News from March 2011

This Sunday: Divine Ambiguity

March 31, 2011

Have you ever felt like you were just spinning your wheels?

Like you were exerting so much energy…to get nowhere?

Have you ever felt like your existence was pointless?

Like there could be no possible reason that you should have to experience the circumstance you find yourself in right now?

Have you ever felt like doors were slamming in your face…

Like you were getting a lot of “No’s”

AND ALL YOU REALLY WANT IS ONE “YES” SO THAT YOU KNOW WHERE TO GO NEXT?

Isn’t it weird how the God of the Universe….seems to miss alot of details?

Doesn’t it make sense that if he knew how many hairs were on our heads…that He would be able to give us a little bit of clarity sometimes?

10.00am
04.03.2011

March 29, 2011

Luke 18:9–14

“Then Jesus told this story to some who had great self-confidence and scorned every else: 10’Two mean went to the Temple to pray. One was a Pharisee, and the other was a dishonest tax collector. 11The proud Pharisee stood by himself and prayed this prayer: ‘I thank you, God, that I am not a sinner like everyone else, especially like that tax collector over there! For I never cheat, I don’t sin, I don’t commit adultery, 12I fast twice a week, and I give you a tenth of my income.’

13But the tax collector stood at a distance and dared not even lift his eyes to heaven as he prayed. Instead, he beat his chest in sorrow, saying, ‘O God, be merciful to me for I am a sinner.’ 14I tell you, this sinner, not the Pharisee, returned home justified before God. For the proud will be humbled, but the humble will be honoured.”

How often am I like this Pharisee?

How often do I come before God completely broken and beat up saying “have mercy, for I am a sinner?”

I know I am a sinner…..it’s inevitable…but I think it is easy for me to belittle my sin. “Oh well, all I did was tell a little white lie….it’s not like a murdered someone.”

I think it is also easy for me to look at others who struggle with sin in their life and think “wow I am glad I am not like that, I am glad that I am not that bad.”

I think it is incredibly easy to get caught up in pride and being self-righteous. Especially when your life is going well. It is tot easy to sit and pass judgement and feel no conviction….or for the most part just ignore the conviction.

Father, I am a sinner, please have mercy on me. Remind me that I am not perfect and that it is only be Your love and grace that I am alive. Humble me when I need to be humbled. Thank you for loving me, even though I fall short 24/7. I love you. Amen.

March 21, 2011

Then Jesus said to the disciples, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body or what you wear. Life is more than foo and the body more than clothes.”

If I think about my life, how often do I spend my time worrying? A couple hours a day? More? Less? Needless to say, we all worry. It may be about small things or big things – everyone worries! But the bible says to cast your worries upon the Lord because he will provide all that we need. “What we NEED…” need… What we need isn’t always what we want. I find my self worrying about that a lot, what if what I think that what I need is different than what God KNOWS I need.

Time spent worrying is time poorly wasted. Verse 25, no hour are added, nothing has changed, our problem is still there and we have just wasted our time that could have been spent on God is spent on the world.

God, you know that I will continue to worry, it will happen. But I pray that when I do, I would be able to look to the Lord and direct my focus upon Him. 34For where your treasure is, there you heart is also.

Lord, be my treasure

I love you,
Kelsey

March 18, 2011

Luke 11:2–4

And he said to them, “When you pray, say:

“Father, hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come.
Give us each day our daily bread,
and forgive us our sins,
for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us.
And lead us not into temptation.”

Lately I’ve been realizing how little I truly pray, how much I struggle with prayer and I’m wondering if I over complicate it…

The disciples asked Jesus to teach them how to pray…His response is not an elaborate, detailed prayer, but a simple, yet profound prayer…

First, I need to come to the Father, recognizing who He is, proclaiming His power, His sovereignty, His praise…often I just move right to the request, right to the need…And I wonder how much doubt, how much lack of faith I am allowing to course through my mind and heart without first stopping and allowing myself to bask in the beauty, in the power of my Savior….I wonder how much my prayers would change if I first, before anything else just offered my praise!

