November 29, 2018 - Suggested Reading John 12:26-40 for Dec 2nds message on Matthew 8:1-17 in our worship service at 10:45am

“This was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet: “Lord, who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”

John 12:38 (NIV) 

The apostle John understood clearly that Isaiah 53 was all about Jesus of Nazareth.

It is sobering to stop and think about what the Words  of verse 37 & 38 mean.

Ever wish that we lived during the time of our Lord’s ministry on earth, as He walked around teaching, healing and driving out demons? If we could only have Him with us now we think. But wait- there is a link between those who saw the arm of the Lord  and those who wouldn’t believe. The ones who were present and saw with their own eyes the miraculous working of God’s power thru His beloved Son, were the ones who didn’t believe. Maybe it is a good thing that we weren’t there, if the choice is between saving faith and seeing miracles, I will choose the saving faith!

John tells us that the choice is God’s not ours.

He tells us thru Isaiah’s words that the reason people didn’t believe is because God blinded them. The miracles by themselves were not enough to cause people to believe, The Holy Spirit needed to do a work inside people so that they could see Jesus for He who truly is.

Friend – we don’t need miracles and signs and wonders for revival in our families and our land.

We need the Spirit to move in a powerful way in our lives, and in our loved ones’ lives.

We should pray and pray and pray.

Watching and waiting for the Spirit to move in power inside ourselves and our loved ones.

November 29, 2018 - Suggested Reading 2 Corinthians 4 for Dec 2nds message on 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 in our worship service at 9:00 am

“Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God.”

2 Corinthians 4:2 (NIV) 

To set forth the truth plainly – is the mission statement of the great apostle Paul.

This is quite an extraordinary chapter by an extraordinary man- but wait he calls himself a jar of clay - he seems to think he is pretty ordinary.

This chapter is full of encouragement to continue setting forth the truth plainly.

People not responding to the message?

Don’t lose heart - remember that people are blind and need God to speak light into their hearts.

Don't resort to tricks or emotional manipulation.

Keep on setting forth the truth plainly.

Hard pressed? Perplexed? Persecuted? Struck down? Given over to death?

Keep on setting forth the truth plainly.

We have believed so we speak- for the benefit of those who listen so that God’s grace would reach more and more people – causing thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.

Keep on setting forth the truth plainly.

Wasting away outwardly? Troubles anyone?

Keep on setting forth the truth plainly.

November 28, 2018 - Suggested Reading Acts 8:26-40 for Dec 2nds message on Matthew 8:1-17 in our worship service at 10:45am

“Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus.”

Acts 8:35 (NIV)

This wonderful account of the Spirit led, Spirit empowered conversion of the Ethiopian removes any doubts regarding the identity of the Servant described in Isaiah 53.

Tell me please who is the prophet speaking about is answered by Phillip telling him the good news about Jesus. This means categorically that Isaiah 53 is about our Lord Jesus Christ.

Notice that the Holy Spirit used the Word of God to convert this man, and the Holy Spirit used a human to tell the gospel - to relate the ancient prophecy to the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. To tell a man who is concerned about his state before His Creator, that our Creator sent His Son whom He loved, to earth to suffer at the hands of humans, and to die on our behalf so that we could have peace with God through faith in Jesus Christ.

Would we be willing today to be used by the Holy Spirit to tell the good news to a stranger?

Not to force it on them, but to surrender to the Spirit and ask Him to lead us to the individual, show our selves to them and answer their questions.

What about a neighbour?

What about a family member?

Ah you say - come on John, Phillip was a special individual, he was an evangelist, let the experts share the gospel. No friend, the same Spirit who miraculously gifted Philip and converted the Ethiopian is the same Spirit working in us and through us.

Ask Him to lead you - tell Him you are willing. 

November 28, 2018 - Suggested Reading Romans 1 for Dec 2nds message on 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 in our worship service at 9:00 am

“For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.””

