Rock Talk

The Borg

2012-03-03T09:56:00.000-06:00

I think just about everyone has either watched or at least heard of the television series Star Trek. If you missed seeing any of a number of different reincarnations of the original series with Captain Kirk, then you probably have seen one of the dozen or so movies over the years.

Star Trek has been known, for quite some time now, as a show that has some intellectual depth. The writers would often explore deep questions that are important to human beings--topics that would challenge the status quo of popular culture. Sometimes you would have to search beneath the kitsch, but usually there were some questions being asked that were important.

One that stands out in my mind has to do with the Borg. This was an intelligent race of quasi-human beings integrated into a kind of robotic commune where everyone was intellectually connected with a central 'brain' that had complete control over the entire group. They were depicted as totally rational, exceptionally efficient, and deadly in their singular desire to conquer. One of the common phrases they expressed when challenging an enemy was to say "resistance is futile" as they would eventually co-opt them into their communal matrix.

I was thinking about the Borg and relating their mission and effectiveness with our culture and how that affects us. As I said before, the Borg was operated from a central 'brain' that controlled and manipulated all the thoughts that everyone in the 'hive' shared. With the connectivity of our culture through electronic means, it makes me begin to wonder just how similar we are to the Borg. Electronic connectivity doesn't seem too much different from the robotic assimilation of the Borg. And though the idea that we are independent thinkers is still true, just how influenced is our thinking by pop culture and electronic media that most certainly tries to convey a fairly narrow range of values?

Just how thoughtful are we about all this? And as someone who desires to be influenced and identified as a follower of Jesus Christ, how do I respond?

Paul understood the power of this world to influence our thinking and our actions. He wanted people to know that there was a different way, a way that brought hope. In Romans 12:2 he writes: "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind."

To break free and become able once again to think clearly and truthfully about reality requires that we find our source of thought in Jesus Christ. The 'world' is just like the Borg in that it is full-on trying to assimilate us into patterns that will reflect its values and goals. We are so much a part of this world that it seems normal and natural- in a very real way, our native tongue. We intuitively understand it because we have been immersed in it ever since our first breath.

Breaking free from something that feels nature and normal goes against all our intuitions. When questions arise that begin to challenge the status quo we begin to feel a disquieting deep inside and we begin to wonder if it is really worth the hassle. Fear can begin to rise up in us and we genuienly wonder if asking all the hard questions is really the road to travel.

It is.

The world, our 'Borg', is not the sovereign voice it portrays itself to be. Its principles and value system that comes to us from every corner is not our true source of life or hope or direction. It is a counterfeit of ideas that is bound by its own limitations, one being a lack of self-evaluation. It has no outside source to verify or check itself--therefore it is bound to fail.

Our hope is found in none other than Jesus himself. Romans 8:37 "In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us." Consider this: why would the word 'conqueror' be used if there wasn't an enemy to be conquered? And if true, then what is that enemy?

The most dangerous foe is the one that remains unidentified. Are you willing to allow yourself to be genuinely challenged? Are you at a place where you will allow Jesus to undo what the world has trained you to believe is true? Are you willing to be made uncomfortable in order to be set free?

I pray that you are. . .

BT

The Hard Questions

2012-03-02T10:15:00.000-06:00

A long time ago a German monk began to question some things the Christian church had adopted. He was a man who looked around him, looked inside himself, and looked at Scripture and came to the conclusion that we have a tendency to make God look the way we want Him to look. The more this monk explored, the more convinced he was this was true.

He came up with a statement that reflected this truth: he said that we like to have a 'theology of glory' where we apply our ideas of what is good and glorious to this God--in effect, creating God in our image. But then he went on to say that what God really teaches us is a 'theology of the cross' where we see God, firsthand and in the flesh, doing the things that represent Him perfectly, but then having to make sense of this fact right alongside the other fact of this God dying on a cross, seemingly defeated and broken. In this, then, God creates an image of Himself in us and forces us to come to grips with the fact that we need to change.

I think sometimes we do a poor job of taking seriously being Christ-followers. We need to begin to understand and accept that following Jesus is hard. Yes, I know that He tells us that following Him is a light 'yoke' but I think that has to do more with not having to bear the weight of being slaves to sin, and less about the suffering that takes place when we follow and obey.

Consider these verses:
Acts 9:16 "I will show him how much he must suffer for my name." (The Lord speaking of Paul following Him)
Phil. 1:29 "For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him."
1 Peter 1:6 "In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials."
1 Peter 4:16 "If you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name."

And this doesn't include passages about suffering based on the words "suffered", "suffering", "suffers", or "sufferings"!

Not a very attractive picture, and certainly not one that is good for marketing!

And yet, we accept a view of God that doesn't make demands of us; a view that pushes the idea of sacrifice and suffering aside for something that is much more comfortable and convenient. I do this far, far too often.

It needs to stop.

I conclude with two comments made by Chris Tomlinson from his book Crave: Wanting So Much More of God: "I'm learning that just because something is hard, that doesn't mean it's not true. Comfortable Christians do easy things while Christ-followers do hard things. Picking up our crosses daily is hard, loving our enemies is hard, turning the other cheek is hard, and embracing the holiness of God that envelopes the hardtack of His wrath and the sweet wine of His mercy is hard. The hard things require serious answers to our questions about this God we crave."

Truer words could not be spoken--and these are words that all who call themselves Christ-followers need to take seriously. But I will end with this final comment from Tomlinson:
"These are tough questions with no easy answers, but my cravings for more of God tell me to keep digging. I'm finding that a soul saturated in Scripture will ultimately find the pure water of God's supreme difference deep beneath the surface, and this different kind of water, a living kind of water, satisfies."

Lord, have mercy on us, and help us to wake up to what is true. . . .

BT

Just a Little Help From a Friend

2012-03-01T16:27:00.000-06:00

I wonder just where Jesus ranks in our lives in terms of our dependancy on Him? If my suspicion is correct, and also based on my own way of living, then there are a lot of Christians out there who like the idea of being in a relationship with a God who saves them, but when it comes to allowing Him control of every part of our lives--well. . . .maybe we like to be a bit more independant than that.

Allowing Jesus to control every part of who we are. . .is that even something that we should want? After all, He provided us with intellect, with the ability to think for ourselves and to move and work and be contributors to our families and society at large. The Bible even talks about people who don't work shouldn't eat!

But there is still something about this idea of total submission to our Lord, something that our independant saturated culture seems to reject. And I wonder if Christians are standing right alongside this way of living.

Jeremiah 10:23 says this: "I know, O Lord, that a man's life is not his own: it is not for man to direct his steps."

How can this be possible if we take the stand that we should be offering our best to the Lord and included in that is the idea of being self-sufficient, not being a burden on anyone? Do we take this so far that we even want to be self-sufficient so as not to be a burden on Jesus?

There are other scriptures verses that talk about Jesus 'owning' us. If we take that in light of Jeremiah 10:23 then we need to take a hard look at that independant streak in us and begin to recognize that this is part of what infected humanity at the Fall. Independence is not all it's cracked up to be.

Jesus died on the cross so that we could be dependent once again on the One who is the sustainer of all life. Our lives are not our own, whether we follow Jesus or not, as we were made to serve someone. It's true that God has given us the capacity for self-awareness and thought, but even this is continuously dependant upon Jesus to sustain all things in order for us to be able to do anything at all.

Let us consider another option: let us consider what it means to be totally submitted to Jesus and begin to allow our lives to be fully led by the One who already claims us as His own. We can begin by asking forgiveness for trying to live on own, even if we had good intentions in mind--it is not how we were designed to live, and Jesus wants us to begin to understand that our freedom will increase the more we live submitted to Him.

Then we wait on God as He begins to retrain us as to how to live submitted to Him. It will be a process, and will take time. But I believe that we will be blessed as we allow our lives to reflect the truth that comes to us from Jeremiah 10:23.

We need more than just a little help from our Heavenly Friend, we need Him to take every part of us.

Jesus, we are yours. Teach us what that is to look like.

BT

Getting the Whole Picture

2012-02-29T09:19:00.000-06:00

I remember attending a hockey game in a very old rink that had support posts quite close to the ice. Although these posts gave you a comforting sense of being a part of something much older than yourself, they were annoying because you constantly had to look around them to see the game.

Sometimes it's like this for Christians too--many do not see the whole picture because there is something in the way obscuring the view.

David G. Benner, in his book The Gift of Being Yourself writes to us about Christians who are not seeing the big picture because their view is captured by only one part of the whole story. This is what he said: "Some Christians base their identity on being a sinner. I think they have it wrong--or only half right. You are not simply a sinner, you are a deeply loved sinner. And there is all the difference in the world between the two."

Do you agree? Does it really make a difference if we are sinners or sinners who are loved? At the end of the day we are still sinners right?

In 1 John 3:1 we read something pretty amazing: "How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!"

The Heavenly Father looks at you and decides to pour His blessings lavishly on you. You! The one who is a sinner, one who still sins. One who is identified by the sin that is in your DNA. And yet. . . .yet, there is more. There is One who looks upon you with compassion; sees the dignity of your humanness clear as day, even though it's buried under layers of sinfulness. He really sees you--and with all that reality glaring Him in the face He genuinely loves you just as you are. And it doesn't stop there--He not only loves you but He decides to get involved in your life, intimately, wanting to spend time with you, even desiring to be identified with you by living a life just like you: walking the earth, breathing your air, experiencing the same things you experience. Why?

Because He sees the whole picture and knows that the fundamental thing that you need is love. It is His love that not only created you but also finds you again when you walk away. His love is a pursuing love that never gives up on you.

Yes, I think it makes quite a difference to not only know that we are sinners, but that we are sinners that are loved.

Father, thank you for the hope that you bring into our lives by lavishing your love on us. We have difficulty seeing the whole picture and sometimes we get bogged down by our sin that blocks our vision. We praise You today knowing that You genuinely love us just as we are, and that Your love is sufficient to lead us to a place of wholeness.

BT

Little Giants

2012-02-21T09:12:00.000-06:00

This post is a continuing thought from my last one where I touched on what God did through the 'centering praise' that Israel lifted up to God when facing powerful enemies.

I remember watching a silly show, years ago, called the Sandlot. It was about a group of young kids who would play baseball in an empty lot next to a junk yard that had a horribly mean guard dog. Every time a ball would be hit into that neighbouring yard it was just assumed that the ball was lost because nobody was going to mess with that dog! In the minds of those kids that dog was 10 feet tall and meaner than a junkyard. . . . .well, you get my point.

It wasn't till circumstances caused one of the boys to face up to the dog one day, and he discovered that it was not at all mean. The fear that had paralyzed the boys was nothing but a mirage, it had no basis in reality, and when challenged it dissipated like a mist.
When Israel faced their enemies God told them to take courage and lift up praise to Him and He would take care of the rest. And He did. In spades! The enemy that had consumed Israel's horizon had been blown away like so much chaff--and all the people had to do was praise Him.

Today, I want to remind you of the importance of keeping Jesus right in the center of your vision. There you will find the strength, direction and victory that you are desperately seeking for. . . . .and the Giants that look as though they are indestructable will become little in your sight.

I want to give you four practical things you can do when facing your giants. The question before us is how to let God fight for us just like He fought for the Israelites:
1. Realize the battle is not ours, but God's. We face life circumstances, but the battles are spiritual in nature and God is the only one who has what it takes to fight these.
2. Recognize your human limitations and allow God's strength to work through your weaknesses and fears. God wants us to courageously face our giants, but He wants us to do it with humility and that means that we must accept that we are weak, do not always do what is right, fail, etc, but that He is our hope and our answer. We live in Him alone.
3. Make sure we are pursuing God's interests and just our own. Be honest with yourself: sometimes we can talk a good game and though we might be saying we want spiritual things, we may just be masking some selfish desire. Let God teach you His ways.
4. Ask Him. If you are unsure of how to move forward in 1-3, ask Him. He wants to show you. It may take time, and it might look like He isn't bringing you to victory all the time, that's because we don't always know how He is working in us, but He is.

He really is.

So today, I pray, that your giants become little as you face them in the strength of your God. Jesus, be our victory.

BT

Centering Praise

2012-02-17T09:23:00.000-06:00

Last night I was blessed.

A few of us gathered for a praise band practise--many had experienced a week of some frustration and our spirits were a bit ragged. We started out by looking at 2 Chronicles 20: 15-17 which explained to us the words of God that came to Israel as they faced an enemy that far outnumbered them. This is what the Lord told them: "Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jeruslaem! This is what the Lord says to you: 'Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God's. Tomorrow march down against them. They will be climbing up by the Pass of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the gorge in the Desert of Jeruel. you will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you."

So they did. And do you know what the King told the people to do as they stood there facing an impossibly large enemy? He told them to sing praises to their God who would fight on their behalf. As they sang, right before their eyes, the Lord began to defeat their enemies!

You have to imagine the scenario: a real army, with real people, in a real life and death situation, facing an army of real soldiers with real weapons that could take your life.

And they sang.

In a small way this is what happened to us at praise band practise. As we sang praises to our Lord, our hearts became centered on Him and our frustrations, the enemies in our minds, began to melt away. In His presence our spirits found peace.

My wife and I drove home with wonder in our hearts--we were so blessed.

As I write this today, I want to encourage you who are reading this: no matter what enemy you face, the Lord desires for you to trust Him in such a way that you rely on His resources to fight your battle for you. All He asks is that you would stand, with courage, in the face of whatever you are challenged with and do this: praise Him. You don't have to sing, but take it from me, there is something about singing to the Lord that takes us to a place of worship where our focus is on Him alone.

Jesus, we praise you, and we sing our worship to you today. Vanquish our foes and let us see your power manifest in our midst.

The power of centering praise--there's nothing like it.

BT

Endunamoo

2012-02-16T10:32:00.000-06:00

The title of this blog is a strange word indeed. It's strange but it comes with a purpose: to make us take note--to notice something that is out of the ordinary and I'll explain why.

Endunamoo is the Greek word that is used in Phil. 4:13 to describe the 'strength' that God provides for us to be able to 'do all things'. Kind of an amazing statement isn't it? One that, when you stop and take it seriously, makes you question a lot of the status quo in our lives. I can do all things in the strength that God provides?

To put it simply: yes.

But our circumstances seem to convince us that this is not true--there are so many times, places and events that seem to oppose this statement from God. And I have to admit, it is difficult for me to understand, but at the end of the day, I believe that my understanding and my experience is simply not developed enough; my heart is not yet able to fully comprehend what this promise means and how it plays out. But I don't despair, because I am convinced that Jesus' love for me will continue to lead me to deeper and deeper awareness of what this really means.

Endunamoo: The strength God provides. It literally means 'to empower', 'to enable', 'to make strong'. This is the center of my thoughts today: I expend a lot of energy trying to live in the way that is pleasing to God, and in the frenzy of my efforts, I forget that it is God's strength that makes this life possible. I need endunamoo in order to do this.

Today, take note of your need of God's endunamoo. Make the intentional choice to not live in your own strength, and when you don't know how to live in His--just ask, He'll help you to understand and how to do it.

May you be distracted enough to take note of the endunamoo you really need.

BT

Religion Without Substance

2012-02-15T11:38:00.000-06:00

"Religion". This is dirty word in church circles today. When it is spoken it is used to describe a way of living out a system of empty regulations in the name of a god who is always at a distance. There is no relationship in religion.

But James has a different take on religion. "If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless. Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."

God sees true religion as people who hear His voice, and worship Him by taking care of other people--expressing love to them as He loves them. Protecting those who are helpless; providing for those who cannot provide for themselves. It is genuine because it reflects His heart.

But as Followers of Jesus we need to be very mindful of falling into the trap of being lukewarm and not living out true religion. In Matthew 21 we see Jesus walking along a road, when he sees a fig tree. In verse 18 it says 'he was hungry', which might not seem important until we get an idea of the bigger picture. From a distance the tree held much promise for nourishment and refreshment, but when He got close, it offered nothing of substance. He then cursed it and the tree withered immediately.

So what does this cryptic passage mean for us? If we take it in the context of surrounding passages, Jesus is dealing with religious leaders and how they have forgotten what it meant to be followers of God that reflect His heart. What Jesus was essentially saying by cursing the tree is that, the true followers of God (in our case, the Church) should not present a good front so that people who are hungry will look at them and think there is really hope to be found there (see nourishment, refreshment), and then when they come close they realize that there is no fruit there to be found.

It is incredible to imagine what the church which genuinely follows Jesus could do. It is a place where people come to find the living God who meets their deep needs; a place where they are refreshed and nourished; a place where what they see from a distance is consistent with what they experience up close. We cannot afford to soft-peddle Jesus' example in Matthew 21--it is meant to be a word for those who consider themselves followers of Jesus Christ.

Religion without substance: Jesus hates it. But those who live out true religion are those who receive the life of Jesus, and then live it out in the lives of others.

There are many hungry people in the world today. Are you one that is reflecting a religion of substance?

BT

The Mists of Time

2012-02-14T11:54:00.000-06:00

Chances are pretty good that you have heard about the untimely death of Whitney Houston. She was very close to the same age as myself, and in terms of length of life, hers ended much sooner than it should have.

It was another sad tale of popularity, and the pressure that comes with that lifestyle, that eventually became her undoing.

I was not surprised to hear the amount of stories related to her life and death in the media, but my thoughts went to pondering the reasons for such widespread coverage. It is not unusual for media to put so much emphasis on the passing of someone like Whitney because so many people were aware of her. In this, her death is 'news worthy'. But I had to wonder what people were trying to glean for themselves by talking about her as they did--were they trying to alleviate the pain of loss? This seemed evident when one prominent friend expressed that 'the party should go on' because Whitney would have wanted it that way. But I think it is also true that death has the ability to interupt people's lives in a way that makes them pause, even if it is for a minute, and think about things that go a lot deeper.

It's really important that we have a view of our lives from the perspective of the One who made them in the first place. God values life--He valued Whitney's, and He took great care in making her in His image. But her stardom and power was deceiving: it did nothing to protect her from her human frailty.

James 4:13,14 helps us to see our lives with healthy perspective when it says: "Now listen, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.' Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes."

We saw a pretty good 'vanishing act' when Whitney left the scene. But we must ask ourselves, 'where does that leave us?' How do we view our lives? Do we live as though we have everything all planned out and have set aside enough to make provision for whatever contingencies may arise? Do we find our rest and our safety in our own abilities or do we really understand that we are little more than a mist.

Seeing ourselves like this does not belittle our value, but it does help us to understand where we should be placing our hope.

BT

Love Wins

2012-02-13T16:22:00.000-06:00

I'm sure you have heard how the continuous crashing of water on shoreline rocks will eventually wear the rocks down. Every time the waves come rushing in it looks as though the rocks vanquish the oncoming tides as they are repelled in dramatic fashion. But looks can be deceiving. Imperceptably, the rocks diminish ever-so-slightly and what looks like loss, eventually turns out to be winning after all.

Love is like that. It can seem that when you face the horrors of this world, simply offering love to someone who is broken, hurt, angry, full of rage, despair and contempt can seem a waste of time because it looks as though nothing is being accomplished. Those who have been abused and beaten by people, choices and world systems seem to be beyond any real impact that love could have.

A few days ago I rode on a bus called love lives here and we travelled down 20th street in Saskatoon. We would drive a bit and then just park on the side of the street and wait. People who live in the area would come in and warm up, we would give them a cup of coffee, a sandwich and donut, and then just talk. Often times we would pray with them too, and share some practical and spiritual love.

The name of the bus was appropriate because love really was there. You could sense that Jesus was present and it was an amazing feeling to know, without a doubt, that what we were doing there was making a difference. We may not have been able to change every circumstance in their lives, but we were giving to them something that has the power to shatter the rocks of their hearts--love does that.

I John 3:18 says "Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth." I believe that very deeply in my heart: actions are assoicated with truth, not just words. When we were in that bus and showing love to the people that really needed it, I was absolutely certain that these actions were truth and love in motion.

Jesus, take our hearts and make them receptive to your love. Break down the rock barriers that try to prevent your fullness resting in us. And help us to understand that when we actually follow your example by loving other people, real change is happening in them and in us.

Your love wins.

BT

A Humbling Thought

2012-02-09T11:48:00.000-06:00

Humanity has the ability for self-evaluation and thought. We are the only creatures that walk the face of the earth that can say to themselves "I think about this. . ., but do I really agree with what I'm thinking?" This is quite an amazing reality: that we have the capacity to think, but then also remove ourselves enough to think about those thoughts as well! Do you follow what I mean? We don't just think, but we think about thinking! I am thoroughly confusing you yet? Just pause for a second and realize that even confusion is an expression of thought, just jumbled up thoughts.

So why am I talking about this? Because we tend to forget that as "thinking animals" we see ourselves as the top of the food chain; we perceive that we are at the pinnacle of the created order and as such we find it appropriate for us to think that our abilities to reason are the means through which we must find our guidance. We too often look to ourselves for our own direction.

Incredible, isn't it, that God would take the risk of creating something that has the ability for self-evaluation, and independant thought, and that that capacity could be used to deny the very existence of the One who created them in the first place. Sad but true.

We need to be reminded of something here: Though we think, and we need to utilize the rational faculties that reside within us, we also need to remember our limitations. There needs to be a healthy injection of humility into us, and the way we begin is to find ourselves listening to God's perspective on us.

In Job 38 the Lord is speaking to a man who had forgotten his place and was thinking in ways that were not humbly acknowledging his limitations. This is a snippet of what God said to him: "Who is this that darkens my counsel with words without knowledge? Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me. Where were you when I laid the earth's foundation? Tell me, if you understand. Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know! Who stretched a measuring line across it? On what were its footings set, or who laid its cornerstone--while the morning star sang together and all the angels shouted for joy?" God concludes His thoughts at the end of chapter 39 when He says: "Does the hawk take flight by your wisdom and spread his wings toward the south? Does the eagle soar at your command and build his nest on high?"

The man the Lord was addressing was Job, and Job's response to God's scathing commentary should be our example as well: "I am unworthy--how can I reply to you? I put my hand over my mouth. . .I will say no more."

It is a humbling thought to realize that with all our great ability to think, we do not even begin to understand the depths of wisdom in our God. The fact that we do not even begin to know makes it difficult because we naturally wrestle with things we do know. But Job realized that his wisdom was just not cutting it, and that He needed to shut up and listen and be taught by One who knew much better than he.

Maybe we need to stop, shut up, and listen to the One who knows much better too.

BT

All You Need is Love

2012-02-08T11:31:00.000-06:00

Remember that Beatle's song All You Need is Love? If you said all the words to the chorus out loud it would sound kind of simplistic: "All you need is love. All you need is love. All you need is love, love. Love is all you need."

Silly when you hear it really.

And yet sometimes the most silly things carry with them a weight and a power that moves with a force greater than a locomotive.

I just had a conversation with a dear friend on the phone and she was telling me about the time she spends with a ministry that focuses on young kids. I don't want to get into too many details, but it became crystal clear to me that the only thing that makes an impact on hearts that have been abused, beaten, and drained of hope--is. . . .love.

All you need is love.

But not just any kind of love. The kind of love that I'm talking about here is the kind that comes from a heart that is able to span the universe; the kind that considers the depth of human despair and decides to partake of that very same darkness in order to overcome it. This is the heart of Jesus, and His love literally moves mountains, oh, and human hearts too.

Listen to the words that talk of this kind of genuine love and let them bring life to your questioning soul: "Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. . . .This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us."

Completion. Our hearts long to feel complete--filled with a peace that overcomes our striving and longings for more. That unnameable 'more' that lingers and simmers deep inside us but that we have a nearly impossible time defining.

The thing that addresses this unameable desire is nothing more than love. Simple isn't it? Too simple for people to accept and think that this could really meet the deep needs that are so very real and pressing.

It always seems this way until you actually experience it, and then everything changes.

All you need is love--God's love. And He is offering it to you.

BT

A Journey of Discovery

2012-02-07T15:46:00.000-06:00

I'm reading a book called The Gift of Being Yourself: The Sacred Call to Self-Discovery by David G. Benner and it is a timely read for this part of my journey. It is timely because the Lord seems to be making more and more clear to me the importance of knowing myself, and really to be at peace with who God made me.

I am unique. There is no one on this good green earth that is exactly like me. I have been told, at different times, that to them I look like Wayne Gretzky (I really don't see that!), and also the actor who plays Boramir from Lord of the Rings (this is a little easier to handle). Anyway, my point is this, even if I resemble someone else, no one is exactly me.

That distinction is mine alone.

But it is one thing to be aware that you are unique, and an entirely different thing to really know who you are. Jesus wants us to know Him and to know ourselves in a true and meaningful way, and to get there requires relationship. Brenner says: "Truly transformational knowledge is always personal, never merely objective. It involves knowing of, not merely knowing about. And it is always relational. It grows out of a relationship to the object that is known." And for us, that 'object' is Jesus!

We find all the answers we are looking for in Jesus: He says he is "the way". He offers to help us navigate through our lives; He says he is 'the truth'. He gives us an anchor of understanding through which all other ideas, formulas, perceptions and interpretations can be evaluated through. And he says he is 'the life'. He gives us a way of living that brings hope for now and the future. Jesus opens the door for us to curiously engage the wide-wonder of the world he has placed us in. Saying that we find everything in Jesus is not to imply that we need become narrow-minded and closed off to the deep discussions that surround us in our modern societies. In fact, a real relationship with Jesus should motivate us to be the voices that really engage in all spheres of life because we recognize the fingerprints of our Creator in every and all areas of human existence.

Jesus also knows us better than we know ourselves, and I believe that he longs for us to become fully alive. And by that I mean, that we become open to the journey of self-discovery. Jesus formed us, and he wants us to find our peace in Him--in every aspect of who we are.

I think many people think they really know themselves, and I also think that many people are deceived. Because when Jesus brings truly transformational understanding of themselves and of Him, there is one overriding character that rises--peace. And there are a lot of people out there that do not live with peace inside.