I need to be alligned with His will, recognizing that the reason I come before Him in prayer is not to have my requests granted, but so that I may experience Him and His presence more fully…it’s not about the answer, it’s about the relationship, the trust and faith in who He is in the midst of my doubts, in the midst of the circumstances.

“And I tell you, ‘ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock; and it will be opened to you. For eveyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.’ (Luke 11:9–10)...

I need to pray fervently, persistently…

I need to come to Him asking and believing and trusting in His will…my heart and mind struggle so much with focusing on Jesus, there are so many distractions, so many barriers…I have so much uncertaintly, so much of the time I doubt that He will answer…

But He wants me to come to Him with my needs, with my desires, He wants me to confide in Him and trust in His love for me, trust in His provision…what He desires is a relationship with me His daughter, He desires a relationship with us His children…and Jesus teaches us how to pray… I am nowhere near to getting this…but this is my prayer…

Father, you are beyond worthy of my praise, I cannot begin to even fathom how great you are, I pray that my heart would be alligned with your will, that my goal, my purpose would be the advancement of your kingdom here on earth. Provide everything I need that I may depend on you, forgive me for all the ways, all the times I set my heart against you and help me to forgive those who have caused me pain, guard my heart against anything that would cause me to stumble…may you be glorified, in your Name, I pray, Amen.

Erin

March 16, 2011

Joshua 3:13

“The Priests will be carrying the Ark of the Lord, the Lord of all the earth. When their feet touch the water, the flow of water will be cut off upstream and the river will pile up there in one heap.”

This verse is apart of a story that means a lot to me. This was the verse that my mom referenced in our conversations about me moving to Kelowna and accepting the internship at SunRidge. As we chatted, she said “sometimes we have to trust and be bold. Sometimes God puts a clear path before us where we are able to see somewhat of the outcome. He has clearly opened doors and therefore it easy to obey. Other times we just have to trust and take action first and the doors will be opened later; other parts of the plan will be revealed.”

it is cool to come back to this story, having taken the step. It is cool to reflect on the doors that were opened and are still opening. It is a great reminder of God’s faithfulness. How He provides, all we need to do is trust Him. Have faith and be bold.

Father, help me to trust. Help me to trust as life decisions come up, as situations arise and need to be dealt with. Lord just help me to trust you, to be bold and to remember your faithfulness. I love you. Amen.

March 16, 2011

“Yet as soon as the priests who carried the ark reached the Jordan and their feet touched the waters edge, the water from upstream stopped flowing.”
Joshua 3 : 15–16

This scripture portrays so beautifully what we are to do whenever those times of uncertainty or not knowing come our way. I am quickly reminded of the dream I once had of me being the first priest with the Ark. Heart pounding, looking at the water, thinking…WOOF.

I start thinking about my finances and my future and how they are a mumble jumble of chaos. These challenges in my life are testing and at times intimidating. They are my raging river.

Going to Israel and seeing the Jordan river and it’s power was such a humbling experience. Because watching it eat away ay the banks of dirt and almost sweeping the ground out from under me, reminded me of how feeble and small it is in the eyes of God.

Father, you don’t just call me to the banks of my raging river. You want me to step in with absolute trust in you. Oh the adventure! It’s scary to look at but I’m reminded of your faithfulness and I’m ready to step in. Come what may. My raging river is only as “raging” as I build it up to be. I ask for peace in these areas of my life. I don’t know what my future and finances will look like down the road, but who cares? You are faithful and you won’t lead me astray.

May I boldly step in and embrace all of it. Watching the river rush by me while standing on the shore is one thing, but being in it!?!?! Bring it on. Strip me of any worthless thoughts or lies. I love you and may you always be glorified,

Amen.

