Category Archives: Testimonies

Testimonies of how God has worked in my life or those of others

Basic Principles, Body of Christ, Bride of Christ, Covid-19 Nuggets of Hope, Faith and Anxiety, Holy Spirit, Intimacy with God, Seasonal Thoughts, Testimonies

Nuggets of Hope 27 – Are you listening?

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PSSST … 

Hey you. I have some things to tell you. Secrets. Things that can help you.  Are you listening? This is really important.

God. 

This is a time of many opinions, much commentary, many unknowns and uncertainties, many claims and counter-claims, much fear and anxiety, much suspicion and accusation, much unrest and contention.

In the storm of words, it is a great gift to be able to quiet one’s thoughts by giving our attention to the Holy One.

Before I was born again, I could not do this. I was a young United Church pastor – attempting to be a shepherd to others although I did not yet really know the Good Shepherd. I was driven and anxious much of the time. I wanted peace – wanted it desperately – but I could not think my way into it.

I found that the way to peace was through surrender of my will to Jesus Christ and baptism with the Holy Spirit. Right away my life became much simpler as I no longer felt compelled to solve every problem or come up with a solution for every situation. There was such freedom in not being responsible for everything.

I am very grateful for those who trained me, early on in my walk with Christ, in learning to listen to the quiet whisper of Holy Spirit speaking to my spirit.

Nowadays, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, I am finding that to stay healthy I need to practice a few simple disciplines.  Physical exercise, prayer, Scripture, work, rest.

One of the most important is to pay more attention to the voice of the Lord than to the voice of man.

From the time I was a young child I always wanted to know what was true and what was false. I also have a strong sense of justice and hate to see lies and wrongs prevail. These are good qualities but I have found that in order to stay in God’s peace – which is the place of order and productivity and fruitfulness and life and hope – I need to discipline myself to listen to His voice in preference to all the other voices. When I forget this, even for a short time, I pay a price. When I remember it, peace returns and I am able to see clearly again because I have heard the voice of the One who is True.

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy.
I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.
Jesus, John 10:10

My thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways …
as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
God, Isaiah 55:8-9

The Lord knows the thoughts of man,
That they are a mere breath.
Blessed is the man whom You chasten, O Lord,
And whom You teach out of Your law;
That You may grant him relief from the days of adversity,
Until a pit is dug for the wicked.
Psalm 94:11-13

The Holy Spirit is such a blessing to me. In an instant He can cut through the confusion of human voices and give me His perspective. He doesn’t answer all my questions but He directs my attention to the one thing that I need to pay attention to in that moment. This brings rest to my thoughts and keeps me stable, focussed and productive.

One of my favourite Psalms speaks of the secret counsel of the Lord which is available only to those who fear Him. It is like the counsel that one gives to a trusted friend. I need that secret counsel on a daily basis, to guide my life, to show me His ways and keep me from trouble.

I daresay you need that daily counsel of the Lord as much as I do.

Are you listening?

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Brokenness and Wholeness, Faith and Suffering, House of Prayer, Testimonies

Love is stronger than death

I recently heard the inspiring story of a boy named Sagan and his friends, a group of former slumdogs in India whose lives were changed forever when they were rescued from desperate poverty through child sponsorship in Gospel for Asia’s Bridge of Hope program.

Bridge of Hope not only fed and clothed Sagan and his friends, but also taught them the love and power of God. With the simplicity of a child they believed what they were taught and put it into practice. The amazing results are portrayed in this brief but powerful video. God answered their simple prayers of faith, and a dying boy was raised back to life and health. The impact was astounding. (Please don’t skip over the video – you won’t regret the 5 minutes it takes to watch).

The love of Jesus is stronger than the power of death.

 

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Faith and Suffering, Intercession, Testimonies, Worship

You make me brave

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In recent weeks the social media have been full of reports of the horrific brutalities committed by ISIS in Syria and Iraq. Beheadings, crucifixions, rapes, genital mutilation – these are only some of the atrocities committed by ISIS against those they consider infidels, including many Christian believers. The capital of Kurdistan in Iraq is now full of refugees and surrounded by bloodthirsty jihadist armies. The only thing holding the jihadis at bay is the threat of American airstrikes should they proceed to march on the Kurdish capital.