Romans 1:17 (NIV)

In the epistles of Paul we must always note the linking word for. It is more than just a link word to keep a sentence moving, it is a link word that communicates dependence of the first statement upon the following statement.

Paul is eager to preach the gospel FOR he isn’t ashamed because the gospel is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes FOR in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed.

Do you see the dependency?

The reason Paul is eager to preach is because the gospel is power to save.

The reason the gospel is the power to save is because the gospel reveals the righteousness of God.

This echoes what Psalm 22:30,31 prophesied - that we would proclaim his righteousness.

The righteousness of God is the core of the good news or the gospel message.

There seems to be 2 perspectives of this righteousness:

in Psalm 22 it is speaking of God’s righteous act of suffering and dying on our behalf, that is - His righteousness is revealed in Him going to the cross. We could say He did right by us- or wow that was righteous of Him! Or we could say He did right by God, by obeying unto death.

This Romans passage is speaking of the righteousness that is available to us through belief and faith in the message of the righteousness of Christ Jesus. We might think that this is a different righteousness than what is described in Psalm 22, but the truth is that it really is the same righteousness, for we receive the righteousness of Christ through faith.

When we share the gospel - is the righteousness of Christ at the core?  

November 27, 2018 - Suggested Reading Isaiah 53 for Dec 2nds message on Matthew 8:1-17 in our worship service at 10:45am

“Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted.”

Isaiah 53:4 (NIV) 

How do you interpret the various verses in Isaiah 53?

As we read it we can see clearly that it is describing the ministry of our Lord Jesus. 

For those of us who have surrendered to Christ and follow Him as Lord, there is a thought process we go through when we read a prophecy like this about our Lord’s ministry- we evaluate our lives and reality against what was prophesied. 

Now we need to guard against evaluating the truth of the bible against our personal experiences, for we easily fall into the trap of sitting in judgement over God’s Word, when we should always put God’s Word in judgement over us. 

Yet with that being said it is still very helpful to our faith to examine the Words of Isaiah 53 and examine our experiences in Christ against our own personal understanding or interpretation of those Words

Over the next 4 blog posts we will be looking at the New Testament usage of quotes from Isaiah 53, but in this post I would like us to consider verse 4 and meditate on Matthew’s usage of it in Matthew 8:17. 

Matthew states that our Lord’s ministry of driving out demons and healing the sick were a fulfillment of this prophecy.

Does that square with how you understand Isaiah 53:4?

Don’t get confused by the differences in Words, for that is a fairly simple translation thing, Matthew is using the Septuagint- so we are seeing an English translation of a Greek translation of the Hebrew, whereas in Isaiah we are seeing an English translation of the Hebrew.

Praise God, for our Lord took up our infirmities and bore our diseases.

What does that mean to you today?

November 27, 2018 - Suggested Reading Psalm 22 for Dec 2nds message on 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 in our worship service at 9:00 am

“They will proclaim his righteousness, declaring to a people yet unborn: He has done it!”

Psalm 22:31 (NIV) 

There is no doubt in a Christian’s mind as they read Psalm 22 that this Psalm describes our Lord’s experience on the cross. The gospels make reference to this psalm in the descriptions of the crucifixion, and the words of verse 8 are spoken directly to Christ Jesus by the religious leaders, and the words of verse 1 are spoken by Christ Jesus directly to God. This was a terrible, terrible death experience for any human to go through, especially more terrible for an innocent, perfect human to go through, but exponentially more terrible that God’s own Son, His Beloved, His chosen One would go through such a painful humiliating death.

Yet as we get to the end of this Psalm we realize that we have a job to do - Pastor Mark would say we have a mission to accomplish – for this last verse speaks of us proclaiming His righteousness among our generation.

How will people know of the wonderful work of righteousness that was accomplished on that cross? We must proclaim the good news to them.

Or do you think that prophecy is fulfilled without God’s people doing any work?

The prophecy of the cross happened in spite of God’s people- the ones who weren’t killing Him fled from His side. 

