proud really proud of you and congratulations to you Danae on getting your drivers license on the first crack. Way to Go! So all that’s left is Paige, she still has to go for her drivers examination. Hopefully it will take her a while to get it done… I need to recover from the last two! Here's a couple of shots from these recent events…enjoy!

School, Soccer & such

2007-09-08T22:04:00.000+12:00

This week i spent most of my time nose deep in my books over at the Bible College of New Zealand library. The paper this time is a 5000 word essay in commentary format on a parable of my choice. I chose the Good Samaritan and have I ever enjoyed my in-depth study of this well known story. I am almost finished and should have the final touches done by next Wednesday Sept 12th.
I’m not bloging as much because of over use of face book. It seems to have taken over my life. I have way to many contacts and I can’t possibly keep track of them all. Oh well. Once in a while I get a poke or a note from some of my old bible school friends or somebody from the Okanogan. I like that very much.
One of the best things that has happened to me since we got here was spending 7 full days and nights with 2 teachers, 3 moms and 16 teenage girls all kiwi folks. I finally got a good look at the inner workings of the kiwi world. Not to mention I had a lot of fun too. It was full immersion baptism and I loved pretty much every second of it! My roommate Tony, the physics/science teacher is a great guy and we led the team on and off the field together. Much fun and even a few slender chances to engage in a couple of light hearted conversations regarding faith, morals and other religious type conversations.
I have decided to just upload a few pics for you to enjoy of our weekend in Taupo. It really did remind both paige and I of peachland. Situated on a lake, homes going up the hill, long beach along the main drag; Only difference was the two massive volcanoes in the distance. (Which we got a peak of on the way into town and on the last day because the weather was nasty!) Anywho, here are some photos of our experience.

bOy DId wE hAVe fuN

2007-08-20T19:12:00.000+12:00

Well it has been a month since I last checked in here. My Facebook activity has really taken over my "blogging" life. Plus I am writing papers for my masters and of course leadership talks and sermons. I like blogging because it gave me a chance to reflect, share stories and more and in a way it relaxed me but now it seems like a chore to keep up with.
Any who, we had a fantastic 3 weeks with Bruce and Niki Hildebrandt. Let’s see what would be a bunch of words that simply describe our time? fun, sun, beach, mountains, hiking, walking, caving, zoo, koalas, kangaroos, early morning cockatoos, iguanas, woodstove heating, brisk winds, gondolas, steep railway, rain forest, tour buses, Hillsong, free shirts, card games, orc killing, walking around Auckland, Mt rangatoto, aquariums, museums, movies on the big screen, road kill, hot water beach, bondi beach, eastern beach, bucklands beach, piha beach, huge waves, starfish, photo shoots, shopping, gift giving, parking lot fun, malls, parrots, boomerangs, stalagmites, stalactites, stars, killer tomatoes, George Clooney, ice cream, ferry rides, rain, exploding coconuts, music, singing, more orc killing, late night chats, left-hand driving, sharks, Monterrey’s, platypus’s, boomerang to butt, Red Rooster, cold winds, sunny days, and much much more. And here are a couple of photos to go with it!

The Zoom Zoom Affect of Living Busy

2007-07-27T19:37:00.000+12:00

I would have to say that of all the months since we have arrived here in NZ the month of July has ZOOMED by. A simple breakdown of the month will reveal that two weeks of School, a major 6000 word paper for my leadership class, John and Carolyne taking the month off, prison ministry, a two day retreat, 3 planning and strategic church meetings,
and of course Kelly and Jen and Jason and Chelsey all going back to Canada in the middle of the month lead to some extra party type stuff going on, has kept us very busy!
The class I took was called interpreting the parables with Dr. Craig Blomberg and it was very enjoyable. I was a late addition to the class so it caught me off guard especially since there was a pretty hefty book that needed to be read prior to class beginning and with a written review. But it was great timing as I am preaching through the parables in ICC right now so it greatly enhanced my understanding of the stories of Jesus. (If you want to hear them online you can just go to twango.com and type in kevin nichol and it will take you to my message site) My paper was due in on the 20th but i had to get a weeks extension to finish it so I handed it in today. The focus of my paper was the metaphors that both Jesus and Paul used to describe leaders and leadership. I even had my sister give me a hand with some of the sentence structure and English stuff. Thanks sis! We had some good friends offer me there batch out on the cormandel peninsula so I could have 3 days of solid paper writing. It was just what I needed to get this monster off my back. I am so thankful. Here is a shot of the mountain that the cabin is located on. We are in the middle of making some massive decisions about ICC. Currently it needs some serious work especially financially if we are going to stay open for business. Could use your prayers regarding this as I think some tough decisions are looming ahead if our current plans do not encourage growth both numerically and financially.
John and Carolyne both came back expressing that they had a fantastic time away and are feeling much better. They will be retiring from the church leadership in February O8 and our leadership decided to let do whatever they have a passion for in the fellowship over the next 7-8 months. Our objective is to believe God that they will finish well here and that God will provide wisdom for the next steps in his journey for them.
Well this is getting kinda long so I will shut it down and throw on a few pictures of my month.
God is Good All the Time!

So long, far well, to our Canadain friends...

2007-07-15T08:01:00.000+12:00

The Lord did us a HUGE favour by bringing out some really terrific folks to help kick start our Kiwi journey. Kelly and Jen (& Mateo) and Jason and Chelsey have been a wonderful source of encouragement to us these past 6 months. Did I just say 6 months… wow time is going fast!
Over the course of the next two days these friends will be boarding planes and heading back to Canada. The Nichol 5 will all greatly miss them. Their presence here has often lifted our hearts, their encouraging words have blown wind in our sails, their fun loving ways have kept things light hearted, their shoulders have helped in making the load lighter and their prayers and support are ongoing and sweet as honey to us. Like I said, God has shown us favour in allowing us to get started with such a great team of people around us.
Thanks brothers and sisters for being here, connecting with all of us and just generally being FANTASTIC!
I already miss you and the next couple of days of good byes are going to be sad ones. Thanks for the memories and the many blessings you have brought to our New Zealand world. I look forward to reconnecting with you some day in the hopefully near future!
God is Good All the Time.

2007-07-07T21:53:00.000+12:00

Well, this week went by so fast. John and Carolyne are off on a much deserved 1 month break. This will work well for both of us. Having them away has forced me to get into the guts of this church, ask a few tough questions, seek a better understanding of how thing run around here. I also got a last minute invitation to attend my second Master Class on Preaching the Parables with Dr. Craig Blomberg. It has been quite informative and such good timing as i am preaching through the parables in the Sunday morning service at ICC. (If you are interested you can follow this link to it) http://www.twango.com/media/kevinnichol.public/kevinnichol.10006 I also took two days and three nights to attend a much needed retreat with a couple of my Canadian buds at Capernwray bible school conference lodge. It was so worth going, we were well feed in every sense of the word and we had great times of conversation centred mostly about how the speaker personally affected us. Today we went to MOTAT (Museum Of Transportation And Technology)with the girls and Chels and Jas. We sure are going to miss all these wonderful Canadians who have been sooooooooo supportive of our ministry here. We thank God often for them and we will miss then greatly when they had back to Canada July 15th. Tomorrow, I will be going to jail. I have been invited by the local prison chaplain to come with some fellows from our church and lead the prison service. I have no idea what to expect and thankfully the two guys I am taking with me have gone several times in the past. I will depend on their wisdom and experience. And finally we spoke with Niki today on Skype. We are all excited that in 3 weeks we will be spending 3 weeks together. We are all keyed up for it.
God and Good All the Time!

When your kids say they're homesick!

2007-06-25T14:25:00.000+12:00

When your kids say they are homesick what can you do?

Really there is nothing that can be said or done to make that feeling go away. I think it is just a nicer way of saying that they are grieving. And when someone is grieving you just be there for them, embrace their sorrow, and pray for their comfort. Not much else you can do!

It does help to have talks in between greiving that make it a little easier when those times do come. A good verse is that the Lord is close to the broken hearted to remind us all that this sorrow is not ignored nor is it pampered by the Lord who was greived and sorrowful as well.

But in the end, no amount of sermonizing can stop grieving nor should it try to do so. The inbetween talks and verses from scripture or just wise sayings are meant to simply encourage before, after and during hard times.

Good to know that God is Good all the Time!