As one who is called to intercede for God’s people, I have found that I can only take these reports in limited doses. I do need to be aware of the strategies and schemes of the evil one, but if I allow my attention to be riveted by the works of darkness, my soul can easily fall into the grip of lethargy and my prayers become negative and faithless – if I pray them at all.

This is not the lethargy of one who does not care. It is the lethargy of one who cares, but feels small and hopeless in the face of the seemingly overwhelming power of evil. Perhaps you are familiar with these sorts of thoughts and feelings.

Today I rediscovered God’s antidote for this sort of lethargy. While going through my mail pile I came across a number of missionary newsletters containing testimonies of the hardships, sufferings and needs faced by Christian workers in Cuba, China, Bangladesh, Nepal, India, Iran and elsewhere. But these newsletters were not full of despair. On the contrary they were full of hope. To borrow a phrase from one of the newsletters, despite these difficulties, there are many good news stories to celebrate.

There are always good news stories to celebrate. Even in Syria and Iraq, as Christians are being slaughtered, others are turning to Jesus as Muslims search for a better answer. As darkness seems to be increasing all over the earth, we need to remind ourselves that the Spirit of God is also at work all over the earth, revealing the glory of Jesus in increasing measure to hungry, seeking hearts. John the apostle reminds us that in the hour of Satan’s rage, when he makes furious war on the people of God because he knows his time is short, God’s people overcome the enemy by a powerful but simple three-part recipe – the blood of the Lamb, the word of their testimony, and the willingness to die for their faith if need be, knowing that the Lamb has already conquered death on their behalf.

The title of this post is taken from a great new worship song by Amanda Cook of Bethel Music. I love this song because it calls my attention to the power and goodness of God, and causes faith and courage to rise up in my heart.

I don’t want to escape the hard realities of life. I want to face them with hope, in the knowledge that the Lamb of God is victorious. So I turn to the Lord to receive anew the assurance of His great love and His keeping power. In that strong confidence, I find that I am empowered once again to pray prayers full of renewed faith and courage for those who are facing an uncertain future in this life, but who have placed their hope in the risen One and his coming Kingdom.

 

 

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Testimonies

Farewell, old friend

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One of my high school buddies passed away a week ago today.  I was invited to speak some words of remembrance at his funeral, and counted it a privilege to be given this opportunity. Marilyn (his widow) told me that she wanted me to do this because there would be people there who don’t know Jesus, and she wanted them to hear the gospel. Even in her grief she was thinking of others. What a blessing.

What follows is the message I shared at my friend’s leave-taking yesterday. Even the best words are inadequate at a time like this. Nonetheless, I pray that these heartfelt thoughts will encourage you in your own walk with the Lord. That’s what Dan would have wanted.

I first met Dan when he and I sang in the high school choir together. That was 45 years ago, when I was in grade 12. I guess that makes me an old friend.

Dan and I spent a lot of time together during our college years. I was involved in Dan’s wedding and he was involved in mine.

I lost touch with Dan when he moved out West. Then he showed up again a little over twenty years ago. He had moved back to Ottawa and had met a woman that he wanted to marry. I had also moved back to Ottawa, and was leading a small church that I had planted. Dan wanted to know if I could conduct the marriage ceremony for him and Marilyn.

In the course of preparing for the marriage, Dan told me that he and Marilyn had both had an encounter with Jesus through the witness of Marilyn’s son Brian. I had also had an encounter with Jesus, and had surrendered my life to Him. So I was thrilled to learn that Dan was now my brother in the Lord. It was as if I had a brand new friend. We could pray together and talk about the deepest issues of life. This was truly wonderful to me.

Dan had always been a gentle, quiet and thoughtful man. But now that Jesus was in control of Dan’s life, I saw a peace in him that hadn’t been there before.

