Gethsemane

A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest; So shall your poverty come like a prowler, and your need like an armed man. - Proverbs 24:33-34

The night before Jesus was crucified He went into the garden of Gethsemane to pray.

"The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak", He said to His disciples, "My soul is deeply grieved, to the point of death; remain here and keep watch with me".

Do you ever wonder if you would've stayed up through the night and prayed with Him or would you have dozed off to sleep and your comfortable dreams. I've been awake all night before, under high stress and unable to rein in my myriad of anxieties. That happened to me once and I realised then how long a night actually is. I've also dozed off when I should've stayed awake that's the story I'm going to relate now.

Fifteen years ago my wife and I were backpacking across Europe and we had arrived in the town of Dieppe. It was "Bastille Day"

Bastille Day was not in our otherwise handy travel guide and it's the biggest holiday of the year in France. No banks open and every hostel and hotel full. We actually had a room in a hostel from the night before but they couldn't tell us if they had room for us until 5pm the next day.

We waited around until 5 to let them tell us they had no room. Perfect, so we now started on a pointless journey walking from hotel to hotel only to hear how every place was full.

At some point we came to the realisation that we would be sleeping outside that night. Only problem was, and I'm not sure why, but people in Dieppe don't like you crashing in random places in their town and we didn't want to spend the night outside the relative safety of the streetlights. We decided we would buy a dinner we could eat late on the beach, stay up as late as possible and then take turns sleeping on a bench at the train station.

Dinner was good, we hung out and wandered around town as long as possible and then we walked over to the train station and sat down under the pretense that we were waiting for a train.

The attendant would come over as each train arrived and ask us if this was our train and we'd shake our heads no.

I gallantly took the first turn sleeping.

My wife woke me up when it was her turn to sleep and I groggily came to. I started my watch with the best of intentions but I was so tired. My eyes were heavy, I was constantly rubber-necking and there was nothing to do. I guess I kept waking her up by doing the little things that probably seemed innocuous to a person who's awake but make it difficult for a person to sleep. Or worse, I would ask, "Is it my turn to sleep yet".

She finally woke up and let me sleep. I didn't argue.

Dr Phil says "history is the best predictor of future performance" so I guess if I was in the situation Jesus' disciples were in I'd probably sleep too. My wife thinks if Jesus' disciples were women they would've stayed up and prayed with Him. We'll never know but it's probably a strong hypothesis.

Returning the third time, he said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting? Enough! The hour has come. Look, the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. - Mark 14:41

The face of love

What is man that you make so much of him, that you give him so much attention - Job 7:17

LORD, what is man, that You take knowledge of him? Or the son of man, that You think of him? Man is like a mere breath; His days are like a passing shadow. - Psalm 144:3-4

I started reading a book called "Crazy Love" it's about how amazing God's love for us is. The first chapter highlights the reality of how infinitely small we are even in terms of a physical universe. Some scientists say the universe is finite but unbounded . In other words there is an absolute limit to the amount of stars, planets and matter in existence but the universe is expanding into a unlimited space-time continuum. Expanding or not it's massive and we're small.

Click on this link and then videos and then "Awe factor" http://crazylovebook.com/ to see a video demonstrating just how small we are.

Let's assume for a moment that the universe is only as big as our telescopes can see, hundreds of millions of light years. Even if we assume it's limited to that size, we are so incredibly small in comparison. If we were to try to put that in relative terms on earth, we would be like a microvirus, on a bacteria, on a flea, on a dog, on a continent, on the earth. I can't imagine even the nicest, most sympathetic PETA card-carrying individual even caring for a flea let alone the microvirus. That would be crazy. And yet that's kind of similar to God caring for us.

I've seen Your face on stained glass, in coloured lights
In pictures of You looking to the sky
You've been portrayed a thousand different ways
But my heart can see You better than my eyes
'Cause it's love that paints the portrait of Your life
- The face of love

Always in season

“The New is in the Old concealed, the Old is in the New revealed.”

I found this quote written on the first page of the New Testament of my wife’s childhood Bible. It seems amazing to me that God would use not only words but events, actual history to reveal spiritual truths for people thousands of years in the future.

Here are two scriptures that I have always found curious. I believe they are connected and partially explained in the Old Testament.

The first I began to wonder about while I was lurking on an Atheist discussion website. One of the participants on this site who called himself “Vynn” asserted that there were many errors and inconsistencies in the Bible. He offered up the following verse as one example; John 7:38 “He who believes in me as the scripture said, ‘From his innermost being shall flow rivers of living water’” According to Vynn nowhere in the Old Testament does it say this and neither is there any concept like this. If it’s not in scripture Jesus is either lying or mistaken. God cannot lie or be wrong therefore Jesus isn’t God. Or so goes the argument...