But the prophecy of proclamation is a vision of God’s redeemed proclaiming the good news of Christ’s finished work on Calvary to all who will listen.

Let us do our part to fulfill this prophecy today.

November 10, 2018 - Suggested Reading 2 Peter 2 for Nov 11th s message on Matthew 7:13-23 in our worship service at 10:45am

“But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves.”

2 Peter 2:1 (NIV) 

This entire chapter is devoted to warning us about false prophets and giving us identifiers by which we can identify them. 

Let us not miss the obvious truth that in order for false prophets to exist in New Testament days, there must have been true prophets in the New Testament churches. These prophets were not prophets like the prophets whose writings we have in the bible, rather they were prophets as Paul describes prophets in 1 Corinthians 12 thru 14.

False prophets live depraved lives, they exploit people, use people for their own gain, and boast a lot. They are wolves in sheep’s clothing and they stand beside the true prophets who speak the true gospel, deceiving seekers of God and leading them into destruction.

I love verse 9 for it tells us that God knows how to rescue the godly from trials- praise the Lord!

Once again, we can ask WHY?

Why does God allow there to be false prophets alongside true prophets?

Our time would be better sent examining the words and lives of those who speak God’s Words to us, trying to identify the false prophets so that we can be careful not to listen to them,  but listen to the true prophets, and allow their words to impact our lives, for they speak God's Words.

November 10, 2018 - Suggested Reading Acts 2 for Nov 11th’ s message on 1 Corinthians 14 in our worship service at 9:00 am

“Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy.”

Acts 2:18 (NIV) 

The prophet Joel knew that when the Spirit came at the dawn of the age of grace, men and women would receive the ability to prophesy. The apostle Peter uses Joel’s prophecy to explain to all of us what this new age (this age of grace – this age of the gift of the Holy Spirit to all who call on the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ) would be like. We know that Joel saw this time as a new age because of the language of the sun and moon and stars- it is the apocalyptic language of the end of an age and the beginning of a new age.

This age would be the age of prophecy, where all God’s children prophesy, not just a select few.

As you read 1 Corinthians 14 and try to determine what Paul meant, he tells us that he would rather have all of us prophesy - remember that this word prophesy describes an activity that belongs to an entire age, not just a generation of 40 years. This age of grace will end when Christ comes back in glory and until He comes back in glory, each of us should seek this gift from God. We should seek to be able to speak intelligible words that edify others, that build us up, strengthening each other, encouraging each other and comforting each other. Words from God through us to each other.

November 9, 2018 - Suggested Reading 2 Timothy 2 for Nov 11th s message on Matthew 7:13-23 in our worship service at 10:45am

“Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.”

2 Timothy 2:19 (NIV)

The Lord knows those who are His.

Some of us might think that this knowledge is like a head count or attendance roll.

Actually it is more than head knowledge, rather it is intimate knowledge of a person’s being.

We can say this because the Greek word translated “know” in 2 Timothy 2:19 is translated “union with” in Matthew 1:25 while describing Joseph’s behaviour towards Mary.

Joseph knew Mary’s name and knew all about her as he lived with her and travelled with her to Bethlehem, but Joseph would not have “intimate knowledge” of Mary, until after Jesus was born.

How is it that Jesus our Lord could have an intimate knowledge of us?

Well we willingly tell Him all about ourselves, confessing our sins and dreams and desires.

We surrender to Him, offering our bodies as living sacrifices.

He searches our hearts and our minds, and blesses us.

This knowledge describes a relationship with our Lord that is personal.

Does He know us?

Do we open up to Him?

Or do we hide from Him like Adam hid in the garden?

November 9, 2018 - Suggested Reading Haggai 1 for Nov 11th’ s message on 1 Corinthians 14 in our worship service at 9:00 am

“So the LORD stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of the whole remnant of the people. They came and began to work on the house of the LORD Almighty, their God”

Haggai 1:14 (NIV) 

Unless the LORD moves, we will find anything else to do rather than working on Christ’s church, under Christ’s leadership.