Since then I have prayed with Dan on many occasions, especially after his health began to decline a few years ago. Dan had a very simple, childlike faith. He was very receptive to the moving of the Holy Spirit. This made it easy to pray with him for healing. Dan knew that God had been good to him far beyond what he deserved, and he was always full of hope and gratitude to Jesus. He took great delight in the beauty of God’s creation. He loved music, fall colours, the flowers in his garden, his dog, his motorcycle, camping trips, his friends, his wife Marilyn, and their children and grandchildren. Most of all he loved the Lord.

I remember when Marion and I visited Dan and Marilyn a little over a year ago. It was a beautiful warm September day. Dan told me that the doctors had given him three months to live. He said that he wasn’t afraid to die, but he didn’t think it was his time yet.

Dan’s words proved to be true. The Lord gave him another year, and it was a good year. He and Marilyn were allowed to walk together through another cycle of the seasons of this life – winter, spring, summer and fall. Dan posted many photos of garden flowers, and he and Marilyn enjoyed a camping trip on Thanksgiving weekend. What a blessing.

Dan’s symptoms began to recur around the middle of November, and by the end of the month he had died. We are sad that Dan is gone because we will miss him. But we must not be sad for him, or say that his life was too short. He is now with the Lord, and his life has only just begun. Dan had placed his hope in Jesus, who died and rose again and now lives forever. “I am the resurrection and the life”, says the Lord. “Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die.”

That was Dan’s hope and that is the confident expectation of everyone who has put their hope in Jesus Christ. It can be your hope too.

Thanks be to God.

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Brokenness and Wholeness, Faith and Sports, Faith and Suffering, Reflections on Life, Testimonies

Protected

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I was riding my bike along the Rideau River cycle path, pedaling through familiar parkland, on the last leg of my half-hour ride home from work.  The river was on my right, partly obscured by a narrow strip of wooded land. A strip of open parkland was on my left. There was the usual after-work traffic along the cycle path, but nothing to suggest that an accident was about to happen. Everything seemed perfectly normal.

I had two meetings that evening – both quite important. I was enjoying the ride, but I wanted to get home, get showered and changed, and prepare for the evening.

Then it happened. As is often the case with accidents, there was little warning. My attention was focussed on an oncoming cyclist on the other side of the pathway, and I was adjusting my position accordingly. There were also some pedestrians on or near the path, and I was conscious of needing to avoid them as well. Consequently, I wasn’t looking to my right, or I might have noticed some movement in the bushes by the river. Suddenly a mid-size dog bounded out of the bushes onto the path directly in front of me. The next thing I remember, I was on the ground, screaming in pain. I had gone down hard. All the major joints on my right side – shoulder, elbow, hip and knee – were throbbing.

After half a minute or so, I managed to get up, and found to my relief that I could still move my shoulder. This was my first concern, as four years previously I had dislocated a shoulder in a similar accident.  I was a little dazed, and had painful scrapes and road rash all along my right side, but had no serious injuries. Several people stopped to make sure I was all right. I thanked them all and told them I would be OK.

I checked out my bike and found that it was basically intact. So, after waiting a few minutes for the pain to subside to a tolerable level, I got back on the bike and rode the short distance home – a wounded warrior seeking comfort and shelter. I have never been more happy to reach the safety and familiarity of my own back yard.

After I had showered and washed my wounds, Marion bandaged the worst one and put ointment on the others. But it wasn’t until she asked me “Is your head OK?” that I realized something remarkable. My head did not hurt at all. It was totally fine. I did have a few seconds of very mild lightheadedness, but absolutely no pain and no symptoms of concussion. Then we both realized that I ought to take a look at my helmet. I took a look at it, and saw two cracks on the right side – a little one and a big one.

When I thought about the cracks in my helmet, I realized that I had been protected from what could have been very serious harm. A bruised hip and shoulder, and scrapes along the elbow and knee, are really no big deal. Today, four days later, I am well on the way to recovery from all these minor wounds. But if I had landed hard on the pavement without a helmet, who knows what the outcome would have been?

Paul the apostle wrote many letters of advice and instruction to young churches full of new Christians living in a hostile world. He knew he needed to give them plenty of hope and encouragement. He told these new believers that they were like stars in a dark night sky. He told them that in the midst of the darkness of a corrupt and dying world, they were children of the day who could look forward to the glorious new world that God had promised. He also said that in the midst of the struggles of living in a culture that was mostly hostile to their faith and values, they could equip themselves by putting on faith and love like a breastplate, and the hope of salvation like a helmet. In this way their hearts and minds would be protected.