With minimal searching I found the following scripture;

The man brought me back to the entrance of the temple, and I saw water coming out from under the threshold of the temple toward the east (for the temple faced east). The water was coming down from under the south side of the temple, south of the altar. He then brought me out through the north gate and led me around the outside to the outer gate facing east, and the water was flowing from the south side. - Ezekiel 47:1-2

Here's the second one...

And seeing at a distance a fig tree in leaf, (Jesus) went to see if perhaps He would find anything on it; and when He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. And He answered and said to it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again!” And His disciples were listening. – Mark 11:13-14

And as they were passing by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots up. – Mark 11:20

Wha… Hang on, he cursed the fig tree? He knew it wasn’t the season for figs, why would He blame the tree for not bearing fruit?

I think the answer is concealed in Ezekiel…

Then he led me back to the bank of the river. When I arrived there, I saw a great number of trees on each side of the river. He said to me, "This water flows toward the eastern region and goes down into the Arabah, where it enters the Sea. When it empties into the Sea, the water there becomes fresh. Swarms of living creatures will live wherever the river flows. There will be large numbers of fish, because this water flows there and makes the salt water fresh; so where the river flows everything will live. Fishermen will stand along the shore; from En Gedi to En Eglaim there will be places for spreading nets. The fish will be of many kinds—like the fish of the Great Sea. But the swamps and marshes will not become fresh; they will be left for salt. Fruit trees of all kinds will grow on both banks of the river. Their leaves will not wither, nor will their fruit fail. Every month they will bear, because the water from the sanctuary flows to them. Their fruit will serve for food and their leaves for healing." – Ezekiel 47:7-12

The river that flowed from the temple watered the land and life flourished because of it, fish and trees and the trees bore fruit not just in season but every month.

Something happened between the time Jesus cursed the tree and when they returned to see it withered. He found the temple of God in disarray. A den of thieves in the heart of Israel.
If we believe Jesus, living water will flow from our hearts and we will bear the fruit of the Spirit perpetually not just when our circumstances are “in season”.

Dead to the world

Have you ever had a dream that seemed so real you weren't sure if you were awake or dreaming?

I have.

I recently experienced a dream that really affected me and I've been thinking about the meaning of the thing for days.

I woke up at about 1am and couldn't sleep. I tossed and turned until I finally drifted off to sleep again. While I was dreaming I had complete lucid control of my actions but the environment and other characters in my dream were completly out of my control. Then I woke up,... or so I thought and I dreamt almost the same dream a second time. After this dream I was sick for days.

I won't bore you with the details of the dream but one of the messages that I took from it was that although I hate the world I seem to be having an affair with the world at that same time.

If you've seen the Matrix one of the characters Cypher is so sick of the cold, hard reality of the real world that he wants to have his memory erased and be put back into the Matrix (a computer generated virtual reality that appears real to most people). He wants to experience all the pleasures of the world again. In his words... "I know it's not real... but ignorance is bliss"

The reality is once we've been saved we can't go back. Life can never be the same again. I can't roll with the same folks I did once. When they zig left I have to zag right. When they sit down I might be left standing all alone.

You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. - James 4:4

Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. - 1 John 2:15

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—His good, pleasing and perfect will. - Romans 12:2

Man overboard

Last week, myself and a coworker were watching a small pod of Orcas swimming in Seymour Narrows south towards Campbell River. Suddenly, we heard a distress call being sent out over the Radio.

"Comox Coast Guard this is the Regent"

"Go ahead The Regent, this is Comox Coast Guard"

"We have a man overboard"

The man calling for help sounded pretty rattled. I listened for what came next knowing they would be calling for all boats in the vicinity to help them search. We were about 20min away from their position.

As we raced to help search I listened to the conversation between the Tug "The Regent" and the operator at Comox. A man was missing off the tug, presumed to have fallen overboard somewhere between century shoal and Cape Mudge and he'd been last seen an hour ago. They said he was wearing a black T-shirt and jeans.

"He didn't happen to be wearing a lifejacket did he", the operator asked

"Negative", came the reply.

Excluding the miraculous, I gave the man slim to none odds. The ocean temperature in March is around 7-8 degrees I think you've got about 20 minutes at that temperature before your muscles start to freeze up and you can't swim anymore, and without a lifejacket when that happens you sink.