Today, I offer you what Jesus offers: an invitation to a journey of self-discovery and genuine transformation that leads to inner peace. And it starts with us saying to Jesus "I'm ready".

It could be quite a ride. . . .

BT

What You See Is What You Get

2012-02-06T16:03:00.001-06:00

As I was sitting at lunch with a dear friend today I saw something that really caught my eye. Well actually, it caught my friend's eye and the image kind of stuck with me.
At the table right beside us was what looked like a family and the wife was sitting with her wheelchair bound husband, reclined on her lap. He was still in his chair and they had tipped it backwards and put on the brakes so that his head was resting on her lap.
It was a picture of love-in-the-real-world. An expression of creative care that brought life to a very challenging circumstance. And I think it was especially appealing because it was public and it shone around the restaurant for everyone to see.
Jesus did stuff like this too- run out of wine at your wedding celebration? I'll just create more for you. Demon-possessed man? I'll just release you from them so you will be free. Entire world suffering from the back-breaking agony of sin? I'll just break myself on your behalf so your suffering may come to an end.
Our Saviour is really something else.
But Jesus is not around the same way any more. Its sometimes hard for us to see how God is at work in our world today--even though we know He is here.
But it must be possible to see him isn't it?
In John 5:19 we hear Jesus saying: "I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself, he can only do what he sees his father doing."
Jesus must have had a way of discerning what the Father was up to so that he could imitate him.
Do you think that's possible for us too? I do--and the reason I do is because I saw the Father at work in Fuddruckers when he used a wife's hands to hold the head of her husband lovingly on her lap.
His light shone brightly there today--and it looked good!

Father--help us to see what you are up to all around us, and then remind us by your Spirit to imitate what we see you doing.

Have a good one...

BT

Brian M Tysdal
Lead Pastor
Rock of Ages Church
Saskatoon Sask.
374-1707 (Church)
291-3308 (Cel)
pastorl.therock@sasktel.net

Just More Jesus

2012-02-03T08:53:00.000-06:00

I think Jesus is trying to get something across to me.

Yesterday I wrote that it seems to me that He is communicating that it's OK to just want Him, to let that be a driving motivation, or, better yet, a passion that guides my thinking and doing in a singular direction toward the Son.

And it happened again this morning.

At our elder's prayer meeting a message was shared from 1 Cor. 2:1-2 where Paul says, "You'll remember, friends, that when I first came to you to let you in on God's master stroke, I didn't try to impress you with polished speeches and the latest philosophy. I deliberately kept it plain and simple: first Jesus and who he is; then Jesus and what he did--Jesus crucified."

To Paul, the most important thing he could communicate to the Corinthian people was Jesus, the man, and what he did. This is the core of everything about being a follower of Christ.

I have been reading Brennan Manning's All Is Grace, and in it he talks about his spiritual journey. At one point he joined a Catholic group called the "Little Brothers" and they were about following Jesus' call through prayer and through working among those in need. At one point Manning wrote "One of my realizations in such an earthy atmosphere was that many of the burning theological issues in the church were neither burning nor theological. It was not more rhetoric that Jesus demanded but personal renewal, fidelity to the gospel, and creative conduct."

I like this: it helps me to remember what Paul was saying as well--where it was not with fancy words that people's lives would change, but with the clear presentation of this Man who could change everything. This is thee theological issue that churches should never forget.

I need to be reminded again and again, it seems, that Jesus is really wanting to lead me through this journey. I try to lead far too often, and it never works well. It's good for my soul to know that He cares for me in this way. Maybe that's something that is good for you to remember today as well: that the most important thing for you to do is to keep your eyes fixed on Jesus, and trust that He will lead you--that is His desire.

That is His desire--to care for you and lead you to where life happens.

We all want more, you fill in the blank of what that 'more' means to you, and I will remind you of what God wants to put in that blank--Just More Jesus.

Have a good one. . . .

BT

Just Jesus

2012-02-02T11:27:00.000-06:00

We all go through seasons. Sometimes we are bent on discovering things, our minds racing and excited about new discoveries and the possibilities that arise out of them. Sometimes we are searching after rest, and feel in our bones that simple need for a break--whatever that may look like. And then there are times when we are in a place where we sense a preparation for something that is coming next--it might not be described as an 'adventure' but nevertheless, we feel that anticiapation for what's coming.

There is another place we can find ourselves and it is a little more difficult to describe but it is real nonetheless. This one is not for those who have not experienced very many moons yet, and those that don't have much 'frosting' around the ears are not as privy to this either.

The best I can say is that after one has wrestled with important life issues, problems, challenges; joys, victories and accomplishment, there is a sense of questioning that can arise. It is not necessarily debilitating (though it can be), but maybe is more like another 'right of passage' to the next, inevitable stage of life.

I suppose that's where I am or else I wouldn't be writing about this.

I have found myself engaging in stimulating disccusions about theological understandings, movements, historical events and their effects on the movement of human thought, I have some degrees hanging on my wall that show how serious I was in pursuing these topics. As I have journeyed I have been exposed to opposing views on important issues related to God; who He is, what He is about, what is the reason for the way things are around us given that this great God is supposed to be who we think He is.

There have been premodern opinions, modern thoughts, and postmodern perspectives that all shape the flow of engagement, and I have found myself in and around these 'windows' of understanding and perception, and as I write this I am circumspect.

Though I greatly value my journey, and believe that we all must find ourselves with an opinion or a perspective, there is one overriding thought that consumes me right now and that is this: what is the most important thing? What is that which makes things make sense and gives purpose?

And I have to say that my only answer is this: just Jesus.

Through it all He has been the constant. With everyone's opinions about the Bible and history and the church and on and on, Jesus stands as the anchor through which all things hold together. Using a Christmas theme, 'Jesus is the reason for the season'. He is the reason that I have these thoughts at this time in my life--and it is good.

I believe that Jesus is more than sufficient to bring the healing, motivation and direction for all things important in life. He has proven to me that no matter what deep thoughts or wrestlings humanity may engage, Jesus is more than enough to not only engage in it, but has the ability and desire to lead us through. I believe that Jesus wants to bring our cultures, our creativity and our best reasoning to life and He is patient enough to make it happen.

Again, I just have to look at myself and realize how many years He has been walking with me to get me to the point where I am able to say that what I really want is just Him.

This blog entry is one that is pretty much about'me so whoever is reading this one, I hope you understand that I don't want it to be about me, but about the One who made me. He is looking for you, in every nook and cranny of your existence and He wants to bring it all to life in you. No matter if you are twenty or a hundred and twenty, He is walking with you and offering you life.

So, today, remember this: it's OK to just want Jesus. In fact, He will show you the wonder of what real life is about, and all the things that seem to preoccuppy us will find a place. All your questions won't immediately be addressed, but the one thing that does seem to come is peace.

May the peace that passes all understanding be yours today--the name of that peace is Jesus.

Just Jesus.

BT

A Bushel and a Peck and a Hug Around the Neck. . .

2012-02-01T10:26:00.000-06:00

There is an old nursery rhyme that I used to sing to my very young children and it went something like this: "I love you, a bushel and a peck, a bushel and a peck and a hug around the neck. A hug around the neck and a barrel and a heap, a barrel and a heap and I'm talking in my sleep about youuuuuuuuu." And when I would sing 'youuuuuuuu' I would tickle the pants off them and we would laugh and laugh.

Sometimes the most impacting and profound teachings come to us in the simplest of packages. For example, we can talk about love, and being loved all we want--we can explicate its intricacies and extrapolate implications, but you really don't understand love until your little bundle of joy, your small son or daughter, comes running at you with reckless abandon and they jump up, wrapping their arms around your neck and say 'I love you daddy!'

Yeah, that kind of blows theology right out of the water. . . .

Don't get me wrong, God gave us minds to use wisely and it is appropriate that we wrestle hard with the deep truths of God. But it is also true that we do come to the end of our understanding, and sometimes we would do well to simply admit that there is more going on than we can fully explain. And that's ok.

God knows this about us, and I believe He goes to great lengths to show us this is true. No where is this more clearly seen than in the story of the Prodigal Son.

In Luke 15:20 we read a stirring account of a Father's love for his son: 'But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.'

This father loved his son so much that he was willing to throw out convention and protocol, his pride and position, and simply ran. He ran toward his son, even when the son was a ways off. And, get this, when he got to his son the very first thing he did was throw his arms around him! No dialogue, no explanations, no evaluation of motives or decisions made--just plain love.

It reminds me of a nursery rhyme I once heard, and experienced with my kids. . . .

Do you know that this parable is meant to show you that this is exactly the way that God the Father feels about you? It may be hard to imagine GOD running after you, to think of HIM as desiring you, to imagine the FATHER as one who would see fit to run straight past all the maneoverings of language and throw his arms around you simply because of His love for you.

Maybe that's the most profound statment that could ever be made.

God loves you, a bushel and a peck, a bushel and a peck and a hug around the neck. I like this in that it gives us a sense of God's playfulness and His desire to express a love that does not get bogged down in rationality's fortresses. Instead, it seeps into our bones when you feel those arms actually there and you begin to really know that it's true--God loves me. ME!

In reality, God loves you much more than a bushel and a peck, but saying that He is hugging you around the neck--well, that's right on the mark as far as I'm concerned.

Maybe you need to hear that today. We probably need to hear that every day, because we get too easily caught up in our own sin and it prevents us from seeing our Father running to us from a distance--but He is running, running to us.

Isn't that a wonderful thing?

BT

Plans

2012-01-31T10:25:00.000-06:00

Plans are good. They are a necessary part of life. Without them we are unable to have a sense of direction and purpose--to know which way to turn as the days and events of life roll by.

Of course, the diversity of the kinds of plans that people make are as varied as the personalities that each person possesses: to someone who is highly administrative they are quite comfortable in creating the 'list' that directs much of what life looks like for them. And for the one who is more of a 'free-spirit', the plans will look much less rigid, but they are still necessary.

The challenge with making plans that affect the directions of our lives is to know what kinds of values that must be honored that will shape the forming of the plan itself. We need to ask things like: 'are my plans primarily self-centered or are they inclusive enough to make room for the well-being of others?' Or maybe: 'how do I value the time I have been given and how do I make use of that time?'

The list of potential questions are endless, but there is one thing that must be at the very foundation of the plan-making process for followers of Jesus and that one thing revolves around Jeremiah 10:23 that says "I know, O Lord, that a man's life is not his own; it is not for man to direct his steps. Correct me, Lord, but only with justice--not in your anger, lest you reduce me to nothing."

So what can I take from this? First of all, and probably most important is to realize that my life is not my own, therefore, it makes little sense to make plans without consulting the Lord regarding them! If my life belongs to Jesus, then it is critical that I ask Him what He desires for it. Sounds easy, but is much harder than you might imagine. One of the reasons for this is that it is really hard to trust Jesus for the very practical things that come along with daily life. This just seems to be something that is not what we usually imagine is part of 'spiritual life'. But I believe that this is what God is calling us to--to intentionally engage Him in offering ourselves up to Him and asking for Him to lead us in the plan building that is necessary.

The second thing is this: God knows that I will struggle with trusting Him to direct my steps, and I will fight against Him in this because of sin in me. That's why the passage above asks that the Lord would correct me. I need to be brought back again and again to that place of surrender to Him. Don't despair, this can be done, but it will take time. And don't forget, God is very patient with His children!

The last thing to note here is this: We need to remember Who it is that is directing our steps--a Mighty God who has the power to reduce us to nothing! In reverence we approach our God who is loving and kind, but we need to show respect to Him as He is worthy of this. We need not be paralyzed in fear of approaching Him, because Jesus has now made it possible for us to boldly approach the throne of grace. But our hearts should still reflect an understanding of this Universe-creating God who is power incarnate! What a wonderful thing it is that He is 'for us and not against us'.

So let's not avoid the benefits of taking time to make plans that help to bring stability to our lives. But let's not forget that the best plans start by submitting our whole life to the One who desires to direct it.

BT

Hearing The Light

2012-01-27T09:47:00.000-06:00

I'm pretty sure that most of you would understand that light is something we see and sound is something we hear, but have you ever thought about hearing light?

I was just talking with a friend of mine and we were discussing how a long winter season, a season with many less sunlight hours, can really affect our attitudes, thinking and emotions. But there is a procedure available that will transmit light into one's ear canal and it is supposed to help to alleviate some of the problems associated with light deprivation.

So, in essence, the help in this case comes from 'hearing light'.

In a spiritual way this makes a lot of sense. Light has come into this world and is constantly speaking to us. The One who is Light speaks a message of hope, life and healing to those who are in desperate need. John 1:4 says "In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it."

I guess hearing light is not so far off the mark after all. And that it might be hard to understand is also explained in the above passage: we always stuggle with sin and sin is darkness. Sometimes we can be so focussed on the darkness that it is very hard to understand the light in a meaningful way.

But the light keeps shining. . . .that's what God tells us--'the light shines in the darkness', not 'it used to shine' or 'it shone for a little while', but 'it is shining right now'.

I thank Jesus that He desires that we would hear His light--live in it, trust in it, trust in Him. Your darkness may seem overwhelming and you may not be able to make sense of this light, but rest assured that Jesus is right there with you and He will never stop shining.

Can we hear the light? Absolutely. Does it make a difference? Without a doubt. Do you have to make it happen? All Jesus expects of us is that we fall into His arms and ask Him to lead us through.

Enjoy the sound of the light today.

BT

All The Kings Horses. . . . .

2012-01-26T09:10:00.000-06:00

Do you remember this line from the children's story: 'All the king's horses and all the king's men, couldn't put Humpty together again'?

It's a silly story about an Egg. Not much depth there really! But it is still a profound statement about our inability to put back together someone that is broken. Horses, and kings are powerful and have within them the strength to move mountains and men, and yet all their power is frustrated when it comes to mending a person who is shattered.

That requires power that is simply beyond us.

If you want to see power that really makes a difference take a look at Daniel 3:16-17. Three young men who were at the mercy of a king. They were facing their death sentence for not worshiping this king and they were unafraid to tell him, straight-up to his face, that they would not do so because they served the true King.

Standing there, with their immanent death blazing directly behind them, they proclaimed a faith that boggles my mind. They said: "If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up."

Can you just picture this? This really happened! And they really said this! What a statement of faith: that they believed that God is more powerful, more relevant to this situation than the king and his men and the furnace that was right behind them. The God they couldn't see had gained more trust than all that they were seeing around them. And trust they did.

What did their faith get them? Thrown into the fire--a seemingly cruel reward for their valiant stand. But, against all rational odds, the story doesn't end there. Jesus came and saved them and restored them to health and life right before the king's eyes. No wonder it says that this king 'leaped to his feet in amazement"!

The king had the power to destroy three lives, but as powerful as he was, he didn't have the power to save them. That took another King--the One that Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego had already put their trust in.

Isn't that just the way our world works? It seems that there is all kinds of power to destroy things--we can even destroy ourselves if we choose, but to find someone who can put us back together again? Well, there is only One that I have found so far.

If all the king's horses and all the king's men can't fix someone who is broken, then maybe it's time to place our trust in the Unseen God who likes to hang out with those who find themselves in blazing furnaces.

Any takers?

BT

One For The Road

2012-01-25T15:58:00.000-06:00

We have all heard this phrase 'one for the road', and to most it means to take one more drink before exiting one's favorite watering hole.

But I want to share with you a glimpse into someone's life that shines so clearly the reality of what a 'hard-knock life' can look like and still shine the love and grace of God so clearly it is almost blinding. Maybe the light shines so bright because the soul that bears it is so beat up and burdened.

This is an extended exerpt from Brennan Manning's book entitled All is Grace:

"I have written about experiences with the straight-no-chaser grace of God, battered by wave upon wave of His tender fury. I have also experieced just as many, if not more, moments where Abba's love was mediated, grace via the cloud of witnesses who have cast shadows on my bedraggled, beat-up, and burnt-out life. I have tried to honor those lives in this book. But either way all is well, grace is grace. The book's subtitle has a qualifier--A Ragamuffin Memoir. It's best you know that going in. I fear that word has lost some of its original grit. Ragamuffins have a singular prayer: 'God, be merciful to me, a sinner.' Any additonal flourishes to make that cry more palatable are pharisaical leaven. Warning: Mine has been anything but a straight shot, more like a crooked path filled with thorns and crows and vodka. Prone to wander? You bet. I've been a priest, then an ex-priest. Husband, then ex-husband. Amazed crowds one night and lied to friends the next. Drunk for years, sober for a season, then drunk again. I've been John the beloved, Peter the coward, and Thomas the doubter all before the waitress brought the check. I've shattered every one of the Ten Commandments six times Tuesday. And if you believe that last sentence was for dramatic effect, it wasn't." Manning reflects a little about the weight of his words then adds this concluding thought: "I am living in a different emotional direction. I am steering toward home, hardly a poster child for anything. . .anything, that is, but grace. . .Grace is everything."

Brennan Manning had many "one's for the road" and his life was a portrait of despair, brokenness, frustration and loss because of it. But what he discovered was that Jesus' love for him was so intense, so undeterred, that He overcame Manning's challenges. Not that the addictions were ever conquered, but that his heart finally was.

It is all grace.

And here is your 'one for the road' today: know that God's love for you is far stronger, richer and enduring than any of your addictions, self-abuse or pain. Just like Manning was able to say this for himself, let it be true for you as well "God is very fond of me."

It's true.

BT

Being Light

2012-01-24T14:01:00.000-06:00

What would it be like to be a part of a church that you would describe as a "light"?

Now I am not talking about just a dim 40 watt bulb here, I am talking about those lights that you see shining up into the sky as celebrities walk down the red carpet, or the lights that point up from some of the casinos in Las Vegas. There is some serious candle power going on here. These are lights that are noticed!

What kind of light would be shining out of a church that was really following Jesus? Would it be the kind that grabs everyone's attention? Would it be the kind that causes people to stop in their tracks and gaze in wonder? Or might it be different than that?

There are many kinds of light that shine around us all the time, and much it we are oblivious to. For example, our eyes are not able to see ultra-violet light unless they are aided by external equipment. I wonder if there is something here that is important for followers of Jesus to consider?

In Isaiah 58 we are shown what God considers necessary for the shining of 'light'. He describes followers who are willing share food with people who are hungry; providing shelter for people who have no place to go; people who are in need of clothing being provided with these basic necessities; basically, God is saying to His church "take care of people in need", and then He says, "and if you do this, your 'light will break forth like the dawn.'" (verse 8).

Do we have the eyes to see this light?

It seems to me that people or organizations who make it their business to help the poor and needy are not really the ones that make the news at 6. Sure, they may get some airplay around Christmas time, but normally these are not the kinds of 'lights' that get noticed, and they are certainly not the kinds of lights that make people stop in their tracks! Those lights are reserved for the superstars, the wealthy, those that are 'connected', the ones who know how to network and get their message out; the influential, the powerful--all the things that make our culture tick. And usually not things that we associate with church.

Do we have the eyes to see the light God is telling us will shine if we do the things He asks of us?

I think we struggle to see. And because of that, we also struggle to value what God sees as 'light'. Certainly, no one in the Family of God would say that it is wrong to care for the poor and hungry, but we are probably guilty of sometimes thinking that these are the things that we do on the side--they are not central to our mandate. And I would agree to some extent--I too think that doing these things is not everything the church should be about, but if we look closely, I think what is being talked about in Is. 58 is not primarily about giving us a specific checklist of 'to do's' here, but is instead a blueprint of where our hearts and attitidues should be. If we have hearts that care about what God cares about, then His light will shine through us in amazing ways.

I need help to adjust my 'spiritual Ray-Bans' so I can see God's light for what it really is--beautiful, and maybe subtle; life-changing, but maybe not so news-worthy; magnificent, but in the sense of following the example of a Servant-King.

Jesus, our eyes need help. Show us the way, but then also help us to walk in this way. We want to see your light shine through us. Retrain us to think according to what you value, not what we value. Show us the very center of your heart, but do so in such a way that it breaks through all the layers of our self-deception.

Cause our hearts to long for the break of day. . .

BT

Quite a Journey--But a Great God!

2012-01-20T10:20:00.000-06:00

Anyone who knows what a "dark night of the soul" really means has had to walk through some deep waters in their life.

A dark night of the soul is a time (could be a week, could be 25 years) when God seems so distant and the light is simply not shining inside you. It seems dark and cold and lonely. Not a pleasant place to be sure. But it is something that God uses to help to shape us and develop character in us. It sounds a bit harsh to imagine this loving God allowing such times of pain and suffering, but if you think about it, the development of character in us is something that is extremely valuable.

We just want to have the character without the work.

Romans 5 talks about this character development: "And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us."

Love this! It begins with rejoicing, moves into the suffering times, then ends with hope! Take note of this: if you are in a good place spiritually then you are either just entering a time of struggle, or you have just come out of a time of struggle. Either way you are blessed because the pay-off of rejoicing and hope is clear, you are living on the mountaintop! And if you are in the suffering time--then you are blessed as well because God is building you into a strong person of character! The pay-off here is not so clear because it's dark, but it's still good.

God doesn't expect you to be bouncing around trying to act like everything is OK if you are really struggling--it's OK to hurt and a struggle is just that, a struggle! But take heart. Good is coming from this and you will see it one day too.

God is taking me through a struggling time, but He has not left me alone. I walked into the Bible book store the other day and the first thing I saw when I walked through the door was a Leadership magazine that was all about stories of people going through the 'dark night of the soul'.

Later, as I read it, it was like my parched soul was drinking cool refreshing water. . . . . .

It was not an accident that this magazine was the only thing I saw. It was not an accident that this was the only copy left in the store, and that it was still there when I walked in. God wanted me to read it, because he really does love me.

And he loves you too.

So if you are struggling today, remember that God is at work in your life--He has not abandoned you. In fact he is building something in you that is a wonder to behold!

This is quite a journey--but what a great God!

BT

Change Me

2012-01-19T09:02:00.000-06:00

Change.

To a baby with a dirty diaper it is a sweet and comforting thought. But to a lot of other people it can be a frightening, frustrating and confusing consideration.

Sometimes we know we need to change something in us, or have something changed for us. We can get that sense that we have bumped up against the wall and can't get any further until a change happens.

But this can be a tough thing to do for a number of reasons. We can avoid change if we are filled with fear of the unknown. Change means something new, something that hasn't been before, or at least not for a long time. It means that what we once knew will no longer suffice as a guide or roadmap because we are now in new territory. That can be a disconcerting feeling, one that is strong enough to prevent ourselves going down that road.

Another reason we can avoid change is that it can be frustrating. We don't always know how to make the changes happen. Sometimes the very things that need to change are the same things that prevent us from embracing it. We don't know how to think brand new thoughts because our old ones are so entrenched that we simply don't have the answers on our own. This can feel so disempowering that any motivation to move into the change fades away into the background. Unfortunately, this only adds to the frustration, at least until one becomes numb to it and that is a dark place indeed.

The last challenge I will mention is confusion. We might have an idea of what change needs to happen in our lives, but then as you consider the options more and more possibilities come into view. So many, in fact, that it becomes nearly impossible to navigate all the different scenarios. It becomes a matter of choice then, and who is to say that one is better than any of the others? This can lead to paralysis and no movement happens at all.

If this represents you, then I want to suggest a way through. Instead of saying "I need to change" try saying "Change me." The difference is that the first is all on you to accomplish it. You have to figure it out; you have to have the motivation and the will to follow through; it's all on you!

But to say "change me" is to have a heart that cries out to someone else to help with the process. This is an acknowledgement of the need to change and the admission that you can't do it on your own. It's too frustrating, too frightening, too confusing.

But there is a way--a great way!

Jesus understands us so very well. He loves us, cherishes us, is really meaning it when he says that he is for us and not against us. He is not indifferent, doesn't desire to stand at a distance from us, and is ready and waiting for us to simply ask!

Matthew 18:3-4 says "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven."

I want to enter the kingdom of heaven again and again. This means more than just a salvation message, though it means that too. Jesus wants us to walk in the "light, as he is in the light", and that means daily, hourly--again and again. He wants us to live in such a way that we become lights that shine in the darkness and the only way I can do that is if I humble myself.

Are you wondering how to change? Do what Jesus says and make the only right decision that is available to you to make: say "I need you". Become like a little child who doesn't know much beyond the immediacy of the parent who stands in front of them saying "Just hold my hand and I will be OK", that's about as deep as a very young child thinks and it is enough.

We are to do the same. Hold Jesus' hand--let him lead. He really wants to.

So today, as you face all the turmoil in your spirit, knowing that a change needs to happen but not knowing what to do, or how to move forward, just humble yourself and say to Jesus "change me the way you want to see--I trust you."

You will see the kingdom of heaven.

BT

Being Real

2012-01-18T12:30:00.000-06:00

When I look at Jesus I see a man who was real. He was a guy who was genuine, knew who he was, was confident in that, and lived based on his understanding of who he really was.

On good days I look at Jesus' life and become excited about the possibilities. On not so good days, I look at Jesus' and can become frustrated because that is certainly not where I am!

I think we all want to be real, with ourselves, with others and with God, but it can be a scary thing because it means owning who we currently are, and being honest with ourselves.

A little less than two years ago I heard a presentation by a man named Warren Gerehty. Here was a guy that was real and honest. The topic he spoke on was: 5 Keys to Crash and Burn Well. He relayed important life lessons that helped him to learn to live a life of authenticity and I offer them to you today.
1. Let Fear Rule You
2. Work at Daily Pushing Away Loss
3. Work Hard at Being Someone That You're Not
4. Do Not Deal with People Conflict
5. Ignore Your Basic Human Needs

Of course Gerehty used these titles as tongue-in-cheek and the reverse meaning came through loud and clear. And as I write this, I am reminded of just how clearly all these principles are at work in Jesus' life. He was not ruled by fear as he lived in the power of the Holy Spirit which brings boldness, power and love. He did not avoid loss as he was willing to embrace the loss of relationship with His heavenly Father when he died on the cross. He knew well who he was and stated that he not only knew His Father's business but that he was committed to living out the mandate of that business as well. He didn't avoid conflict as he would again and again address the religious leadership of his day. And he allowed himself to enjoy his life by entertaining and being entertained at parties, feasts, weddings etc; he would take time alone to pray and be refreshed; he loved being with his family and was overjoyed to be in the presence of children.

