Ready & Awake

One of my assignments throughout the semester in my Pastoral theology class has been to read a chapter a day of the pastor epistles (1&2 Timothy and Titus) and journal on what God is teaching about what it means to be a servant of the church. There are constant threads of staying awake, enduring suffering and developing character.

Here is a collection of some journal entries I would like to share with you.

Be Ready! Be Awake!
Titus 3:1, 14



"Remind the people...to be ready to do whatever is good"

"Our people must learn to devote themselves to doing what is good, in order that they may provide for daily necessities and not live unproductive lives"

Ready: in a suitable state for an activity, action or situation; fully prepared; made suitable and available for immediate use.

Paul challenges us to stand at attention in our faith and reminds us that there is never a time or place in which God is not working and unwilling to use us through common circumstances. Are we ready to be a witness of Christ whenever and wherever we're put? Will we be awake to the ministry of love?

Awake: regain consciousness, become aware of, come to a realization of 

A life of prayer postures us into a mental state of constant submission to God. This is why Paul exhorts us to "pray without ceasing" since our mental default mode is a focus on self. Prayer causes us to be awake to God and His ongoing kingdom work. We must be constantly denying ourselves and asking for the mind and mission of Christ to be at our forethought.

"I charge you to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ" 1 Tim 6:13-14

Often Paul will essentially remind Timothy not to "slack off" in his faith but to live with intentionality. There is a constant pull towards business-as-usual where we get caught up in religious practices rather than staying awake in the Spirit. Paul doesn't go easy on Timothy because, like us, he knows our proclivity towards "maintaining" and "relaxing" in our faith.

"They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him" Titus 1:16

How many times do our actions and/or words suggest a "don't worry about it" or "I'll do it later" attitude? "Don't get sucked into these influences Timothy! Don't settle for cheap grace but be keenly aware of how you are living your life. Don't allow yourself to develop unhealthy habits but be consciously mindful of Christ's return."


"Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth" 2 Tim 2:15

Please keep me and the students of Briercrest in your prayers as it is exam week.
- Discipline
- Mental Aptitude

Choosing Gratitude

Complaining!
            No better of a day to talk about complaining than today. I woke up this morning with a nasty pain in my shoulder, an injury from playing hockey that I've neglected to get checked out. I decided this morning that I would go into Moose Jaw, visit the walk-in clinic and get it looked at. I got in my car and began to drive through what was probably the worst winter conditions we've had so far in Saskatchewan. The temperature was only -15 (which is nothing compared to what is to come) but the wind was powerful and blew snow to where I couldn't see anything in front of me. To typify this morning drive, my car decided it wouldn't blow heat and so I had to use the steam from my coffee to defrost the windshield as I drove down the blizzardy highway. Furthermore, once I got to the clinic I sat down in what seemed would be at least an hour wait to see a doctor. After waiting 30 minutes I left frustrated by, what felt like an injustice of having to waste my time in the midst of my busy college life.

Watching some Moose Jaw Warriors hockey

        This morning perfectly illustrates what one of the many key issues God has been teaching me through my studies. The issue of entitlement that has been a pervasive yet subtle epidemic in our western culture and something I really noticed while in South Korea, a country born out of extreme poverty and who were able to experience the gratitude in God's blessings. After ruminating more on the paper I wrote for my Christian Worldviews class titled "Entitlement vs. Gratitude," I've noticed more and more with how the orientation towards entitlement is alive, not only myself but in the culture you and I live in. 

Entitlement: Having the right to something
           Simply put, it has been the elevated pursuit of freedom in the west that has caused consumerism and the idea that we deserve the freedoms that have been made available to us. The freedom of choice, to raise a family, build a career, attain wealth, to enjoy hobbies and activities without fear of war, natural disaster, famine or oppressive government is rare. Nowhere in the world can enjoy the blessings we have yet we tend to be the most dissatisfied and thankless countries in the world. Why is that?

 “For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.” Romans 1::21

          No more helpful is our marketing industry who, while appealing to our emotions, feelings and thought,  feeds on the desires of the human heart and finds certain patterns of behavior to attract them towards attaining their lifestyle goals. We live in a culture of satisfaction. While in most countries the definition for "need" is food, clothing and shelter, our "needs" fall under a more appropriate category of "wants" "preferences" and "desires."