The Friendliest of Experiences

2007-06-18T20:33:00.000+12:00

It suddenly dawned on me the other day that our hopes and dreams are directly connected to our fears. I wondered if there is a single hope out there in the universe that doesn’t have a fear or a few fears attached to it. Sort of like the two sides of a coin, one side is the hope you hold out for something and the other is the fear that that hope will not work out. Think about it for a second, what is one thing you are hoping for right now? Now, is there a fear attached to it? I would be surprised if there would be a single person out there that would deny the presence of fear hiding somewhere in the shadow of a hope.
My hopes here are of course that all would go well, that our family would thrive even under all the various stresses of moving here. I hope that our finances will be provided for us, our church will grow with new believers, and strong Christians who are moving to the area and need a good church. I hope for health and strength emotionally, physically, mentally and spiritually to meet the challenges that each day brings. These are just a few of my hopes in a long and over worked list of hopes. But each one has a "what if" kind of fear that is lurking around the corners of my heart and mind. It seems to try and eat away at my faith and my hopes.
How do we deal with such fears? Move on, pretend they are not there? Sometimes I suppose, but what about prayer? I prayed that God would take all my hopes and dreams and each fear I could think of that was associated with them all and surrendered them to Him! The fears left and the hopes grew stronger. I think prayer has got to be one of the friendliest experiences of a human beings life. Conversations with a God who is your friend and has your best interests in mind. What a great faith we have. Cast all your cares on him for he cares for you.
God is Good All the Time.

sermons online

2007-06-10T21:34:00.000+12:00

I went to preach at a friends church this morning and he showed me how to put my sermons online. He recorded mine from today so that I could put it on the website called "Twango". On the side of my blog I now have a link you can follow to this site if you want to hear my sermon or you could just click this link and listen here to the sermon. I will be trying to put more up as the days go by if you are interested in hearing what I am preaching these days. The next step for me is to figure out how to go about recording my sermons at ICC so I can put them on this website. Hopefully I will get that done soon.
God is Good All the Time! OOPS! I guess you need a password to get into my sermon site. type in kevinnichol in the ID slot and then peachy07 in the password slot and you should be able to listen to the sermons. If you get lost just type in nichol in the top search bar and it should take you back to me.

Ministry and Money

2007-06-08T22:18:00.000+12:00

I guess one could say that the penny has dropped and now we are fully aware of what it meant to leave Canada with only a small portion of our needed funding. I wish we could just not have to think about money and the raising of it but that is not the reality we live in. This week during a few unguarded moments I was having a bit of a pity party. I can’t remember when we have ever really brought in a decent wage. I have worked my butt off for more than 20 years of ministry and most of that time we have been well underpaid. But I suppose it is part of the world of church and ministry we live in. Making money is not why I do what I do but sometimes ya just gotta wonder. Money makes the world go round and it certainly cost lots of money to minister the word of God. I wonder how those TV guys get away with making millions from their TV preaching programs. There is money out there in the kingdom for that kind of ministry. I suppose I could go on gripping about this whole thing but it wouldn’t help one little bit. I have to ruthlessly trust that God will provide regardless of how I feel in my unguarded moments. I guess that discouragement is on the other side of this feeling if I don’t guard my heart for out of it flows the wellspring of life. There now that just feels a bit better! Sorry if you had to read this I guess I should have put the disclaimer at the beginning of the blog. Caution: Dangerous whining in progress!
God is Good All the Time!

Driving with Boy in Car!

2007-05-26T15:31:00.000+12:00

Danae is really working hard at becoming a proficient and safe driver. In fact yesterday she came marching into my office and announced that she was sad and needed some cheering up. She followed this up with, "So dad, take me driving ‘cuase I need something to do that makes me happy." So off we went. We cranked the tunes and I shot a couple of pictures to mark the event. ENJOY!

Preaching in Chinese

2007-05-26T15:16:00.000+12:00

Last weekend I was invited by our sister church the Chinese Christian Alliance Church to come and preach in their English and then Cantonese services. I had so much fun. The first service was full of mostly young people with a few adults thrown in and the second service was a real treat. I really enjoyed both services and will take away a couple of great memories from the experience. The first thing I remember as I look back on the experience was the moment in the Cantonese service when they all stood and said the Lords prayer in almost perfect unison. The second would be the fun of preaching through and interpreter (or interrupter as he called himself). It was such a blessing to serve these churches with the gift the Lord has given to me. I hope I get to do that some more. The picture is of me and my “interrupter” Steven.
He was a terrific young guy and we really hit it off.
God is Good All the Time

Shared Thoughts From School

2007-05-19T16:13:00.000+12:00

This week has been such a great blessing to me. I am like a dry sponge soaking up everything moist around it. I am so into this class that I start at 9:00 and end at 12:30 and it goes by so fast it seems like a blink. Dr. Mark Strom is our instructor and his easy going approach and story/narrative way of handling the material along with all the insights that are coming from the students makes for such a sweet time. I am sad when it is time to go home and face the awful Auckland traffic. Our topic is timely for me. The class is called Leadership: Ancient and Modern, and the essence of the class is to move today's leadership back to a basic understanding of Paul's view of leadership. That being to move leadership away from the ancient philosopher’s Plato and Aristotle's approach of rank and status. Rank means to understand your place and status means the prestige of the Rank that you held. He believes that the current church "system" is based on this rank and status approach and is nothing like what Paul had in mind for leadership in his writings. In other words it is a very "top-down" driven system. Leadership is based and rank and status, the top down approach that is created to keep things under control at all times. The basic instrument of change for all of this is something he terms "Naming" and also "conversation." Giving people and or things new names or new language in order to have new conversations that are meaningful and lead to new ideas etc.
Anyway, before I bore you with to many more details I just wanted to blog out the fun that I am having at school. I am grateful to the Lord for his provision that allows me get some more education.
God is Good all The Time

Off to School...

2007-05-14T18:43:00.000+12:00

I went to school today, I was a bit nervous and for the most part felt a bit intimidated by the whole scholarly road to a new and hopefully better you. The nice thing about it was that there we're several students there who were older than me and quite a few younger. I found myself in the middle which i guess was a small bit of comfort.
The drive from my house to the school took one hour and fifteen minutes. It is almost from one end of the city to another. I sat at one traffic circle for almost 15 minutes. I sat beside a young lady who lives not to far from me so she gave me some "short-cut" directions that I will be taking tomorrow.
I really enjoyed myself today. It was fun to be back in a learning environment. A real live Prof. with real live students and real live papers! I have to write to 2000 word papers and one 10000 word paper. That all should prove to be very interesting indeed.
Well, I go back tomorrow for round two and each day Monday through Friday for the next two weeks. My class is called "Leadership: Ancient and Modern" and so far I have enjoyed the reading and now I get to enjoy the class work. And best of all Cheryl prayed for me as I went out the door this morning that no one would bully me... and it worked. I even learned that bullies are really just cowards! SO THERE!
God is Good All the Time!

When it rains "KD" it pours "KD"

2007-05-11T15:03:00.000+12:00

WOW talk about the healing power of Kraft Dinner! Today we recieved another package in the mail from Canada. One complete case of 12 Kraft Dinner individual packages. I've got EMS on standby incase one of the girls goings into shock upon seeing the lasted delivery! Wow when it rains it pours around here!
God is a fan of Kraft Dinner!

The healing power of Kraft Dinner

2007-05-10T21:20:00.000+12:00

Facebook has opened up a whole new connection with friends I had not heard from in some cases years. I am finding it a delightful way of just quickly reconnecting over simple things with quick notes that just carry a conversation on for days that in real life face to face stuff would take a few minutes.
MSN has kept me well informed from our friends in china as well as my family back in Canada. This week has been great as I have had some great talks with my brother Cam and then stumbled onto a semi family gathering happening out at Chris and Jamie's place where mom and dad had gone for a visit. I could sit in the comfort of my office chair, and see my cute little niece and nephew and say hi to everyone almost like I was right there. Ain't technology grand!
Just in case you haven’t heard the news yet, Paige broke her wrist during a soccer game. Somehow got mixed up with one of there players and ended up on the ground with a fracture. It was all a bit hazy, the ref didn’t see any infringement etc. but Paige is now sporting a cast. We're all hoping it is a simple fracture that does not require too much cast time so she can get back out there and play the game she loves so much. Poor kid!
Anyway, She decided to stay home today, she was quite down this morning as she tried to emotionally catch up to the whole thing. While sitting in front of a movie a long and much anticipated parcel arrived from one of her good friends in Canada. God's timing on those kinds of things just couldn’t have been better. It brought all kinds of joy and we shared a nice meal of Kraft Dinner together. It really brightened her whole outlook on life. YA GOD!
God is Good All the Time.