Too often we talk about Jesus being real in the sense of trying to prove that he existed, but I think the real important issue is that Jesus was real in that he was absolutely genuine.

Pure authenticity walked the earth in the form of a man.

I think the really great thing is that he still lives, and that he is concerned about my well-being, your well-being, and is wanting us to walk in the same kind of authenticity that he did.

It's a journey, and sometimes one fraught with danger and dark clouds, but Jesus told us that he is the way, the truth and the life--and you know what. . . .

I believe Him.

BT

The Good Life

2012-01-17T10:06:00.000-06:00

Have you ever asked yourself the question: "I wonder what the good life would be like?"

Usually we would be thinking about how we could make more money, travel more, have a more freed up daily schedule, etc., etc.

Yeah, that sounds like the good life doesn't it? This sounds especially good when it is -33 outside (which is what it is as I write this!), and we are dreaming of escaping to somewhere with palm trees.

But have you also noticed that sometimes we can long for things that really aren't the most important for our lives? Our longings can lead us astray, and it's true that what we long for will define what we think is the good life.

The Bible can help us here, because we can find an example of someone who had discovered what the good life is really about. In Philippians 1:21 Paul writes "For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain."

For Paul, everything in his life was centered around Jesus. This was his core, his foundation. Everything seemed to rise from his relationship with Him. Jesus was so central to Paul's life that even when Paul thought about dying, he was encouraged because he knew that he would be with Jesus then too!

But there is something else that is worthy of note here: Paul didn't see his relationship with Jesus as some kind of negative sacrifice or that he was "missing out" on something better. No. In fact, Paul couldn't think of a better way to live--he saw it all as gain!

Do you think it's possible that this could be true for us as well? Is it possible that the good life is the one where Jesus is the absolute center of everything in our daily lives?

This might be hard for some of us to understand how this would look. But for now, suffice it to say that I believe Jesus just wants to be invited into everything we do, so that He has an opportunity to teach us His ways in the midst of it all.

Jesus wants to teach us what the good life is all about. And He is a good teacher!

For each one that reads this my prayer is simply this: Jesus---bring it on!

BT

The Heart of Jesus

2012-01-14T13:23:00.000-06:00

There is nothing so powerful as being in the presence of the heart of Jesus.

That might sound strange to many people--what on earth does that mean?

Well, it means that when Jesus captures your attention and he begins to fill you with a sense of his overwhelming goodness that the things that were once big issues in your life now become far smaller.

It means that the anxieties that were tearing you apart from the inside out, are now covered over by the soothing balm of the presence of Jesus.

It means that when there were nothing but clouds and darkness in your soul, when Jesus walks into the rooms of your heart, there is a palpable and tangible 'shift' toward hope and light.

It means that where you might have been preoccupied with anger and frustration, there is now peace and love.

It means that where your mind was filled with confusion there is now focus and meaningful thought.

There is a huge difference between knowing about Jesus and being in the presence of his heart. That is when there is a willingness to humble yourself and allow him to speak, lead, heal, receive and live. That's when this whole 'Christian thing' begins to take on whole new dimensions and if we're honest, where it begins to make sense.

My prayer today is this: that the Holy Spirit would prevent us from being complacent with our 'norm' and that he would begin a new work in us today by bringing us face to face with the heart of Jesus.

Father, may your glory shine in us today--may we not be able to hide from you any longer. And may the perfect presence of your Son shine in us through and through.

What a day! What a life! What a God!

BT

"Do" vs "Done"

2012-01-13T09:18:00.000-06:00

Here is a consistent question that rattles around my head: Is following Jesus about "doing" things for him, or is it about recognizing that he has already "done" everything needed?

This is a very important question becuase it impacts everything about being his disciples.

There are dangers on the "do" side: we can become so action oriented that we begin to imagine that we are almost doing God a favor. We start new programs, we put on evangelistic crusades, we develop great praise and worship bands, we begin more and more prayer groups, etc. The key here is "we". It begins and ends with everything starting with us, with a remote thought about Jesus that we are sure he would be proud of us for working so hard on his behalf.

There can be a lot of distance between us and Jesus if we aren't careful.

But that's not the whole story: there is also a lot of danger in imagining that the "done" perspective (that Jesus has done it all and we can add nothing to what he has accomplished) doesn't leave room for us to be actively responding to Jesus' call to reach out to others with his love. Jesus didn't experience a brutal death on a cross just so that his followers could sit around like bumps on logs saying that everything is done already. After all, Jesus says that we are to pray that workers should be sent out into the harvest fields. The workers are us and workers are not really workers if they sit around all day.

So where does that leave us?

I would like to suggest that there are two different messages being spoken of that need clarifying. The camp that says that everything is 'done' is usually talking about justification--that is our salvation. There is nothing that we can do to add to the salvation that Jesus bought for us. This is done. But too often this message of 'done' is used as the only message for Christians all the time. Well, that is simply not being honest with the whole of the Bible that God has given us. There are appropriate times for the 'done' message but we need more.

The 'more' includes the other camp--those who talk about 'doing'. These are the people who are trying to understand what it means to grow in sanctification. This is talking about how we live out our Christian lives on a daily basis. It doesn't mean that our actions make us more acceptable to Jesus, that part, the relational part is done. But it does mean that we are called to action as his disciples--and that means doing. Faith without deeds is a dead faith.

It's a whole package that gets confused again and again. Unfortunately some churches emphasize one over the other so much that Christianity, and relationship with Jesus begins to look and feel entirely one-dimensional. We take the beautiful gift of justification life and then sit like stones on pews, or we are given the gift of living a growing sanctification life and make it so legalistic and selfish that it creates far more burdens than blessing.

Let's grow up and realize that God is speaking to us about both. I think wisdom should tell us that messages to predominantly Christian audiences should have more "doing" content (sanctification and 'how do we live this life?") and periodic messages of "done" content (justification and a reminder that Jesus' sacrifice is all we need for relationship with him). People who don't yet know Jesus should be given a lion's share of salvation messages, because that is what they need most, and just a taste of Christian living messages, so they can get a glimpse of what life looks like after.

Doesn't this make sense?

Any good craftsman will look at his toolbox and realize that certain tools work best for certain jobs. He never looks at them as in opposition to each other. They all have a place.

Let's be intentionally good craftsmen as well. Let's give the appropriate messages to those who most need that tool and get past this idea that one is better than the other.

God 'did' so we can 'do'.

Love it.

BT

From Wander to Wonder

2012-01-12T14:45:00.000-06:00

Pretty amazing our God is (wow that sounded a lot like Yoda!)

But he is. Just yesterday I was getting ready for a college and career event at church. I had the video set-up, I had my talk prepared, and I had a few minutes before it started so I took the time to pray. I prayed for 5 minutes, then 10 and after a bit I realized that I was going to be spending some time alone as nobody showed up (until twenty minutes later when two dear friends popped in and we had a great time together!)

But it was all good! God spoke to me as I was praying and He impressed on me this thought: Brian, don't worry if no one shows up. I have in mind for you a special one-on-one time with Me as your host--Just enjoy! And did I ever.

I haven't prayed like that for a long time: it was open and heartfelt; uplifting and honest. My heart soared and I was blessed. Then the words came to me for this blog: 'from wander to wonder', and what that meant to me was that even though my heart tends to wander into places of despair, God is faithful to bring it back to a place of wonder in Him. That's exactly what happened last night: I could have been frustrated that no one showed up (wandering) but God stepped in and through the ministry of the Holy Spirit I was really blessed (wondering).

Isn't that something?

Jeremiah 14:10 talks about the hearts of God's people and our tendency to forget our focus on Him. It says that we "love to wander"--which means that sometimes we are so off-track that we pursue wandering away. I know that's true for me.

But then we read Mark 9:15 that says "As soon as all the people saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with wonder and ran to greet him."

That's what happens when Jesus comes into view in our daily lives: we forget about the things that can cause our hearts to wander (like no one showing up) and He fills us with desire and wonder (when Jesus says to you: "How about you and I spend some quality time together?")

There's nothing like when Jesus captures our attention and our hearts.

I hope that today your hearts are moved from wandering to wondering with the One who loves you more than you could imagine.

BT

Don't Believe Everything You Hear

2012-01-11T11:45:00.000-06:00

We've all done it. Sometimes we use them to get ourselves out of a jam; to avoid embarassment; to get our way. Sometimes we are the victims of them and they can cut us to the bone. Yes, we've all done it; we've all participated; we've all experienced the results--and they aren't pretty.

Lies. They are the things that once spoken can take on a life all their own and take us to places we couldn't imagine possible. They grow and over time and they can overwhelm us with their complexity and their heinous disregard for our well-being.

That shouldn't surprise us because the Bible tells us that the Original Liar is at work planting the seeds of lies in us whenever and wherever he can. John 8:44 says that the devil "is a liar and the father of lies." I've never thought this before, but when it says that he is the 'father of lies' that means that he 'sires' them; he inseminates us with lies; he nurtures them and does all he can to help them to grow in us. An incredibly horrible thought, and one that makes me sit up and take notice of just how evil and uncaring Satan really is.

This morning, as I drove to work, a thought came to me totally from out-of-the-blue. I won't give you the details of what it was, but suffice it to say that its purpose was to undermine the core of my identity. I tried to argue with him for a bit, but that proved useless--he is the master of lies after all.

But then I was reminded of James 4:7 where it says "submit to God, resist the devil and he will flee from you." Certainly the devil doesn't flee from me in my own strength, and my clever retorts obviously didn't impress him, so submitting to God is critically important here. To do this is to say to God "I can't, but I thank you that you want to on my behalf!" It is to live in His strength. The benefit of this is that we are able, then and only then, to take our stand against our Enemy and say to him "your lies are exposed and God's word about me is true. I know who I am in Him and I take authority over you in Jesus' name--now leave!!"

And he will--he does--he did!

That's how God's promises work. That's how his love for us plays out. He replaces lies with truth and where there was death, now there is life.

I can't say that when the devil flees that all the damage done by the lies is completely removed. Sometimes God's redemption takes time to grow in us. But He is faithful to put our hearts in a place of peace and tell us that we are in His hands now, and we can rest there.

It's good to catch our breath isn't it?

So, today, don't believe everything you hear. If you are despairing, there's a good chance that the Enemy is hard at work trying to 'father' lies in you. Submit to God, and cry out to him to bring his truth and life into you. Take your authority in Jesus seriously and command the devil to flee from you in the name of the Son of God, and he will.

Promise.

BT

Old is New Again

2012-01-10T08:54:00.000-06:00

If you pay attention to cultural trends it seems that what was fashionable twenty years ago becomes the new "it" thing today. Much of the music that was the 'latest and greatest' of the 80's is hot now, but I'm still waiting to see if 'mullets' will make a comeback (not that I want one again!)

Yes, what is old can become new again.

Yesterday I blogged about how we can know the great path of being a follower of Jesus, but not only know about how to become a follower of Jesus--that much we are very familiar with. We can also know what the path is to walk on after we enter relationship with Him--the things we should be about, and the things we should do.

Not to be redundant, but I came across another passage of scripture this morning that highlights this so clearly. It is found in Jeremiah 6:16 and it says this: "Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls."

What God is telling us is to "pay attention". We find ourselves at crossroads all the time, but sometimes we don't want to spend our time or energy really thinking about our lives because it seems like so much work for so little reward (at least that's how we justify our lack of engagement).

God encourages us to stop and really evaluate: what do we see? Where is my life? How does it reflect what I read in scripture? Am I really open to following where the Lord leads? Do you notice all the questions I just asked? There, I just asked another one! Sometimes we are so filled with questions that we wonder if there are any answers--and what can happen is that we start to 'shut down' in frustration.

Well, God addresses that here: he says "ask". Ask for the 'ancient paths', those tried and true directions that are good for us to follow. There are answers, and God wants us to know them, he is just wanting us to ask.

Then he encourages us to 'walk in them'. This is a clear revelation that we will be shown practical and tangible ways in which we can follow Jesus. And the payoff is that our souls will find 'rest' as we do.

I am so encouraged to know that the old can become new again. To know that my life can line up with those who have gone before me and have done well. I love that Jesus doesn't leave me to fend for myself, or that I have to find my own way: He is telling me clearly that He will lead and reveal what I need to know.

Today, I pray that our souls will find crazy rest! 'Crazy' and 'rest' don't seem to go together very well, but that's exactly what I'm praying for: that as you ask for God's leading in your life, and as you step into what He desires for you, that you will be amazed at how true He is, that He really does the things he promises to do!

Be blessed today as rest overtakes your soul. . . .

BT

I Can See Clearly Now. . .

2012-01-09T13:26:00.000-06:00

Do you remember these famous lyrics from the song written and performed by Johnny Nash--"I can see clearly now the rain is gone, I can see all obstacles in my way". . . .and then the chorus: "It's gonna be a bright, bright sunshiny day."

It's one of those timeless songs that helps us to see past our short-term challenges. It says to us that when we get prespective we can see through the rain and get our bearings again. When we have a sense of what is going on and what to do about it, then hope rises in us. And when there is hope our spirits sing and the sun starts to shine again.

"I can see clearly now. . ." I wonder if this is something that most Christians can say about their own lives? I wonder if there is a sense of awareness of where they are at and if they understand a clear path to walk through their "rain" and live in hope and life? I know this is God's desire for His children, to be sure, but sometimes it's hard to get there.

Yesterday we had some dear friends over to our house and during the stimulating conversation a comment was made to this effect: "If God is wanting us to live in the greatness of his kingdom, if he wants me to step out into the deep waters of faith then I need to be shown what that looks like. I need someone to show me the way."

What a profound statement. We really do need to be shown the way for many reasons and most of them originate from the presence of sin. Fear was mentioned as a major hindrance in us stepping into participation in the greatness of God's kingdom, along with many other smaller yet important challenges.

Can we see through the rain into the 'sunshiny day?'

Yes! Without question, and the reason I say this is not based on our abilities or strength but on God's and his clear desire for us.

We have been given an invitation from Jesus himself, to step into a manifest kingdom that breaks through the darkness in people's lives. There are many examples of this in scripture but I will mention only one here and it comes from John 14:12 where Jesus tells his disciples that 'anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing." That's the beginning of the way right there. God explains that those in his kingdom will have a desire and the ability to emulate what he did while he was here on earth. This also means that he has given us an example to follow. We should be asking ourselves "well then, what exactly were the things that Jesus did while he was here?" And a follow-up question should arise: "What should we expect to be doing?"

There are two things I want to show here: 1. We should expect that doing the things Jesus did should bring about a fresh and radical expression of God's kingdom here on earth. This will include the small but significant things but also grand and transformative things. Why do I say that? Because Jesus also says that the person who has faith in him will not only do the things that he did, but that "he will do even greater things than these." Quite a statement. 2. It's fine to be invited into a grand and powerful kingdom but what kind of examples can I look to that will help me to actually live this way? Again, we should look at Jesus' examples in scripture, and we should look at how his disciples lived in the power of the Holy Spirit who followed Jesus' examples.

One last thing: if we really want to know, deep knowing in our spirit, what it means to be living and thriving in the Kingdom of God here on earth, then we need to have humble and willing hearts. Ask Jesus to show you things in your heart that are preventing you from trusting Him fully; ask Him to fill you with His Spirit to empower you to follow him; to learn the spiritual authority you have been given as a child of God; ask for practical opportunities to exercise what you see Jesus doing.

I think that there is much that is clearly shown to us. And I believe that God is offering to all of us not only blueprints to follow, but also opportunities to experience His love and power.

I ask that Jesus would forgive me for my fear and unwillingness to believe and follow. I ask the same for you. And I believe that our good God will show us the way and we will see things that will awe and amaze us. Our hearts will be filled with peace and power.

We can see clearly now Lord, take us where you want us to go. . .

BT

The Dusty Road

2012-01-06T09:41:00.000-06:00

Here is a quote from a minister who experienced the despair of forgetting what relationship with Jesus is all about--relationship with him and resting in him--this is the line: "God made us from dust. We're never too far from our origins."

Doesn't sound like much on the surface, but if you think about it a bit it is really quite true. We are weak vessels that too often think we are bullet-proof. Paul talks about us being 'clay pots', another vessel that, as Mark Buchanan says are "hard. . .but brittle too."

Our roads can be long ones. They come with pot holes and road kill. Sometimes we are the ones that do the killing through harsh words or hard hearts and sometimes we are the ones who get run over. Either way, we can find our ourselves breaking because we are so brittle.

But this is not what the Lord has in mind for his children. This is not the kind of road that he abandons us to. There. . . .is. . . .hope. . . .

Our hope starts by recognizing what God has designed for our lives to thrive. In Psalm 51 we read about David who had just had sex with another man's wife and was broken before God. He was pouring out his grief and his guilt to God and found forgiveness and life there. In verse 17 God tells us that He so deeply accepts hearts that are honest with him. That's the beginning of hope, recognizing our sin and pouring our hearts out to God. He rescues us from ourselves again and again. There is no limit to his forgiveness.

I remember the dusty roads on the farm in the middle of August. On some days it was so dry and so calm that when you drove on those roads, the dust would rise up behind you in clouds and just hang there forever. Huge curtains of dust covering everything in your wake. Often you could find yourself driving in someone else's dust-cloud and the visibility wasn't very good--it got hard to know where the road was or if there was traffic coming your way.

That's the way it can seem sometimes in our lives: because we are 'dusty vessels' we can kick up a lot mess behind and around us that can start to blur our vision of what is good and right about life, and how God views us.

There is much I could say about this but I will end with this one thought that has been coming back to me day after day for the last while: God loves you. There is no limit to his love for you. He offers it freely and extravagantly to you. All he asks is that you will stop driving on that dusty road and allow him the opportunity to settle things in your heart. He wants to fill in your 'pot-holes' and remove the 'road-kill'. He will bring clear vision and a healing to your soul.

You just have to ask.

BT

Sign of Life

2012-01-05T08:58:00.000-06:00

When spring comes along and temperatures start to rise, there is anticipation for those soon coming signs of life when buds start to form on trees and the grass begins to turn green again. This morning, on the way to work, I didn't see signs of life like this, but I did see a sign of life.

As I was waiting to turn left onto Taylor Street there was a yellow sign that showed a meridian that divided two arrows, one turning left and one turning right. In the middle of it someone had spray-painted the word "Life" on it. But the word was not done in a vulgar fashion, it was beautiful in its rounded letters, and the placement was perfect--right under the meridian with the arrows going by in their respective directions. I thought to myself that this person had captured well some of the essence of real life: that there are choices to be made, different directions that can be taken, and that these are not curses but part of the beauty of what life is all about.

It was a sign of life.

But I recognize that a brief encounter with an interesting object like this sign, though interesting and thought provoking, is not enough to chart one's course in life. I need much more than that. I need something that will address the deep and ongoing needs in my soul. I need something that has staying-power. I need something that will help me to understand who I am, and what the meaning or purpose of life is.

I need a Saviour.

But there is even something else: I seem to need to know that this Saviour actually loves me, and doesn't look at me as another item on His divine "to do list."

In Deuteronomy 26:18 I hear the voice of God who tells me a little bit about what He thinks of me. This is what he says: "And the Lord has today declared you to be His people, a treasured possession, as He promised you."

God looks at me, one of his children, as someone of great value. He sees my warts, and shortcomings, and all my own self-denial and self-hate, and is uninfluenced by my own opinion of myself. How great it is to have someone who is loving enough to desire you, strong enough to stay, and wise enough to see what is really true!

God's children are his prized possessions! Jesus looks at us with eyes that simply scream "I love you, and I like you!"

How amazing, and how elusive. It's as though we are standing at the corner of Circle and Taylor, looking at a sign with two directions pointing, and the word "life" written on it. Jesus is calling us to choose to accept his love for us, to accept his opinion of us, but we so often decide to take the other way.

When God tells us that he treasures us he means it. This is a powerful sign of life because it is there that we will experience life as it should be, as it could be.

So here is my advice: give up. Give up trying to go at life on your own. Give up trying to fight against what God has put in place. Give up trying to forge your own path, your own mission, your own meaning, your own life, because to take that turn in the road always leads to frustration. Give up and receive. Receive God's opinion of you as his child. Let his word about you--treasure--guide you toward him.

Enjoy being his treasure today.

BT

No Matter What

2012-01-03T09:49:00.000-06:00

It's been a few days over Christmas break since I've consistently blogged--it's kind of funny how quickly we can lose our rythmn. To do something with discipline is maybe one of the hardest things to accomplish, and because we see everything through the lenses of our experiences, it's easy to doubt that there is really someone out there who promises to be faithful to us no matter what.

But that's exactly what God says to us, that he has made up his mind that he will always be with us, and he will never forsake us! Do you know what 'forsake' means? My dictionary explains that 'forsake' means, 'give up; break off from; renounce; withdraw one's help, friendship or companionship; desert or abandon.'

Think about that for a minute: God says to his children that he won't ever give up on us. He will not break up with us. He will never renounce his relationship with us. He has chosen to never withdraw his help from us. He promises that he will always be our friend. His desire is to be a companion to us. He declares that he will never desert us, and He finally states that we don't have to worry about him ever abandoning us.

Isn't that kind of hard to believe? Especially when, as I said before, we interpret everything through the lenses of our own experience? After all, God might desire to be these things to us, which is great to know that he has a good heart and all. . .but to imagine that he not only desires this, but is willing and able to actually do it? That's something else.

Imagine Joshua for a second. Moses was one of the greatest leaders in Israel's history. God did mighty things through him and the people respected him immensely. Joshua was the 'leader in training' who watched and learned from Moses. The day eventually came when Joshua was to take over the leadership. What would you be feeling when that day came?

Joshua was scared and filled with doubt about himself to be sure. That's why we read God's words to him in Deuteronomy 31:7-8: "Then Moses summoned Joshua and said to him in the presence of all Israel, 'Be strong and courageous, for you must go with this people into the land that the LORD swore to their forefathers to give them, and you must divide it among them as their inheritance. The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.'

'He will never leave you nor forsake you.' Don't worry Josh, God has your back. . .trust him--he won't let you down even though you will stumble and fall.

The promise made to Joshua is a promise that God makes to you today--He never abandons his kids.

No matter what.

Take heart today knowing that God's 'no matter what' is far greater than your 'no matter what'. No matter what you have said or done, His promises to stay with you remain true no matter what.

BT

Life Goes On

2011-12-29T08:20:00.001-06:00

What a life!

I am sitting in the livingroom of my son's parents-in-law just getting ready to come home after a few days of visiting for Christmas. They were wonderful hosts and made everyone feel welcome and blessed. But life goes on and holidays come to an end. Jobs call us back and the reality and needs of life require us to "get back at it".
But even though our scheduled lives get back to the routine, we still think about our relationships and how they are a blessing to us. The love that is shared among family is the way Jesus designed us to live, and it is good that we recognize that--I think it brings honor to Him.

I think we are able to live better, think better, contribute more, and have a generally healthier disposition when family 'works'. Our connection seems to bring to life aspects of who we are that come out stronger when we are together. Sure, it's not always easy, but I still think it's true.

This reminds me of what Jesus says in John 15:6 "If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers.."

Often this verse is interpreted as harsh on Jesus' part--almost like a threat held over us--"do this or else you won't like the outcome.". But I wonder if His heart is little different here...

If you read the context surrounding this verse you find that Jesus is really focussing on relationship with Him that leads Him to eventually call the people who follow Him "friends" because He has entrusted His heart, thoughts and plans to those who are with Him.

Quite a statement if you think about it--we are called God's friends!

There are always rules of appropriate living when you are with family--but those are not things we live in perpetual angst over when you are with them for a time like Christmas. They are just things that are part of a normal time together. I think the same kind of attitude fits when we think of our relationship with Jesus--He says to live in Him and we are blessed when we do so. When we stumble in our sins, He is not waiting for the opportunity to separate Himself from us. In fact, He has done much that would show us the opposite: He died on the cross so we could be with Him!
This Christmas season remember that Jesus considers His followers as friends--and He is willing to go to great lengths to ensure this relationship with Him.

It's kind of hard to express how great it is to live with love around you--it certainly doesn't do justice simply to say it's 'good'.

But maybe it's not the words that really count because they only describe the reality. What really counts is that we have it in Jesus!

Thank you my Friend....

BT
Brian M Tysdal
Lead Pastor
Rock of Ages Church
Saskatoon Sask.
374-1707 (Church)
291-3308 (Cel)
pastorl.therock@sasktel.net

Heartstruck

2011-12-24T08:55:00.000-06:00

Last night we had a wonderful Christmas celebration. Good friends had come over to our place to enjoy a meal that my wife had been preparing all day. The food was scrumptuous and the visiting was even better.

A little later in the evening some of our relatives dropped by, adding to the joyous occasion. My brother-in-law was able to entertain his grandson for the first time in a long while and it was most obvious that he was giving all his attention to this little guy. It took all of 3 seconds for my brother-in-law to scoop up his prized treasure in his arms and--straight to the chair where he proceeded to show 'home videos' on his cell phone of various adventures from previous family gatherings, and hi-jinx played out on jungle jims. The joy on my brother-in-law's face was unadulterated and his antics with his grandson were obviously from a deep place inside him that was filled with love.

He was heartstruck.