Marion rightly reminds me that I need to wear my bike helmet every time I go out on my bike. I confess that in the past, on occasion I have not worn it when I was going for only a short ride on a hot day in the neighbourhood. On those muggy July days, a helmet is hot and sweaty, and sometimes you don’t want to wear it. But since my recent accident, my helmet has proved its value to me, and I will wear it every time I ride my bike. There was no way I could have predicted my accident of a few days ago. I could need my helmet at any moment.

In my email inbox I receive daily bulletins detailing some of the struggles of Christ-followers in lands where being a Christian makes you a public enemy. When your home could be burned, your pastor could be jailed, your daughter could be raped or forced into a marriage she does not want simply because you and your family are Christians, you need a hope that circumstances can’t destroy. You can’t wait until persecution hits to secure yourself with this hope. The hope of salvation has to be your daily companion, because you could need it at any moment.

Sometimes, we don’t feel like turning off the TV or the laptop or the tablet or the smartphone to immerse ourselves in the Word of God. Sometimes we’d rather entertain ourselves than feed our spirits with worship. Christians in Canada have it pretty easy and our need for the hope of salvation may not seem all that pressing. But what are you going to do when your mother dies, or your father gets laid off, or your best friend is on drugs, or your marriage is falling apart, or your employer goes bankrupt, or you are facing sexual temptation, or someone in your life needs hope and you have none to give? What would you give for an intimate knowledge of God when disaster comes? If you have no real life with God – if your “faith, hope and love account” is bankrupt – what will you do when your next door neighbour or your friend at work or school is hungry for answers? What will you have to feed them if your cupboard is bare? And what will you do when persecution comes to Canada? What will you do when Jesus returns? How will you answer him?

I could take my helmet with me and strap it onto the back of my bike, and say that I have my helmet so I’m OK, but it wouldn’t do me any good. You may say you believe the Bible is the Word of God, but if you don’t read it, it does you no good. As for me, I can truthfully say that I know the Word of God quite well. But if I don’t pay attention to the Word I know, it doesn’t do me a bit of good. I can say that I know Jesus, but if I don’t listen to Him, what good is it? I know lots of worship songs, but if I don’t take time to worship the Lord with my whole being, what good are the songs?

The only way that I know of to put on faith and love as a breastplate and the hope of salvation as a helmet is to do it every day. Every day I need to turn to Jesus, renew my mind with His word, turn away from distractions and pour out my heart to Him in worship. Daily I need to be quiet with Him and listen to what He wants to say to me. This is how my hope stays fresh and bright and alive. Even two or three days without setting time aside to give my full attention to Jesus, and I can tell the difference.

I can’t afford to ride my bike without a helmet. It’s foolish. My helmet is my protection. I know that now, and I will never ride without it again.

In just the same way, I can’t afford to travel the pathways of life without wearing the helmet of the hope of salvation. I need to anchor myself in Jesus every day. He is ready to protect me, empower me and fill me with hope so that I’m ready for every circumstance – but it’s up to me to put on my helmet.

 

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Evangelism, Intercession, Testimonies

The man in white

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From Iran, with all its turmoil, unrest and repression, comes this amazing story. The story is not unique – there are many like it – but it is so wonderful that it’s well worth repeating. Joel Richardson of Kansas City, who has been involved in ministry to Muslims for many years, heard this account from a friend of his – we’ll call him Ali – who is an underground church planter in Iran.

Ali had learned that in a remote Iranian village, a man had become a believer in Jesus even though there were no other known Christ followers in his village. Wanting to find out how this man had come to believe in Jesus, Ali travelled to the village to meet with the man. The villager related how he had been visited by a figure wearing a white robe, with shoulder-length hair and a very commanding presence. The unknown man in white spoke at length to the villager and told him to write down his words. The villager agreed. The message spoken by the man in white convinced this villager to become a believer in Jesus, even though there were no other Christians in his village.

