One of many things on my heart during recent months is the lack of fear towards God in my heart and also in our culture and in the Church. The Bible says that the fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom. My favourite chapter in the book of Job is chapter 28. I would like to give a summary of the chapter:
"Surely there is a mine for silver and a place for gold... But where shall wisdom be found?... It cannot be bought for gold, and silver cannot be weighed as its price. It cannot be valued in the gold of Ophir, in precious onyx or saphire. Gold and glass cannot equal it, nor can it be exchanged for jewels of fine gold. No mention shall be made of coral or of crystal; the price of wisdom is above pearls. The topaz of Ethiopia cannot equal it, nor can it be valued in pure gold. From where then does wisdom come? And where is the place of understanding?...God understands the way to it, and He knows its place... And He said to man, 'Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.'"
Please read the chapter for yourself because it is much better than my summary. However, what I gather from these verses, is that wisdom is beyond monetary value. It is beyond any value. It is a priceless prize. The way to find it is in the fear of the LORD. What is the fear of the LORD?
I have often heard fear of the LORD described as merely respect for God, not actual fear. It is explained that since fear has to do with punishment and perfect love casts out fear
(1 john 4). Therefore, we need not fear the LORD. In the OT we see a very different picture. When people saw God, they feared for their lives, (Isaiah 6; Judges 6:22-23). When ezekiel received visions and a message/commands from the LORD he was overwhelmed for a week. The priests entering the Holy of Holies would have a rope tied to themselves and bells on their clothes so that if they died in the LORD's presence their bodies could be dragged out!
This fear of the LORD, synonymous with reverence and awe, produces worship and leads to repentance. Obedience is a response to the fear of the LORD. And yes we do see this same fear of the LORD in the NT. When the resurrected Jesus revealed himself, in his glory, to the apostle John, John fell at his feet as though dead! (the same John who wrote that perfect love casts out fear.
Many times in the New Testament fear of the LORD is used either in the positive or as a reference to believers. One time Jesus interrupted a funeral procession and raised the young man from the dead. It says that fear seized them all and they glorified God.
That is my prayer for myself, and for the Church and for our nation. That fear would seize us and that we would glorify God. For if God's own church does not fear him why would the world? Why would people we lead to Jesus fear God if we ourselves don't? For then, as we come into a place of reverence and awe, we will be at the beginning of wisdom. Amen.
Monday, October 1, 2012
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Until I Find My Rest in You
Here is a song that speaks to my heart, because it speaks what is on my heart. Especially the phrase, "Struggling inside to be a resting place for you. And i was made to be with you and I don't truly rest until I find my rest in you."
See Me Through - Tim Reimherr
As I wait for you would you come and see me through the darkness of this side
I know it’s all for you that in the end you would find a pure and spotless bride
For I a stranger here with you struggling inside to be a resting place for you
And I was made to be with you and I don’t truly rest until I find my rest in you
so come and see me through
As I journey on you will lead me by your hand and receive me in the end
whom have I but you and there is none upon the earth that can save me here but you
For I a stranger here with you struggling inside to be a resting place for you
And I was made to be with you and I don’t truly rest until I find my rest in you (x2)
so come and see me through
As I journey on this path of life, let me find favour in your eyes.
To walk humbly before your eyes always always
Whom have I in heaven but you,
You do only what you say and really see me through
Send forth your light and truth to lead me
Lead me on. Lead me on.
LORD have mercy,
cause it’s my only means,
to find you here with me,
to find you here with me.
As for me I will enter your house, by the mercy your giving me now
Your mercy is my only means,
It’s my only means.
Love is not right until you split the sky,
the spirit and the bride say come.
We long for the day when you make all things new,
We want to be with you.
God Bless,
Trenton
Sunday, July 8, 2012
3 Keys That are Helping Me Grow
Hello,
I thought I would share with you three keys that a friend of mine shared with me that have been tremendously helpful in my relationship with God. I try to spend time doing these things everyday. I envision myself doing these all day, everyday. These are not laws, nor are you automatically a bad Christian if you don't do these. Nor are these the only things that will help you grow, but they have been beneficial for me recently so I thought I would pass them on.
1. Pray in the spirit on all occasions, with all kinds of prayers and requests (Eph. 6:18). Pray without ceasing (1 Thess. 5:17). What's remarkable is how versatile this is. One can pray in the spirit while driving in the car or doing the dishes or watching a movie or listening to a sermon. On all occasions. This is a tremendous way to enlarge your heart; to posture your spirit to receive from God. Paul explains it as a method of self-edification. (1 Cor. 14).