Robbed of Gratitude

Thankful for my parents for this gift

           As I process my mornings "inconveniences" I learn of how robbed I am from the opportunity to be thankful. Thankful for the soft surface to sleep, a healthy body, the car that was generously given by my parents as a college gift, witnessing the beauty and power of God through the snow storm and an opportunity to pray and trust in Him to keep me safe in my journey. All of this was stifled by my attitude of entitlement that chose rather to complain about what I felt I deserved.
  

                     Choosing Gratitude

unlimited sushi!

     To be a grateful person implies not only that one is thankful, but more particularly that one is open and receptive. To live with a sense of gratitude means that one appreciate what one has. One can celebrate the moment, enjoy the event, rejoice in the kindness of the giver. As a result, one is not always focusing on what one does not have. It is not something that simply happens, we have to cultivate and choose not to complain but to be grateful.

"give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus" 1 Thess 5:18

     To live with gratitude is to live out of grace and the sustaining and empowering presence of the Holy Spirit. “When we choose the pathway of worship and giving thanks, especially in the midst of difficult circumstances, there is a fragrance, a radiance, that issues forth out of our lives to bless the Lord and others.” It is the profound and ongoing reminder that I deserve nothing apart from punishment but that everything is a gift of unmerited favor from our good and generous Father.

papers papers papers

May we see evidences of God's grace in every situation and cultivate an attitude of gratitude.

Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe. Hebrews 12:28

Me and my lovely girlfriend Joie : )

Thanks for your continued prayers as I journey through my education at Briercrest!


Please pray for:
1) Diligence in studies
2) Health (so I can keep playing hockey!)
3) Deeper intimacy with Jesus

Entitlement vs Gratitude

         Hey friends, I have underestimated the time-devouring animal that is college but just want to let you know, as intimidating school has been for me God continues to encourage me with his presence. God has already been working in my heart and mind, revealing more and more of who He is and who He's wired me to be. I really want to get into the details of everything I'm learning but I'm going to leave you with some quotes I've compiled for the paper I'm writing for my Christian Worldviews class.

One of the thing I noticed when coming back to Canada after being in South Korea is our culture's sense of entitlement and a loss of gratitude.

Let me know if you have any thoughts or comments on this topic that might inspire this paper!

May we gratefully recognize the gift of life which comes from the creator and respond with humility, awe, recognition of how blessed we are to have the opportunity to learn, grow, love, create, share and help others.  

              Eventually, when we look back on our existence, we see it all as a blessing, so we thank God for the fear, we thank God for the doubt, we thank God for the anger. And we thank God as each form of negativity becomes unnecessary as a response in our lives. – John Morton

                 We have to say simply, “Lord I receive, and I am grateful” It doesn’t matter what religion you practice; we must all surrender to the highest source we can. All of us must ask for protection, for that is what surrender really is – placing ourselves into the protecting hands of God – John Roger

To Know is to Love

I want to share with you some burning question that has been floating around my mind since starting school. The question of "why to get more education when I already know too much?" The reality is that we already know so much about how we need to apply Jesus' teachings but there is a great chasm between what we know and what we do. Application and implication of knowledge is our challenge. Why should I be in school gathering more intellect when I can't even handle the intellect I've already been entrusted with? In my Christian worldviews class we discussed this very question about education. With all our access to knowledge, are we becoming any wiser? At oxford university there can be found these words written on bookmarks and postcards. The more I study the more I know The more I know the more I forget The more I forget the less I know So why study?

In the Hebrew way of knowing could be summed up in this way: "to have knowledge of, means to have responsibility to, means to have care for. If one knows, one cares; if one does not care, one does not know. It is personal knowledge, but not private or subjective; the differences are decisive. Rather it is rooted in the deepest realities of God's nature and character, and our bearing His image, called to care for the world in imitation of Christ" Who is my Neighbor? I'm sure you remember the story of the Good Samaritan. The Priest and Levite, the people deemed to have a concern and love for the things of God walk past the man beaten up and mugged while the Samaritan comes to his need. Jesus condemns the Priest and Levite of not fulfilling the law of love to be a good neighbor. Jesus shows us that to know is to love. To know is to Love.

This is my prayer for the next few years of school and for the church. That our knowing would reach its full objective and target. Love!