It will probably be many years before my brother-in-law's grandson fully realizes how blessed he was last night, and all the other times that he receives that kind of over-the-top love. But that doesn't matter to the granddad because he is free to offer his love for that very reason--love. Love has it's own reasons for doing the things it does. Where it exists, it flows. It can't help it because that's its nature. Even when the object of affection is oblivious to what's going on, the desire and expression of that love is as steady and true as ever. And, as I said before, even though the recipient of that love is not fully aware of what is offered, the person who is loved is blessed. And then one day the love that has been poured out in radical abundance, brings the loved-one to a place where the light goes on and his or heart comes alive to the amazing gift it has been given. It is at this moment that joy explodes, both in the one who has been given to, and in the one who been doing all the giving.

That's just how love works--that's just how people who are heartstruck are.

Did you know that God is heartstruck too? Did you know that His reactions to you are just the same as my brother-in-law's were toward his grandson? When God sees you it takes him no time at all to scoop you up in his arms and his desire is to recount grand tales of adventures that you shared. His joy for you is not diminished by the simple fact that you don't fully understand him. Don't be shocked by the fact that we are no different than that little grandson sitting on grandpa's lap, not aware of the magnitude of love being lavished on him. We are exactly the same--but that doesn't stop God's desire to love on you just the same.

Because that's how love works--it can't help it.

John 3:16 is usually talked about in terms of God's desire to save us from our sins, but the first line is sometimes overlooked in its importance. It says that God loves us! Do you hear that? Do you know that?

I can't state this any more clearly: God is heartstruck over you. And though you might not know it yet--he is eagerly anticipating the day when you become aware of that love because he knows how filled with joy you will be. But, until that day, he will not stop loving you. . . .

Because, that's just how love works.

BT

Healing And the Power of God

2011-12-23T12:53:00.000-06:00

Healing is something that many in the Christian church wrestle with. The wrestling has nothing to with whether healing is good or bad--everyone agrees that any healing from God is good. But the question has to do more with trying to understand why healing happens sometimes and other times not.

I am not addressing that particular issue right now--instead, I want to point out something that is embedded in Scripture related directly to the healings that take place there.

In Acts 9:32-35 we see Peter praying for a man who had been paralyzed for 8 years. This man was healed, but what I want to point out is verse 35: "All those who lived in Lydda and Sharon saw him and turned to the Lord."
Then in Acts 9:36-42 Peter prays for a girl who had died--yes, you heard that right, who had died, and the girl was healed of her death (does that even make sense??). But, again, focus on verse 42: "This became known all over Joppa, and many people believed in the Lord."

You will see this again, and again in scripture--that where healing took place, people were brought to relationship with Jesus.

Now I believe that based on Matthew 7 God loves to give his children good gifts, so the healing that he brings to people makes a lot of sense just based on that. But I think the problem we have sometimes is that we forget to see the bigger picture when it comes to healing. Our sin makes us selfish, and the gifts that God wants to give us can be held onto for ourselves if we aren't careful. It can become a little bit more about 'me' and a little less about others, and a little less about God! But God shows us that the healings that took place in Acts served a much bigger purpose than just an individual receiving a gift--it was done so that people would take notice, and ultimately take notice of the One who did the healing! People were saved because of the healing.

So when we pray for someone to be healed, rejoice that God desires to give good gifts to his children. But don't forget that the healing that happens is to serve a greater purpose: to bring glory to God and to bring people into a saving relationship with him.

God is good.

So I want to bring a word of encouragement to all who are reading this today: if you know someone who is hurting physically or emotionally, you can pray for them and believe for God to heal them. The healing that will happen will be a blessing to the individual but also it will be a source of evangelism--so let it be that! Let people know that God did an amazing thing and see what the Holy Spirit will do to draw them to Jesus.

May you walk in the power of God today and may you see him do the impossible--right before your eyes.

BT

The Dis-Ease of Faith

2011-12-21T11:33:00.000-06:00

Let me be clear right off the bat--I don't think that faith is a disease. What I am saying is that living a life of faith can make us feel uneasy, ill-at-ease.

Why do I say that? Because it is quite a challenge sometimes to live our daily lives--the lives where we rub shoulders with real people, and deal with the practical challenges that face us regularly--in faith. It can just seem that faith and the real world are so different, so very unrelated, that to try and live by faith in the world that surrounds us, seems odd--like it doesn't fit.

Just yesterday I was in the hospital surrounded by a number of people I had never met, and they were dealing with a young man who was shot in the stomach by some people that had broken into their home and began to violently attack them.

So there I was, being the 'pastor'--what to do? I tried to speak comfort to the family and I asked them if I could pray with them. So I did. I asked the Heavenly Father to help them, to bring peace, to bring protection and safety, to bring them to Jesus!

And then I left.

There were no angelic visitations, no choirs that sprang into majestic choruses, no sense of God doing anything miraculous at all really. But that is faith isn't it? To believe in things not seen? Can you begin to get a sense of the 'dis-ease' of faith? These were people in real need. They needed physical protection; they had a son, a brother, a friend who was lying on a bed with a bullet in his stomach and prayer just seemed not enough to me.

I'm just being honest with you because I think this feeling of dis-ease with 'faith and the real world' that I'm talking about is something that many followers of Jesus wrestle with. It's mostly because of sin's presence that this disconnection exists. But nevertheless the disconnect is real. So how do we deal with it? As Christians asked by God to live out our faith here--how do we actually do that?

In Romans 4:18ff we are told about Abraham whose faith allowed him to believe that, even though he was very old and beyond the normal child-rearing years, God's promise to him was still valid. Abraham had the faith to believe in God to make a real difference in the real world, even though everything around him tried to convince him that his faith did not fit his circumstance. In the end, his faith proved true, and his circumstances changed.

So two things are important to know: First--we need to know God's promises for us--just like Abraham. Why? Because our faith needs something to believe--something tangible, something knowable. This means that we need to get to know God much more intimately. Second--we need to begin to understand that though faith might not fit our world, it is not faith that should be seen as optional, it is the way and thinking of the world that is optional--so let's give up thinking 'worldly' and allow faith-living to rise to the top! This will require us to make the choice to live by faith. Not always easy, but necessary to be sure.

Lord Jesus--today I ask that those of us who struggle with the dis-ease of faith would be given a new perspective, one that plants us firmly in your promises, and one that spurs us on to openly live our faith in you. Make our ordinary, daily lives today ones that shine.

I am looking forward to going back to that hospital. . . .

BT

Realistic Expectations

2011-12-20T08:59:00.000-06:00

I was driving to work this morning with my son and as we went along we prayed for our day. One thing that came to mind to pray for was realistic expectations. With the Christmas season upon us, we have all sorts of gatherings, celebrations, family, and friends--even worship services, and all of this happens smack-dab in the middle of a culture that works overtime to try hype everything. The danger is that we can begin to have unhealthy or misguided expectations.

Friendships that have struggled all year don't immediately get healthy just because there is a Christmas tree in the livingroom. What was going on during the year doesn't magically change when lights and stockings are hung on the house and in the malls.

Now, I'm not trying to rain on anyone's parade here, I'm just saying that a dose of reality is important, especially when there are so many things around us that can cause our expectations to rise--and rise based on things that aren't necessarily true.

So maybe this is a good time to reflect on something that is good for us to hear, and something that helps us to have slightly different expectations:
In Ephesians 4:1-5 we hear about some expectations that shifts the focus from what we expect from others onto ourselves and what others should expect from us. It tells us that because we are children of God we are to live a life worthy of that calling. We are told to be humble and gentle--being patient with each other and to do so with great love. It mentions that we are to greatly value unity and peace, things that can sometimes get lost in the hustle and bustle of this season we find ourselves in.

It's so easy for us to lose sight of what is good, especially when the things that are tripping us up are wrapped in beautiful paper and bows with the scent of cinnamon in the air--it all looks so wonderful! But here is the kicker: we can get so wrapped up in the hype of Christmas--an unrealistically romantic view of what it should look like--that when things don't go the way we think it should, then our expectations start to put a lot of pressure on other people--pressure to satisfy our expectations, and when this happens it usually doesn't have much to do with the things mentioned in Eph. 4.

So here is my advice: stop for a minute and consider what God values and ask yourself if you are valuing the same things. If your ideas of Christmas don't include an emphasis on being humble and gentle; about being patient in love; and about working toward unity and peace; then I want to suggest that something should change.

When our eyes are fixed on Jesus, our expectations begin to be fixed in Him as well. And when that begins to happen our lives begin to reflect Him too.

Jesus, help us have truly realistic expectations this Christmas--help us to live with great care for others and allow genuine love, joy and peace be our gifts this year.

BT

You Know When It's Real

2011-12-17T10:43:00.000-06:00

You've probably heard of the Wendy's restaurant commercial that boasts of their fresh food and associates that freshness with 'real' food. Their point is that something is much better when it is real than when it's not. Sounds silly on the surface, but there is a profound truth that is hidden in this statement--and it has nothing to do hamburger patties.

Many years ago a philosopher tried to prove the existence of God through a rational argument and one of the statements that he made was that God was the most perfect Being, the most powerful, the most loving, the most knowing etc. But then he went on to say that in order for Him to be the most perfect and best Being, He had to actually exist, because if He was just a theory then He could not be the best. The idea of something perfect is somehow less than the actual existance of that perfect thing. In essence, what he was saying was exactly the same as Wendys: real is the best! And when you come into contact with the real thing, you know it.

Now whether you are the most profound philosopher or just someone who really enjoys a Baconator, the same is true when you come into contact with the Living God--you most certainly know that He is real. But do you ever get frustrated with a sense that life with God, or doing the church 'thing' just seems to come up short? Like there is something missing? It just doesn't quite seem like what you think is the real thing?

Certainly sin is always skulking around and causing us to suffer from degrees of separation from God, but what I really want to do in this blog is to remind us of a simple truth that God himself speaks loud and clear: In Exodus 3:14 God introduced Himself to Moses by saying "I AM WHO I AM" This is what you are to say to the Israelites: "I AM" has sent me to you."

I AM. Sounds pretty different than "I Am Not" doesn't it?

God is real, and is reaching out to us. And I think the best thing about all of this is that this most perfect Being is wanting for me, and for you to know Him intimately--to see Him, to feel Him, to experience Him, to know that He is real.

Isn't it kind of amazing to think that one of the most important things to God is that we would know Him? If He really wants that, and is the most powerful Being in existence, then maybe we can relax and trust Him to be able to show us what He is all about?

I can just hear I AM saying 'sounds good to me!'

BT

Not Without Pain But Without Stain

2011-12-16T15:20:00.000-06:00

Wisdom. It comes from the least expected places sometimes. Some of us are familiar with the Bible story of a donkey that speaks up for what is true when the existing leadership was unwilling to stand for what is right.

God has a special way of communicating what His children need to hear. He speaks, and even though it seems that He is silent, especially when we are in a time of greatest need, be assured that He gets his message across. We can trust Him in that.

Recently my daughter gave me a bookmark that she and her ministry team gave out to inmates in a local women's prison. I thought the verse on it was so relevant: Prov. 3:5-6 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His will in all you do and He will show you which path to take."

Pretty appropriate wisdom to be given to a group that has not made good choices in their lives. This was a call to trust in the One who could make a real difference in them--the only One who could meet their deepest needs.

But even though the verse was great, the phrase that followed on that bookmark hit me even harder. Listen to what it said: "God has specially designed you and has fully equipped you to walk through this life with Him by your side. Not without pain but without stain."

I mean, come on!! This is incredible! Can you imagine how someone in prison would feel if they read this? They are special. They are fully equipped. They are not alone. They are accepted. Their pain is not shoved under the rug, but is acknowledged, but not elevated to the point of being the thing that defines who they are. No, the pain is real, but with God in their lives, they are forgiven--without stain." Can you imagine how a desperate heart would drink that up?

Wonderful. Amazing. Breathtaking.

Now, I want to to ask you to do something: I want you to examine yourself in a mirror (no, not literally, just be thoughtful of yourself). And as a child of God, I want you to understand something about youself. . . .
God looks at you and is convinced that you are special. He has fully equipped you to walk through your life. You are not alone, no matter how lonely you might feel. You are accepted--fully into relationship with and through Jesus. Your pain is real and God acknowledges it. He doesn't minimize it, or sweep it under the rug, which also means that you are fully understood by Him. But He refuses to define you as a victim, or primarily through your pain because He sees who you really are and what are your greatest needs. Because of that He has forgiven you through Jesus. And this forgiveness brings you freedom that is beyond what a soul can imagine. To Him, the One who loves you more than you know--you are without stain.

Incredible. Blessed. Awestruck.

I want to say thanks to my daughter Jenna, who shared this with me, and most of all, I want to say thanks to Jesus for bringing to us, and you, forgiveness and life that makes a real difference.

Not without pain, but without stain. I can live with that.

BT

Good Advice?

2011-12-15T10:05:00.000-06:00

A number of months ago I had the privilege of hearing a speaker at a conference for pastors and leaders. I so appreciated his approach: he used humor to communicate and though the points made had depth, it was the method he used that opened my heart to receive them.

So, in typical fashion, the advice he gave us came in a back-handed way.
The Title of his talk was "5 Keys To Crash and Burn Well":
1. Let fear rule you
2. Work at daily pushing away loss
3. Work hard at being someone that you're not
4. Do not deal with people conflict
5. Ignore your basic human needs

It's pretty obvious that he wanted us to do the opposite of what he was saying, and if you look closely you will agree that what he was presenting really was good advice. But I wonder if we have trouble receiving genuinely good advice sometimes?

Listen to this passage from 1 John 3:16 "This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. and we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth."

How often do I hear this advice but live the opposite way? How often do I misinterpret what being 'responsible' is by thinking that spending my life and my resources on myself and my family, without ever allowing myself to really believe that God is calling myself, and all His children, to "lay down our lives" for each other? If you're like me I ask "HOW"? How do I actually live this way and not put myself and my family in a horrible position? How do I give more time to others when it seems that I don't have enough already?

Here I need to stop. Period. Go back to the beginning--to the basics. I need to hear what God says to me, and He says love others with time and resources. If He is the God of all resources then He can provide what is needed for everyone. He might not make more hours in a day, but He will change things to make possible what He asks us to do. I don't have to know 'how', I just need to be willing to step into it.

Not easy, but really doable!

So here is my 'good advice' as I hear God speaking. Here are "5 Keys To Ignoring God Well":
1. Do not listen to God
2. Make sure that you only care about yourself
3. Always avoid sacrificing for others
4. Do not believe that God can change you
5. Do not believe that God is able to overcome our circumstances

Lord, help us to really hear your voice--deep in our bones. Shake us out of disbelief, and help us to actually step into what you have for us.

BT

Unexpected Voices

2011-12-14T09:48:00.000-06:00

We think we need to have a large audience, with a grand and public stage in order for us to have a real and significant impact. We tend to think that something is more valuable if more people are interested. Certainly commodities that are sold to the public indicate that if more want the product then the price will increase accordingly.

But not all things are valued according to the size of the audience, or the amount of demand expressed by the people. No, in fact, sometimes things that are behind the scenes, apart from the crowds, separate from any public stage, are the most important things of all.

The disciple John wrote the book of Revelation while he was isolated from the world on the island of Patmos. He had no stage, he had no audience to speak of. He was alone and really, the only general public sentiment directed toward him would have been one of derision as the Roman government had seen fit to exile him from public life because he was a witness to the man Jesus Christ.

And there is the key. . .he was a witness to Jesus.

Things related to God don't always seem to function in the way we think they should. If we want the Gospel to be productive, the last thing we would think is to be writing a letter on an isolated island far away from any potential ears or eyes. And yet, this message finds a way to impact thousands upon thousands of people. How? Because the message is about a living God who is not limited to a cell or an island. John's words may have been spoken in private, but God himself saw fit to have it proclaimed across the globe.

So what does this have to do with you? I want to tell you that your life is not insignificant. You don't need a stage, or a vast public network, or powerful friends in order for your life to matter. You matter, you are signficant because you have the ear of God Himself! His eyes are upon you, and if you have accepted Jesus, then the Holy Spirit Himself lives within you.

The potential that is in you is unlimited because the God of unlimited power lives within you.

You may not think that your voice counts for much. I would venture to say that John probably didn't think that the letter he wrote called 'Revelation' would be something that would be as big as it was either. The point is this: your voice counts, because God values it. I'll say it again: your voice counts because God values it.

Psalm 144:3 says "O LORD, what is man that you care for him, the son of man that you think of him?" The answer? He thinks of you because you matter to him. He cares for you because He has placed great value on you!

So today, even though it might not seem that you are having much of an impact on your world, and maybe you think that your voice is insignificant, please remember the truth--who you are and what you have to say is incredibly valued because God Himself is your audience.

BT

Same Old Grind

2011-12-13T09:55:00.000-06:00

It doesn't seem quite right to me to be talking about the "grind" of daily life so close to christmas. This is the season of joy and friendship; of lights and celebrations. This is a time to be merry!

And don't misunderstand me, it is all these things and it is wonderful. But the lives we live the other 11 months of the year don't miraculously stop in their tracks. We still go to work, make lunches, study and prepare for the things we are regularly responsible for, and that's good too.

It's not really fair to name this blog 'the same old grind' because that implies something negative when my point is (hopefully) an encouragement.

What made me think about this comes from watching TV last night. As I was tuned into some of the sports highlights from the day I noticed a stream of short clips showing Tim Tebow, the quarterback of the Denver Broncos, on the field in various games. Why he is a story for the media right now is that he is playing very well, and has a knack for fourth quarter comebacks. The word they use a lot to describe his play is 'miraculous', and this is not only because of what he is accomplishing on the field but there is also a playful connection to his spiritual life as well--Tebow is an openly practising Christian.

So when I was watching the clips of Tebow's football play, I noticed again and again that he would kneel after a touchdown, or point to the sky after a particularly good throw, or pound his chest and then look up toward heaven to give a nod to the 'Big Guy' after a successful play.

And this was the thought I had: this is Tebow's job, this is what he does for a living, day in and day out. He gets up in the morning, brushes his teeth, eats breakfast and then--off to work. While he is at work he is again, and again, giving a nod to his Heavenly Father, just like it was part of his routine.

And I thought--this is really good! Maybe I can learn from this guy. Better yet, maybe he is helping to remind me what God wants to teach me. . . .take a look at the following verse from Romans 12:1 (The Message):

"So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you."

Maybe life that seems like a grind feels that way because we don't include God in it? In our efforts to try and see God as holy, maybe we have restricted to Him to the halls of our churches, and the pews of our sanctuaries?

So let's break free! Let's listen to God's own heart that tells us plainly that He wants to be included in our ordinary, everyday lives. Here's a few examples: The next time you are welding and you put down that perfect bead, when you are admiring the good job you did, maybe do like Tebow and pound your chest and give a nod to the 'Big Guy'--include him! He wants to join in the fun. Or maybe when you are asked to move a bunch of crates in the warehouse, and when you are finished and looking at how well you have organized everything--take a knee and just say 'thanks' for God's presence and his giving you the abilities you have. Whatever it is that is part of your 'daily grind', give God glory openly--it is a testimony to be sure. And if you think it is embarassing that people might see you--just remember Tim Tebow--he is taking a knee before millions of people every time he does it.

Hope you enjoy your day!

BT

Parched

2011-12-10T15:05:00.000-06:00

Have you ever been in a desert? Or maybe you have been in a place where it was so hot and dry that your body was literally sreaming for water?

I remember a time when I was in a friend's attic doing some electrical work for him, and the temperature was over a hundred degrees. I thought my time up there would be short but the work took longer than I expected--but I knew I didn't want to go back up there so I pressed on. The sweat was literally running off of me and my thirst grew and grew. Eventually I finished up and when I came down the ladder I realized the extent of my dehydration as I began to get dizzy and was shaking slightly from head to toe.
I remember my only thought: I need a drink and I need it now! This was the only thing on my mind--to get that cool, refreshing water, that was what I needed. That was all I needed!

Sometimes our lives can look a little like this: we go about our daily business and we know that things might be a little rough, but we press on and we tell ourselves "just a little further" without realizing that our efforts are depleting our resources quicker than they are being replenished. If we don't address the problem we can start to exhibit cracks in our character. Maybe we get a little short with other people, or possibly we just don't seem to be able to handle pressure like we could before, or we get angrier a bit sooner than normal. Whatever the symptom is, it is only that, a symptom of something that has snuck up on you but is now screaming for attention.

Just like my body needed water right now after coming down from that attic, souls that have been overworked and undernourished are crying out for help right now as well.

It amazes me how much God offers us, and yet how easy it is to ignore His gifts, even when we are in obvious need. Maybe the following will be nourishment for your soul today:

John 7:37 "If a man is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me. . .streams of living water will flow from within him."

If you are achingly thirsty, there is no way to describe the feeling when you take that first drink. It isn't just that your body is being replenished, there is an immediate sense of well-being that flows as well--you just feel better. Jesus knows when our souls are thirsty and that He has just what the doctor ordered to bring healing. You will be filled up, your needs met with such abundance that you will not receive just barely enough to overcome your thirst, but you will receive so much that your soul will overflow--with more than enough!

I know it sounds hard to believe, but that's another amazing thing about Jesus. He doesn't ask us to have it all figured out--how it all 'works' before we ask for help. He just wants us to ask.

I think it's because He already knows he wants to touch our parched souls, He is just waiting for the green light. . . .are you ready?

BT

Reality Check

2011-12-09T15:13:00.000-06:00

Earlier this week I was talking with a group of young adults and in the course of conversation I explained that our fallen world can sometimes think of humanity as the epitome of all things. Even Christians can subtley fall into this trap. For example how would you decide what is right if stealing something to ease the suffering of another person seemed your only option? God said stealing is wrong, but what about the person suffering? If we hold humanity as the highest of all things, then the choice is easy--steal in order to alleviate the pain. But, what about what God says? We genuinely wrestle with this because we are fighting between two worldviews: one that says God is supreme and another that says humanity is supreme.

The idea that we are the highest expression of all that exists frightens us--even though many people believe this to be true. Even our popular culture reflects this scary scenario for us to see. Consider what the author Michael Frost, in his book Seeing God in the Ordinary says about the movie The Terminator: "Actually, I think we find deeply disturbing the thought that we humans are the highest form of reality. . .so distrubing is it that we hunger for experiences that remind us we are not the final authority, the ultimate being. . . .[in The Terminator] we see the struggle between the creature--the cyborg played by Arnie [Schwarzenegger]--and the creator--humankind. What makes these films so exciting is the idea that it might just be possible for humans to create a robot or another machine that could outdo us, that could defeat us at our own game. Deep down inside, we know that machines are created to do our bidding, to be subservient to us. . .[but] what if a machine--a creature--is greater than its creator?"

Somewhere deep inside many people is a gnawing fear: a fear that we might be the highest order of reality, and a fear that we might not be able to actually handle that responsibility! We have such capabilities that we might be able to create something that actually initiates our own demise.

A sobering thought.

When seen in this context, it becomes starkly revealed that for a creature to become greater than its creator is a recipe for disaster indeed!

Maybe it's time for a reality check?

I think that the reality check we most desperately need is to find ourselves in the presence of an awesome God who helps us to realize who we really are--to find our "place". Frost writes that this awe-encounter with God creates in us a "sense of majesty, God's unapproachability, a feeling of fascination--including both fear and attraction." This is something that "can never be adequately described, only experienced--the feeling that we are important enough to be invited to encounter the Holy, but that in its presence we are overwhelmed and made aware of our smallness. Such experiences of the transcendent are not only frightening; they are strangely comforting. We need them."

We need them, and we need God. That's our reality check. Alone we get too big for our britches and we really don't know how to handle ourselves. But with God we are able to understand who we really are.

Today, take the time to look up--just look up, and think about God, His magnitude, His majesty, His power. . . .then take a look at yourself. You may get a glimpse of what reality is all about.

BT

Knowing From Stillness

2011-12-08T09:33:00.000-06:00

The last few days I have been wrestling with some things that tend to consume my thoughts. I woke up this morning with those things rattling around in my head. To be honest, waking up with your mind already somewhat consumed by problems you are tackling is not the most pleasant way to start your day.

Maybe that's how your days start too? If so, then we both need some help--and some peace. Wouldn't that be nice?

In the moments that I am willing to actually listen to God He always speaks things that bring life to me. This time, as my mind was whirling about with the challenges that I am facing He said to me "Be still and know me." A very common biblical phrase, but for some reason, the Holy Spirit made me really take note of it--to stop and think about what this really means.

One would think that if you want to know something you need to ramp up your activity: do more research, have more meetings, search more on the internet, read more books, do more experiments. But God told me to "be still" so that I could know him--another example of his 'upside down Kingdom'!

Being still is not the same as "doing nothing", it really is actively resting; making the choice to stop obsessing over the issues and challenges that genuinely need your attention, and allowing God to be your #1 priority. I felt that he was asking me to give him my challenges--I thought to myself "well, I haven't been able to find the answers I'm needing on my own, so maybe He will lead through to the place where things will make sense." Giving Him this pride of place in my heart hasn't yet yielded the answers I'm searching for, but it has brought me peace in the midst of it all--and that's worth a lot!

I believe that God will provide the practical answers I need, but through it all I believe even more that His desire is to allow me to get to really know him. I think He understands that when my heart is still, and when I am looking toward Him, He faithfully teaches me about who He really is. It is there that life begins to make sense and I receive something that just feels right.

Knowing from stillness. . .yeah, I suppose in some ways that doesn't make a lot of sense, but the kind of knowing that is really important maybe can't come to us any other way. . . .

What a journey!

BT

Blind Eyes See Clearly

2011-12-07T09:59:00.000-06:00

It has been said that when someone loses one sense, like the sense of hearing, the other senses become more sensitive in order to compensate for the loss.

I hope that's true because I can definitely sense that my heart is blind sometimes, confused by my own desires, thinking that I have the answers, or that I have the right direction to go, but then quickly realizing that it can lead me astray.

I think I can see, but in reality, I am often blind and confused.