March 14, 2011

Luke 8:44–48

43And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, and though she had spent all her living on physicians, she could not be healed by anyone.
44She came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment, and immediately her discharge of blood ceased.
45And Jesus said, “Who was it that touched me?” When all denied it, Peter said, “Master, the crowds surround you and are pressing in on you!”
46But Jesus said, “Someone touched me, for I perceive that power has gone out from me.”
47And when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling, and falling down before him declared in the presence of all the people why she had touched him, and how she had been immediately healed.
48And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace.”

I love this story. As we have been reading through the gospels over the past couple of months, this story has struck me every time.

“Daughter, your faith has made you well”.

I always wonder if Jesus would say that to me. When I meet Jesus face to face, will He comment on the greatness of my faith?

Am I as bold as this woman? She was bold enough and had enough faith to believe that just a mere touch of Jesus’ garment would heal her…not just from the common cold but from a disease that had plagued her for years!

Father, all I can say today is that I am sorry for the little faith that I have. Help me to be bold. Be at the centre and heart of everything that I do today. I love you. Amen.

March 14, 2011

“Therefore I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven – as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.” Luke 7:47

If I had to say what my favourite bible story was, I would have to say it would be the one about the prostitute who pours out her perfume on Jesus’ feet. This story about surrender and sacrifice for Jesus is beautiful. I can’t help but think that in that moment all she saw was Jesus, she didn’t even care who was in the room or who was watching her – she didn’t even care that it was feet she was kissing, but she was at the feet of the King, the one who had washed all her sins away. The alabaster jar of perfume was worth about a years’ worth of wages, probably her meal ticket, and she poured it out for him – she really surrendered it all, but it was her way to say thank-you for what he had done for her.

There are two, both very beautiful, kinds of faith: the kind of faith that someone has from their childhood, they have kept strong, but never have they fallen away from God. Then there is the kind of faith that comes from someone who has walked the path of sin without acknowledging that God is there and then he reveals himself and his beauty and they come to faith. The first kind of faith has sin in their life, everyone does, sin is measure on one scale, but if it wasn’t they would be classified as “Little Sinners” being forgiven for taking an extra cookie from the cookie jar. The second sinner would be classified as a “Big Sinner” living in adultery, drunkenness, and if you were to write down all the sins that the second sinner committed, the list would be a lot longer than the firsts.

You can only love others as much as you have been loved. Jesus loves us no matter what we have done, if we have been a “Little Sinner” or a “Big Sinner” (which I know is not theologically sound) but when you have experienced the “Big Sinner” life and then you realize you have been forgiven of everything and they he STILL loves you, it actually hurts, well for me it did.. still does. When I felt for the first time what forgiveness felt like, when Jesus told me that all my sin was washed away, I felt sick, I knew I didn’t deserve it, my sin held him to the cross and he forgave me for doing that. Why wouldn’t I bow down and kiss his feet, why wouldn’t I pour out all I had for him. He made me clean. I have been forgiven greatly.

Do I love like I have been forgiven greatly – does the love that I show, show how much I have been loved? Do I love others the way that I have been loved?

Jesus, do not let me live my life taking for granted what you have done for you, you let me approach the throne unclean. You touched me and made me clean. You erased so much, I didn’t deserve it, I am so unworthy, but you washed my sin away regardless. I have been forgiven. Lord, your love me, much more than I know, let me show the love that you have granted me with. Let me love recklessly with confidence, I have been forgiven much- let me love much.

I love you,
Kelsey

March 11, 2011

Luke 6:26

Woe to you, when all people speak well of you, for so their fathers did to the false prophets.

I like to be liked and well spoken of by people…

NO, I need to be liked and well spoken of…I need to have this image that I have got it all together, that I love people well, work hard and give of my time, my energy to serve people and love people… This, I think has primarily been my goal in my Christian life, growing up in the church…being good, being kind, and doing good has been what I have sought after and still do…and I have always been pretty good at it, but have beaten myself up hard when I have failed!

