Repeatedly I am confronted by people who claim to be disciples of Jesus, but all they want to talk about is their right to gather in a building and do their thing. Religion buildings do not come from God. The early Church did not build. The Roman Emperor Constantine (and his wife, and his Mother especially) started that in AD332. Buildings follow the pattern of his throne room, not heaven. The early Church believed what Jesus said, “Go and preach…teaching…” Paul made it clear that our bodies “are the temple of God”, not bricks and mortar. The cross, the centre of Christian living, has been displaced with religious rituals. Jesus died. Where is the life of sacrifice modelled by the Saviour? Jesus said, “Take up your cross every day…”, but in North America Christians take up their protest and placards and selfish interpretations of what is really important. When the early disciples said, “We must obey God rather than human regulations” it was because they were told to stop evangelizing, not gathering for religious worship! How does self-centred demands for personal traditions of worship teach God’s love or preach Good News that we can be forgiven and have eternal life?! Paul preached in the market place, beside the river (in Philippi), in prison (!!). Is it the poor and homeless and patients in ER with infections who are demanding their rights? No, it is those who live a life of privilege instead of the cross!! Do you want to be known as people who have been with Jesus (Acts 4:13), then start witnessing to the love and kindness of God, not whining about government rules that are designed to save lives. People of faith should not need a secular government to tell them to care more about others’ safety than personal dogma.

“10 Finally, receive your power from the Lord and from his mighty strength. 11 Put on all the armor that God supplies. In this way you can take a stand against the devil’s strategies. 12 This is not a wrestling match against a human opponent. We are wrestling with rulers, authorities, the powers who govern this world of darkness, and spiritual forces that control evil in the heavenly world” (Ephesians 6:10-12 God’s Word Translation©).

Believers in Canada are fervent supporters of President Trump and contemptuous of Prime Minister Trudeau (or the reverse), slanderous of Pope Francis, blindly loyal to their own denomination, close-minded advocates of one economic system or another, and even emotional terrorists against those who defend different sectarian rules of belief…

Shake yourself and see the light. NONE of these things is eternal! None of these people or philosophies will get you into heaven, nor are they strong enough to keep you out of it.

There is only one loyalty that deserves your obedience, Jesus and the cross upon which you crucify all your personal opinions and allegiances and addictions.

When you rant for or against something that has its roots only on this earth and not in the heavenly realm can people tell you are a disciple of Jesus? Or do you just look like anybody with a chip on your shoulder or an impulsive bully? “After they found out that Peter and John had no education or special training, they were surprised to see how boldly they spoke. They realized that these men had been with Jesus” (Acts 4:13 God’s Word Translation©).

Our enemy is the great deceiver, Apollyon/Abaddon (the destroyer), not a pope, politician or partisan pugilist.

If Satan feels glee there must be dancing in the palaces of evil at how much energy is wasted on false allegiances, and how much division and hatred and anti-Christian behaviour you display. Take up your cross everyday, not your soapbox. Offer comfort to believers, not conflict over ideology. “These are the people who cause divisions. They are concerned about physical things, not spiritual things” (Jude 19 God’s Word Translation©).

James clearly describes what believers can stoop to when they are driven, not by the cross, but self because “What causes fights and quarrels among you? Aren’t they caused by the selfish desires that fight to control you?” (James 4:1 God’s Word Translation©).

Speak boldly about who God is, not what you think!

Read more…

God does not need you to defend the faith. God asks only that you exercise the faith given to you. Read more…

While I have always noted that our greatest gifts show up as our greatest weaknesses, I have only now recognized how I heard the lesson, but flunked the application. Read more…

Part of my call from God is to justice. Most of it is on a tiny scale, but on rare occasions it has had national exposure. I have been puzzled, though, that when it comes to justice for myself I have no success. Read more…

The cross is not a metaphor; it is the avenue which God chose, and Jesus accepted, to take us into the tenaciously loving embrace of the hands of our Creator. Read more…

If you expect your preacher to present an inspiring sermon then you don’t love her. If the preacher expects the assembled people to pay attention then the preacher does not love them. Read more…