I want to say that we all need a reality check--we all need to be realigned in humility with Jesus--the only place we will find true direction. When we think we have "grown up", we need a reminder that the only real source of maturity is stay connected to Jesus. Our wisdom is not something that comes prepackaged that we own, but is instead something that comes to us as we reside or live with Jesus. It's kind of like the internet, the only way to access it is to remain plugged in, there is no interaction with it if it is not connected. There must be a live feed.

Yes, we need a live feed with Jesus.

Why am I talking about this today? I just finished a discussion with some church friends and one of the things we talked about was finances and God and how we are to understand money in a Kingdom way. Many opinions and perspectives were shared, and I left that discussion confused and frustrated in my spirit. It is interesting to be in a conversation where you feel free to express strong opinions but then leave feeling like you don't really know anything at all.

My blindness did not allow me to see things clearly--but it can and here is a great example:

In Mark 10:46-52 we read about Bartimaeus. He was blind and a beggar. A man who was rejected by society, spurned by the halls of power, perceived as an uncomfortable reminder that things are not perfect in the world. Someone to be avoided. But, in typical Kingdom fashion, Bartimaeus is presented to us as an example, someone to be emulated, someone of note. (Oh, I need you Lord to change me and my hard-headed thinking!)

So this blind beggar hears that Jesus is near and begins to shout out to Him "Jesus, have mercy on me!" Everyone surrounding Jesus tells Bartimaeus to shut up, probably because they didn't want their "celebrity" to be soiled in any way (their idea not Jesus'). Bartimaeus didn't stop. He yelled until Jesus heard, and Jesus did not disappoint, responding in love to the blind man's faith and single-minded focus on the One he simply knew could make a difference in his life. Then, where there were sightless eyes, now light poured into them for the first time!

But I don't think Bartimaeus was blind at all. . . .I think that his lack of sight caused him to have such a singular focus on where his true hope lie that he had perfect "vision". His need caused him to yell out, to embarass himself, because he didn't care what others thought--he just knew he needed Jesus.

I just know that I need Jesus too. My heart betrays me too often for me to be able to fully trust it. My focus gets blurred by my "wisdom"---and I need my Saviour to save me again and again.

Maybe you are blind today. Maybe you are thinking that you really have Jesus and Truth and Righteous living nailed down. My suggestion to you is to recalibrate--let a blind beggar show you the way again.

Maybe we need to become blind beggars so we can finally see clearly.

BT

UnGrinching Christmas

2011-12-06T10:49:00.000-06:00

Everyone has probably heard of the Grinch who stole christmas. He was a crotchety soul who was described as having a heart that was too small to care about anyone else but himself. Whenever Christmas came around all the joy he heard coming from the local town (Whoville) would make his blood boil because he just couldn't handle the idea of selfless love.

Well, you may not run into too many people who are as blatantly "grinchlike" as what is described above, but if we are honest, we all probably struggle to overcome sinful tendecies every now and then that pressure us to be more selfish than selfless.

I came across a good example of someone who was feeling kind of wrapped up in their own issues and was not feeling inclined to care for someone else in need. But, God has a way of reminding us of what truly caring life looks like and for this person, the results were quite noticeable. Here is a snippet of his story:
"I finally got on the flight and collapsed in my seat. My carry-on bag was on my lap because there was no room in the overhead bins or under the seats. The only thing I wanted to do was sin. I was thinking bad words, and I wanted to say them, but I choked them back because supposedly I am a godly man. I was repeating Proverbs 17:28, which says 'Even a fool is thought wise if he keeps silent.' I knew there was nothing godly about me at that moment, but at least if I kept my mouth shut I could pretend to be wise. We were ready to back away from the gate when a woman rushed through the door and began stumbling down the aisle. She was carrying an assortment of bags that were spilling all over the place, but that was the least of her problems. What made her situation nearly impossible was that she had one eye literally sewn shut, and she seemed to be unable to read her seat number with her other eye. The flight attendants were nowhere to be seen. . . .I was fuming and feeling sorry for myself when God brought to my mind a proverb that I had read a few weeks earlier. . .'Your own soul is nourished when you are kind; it is destroyed when you are cruel.' (Prov. 11:17LB). . .So I picked up a couple of her bags that had fallen on the floor and motioned for her to follow me. I helped stow her stuff and take off her coat, and I made sure she got buckled in to 23B. Then I returned to my seat. . .When I sat down in my seat, a wave of warmth and well-being flowed through me. The frustration and anxiety that had so filled me for most of the day started to dissipate. I felt like my parched, dusty soul had just been washed by a warm summer rain. . . .I felt good."

Grinches don't ever feel good. That's because they don't recognize that God has made human hearts in such a way that when they show love they not only bless others, but they are blessed as well. Whenever we get so self-focussed that we are unable to reach out to others in their need, then our hearts shrivel and die--just like the Grinch Who Stole Christmas.

This year, let's listen to God's words and remember that His desire is for people to be blessed. He has given us hearts to reach out and care for those around us. Let's unGrinch Christmas by doing what God asks us to do--and then let's step back and enjoy the blessings that He will send.

BT

Amazing Gifts

2011-12-03T09:07:00.001-06:00

Have you ever been given a gift that was so over-the-top that you were in a kind of mini-shock when you first realized that it was really for you?
The gift can take many forms but I can remember one that stays with me forever.
I remember sitting across the table from my not-yet-wife having coffee. We had dated before but hit some rocky ground and now we were just beginning to revisit the possibility of getting back together. Well--I should say that I was wanting that but Val was understandably hesitant.
But I remember sitting there and it seemed for the first time that there was a legitimate chance that it might happen and my heart soared! There was hope and it changed everything.
When I think of this I think of a gift: you see, there was nothing I could do to force or 'take' her heart for mine, it had to be given freely--it had to be a gift. And when she gave it to me I really was amazed!
I hear the same kind of tone when I read Paul trying explain what we are given from our Father in Heaven who loves us so much when he writes in Eph. 1:18 "I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe."
God wants us to be amazed by the gifts he gives us, just like I was sitting across from Val that day when hope sprang to life in me.

Jesus, many of us feel hope-less today and if we're honest with you don't even know what hope in you looks or feels like. I pray that all our hearts will be enlightened right now by your Holy Spirit, and that you would fill them with a hope that would be so powerful it would take our breath away.

May your gift change us through and through.

BT
Brian M Tysdal
Lead Pastor
Rock of Ages Church
Saskatoon Sask.
374-1707 (Church)
291-3308 (Cel)
pastorl.therock@sasktel.net

What Kind of Jesus Do You Want?

2011-12-02T17:22:00.000-06:00

It has never been any different: everyone want Jesus to be what they want Him to be.
Right from the beginning the Jews wanted Jesus to be their political Conquerer, overthrowing the oppressive Roman government. To the medievel Church Jesus was sometimes a means to maintain economic control over whole countries. Today, some nations use Jesus to get 'the conservative vote' when running for office. And on an individual level, the liberal theologian describes Jesus in terms of pure love with few lines between right and wrong and the conservative theologian can sometimes use Jesus as a way of defending harsh judgements of black and white morality without allowing the grace and love Jesus to satisfy the biblical saying 'mercy triumphs over justice'.
You and I want Jesus to help us to hurt no more and we long for him to bless us--sometimes to the point where we have difficulty listening to what HE wants to teach us about himself.

We need to stop, really stop, and make room for Him to reveal to us who He is, what is His heart and how He wants to be known.

True, we have been given the Bible as revelation, but the Bible itself teaches us that we still need the Holy Spirit to 'teach us all things', which says to me that we need to have God's Spirit reveal to us from those pages what we should know.

In Rev. 22:13 Jesus says 'I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, Beginning and the End'. Here is a good place to start in knowing who Jesus is! We need to remember not to interpret His nature through our political, economic or even personal need first--we need to remember that all existence begins and ends with Him! He is power incarnate and as such deserves our praise and worship. He is most certainly not someone whom I should think that I can manipulate for my personal agendas. Lord, keep us humble....

He is the beginning of my life and will be the end of all life as we know it today. A new life will emerge in human history when the time comes for Jesus to 'make all things new', a promise that He intends to keep!

Jesus- as we live out our daily lives and we begin to be overwhelmed with our circumstances, please forgive us when we forget who you really are when we try to make you into someone we want you to be.

We declare to you today that we trust you enough to believe that you will teach us your true identity and also that who you are is more than we could ever imagine or desire.

We welcome you Jesus--thank you for calling us 'your friends'--it's an honor we can never repay.

BT
Brian M Tysdal
Lead Pastor
Rock of Ages Church
Saskatoon Sask.
374-1707 (Church)
291-3308 (Cel)
pastorl.therock@sasktel.net

Breathe The Free Air

2011-12-01T11:56:00.000-06:00

There is a scene in Lord of the Rings where a King, who had been oppressed by an evil spirit, was set free. His face changed before your eyes and you could plainly see life coming back to him. The one who set him free said something like this: "Breathe the free air my friend."

Breathe the free air---I have thought of that line again and again over the years and it seems to have staying power in my soul.

Jesus is all about taking people out from under oppression and allowing them to be free again. I really believe that He rejoices like crazy when someone receives freedom from Him. I can see Him smiling at the thought. . . .

The amazing truth that hits me today is that Jesus desires, actually desires, for us to be participants in His mandate to bring freedom to others. This is not only a gift but a privilege and joy (though we might not always feel that way). And sometimes the way this freedom comes is to be willing to actually, physically be there for someone else.

Here is a great quote that paints this picture for us a bit more clearly: "We are all called to live real and authentic lives. That's what a true confession is about. When we confess we develop a lifestyle of authenticity. We don't use grace as a license to sin, but we know that when we do stray, there is a loving God who always invites us home. And this grace gives us the guts to extend compassion to those who are hurting, to offer help when needed, to radically encourage those who need a word of grace. We're all called to be Christ's ambassadors, living in such a way that we help restore people's relationships to God and each other."

Being there at the moment when someone receives freedom is like nothing else you will ever experience. But we can't be Christ's ambassadors if we aren't willing to be there when people need us. And that's all God is looking for--someone who is willing. . . .

Today my prayer is this: "Jesus, help us to be people who are real. I want to confess what is true about myself and about who you are so that I can live in freedom and help others to receive that freedom too. I give up my striving to be perfect on the outside and living by my strength and ask that I would be given the courage to live guided by You, even if I don't know how that will change my daily life. I'm scared to do this Lord because I sometimes fear what I don't know or what is beyond my ability to control, but I ask that you would take me nonetheless."

I have this picture in my mind of a home after a long winter and the air is stuffy and thick inside. The first warm day of spring invites the opening of the doors to let the fresh, warm air come in and bring a newness and lightness of spirit. This is a picture of what the Lord wants to bring into our souls and into the souls of others who need freedom.

Let the free air blow. . . . . .

BT

Can You See It?

2011-11-30T07:39:00.000-06:00

I remember a day years ago, driving to work with a colleague who was a hunter. As the sound of the pavement was thumping under our tires, out of the blue he said "Can you see it? Do you see that deer over there in the field?" I looked and looked and for the life of me I simply could not see that deer, but he was talking with such assurance in his voice I knew it must be there, it was just not coming into focus for me. Finally, with much effort, I was able to see what had come into view so easily for my friend and there it was, a big, beautiful White Tail meandering through some bush.

How easy it is to see something when your eyes are trained to perceive it! AND, how easy it is to be oblivious to what is going on around you when you don't know what you are looking for.

There was a group of men who were in the countryside among many people who had nothing to eat and there was need of food to help them in their hunger. A discussion broke out among some of them which convinced them that there was nothing that could be done. They thought that it made logical sense to see the equation: no food, isolated, no help----no options.

But what they failed to see was that Jesus was right there among them and in Him there is always hope!

In Mark 8:17 Jesus finally says to the group, "Why are you talking about having no bread? Do you still not see or understand? Are your hearts hardened? Do you have eyes but fail to see, and ears but fail to hear? And don't you remember? When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?"

Then the people replied that they had seen and had picked up the remnants of bread after everyone had eaten their fill, and this was after Jesus simply and miraculously multiplied what little food there was in the first place!

It's hard to imagine the disciples experiencing something as eye-catching as that and then to find themselves in exactly the same situation and no one even suggested the possibility that Jesus might be an option again--a way through which a situation might change and yet their eyes didn't see the possibilities.

Well, I'd like to say that I am very different from those disciples, that I can see clearly Jesus in my everyday life and the possibilities and options that He provides for His children, but if I'm honest, I am more like the one who is driving down the road and simply cannot see that deer that is so plainly in view----I just needed the eyes to see. . . .

But again, my hope does not rest in my abilities to perceive, or the sharpness of my mind, or even the extent of my experiences, my hope rests in Jesus. He promises to walk with me and help me to perceive important things that are simply foreign to me, and just like those disciples, He is all about helping us to learn what it means to live with a Kingdom mindset. Thank God that He is for us and not against us! We are in good hands.

Oh, and by the way, even though the disciples were a little slow in their perception, the miracle still happened. Jesus still fed all those people and were satisfied.

I have a sneaking suspicion that He is still about His business today. . . .can you see it?

BT

Standing Room Only

2011-11-29T08:55:00.000-06:00

Ever been to a concert or event that was so popular that those who came a bit late had to stand because there were no seats left? Everyone wants to be a part of something like that. . .something that is so compelling that to describe how great it is one says it was "standing room only."

But standing is not always exciting. Sometimes standing requires a lot of hard work and struggle, especially when we talk about the Christian life.

Ephesians 6:10ff talks about standing, but this standing does not involve pumped up crowds and flashing lights. No, this kind of standing is the kind that you do in everyday life. . . . .and it can be hard to be sure.

But, that doesn't mean that it is all doom and gloom either, just listen to what God says:
"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power." What a great way to begin to understand what standing in Jesus really looks like--He is the mighty power that we rely on to live as His children, not ourselves. If you keep reading it says that he provides armor for us to be protected against the attacks of the enemy and of sin. All he is asking of us in this passage is to "put it on". V11 "Put on", v13 "put on", what this is telling us is that we need to be actively involved in what God provides so that we can stand.

I believe that it is God's desire to have all his children gathered in such a way that it is "standing room only". His heart is that we would be able to stand firm in truth, faith and love. It's not an easy thing to understand how to live in his strength and not our own and we will certainly make mistakes. But that is why God's grace is so amazing--because he teaches us through our mistakes and not only reminds us but actually helps us to stand.

Standing room only folks--it's an event for the ages.

BT

The Illusion of Freedom

2011-11-28T14:39:00.000-06:00

I was listening to the radio today and the host was talking about how Canada is faring as a multicultural society with respect to immigrants who bring their religious beliefs with them. The specific group mentioned were people with Islamic beliefs, and the question that was raised was whether this group could really assimilate into Canadian society given basic differences like gender equality. In Canada there is a deep rooted sense of equality between men and women in terms of things like having a public voice through mechanisms like voting. The dialogue was lively and the end result was that it would be difficult for a foreign culture like Islam to mesh well with Canadian liberal democracy, because the freedoms offered to both men and women here do not line up with much of Islamic thought or expression.

I am of the opinion that our public dialogue, that which we hear most often in the public square, does much to shape the way we think in general. And the talk that surrounds Canadian public life is that we are a nation that is free. And in one sense I agree: we are free from political dictators; we are free to pursue our own life's work; we are free to move, and to speak etc. These are amazing liberties that many do not enjoy, but we must be careful when we use the language of freedom.

The danger of our "freedom" language is that it can provide a subtle but devastating veneer that hides oppression underneath. If we think we are really free simply because we are not living in a communist, or Islamic nation we are mistaken. You see, there is a freedom that is more fundamental, more deeply rooted and essential to true human freedom that the language of politics can never touch. We were designed for freedom, but freedom is often not achieved by many in our free Canadian society. When this happens we are living in an illusion of freedom.

I have heard it said that ideals are what you hope for and values are what you actually live out. So what are our values as Christians? Do we allow our lives to be shaped more by political rhetoric than by essential and foundational truths that come from God through His word? I believe that politics, the expression of public leadership and governance, is something that God approves, but I also believe that He desires for the ideals of godly freedom to inform, shape and ultimately give guidance to the values of individual lives that in turn shape the values of political life.

There is no room to separate our beliefs from our public life--if we do all we are doing is contributing to the veneer, the illusion of freedom in our country.

But Paul gives us a different vision, a different mandate: He says that because the ministry of the Holy Spirit has brought righteousness to us we should be very bold! (2 Cor. 3:12) We are not to be arrogant or insensitive, but we are invited into a public expression of our faith in Jesus--and the base meaning of "politics" simply means public. We are invited to boldly live out our lives in Jesus in public. But we need some kind of a guide to help us navigate what this looks like- - -what is it that we are to look for to help us?

Consider verse 17 "Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom." Do we want real freedom? Then we need to be able to indentify where the 'Spirit of the Lord is' because there is real freedom. So where is He?

Well, according to 2 Cor. 6:16 we are the temple in which the Holy Spirit dwells so, amazingly, the freedom that all people need resides within each believer in Jesus! Incredible. I begin to imagine that the hope for our massive country to find freedom already exists but it is contained in me! What a gift, and what a opportunity.

But how? This is where it gets difficult for a lot of Christians, because whether it's through fear or ignorance, we often don't know how to share this gift of freedom of others. Here are only two things that might help us along:
First: God makes an impact to the world through us in a myriad of ways. When someone is hurting, it is godly to care for them. When someone is hungry, it is godly to feed them. When someone is hurting someone else, it is godly to protect the helpless. And on and on and on. Every gift and personality that God has given and made is useful in His Kingdom and that includes you.
Second: Do everything as unto the Lord. What this means to me is that we begin to live with intent. When we are living our lives, then we need to have our eyes fixed on Jesus and remember that we are working through His Spirit that lives in us. He desires to speak and direct us. He wants to give us words at the right times, but we are deeply embedded in the thinking that our spiritual lives are so separate from our political lives (our daily lived out lives) that we don't live with godly intent.

So let's start today: let's ask for the Lord of all things to help us to live in real freedom, to live as the Holy Spirit guides us and let's be ready to see Him change us and change our world.

BT

Steak, Sports and Satisfaction

2011-11-25T11:50:00.000-06:00

Last night I had the privilege of sitting in a lounge, with huge big-screen TVs playing every sport imaginable, while eating a steak with good friends who were happy to be there.

What a great night!

The steak night was a fundraiser for a friend who is going on a missions trip in the near future and I thought to myself at one point "Jesus is here!" If Jesus was physically walking the earth he would have been in that lounge with us, enjoying the steak, the sports and revelling in the satisfaction of friendship.

There is a line in Matthew 14 that says "They all ate and were satisified." Jesus fed all those hungry people by multiplying the fish and the loaves, and he is still bringing satisfaction by giving us moments where we just know that life is good.

I really believe that when Jesus tells us that we can find rest for our weary souls that he isn't talking only about our sin and the weight that puts on us. I think he is also talking about times when we are simply enjoying the gifts that he has given us through times like last night, when your heart is light with joy.

I can think of no better way to end this blog but with an invitation to listen to someone who understood what a great life we have been given----
Here is a link to Louis Armstrong's What A Wonderful World
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2VCwBzGdPM

Hope you have a smile on your face as you listen. . . . .

BT

Pack Your Bags

2011-11-24T09:35:00.000-06:00

My oldest son and his lovely wife just left on a trip to Australia. When I talked with him on the phone it was easy to tell that he was really anticipating the upcoming trip--there was a genuine excitement that came through in his voice loud and clear.

We need to have events in our lives that we look forward to, ones that fill us with aniticipation. They seem to be able to influence us in positive ways as we live out our daily lives too--it's a little hard to describe, I just know that it can help us feel better.

As I thought about my son's trip, I began to think about our life in Jesus. . . .and sometimes we can get so distracted by the busyness of life that we lose sight of the fact that one day--maybe a day coming soon--we will be "packing our bags" for a trip of a lifetime!

Paul talks about his anticipation of seeing Jesus face to face in Philippians 1:22ff when he says: "I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far." How many of us wouldn't want to jump on a plane to Florida when it is minus 30 degrees here? It would be better by far to be in that place! But really, think about what Paul is saying here: can you imagine what it will be like to be in a place where there is no more sin, no more pain, no more tears; where there is pure peace, pure joy, pure love in your heart!

It is no "place" at all really--it is about being with a person, and that person is Jesus. Paul was anticipating this journey and it was affecting how he was living while he was still here. He wanted nothing more than for others to receive this same excitement and anticipation.

So do we live our Christian lives like we have our "bags packed"? Do we live with anticipation of an exciting trip coming soon? Do we allow that anticipation to bring joy to our daily lives?

Lord, Paul didn't come to his conclusion about you on his own--it was revealed to him and it changed him forever. Help us in the same way. Oh, and by the way Lord would you help me find my suitcase?

BT

Windows. . .

2011-11-23T14:37:00.000-06:00

The eyes are the windows to the soul. So much can be discerned about what is going on inside a person by paying attention to their eyes. If you could have seen my eyes today they would probably have looked something like this:

I think my eyes would have been green--really green. Why? Because I just seemed to struggle with jealously today and couldn't shake it.

I'm not proud of this fact, but, well, there it is. . . .in all it's "glory". I have confessed my sin and given it to the Lord but the fall-out is not always so quickly overcome. I am in the Lord's hands--a good place to be when you need healing.

But all this jealousy caused me to think of God's heart and an example of how one man lived with the right attitude.

In John 3 we hear about John the Baptist who was (surprise, surprise) baptizing many people only to find out that someone else (Jesus) was beginning to baptize more than he. Some people brought this to John's attention and this was his response (v27ff) "To this John replied, 'A man can receive only what is given him from heaven. You yourselves can testify that I said, 'I am not the Christ but am sent ahead of him,' The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom's voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete. He must become greater; I must become less.'"

This would have been a perfect opportunity for John to be jealous, but instead he responded with righteousness. What a great example for me. . . .for all of us.

I think it is important to pay attention to two things John said. The first is this "A man can only receive what is given him from heaven." This reminds me of a passage in Romans 12:3 that says "Do not think of yourselves more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you." God has designed us, has given us gifts and abilities, and has given us a purpose in life to accomplish. But what he has given to me, will look different than what he has given to you. God wants us to be at peace with who he has made us and what he has given to us---just like John the Baptist was. He understood the bigger picture and was filled with joy because of it!

The second important thing to remember is that we need to have a heart like John's when he said that Jesus must become greater and we must become less. John knew what humility was all about. It's not an easy thing to openly embrace something or someone else who is greater than you. That's the playground for jealousy. This is especially true when God is doing things in another person that is greater than what he is doing in you at that time. That is not to say that what God is doing is better in someone else, but God's purpose for that person may be to have them have more impact or wider influence, or deeper understanding etc. And to a jealous heart, this is dynamite. . . .

Lord, today I pray that for myself and for anyone who is struggling with jealousy, we would receive forgiveness and healing as we confess it to you. I ask that we would receive what John had--complete joy in knowing that Jesus was being lifted up. Fill us with understanding that we will be personally satisfied when we worship Jesus, that we don't need to fight for our place or our position, but that we would be able to live with truly humble hearts.

I sense freedom coming even as I write this. . . . .God, you are sooo good.

BT

"It"

2011-11-22T13:42:00.000-06:00

I'm reading this book called It:How Churches and Leaders Can Get It and Keep It, written by the founder of LifeChurch.tv Craig Groeschel. I highly recommend reading this book as it helps to uncover essential truths about what it means to be a church that is genuine and real- a church that gets it!

In one chapter Groeschel talks about the unnecessary and damaging reality of competition between churches. He draws on a quote from a seventeenth-century Puritan minister named Richard Baxter who writes: "Is it not enough that all the world is against us, but we must also be against one another? O happy days of persecution, which drove us together in love, whom the sunshine of liberty and prosperity crumbles into dust by our contentions!"

Amen brother.

I am convinced that it is our petty insecurities that cause us to bicker among ourselves. Our insecurities that cause us to doubt our own foundations enough that we need to build huge fences around us in order to compensate for our lack of trust in a living God who invites us into relationship. I also think that our longstanding approach to the Christian religion has been so influenced by appeals to reason that we have inadvertently adopted an "us/vs/them" approach to everything. After all, if we believe in our specific doctrines, and someone else has different doctrines, then somebody must be wrong!

Yeah, I think we are all wrong in some ways. . . .after all, if the Truth that we are all so hell-bent in defending is actually known through a relationship, then maybe all the aspect of what makes a relationship real and genuine are needed to understand what truth is in the first place!

Groeschel points us in the right direction when he says: "It is not about your student ministry, your children's ministry, your new logo or website. And it is certainly not about your name. It is about Jesus. There's no other name under heaven that's anywhere close to his name. It's all about him."

Groeschel uses "it" to describe that special something that exists when people are living in genuine relationship with each other and with Jesus. And I have to agree with him, it is really all about Jesus.

I wonder what would change around us if we lived with that kind of thinking--that the only thing that really counts is Jesus?

Maybe we would defend ourselves less, and love a bit more. Maybe we would spend less time in meetings and more time meeting people in relationship. Maybe we would care less about distinguishing ourselves from other churches and become carefree about sharing in the abundance of God's love with other believers and with those who need Jesus more than anything.

Jesus, help us to live in "it"--that place where we know you and are known. Help us to live with arms open wide, and no more fists, but hands that are willing to be lent to someone in need. Help me to overthrow all the deep-seated ways of thinking that prevent me from seeing what real life in you looks like, and help us all to be humble enough to receive--really receive You.

BT

Promises, Promises. . . .

2011-11-21T08:54:00.000-06:00

We live in a world of guarantees. Every where you turn another company is telling us that if we try their product there is no risk involved because if we aren't entirely satisfied we can get our money back. Or, if there is a malfunction with our purchase we can be assured that we will get it replaced so that our consumer experience is satisfactory.