On our way I prayed that this man would be saved. Even though the odds of finding him in the huge expanse of Georgia Strait where the tide divides and ebbs north and south were low, I knew God knew where he was and could save him.

"Comox coast guard this is the Pacific Faith, we can see him and he's waving his arms at us"

What a relief, and how cool. The Pacific Faith is a seine boat skippered by Harold Sewid who I know quite well from work.

Later I read about this episode in the paper and heard how the man had said he lost consciousness several times and woke up underwater. Each time he would struggle back to the surface and fight to stay alive. As the seiner loomed into view the word he saw clearly written across her hull was "Faith".

What strikes me about this story is how in life sometimes we fall overboard. We have lost control and cannot save ourselves. We have no idea how things will end. We don't know for sure who is trying to help us, or who is praying for us, or even hear the instructions being given by the Rescue Coordination Centre.

What is my strength, that I should wait? And what is my end, that I should endure? - Job 6:11

Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who acts on behalf of those who wait for Him. - Isaiah 64:4

Read about it by clicking here --> Miraculous

x(body) blade

Doctors know today that our minds don't store information the way some previously thought. For example your brain does not necessarily store whole words. Bits of words and letters are stored separately and as you speak your brain arranges and assembles the words and sends the information along to your mouth.

Now imagine the Word of God hidden in your heart, buried deep in your subconscious. Every bit and byte of your hard drive holding fragments. Letters, words, verses, chapters that the Spirit can call up to your remembrance whenever He wills.

The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. - 1 Corinthians 2:10b

But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. - John 14:26

This leads me to the third way to avoid sin.

Hiding God's Word in your heart.

I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands.
I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. - Psalms 119:10-11

Words are powerful. They can affect hearts, change minds and set the world on fire. As the old cliche goes, "The written word is mightier than the sword".

How much more powerful then is God's Word?

For thousands of years man has been making swords. I heard once that swords in some cultures are given a "body blade" rating. I.E. if your new sword strikes a nice balance between tensile strength and the keenness of the edge it may be able to cut through multiple human bodies (x=number of bodies hewn) therefore earning the distinction of being referred to as an x(body) blade.

Many people commonly know the power of repetition, imagery and emotion when used with words. Imagine words that are God-breathed. Two dimensional projections of an infinite sum of God's power. An unlimited body blade.

For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. - Hebrews 4:12

Perfect night for a mugging

This post is rated PG for violence and mild language

I've been thinking (and weblogging) lately about how the Bible teaches us to deal with sin and temptation and I heard a great true story recently that illustrates one method.

Picture Danny Bonaducci child star of the partridge family. Once a child star then rebellious youth turned philanthropist/professional fighter/radio personality. Can you picture him? Ok now picture him jogging through a bad part of a certain city. It's night and his girlfriend is sitting on a bench keeping track of his laps.

Three nefarious-looking individuals start following him. They seem intent on catching up with him.

Danny knew they meant him harm and he quickly considered his options. He could try to run away with his girlfriend but knew they would be overtaken. And when this happened he would be out of breath and unable to fight. Alternatively, he could try and bluff them and if it went badly at least he'd have some energy to fight.

He chose the latter.

Danny spun around and walked quickly and directly at his followers.

"Who wants what and when do you want it?", he demanded

Immediately two of the would-be assailants turned and fled. The one remaining man was brandishing a razor sharp carpet knife.

"Give me your wallet!", he demanded

"I can't give you my wallet man", Danny said. "My girlfriend is watching.

"I don't give a d*** about your girlfriend", the mugger swore.

"Now that's not nice", Danny said "and now we're gonna have to have words"

"Gimme your money", muggerdude repeated.

"Look there's guys that will use a knife and guys that won't and I can tell you're a guy that won't"

This statement obviously provoked the carpet knife carrying fellow because at that moment he struck out and sliced Danny cutting him on an angle from his shoulder and down across his chest. Danny spun away from him and he was sliced a second time down the back of his arm to his elbow. Blood immediately started to leak out of him all over as he turned to face his attacker.

Now you should know that Danny taught self defence classes. Included in the usual curriculum was how to disarm someone wielding a rubber knife. Apparently most muggers don't use rubber knives but thankfully the move worked just as well on a metal knife. So well in fact, that if someone had been standing nearby they would've been killed by the force that the knife left the surprised mugger's hands.

Bloody and shaking Danny glowered at the unarmed mugger, "I was going to beat you while you had a knife, imagine the horror show I'm going to unleash on you now"

Apparently that was all the mugger needed to hear because he turned heel and ran away from him as fast as possible.

Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. - James 4:7