Back to School

2007-04-29T09:19:00.000+12:00

Well, it is official, after much thought and prayer and discussions with Cheryl, I have decided to take advantage of the Bible School here in Auckland and pursue the rest of my masters degree. So, hopefully if all goes as planned I should be done my degree by the end of 2008. I have to reapply for an adjustment on my visa to do it but I was assured from their office that it is not too difficult and will cost only $60. God blessed the sale of our home back in Peachland and we are able to use some of the money from that to pay for this rather costly venture.
I do need your prayers though as it has been a long long long time since I was a student and even then I was poor at it!
It was a little humiliating to bring all my marks in from my transcripts as most of them are at a C or C- level. The registrar told me that my twenty years of ministry experience should bump it up to the required B to pursue a masters degree with them. I laughed sheepishly! He assured me that because it is a small seminary, I would get as much help as I needed to pull this off and I must admit that did make me feel a bit better. I will be attending as a part time student and my first class starts on May 14 and runs mornings for two weeks. I then have until the end of June to finish the final paper for that class. I am a bit nervous but I am pretty sure this is the time to do this and who knows where this degree will take me in the future.
God is Good All the Time!

The Woodpeckers have got to go...!

2007-04-27T15:51:00.000+12:00

My wife send me these this afternoon and they struck me funny bone and brought a wee tear to me one good eye! Enjoy!

Everything I need to know about life, I learned from Noah's Ark
One : Don't miss the boat.
Two : Remember that we are all in the same boat.
Three : Plan ahead. It wasn't raining when Noah built the Ark.
Four : Stay fit When you're 600 years old, someone may ask you to do something really big.
Five : Don't listen to critics; just get on with the job that needs to be done.
Six : Build your future on high ground.
Seven : For safety's sake, travel in pairs.
Eight : Speed isn't always an advantage. The snails were on board with the cheetahs.
Nine : When you're stressed, float a while.
Ten : Remember, the Ark was built by amateurs; the Titanic by professionals.
Eleven : No matter the storm, when you are with God, there's always a rainbow waiting
HOW TO KNOW WHEN A CATHOLIC IS SPEEDING!

laughter is like medicine!

Hope you're all having a great day!

Move over Mormons!

2007-04-23T09:23:00.000+12:00

We meet in the Howick recreation centre for our Sunday morning celebration services. The rec centre happens to be right beside a massive Mormon Church and for years as our other pastor John has walked by he has prayed over this "church" and against its massive deceptions that good folks have been taken in by. Well, yesterday we had a young Canadian couple over for lunch following the service. It was a wonderful reunion as they had been over in Australia for a seminar he had been taking. He told me that while he had been travelling to church last Sunday morning, they had been held up in getting there and that made them quite late for church. As they drove by the Mormon Church they were overwhelmed by its overflowing parking lot and the vehicles that lined the highway and were filling the rec centre parking lot that ICC uses as well. Then the Lord gave him a vision; that our church would overshadow the Mormon Church. He saw in his minds eye that we would one day be bigger than this gathering of Mormons right next door to where our little church meets. He had no idea that one of our young leaders had had the same kind of vision on that same Sunday. Again, I feel a bit like Mary must have felt as she "treasured up all these things in her heart." They are not come true yet but if they are of the Lord then we have much work to do to get this fellowship ready for the harvest that is on its way!
Oh ya, and one more really cool thing… Danae led us in worship yesterday. It was her first time, she lead all by herself, and she did a fantastic job (all biases set aside that is) Her is a photo I snapped of her and her PowerPoint person Mackenzie.

God is Good All the Time!

...and your young men will see visions...

2007-04-20T18:46:00.000+12:00

4 days in Raglan, it is like an exotic Peachland. It is a beautiful beach front that goes on forever. It is a town of about 4ooo during winter and swells to 10000 during the tourist season. One big difference is that during the month of November the Orca's come into the bay; 20 in a pod to play and show off in front of the entire town. Everything closes down and everybody heads to the sides of the inlet to see the spectacular sight. I want to see that and I can’t wait for that to happen.
Things here at ICC are progressing nicely. The 4 days away kind of opened my eyes to see the "toll" this venture has taken on us all. Naps in the afternoon, lots of fresh air, cool evening, and playing cards late into the night was excellent for our family to basically regroup from the flurry that has been our lives for the past 3 months. I found myself slightly overwhelmed last week. A feeling I don’t wish to repeat. There is so much going on and I need to keep it all in perspective and in prayer or it starts to get all bunched up in my mind, if that makes sense. Anyway, the rest did us good, it cleared my head and allowed me to think through each of the different scenarios I am currently trying to lead within the church.
The addition of a Filipino pastor named Richard is nearing completion. At this moment he is making some decisions for himself whether he is going to join with us or perhaps with another group. Apparently, he has a couple of other ministries pursuing him right now. So we will just leave this in the Lords hands and trust his gracious leading hand. We will know soon as I believe as his visa is drawing to a close on May 15th. Anyway, one of our young leaders had a spectacular vision that he told me about before we left for Raglan. He said that he had been praying and pondering what the Lord was doing when in his minds eye he suddenly had a vision of 500 people worshiping God at ICC. That was pretty cool and I deeply moved by his description of what he saw. Again the cry is going upwards... God what are you doing here? We are spending the evening in prayer tonight to focus on that very thing. God what are you doing and what is it you want us to do? Please pray with us.
God is Good All the Time.
Down town Raglan New Zealand

Happy Easter Everyone

2007-04-08T07:54:00.000+12:00

It is Easter Sunday. I’m sitting here in this house in Auckland listening to the sound of a few cars flying by on Pigeon Mountain Road, this annoying clock shaped like the "Island of Australia" LOUD ticking like a time bomb. It was given to us from a couple of students we billeted from Australia a couple weeks ago. And finally of course there is the ever present humming of the refrigerator motor in the background. I've awakened early today, it is my usual custom to be up early preparing for the Sunday Morning Service. I like to go over my sermon again, tidy up my PowerPoint and spend some time in contemplative reading and prayer. I have this phrase running through my heart and mind this morning. Something I read on a spiritual formation website. It was quoted by an author who was making some excellent comments on prayer. Her words drew me in as she made this statement..."that we will cease to be one who prays and instead begin to become one who is a living prayer." I have always wondered about this concept. In fact for years I have mentioned it here and there in conversations with others about prayer this idea that we can be living pray-ers. That our conversation that is full of grace and seasoned as it were with salt, could in fact be a the spoken fruit of a life devoted to relationship with God. But this quote was less striking to me than the quote she gave from Carl Barth. "Prayer is really our whole life toward God: our longing for Him, our “incurable God-sickness". Our incurable God-sickness. Easter stars us in the face, it practically shouts at us to become love-sick over such an amazing God. What a story, what a love, what a sacrifice, what a mighty, daring plan that can, if we receive it by faith, dare us to draw near to the creator of the universe. In fact, as I contemplate the resurrection today I feel gob-smacked with what seems to me to be my own personal incurable God-sickness! UP FROM THE GRAVE HE AROSE!
God Is Good All The Time

sorry for the delay but hey what can I say!

2007-04-02T18:54:00.000+12:00

Well, where to start is the question. It has been pretty busy but and I have not taken the time to blog much of what is going on here. I need to remedy that so this is at least a fresh start at doing that.
I think i will stick with 3 highlights. The first is one that most of you who see my wife's blog will know. Our daughter Paige was Elvis in her school play. We went to it and she basically stole the show! (Unbiased view of course)
Next was our official induction as the new "Lead Pastor" of International Christian Centre. That was a great evening and it really did feel like our new home as we were official welcomed by the Maori Leadership of the Christian & Missionary Alliance in New Zealand. This Maori welcome was the first one ever in the C&amp;amp;amp;MA NZ history. So that was pretty cool.
Finally, and maybe even the most fun for me. A fella in the church named Kevin (who I now call skipper!) took me fishing on the ocean. Here are a few pictures of this great adventure. I had sooooooo much fun! We went snapper fishing. It bends your rod right over and puts up a pretty good fight. It was basically "heave-ho then reel-reel-reel then heave-ho and reel-reel-reel" for the better part of the afternoon. He firgurs we caught about $300 worth of fish. Enjoy the pics...
My first ocean fish ever
Skipper caught the big daddy of the day but mine was a close second!
My Trusty Skipper Kevin Avery

Me & the Skipper caught our limit of 9 snapper each and with a bonus of 4 other fish as well. We also threw back about 6 because they were under 27mm long

A Good Fence Makes For Good Neighbours

2007-03-13T23:30:00.000+13:00

While I do agree with this old statement about good neighbours I am writing to testify that this is not always the case. It is possible that to back into a fence and smash it to pieces can also make for good neighbours.
Last week I was heading out to a conference early on Saturday morning. As I was backing out of my tricky driveway I had to do a three point turn to get my van pointed in a forward direction. As I did that I “lightly” bumped my neighbour’s fence and what happened next made my stomach churn.
The sound it made did sound exactly like a gun going off. The wood was so old and so brittle that my little bump sent pieces of shrapnel flying through the air. I didn’t know what to do... should I be late for my meeting or should I wake up my neighbour to let them know what I had done.
I decided on leaving a note on the door step expressing my deep regret over what had happened and that I would be gone all day but in the evening would come and speak with them about it. I told them that repairing the fence was important and that I would pay for it whatever the costs might be.
As I put the note down on the door step a couple of other neighbours who had heard the gun shot came to explore what was happening most of them in their pjs. I finally got to meet a few more of my neighbours. Even though I only had time to let them know that I would be gone for the day and when I got home I would face my well deserved firing squad.
When I returned that night to my total shock the entire old fence had been torn down and in its place a new brighter and better fence was there. My neighbours were thankful that I had knocked down their fence as it gave them a reason to do what they had planned to do for months. They just needed a reason to get going and low and behold I provided them with one.
The moral of the story is, if you want to meet your neighbours and begin a great relationship just knock down the fences that get in the way!
God Is Good All The Time.