Guarantees, warranties, insurance, it all adds up to a world that makes promise after promise in order to ensure our safety, our well-being, our satisfaction.

But if you stop and really think about it, doesn't it all seem just a bit superficial? Do these promises bring an abiding sense of protection or peace? After all, these promises are all limited in nature, they can give a false sense of security because they are all centered around stuff.

Case in point: I'm sure that the nuclear power plants in Japan had all kinds of safety protocols, policies that honored environmental legislation, and political assurances that allowed people to feel safe, protected and satisfied that these plants would provide a product, at a resonable rate, all the while guaranteeing them a steady supply of electricity. That is until an earthquake hit that threw everything into chaos.

Now I'm not saying that warrantees, guarantees or insurance is wrong--it's just that they do nothing to bring a sense of genuine safety or peace to our deep inner being--we need something much bigger, much stronger, much more dependable for that.

Psalm 91:9-12 says this: "If you make the Most High your dwelling--even the Lord, who is my refuge--then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent. For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone."

Here is another promise, one that comes from God Himself. He is telling us that if we put our trust--our very lives-- in His hands, He will take care of us. Do we believe this? After all, I am betting that there were some Christians in Japan who did experience the loss and chaos of those earthquakes--how did God's promise make sense to them?

I believe that God really does provide physical and manifest protection and provision for His children, although it seems clear in scripture that that doesn't mean that sometimes bad things will happen (thinking of Job here. . .) However, thinking about God's promise of protection in strictly phyisical ways misses the bigger picture. Remember, that the promises the world makes are related mostly to the physical and we have this sense of emptiness. . . .

No. What makes God's promises different are that they are not based on a foundation of this world, but they are founded in Him and Him alone. No earthquake or stock market crash affects what He says or what He does. His promises stand because He stands far above and beyond the world we live in.

So make your dwelling in the Most High and you will find refuge for your soul. Begin to understand that a relationship with Jesus is where you will find the most stable place for your heart. He will provide, physically and spiritually, even if circumstances seem to scream that you are wrong.
Hold fast to Him and you will see what He can do. Hear His words concerning you: "'Because He loves me', says the Lord, 'I will rescue him. I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call upon me, and I will answer him.'"

Yes!! There is a promise that you can take to the bank. Throw your life into the hands of the mighty God today and see what He will do.

I don't think Wal-Mart's price match guarantee really even comes close. . . .

BT

Cry Babies

2011-11-19T10:19:00.000-06:00

Babies are maybe the cutest things on the face of the earth. They're so small and sweet and make your heart melt when they gurgle and smile at you. But that is not all they are. . . . . . .

Sometimes babies are a bundle of roiling self-centeredness and cry and cry to get their way! We just tend to overlook this because they are so stinkin' cuddly.

Yes, sometimes those babies we love are cry babies. The term we use to describe when someone is being selfish and just 'wants their way' comes from those little people that fill us with so much joy. Kind of a paradox when you think about it.

The point I want to make today is that grown-ups can be cry babies too. We all have seen them and when you do it becomes clear very quickly where they are coming from---they want something but can't get it. This is an important thing to remember because often times when we are with those people our response is to just get frustrated right along with them instead of trying to see past the image and attitude that is being presented.

Just like a little baby that is crying and needs help, the older cry babies need help too, desperately, but they just don't look cute doing it anymore.

God, as always, is our answer to overcome our tendencies to be cry babies. In Micah 6:8 we are told this: "He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God."

What wise words! I love that God says to us that he has showed us how we should live. Interestingly, as good as this sounds, when we see that in real life it isn't always as pleasing or inviting--here's what I mean: if we find ourselves being a cry baby that means that we are wrestling with something inside us that is twisted, something not from or of God. This causes us to see our world through those lenses of self-centeredness and the last thing we are able to do is to openly receive a good example of someone who is living as a good example of godliness. When God shows us what it means to "walk humbly" (remember the passage says he 'shows us') instantly we feel convicted and usually lash out against the good example before us. This can result in arguments and general unrest.

So what do we do? First of all, don't forget that God already knows our struggle. He is not shocked and he never despairs. He always sees the answers that bring hope and change for people. Also, he encourages us to remember that he always forgives and brings healing. Admit to God where you are at--He can handle it and he wants to help.

Walk humbly before your God. . .easier said than done, especially if you have just showed the world your best cry baby routine! But take hope today--no matter what issue, no matter what hurt or pain deeply buried in you that is twisting you up inside there is an open invitation to healing. If this is resonating with you today the reason is that God is speaking directly to you and wants to free you so you can become one of the examples to world of what it looks like to walk humbly with Him.

I hope that today you hear from God the message of healing that will bring you out of your struggle and into that humble walk with Him.

It's a good day for a stroll. . . .

BT

A God Who Speaks

2011-11-17T13:41:00.000-06:00

I walked into my office this morning and one of my colleagues told me about someone in our church family who had just experienced something that had never happened to her before. As we were praying for a group of people from another church last sunday, she was praying off to the side and she heard a voice telling her "Proverbs 2, Proverbs 2". After reading this chapter it is clear that it deals directly with some of the challenges the church we were praying for was facing.

Incredible when you think about it! God speaks directly and understandably to the situations we are facing. He cares, He speaks, and we can hear Him, respond and rejoice!

I wanted to highlight this today because I think many of God's children don't really think that God speaks in way that can be heard. Or, if He does speak, He does so to other people not to me. Well, this is a prime example showing that He does choose to reveal specific and direct messages to His children for the purpose of building up His Body. This church was searching for direction and wisdom from God--He tells us in Luke 11 that He is a good Father who desires to give good gifts to His children, and this is a clear example of that proving true.

I want to build your faith today as you hear about a woman who hadn't really heard God like this before. She was struck by this voice and it had a deep impact on her. I discovered that she eventually shared this message and the chapter from Proverbs with this church body and I know it will serve as an encouragement to them because it speaks so directly to their challenges.

You can hear God's voice too. It may not happen all the time, or even when you think it should happen, but I want to encourage you to have an expectancy that He will speak, He will communicate. He will use scripture and He will speak to specific things going on in your life right now.

What an amazing hope we have to serve a God who is alive and who speaks to us.

Father, for those who are reading this and need to hear your voice, I ask that in the name of Jesus all hindrances would be removed, the voice of the Enemy would be silenced, and that the message would come through loud and clear.

BT

Wrestling With The Present

2011-11-16T11:48:00.000-06:00

Yesterday I was chatting with a good friend and we began to discuss how pervasive it is people who struggle with life. So many are wrestling with depression, anger, despair, loneliness, pain, emptiness and the list goes on. It began to dawn on us that what we were describing was simply the result of living in a world broken by sin, and even though we knew full well the love of Jesus and the impact His Holy Spirit has on our lives, we were still left feeling the weight of a broken world.

And then we started to talk about how much we longed to see Jesus face to face. We talked about how amazing it will be when we live in a world where sin has no more influence; where there will be no more pain, no more sorrow, no more tears!! And we knew that we really didn't have a frame of reference to genuinely understand the depth of this new reality except in contrast to the reality of how deeply broken things are now. But we knew peace and hope as we talked about what will come!

Thinking about what God promises to bring about when Jesus returns has the power to raise one's heart in the here-and-now!

Take some time to consider Jesus who willingly came into our dark world and said this to His Father: "Here I am--it is written about me in the scroll--I have come to do your will, O God." (Heb 10:7)

Just think about this! Hear the heart of Jesus that beats for you and is not against you. Hear his words that are obedient and self-sacrificial to his Father who also loves you so much that he will go to absurd lengths to reach out and save you!

"Here I am. . ." Do you ever remember a time when you were a little child, scared in your bedroom because you saw a menacing shadow lurking on your wall, and so you cried out to Mom or Dad, and when one came running and said "Don't worry, I'm here now"--do you remember how you felt? That you were safe, that everything was going to be OK, that you were protected. You didn't even think about how, Dad was going to protect you; you didn't question if he was going to protect you--you just knew that you were good now--everything was good. Well, Jesus is just as real, and saying exactly the same thing right now---"I'm here now--I've got you."

My heart is overwhelmed with love for Him as I write this. I can't express how grateful I am that He is here, even though I'm just like that little child that gets filled with fear.

Thank you Jesus. . . .thank you so much!

BT

Through a Looking Glass

2011-11-15T12:25:00.000-06:00

We all have a way of seeing our world. God has given us eyes through which we are able to translate beams of light in such a way that we interpret images, sizes, shapes, colors, depth etc. Our world comes to us as an amazing kaleidoscope because of our sight.

The way we wrestle with ideas and principles are no different: we come to them with our 'filters' already in place so that we can interpret them in a meaningful way. The ways in which our filters are developed and formed are too numerous even to begin to describe--but they are there nonetheless.

And they are powerful, because they not only help to form what we hold to be true but they are almost invisible to us. We are mostly unaware of their presence and yet they are so significant in our understanding.

Here is a brief example: In the West, we have been trained to think that knowledge comes to us primarily as an intellectual or rational way, but according to some, knowledge arises more holistically than just through reason. In Brennan Manning's book Ruthless Trust we hear this explained when he writes "In the Hebrew and Christian scriptures, knowledge is felt, it arises from an experience of God in faith and love rather than from human investigation. Knowledge is the fruit of a faith-encounter with Jesus as the Christ. It is simply not possible to receive the revelation of God in the transcendent/immanent Christ without experience."

What makes this most interesting is the fact of a discussion I had recently with church leaders who taught that experience is something that should not be trusted as it afforded us no way of discerning the validity or rightness of what was taking place. Instead of experience, scripture was to be where we find our safety and our guide.

Why is this interesting? First, because experience and scripture were divided into two separate camps that could hardly be understood as complimentary, and second, Manning is saying just the opposite--that in the Christian scripture, knowledge is felt, according to the Hebrew way.

So here we see two God fearing people one teaching that experience is suspect in knowledge and the other saying that experience is necessary for knowledge. So what do we do?

There are a number of important things we need to be aware of here but I will only offer one that I think is maybe most important. We need to be humble. Why is humility so important to knowledge?
Well let me first say this before I explain: I believe, through study, rational inquiry, experience etc, that Manning is right in his explanation of truth acquisition. If the Hebrew mindset is that we understand knowledge through experience, that it must be felt in order to be fully understood, then I want to adopt what is closest to the worldview of the group through which God's truth was conveyed.

So coming back to humility. . .two reasons: first, as a Westerner, I must be humble enough to accept that the way in which I understand truth and knowledge might not be the best way and I might need to adopt another, in this case, the ancient Hebrew way. Second, I must be humble enough to trust in a source of knowledge acquisition in which I am not able to be the primary mover--I can no longer use pure rationality to discover truth and control it and verify it, but because the kind of knowledge described here is much more relational and experiential in nature, I must be willing to receive this knowledge of truth.

Scripture has been provided for us to experience the reality of a Living God. This includes our thinking and our experiencing. It is no easy thing to give up control in order to put yourself in the hands of someone else. In the Western Christian Church, we struggle mightily against doing this, and one way we accomplish this task is to maintain control through our Western worldview of reason over all other things. I should mention that what I am describing does not deny reason, simply that if we are to live in a truth that influences every part of our being, then we need to allow every part of our being to be involved in receiveing what that truth looks like.

To many this will sound heretical and simply dangerous. I understand this wholeheartedly, and it only confirms the truth of how deeply embedded our worldviews actually go. Jesus presented a way of living in which people were asked to put their entire lives in his hands, and many simply could not accept this request--the same is true today. But I am confident that Jesus is able to overcome our worldviews in such a way that we can see and understand what is good and true--I just need to be humble enough to accept it, and Him as the center of all things.

Lord, as we peer through our looking glasses, help us to receive humility that comes from your Holy Spirit. May we engage your scripture in such a way that we are able to receive the fullness of life you have in mind for us. May we be wise and skillful travellers here on earth as we talk to each other about things that reach down into the core of our beings. But most of all,

May you be glorified.

BT

Waiting: The Hospital Chronicles

2011-11-14T17:29:00.001-06:00

So today I'm writing this as I sit in City Hospital waiting for my wife to get out of surgery. By all accounts this should be a procedure with few worries but I'm still mildly anxious to see her and let her know I love her.
Waiting: this is something that we spend a large part of our lives doing and an equal amount of time trying to avoid. We feel like we should be accomplishing something useful! But sometimes the best thing is to wait and patiently allow others who are much better equipped to take care of things for you.
Yesterday at church I was so moved by the presence of God ministering in our midst. When you are in that special place with him, it just seems almost natural to want to linger, to 'wait' right there because you feel so safe and filled.
But often it isn't so easy to wait on God, especially when we are scared or hurt or anxious.
In a few minutes I will see my lovely wife again, and I am confident that the right people took care of her and that she will be alright. And I believe that is God's desire for all of us: that we would trust Him enough to place our lives fully in his hands and with expectant hearts know that He will take care of us and lead us where we should go. But it seems to me that He sometimes just wants us to wait and allow Him to take care of things....not so easy is it?
Lord in a world that does nothing to encourage us slow down and wait--please help us to linger in your presence and receive your care as we wait on you.
BT
Brian M Tysdal
Lead Pastor
Rock of Ages Church
Saskatoon Sask.
374-1707 (Church)
291-3308 (Cel)
pastorl.therock@sasktel.net

Unusual Hope

2011-11-12T10:02:00.000-06:00

Last week I sat at lunch with a young family with two little children. These were kids that I found so interesting. The one sang and hummed quietly to herself-as though everything was right with the world, and the other was full of energy and adventure calling himself a 'superhero' and he fully believed it!

It was a great feeling being with them, and I didn't realize it at the time, but I was also filled with hope. Hope for this family, hope for the future-just a positive sense of good things to come.

It was a good meal.

Today I was reading from 1 John 3:1-3 where it says "How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God. And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Dear freinds, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure."

Hope changes you. It causes you to see your world with expectation. Where challenges exist, hope can give you the strength, creativity and perseverance to overcome. Hope allows you to approach others with grace because you are living from a strong center. But the hope I'm describing here is the kind that helps us to act differently, whereas the hope depicted in the passage from John talks of the person actually being changed, and this is significant.

Putting our hope in Jesus is a hope that actually purifies us--it changes us into something that is pure. This is not something we can do for ourselves but is something that God does for us. In Jesus we become different people. It seems kind of unusual to imagine that hoping in something actually changes who you are, but there it is in black and white! So what does this mean?

The reason that having hope in Jesus changes us is because we actually have a living presence in us who is at work doing the transforming within. The Holy Spirit is at work in us teaching, strengthening and pointing us to Jesus in everything in life. Hope in Jesus actually changes us as people because through the Holy Spirit he is living within us.

To most people this sounds just weird. Even to Christians the depth of this truth is lost or minimized, and it's easy to see when you look at how hopeless many of God's children actually feel. But I want you to know that hope in Jesus is real hope to make a difference in real life.

But it all starts in you. Your world, the one that seems so broken at times, will be changed beginning with the changes God has brought in you. His desire is to shine through you to bring about changes in others--to bring hope to them.

Jesus, your children are so grateful you saved us, but most of us don't really believe that we can make a difference, or that you can make a difference in our world through us. We admit that we want to just sit on the sidelines and watch and don't allow the hope you've given us to move us into more. Don't stop changing us. . . .and grow desire in us that will overcome our fears.

BT

To Be A Child

2011-11-11T10:02:00.000-06:00

When I got up this morning I saw a book lying in my living room called Heaven is for Real: A Little Boy's Astounding Story of His Trip to Heaven and Back. So I picked it up and started to read, hearing from a young child, full of life and fun and mischief and wonder, the account of his experience leaving his body during an emergency appendectomy, and being brought into heaven itself!

Now, if you're like me, when you read something like this it is so easy to try and rationalize and evaluate the claims that are made. It's not an easy thing to believe--as much as we'd like to say that we believe so many things about Jesus, salvation, heaven, etc. But when someone tries to tell us that they have had a first-hand experience--well, that's a different story. All of a sudden my defenses kick in, because, after all, this account is not THE AUTHORITATIVE WORD OF GOD!!

OK, fine, but maybe the words of a child are enough.

Colton Burpo (yes, kind of unfortunate!) was just a few years old when he was taken into heaven. His dad is a pastor and recounts the many different things that his son explains he saw during his "time" in heaven (time seems to function differently there).

What I think struck me the most is that everything that is described lines up with what is revealed in scripture--it is just that it is so vivid and so. . . . .intimate and real. That's the part I love the most--that God is real and that He has such an expectancy of being with us one day, with no "curtain" separating us any longer.

I long for this too, though I often forget. . . .

At one point Colton is asked if he knows why Jesus died on the cross. In his matter of fact way, he says that he knows exactly why because Jesus told him that he wants people to see his dad! I love this! It is so unchurchy, so unrehearsed, so unslick--just the real goods. Jesus did what he did because he just wants us to meet his dad.

Yeah, that can go a long way as far as I'm concerned.

I think my heart today is that Jesus' dad would strip off the veneers of my thinking, of my beliefs, and allow me to see what's really important-- with the eyes of a child.

That would be enough.

BT

U2 and Expectant Faith

2011-11-10T08:00:00.000-06:00

This summer I went to a U2 concert in Edmonton.

It was an event that was of a scale that could easily be described as "grand". It was large and impressive in every way: biggest stage set-up, massive venue, huge crowd, and even the expectation was off the charts. And that made me begin to think. . . .

There were people there who had shown up the day before and set up tents so they could have the chance to buy tickets for the 'spit zone'. That means being able to be so close to where Bono would be singing they would be able to enjoy a personal shower from the exuberant singer as he passionately belted out their band's greatest hits.

Now that is expectant faith. These people were committed to sacrificing for something they simply knew would be worth it. They didn't hesitate in putting themselves out there, enduring cold weather or rain or discomfort because they were confident their efforts would be rewarded. And by the way, the show was amazing!

But, I have to ask myself, why is it that we don't have the same kind of expectancy when we go to church? Yes, I understand that church is something that happens regularly and doesn't have the same kind of excitement as a one-time event like the concert I described. But, I still have to ask the question: why is it that our faith--that is, our beliefs and trust in something beyond ourselves, is so limited when it comes to expectations of God while we sit in a pew?

I suppose some of the blame should rest on leadership, but I still wonder what's missing? After all, I don't remember Bono making a long list of promises guaranteeing that he would be offering something that you could trust would make long-lasting impact in our lives. He didn't make any claims that his show would transform hearts and lead people to revelations that would alter patterns of thought and bring freedom to our hearts! And yet, there they were--the people whose faith and expectancy were driving them to camp-out for a day in order to be as close to him as possible.

When we come to church to hear about the claims Jesus makes, shouldn't this cause some kind of expectancy to rise in us? He makes reference to being not only a man but God himself! The God who created me and designed me to be in relationship with Him. He says to me that I have challenges within me that hinder me in this relationship, but that He has provided a supernatural power called the Holy Spirit to come and be a resident presence in me to help me overcome these challenges so that I may be free to enjoy pure and joyful relationship!

Shouldn't this cause us to come to church with an expectancy that His promises will really make a difference in me? And yet, we sit as close to the back of the church as possible. . . . .

I don't want to sound too negative, but I think God deserves more from us. I don't think we necessarily have to camp-out over night to honor Him, but we should be willing to take a look at ourselves and ask the question: if God's claims are true, and He is a God who not only makes many promises that affect me positively but tells me that He is willing to act on them, then maybe my expectancy regarding Him should reflect that?

Lord, help us to break through the fog that prevents us from living in the joy and life that you desire for us. Forgive us when we honor things of this world far more than you. We really are like little children who don't know what's best for us. Help us to be humble enough to admit our need, and build up in us a desire to desire You. Cause our hearts to be filled with expectancy that what you promise, you will do.

BT

Overwhelmed

2011-11-08T08:32:00.000-06:00

Yesterday we saw an historic event take place here in Saskatchewan. The Saskatchewan Party achieved a victory in the provincial election with a popular vote of close to 64 percent. There has never been an election held in the history of this province where a leader and party has been given this much support.

It doesn't matter if you are a supporter of the NDP, the Greens or the Sask. Party, the results are the same: overwhelming.

Being 'overwhelmed'. This word conjures up images of Tsunami waves that gather up their force in deep waters while being forced by immense tectonic plates shifting and transferring their power up through the oceans creating enough force to pile up destructive waves that crash over a hundred miles inland. To be 'overwhelmed' is to be lost in something. To be so taken by what is happening around you that you can't ignore it, and you can't take your eyes of it.

So when I think of this overwhelming election, part of me is left hollow because I realize that, though it is historic and important, it does not capture my attention like something that is genuinely overwhelming.

There were some in times past who were overwhelmed when they came face to face with a force that captured their attention. Consider this: a young family with children. One son who was experiencing physical affliction that was unexplainable other than to say it was spiritual in nature. Violent seizures were the order of the day for this young lad, and no one knew what to do.

Until Jesus came along. This man saw what was happening and, once again, as he always did, showed the world what the Kingdom of God looks like: and it looks like freedom, because he healed that boy and sent him on his way.

In Mark 9:15 it says that "as soon as all the people saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with wonder and ran to greet him." Just think about that for a second: when they saw this man, they just knew that whatever life was throwing at them, they immediately ran to him because there was just something about him that made a difference--a real difference!

Yes, the Sask. Party has experienced an overwhelming election. But I am not inclined to be filled with wonder and expectation that they will be able to address the deepest longings of my heart.

Only Jesus makes a real difference. Only He can do that.

Jesus, I ask on behalf of everyone who reads this today, that you would somehow reveal yourself in such a way that people are able to see you with the eyes that those in Mark 9 saw. May we be filled with a wonder and expectation as you overwhelm us with your presence. We need you more than we can even comprehend and ask that you make a real difference in our lives today.

BT

What a Wonderful Life

2011-11-04T12:03:00.000-06:00

I seem to be on a "life" kick lately--it's what I talk about a lot in this blog over the last number of days. Maybe there is someone out there who is asking questions about life, wondering what's the point, or why life is so difficult? If so, then I hope that God takes these words and uses them to bring hope and strength to you today.

One of my favorite bands is Altar Bridge--a secular group that plays powerfully and, though not speaking messages that are Christian, they clearly sing about songs that are about searching. I like honest questions--even if they are hard ones.

In their latest album they perform a song called Wonderful Life, and in it you find this line, "What a wonderful life for as long as you've been by my side. And I want you to know I love you so. . .What a wonderful life my friend."

They are singing this to a lost loved one, someone who had immense meaning in their life but is now gone. They are remembering the great moments they shared together, and just how deeply impacted they were when they were together. It made life wonderful.

Whenever I hear this song I think about Jesus. I wonder what life would be like without him in it? How would I feel about the "daily grind"? Or, how would I approach relationships without him helping me understand what relationships are all about? I may often think that life is hard, but if I'm honest, wouldn't it be so much harder without him? I might not want to say that life is wonderful as that seems to conjure images of perpetual smiles, and that is not what I experience. But if I define life with Jesus as meaningful, where deep questions find good homes and my heart and mind are able to rest--then isn't that worth a lot?

I guess it's true, then, to say that life with Jesus is wonderful because he has shown me such meaning in a world that so often seems barren and grey. At a time of year when the leaves are falling and the grass is dying maybe it's a good reminder to know that Jesus is walking with those he calls his children, and by his Spirit he is bringing about life all the time.

Jesus, help us to hear, see, feel and enjoy You. Help us to receive You--because You are nothing but good. And, what can I say. . .good is good.

BT

The "Ideal" Life

2011-11-03T08:58:00.000-06:00

People have told me that I'm an "idealist". This can mean a number of things but the most common comes in two packages: the first is that as an idealist I dream about things that aren't realistic and I shouldn't waste my time. The second has more to do with being a visionary, someone who sees the "horizon" of things to come but aren't here just yet.

The world needs idealists because hope and creative imagination is often tied up in the minds and hearts of those who see and live and talk of things that are not yet manifest. I believe that an idealist doesn't have to be someone who doesn't have any practical concerns--as always, balance is necessary. In fact, I believe Jesus was an idealist in the best sense of the term. He lived out something that was, in many ways, not fully realized. He was a microcosm in human form of the Kingdom he kept talking about. Wherever he went he did amazing things that often brought about strong reactions from others but he also talked about "things to come". An idealist indeed.

I love a statement from Mark Driscoll that talks about ideals and values. In it he describes the difference between the two: ideals are what we want and values are what we do. This is what Driscoll writes:
"The trick to uncovering people's (churches) values is to assess how they invest their time, energy, money and passion. What do they love and what do they hate? What do they talk about? What do they rally around? But values can be tricky because they are often little more than ideals, what people merely wish they valued and cared for, what they are committed to in theory, but not in practise. many vegetarians eat meat, environmentalists don't recycle, employees don't work and Christians don't read their Bibles. Ideals are what you want; values are what you do. Ideals become values only if they are lived out."

So for those who call Rock of Ages Church their home, what would you say are her ideals and values?

A great question--but a tough one too.

Here is what I want to want: Psalm 37:4 "Delight in yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart." I want to want to be delighted in the LORD! I want to find my life and hope and inspiration in Him. I know I often don't go to him for these desires and so I ask Him to help me to have the desire to desire him.
Here is what I want to do: James 1:22 "Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says." I want to hear the direction of God through His word and then put it into action. It sounds so simple, but it is really a challenge spiritually. Nevertheless, there it is--plain as day--what you see and hear, do it!

So coming back to ideals and values: my prayer for myself and for everyone at Rock of Ages is this; "Lord help us to want the things that please you, and what pleases you most is when we simply desire you--to be with you, to spend time with you, to pay attention to you, to allow you opportunity to shape, and teach and train and really, just love on us! Thank you for that. But I also pray Lord that as our desires become shaped this would lead us to live out those desires--to do. May our lives reflect both the ideals and the values that you so perfectly model."

I wonder what your life will look like today?