After hearing the villager’s story, Ali asked him if he could see the words that had convinced him to become a Christian. The villager showed Ali a large journal in which he had written down all the words spoken by the man in white.  It was written in Farsi, but the English translation of the first line began with these words :

In the beginning was the word. The word was with God, and the word was God

The villager who had become a Christian was holding in his hands a hand written copy of the entire Gospel of John which he had transcribed into his journal. He told Ali that the man in white had related these words to him, verbatim.

How amazing is that? Even a tyrannical Islamic regime cannot prevent the good news of Jesus from being revealed to hungry hearts. Stories like this one motivate me to pray, for surely it is the prayers of God’s people that move His heart to send messengers to the lost.

Joel Richardson comments that such stories are actually quite common in Iran, where many new believers are coming to faith through divine encounters, dreams and visions.

 

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Testimonies

Healed of Stage Four Bone Cancer

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I don’t often post testimonies in my blog but this is too good not to share.

All glory to Jesus.

Stage 4 Bone Cancer – Gone !

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Evangelism, Intercession, Reflections on Life, Testimonies

Was blind but now I see

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Yesterday I met a man who prayed for my salvation over thirty-five years ago, when we were both students at the same college.

Until yesterday I had not known that he had been praying for me, and he had not realized that his prayer had been answered.

Back in the 1970s, I was a spiritually hungry but very confused young man. I was studying theology at Queen’s Theological College in Kingston, Ontario, which only served to increase my state of confusion. Most of the faculty and students did not really know what they believed. However, they were quick to mock anyone who claimed to be born again, or who articulated a simple faith in the Lordship of Jesus and the Bible as the Word of God, or who said they had been “saved”. Sadly, I joined in the general chorus of mockery. How foolish and arrogant we were in our presumed wisdom.

I do remember, though, that there were a few students at QTC who were different from the rest. Ken was one of the ones who stood out. He had a confident faith which he expressed with respect but without apology. I wouldn’t have said so at the time, but looking back I realize that Ken scared me. It wasn’t that he himself was a scary guy. He was intelligent, polite, and well-spoken. It was his confident, well-grounded faith that scared me, because it challenged the core assumptions of my life. In particular, Ken challenged my prideful assumption that I did not need anyone to save me. I thought I knew so much and had so many answers, but in reality I had no answers at all, and knew nothing about the things that really mattered. I wanted spiritual truth, but I wanted it on my own terms. I was not yet ready to surrender my will to anyone. Still, I remember being hungry for the peace and assurance that I saw in people like Ken, even though at the time I would not have had the words to say so.

I was part of the graduating class of 1977 at QTC, although I hung around for a couple more years and did further studies while my wife finished her degree. Ken likewise graduated, and having been refused for ordination in the United Church because he was unwilling to compromise his convictions on baptism, he was ordained as a Free Methodist pastor. We had not been close while at college, and I never expected to see him again.

Fast forward ten years to 1987.  By this point I was married with two children, and trying to be a pastor, all the while still trying to convince myself that I had answers. The truth was that I had no answers at all. Any fragments of truth or wisdom that I did understand were of no real value to me or anyone else, because I lacked the One who holds all things together. But God had prepared salvation for me. Through the loving ministry of the Anglican pastor in our village, a faithful and intelligent man of God, I finally surrendered my pride and accepted Jesus as Lord of my life.

Fast forward another twenty-five years to 2012.  Through a mutual friend I discovered that a fellow by the name of Ken Roth was pastoring a Free Methodist church in Stittsville. I remembered his name from college and decided to contact him.

It must have been the Holy Spirit that prompted me to get in touch with Ken, because when we finally got together for coffee and a chat at the One Way Ministries office, both of us were encouraged, humbled and amazed at the goodness of God.

Ken told me that back in his days at Queen’s he used to go into the chapel almost every day to pray for the other students and faculty at the college. As one of the only students at QTC who honoured the integrity and power of the gospel of Jesus Christ, he must have been incredibly lonely. Life at Queen’s must have been a huge battle for him. Yet he didn’t give in to the temptation to become bitter or arrogant. He remained gentle, humble and truthful in his dealings with his fellow students and faculty, and (as I learned yesterday) he remained faithful to the hidden ministry of intercession.