Unless the LORD moves, and stirs up the spirits of the people, there is no hope for Parkdale.

Why do we think we need a new system or new pastors or a new model of church?

We need the LORD to stir us up.

It is true that this verse records the names of key individuals, for in every church there are leaders placed by God and everything in that church rises and falls on the leadership those individuals give, so the LORD stirs them up first. But the leaders by themselves can do nothing, for the leaders do not have the ability to stir the spirits of the people, and the church is built up by all the people getting to work. So God stirs the spirits of the whole group.

Imagine if God would stir all of us at Parkdale.

What would that be like?

Would we call something like that revival?

Whatever we call it, we will be amazed at how much of Christ’s church gets built in a
short period of time.

Oh Immanuel, we know you are with us- stir our spirits Lord, stir us up, let our excuses fall away and let us join You in your great work.

November 8, 2018 - Suggested Reading Isaiah Luke 13 for Nov 11th s message on Matthew 7:13-23 in our worship service at 10:45am

“If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.”

Luke 13:9 (NIV) 

We mistake the Lord’s patience for His approval.

Those with Jesus thought that because they weren’t killed by Pilate nor by the Tower of Siloam, that God was pleased with them, and displeased with those who died.

Our Lord wanted to correct this wrong thinking on our part.

Twice He says “Unless you repent, you too will all perish”

And then He tells us the parable of the vineyard

the parable of the disappointed owner who wanted fruit from His trees

the parable of the patient man who cares for the vineyard who wants more time for the trees

“Unless you repent, you too will all perish.”

There has been a time set for me and you, a time that is fast approaching, and yet we seem oblivious. 

This time is the time we have been given to repent of our sin, a turning back to God away from sin, producing the fruit of the righteous.

Do not mistake the Lord’s patience for His approval.

Everyone of us has repenting to do, for repentance is what draws good fruit out of us.

November 8, 2018 - Suggested Reading Psalm 51 for Nov 11th’ s message on 1 Corinthians 14 in our worship service at 9:00 am

“Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.”

Psalm 51:11-12 (NIV) 

Forgiveness is mercy in action

washing, cleansing, hiding, blotting, creating, renewing, delivering, restoring,  prospering

What a beautiful psalm for a sinner like me.

I read it and think I should read this every day at the kitchen table.

I want to draw our attention to the connection between the Presence of the Holy Spirit and joy and a willing spirit within me.

Someone told me several years back that they skip this part of the psalm because they don’t have to pray it. Don’t you know John that in Christ I don’t have to worry about the Holy Spirit being taken from me? Oh friend I said, it is true that in Christ I have an eternal deposit, the Holy Spirit Himself who will never leave me- but it is also true that what David describes here is what is described in 1 John 1:9 as a restoration of righteousness for a Christian, and it is true that I need the Holy Spirit in every part of my life, and I don’t want to grieve Him, I don’t want the Spirit to withdraw from my family life, nor my work life, I want more of Him! And so I never skip this part of psalm, I bear down and make sure I have integrity in my heart when I say these words.

Could failure on our part to seek forgiveness and the Spirit’s wonderful filling Presence be the reason we lack joy in our lives and are not willing to lift a finger to help build up the church of Christ?

November 7, 2018 - Suggested Reading Isaiah 44 for Nov 11th s message on Matthew 7:13-23 in our worship service at 10:45am

“who foils the signs of false prophets and makes fools of diviners, who overthrows the learning of the wise and turns it into nonsense,”
Isaiah 44:25 (NIV) 

Our Lord warns us in the Sermon on the Mount to watch out for false prophets.

We should watch out for them, and we should identify them but we shouldn’t fear them.

The LORD God is Sovereign over false prophets.

This is a mystery to us - we wonder why God allows false prophets among His people.

Why would God allow non-believers to infiltrate the church, and allow them to lead
many people into destruction? 