I mean, I really do love people and care about people, but it’s not enough…But, lately it’s not working, I have been faced with the fact that I am not as good as I would like to think I am, that I don’t have it all together as I wish I did…

”...for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks” (Luke 6:45)

there is something damaged and broken in my heart…I live for people and I am failing at it…

Maybe this is exactly where Jesus needs me to be, to actually come to terms with the truth that I cannot will myself to always be loving, always be kind…patience runs out, exhaustion kicks in and I give in to it…I have been leaning on my own strength and I have been working towards the wrong goal – to have people speak well of me…well Jesus says “woe” to me.

In the Kingdom of God, the heart really matters, but the heart, my heart, can’t do it alone…I am in desperate need of my Savior!!!

Jesus, I repent of my continual seeking of the wrong goal, I repent of my attempt of trying to walk this journey alone, and I ask you to please breathe new life into me, that the only love I would love with would be your love, not for my own glory or recognition, but for you and your glory…Break my heart with love for you and for your people.

In your Name, Jesus, I pray, Amen.

Erin

March 10, 2011

Did you ever notice how your effort in school depended almost entirely on how much you liked the class?

Or how much you liked the teacher?

Do you ever find yourself in situations that you hate…and you’re searching for a way to get out?

Have you ever felt that if God loved you….like REALLY loved you…there is no way he would have let THAT THING happen?

Maybe there’s a treasure amidst the pain.

Maybe there is a reason to keep going.

Maybe God is teaching.

Maybe we’re so caught up in what we don’t like…

That we’re not even looking for the lesson.

10.00 am
03.13.11

March 9, 2011

“Jesus answered, “It is written : worship the Lord your God and serve him only.”

Luke 4 : 8

Jesus is in the wilderness and the devil is tempting him. 3 times Jesus uses his knowledge of the scriptures to rebuke him. This amazes me every time I read it. Just how well Jesus knows his weapon. I LOVE the power of scripture.

This verse stuck out to me because the last couple days I’ve been thinking a lot about the idols in my life. It’s been one of those things that haven’t wanted to admit to. The fact that I might be glorifying something more than God is not an easy pill to swallow. It’s true though, I serve things in my life that have grabbed onto me in some way. It’s been tough to expose these idols but I’m so thankful for realizing what they are.

Father, in todays dad and age it is so easy to shift my focus off of you. As a result of that, certain thoughts and feelings have grabbed ahold of me. I pray in the name of Jesus Christ that these would be cut out of my life.

I serve you Father. The one true God. Help me to be rid of these idols in my life and help me to always ask the tough questions. Kyle, are you worshipping something more than the most high God? The one who so deeply loves and cares for you? The one who is faithful that you can trust? Yes, yes I have been and I’m sorry. Help me to understand. I love you,

Amen.

March 8, 2011

Luke 3:8

Prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and turned to God…

This struck me today because it has somewhat been a part of a few conversations that I have had lately. The way that I live should be an example, it should prove that I love my Father. Now I know that John is preaching this “pre-Jesus” and I am no theology expert so there is probably a slight difference in how I read it because I read it with a “post-Jesus” heart….if that makes any sense.

I know that by believing in my heart that Jesus died for my sins and confessing it with my tongue means that I am made right in God’s eyes but at the same time I must strive to be Christ-like…and that is what this passage reminded me of today (and that is what many things that I have been reading in the past few days have reminded me of). I need to do a better job being Christ-like. If I truly believe that Christ died for my sins and if I truly love Him, then my life should be an example; the way I live should be proof that I love Him.

Father, help me to be more of an example. Lord, I want to be more Christ-like, I want to be Your hands and feet. Allow me to be an example to those around me, those that love you and know you and those that don’t. I love you. Amen.

March 7, 2011

Luke 2:41–50
Mary and Joseph have taken Jesus to Jerusalem for the Passover Festival, but this time when they leave to go back home, they forget Jesus.