Just Stay Focus On Jesus

2007-03-05T09:15:00.000+13:00

This weekend I attended an ALPHA training course and I was blessed by the vision and basic tenants of this program that has literally swept the world. If you don't know about it basically it is a well proven, well oiled, well respected way of helping people discover the basic concepts of the Christian Faith and offers the average church goer a way to introduce their friends to faith in Christ. It started in an Anglican Church in England some 30 years ago by a pastor named Nicky Gumble. One thing that I really appreciated was the gentle and yet persuasive way that this program inspires those who attend to seek the filling of the Holy Spirit. Gentle in that he is welcomed in a warm and most deeply authentic way and yet persuasive because he is the only way we can be and become all that the Christian is meant to be and become. Without the working of the Spirit among us their is nothing of significance that can be accomplished.
As I was sitting their during a worship time in which we were instructed to wait upon the Lord for fresh anointing I remembered significant encounters I have had with the Holy Spirit. It became clear to me that at each of those significant points, turning points, points of redirection, there was also a significant and intentional desire for the fullness of the Spirit. I knew in that moment that if their was a call to come forward for prayer for a fresh filling I was to go. No sooner had I had that thought go through my mind the leader of the session invited those who desired a fresh move of the Holy Spirit to come forward for prayer. As usual their is that initial hesitancy but I knew that I had already been prompted by God so I went, by my self, no one else came, (eventually another women did come up)to the front of the church to wait for prayer.
I waited alone for quite some time, it seemed like several minutes went by and then a women joined me at the front and then several more minutes before one of the ALPHA workers came and prayed with me. He had been introduced to the crowd as the man who had just completed a 3 year process of turning ALPHA into something useful for English as a Second Language people. I remember being quite impressed with him and was secretly glad that the Lord had brought him to me to pray for me.
As we prayed the Holy Spirit moved him and he spoke to me this word. "Just stay focused on Jesus" There is always so many things to consider in a new work and the temptation to make small personal preference adjustments is there rather than deal with root issues. So, this was/is a good word, an excellent reminder, to simply and ruthlessly just stay focused on Jesus.
It is now two days later and I am still walking in the graciousness of the Spirits words to me through this gracious man. Simple yes, but profound, absolutely. If Jesus is intentionally lifted up here at ICC then Jesus will draw all men to himself. Make it so Holy Spirit, make it so.
God is Good All The Time.

My New Family Doctor

2007-02-28T15:27:00.000+13:00

Finding a new Doctor is a vital part of any move. It is so hard to find one on your own and for us anyway, it was largely determined on the word of mouth of friends who have lived here for a few years. So, yesterday we found ourselves a new Doctor.
He is a terrific guy, we hit it off almost immediately and he was very thorough and very encouraging to both Cheryl and I in regards to our continued battle with the bulge. We both instantly felt comfortable with him and he was gracious but firm with both of us regarding what we could do to continue our downward progression towards a good weight.
After taking my blood pressure he declared that it was so low that I needed to go off of one half of my medications! That was such great news. So now I am only on what is affectionately called a "water-pill"; as in, take it and you find out just how much water you can get rid of in a day! But, there are two things about this little pill that I like very much. First it is really really inexpensive, but the doctor in Canada gave me enough to last me about a year and a half so expense wont really matter for now, but secondly, if I control my salt intake and continue to lose weight there is a very strong possibility that I can go completely off of my medications all together. All very exciting news to me!
Anyway, please continue to pray for us her as the whole transition and new place and many different stressors have caused both Cheryl and I to move up and down the scale over the past couple of months. We need your prayers regarding this simple yet difficult thing.
God is Good All The Time.

the value of good leadership

2007-02-25T21:25:00.000+13:00

The longer I serve in the church the more I am convinced that absolutely everything with in the church rises or falls with the leadership. The leadership guru John Maxwell has said this in as many ways as it can be said and in as many situations as it can be said. Without the God given gift of leadership nothing would ever get accomplished in any fellowship anywhere!
Today, I was able to get into the heart of this little fellowship called ICC. They have a group that meets monthly to approve financial reports and give some general direction to the affairs of church called the Executive Committee. Today, they met and I really enjoyed being with them. They seemed very eager to bite into a bit more responsibility than they have had in the past. More of a say in what is going on and the ability to influence those in the church towards using their gifts and how to we should conduct our Sunday morning services. Everyone participated, lots of great ideas came tumbling out and we had an hour and half dialogue that literally zipped by. It was just enough to wet their appetite and leave them hungering for a bit more.
I enjoy leaders. They are often belittled and they frequently are kept back from launching out in faith to offer their incredibly valuable insights. Unleashing them to their full potential has its challenges. Often I find they need some mentoring in how to use the influence they have in a gracious way. But mostly they are eager to use what God has placed inside of them.
Lord give us more gracious Godly leaders in our churches. AMEN!
God is Good All The Time

Tiz the Season...

2007-02-23T22:59:00.000+13:00

Tonight I was reminded that this Sunday is the first Sunday of Lent. It is to be a 40-day time of reflections, prayers, fasting and sacrifices as we journey with Christ towards the Cross. I found an interesting website that includes some excellent writings and takes a thematic approach to this season of preparation for the most holy of celebrations on the church calendar, that being of course Easter Weekend. Good Friday, Resurrection Sunday and Easter Monday. For me the timing of this event could not have come at a more pivotal point. We are smack dab in the middle of beginning a new work here in Auckland and if there was ever a time to remind myself just how weak and frail and sinful and dependant I am upon the work of Christ for me it is now. There are so many things that need to be worked through, restarted, renewed, rejuvenated, reinvented and even a bit of rubbish that needs taken out. At times I don’t know which way to go or even which way not to go.
Two of my girls and I had an interesting talk this evening about how much of their faith (the girls) is really “knowing” God or is it more like knowing “about” God. They figure that they need to strike out and find their own way and make this great faith their own journey. I was blessed by their keen insight and I will now be praying that this transition from riding on the shirt tale of my faith to making their own way will be successful and full of joy.
Anyway, it is getting late and we are having a few men over for breakfast tomorrow morning so I will bid you all a good day. Here is that link I mentioned regarding the Lenten writings. http://mustardseedjourney.files.wordpress.com/2007/02/a-journey-into-wholeness-lenten-series.pdf

God is Good All the Time

Working at Half Moon Bay

2007-02-22T18:26:00.000+13:00

I enjoy working from time to time in a cafe. I love the buzz of the activity in the shop, the low mixed voices of folks sitting around the tables chatting up the latest and greatest information. Sometimes it helps me to think of them when I put together a sermon series, it helps me to be sure that I address their needs in the message should they ever decide to walk into the doors of our church. Finding those places is not always easy. It cant be too busy or be frequented by folks who know me and would want to sit and chat. It also just has to have the right feel to it.

Well, this morning I decided to venture out and went down to half moon bay marina. Cheryl and I had stopped for coffee there a few nights back when the girls where attending a youth group. We liked it and I made a mental note to go back something during the day and try and do some work there. I must admit that this morning flew by and I got a lot done. My mission was to finish up my current series "His-Story In My Life" and start scheduling the next 6 months of sermons. Before I knew it, it was 12:30 and time to head home for some lunch.

I think I will be going back. Oh ya, here is the view from my coffee table. Totally awesome eh! I also found this view from the air on the internet. It has the Volcano we climbed up a couple weekends ago, Mt. Rangitoto

A couple of other interesting things that happened today. There was and earthquake here last night. Cheryl said she was reading on Paige's bed around 9:00 PM and felt the bed shaking. Also, the girls had their first of three drivers education experiences this afternoon. They did well and the lady that took them around was very friendly and they really enjoyed her.
God Is Good All The Time.