Why would God allow someone to hold God’s holy Word in their hands, and twist the meaning of His holy Word as he speaks to God’s people?

I can’t give you chapter and verse as to WHY God allows this but I know it has to do
with testing our hearts. 

I trust God- I trust Him enough to believe that he has good purposes in mind by allowing these false prophets and false teachers to come among us.

Friends let us watch out for false prophets, they tell us we don’t need to worry about the narrow gate nor the straight path. 

They speak words that seem like God’s but are designed to lead us away from God. 

Don’t listen to them - test all teachers against the Word of God.

Know the Word!

November 7, 2018 - Suggested Reading Exodus 35 for Nov 11th’ s message on 1 Corinthians 14 in our worship service at 9:00 am

“Then Moses said to the Israelites, “See, the LORD has chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and he has filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills—.”

Exodus 35:30-31 (NIV)

The tabernacle in the wilderness, was constructed by all those who were willing and whose heart moved them. This ancient structure which was the place where God’s Spirit dwelled on earth among His people foreshadows local churches in the Christian age. Parkdale is the temple of God, He not only dwells within each Christian who calls Parkdale their church home, but God dwells in our midst as we gather to worship. If the people of God were not willing and not open to following the stirring of their hearts towards God and His dwelling place, the tabernacle would not have been built. So it is with Parkdale - if the people are not willing to use the skills that the Spirit has gifted us with, then our church will not be build up. What if Bezalel had refused to use the gifts the Spirit brought him? The tabernacle would have not been what God intended it to be. What is Parkdale lacking because we are not willing to put the gift the Spirit gave us to work within the church? Let us join together to willingly put our gifts to work in order to see Parkdale become all that God intends for us to be.

November 6, 2018 - Suggested Reading Proverbs 8 for Nov 11th s message on Matthew 7:13-23 in our worship service at 10:45am

“For those who find me find life and receive favor from the LORD.”

Proverbs 8:35 (NIV) 

Wisdom personified.

Personification is a literary technique, in which an author ascribes the characteristics of a person to a non-person or abstract concept.

Wisdom in Proverbs 8 calls out (has a voice box and a mouth)

Wisdom stands at a high place at a crossroads (has legs and feet)

Wisdom lives with prudence and has possessions (a person)

Wisdom loves people (only a person can love)

Wisdom gives gifts and a rich inheritance (a person)

Wisdom was beside God during creation (a being)

Wisdom has children (a parent/teacher)

Wisdom doesn't find us, rather we need to find wisdom.

We must seek wisdom to find wisdom, we need to watch each day at the door of wisdom’s house, where dwells with prudence, we must wait there – hoping to find wisdom, for when we find wisdom we find life!

Personification is a literary technique.

God’s eternal Son made man is more than a literary technique.

Wisdom come in the flesh – come to save us from our sins is more than a literary technique.

May we listen at His door, may we watch and wait for our Lord.

May He be real in our life, rather than an abstract idea.

November 6, 2018 - Suggested Reading Genesis 11 for Nov 11th’ s message on 1 Corinthians 14 in our worship service at 9:00 am

“Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other.”

Genesis 11:7 (NIV) 

There are all sorts of languages in the world and God is behind them all. 

He confused our language so that in an instant -
people who used to understand each other couldn’t anymore. 

The ones who could still understand each other, grouped together, and separated from the ones they couldn’t understand and so people scattered over the face of the earth.

Then the Day of Pentecost came- and the Holy Spirit gave the Christians in that room the ability to speak the gospel in all of the languages of the people around them in Jerusalem.

God scattered humans by different languages because of the pride in their hearts.

God brings humans together in Christ from all of the languages of the world, as they hear the good news of the love of God for them in Christ Jesus His Son, and humble their hearts, before their Lord calling on Him to be saved.

The grace of God turns a curse into a blessing through Christ Jesus our Lord, and through the gift of the promised Holy Spirit.