2. Praise and thanksgiving. Praise is an effective tool for causing a shift in the spiritual climate of our hearts. It helps us to see God more clearly in all situations and to trust him even though our circumstances may seem discouraging. I remember when I first began cleaning windows. Many of my co-workers were quite mean to me. I would often go home discouraged and depressed, but I made a conscious effort to praise and thank Him who is worthy. Sometimes when I would pout I would feel the Holy Spirit nudging me to have a grateful heart and to sing my praises to God. Once I gave in it didn't take long for the LORD to fill me with joy and thankfulness. This also is incredibly versatile and does not need to be affected by our mood because God is worthy to be praised no matter how we feel. His greatness and wonder transcends our emotions.
3. Declare truth over yourself. This one is the most new for me. In our journey towards becoming more and more like Jesus Christ the devil will try to plant lies in our minds and in our thinking. Lies such as: 'I cannot do it.' 'I'm not strong enough.' 'I'm not handsome / beautiful.' 'People do not like me.' 'My temptations to this particular sin define who I am.' These are all lies and it is important that we do not believe them or they will affect the way we think about ourselves. If we believe lies like this, it will affect the way we receive God's love for us, which will affect how we love ourselves, which will affect the way we love others. I try to take some time everyday to remind myself, by speaking out loud, that I am handsome, and capable, and God's dear child. That I am not a sinner, I am a saint who needs God's grace. That Jesus has covered me with his blood, and I have a place of inheritance. I am significant to God.
May we all be renewed day by day to pursue the face of Him who is worthy. May steadfast devotion, and faithfulness be our dear companions. May we embrace justice and truth, mercy and compassion. May the presence of our LORD Jesus Christ be as a garland around our hearts. May we be vessels of the presence of the glory of God, bringing transformation to everyone around us. Amen.
I thought I would share with you three keys that a friend of mine shared with me that have been tremendously helpful in my relationship with God. I try to spend time doing these things everyday. I envision myself doing these all day, everyday. These are not laws, nor are you automatically a bad Christian if you don't do these. Nor are these the only things that will help you grow, but they have been beneficial for me recently so I thought I would pass them on.
1. Pray in the spirit on all occasions, with all kinds of prayers and requests (Eph. 6:18). Pray without ceasing (1 Thess. 5:17). What's remarkable is how versatile this is. One can pray in the spirit while driving in the car or doing the dishes or watching a movie or listening to a sermon. On all occasions. This is a tremendous way to enlarge your heart; to posture your spirit to receive from God. Paul explains it as a method of self-edification. (1 Cor. 14).
2. Praise and thanksgiving. Praise is an effective tool for causing a shift in the spiritual climate of our hearts. It helps us to see God more clearly in all situations and to trust him even though our circumstances may seem discouraging. I remember when I first began cleaning windows. Many of my co-workers were quite mean to me. I would often go home discouraged and depressed, but I made a conscious effort to praise and thank Him who is worthy. Sometimes when I would pout I would feel the Holy Spirit nudging me to have a grateful heart and to sing my praises to God. Once I gave in it didn't take long for the LORD to fill me with joy and thankfulness. This also is incredibly versatile and does not need to be affected by our mood because God is worthy to be praised no matter how we feel. His greatness and wonder transcends our emotions.
3. Declare truth over yourself. This one is the most new for me. In our journey towards becoming more and more like Jesus Christ the devil will try to plant lies in our minds and in our thinking. Lies such as: 'I cannot do it.' 'I'm not strong enough.' 'I'm not handsome / beautiful.' 'People do not like me.' 'My temptations to this particular sin define who I am.' These are all lies and it is important that we do not believe them or they will affect the way we think about ourselves. If we believe lies like this, it will affect the way we receive God's love for us, which will affect how we love ourselves, which will affect the way we love others. I try to take some time everyday to remind myself, by speaking out loud, that I am handsome, and capable, and God's dear child. That I am not a sinner, I am a saint who needs God's grace. That Jesus has covered me with his blood, and I have a place of inheritance. I am significant to God.
May we all be renewed day by day to pursue the face of Him who is worthy. May steadfast devotion, and faithfulness be our dear companions. May we embrace justice and truth, mercy and compassion. May the presence of our LORD Jesus Christ be as a garland around our hearts. May we be vessels of the presence of the glory of God, bringing transformation to everyone around us. Amen.
Saturday, June 2, 2012
Decriminalizing Slavery
Greetings,
Through varying events, circumstances, media and people, the LORD has been putting a burden on my heart. I find myself thinking and praying, more and more frequently, for prostituted women. (I learned that term recently. Ill use it because it doesn't hide the reality of prostitution yet is also accurate about how most women who sell their bodies do so involuntarily). I recently purchased a movie titled Nefarious: Merchant of Souls. It provides an in-depth look at the global sex trade industry. I very highly recommend this movie for viewing in church groups and Bible Studies. It is educational, sobering, and yet hopeful all the same. (purchase online at Exoduscry.org, all proceeds go towards fighting human trafficking).