BT

A Mile Wide and an Inch Deep

2011-11-02T11:50:00.000-06:00

Today I was part of a conversation about theology. I like to think about things that have influence and importance. Theology is an important part of a Christian's life because it provides frameworks through which we can understand concepts and teachings from God's Word. I am a supporter of theology, but I have to say that my understanding of theology has changed over the years.

When I first began to engage theological teaching I was excited because I was finding answers to important questions related to God. It was an empowering feeling, satisfying really. But as the years wear on what I once saw as a liberating force for good has now lost some of its sheen--it doesn't glisten quite like it used to for me.

The world and life itself, is complex and the older I get the more I realize that fact. Theologians, just like everyone else, understand that as you advance in years you also rub shoulders with a lot of differing ideas and opinions--many of which are in direct opposition to each other. It gets even more complex when you begin to realize just how divided people are within the Body of Christ itself! In the face of all this complexity can rise doubt, and a strong temptation to overcome this diversity and doubt is to become very defensive in the attempt to protect what makes sense to you. This can often be portrayed in a harsh and unloving manner that seems to project strength, but in reality does little to engender the kind of strength I see in Jesus.

I have come to the conclusion that theology is nothing more than humanity's best attempts to describe God and Truth. Theological systems of thought include truth, but they are not in themselves infallible, which means they also contain things that are not necessarily true. Only the Bible is the infallible Word of God, and as such is the authority we hold to, even if we do so in a stumbling, bumbling way.

If theology is placed below Scripture in place of authority, then this should be reflected in how we live then as well. Our conversations between differing theological views should be very humble in nature because of our growing understanding that we don't have everything theologically nailed down with no questions remaining. This doesn't mean that we can't disagree, or that we can't know right from wrong, it just means that our hearts and minds must know our limitations and our judgements can only get us so far.

I am struck by this thought: in light of the complexity I describe, and the innate desire to press into certainty and to defend that certainty at all costs, we have lost something. We have fallen into the trap of defending and elevating the principle of certainty itself over the One in whom we have any sense of foundation at all--Jesus. Our theological pursuits gain such a breadth, such a scope that spans the ages and includes wide swaths of ideas, that we have forgotten the reason that any of these doctrines and theological systems exist at all.

When we strive to protect our theological systems of understanding because our identities are found in them, we have become a mile wide and only about an inch deep.

Jesus, YOU are the reason that we are even able to think at all. YOU are the One who deserves our praise. If, for example, I have doubts about grace, eternal security or the potential of losing salvation--the fact remains that salvation itself exists because YOU have lived and died and lived on my behalf so that I could be given a gift such as this!

I want to be singular minded in keeping you My Lord firmly in my view. I might be accused of being "narrow-minded" but I know that you are in the business of teaching me all things--that's a promise that comes directly from You. I don't want to be a mile-wide and an inch deep, I want depth that comes with hearing and following You.

Prince of Peace, today I ask that you would grant us the gift of peace to rest in you while our thoughts and our lives whirl about us. I declare that you are the only true authority, and it is from you that any answers that have any real meaning or depth come from. Speak words of life to those who are dying inside--for whatever reason. Give to them today a glimpse of your glory so that light will shine in them and bring hope.

At the end of the day, all I can really say is "I love you."

BT

Real Life: Boy Do We Need Help!

2011-11-01T11:00:00.000-06:00

I was watching a TV show the other day where a movie producer was being interviewed. In the interview he described why his latest show depicted so much foul language and sex and problem relationships. His response was something like this: "The kind of stuff I'm showing on screen are the experiences of everyone every day. This is real life and I wanted to show something that was close to reality."

I may have his words a bit wrong, but the essence of what he said I've described pretty accurately. What he wanted to show in his movie was what real life actually is. What a mess! Now, I have to say that there is some truth to what he is saying--there really is a lot of this stuff that happens regularly in our daily lives. But the danger in this is that because it is so prevalent, we can begin to think this is normal. It is certainly common but it is not normal because normal should be a reflection of what lines up with the way things are supposed to be. What we see here is very abnormal.

We need help! Do you ever struggle with living around dark things so much that it begins to affect how you think and live yourself? It can sometimes seem as though there is little light shining. But I'm here to remind you that the the light is shining! It's shining brightly; paths are being illuminated; goodness abounds; right relationships are everywhere; it's just that good things are poor self-promoters--they kind of avoid putting their influence on billboards for everyone to see. Which is very much unlike all the other stuff that is described by the movie producer mentioned above.

I love Paul's comment in 2 Thessalonians 3:5 where he says "May the Lord direct your hearts into God's love and Christ's perseverance."

Wonderful! Our hearts need to find their peace, life and meaning in the heart of God. That is where we will learn what real real life is all about. But Paul knew that it is hard to see through all the crap that seems so prevalent in our lives and so he also added that we need to be strengthened for the journey in the perseverance of Jesus. Jesus lived out real values, real love, real life but he did so through pretty hard circumstances--and we need to do the same.

So remember that what you see in your day is not necessarily a reflection of what real life is. Place your heart in God's hands and he will reveal the truth essence of life for you. But he won't just leave you with a picture in mind and send you on your way. He will also provide you with perseverance to live out this picture of goodness as well.

It's time to rest. . . .rest in Jesus. I encourage you to stop today, and just take some time to rest in His hands and let him restore you. It's so good there. . . . .

BT

The Roughriders and Life With God

2011-10-28T10:28:00.000-06:00

Last week the Roughriders were (mercifully) eliminated from the playoffs. The inevitable finally became a reality--they just weren't good enough this year. Ahh, but there is always next year. . . .

Anyway, as I was thinking about the Riders' demise my thought wandered to the question of what a "full life" with God might look like. I read a passage from Romans 8 this morning that talked about us living as "more than conquerors" and I wondered how all this fits together.

It seems to me that we live with this "tension" between having our eyes fixed on Jesus, living and receiving the fullness of life He wants to give us and living in this world with all its desires. I find myself wanting my cake and eating it too. I want everything God offers and everything the world offers too! Something has to give.

It's just like the Riders: when they still had a chance of getting into the playoffs, but were losing horribly, I found myself somewhat frustrated that the possibility was there but the present circumstance brought futility. When the last loss put them out of the playoff picture it was as though a sense of relief came--no more struggle, no more tension. It seemed better.

The same is true spiritually: when we try to live in both worlds, the seeming possibilities of getting fed fully from both remain but we live in a state of frustration--something is wrong. It's not until we die to ourselves and our desires to have everything the world offers that we begin to see more clearly what God is offering, and we can receive much more easily.

Life with God, the full life that is talked about, relates to being more than conquerors: God says that He is at work in all our circumstances doing good for those He loves--He loves His children very much! But He is calling us to have Him be our number one and sole priority in life so that we don't live in the frustration of "trying to make the playoffs but failing miserably".

Maybe you are living in that tension of two worlds. It's not a comfortable place to be, especially if it seems that there is no way out. Let me tell you there is a way, but it is not one that is very attractive at first glance--after all, who wants to experience death? We must die, we must be led through our dying, there are things in us that must perish in order for us to have eyes to see what life with God is really about. You nor I can get there on our own--there is simply too much to overcome--too much to conquer. But thankfully, we can trust God to be working on our behalf (Romans 8:28) to get us there.

The only real question that He is asking us is this: "are you willing?"

BT

The Devil We Are Most Familiar With

2011-10-27T11:21:00.000-06:00

The other day I asked a group of friends this question: "Are we so turned off by the 'prosperity gospel' that we are unable to accept what the Bible says regarding His provision for us as a whole?'" The ones who responded indicated a thoughtful 'yes'.

I have taught many years on worldviews, how they are formed, how intrinsic they are in how we perceive and live our lives. It is absolutely impossible to live separate from our worldviews--they are the lenses through which we see and interpret everything in our known existence. Everything.

So when it comes to the Lord's provision I need to ask myself this question: "what is my understanding of the prosperity gospel that creates in me so much fear that I am unable to receive what the Bible teaches about God's provision?"

In my understanding, the prosperity gospel teaches that it is God's heart that every Christian believer should expect to receive financial wealth to the point that the word 'rich' comes to mind. Along with that are myriad stories where if someone did not receive that wealth then it was a matter of their faith being insufficient and blame and condemnation was heaped upon the "failed" believer.

I could be off on my interpretation, but that's my point--it's my interpretation that drives my worldview, and I don't think I'm alone in understanding this teaching in this way.

So what does God say? Dt 28:10-11, "Then all the peoples on earth will see that you are called by the name of the LORD, and they will fear you. The LORD will grant you abundant prosperity--in the fruit of your womb, the young of your livestock and the crops of your ground--in the land he swore to your forefathers to give you."

This is only one of literally dozens of passages that indicate that God is concerned about providing material goods to His people. But I wonder if we are guilty of keeping the area of finance firmly in our 'secualar' world--the world where we work, spend and save, and make sure that that part of our lives remains separate from the spiritual world where the laws of God's Kingdom rule.

I leave you with a question today: do we allow God to remove our fears--fear of wrong and perverted systems of understanding God's provision, in order for that fear to be replaced with love which is the absence of all fear and is the necessary element that brings us close to God and allows us to really hear Him? And the second thing is this: Can we allow God's word to speak through our prejudice and worldviews to such a degree that we are willing to say "yes" to what He wants to provide?

Fear can cause us to reject something like the prosperity gospel, but because it is fear that is our motivation, we are then unable to reject the 'devil we are most familiar with' and in this case it is our acceptance that finance, in some significant ways, is not an area that God wants to bless His children.

Fear will always cause us to reject God because

                                                             God

                                                                         is

                                                                                 love.

I offer no final answers here. I am on a journey to understand what is good and true and finaces are part of my world and the world that is described in God's Word.

Lord help us to really hear and say 'yes' to You--there is no other way.

BT

Taking the Bull By the Horns

2011-10-26T11:00:00.000-06:00

Today I came across a story that I thought was so succinct and powerful that I needed to share it with you.

In Tom Davis' book Confessions of a Good Christian Guy: The Secrets Men Keep and the Grace that Saves Them there is a great story about how God has ordered life in ways that really work. Here is the brief anecdote:
"I heard recently about a herd of elephants in Africa. Because of a regional drought, all of the older male bull elephants in this particular herd had died. Young male elephants ran everything. It didn't take long before these young elephants were totally out of control. They started ripping up trees, destroying villages, and killing people. Nobody knew what to do. Some zoologists were called in to study the elephants. They determined that there was only one thing to be done. They found some older bull elephants from another herd and transported them into this group via helicopters. The zoologists reported that the older elephants stood around a few minutes to assess the situation. They saw how out of control the younger bull elephants were. Then they acted swiftly, immediately pinning the younger elephants to the ground with their heads. Try as they might, the younger elephants couldn't get up because the older elephants held them to the ground. This went on for hours. The older elephants were showing the younger elephants who the bosses were. In a sense, the older elephants were fathering the younger ones."

This is such a vivid story that reveals the importance of leaders and of fathers. Many of you have probably heard about the movie Courageous that is currently in theatres. This show is touted by many as a powerful expression of fatherhood and fathers' irreplaceable role in families. I think our culture has done a great job of reducing men and their roles as leaders to the point that many men don't even know how to "stand" without offending someone.

Maybe we could take a lesson from the elder elephants that weren't willing take the "bull" that they saw happening around them. I was so impressed with how they were able to assess the situation, and did so with clarity and then acted decisively to overcome the problems.

I hope for that same kind of clarity that men could understand their God-given roles and the strength that God gives them to live it out loud!

Heavenly Father bless fathers everywhere today with your heart, your strength, your understanding, your ability, and your humility to stand as your men. Thank you that you have ordered life in such a way that makes sense--help us all to see it.

BT

Lions

2011-10-25T08:09:00.000-06:00

This summer I had the privilege of speaking at a Bible camp in northern Saskatchewan. The environment was breathtaking and the people were great. At the beginning of the week I sensed that God was telling me that there were "lions" in people's lives that needed to have their mouths closed because their roaring was creating so much fear in them that they were struggling in their walks with Jesus. And so I prayed with them.

I asked Jesus to shut the roaring lions' mouths, that their attempt to strike fear would be overcome with the love of God and people's heart would be freed from that bondage. The response was wonderful!

It's true that God is the beginning and the end when it comes to our spiritual walk. He is always the source of our strength and the means by which we overcome the enemy and our own sin. But we also can't forget that He has desires for us to stand--to take our stand as sons and daughters of God and realize the power we live in.

Ephesians 6 says we should "be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power." He has provided us with all we need to overcome the roar of the lions in our lives--His expectation is that we can not only survive, but thrive spiritually. "Take your stand against the devil's schemes," the chapter contines to say. God has given us armor in order to accomplish the tasks at hand. "Stand firm then". . . .another reminder that we do not need to listen to the voices of the lions roaring in our ears, making us think we are helpless and afraid.

No matter what the lions are roaring; no matter how close they seem; no matter how intimidating or convincing are their attempts to accuse you that you are a failure, or that you are condemed because of the last sin you committed--remember this: Jesus did not come to you to condemn you but to save you again and again and again.

The truth is, you can stand. Believe it and live it, and give thanks to the One who makes it possible!

BT

Transported

2011-10-24T18:17:00.001-06:00

Have you ever experienced listening to a song where the band is playing the chords and their progressions so perfectly; where the dynamics and nuances of the instruments, vocals and even their hearts are so in tune that it creates something that transcends the moment? And without you even knowing it you have been transported to another place even though you haven't moved an inch?

It doesn't happen too often, because it is incredibly hard to do, but when it does it is really something special.

I was reading in Ephesians today and here God tells me that I have been 'transported' to another place as well even though I am still here. Chapter 2, verse 6 says "God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus.". This sounds to me like I am really there even though I'm still here! Pretty hard to wrap you head around that one!

What is so amazing is that to God, He has already assured my place with His Son--the very best place I could ever be. Nothing compares--not even a song that is so perfect it transports me somewhere else.

If you read a bit more in Eph 2 you will find that God did this for me and all who follow Jesus because of 'His great love for us'.

I know that it can sometimes seem like life is hard--some days maybe it even sucks. But God reminds us that we are not only here, we have been 'transported' to a much better place and we can take hope today knowing that we will actually see and experience the reality of that.

I hope the angels are in tune when I first get there.....

BT

Brian M Tysdal
Lead Pastor
Rock of Ages Church
Saskatoon Sask.
374-1707 (Church)
291-3308 (Cel)
pastorl.therock@sasktel.net

A Little Slice of Heaven

2011-10-23T19:17:00.000-06:00

Today I saw a little slice of heaven.

These kind of things just sneak up on you. It's unfortunate to have to admit it, but I don't always expect to see God show up the way He did today at Rock of Ages. In many ways it was your typical Sunday morning service--on the surface it looked pretty much the way it normally does: lots of smiles, many conversations, interesting discussions in class, plenty of smiling faces during the service, healthy worship and prayer--even the message was reasonable good!!

But something was different. . .

I felt like God was doing something deep this morning, like He was helping us to take an important step toward an unseen goal that only He really understands. I can only describe what I experienced and I can say that I felt the tangible presence of God through the Holy Spirit speaking out a message that resonated so deeply in my heart that it was hard to hold in. He spoke a message of freedom, love and hope in a way that it began to make sense--and I mean real sense--that His Kingdom will advance, and lives will change and that He not only wants us to be involved but that it will happen.

It's been many years that I've had lingering doubts about whether I would see God move mightily among His people and even more so that I would see the love of Jesus Christ manifest in the world around me as the sons and daughters of God take to the streets with hearts transformed in love. But today, I stood in the presence of the Living God and just knew in my bones that something is going to happen that I haven't seen before. In fact, in a small but very significant way, I experienced the reality of God not only inviting us into this new reality but that He was actually making changes in people's heart to believe they could trust Jesus enough to live their faith in a new and very visible way in the world.

The presence of the Holy Spirit brought bucket loads of hope--and that is powerful stuff.

I'm sure that there will be days coming soon when struggles will arise and there will be tough slogging, but today was a milestone day in my mind--a day worth marking when God took the people of ROA to a place they hadn't gone before together.

If anyone from Rock is reading this I hope that you are incredibly encouraged because I saw our Heavenly Father bless us, and He will not stop until He accomplishes what is in His heart for us.

Jesus, take what was planted today and tend it as only you can. Nuture the Truth, life and hope that You provided so abundantly. Protect everyone that is under your care from the Evil One, and bring us all to a place where our hearts are so filled with your amazing love that we simply can't help but to declare You to all we encounter.

You are truly worthy of our praise!

BT

Conversations

2011-10-18T08:38:00.000-06:00

Conversations are interesting things if you think about them. You could find yourself in a place where you might be struggling with some challenges in your life and someone comes along and speaks a few words to you and all-of-a-sudden you just feel better.

Just words, breath forming sounds really, that's all words are. And yet they have the power to genuinely change your persepctive on things; they have the power to bring hope to your soul where there once was little. But it must be said that it is not only words that make the difference, because a "conversation" is not just about words. To truly have a conversation is to be sharing words with someone who is speaking with a sincerity and concern about you. When you are in a conversation, you are exchanging ideas, care, love: there is a sense of being in the presence of someone who is really listening to you not just what you are saying. A conversation goes deeper than just words.

I was blessed the other day to have a conversation. I wasn't expecting it but after it was over my heart had changed. I didn't realize it but there were some things that had put barriers around my heart and after I hung up the phone I felt freedom where I didn't before. I could tell that something had let go in my spirit because I was able to receive all kinds of fresh thoughts and ideas from God. It felt so good! I was blessed.

Words can have impact for sure, but it seems to me that a conversation invites you to go to places of redemption and healing that words alone cannot accomplish.

It is probably not an exaggeration to say that Jesus' Sermon on the Mount is one of the most transformational presentations out there. It is a powerful explanation of God's heart. But in Matthew 5:1 there is something else that caught my eye, and it has to do with having a conversation. If you read it says that "he [Jesus] went up on a mountainside and sat down." Jesus' disciples came to him there and he began to teach them, but only after Jesus had sat down. This is important: Jesus took the time to stop and really give of himself. He not only wanted to communicate words, because he knew that having a conversation required more--he needed to sit and let them know that He was committed.

I think the impact of Jesus' conversation with his disciples is pretty clear. Jesus has said to us in John 13:15 that he has set an example for us and we should imitate what he has done. It's time we "sat down" with others and had conversations with them, listening to them and speaking truth in love.

Lord, I ask that today we would be reminded by your Holy Spirit to take the time needed to sit and have a conversation with someone in need. May you change our hearts to imitate Jesus and may your Kingdom come in power as we do so.

BT

Can You Imagine?

2011-10-12T16:23:00.000-06:00

I went to church the other day and something happened that absolutely blew my mind!

It happened that there was a speaker there who was talking with an authority that caused my heart to quake inside my chest. This guy had quite a reputation and people were flocking to hear what he had to say. It was so crowded that it was standing room only and people were actually lined up outside just to get a glimpse of this man. It was rumored that through his ministry in the previous days, he had prayed for people with serious diseases and they were healed! There was no explanation for it--the facts just seemed to speak for themselves.

The place was electric--everyone was wondering what would or could happen. It was as though the words that came from this man's mouth cut to the core of those who were listening. His ideas either brought about impossible hope for those who believed him or abject despair and anger for those who couldn't accept his message. This was not a man who seemed too concerned about people's opinions.

But, in the midst of all this energy, the din of the crowd and the palpable anticipation, something else happened: right in the middle of the sermon, bits of the ceiling started to fall down into the crowd. It was small at first but then bigger chunks started to break away! I didn't really know what was going on, so I looked up and I doubted what I was seeing, but as I strained my eyes I could see hands poking through the roof! These were obviously not just curious hands, there was purpose in their movements. They were there to do a job and nothing was going to stop them from accomplishing their task. So the hole grew bigger and bigger until it was quite large--large enough that a full-grown man could fit through. Then, and my eyes were not deceiving me, a man was lowered through the hole--right above the Speaker giving his sermon! Right in the middle of the service!!

Can you imagine?

I thought everyone was going to be angry, especially the man on stage, but as the guy being lowered down from the roof came into view it was obvious that he was not in good shape. Just by the way he laid on the stretcher you could tell that he couldn't walk, maybe hadn't walked for many years. The thought went through my mind: I really can't believe this is happening! I mean these guys had just destroyed the roof of the church and had disrupted what was going on in the service. What would happen next?

And then it happened! The Speaker saw this helpless man, and the effort that his friends had exerted to try and get him there, and he was moved. You could see it on his face: his heart was touched by this show of care and love, and he was going to do something about it. But what could he do?

He looked at the man suspended by ropes in front him, in front of the whole crowd and said two words "get up". I couldn't believe that he would say that when it was so obvious that this man was crippled--but he did and what happened next is simply astounding--against all reason, the man stood. He stood up right in front of us all. There was no doubting what just happened. The Speaker said two words and the man who couldn't walk all of a sudden could. Just like that.

There was a hush that fell over the crowd. What they had just experienced had stunned them to the point that they couldn't utter a single sound. The newly healed man on the stage was looking at his newly strengthened legs with shock and awe in his eyes; the Speaker had a grin on his face that was almost comical in its childlike joy. And then I heard a sound--it was faint, almost like it was coming from outside. I turned my head to try and pinpoint the source and it sounded like it was above me so I turned my head upward and I could see men jumping up and down on the roof shouting at the top of their lungs with joy that just couldn't be contained. Their friend could walk! Their friend could walk! It worked!

Can you imagine?

By now you have probably caught on that this is a story recorded in Scripture. Although I have taken some creative license, the essence of it remains true. But I want to ask you a question: can you really imagine something like this happening in your church? Where the Kingdom of God is there is freedom--radical freedom, roof shattering freedom, leg healing freedom, gloom-busting freedom, joy-proclaiming freedom!

I long for Jesus to take center stage where His Kingdom captures my heart, my mind and my imagination, because I want to imagine that what happens in this story in the Bible is something that the King loves to do for his children. I don't think there is a magic formula that is available to us that we can use to create this kind of "Kingdom moment". But I do know that the longing in my heart is kindled when I read about Jesus doing this kind of thing and then saying to us: 'Oh and by the way, you will do even more'. More? Really? Is that the kind of God you are? The kind that loves to heal and bless and restore and rejoice among those that are in your presence?

Lord Jesus, great and mighty God; lover of lepers and parapelegics. Create in me a pure heart that can have the faith to imagine you doing what good Kings do--and the faith to believe that you really will do them now.

BT

Do You Want To Know A Secret?

2011-10-11T14:35:00.000-06:00

We love secrets.

When we are let in on a secret it makes us feel as though we are the "in" crowd. It doesn't seem to really matter if the secret is important, or even if the people that are telling us the secret care about us or not, it's just the power of the secret itself saying to us "somebody doesn't know this, so I am 'in' and they are 'out'."

If you think about it, secrets can be brutal things--a form of elitism pandering to shallow egos. And yet, we seem to gather around them like moths to a flame.

When we deal in secrets we always seem to hurt somebody by not allowing others to join, after all, if everyone knew it then it wouldn't be a secret any more would it! But, as per usual, God does things differently than we do. When He is working in the world of secrets He actually does want everyone to know, and eagerly invites all people to be "in".

In Colossians 2:2 Paul explains what this secret looks like: "I want you to know how much I am struggling for you and for those at Laodicea, and for all who have not met me personally. My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge."

There is a mystery that many do not know: it is a secret that has been hidden from people for ages and still is hidden even though it has been proclaimed for centuries. Even people who profess to know this secret sometimes don't really know it. This secret is knowable but to fully define it escapes the keenest mind; you can be introduced to this secret but knowing it requires humility and time to even begin to grasp it; this secret has the power to open up or withhold blessing in your future. It is the most enduring mystery of all time.

The thing that makes this secret so unique is that it is not a "thing" at all, but a person--the person of Jesus! The whole of humanity is being invited to be the 'in' crowd by getting to know this man who is the mystery of the ages. I love that even when we know him, he retains the right to remain somewhat mysterious. This is true of any real-life mystery, it is three dimensional, it has width, and length and depth. At any time, what is being presented to me for my knowing has a back that is hidden from my view. Just like a person whose front is seen, and whose back is unseen at the same time--real truth is known and unknown simultaneously.

Hope is found in the mystery of Jesus who presents himself to us as the answer we have been looking for--for everything. This is true because we are told that "all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge" are found in him and him alone. All humanity is being invited to know this secret, to know this man who can change everything.

Do you want to know a secret?

BT

The Center of One

2011-10-10T11:33:00.000-06:00

Its easy to lose sight of who you are as you live in this world. If you have no monument to point to--no significant evidence of the work of your hands--so that when someone asks you about yourself, you just point and say "see, look there and you will get a good idea of who I am".
Sometimes it can be overwhelming to live in a world where it seems that everyone else has found their niche--their "center of gravity" that their lives revolve around, but you are still searching, still trying to understand who you, all the while hiding from everyone else that you are really struggling to make it because your "center" is still a mystery to you.

Then I look at Jesus.

He left no monuments. He didn't build immense physical structures that he could point to and say "if you want to get an idea of who I am then just look over there at what I built and you will get a good understanding." No. In fact the only thing that Jesus left behind was an idea--the thought that tells people that what you see is not really the fullest expression of what is really real. The notion that life as you now know it is really a twisted version of what it could be--of what it will be once again.

He says: "it might be hard to believe but I promise you that it's coming--it really is."

The thing that blows me away is that Jesus' center of gravity was found in nothing else but what he found inside himself--he was so at peace in knowing that his entire identity was found in his relationship with his heavenly Father that he didn't feel the need to point to anything outside himself in order to identify himself to others.

Jesus was the center of one.

"I am the way,the truth, and the life.". How can anyone say that and not have such a deep awareness of who they are? Not once do we see a picture of Jesus clamouring after other people in a desperate attempt to woo them for the sake of His ego!

What a man--what a God.