This day lets give thanks to God for His Spirit and pray for those like Parkdale's missionaries Rick and Muriel Oickle who toil at bringing the good news of Jesus to language groups all over the world.

November 3, 2018 - Suggested Reading Matthew 18 for Nov 4th s message on Matthew 7:1-12 in our worship service at 10:45am

“In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little
ones should perish.”

Matthew 18:14 (NIV) 

What a wonderful image of Christians gathered in community!

We are a group of ‘little ones’ – toddlers if you will.

- in order to become a Christian we must become a little child

- the greatest in Christ’s kingdom is the one who takes this lowly position of child

- we are to welcome each one who believes in Christ as a fellow little child

- we are not to despise little ones

- our Father in heaven is not willing to lose any of His little ones

And our Father wants our help – so each of us little ones is to look after the other little ones by showing them their sin, privately.

Many of us see Matthew 18:15-20 as instructions to church leaders and yet a simple reading through Matthew 18 shows us that we all bear responsibility before our Father in heaven to do what we can to keep the little ones in our community/ our church/ our assembly and not only that but to forgive from our heart any little one who has sinned against us.

This is a Heavenly Father’s instruction to His little children about how to treat one another while here on earth, still engaged in a struggle against sin.

The best part of all- is our Lord’s promise to be with us even if there are only 2 or 3 of us little ones gathered together. That He would promise His Presence among so few, reveals the humble heart of our Lord and His great love for each of us.

Would church leaders spend this time with 2 or 3?

May we have His humble heart and His great love for each one of us at Parkdale.

November 3, 2018 - Suggested Reading 1 John 4 for Nov 4th’ s message on 1 Corinthians 13 in our worship service at 9:00 am

“Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.”

1 John 4:8 (NIV) 

What English word describes God the best?

LOVE does (agape in the Greek)

We describe Him as majestic (King over all kings)

We describe Him as omnipotent (unlimited power)

We describe Him as omniscient (unlimited knowledge)

God is all those things- yet LOVE governs every aspect of His infinite being.

It was LOVE that brought creation into being.

It was LOVE that preserved humans through the flood.

It was LOVE that sought Abram out.

It was LOVE that brought Abram's descendants out of slavery.

It was LOVE that gave Israel the Law and the land.

It was LOVE that preserved Israel.

It was LOVE that brought His Son to earth as Israel’s Messiah.

It was LOVE that put His Son on the cross.

It was LOVE that brought the Good News of Jesus to our ears.

It was LOVE that saved our souls.

It is LOVE that will preserve us til He comes.

What English word describes us the best?

If we are God’s- the word LOVE should describe us.

Does it?

Does LOVE govern every aspect of my being?

Does LOVE govern every aspect of Parkdale’s being?

November 2, 2018- Suggested Reading Galatians 6 for Nov 4th s message on Matthew 7:1-12 in our worship service at 10:45am

“Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted.”

Galatians 6:1 (NIV) 

Paul instructs us to carry each other’s burdens in verse 2 and then instructs us in verse 5 to carry our own load. There is no contradiction nor dichotomy in these 2 statements for a deeper look into these first 6 verses of Galatians 6 will reveal the tension involved in helping a brother or sister who is caught in sin.

Living in the Spirit is required - don’t attempt to help anyone with sin if the fruits of the Spirit described a few verses earlier are not present in our lives, and be absolutely sure that we are being led by the Spirit, and in step with the Spirit.

Realize that when we seek to involve ourselves into someone else’s spiritual life, we are fulfilling the law of Christ - which is to love one another- this is an act of love, and the qualities of love described in 1 Cor 13 should guide our approach.

Self examination is a required perquisite – not in a comparative form - us against them - but soberly consider ourselves against ourselves- as our Lord told us in Matthew 7 – take the plank out of your eye first!

Instruction in the Word is what rebuke and restoration is supposed to be all about - it should end with the person learning and loving the person who instructed them.