Since this has been growing on my heart recently I was dismayed to find out that a court in Ontario has ruled to legalize brothels. It is supposed that allowing prostitution to go indoors and to hire body guards will make it safer. It isn't final yet but I want to stand against it for this reason: Approximately 90% of women want out of prostitution. Decriminalizing it will further enable pimps, traffickers and johns to marginalize and violate women. Unless this is overturned, they will be able to do so legally. Our society already degrades women through media and advertising. ALL people are made in the image of God and deserve dignity and respect. Jesus Christ came to proclaim liberty to the captives. This is not an issue of whether or not to legislate morality. This is an issue of protecting the vulnerable, and delivering the oppressed.
Although there are differing opinions out there as to the best way to protect prostituted women. The most effective so far, is a model that was pioneered by Sweden and has been adopted by other Nordic Countries. It is a model that protects prostituted women but punishes those who buy sex. (Called the Swedish Model) Since prostituted women are viewed as victims they are more easily able to receive help and get out of prostitution. And since sex buyers and traffickers are punished (since their laws are more clear than they are here), the supply and demand have significantly decreased.
My hope is that Canada would adopt similar legislation. That our society as a whole would shift to affirm and respect the dignity of all people. That the Church (ie. we) would pursue the face of God and receive his heart for justice and mercy. That Jesus Christ would receive all the glory.
Through varying events, circumstances, media and people, the LORD has been putting a burden on my heart. I find myself thinking and praying, more and more frequently, for prostituted women. (I learned that term recently. Ill use it because it doesn't hide the reality of prostitution yet is also accurate about how most women who sell their bodies do so involuntarily). I recently purchased a movie titled Nefarious: Merchant of Souls. It provides an in-depth look at the global sex trade industry. I very highly recommend this movie for viewing in church groups and Bible Studies. It is educational, sobering, and yet hopeful all the same. (purchase online at Exoduscry.org, all proceeds go towards fighting human trafficking).
Since this has been growing on my heart recently I was dismayed to find out that a court in Ontario has ruled to legalize brothels. It is supposed that allowing prostitution to go indoors and to hire body guards will make it safer. It isn't final yet but I want to stand against it for this reason: Approximately 90% of women want out of prostitution. Decriminalizing it will further enable pimps, traffickers and johns to marginalize and violate women. Unless this is overturned, they will be able to do so legally. Our society already degrades women through media and advertising. ALL people are made in the image of God and deserve dignity and respect. Jesus Christ came to proclaim liberty to the captives. This is not an issue of whether or not to legislate morality. This is an issue of protecting the vulnerable, and delivering the oppressed.
Although there are differing opinions out there as to the best way to protect prostituted women. The most effective so far, is a model that was pioneered by Sweden and has been adopted by other Nordic Countries. It is a model that protects prostituted women but punishes those who buy sex. (Called the Swedish Model) Since prostituted women are viewed as victims they are more easily able to receive help and get out of prostitution. And since sex buyers and traffickers are punished (since their laws are more clear than they are here), the supply and demand have significantly decreased.
My hope is that Canada would adopt similar legislation. That our society as a whole would shift to affirm and respect the dignity of all people. That the Church (ie. we) would pursue the face of God and receive his heart for justice and mercy. That Jesus Christ would receive all the glory.
Sunday, May 20, 2012
Thank-you Dad
Greetings in the name of the LORD Jesus Christ. Grace and mercy be upon you now and forever.
It has been some time since my last post. There have been a variety of reasons for my lack of blogging. Primarily, my thoughts and energy were taken up by my father's battle with cancer. I wanted to be with him during the last days of his life and so for the past 7 months I have been going home every weekend. My dad passed away on Palm Sunday, April 1, 2012. The journey of my Dad's last 14-15 months was truly remarkable in many ways. The LORD was so near to us as a family. There was such a wonderful covering of peace on my parents home. Many people would comment when they came to visit how peaceful it was or how God blessed them through visiting with my parents. God used my Dad's positive attitude to minister to many people.
I myself have been tremendously blessed by the example my Dad gave us of how to praise God, and be thankful in the midst of difficulty. He was truly faithful unto death. He also made sure that my Mom was well taken care of and provided for so that she would have no needs after he passed. The love my parents have (present tense: just because he isn't here doesn't mean he doesn't live. He is more alive now than he ever was before)...The love my parents have for one another is a legacy for us kids that I want to honour and emulate.
Thank-you Dad.
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