My Jesus--today, look upon us with compassion and mercy as we try to find who we are. We look in all the wrong places. We strive and hide and build and at the end of the day we are empty and lost, with no sincere and deep peace. Would you please reveal to us who we are in YOU, and nothing else. May this transform us and change us from the inside out.

Jesus, be our center...

BT
Brian M Tysdal
Lead Pastor
Rock of Ages Church
Saskatoon Sask.
374-1707 (Church)
291-3308 (Cel)
pastorl.therock@sasktel.net

Peace

2011-10-05T20:51:00.000-06:00

It's peaceful here.

I'm sitting by the shores of the river as I write this. My thoughts wander from the long list of things I need to get done at work to the long list of things in my heart that clamour for my attention. It seems so easy for me to get lost in all the confusion--my expectations, other peoples struggles and expectations.
The lists can get pretty long....and the questions can lead to a lot of uncertainty.
But the river reminds me that my world- the world of lists and responsibilities- is not everything.

There is more.

I see God's fingerprints here: the flickering lights of the city reflecting off the mirrored water tells me that my God has taken great care in instilling His creativity in the hearts of humanity. The never-ending flow of the river lets me get a glimpse of God's immensity and grand design.

It brings me peace. Why? Because here I am told that God is much bigger than my lists--He is much stronger than my weakness--and He loves me.

It's hard to hear His love-song for us sometimes and we need to find ourselves in places where our hearts are able to commune with His. He tells me that when He looks upon me He is filled with joy with what He has made.

Do you know that He feels the same way about you?

In Genesis God had this amazing plan to create something that would reflect His image in this world--so He decided to make YOU! You are a wonder to behold! You hold the gifts of the World-creating God within you and the possibilities of how He would bless the world through you are as endless as He is.

What a peaceful thought to know that God has plans to prosper us and give us a good future. No matter how muddled our souls can get we find our foundation in Him.

May peace like a river attend your way.....

BT
Brian M Tysdal
Lead Pastor
Rock of Ages Church
Saskatoon Sask.
374-1707 (Church)
291-3308 (Cel)
pastorl.therock@sasktel.net

Humility and Taste Buds

2011-10-04T14:41:00.000-06:00

Luke 14:7-11
"When he [Jesus] noticed how the guests picked the places of honor at the table, he told them this parable: 'When somone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for a person more distinguished than you may have been invited. If so, the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, 'Give this man your seat.' Then, humiliated, you will have to take the least important place. But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, 'Friend, move up to a better place.' Then you will be honored in the presence of all your fellow guests. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.'"

I love that Jesus uses a wedding feast to describe what real humility looks like. Feasts are where you find the choicest foods--the thought of the tender-loins and steamed vegatables, succulent sauces gently washed by the smoothest of wines, cause my taste-buds to quiver! The imagery is so appropriately associated with humility, as there are few character traits that are so attractive to me, and so valued by God.

To live humbly is to exhibit one of the most courageous human activities. It is the personification of openness and care. Humility is the active "invitation" to all those around you, because you are clearly telling them they are important and they are welcome. To be humble is to live as the incarnation of the fragrance of God--it is so appealing and beautiful.

No wonder Jesus was the epitome of humility.

There has been a bit of tempest in my spirit recently as I think about the Church and the things we spend so much time clarifying and defending. Sometimes, it seems to me, that we are motivated more by fear than humility: fear in that we worry that if we somehow "get it wrong" then we will slide off track, so we re-double our efforts to clarify "what we believe". Humility strikes me more as a position of trust where we are more able to receive and in so doing express a childlike ability to say "I don't know everything, but I know Who does and He loves me."

There's something so tasty about humility!

Humility before God has this indescribable ability to keep us on track. And I received a good example of this just today:
There is a group of "dissidents" that are part of a movement called "solid ground" that are taking their stand against the ELCIC institutional church body. The reason for this is that the ELCIC has lost its ability to humbly trust God's Word. Out of a 5 page document by the dissidents one particular passage struck me:

"The human mind has a great way of messing things up. Humans can rationalize anything. Luther knew that and cautioned about 'die Hure des Verstandes,' the whore of reason. Unfortunately many of our brothers and sisters in our ELCIC have decided to follow the wisdom of the world. God is not an object that can be studied objectively. Theology must approach the Word of God with humility and respect and stand under the Word and not over it. The wisdom of this world must not take control of Holy Scriptures. . . . .We are totally dependant upon Holy Scriptures to know anything about God."

We must approach ourselves, the world, and God with great humility in order that we might stay on track. But that means that we must sometimes say "I don't know--and that's OK."

Preparing a great feast is much like living humbly: it's not the exact precision of the amount of each ingredient that matters most, it is how everything comes together as a whole that really counts.

Are we courageous enough to find our identity in Jesus and allow everything else to be second?

Oh, what tasty bunch we will become. . . . .

BT

Fog

2011-10-02T16:26:00.000-06:00

We will all face a time, maybe a number of times, when the answers we had grown used to will no longer be sufficient to bring the peace they once provided. The world that we live in, and by this I mean that which is normal in our everyday lives, will be challenged by a new idea, or a new circumstance, that forces us to re-evaluate what once made everything make sense to us. When these times come, we are brought to a place of decision: "will I choose to maintain what was because it is familiar or will I be willing to forge a new direction that will open the door to life?"

These are times when a great fog can set in. Old and familiar landmarks cease to bring the sense of peace that we are used to. What once was seems no longer able to satisfy a deep longing for protection. Fog sets in and we become fearful of making any steps in any direction because there are no longer any "maps" available to guide.

In 1929 a young girl by the name of Anne Frank was born. She was a Jew who would soon feel first-hand the brutality of having the world that once made sense to her snatched away in a heartbeat. In an attempt to escape the oppression of the Nazi Germans, Anne and her family lived in a few small rooms joined to her father's business. They never left these rooms for two years. That is until they were discovered and brought to the concentration camps where they died before the Allies could liberate them.

Anne was 15 when she finally stopped living in the fog.

Anne left us a searingly honest account of her experiences in her diary that she kept faithfully all through her time in hiding. We are allowed to see her despair, but we are also invited into something much more beautiful, much deeper, more powerful, than anything despair could conjure. What we hear is the power of faith, hope and love, coming from such a powerless source--the irony is so compelling that it is impossible to deny the truth that there is something more--much more than the fog that wanted to envelop and paralyze.

Anne writes: "It's utterly impossible for me to build my life on a foundation of chaos, suffering and death. I see the world being slowly transformed into a wilderness; I hear the approaching thunder that, one day, will destroy us too. I feel the suffering of millions. And yet, when I look up at the sky, I somehow feel that everything will change for the better, that this cruelty too shall end, that peace and tranquility will return once more."

Anne Frank was a prophet in every sense of the term. She was fully aware that her desperate circumstances were not the whole story. She knew, with great clarity, that she was experiencing a dark gathering of doom that would claim many, but she knew also that there was hope.

We must not find our hope in anything other than Jesus Christ! We cannot find it in our families, or our bank accounts. We cannot put our hope in finely constructed theologies that so often do little more than separate "us" from "them". There has been so much fragmentation that has been wrought throughout the ages between denominations, and this justified in our minds because we think the only way toward "truth" is to define it based on our best efforts and understandings, instead of based on a humble belief that Jesus is the way, and Jesus is enough.

Much like Anne, we need to look up.

Psalm 121:1-2 "I lift my eyes to the hills--where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth."

I don't know if Anne Frank knew Jesus personally, but I see His fingerprints all over her thoughts. And I thank the Lord for people like her--people who were living in the fog, but found a ray of light shining in their lives because they had the courage to look up, and to their amazement the fog lifted.

Will you look up?

BT

A Little Pencil

2011-09-30T14:15:00.001-06:00

I just spent the last two days at a conference with a bunch of pastors. It was good to hear the truths of scripture being explained and taught with clarity and passion.
I noticed, at one time, how I was 'just one among many' and enjoyed the feeling of not having to lead or carry things along.
I think it would be true to say that one of the core teachings I received was that living the Christian life is not about me having to carry that load, but that Jesus is the One who carries me.
What a wonderful truth!
Mother Theresa once said 'I am a little pencil in the hands of a writing God'. And I say 'yes!' Each of us is 'one among many' who is being carried by a strong and loving God, whose desire it is to reach out to the world we live in. In that--God is using us as instruments through which He 'writes' out His love for the world.
My prayer for us today is that we would rest--rest in Jesus and enjoy the gifts of being His children.

BT
Brian M Tysdal
Lead Pastor
Rock of Ages Church
Saskatoon Sask.
374-1707 (Church)
291-3308 (Cel)
pastorl.therock@sasktel.net

Belonging

2011-09-29T09:06:00.001-06:00

We all have within us a need to belong. It's in our DNA and try as we might to be independant from one another we know in our souls that we are not meant to be alone.

I write this while on the road to a church conference where I will be rubbing shoulders with many brothers and sisters in the Lord and it's a good thing. It shows that in some important ways I belong.

To be isolated is to live out the reality of the Fall when Adam and Eve became separated from God, from each other, and even themselves. It sometimes frustrates me to hear our culture praise the 'independant spirit' when the essence of independance lines up so much more closely with the Enemy than with God.

We are meant to belong.

Romans 8:15-16 testifies to this: "For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, 'Abba Father'. The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. "

Abba----Daddy! We love that you have pursued us even though we tried to run from you. Thank you for making us belong--because that is your heart for us. Help us to live this out so that others around us will become dissatisfied with independance. Change our hearts so we can really see how great it is to be a Family!

BT
Brian M Tysdal
Lead Pastor
Rock of Ages Church
Saskatoon Sask.
374-1707 (Church)
291-3308 (Cel)
pastorl.therock@sasktel.net

The View From Down Here

2011-09-28T11:17:00.000-06:00

I was sitting in a little coffee shop on 20th st yesterday. It was a small space with a good number of people there. There had been some effort made to create an environment that helped you see yourself as connected to the history of Saskatoon and that, combined with general attitudes of the people, made me feel like I was part of a community.

It felt good.

But as I sat looking out the front window I noticed that from my vantage point I could see the top of the Remai Arts Center--and I started to think. . . . .This building represents, in many ways, a privileged society. People with means built the building, and people with some means attend the performances there. I've been to a few of them myself and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. But at the moment that I sat in this little coffee shop, I wondered what would some people that are living in a "non-privileged" society think when they saw the top of that performance theatre?

Despair? Anger? Self-pity? What would the view "from down here" be like for them?

Then I wondered about myself----what is my "view from down here"? When I look at God and His righteousness and I see just how far above He is over me, I become aware of my chronic sin and I can experience despair, anger and self-pity as well. I can get so caught up in myself that I forget just how much God cares for me, for the people who live near 20th, and for the people who attend the Remai Arts Center.

We are all in the same boat!

But we need to be reminded of just how important it is that we don't get too caught up in the world we live in because when we do we forget about what we most need.

James 4:7-10 says "Come near to God and He will come near to you. . .Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up."

As I said before 'we are all in the same boat'. Let's point it toward Jesus in every way and at all times, and as God comes near to us I think that our "view" will become something pretty beautiful.

BT

A Four Foot Crack

2011-09-27T11:07:00.000-06:00

Here's a question that's coming to my mind: "are we listening?" Are we listening for the voice of God speaking through events in our world telling us to re-evaluate our priorities?
I am not one to see destruction and doom behind every negative incident in our society, but, if I take the Bible seriously, if I take God seriously, then I have to be willing to allow myself to accept that things will not always be rosy here on earth.
Recently an earthquake hit Washington, and one of its most prominent monuments was badly shaken. After the shocks had subsided there was a significant four-foot-long crack in one of its marble panels. You can see the picture below:

This monument represents the strength of a nation; it serves as a reminder of the foundations upon which generations have found their identity and safety. When the magnitude of these foundations, the principles upon which a nation is founded, become clouded in that God is left to the side, what happens is that "cracks" begin to form because the only sure and safe foundation is Jesus.

Here at home, we are experiencing cracks too. Public life, for us, revolves so much around economics that it is impossible to avoid. My wife and I were talking about the possibilities that could affect our family if the economy cracks. Are our hearts in the right place if our "stuff" is lost? Is our foundation so strongly in Jesus, that if our lives change significantly will we still be able to stand?

2 Timothy 2:19 says "God's solid foundation stands firm. . .The Lord knows those who are His."

My encouragement to you today is this: First, begin to turn your eyes from the things of this world as the source of your safety and life, and turn to Jesus. How? Simply make the choice and say to Him "I want you to be more to me than my stuff". He will listen and will help you. Second: Trust. No matter what you may experience in your life, in your world, trust in Jesus. He is the most solid "investment" you could ever make!

A final thought: look around you, consider what you see, and be honest with yourself--is there a voice speaking to you?

A Bride and A Family

2011-09-23T09:45:00.000-06:00

For the last while I have been asking myself what role or responsibility the church (the Family) has in helping people to grow in their spiritual maturity. Do we see it as a place we just choose to attend or is it a place we need?

Do we see church as an institution or as a Family? If it's an institution then we will place it right alongside all the other things that are clamoring for our time, our money and our commitment. But if we see it as a Family, then it becomes something entirely different.

We need family. God calls us His family--do you know that? His desire for us is to be part of something that will help us to grow in healthy and strong ways and I'm not convinced that we can do that "part-time" or without committment.

But every single time we talk about committing to a church, giving of our time, regular attendance or anything like that, it always sounds legalistic--like we are talking about rules and regulations that must be obeyed. And to be really honest, it just sounds wrong. It doesn't sound like a place for family. It doesn't sound like a place for freedom and life----it sounds like an institution.

I have to stop and consider a radical alternative: if God really sees the church as a family (and He does!) then what does that really mean?

Let's consider something new: what would it be like to imagine all the questions about church involvement through the lens of "other" first? Here is an example: Imagine yourself sunday morning wondering if you should go to church today. You are really stressed from work, you really need a break--some down time, and church just seems like another thing you have to do that requires more of your time (church as institution). But then a different thought goes through your mind. You begin to wonder that if you don't go to church then you are robbing someone else of your presence! You not being there could actually hinder their growth, their spiritual health, their joy.

We do understand this principle when we think about a relationship between a husband and a wife: if the husband refuses to spend time with his wife he is robbing both of them of joy and a healthy life. Is there something in this we can use to understand what it means to be in the church family too?

Rev. 19:7 "Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready."

Jesus loves His Bride (a "family" term). One of His greatest joys is to express His love and care through the Family He died for. The Bride is a group of relatives who have been brought together for the purposes of life. This is where the world is to see what love really looks like; this is where the broken are to find protection; this is where the wanderer finds a home; this is where the rebel finds correction; this is where discipline is learned; this is the canvas we have been given to paint love and life onto other people; this is family in the deepest sense. And family must be together in order to be family.

My prayer for you today is that God would shine forth His heart and desire for you--that He would imprint an indelible image on your soul of the incredible value of what He has allowed you to be a part of--His Family.

Raw

2011-09-21T16:19:00.000-06:00

1 Peter 1:3-2:12.

"Lord Jesus, sometimes you just strip me down to the raw bone. Longing rises up in me for you, and I can't even describe it--I just know I need you, I just want you. I can't put into words this longing and so I go to your words to help me get there.

The longing I have leads me to say this one thing: I sometimes don't know what to do! What does it mean to "serve" you? What does it look like suffer for you? I know that you tell me that faith is of greater worth than gold but how come I can't see that? Why does my heart and mind struggle to really understand what that means?

You tell me of "salvation" and of "glory", incredible things that seem so far beyond my ability to comprehend. You speak of angels that long to look into these things and understand--as though they don't have a clue themselves. How on earth am I supposed to know what these things mean?

I'm supposed to have my mind "prepared for action" among many other things. I would love to, but it seems difficult to me to know what steps to take so that I can be genuinely prepared.

At the end of it all you caress my soul with words that portray something absolutely unbelievable---do you really think I am a "royal priest"? Do you imagine me to be holy and part of a holy nation? Do you love me so unconditionally that you openly state that I "belong" to you? How can that be?

You have chosen me. You have chosen me. I can't believe it, but you have chosen me.

I am raw in your Presence, I have no words, I have no thoughts, I am simply found in the I AM.

Beautiful is all I can say.

Grace and Chocolate Covered Almonds

2011-09-17T17:53:00.001-06:00

Chocolate covered almonds are so delicious. The smooth chocolate combines with crisp almonds in a perfect taste experience. As I was munching on them I realized some other unique things about them: they come as a "unit"--that is to say that when you pick one you think you are picking up "one". But what you are really getting is something that has two distinct elements combined to make something special.

Jesus is all about redeeming what He made, bringing it back to the place where real life shines through again. Here is something I want you to hear today: when Jesus lives in you, you have become something you weren't before. In fact, you have become like a chocolate covered almond--two distinct elements combined into something really good. Jesus is fully responsible for the change and you get to enjoy the benefits of that change--isn't that something?!

Maybe you are going through a real hard stretch in your life and you are finding it difficult to see your life with Jesus as something sweet. If this is you then remember this: Jesus in you is the sweetest thing around and He is at work in you to help you grow in that truth.

Chocolate covered almonds are a real treat, but life with Jesus is beyond compare.

BT

Brian M Tysdal
Lead Pastor
Rock of Ages Church
Saskatoon Sask.
374-1707 (Church)
291-3308 (Cel)
pastorl.therock@sasktel.net

Lego Theology

2011-09-15T17:35:00.001-06:00

How many of us have played with Lego over the years?

I love the simplicity of this "toy". You just stick rectangular blocks together--but the beauty of it is that it provides the 'canvas' for such creativity and complexity! The only limitation is the extent of what you can imagine--how amazing is that!

I am writing this blog from Camrose Lutheran Bible College (CLBI) where I am once again being so blessed to be able to play a small role in helping others discover a vibrant life in Jesus.

While here I realized that I am just like a piece of Lego-- I am only one small piece of influence in the lives of these wonderful students, but I am filled with such a sense of fulfillment because this is what God wants me to be and do.

When you feel that affirmation from the Lord, it doesn't matter the size of the contribution--you just become grateful to be a part of something that is so much bigger and more beautiful than any single piece.

There is a great passage that teaches us good "Lego Theology" in Colossians 3:23, 24, "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving."

The Lord blesses those who are willing to serve Him, even if it is a seemingly small thing. I am receiving that blessing from Him and I want you to know that you can experience this too.

Do you sometimes feel like you aren't making a difference? Like your contribution doesn't really mean much? Remember that God is most pleased with your one piece of "Lego" and He just wants you to commit it to Him--to see the worth of what you are doing through His eyes.

And trust me, when He blesses you, you will most certainly enjoy it!

Take care my friends,

BT

Brian M Tysdal
Lead Pastor
Rock of Ages Church
Saskatoon Sask.
374-1707 (Church)
291-3308 (Cel)
pastorl.therock@sasktel.net

Lasagna and the Love of God

2011-09-14T09:16:00.000-06:00

Who would think that lasagna should be associated with God's love? It doesn't really sound very spiritual does it?

Yesterday I came home from work and what did I see? My sister had brought over a lasagna for my wife who was feeling under the weather. I thought to myself "isn't it wonderful to be a part of a family that cares so much!"

Then, this morning I see one of my colleagues blessing someone with--you guessed it--a lasagna! Another example of expressing care to someone in need.

But then I realized something else, something bigger and deeper: these were people who were God's children sharing their love for one another--this was God's Family at work!

As children of our Heavenly Father we can sometimes get too focused on things that aren't that good in the Family (church). But we need to remember that Jesus loves His Bride and is continually showing us His love through Her.

Maybe today you know someone who needs a "lasagna" and you have the opportunity to bring it to them. I encourage you to do it--make the effort to go out of your way today to bless someone.

I think you will find it 'tastes' pretty good!

BT
Brian M Tysdal
Lead Pastor
Rock of Ages Church
Saskatoon Sask.
374-1707 (Church)
291-3308 (Cel)
pastorl.therock@sasktel.net

Love and Money

2011-09-13T08:38:00.000-06:00

I was driving into work this morning with some heavy things on my mind. It seems that for a lot of us we have concerns about our finances. Whether it's because of global economic turmoil that undercuts the value of investments or the possibility of losing one's job, or just trying to get by--whatever it is, we can find ourselves preoccupied with worries about these things.

I'm no different.

But, as I was driving on the road with all my fellow citizens who were also driving to their work destinations something pretty cool happened to me: I heard the voice of God speak to me and this is what He said--"show love to those who are sick and in need, get your heart into rhythmn with my heart and I promise I will provide what you need."

What He was saying was only a reminder of what He has been saying to us for centuries in Matthew 6:19-34 where He says not to worry about how to get things like food, clothing and housing--you, know, the practical things we all need, but live with a heart that beats for His Kingdom.

If you are like me, when I hear that my very first thought is this: "But how?" Even that question is soaked with worry and confusion. If we are going to trust Jesus, then that means we trust Him with everything, including the "hows".

What I haven't mentioned yet is that when I heard God's voice on College Drive this morning something else happened--I felt His presence and His promise in my gut. And it was such a good feeling. I knew He was there and what He was saying to me was true and that I could trust Him with my concerns about money and could even trust Him to show me what living a life of love for His Kingdom really looks like.

It's not easy to be convinced that God's promises are bigger than our earthly concerns. The latter seems so much more real. But let me tell you that today, in my car, I was reminded again of what God wants so desperately for us: To live in the freedom that comes when we trust Him with everything.

Maybe it's time to believe what He says is really true. . . . .

BT

A Christmas Story?

2011-09-12T13:51:00.000-06:00

Why on earth would anyone write about the Christmas Story in September?

I probably wouldn't except for some recent events and a picture that I was given related to those events.

The Christmas Story is about a faithful God whose desire to show this love propelled Him to do radical things--things like becoming human and walking shoulder to shoulder with them, telling them just how much He loves them; just how much he wants to help them; just what lengths he was willing to go in order to bring life to them.

This is the Christmas Story to me. It's so vivid and real, and full of hope that if I stop to think about it for a while, I can begin to get a sense of what that really looks like.

A few days ago, our church threw a party for our local neighborhood and I was once again struck by God's faithfulness. It shone through volunteers who sacrificed time and effort in order to let our neighbours know that they matter to them. God provided an unbelievably warm and calm September day in which many people experienced the warmth of his heart.

Can you imagine how excited God was to see his children reaching out in imitation of His reaching out to us? I know that He was smiling on us that day.

I knew that God was going to bless the Party, but He has a way of going above and beyond is His blessing. The night before the Party a few of us were setting up tents. A picture was taken of one of them just as it went up--I was unable to rotate it so you will have to turn your head to see it clearly.

Just like the Star that guided the Three Wise Men to where the baby Jesus lay in the Christmas Story, we see below another example of God's faithfulness, promising to guide our neighbourhood to a place where they could experience some of His love.

Yes, our God is faithful---

What a good story.

Good Things or God Things?

2011-09-09T09:33:00.000-06:00

I was sitting on my deck last night, late into the evening, enjoying this unbelievably warm weather. It was the perfect night to have some time with God. So as I'm sitting there I realized that God was really so close--I knew that He was speaking words of comfort to me and it was so good.

I realized just how much I need to be in the presence of God and to hear His voice, especially when life gets crazy busy. That's what it's like for me right now--busy, busy, busy. With this rattling around in my head God asks me: "So are you doing good things or God things?"

It was one of those moments where you kind of sit up and take notice. I pondered what He said to me and realized that I need to be careful not to simply do things and justify them only on the basis of whether they are good or not, but to be more mindful to do the things that God wants to be done then. God wants His children to do good things for sure, but He also cares enough about us that He wants us to do the proper amount and in the right timing.

He was offering me a place of rest by speaking to me right in the middle of all the busy circumstances. He really does care!

Titus 2:11-14 says this: "For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope--the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good."

So we are to say "no" to ungodliness and be eager to do what is good. Saying "no" to ungodliness means that we reject making decisions to do things on our own--even if they are good things! Being eager to do what is good includes taking the time to ask God for help and direction--"should I do this Father?" "Is this something that you want to be done?"

Jesus wants us to be close to Him. Let's take the time to relax on our deck and just be in His presence so that He can teach us how to live well--so that we can be about God Things.

Many blessings on you today.

BT

Can You Hear The Music?

2011-09-07T16:26:00.000-06:00

Years ago I applied to sing in a Christian touring rock band to minister to youth. I had been accepted as a singer, but when I showed up I was told that I was the new bass player! Needless to say I was introduced to a whole new way of listening to music as I had to hear the individual parts so that I could learn my new instrument.

When I listen to music today, I still break it down in my head so that I hear the separate instruments playing. It's a skill that is useful but it doesn't seem to be transferable into other areas--here's what I mean:

Today I read an email that asked the question of why it seems that Rock of Ages is not really open to the movement and leading of the Holy Spirit? This was not asked in a malicious or hard-hearted manner--it was just a question. The reason for asking was due to a number of times in our services when God had led us to a place where He wanted to do a deep work in us but we didn't seem willing to trust Him enough to move to that deeper place.

I have to admit, when I read this email, my heart fell. As the Lead Pastor, I want to be one who is really ready to follow God when He leads. When the Holy Spirit is stirring, I want to respond so that we will really be changed from the inside out.

But I realized that I am not "hearing the music" right now. I couldn't hear the "instrument" of the Holy Spirit, because I have been too consumed with all the other "noise" in my head. Responsibilities are a good thing until they start to drown out the music of God. There is nothing more beautiful than to hear His Voice and to feel His presense and healing that comes when your spirit communes with His.

Listen to David express his heart to God:
Psalm 63:2-5
"I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory. Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands. My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you."

David was hearing the music, and his heart was singing right along with it--with Him!

If you are having trouble hearing the music of God, His song designed to bring life and health for you, don't despair, because He will not stop singing. Let's take some time to stop and be in His presence so our spirits can be tuned in to Him.

Let's ask the Holy Spirit to help us hear the music again. . . .

BT