As one who has been waking up to the realization that intercessory prayer is one of God’s major callings on this season of my life, I found this tremendously moving and motivating. I was humbled and amazed to realize how faithful Ken had been in praying for all of us so many years ago, and even more so, how faithful God had been. I had the amazing privilege of telling Ken that at least in my life, the prayers he had prayed more than thirty-five years previously had found an answer.

I believe he was encouraged. I know I was.

 

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Reflections on Life, Seasonal Thoughts, Testimonies

A new creation

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I love hearing people tell about how Jesus has changed their lives.

Yesterday Marion, Bethany and I spent a few hours with some new friends.  They opened their home to us, and we had dinner with them and their four active children, aged 7 to 19.  Their hospitality was warm and generous.

My new friend S. was quite open about what his life had been like before he had met Jesus.  He had grown up starved for love, in a family that was deeply wounded by alcoholism and other forms of brokenness.  His parents cared about him but were too wounded and hardened to know how to give their six children the kind of love that young children need to be emotionally and spiritually healthy.  They went to church and were taught to pray prayers by rote, but they had no understanding of what it might mean to have a relationship with a God who loved them.  In this atmosphere of pain, S. grew up a drinker and a fighter.  At 38 years of age, after several troubled years of marriage, he and his wife N. surrendered their lives to Jesus.  Today, 14 years later, S. and N. freely testify to how Jesus has changed their lives.  S. told me “My heart used to be hard, but Jesus has softened it”.  Their family is very much a work in progress, but they love their children freely and are teaching them to place their hope in Jesus.  They are not a “religious” family but they are a believing family.  S. and N. serve the Lord in many ways, and are eager to know Him better and share their faith with others who are seeking.

Their lives were a refreshing reminder to me that anyone who is in Christ is a new creation.   It’s very evident to me that my new friends are “the real deal”.  Pretense is not a part of their character or their lifestyle.  When I consider where they came from, I have only one explanation for the life they are now living.  They have been redeemed by the precious blood of Jesus from the empty, destructive, pointless way of life handed down to them from their ancestors.  Because Jesus lives in them, they are free to live a new life – and they are living that new life, and are determined to go on living it, by the grace of God.

In many respects my testimony is quite different from theirs, but at its core it is exactly the same.  A broken man found peace with God through the sacrifice of Jesus the Messiah.  Because Jesus lives, I now live a changed life.  The change is not yet complete, but my hope is in Jesus the risen One, and I believe He will finish what He has begun.  Trials may come – in fact, I am sure they will come – but they will not be able to topple the unshakable rock on which I now stand.  I have tasted the new wine of the Spirit of Life, and I look forward to the day when Jesus will return in glory to establish His Kingdom openly on the earth.

How do I know Jesus is alive?  The testimony of the New Testament is consistent.  The apostles had encountered the risen Lord personally.  They were convinced he was alive because they had seen Him with their own eyes, and witnessed His power and glory.  In this conviction they were willing to lay down their lives for Him, to tell anyone who would listen about His love and power, and to love even their enemies and persecutors.

I can’t claim to have seen the risen Jesus with my eyes,  but I have seen the influence of His resurrection life on those who have given up the illusion of independence and placed their hope in Him.  I have seen people healed in body, I have seen broken relationships renewed and shattered families restored.  I have seen people set free of demonic powers that had bound their lives for years.  I have seen hardened, skeptical hearts softened.  I have seen people give up their ambitions and live their lives for the One who gave their lives for Him.  I have witnessed genuine community – the bonds of faithful covenant love – among people who have nothing in common except that they belong to Jesus.

Why do I believe Jesus is alive?  Because He has proven Himself to me over and over again.  Can I prove this to you?  No, but He can prove Himself to you, if you are willing to surrender control of your life and place your hope in Him.

Some will say this is too foolish, too simple.  I say it is the truth that has changed my life, and I no longer want to live for anything else or anyone else.  This is the only hope that change and death cannot destroy.  Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life.