First Weeks Impression

Since passing into the province of Saskatchewan I've been in a constant state of nostalgia. For those of you who don't know me as well, I grew up as a prairie boy from Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan until the age of 9 when our family was relocated to beautiful British Columbia. Briercrest College is just outside of Moose Jaw in a tiny town called Caronport where, while I was young my Dad was attending College to become a Pastor. Now, 14 years later after traveling all over the map, God has brought me back to square one where my life first began to launch into the same training my old man went through to become a Pastor. It's been quite a remarkable few days as I've just stopped to remember how faithful God has been to our family since we moved from the prairies. I've settled in nicely in the 'Sundbo' dorm building on a floor full of musicians and athletes from all over Canada. It's great to be surrounded by so many gifted dudes who love Jesus and are seeking God's will for their lives. All day, everywhere you go you can hear people playing music and singing. The other night we had a big fire going at a pit they have on campus and were all singing and worshiping together. It was pretty awesome to be able to meet new people in this context. In terms of the academics part of school, (which has probably been one of the least considered parts since being here) it has been nothing short of a brilliant first impression. After hearing some of the faculty and staff here at Briercrest I was impressed by the level of spirituality and vision they possess for the school and students. There is a profound sense that Briercrest is an incubator of spiritual development where the faculty are God's heat lamps imparting growth and knowledge into us students. One thing I am particularly thankful for is the daily chapel students are expected to attend. Every day, as we prepare to engage our minds in study there will be a 45 minute window of time where we stop and give praise to our King, receive some spiritual nourishment from the Word and remember the reason why we're here. All in all it's been a great first week and looking forward to getting into the rhythm of college. Blessings from the flat lands!

Sharpen the Edge

Dear Family, Friends, and Lakeside flock

Welcome to my newest blog! I will be attending Briercrest College this upcoming September and look forward to sharing with you all God is teaching me throughout this time. I do, however would like to share with you a little about how I've gotten to this point and my reasoning behind furthering my education.

That was Then...
For the last four years I've had the unimaginable privilege of being a tool in the hands of God traveling all over the world sharing the love and good news about His Son Jesus Christ. From the islands of Hawaii, Fiji, Vanuatu, Tonga throughout Europe and all over Asia. I sit back and marvel at just how faithful God has been not only to save me from the direction my sinful life was heading but to choose and use me to participate and step into the redemptive work He is doing in peoples lives all over the world.

I'm convinced he never needed my help, but like a good Dad who loves his kids just wants to be with them and work along side of them. There is no other explanation for what I've been able accomplish in these last few years apart from the power of the Holy Spirit. What an incredible feeling it is to be in God's will!

This is Now...
I always kind of felt that going to school was unnecessary for missions-minded people who live with gospel urgency. After all, I don't need an education to tell people about Jesus, do I? Most of the 12 disciples didn't have degrees and they flipped the world upside down! What would getting a degree give me other than a big head and better job opportunities?

This was my thought process while doing missions work until at one point I sought counsel from a Pastor concerning the idea of going to school and getting more education. He shared with me the following story;

A young lumberjack challenged an older co-worker to a contest. Each of them wanted to see which man could fell the most trees in a single day. By sundown, it was obvious that the older lumberjack had won hands down. The younger fellow couldn’t figure it out. He had chopped non-stop all day, while the older lumberjack had stopped every hour. When asked, the older man explained, “Every time I sat down, I was sharpening my axe.” The young man who was too busy cutting down trees to stop and sharpen his axe lost the contest.

He explained that, as Christians living gospel-centered lives we need to take time and “sharpen” our proverbial axes. Such time is well-spent, not wasted since we will be more effective and prepared for whatever "forest' God puts us in.

Jesus was always busy, but never in a hurry. He was always under pressure to respond to the needs of people, yet He was at peace. He spent time away to recharge His spiritual batteries so that he could be ready for more ministry and influence.

With this new perspective I made the decision to devote the next three years of my life to educating myself in church history, theology, worldviews and Christian ministry. Since God has called me to be a Pastor of His church I want to be the very best I can be for Him. I believe this schooling will equip and sharpen me so that I might be an effective tool in His hands.

Please be keeping me in your prayers;
- Diligence in Academics
- Heart and Mind Transformation
- Deeper intimacy with Jesus
- To be a blessing to the school and community

"Not that I have now attained this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to lay hold of and make my own, that for which Christ Jesus has laid hold of me and made me His own" Phil3.12


"I also pray 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" Eph1.18