I love Mary, I really do. There has been a bunch of times when I felt like the task God was giving me was too big for me to handle and then I somehow mess everything up and I wonder why God ever picked me in the first place if He knew I was just going to fail. That is why I love Mary so much, she has been given the task of raising the SON OF GOD and then she loses him!

First off I can only imagine Mary’s reaction when she was told she was going to give birth to the king of the universe, and that she was going to have to raise him. I would personally tell God he was crazy and to find someone else, but Mary bites the bullet and takes on the task ready to endure to hardship of raising the king.

There are parents who are oober protective of their children, I think that if I was to raise the king of the universe, I would put him in a giant bubble with GPS locator in it. Just in case. Not Mary, she actually doesn’t even look for him when they are leaving Jerusalem, she just assumes that he is with some other people in their group.

I wonder what it felt like the second she realized she had forgotten Jesus. “I’m a bad mom”.
I am not a mom, but I do feel like it, caring for kids every day, and the second you realize you have done something wrong, the stomach drops and those evil words creep in, “You are a bad mom” or in my case, “You are a bad daycare lady” it is by far one of the worst feelings- feeling like you failed not only yourself, the kid, and in my case the parents too. Sometimes when that happens I think about Mary and her losing Jesus, and compare it to the fact that I had only forgotten a birthday, or broken a kids craft. I then realize that it’s okay to fail, it’s okay to mess up, God has intended for it to happen, we are to learn. God allowed Jesus to stay in Jerusalem, God was using Jesus there. Now I don’t feel like God is saying, “let the little children run around and do whatever they want, I will protect them.” No, I do believe I have a responsibility as a caretaker to protect the children the best I know how, but I don’t do it alone. God is there and sometimes He is going to make me mess up, He is going to allow me to fail. I don’t fail because I suck, or because I am a bad person, I fail because God has allowed me to fail to teach me something, and then He gives me a choice to choose whether I am going to learn from my mistakes or to keep thinking He has done a crappy job. That what it comes down to, when I think I suck, or I think I am a failure, I am actually thinking God sucks and he is a failure, because if I really believe he is in control of everything, then he is in control of my failure too. God is making me into the woman he wants me to be, failure and all.

LORD I do pray that when my foot slips, when I fall down and when I fail that I would just look to you because I know it’s okay and that you are going to teach me something from it. Don’t ever let me forget that.

I love you,
Kelsey

March 4, 2011

Luke 1:38

And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

As I read this passage, I was struck by the difference of response from Zechariah to Mary…Zechariah doubted the angel’s words and questioned how he would know that this would happen. Mary questioned “how” as any person would, but then she, in faith, trusted in what the angel told her.

I have heard and read this story countless of times and so I think I have almost come accustomed to Mary’s response…but when I really think about it, when I really pause and ponder what was really going on in this story at this time, Mary’s response to the angel is incredible, she fully believes in the angel’s words though it doesn’t make sense at all…

I’m sure Mary had many questions going through her heart and her mind at the angel’s words, but she chose to respond in faith, she chose to believe against all odds, she chose to accept what God was doing in and through her…

When I think about how I respond to the seemingly impossible or even just the things that I can’t make sense of…there is a huge contrast between mine and Mary’s. I don’t know if I have ever actually really stepped out in faith and believed against all odds… I don’t know if I have ever really just surrendered my own ideas, my own feelings, my own reasonings and clung to Jesus, clung to His words, His truth, His promises…against all odds.

Maybe my faith really hasn’t been tested, maybe I’ve never encountered such a call to believe and trust in the seemingly impossible…but that doesn’t mean that it won’t happen…following Jesus, trusting in Him requires faith, it calls me to step out of what I know, of what makes me comfortable and to cling to Jesus…

And I fully suck at this…everything in me that wants to control and be okay fights back on this hugely, a lot of the time I have left no room for Jesus to work or move in my life, which means that more brokenness needs to happen, that I need to be forced to surrender…and this terrifies me!