Afraid to go out naked!

2007-02-21T08:57:00.000+13:00

With all the preparation, prayer, planning and personal propagating that I am doing these days in regard to our churches mission/vision of gathering the nations I sometimes get discouraged. The other day I was out with some fellow believers and we went to a local coffee shop. While there I engaged the two workers in a conversation about church and faith, which ended in an invitation to come out to church Sunday and check it out. One of the friends with us just couldn’t believe that I had done that and with emphasis on the fact that I obviously really enjoyed it. That night I was recalling the incident to mind and just how often I had heard those words from other believers. Now I know that certain personalities are more able and I am also aware of a gifting that the Lord has given to me, however, each of us in our own uniqueness can present the gospel. I loved the old saying, "Share the gospel everywhere you go and if you have to use words." In other words, live it out, and then when the opportunity presents itself give a reason for the hope that you have. Anyway, the other day I came across this story that made me laugh but it also carried a pungent point that I did appreciate.

The father of Origen, a third century theologian, was arrested for being a Christian. Origen, then only 17, was aflame with the desire to follow his Dad and share in glorious martyrdom. His mother pleaded with him not to go, but the headstrong boy did not want to listen to reason. His quick thinking mother did what she could -- she hid his clothes. Though Origen stormed and protested, she wouldn't reveal where they were hidden. He couldn't leave the house, and so he was unable to volunteer for martyrdom.

Isn't it interesting? Origen was brave enough to be martyred, but not brave enough to go outside naked. Stepping outside without clothing would have sped up his arrest and imprisonment, but it was a step he was unwilling to take.
In a sense, I suspect that talking with a friend about our faith is, for many of us, the equivalent of going outside naked. It makes us uncomfortable. We feel exposed. We declare that we will give our lives for Christ if he should ask it, but to risk a bit of embarrassment for him seems to be beyond our level of discipleship. How sad. The disciples were willing to forsake everything including the esteem of their friends.

I hope you had a good laugh and then paused to think about the application of this story. Is it true in your life?
God is Good All the Time!

Those Crazy Immigrant Drivers!

2007-02-20T20:59:00.000+13:00

Look out New Zealand one more crazy immigrant has passed their drivers test and now is legally and officially able to navigate the "other" side of the road. Yup it’s true, I went in to the drivers place today, did some serious praying, took the test in hand, and 7 minutes later emerged having passed with a 100% on my exam. The lady in charge took a double take on the clock on the wall when she saw me emerge so quickly.
It has been a lot of fun learning to drive on the other side of the road. I had built it up in my mind as a much more difficult thing than it really is. Although, some habits are really hard to break!!! I found that out the hard way as I got a speeding ticket on this side of the road just as easily as the North American side!!! I got caught going 64 in a 50 zone by a photo radar camera just a few days after we got here! A real nice welcome to New Zealand letter came the house the other day with an $85.00 bill attached to it! I remembered seeing a flash out of the corner of my eye and when I went by that same spot the next day I noticed where the flash had come from.
Anyway, the hardest part of driving here is in parking lots where I have to back out of stalls. I still have a tendency to back out North American style and then drive away forgetting for those first few split seconds that I am not on the proper side of the road. I look forward to the day when parking lots will no longer pose a threat to my driving record and of course my life and all the lives inside my vehicle and the other guys too!
Why am I telling all of you this? Well, I would have to say that while it is difficult it certainly is not impossible to teach an old dog a new thing or two!
Ha-ha:)
God is Good All the Time

A Fathers Heart

2007-02-16T07:52:00.000+13:00

I have never had to experience changing communities during those turbulent teen years. I was one of those rare birds that graduated with most of the same group of friends I started out with in grade one. I suppose I took it all for granted and as fun as graduation was I would have to say it was very quickly forgotten. I seem to remember thinking that graduation was only the end of something that was a lot like a cocoon and the beginning of something that was really big and really scary... that is real life!
As a dad of three beautiful young ladies who have now had to move to a far away place and start making friends from scratch I too echoed the concerns of their mother. (See Cheryl's blog "A Mothers Heart")
However, as concerned as I was for them about the coming changes I was growing even more concerned for them had we stayed where we were. As Cheryl mentioned they were definitely blessed/spoiled and it was becoming more and more apparent to me that in their blessings they were starting to feel entitled to those blessings. One of our daughters even bemoaned the fact that her life was to easy; it didn’t really have any difficulties in it. Another of our daughters had looming fears that something would happen to upset her perfect little world. In the past I have for the most part welcomed change mostly for it "shake me to wake me up" affect. As far as my kids were concerned I was more and more eager to see change come for same "shake and wake" reasons. Of course our move was much bigger than all of this but these things were factored into our desire to move.
So now we have to watch them struggle, we get to feel their down times with them and we get to show a strong hand of support and encouragement when they feel lost and lonely. We get to encourage them to trust the Lord and seek his face often when they feel like doing just the opposite. My prayer is that the lessons they are learning right now are lessons they will need to enable them in the future to become fruitful and productive in God's Kingdom.
In my view the battle for their hearts and minds has moved (for now) from the shadows to right out into the open.
For me personally, I would have to say that while I prayed often for my kids in the past my prayers have increased many fold for them as they embark with us on this new journey. At times I feel helpless even speechless (yes I did say speechless) not knowing how to comfort them but more importantly I know whom I have believed in and I am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed to Him until He comes again.
GO GIRLS GO!
God is Good All the Time.

Relaxing, Routines and Ruts

2007-02-08T11:43:00.000+13:00

Just been thinking last couple of days that my inner clock is really out of whack. I believe that is mostly due to a total lack of routine in my life! I've noticed that everything is disturbed at this juncture of my life. Sleeping, eating, exercising and praying are just all over the map in my life right now. Therefore I have concluded that what is missing is a definite lack of routine. We all need relaxation time and I believe its roots come from the teachings of scripture regarding Sabbath taking. Down time, quiet time, away time, vacation time, play time, waste of time and holiday (holy-day) time are just a few of the descriptions that come to mind when we consider relaxation. However, the one down side to this down time is that it can only happen for a specified occasion before life begins to feel like it is moving towards the chaotic! Things forgotten, work ignored, roles confused, way to much TV, and the list just goes on and on...
But then I started to think about routine. We are most definitely creatures of habit and therefore we thrive when we establish a good routine. Things get done, roles work well, and priorities and values guide the course of action we take in a day. Instead of asking the "what" questions of relaxation we start from the “why” questions of purposeful routine. However, there is one thing about routine that needs to be guarded against and that is when the routine becomes a rut. A rut according to some is simply a grave with the ends knocked out! We can become so used to the routine that it effectively removes the impromptu of the Holy Spirit right out of the ballpark! We become so comfortable in our routine that we actively resist change, and change is the only thing we can really routinely count on.
So what was my conclusion to all this you ask. The answer is Jesus. He was a master of a life lived with purpose. He established his routines based on his connection with his heavenly father. He also established his time away based on his need to reconnect with his heavenly father. And as far as ruts go, you could say that there were no ruts. He managed his life so well that it was in perfect harmony with Sabbath as well as work (and I believe play as well although scripture does not mention it). Some people call that balance but I think it is deeper than that. I think it was wise redemption. “Live wisely then, redeeming the time for the days are evil”
Just some thoughts...
God is Good all The Time

Felt Good to be Back in the Saddle!

2007-02-05T20:16:00.000+13:00

It seems as though I am in a once a week mood these days when it comes to blogging. Sorry there are few pictures yet since my computer hard drive crashed I lost them all. Boohoo:(.

Last week we enjoyed more of the new country that we get to live and minister in. We enjoyed a couple of days in a city 2 hours drive from here named Rotorua. Very beautiful and very touristy and of course that means mucho denarii’s! It helped that one of the families in the church has access to an apartment style room that took a lot of the edge off financially. We had a really good time. We did a couple of crazy fun things. One called the Lug(sp?) and the other called Zorbing. Here are a couple of photos that we took from these different events.

This week I also took a one-day retreat with John and Carolyn to pray, to seek the Lord and to simply chat and get to know one another. It was a really good time and we made plans to repeat the process for the next little while as we continue to get to know and understand each other.

And probably the biggest event for me personally was getting back behind the pulpit again. It has been a good long 7 months with a few speaking engagements here and there but this was the real deal. After 10 months of planning, praying, doubting, second guessing, finding faith to meet the demands of this process it all became the real deal once I stood to proclaim what the Lord had put on my heart. I have started with a series called "His-Story in my life." and it has been a total delight to reminisce since I was a kid the different times that God and I have had some pretty special moments, some serious moments, some fun filled joyful moments and some times where we just couldn’t seem to get along. My prayer is that the folks here will get a pretty good idea of who I am, what makes me tick, what I love and hate, what I struggle with and what I have gained victory over, and secondly I will be encouraging them to share "His-story" in their lives with each other as well along the way. I preached for 30 minutes and only got to age 8 so I figure I should be at this for a few weeks anyway... there are some things you just cant rush.