It always amazes me how consistent the bible is from cover to cover about things like loving one another by keeping one another accountable to our Lord through His Word.

Oh, that what is described in Galatians 6:1-6 would be evident in all of us at Parkdale.

November 2, 2018 - Suggested Reading John 15 for Nov 4th’ s message on 1 Corinthians 13 in our worship service at 9:00 am

“My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.”

John 15:12 (NIV) 

“I love the Lord but I can’t stand Christians.”

“Do I have to go to Youth Group? I don’t like anyone there!”

These words, or those like it have been uttered by countless numbers of Christians and will continue to be uttered by Christians until the Lord comes back in power and glory.

It is our natural state- our natural inclination to dislike those the Lord loves.

But we are called to love Christians as the Lord loves them.

We are to love our neighbours (all those we meet) as we love ourselves.

But we are to love Christians as Christ loves us.

This is a big order for Christ gave everything up for Christians.

He gave up heaven for earth.

He gave up being served to become a servant of all.

He entered time so that we could live forever.

He took our punishment so we could be pardoned.

He gave up His life so that we could live.

He went into the grave so that we could escape the grave.

He does the hard work so we could get rest.

You have to wonder about people who tell you they love Jesus but they have no love whatsoever for those whom He gave His life up for. It seems to me that if I love Jesus I will love the ones
that he loves.

Can you imagine what Parkdale would be like if each one of us loved each other as Christ loves us?

Our Lord connects remaining in His love and being filled with joy to this command.

Let’s choose the Way of love.

November 1, 2018 - Suggested Reading Proverbs 9 for Nov 4th s message on Matthew 7:1-12 in our worship service at 10:45am

“Do not rebuke mockers or they will hate you; rebuke the wise and they will love you.”

Proverbs 9:8 (NIV) 

Do we believe this verse?

Do we think it is wisdom or foolishness?

If we believe it then we can learn from it.

If I hate people who rebuke me - I am a mocker.

Mocker is a specific type of fool in the book of Proverbs, a search by name comes up with 16 separate verses that refer to mockers. Proverbs 21:24 defines a mocker as a proud and arrogant person who behaves with insolent fury.

If I hate the people who rebuke me - I am a mocker.

But if I love the people who rebuke me - I am wise.

Cast your mind back over your life, and identify a person who rebuked you.

Do you hate them, or love them?

Are you a mocker or a wise person?

You don’t understand the situation John- that’s true that I don’t understand the situation, nor do I know the circumstances. 

But the Word of God stands firm - and God understands only too well the circumstances and the situation. 

He knows that He sent a human into your life to rebuke you, for your good, for your correction, for your salvation.

Do I love that person or do I hate them?

November 1, 2018 - Suggested Reading Mark 8 for Nov 4th’ s message on 1 Corinthians 13 in our worship service at 9:00 am

“Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.”

Mark 8:34 (NIV) 

If the narrow way did not require us to deny ourselves, we would gladly walk upon it.

But our Lord tells us that the good way requires us to deny ourselves, so we hesitate.

Love requires that we deny ourselves.

Our Lord explains what He means by denying yourself - He calls it losing your life. He knows that we naturally want to save our life, more than that we want to gain the whole world.

Well not the whole world we mutter - just the part that is due me.

But friend see what that thought reveals - see that these thoughts stop us from following our Lord on the way that leads to life.

Our natural state is to cling to life, to preserve our life over all other lives.

Our Christian calling is to lose your life so others can live.

Is this true of our life in any practical sense?

Can we think of a single thing that we set aside for the benefit of others in our church?

Will I do without so that others can have?

Will I take more blame that is due, so that others can be praised?

Am I willing to be consumed by the local church I am in?

What is the difference between being chewed up and spit out by a local church and pouring my life out in a local church as an offering onto the Lord?

Seems like the same result for I am used up - but wait a minute

the 1st happens against your will but the 2nd happens because of your will

You willing chose to give up your life for Christ's church!

You took up your cross and followed your Lord on the Way.