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Basic Principles, Eschatology, Reflections on Life, Testimonies

Until the day dawns

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This morning our church family at All Nations was stirred by a first-hand account of what can only be called a miracle.  Steve Wilkins, who gives leadership to our elders’ team, told an amazing tale of how a series of medical tests were overturned by one final test.  The original series of tests had indicated a serious genetic problem with the baby in Sarah’s womb, and the geneticists had fully expected this final test to confirm their conclusion that Sarah would give birth to a child with Down’s Syndrome.  Praise God, these expectations were completely overturned.  Steve related the amazement of the doctors, who told them “We don’t understand how this could have happened, but our latest test shows your baby to be completely free of any genetic disorders.”

Those who know the power of Jesus understand that this was not just an accident, but a restorative miracle from the hand of a loving and powerful God.  Those who belong to Jesus know that God is for us and not against us.  We know that when Jesus died on the cross as a sacrifice for our sins, he made a way for those who trust Him to be fully reconciled to God.  The debt of sin is completely cancelled, and the fear of death is destroyed because we are looking forward not to a terrifying judgment, but to a glorious resurrection.  Healing miracles like the one that Steve related this morning are wonderful encouragements to our faith, showing us the mercy and kindness of God, and pointing us to the life of the age to come.

They are not, however, a reason to believe that we will sail through this present life with no obstacles, hardships or trials.  Yes, Jesus was raised from the dead as a sign of the resurrection to come, but that resurrection has not happened yet.  As a down payment or deposit on our inheritance, He has given us the Holy Spirit to live within us, and so the powers of the age to come are at work now, giving us much cause for joy and celebration.  Still, in this age, we remain subject to death, suffering and pain, and this will continue to be true until Jesus returns.  The reality is that we are all going to die.  I am going to die. You are going to die.  The baby in Sarah Wilkins’ womb will one day die.  Even people who are raised to life in this age, like Lazarus in the Bible, will one day die again.  Even Jesus said as much: “In this world you will have trouble“.  But then he added, “Take heart – I have overcome the world“.

When I read the New Testament, I find in the words of Jesus and the experience and teaching of the apostles both encouragements and warnings.  My Bible tells me that until the day dawns and the Lord returns, I can expect both blessing and trouble.  The trouble comes partly from living in a fallen world that has not yet been restored, and partly from direct opposition to the gospel. Christians haven’t been used to much direct opposition in Canada, but it is becoming more common, and that shouldn’t really surprise us.  Jesus told his disciples to expect it, and warned them that opposition would grow more intense as His return draws near.  As that Day approaches I believe that His people can expect both increasing upheavals and increasing glory.

Does this mean that I am going to be passive about pursuing the blessings of God?  Not at all.  I am determined to live with an expectant heart, believing that God is on my side, and knowing that as His son I am eligible to receive every blessing that He promises to those who belong to Jesus.  But more than his blessings I want to pursue the one who gave His life for me, knowing that as a disciple of Jesus my life is not my own.  In that knowledge is great freedom, but it comes at a price.  As Jesus’ disciple I must be willing to go through everything He went through, should the occasion call for it.

I believe in healings; I believe in miracles; I believe that God prospers and provides for His people.  Ultimately, though, my hope is not in any of these things, but in a crucified Messiah who is coming again to establish His Kingdom openly on the earth.  According to His word I am looking for a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness.  My true desire is to be conformed to the image of Christ.  Because I look forward to the age to come, to which the Scriptures consistently testify, I believe that no work of righteousness is ever wasted.  Every deed motivated by faith will be rewarded and fulfilled at the renewal of all things.  I want to be a positive influence in the world I live in, sharing the life of Jesus with those who are hungry for an enduring and substantial hope.  Many of the people of this age – even people of goodwill, who are trying to make a difference – hope only for an improved version of the world as they know it.  Their hope is limited to making this world a better place.  It is good to do works of justice and mercy while we are in this life, but in the final analysis I am not banking on my own ability – or the ability of you and me together – to build a better world with our own hands.  No, I have placed my hope in a coming age in which Jesus will reign openly as King, all death, pain and suffering will be destroyed, and all things will be restored.  This is the true apostolic gospel, and on this gospel I take my stand.   Until the day dawns, this hope will be the anchor for my soul.

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