All of this good stuff was followed a wonderful afternoon at the beach with friends and then a suprise bbq when a family on the beach (who happened to notice their son Matt hanging out with us) invited us over to their amazing home just off the beach. We all had a great time. Any way, thanks for reading, thanks for praying and also thanks for giving to keep us alive and kicking over here.
God is Good All the Time!

Builder Bob and his Blistering Blundering Befuddling things of Beauty!

2007-01-28T23:35:00.000+13:00

Well another week of building furniture and reading unbelievably difficult instructions has come and gone. The worst one was MacKenzie’s special bed. It had one picture with letters going up to v and lines and dotes and arrows accompanied by one paragraph that read something like [attach both "J's" to top of post B with screw D for right side and screw E for left side and two regular screws for foot of bed post A]. Both Kenz and I were almost ready to throw the thing out a couple of times. But the best part is that I can with confidence say we are pretty much set up as comfortably as we can be in our new home. It has left us with a bit more spare time and we have not wasted a second as you can tell from reading Cheryl’s blog. This is one of the most spectacular places to live just for its natural beauty.

This week we had a very informal get together with John and Carolyn Gummer for our first of many planning meetings regarding ICC's new future. John and Carolyn are quite tired from the past 10+ years of ministry with this congregation. It was nice to find out what they were up to and begin the process of relieving some of the burden they have carried for far too long from off their shoulders. We are going to be getting together weekly and this Wednesday we will be going to a private retreat area to pray and do some more planning together. God has graciously blessed us with this wonderful couple to work with and we get along terrific. As I see it our gift mix will work out very wonderfully and I believe the work that God has called us to will flourish under our co-operative ministry.

There is one thing that stands out so clearly to all of us about this church. It is a rare thing I think to see multi-nations coming together to worship one Lord, experience on body, and share in one baptism. Today was honor India day and during the sermon the Indian pastor spoke of his friends within the fellowship. One Chinese and the other Pakistani. In the real world these nations do not get along in fact they are warring most of the time. But in our fellowship they get along as one. It is the very thing that drew me here so strongly. The nations coming together under one roof, united and strong, praising the one God who created us all. It is soooooo cool and I can’t wait to develop this more deeply and work it for the advancement of Gods multi-national kingdom.

The fun and games will slow a bit now as we enter this week. The girls will be registering for school and I will begin preaching on Feb. 4th. Cheryl is planning a "painting the house program" and our landlord is going to be removing the old carpets and putting down either new carpets or even laminate. So that could prove to be a bit unsettling as we have to move all the things we just built and put in place. Oh well ROUND 2 here we come....

Anyway, thanks for taking the time to read this. We all appreciate your prayers and your financial support.

God is Good All the Time

Elvis has left the building!

2007-01-19T16:16:00.000+13:00

We're gone, we flew the coup, we hit the road, we dug in the spurs, said all our so longs and farewells, we did it... we left our dear old Canada for a brand new adventure in New Zealand.
7 days could not possibly go by faster or busier! We have been Kiwi's now for a week and every single day has been packed to the brim. We have spent over to $20,000.00 in that time furnishing this new home and picking up a sweet deal on a 1999 Nissan Presage. Jet lag was the worst I have ever had probably because I was not flying along and had to drag, carry and push copious amounts of luggage through 5 different airports. The church has graciously given me my first two weeks off just to get over jet lag and allow us time to set up the house and do a little exploring. John and I will meet this week to start the process of our transitions. He will be transitioning to a more associate role and I will be transitioning into what looks like a more senior role. However, titles don’t mean much so it will more than likely look more like co-leadership than anything else. I look forward to our discussions and what will be coming out of them.
We have had several folks dropping buy right from the first day to wish us well. Matt Mordaunt (mission creek alliance) was able to come and help us haul our bags from the airport. Jason and Chelsey Gray and Kelly and Jen Johnston (& Mattao) have come by. Along with a few who have become internet friends Mike and Jules who work with young life as well as the martin family who had moved here several years ago from South Africa.
Timing and the Lords Grace were abundantly obvious in the prices we were able to get on everything we bought. I don’t think we paid full price for anything as most of the stores are trying hard to get rid of their Christmas stuff through some serious summer sales. We almost have everything except a few smaller items,also a bed for Danae, a lawn mower and a BBQ. Once we get the BBQ we will launch a few get togethers with neighbors and church friends and even salesmen who we have met along the way here.
The kids are doing great. This is such an adventure for them. They are starting to get a bit restless today as their are no friends yet so being bored is often in their vocabulary. Please pray for them, as finding the right friends will be at the heart of how well they do here.
Cheryl is off having coffee with a couple of ladies right now. How I thank God for her. She is such a trooper and she has been such a great person to shop with. She really knows how to move things along and sniff out those great deals.
This is getting kind of long for a blog so I will hang up the keypad for now. Bless you all for your prayers and financial support.
God is Good All the Time.

send me your links

2007-01-02T13:41:00.000+13:00

My hard drive crashed so I lost almost all my info. (A good reminder to all of you that it could happen at any moment so be sure you have all the important stuff backed up!) Anyway, fortunatly for me i only lost a few of my latest sermons that were important. Anyway, could you all send me your blog addresses. I need to put them all into this computer.
Happy New Year everybody!
one week until departure!!!!
God is good all the time.

here is mine chris

2006-11-23T14:11:00.000+13:00

http://www.myheritage.com

Weekend of Celebrations

2006-11-22T12:00:00.000+13:00

Saturday evening will always be held as a great memory for me. Cheryl and I attended the PFRS Officers Banquet. During the evening Fire Chief Grant Topham and Assistant Chief Paul Cloutier presented me with my retirement gift. A pencil sketched picture of our old parade truck, a 1950-something Dodge and our new 2004 American Lefrance Engine 22 parked in front of our hall, Station 21. It is beautifully framed and will be a nice addition to whatever office I may end up having in the future. When they presented it to me the whole room stood their feet and clapped, it was humbling to say the least. Here are a few pictures of my time here with PFRS.

Sunday Morning was also a celebration. Westside Alliance Church held their 25th Anniversary. They honoured us with an offering at the end of the service and also had me pray a prayer of blessing upon the church. It was fun to reconnect with a great bunch of folks who were with me in my first 6 years of ministry. It was a grace-filled place to "get my wings" and for that I will always feel a debt of gratitude. There were some pictures taken at this event as well that I tried to include here but for whatever reason they are not cooperating!
Oh well, it was a very fun weekend.

So Long Little Buddy

2006-11-19T05:37:00.000+13:00

Well, the first of our little fuzzy creatures has found a good home. Sonny went to a family full of young kids who are crazy about him. In fact I heard reports yesterday that he had already made his way into one of the kid’s classrooms as a show and tell item. He really liked that when we took him there for the girls when they were that age. He enjoys all the attention and that just makes me feel good. He is happy and adjusting just fine to his new surroundings. Sonny’s leaving was not that hard on us as a family, only Paige was sad as the other two girls both have their cats that they spend all their attention on. I suppose that will be a much sadder day for them when it arrives. We plan on handing them over to their new owners on November 30th. That’s the cats not the girls!
I woke up this morning thinking of our 3 awesome girls and how they will handle that day and prayed for them. They have had such great attitudes about this move and all the sacrifices they are willing to make to see it happen. Not too many teenagers are so willing to have as good an attitude as these 3 beautiful girls. I thank God on a regular basis for them; they are a great source of joy in my life. And I thank God for such a great woman of faith they have to follow as an example in their mother. WOW this is getting kinda sappy!
On another note, we were able to find a buyer for our van. And just as everything else about this move it has fallen into place in a beautiful fashion. The folks who want it are willing to let us keep it until we leave and are willing to take it whenever we are ready to hand it over. Isn’t God just amazing! He even cares about silly material stuff like this! We know that the van will be a great blessing to this young family.
Today is day #1 of our moving schedule. I have a friend coming over with his truck and we will be moving most of our bedroom stuff, a hutch and our TV stand over to Bruce and Niki's basement suite. We are also moving Paiges dresser and Mackenzies desk to a family here in Peachland. Then tonight we have our Annual Peachland Fire and Rescue Officers Christmas Banquet. Apparently they are going to be giving me some sort of plaque for my years of service here in Peachland. That should be interesting and fun.
Well, I guess I had better get moving---literally!
God is good all the time.