Jesus, help me, work in me, that daily, moment by moment, I would grow in trusting in you, that I would grow in surrendering to you, that I would would choose to believe and follow you and trust in you…against all odds.

I pray this in your Name, Jesus, Amen.

Erin

March 3, 2011

Mark 16:6

And he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him.”

There is something about this passage that has always gotten me. I LOVE the sense of triumph that I pick up in it.

“Oh you’re looking for Jesus?...yeah he’s not here. He got up. He left. He walked away.”

He was dead…but now he’s not.

Everything up to now was just promises that you didn’t know if He could fulfill…well guess what…

He did.

Its because of this passage that everything we believe became real. It is because of the fact that Jesus not only SAID he was going to rise from the dead after three days the whole time…but in fact he did.

Only JESUS could keep a promise after he had died.

I feel like the longer I walk with Jesus, the more normal this fact becomes. And in someways the “amazing-ness” of it wears off….

And the resurrection becomes routine.

And if THAT power becomes routine…what else does? What else do I cease to become amazed at?

His love for Me?

The depth from which I was saved?

His desire to work for His good through me?

I mean if I in my arrogance can allow the power of the greatest miracle in the history of the planet to become just another fact….

Truly my pride knows no bounds.

I want to stay amazed, completely shocked….at how incredible my saviour is…I want to be totally humbled by his power….

Because the resurrection is ANYTHING but routine….

Jesus I thank you that this morning you have taken away the routine-ness of the resurrection…that I find myself again amazed by the beauty of the power that you showed that day. Please keep my heart soft and humble, and may I never look upon the power of the cross as ordinary or routine….I want my heart to stay amazed by you.

March 2, 2011

“With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last. The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.”
Mark 15 : 37–38

I’m always put in my place after reading the Crucifixion. Such a story of pain and hurt and suffering but also of beauty and grace and redemption. This specific moment in the Bible is the best moment that I could, or ever will experience. Jesus tears down the wall that separates us from God and allows us to be bombarded with Gods love.

At first I read this scripture and I thought that Jesus’ “loud cry”, was that of pain and suffering, but I now feel that it is a cry of joy. The apples of His eyes are finally able to be in such an intimate relationship with His Father.

This is it. The call to suffer as Christ suffered for us. I can never even come close to Jesus’ sufferings for me but amidst the pain and suffering i want to find my joy and peace just as Jesus has done.

Father, I am not worthy of such love. I am not deserving of any of it. Yet the only thing that made all of that suffering bearable for Jesus was me and the fact that I might experience You as He did. I sit here thinking of how I can write out how I feel in some profound way… But oh how words don’t even come close to justifying it!

Thank you. Thank you for demonstrating a love that is beyond speech and sight and sound. May I never ever forget it. The King of Kings sent his one and only son to bear the weight of my sin so that I may draw near to you. You are worthy of ALL my praise. May I joyfully suffer and may you continue to recieve all of the glory forever and ever,

Amen.

March 1, 2011

Mark 14:36
”‘Abba Father,’ he said, ‘everything is possible for you. Please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will, not mine.’”

Jesus knows exactly what is about to happen to him. He knows the pain and suffering he is about to endure. And even in His prayer of desperation, when he wishes the circumstances could be different….he still says “not my will but yours”.

Would my prayer be like this? Do I pray like this? Is prayer even my first response?

Father, I am floored by this today. I do not have very many words right now. All I can think are those three questions. Would I be willing to stay “not my will but Yours” when You call me to do something that I may not be comfortable with? Lord, continue to check my heart, to remind me of Your faithfulness. That You are the sovereign God, who am I to question Your will, plan and purpose? Father, I love you. Thank you. Amen.

This is Love...

Date Posted: May 18 2012 by Erin MacIntosh
The Secure Place.

Date Posted: May 17 2012 by Brian Hawkins
A challenge.

Date Posted: May 16 2012 by Kyle Dyck
Thoughts and Thanks

Date Posted: May 15 2012 by Alecia Klassen