Champions

2006-11-15T03:50:00.000+13:00

Near Half Moon Bay in August in the dead of winter

As my cousin Stu so elequently put it in his most recent email, "Hopefully living in Half Moon Bay will remind Kevin to pull up his pants!" Both Cheryl and I got a great laugh out of it but then I started wondering just how much of my moon he has seen; was there emotional truama; nightmares; shortness of breath; cold sweats????? I think you should consider getting some professional help cuz!

Any way, this past Sunday I was able to preach again for the first time in over a month. I sooooooooooooo enjoyed it. The invitation came from some friends of ours from Westside Alliance days who moved out to Armstrong several years ago. Their pastor has resigned recently and so they have asked me to preach a few Sundays which of course I am happy to oblige them. Speaking of Westside Alliance, they are celebrating their 25th Anniversary this coming Sunday and have asked me to come and participate in the festivities. We've also been informed of their desire to do something really nice for us in support of our new upcoming ministry in New Zealand. We are blessed and humbled that they would consider doing this for us on such a special day for them. What a great support team we have!
So this weekend went smoothly, not to many hick-ups as we spent most of it buried in boxes, drawers, and bedrooms. Cheryl is the mastermind behind the time lines and what to pack on which weekend and where to put it. She is such a great organizer and the feeling of accomplishment that comes over the family when we have been able to conquer a part of the packing war on schedule is really good. One thing we would ask you to pray for is the selling of both our van and truck. We would like to see this done as soon as possible.
Emotionally, we had a bit of a roller coaster week including a few tears, some short fuses with each other and of coarse some awesome prayer times and answers to those prayers. There are moments when we are overwhelmed with the massiveness of this whole ordeal. We question God, we question our motives, we pile up some worry over all the "what-ifs" of the future, we battle our fears, and we sometimes battle each other. The tests that come from following after God in transition really do show us what we are made of. Both the good and the not so good! But through all this we get some encouraging emails that we can laugh at and we read of those who have been praying for us. At that moment we are suddenly aware we are in a spiritual war. We know our Commander and Chief has assigned us to a new place and we know that our champions of prayer are behind us and their prayers have sustained us; and empowered us; and keep us going. So thanks for your prayers they mean so much to us, more than words can say.
Well, that's all for now... until next time... play nice in the sandbox out there will ya! (to quote one of our local DJ's)
God is Good all the Time!

Death & Dying

2006-11-10T20:31:00.000+13:00

This morning during the breakfast hour we had a strange and unusual conversation going on. It was about our life insurance and the certainty of our deaths, all of our deaths really. The facial expressions of our kids as they listened in were priceless to say the least. Every once in a while there was an extended sigh or awe followed by a mumbled confidence builder that we weren’t planning on dying any time soon – right?
Lets face it, death is just one of those subjects that doesn’t get a lot of air time unless your hanging around funeral homes, cancer wards or watching the history channel. The reality of course that we all must face our own deaths, therefore, being prepared is really wise, helpful even hopeful.
This week one of my best friends in Peachland suffered a heart attack. (See blog below) His story was fascinating to say the least. While taking a nice Sunday afternoon hike with his wife he began to feel the symptoms. Eventually his wife who is a nurse began to suspect the worst and had him lie down while she hustled down to our neighbourhood to call 911. While lying there, trying to control his breath to find a rhythm that reduced the pressure in his chest, he was suddenly aware that this may be the place where he was to pass away. He said that he told the Lord he was ready and that if this was going to be the last thing he saw on earth it was sure beautiful. He was at peace and he was ready to meet his Lord and friend Jesus. Death held no fear over him. Like the bible says, Death is the destiny of everyone; the wise man takes it to heart and prepares for it. My friend is prepared!
How about you? When was the last time you had a good chin wag over the subject of your own death? Are you ready to meet your creator? I certainly hope so. It is possible to be like my friend, ready at a moments notice to go on into eternity with Jesus. It begins with trusting him to give you new life in exchange for your sin ridden old life. It is one of those things that just should not be procrastinated over!
God is Good All the Time!

Pray for my Friend

2006-11-09T15:23:00.000+13:00

Cheryl and I were out in Kelowna and Danae had stayed home. Our cell phone rang and it was Danae wondering about all the commotion happening right outside our front door. She reported that there were a couple of ambulances and the PFRS fire truck parked outside with emergency lights flashing. We told her everything would be fine and that I would be home in very short while. And that was about all there was to this story until the next day. In the morning I was trying to get my computer up and running and I was on the phone with my computer expert friend Jamie. At the end of our conversation he mentioned that it was too bad about what happened to one of the fellows in our Friday morning men's group. I told him I didn't know what he was talking about and that's when he spilled the news that our good friend and brother in Christ had suffered a heart attack while hiking up in the woods above our house on Sunday afternoon.
I couldn't get into Kelowna on Monday but yesterday I was able to go in and see him. He doing OK and under observation. He seemed in good spirits and is recovering. Though it was a mild heart attack it was a heart attack none the less and in that sense there is nothing mild about it! Any way if those of you who read my blogs wouldn't mind, I would love it if you could send up a prayer for his complete recovery from all this scary stuff.
Thanks and bless you all
God is Good All the Time!

Band Of Brothers

2006-11-05T08:53:00.000+13:00

Yesterday I was able to attend my regular Friday morning 9-11 event. It is a group of about 6-8 men who meet together each week to enjoy a great homemade breakfast, cup or two of coffee, discuss the topics of the day, and eventually we enter into a time around God's Word and prayer. I started this group about 7 or 8 years ago and some of the members have come and gone but for the most part there is a solid core of terrific fellows. Doing life together, sharing the good times and the hard times, seeking the council of respected brothers, finding support when times are really tough, and being able to return the favour when times are tough for others. It is easily one of the most rewarding and beneficial events of my life here in Peachland. I will defiantly miss this group when it is time to set sail for NZ.
A band of brothers is what every man needs. Good brothers who are there for us, who are committed to our well-being, who have our best interests in mind even when it is a hard thing to say (or hear). "As Iron sharpens Iron so one man sharpens another"
Latter in the evening Cheryl and I took Paige and Danae to “The Santa Clause 3” movie. They invited their friends along and there was 8 of us in total. We had a very relaxing evening and it was fun to be together. Mackenzie went to a B.C. wide United Church Camp with a really close friend of hers out in Naramata. She will be back on Monday.
This morning Cheryl and I went for brunch with a couple of really great friends. It is something that we really enjoy doing together. Later this afternoon, P & D are having 15 friends over for a make-up party! I think I will go swimming or something just to get out of here. Then it is off to church in Vernon tonight.
I think I will drop by my old church tomorrow morning and say hello to everyone there.
Have a good one everybody!

God is Good All the Time!

YEE HA Cowboys for Jesus!

2006-11-04T04:55:00.000+13:00

Winter happened yesterday! We got snow... 5 cm of the white stuff... which is pretty normal around this time of year I guess. I decided with a few promptings from my wife to go out into the wintery weather and drop in on a little local church gathering that meets on Thursday nights. Around the end of September our family friends, Blair and Brenda Bates felt led of the Lord to start a local cowboy church. It meets every second Thursday up the Peachland Riding Club in their club house. It all started back in late spring from a local fella who happened to be watching a cowboy church gathering on TV. He decided that Peachland needed one of those churches though he himself is not a "church-going" man much at all. He approached Blair because he knew he was an ordained minister and asked him if he would ever consider doing this sort of thing for the local cowboy community. After some prayer and careful planning they decided not to let this invitation slip by and started up a local chapter. They went online and found out there is quite the growing phenomenon that stretches from Texas to Alberta and BC and everywhere in between. The Lord led them to some very helpful folks who were already involved in the Cowboy Church movement and the rest as they say is history.
The service meets on Thursday evening’s because many of the weekends are taken up with rodeos. The format is simple, a few country sounding songs, a reading of some cowboy poetry, a simple salvation message and a few closing comments followed by some coffee, cookies and cake. I was blessed for having been there and Brenda, who happened to be the speaker last night, did a fantastic job of communicating the hope that comes from a relationship with Jesus Christ. If you want to check out this little church here is the link. http://www.bestlifesuccess.com/cowboyvalleychurch/
Enjoy, God is Good All the Time!

Macbeth RD Style

2006-11-03T04:56:00.000+13:00

RD stands for readers digest. That’s what happened last night when MacKenzie’s drama class did a 30 minute drama of a play that would normally take closer to 2 hours. It was fun. Of course MacKenzie did an awesome job of her witch’s part. No pictures were taken last night but there is a rumour going around that tonight will be picture night. That means once again that I will post some pictures of this event later to the blog.
The theme of the story is clear; it is not good to want something you shouldn’t have but could take. And, if you end up taking what is not right for you to take you certainly will not enjoy it for long. And when you take something that does not belong to you then the chances of even your once best friend deciding to take it from you are very real. Basically, Macbeth is a masterpiece of the consequences of deciding to ignore the very basic moral codes of life given by God in the 10 commandments - not to covet - not to kill - not steal - and not to lie. It also includes a healthy dose of "bad company corrupts good morals" and be careful who you marry! Even though the kids raced through the key moments of the Shakespearean play the message was clear as if a preacher had stood up and preached a sermon. I loved it. Tonight I will post the pictures.
God Is Good All the Time! (PS Mackenzie wants you to check out her blog as well...kenz911.blogspot.com)

Take your Daughter to Work Day

2006-11-02T05:24:00.000+13:00

Today should be a pile-0-fun. MacKenzie has a class at school that is expecting me to take her along with me to work. As it turns out she inadvertently invited 3 of her friends to join us for take your daughter to work day. Right to left... Teala, Bryanne, Catilena (cat) and MacKenzie. So now I have to come up with enough work for them to do to keep them busy. I spoke to the fire chief about it yesterday and we have one exciting time planned for them. They will be able to help me clean a couple of shelves, return a whole lot of pylons to thier proper place in the hall, tag SCBA bottles for service and go for a fire truck ride along. Should be a real busy time. I have a suspicion that they will be working pretty hard and that the time will go by pretty fast. (Although they may not think so) Anyway, I am just happy to have my kid hang around with me for a good part of the day. We have lunch planned at the fire hall and during that time they have planned an interview with me. What a fun day ahead. Then tonight, we are all off to watch MacKenzie’s school play, Macbeth I believe it is. She ended up with one of the Witches parts with a few others. If we take a few pictures of our time together today I will post a couple later on.
Have a good one everyone.
God is Good All the Time!

A Study in Contrasts

2006-10-30T17:29:00.000+13:00

This is what this week looked like in my home town of Beaverlodge Alberta

And this is what it looked like this week in my current home town of Peachland...need I say more!

The 20 Year Old Flag

2006-10-30T16:55:00.000+13:00

Curious things flags are. When I was about 25 I decided I wanted to collect flags. I was really serious about it at first. I got my first flag free when I wrote to my local MP and told him I was going to live in the Philippines for a year. He sent me a big 3 ft by 5 ft Canadian flag. I didn’t have anywhere to put it in the tiny little flat we stayed in so I used it as a bed covering. But while I was there I mentioned my desire to get a Pilipino Flag to a friend and low and behold it wasn’t long before I was able to find one. That got me pretty excited. I remember looking around the city of Manila for more flags but could not find a store that had flags for sale. I’m sure there must have been one there but I couldn’t find it. It was not like I searched high and low or anything it was just one of those things I had in the back of my mind and from time to time I would look for a flag shop when I had a bit of spare time.
On our way back to Canada after my year long experience there we traveled home via Hong Kong. It was there that I stumbled across a flag store but to my dismay they were all way to expensive and I only had a small amount of money left over. I seem to remember stumbling across some older cloth flags that were on sale so I decided to spend my last bit of money on this flag that I thought was pretty cool. It was packed away in my suit case, and then it was packed away in a box of memorabilia, and over time it made its way from the top of the pile in the box to the bottom of the pile.
Yesterday, (about 20 years later) as I was packing up our house to move I stumbled across this box. There is lots of stuff in it from my world travels, money I had colleted, t-shirts that were from all over, even some old vinyl records that kept for some reason and of course those three flags; Canadian, Pilipino and the third flag made of cloth, which I am pretty sure I bought while wondering the streets of Hong Kong. You’ve probably already guessed what country this flag is from but if not it is the Flag if New Zealand. Now, I don’t think I can read too much into such a "coincidence" but you have to admit, it is very cool that something I purchased some 2o years ago would have such a bazaar comeback two months before we move to New Zealand, the land of the Southern Cross.
Just another cool story to add to the many we have been experiencing these days.
God Is Good All The Time.

God's Waiting Room

2006-10-28T13:58:00.000+13:00

Sorry to all my faithful blog readers out there for the lack of Blog enthusiasm coming from me these days. All that has been happening in our lives has really diminished my interest in blogging or even reading other blogs. But now that the house is sold and the tickets are bought and we are in the stage of gathering more support, cleaning, organizing and packing up our house, and it seems that daily we are being surprised by the Lords provisions for us, I am more interested in blogging once again.
The journey of the past few months has included a long and almost depressing wait. God's waiting room is one of the most frustratingly gracious places in the universe.
What do I mean by that...? I mean that the process of waiting is extremely foreign to us in this instant culture. We just don’t see the reason for or any benefit at all from waiting. We see it as a waste of time, we feel as though we are spinning our wheels and going nowhere fast, we don’t like the thoughts that come scampering through our minds at odd hours of the day or night. These thoughts come in the form of deep searching questions that may have undesirable answers or even no answer at all. Time spent sitting in a waiting room or in a traffic jam or in a line up can now be eased by cell phone conversations, PDA's with internet access, ipods with movies, mp3 players with music and laptops with work on them. If we fill it with enough noise or activity it may seem to pass quicker. This habit is hard to break when it comes to being patient while in God's waiting room.
Why? There are probably many reasons for our impatience not the least of which is a sinful lack of ruthless trust in the Lord. But I wonder these days if that lack of trust, as it relates to waiting, has something to do with our concept of Sabbath rest having long since been forgotten. I think we would find this waiting time much more rewarding if we have practiced the power of an attitude of Sabbath in our lives on a daily or at least regular basis.
At the root of Sabbath rest is a simple trust in the Lord that he has our best interest in mind and he will provide as our Jehovah Jirah! When we practice Sabbath it is like working a muscle to strengthen it so it is strong when it’s tested. Likewise when we are in God’s waiting room we find that our trust is tested. If we have exercised trust in regular Sabbath we will benefit from the waiting.

answers to prayers

2006-09-19T13:46:00.000+12:00

Well, it has been an interesting week full of ups and downs but what a difference one day can make. Thank you for all the prayers and this blog is about how they are being answered. First, the visa stuff is all off and we had only one call back...so far... and the processing has begun for that. Keep praying that we find favour with the NZ government and they accept our visas.
Second, after several calls both from myself and my District Superintendent we finally got the E.I. office to lift the "not approved" status from my E.I. claim. I found out this morning that all the issues had been settled and that we should be receiving some financial assistance very soon... I hope that means tonight! But anyway, thanks again for praying for God has reversed the original decision and now we qualify for E.I.
Third, we heard back from the founder of the society I had applied to join with and he was in favour of the idea pending we find out and settle any legal issues that may arise and also have a workable plan in place that tax Canada would approve of. So a couple more hurtles there but very doable and we are anticipating that by the end of this week we will hear final word from this group. Once that is in place we can begin the HUGE task of raising funds to cover our living expenses, traveling expenses, setting up a new home expenses and ministry expenses for the next two years. We think we need in the ball park of about $100,000.00 in order to do all this. PRAY PRAY PRAY.
Finally, we listed our house this past weekend with a realtor friend. Please pray that we sell it soon as that would be a real blessing to get the sale out of the way. Once that happens then Cheryl will begin the process of winding down her work, training her replacement and then go full time into packing and preparing our family for our new lives.
Hope all is going well for everyone out there.
God is Good All the Time

please pray

2006-09-12T12:09:00.000+12:00

I must have made an error in my initial application for E.I. because we just received word that for two reasons we are not eligible to receive E.I.
The first reason was that I had put on my application that I was not available for work. So because I was not available to work they didn’t bother to follow the rest of the information I had given them regarding contacting my District Superintendent for more information. Not only that but I guess I am very frustrated that since I sent my initial application I have filed 3 times over the last 6 weeks stating clearly that I was ready and willing to work. So, no one called me, no one spoke to my DS as to why I had filed for a claim if I was not "ready and willing to work"! AARRGG, you wait for six weeks squeaking by on the little you have and then wham, they leave you high and dry!
The second reason they gave was that I had "left my former employment without just cause" so I don’t qualify. But my DS had assured me that this was going to be looked after if I made sure to inform them to contact him directly. However, they obviously did not do as I had instructed them to do so now I have two separate decisions that need to go through an appeal process and then another 6 week wait to receive the necessary financial help! This is all just very frustrating to me today.
Anyway, I hope and pray that my DS and I can get all this cleared up tomorrow and therefore I am asking you to pray that the Lord grants me favour with the insurance agent and that I can hold my temper so as not to make the situation worse than it already is.
Thanks for praying.
God Is Good All the Time!