Wilderness Wanderings

"How lovely is your dwelling place O Lord Almighty! My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God" (Psalm 84:1-2). Let's begin with a simple question, "What do you want?" Some of you may be looking in the refrigerator to get some breakfast. I'm not interested in your breakfast. This is one of those annoyingly profound questions like what you want your legacy to be. What do you want for your life? or from your life? I get irritated with stories in which a character immediately knows the answer to such a question. I find it depends on the day and the things happening around me. I'm not always sure if there is one thing that I really want. We all have appetites and longings: a bigger house; a faster car; better make-up; successful children; political position. We want many things. But getting these things doesn't satisfy. In fact, they tend to kill us. We humans have an infernal habit of mistaking the things God gives for the God who gives them. We tend to worship the things God gives, rather than God himself. As Paul once wrote, "They exchanged the truth of God for a lie and worshipped and served created things rather than the Creator-who is forever praised! Amen" (Romans 1:25). God made everything for His glory, to reveal His greatness. The things He created all point back to Him. They remind us that He is our true home, our destination. Sin makes creatures our home rather than God to whom they point. Worshipping God's creation will be our death. The psalmist knew this. He was away from Jerusalem and longed to be home. Not because he worshipped that city but because in Jerusalem was God's temple, God's presence on earth. That is where he encountered God. That was joy. This is even truer for us, followers of Jesus. We are his temple. God is right here, where we are. But do we want him? is he our joy? We can take either of two roads. On the one road, we focus on all the things that we can't enjoy right now and feed our longing for them. The other road is the one the psalmist took. Rather, than feeding his longings for stuff, he fed his longing for God. We can take that road too. We can ask the Spirit to sift our desires so that we increasingly desire him. Then, when someone asks us that irritating question, "What do you want out of life?" we know our answer. As you journey on, go with the blessing of God: May the God who gives hope fill you with great joy. May you have perfect peace as you trust in him. May the power of the Holy Spirit fill you with hope.

And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near (Hebrews 10:24-25). There is a scene in the sixth Harry Potter movie that offers an image of the church. Harry's guardian, mentor, friend, and father/grandfather type figure, Albus Dumbledore, has just been murdered by a trusted friend. Dumbledore was the leader of those fighting against the rise of evil. Now he lies dead, at the foot of the Hogwart's walls. Thus far in the story, Hogwarts was the only truly safe place against Voldemort's encroaching evil regime. It is a scene of despair and hopelessness. Horror-stricken people are gathering around the fallen body. Eventually, one of them raises her wand in the air: the tip glows with light, as if it were a candle. It's a statement of defiance against evil. One by one others raise their glowing wands. Soon there is a small halo of light above those who will continue to resist the forces of evil. Hope is still alive. In Monday's devotion, I reflected on the opening words of Hebrews which introduces the grand themes about Jesus which are worked out in the rest of the book. But Hebrews can be summarized in these four words: Jesus is the greatest. The thing is though, at Christmas, Jesus is little more than a flickering candle: he lies with little fanfare in a feed trough. After his resurrection, when he returns to the glory of heaven, he leaves behind a group of disciples who have no idea what they are up against. They don't know what they are supposed to do or how to get started. They don't even really understand what Jesus was doing. Yet, they are the ones whom he leaves behind to continue his work. Those of us who call ourselves Christians are the descendants of those first disciples. 2000 years later the church is now an international organization, and one would think she would have her act together. But truth be told, she still seems to flounder, not quite sure what she is supposed to do or how to do it. Christmas reminds us of our humble beginnings. It also reminds us that Jesus told us to remain humble. The mission of the church is accomplished through acts of service. It was when Jesus got down on his knees to wash his disciples' feet that he told them to follow his example. Jesus is present with us through these simple acts. Hebrews is a heady book, picking up grand themes from the Old Testament, arguing how Jesus is far superior to anything that took place back then. It's often a slog for people to get through the book. When it finally gets to the application the author simply tells us to spur one another on to good deeds and to keep meeting together. On our own, the flickering candle of our faith and love tends to get snuffed out by the winds of evil and selfishness. But together our combined faith and love, fanned into flame by the Holy Spirit, dispels the darkness, at least a bit of it. That is why that scene from Harry Potter reminds me of the church. We need each other. As you journey on, go with the blessing of God: May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm. May your day end with rejoicing at the wonders he has shown you. May you rest in his provision as he brings night, and then new dawn.

Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high (Hebrews 1:1-3). Human words muddy the beauty of this profound text. How can we convey the intensity with which God desires to communicate with his people? At many times and in many ways! Adam and Eve in the garden in the cool of the day, God calls out, "Where are you?" God leads Israel out of Egypt with fire and cloud and chisels his intentions for them on stone tablets with his own finger. God calls Israel back to himself with fire by burning up Elijah's alter. And in a quiet whisper he asks Elijah, "What are you doing here?" All these communications pale in comparison to His Son. He now speaks to us through His own Son. What can we say about Him? This is the Son who will inherit all things. When the history of this age comes to its grand conclusion, this Son will reign overall. What can we say about this Son? This is the Son through whom God created the world. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made" (John 1). What can we say about this Son? He is the radiance of God's glory, the exact imprint of his nature. If we care to see God, all we need to do is look at this Son. What Jesus does and says is what God does and says. What can we say about this Son? Not only will the world be his in the end, not only was the cosmos created through him, this Son continues to hold the universe together by his powerful Word. Because we can see the smallest details through microscopes and far away galaxies through telescopes, we might forget that if it wasn't for this Son, the entire universe would disintegrate. And this magnificent Son, he became flesh through the womb of the Virgin Mary. He made the journey from heaven's glory to die on a cruel cross thereby reconciling us to God. This Son who lay helpless in Mary's arms, who lay exhausted in a tempest tossed fishing boat, who lay dead in the tomb is now seated at the right hand of God in glory. There is a mystery in this grandeur. God speaks to us through his son, a babe. The light of the world voluntarily reduced his splendour to that of a candle. He is the radiance of the glory of God. He is the exact imprint of God's nature. He is a babe in his mother's arms, as vulnerable as a flickering wick. These are the kinds of words we take to the top of a mountain (or the roof of our houses), look at the stars and ponder. To these words there can be only one response -- falling on our knees in amazement. As you journey on, go with the blessing of God: May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm. May your day end with rejoicing at the wonders he has shown you. May you rest in his provision as he brings night, and then new dawn.

A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings!  The text is Jeremiah 31:31-34; Isaiah 9:2-7. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection! To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube.  Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca How do you experience darkness? In what ways has it pressed in on you? Overwhelmed you? Our passages tell of God's promise to overcome the darkness. What are the two surprises they contain? Take time this week to meditate on the four Royal Titles given to Jesus in Isaiah 9. How do they encourage you to live well? What does it mean to know God? What things characterize our waiting for the fullness of the kingdom.

Walking down the street, Jesus saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked, "Rabbi, who sinned: this man or his parents, causing him to be born blind?" Jesus said, "You're asking the wrong question. You're looking for someone to blame. There is no such cause-effect here. Look instead for what God can do (John 9:1-3). We are exploring what it means that Jesus is Immanuel, "God with us." In the Old Testament, light is an image that gets attached to Immanuel. In John's gospel, this image explodes onto the page like a light bulb given power in a dark room. Our text is one of those detonations. The disciple's understanding of the world is turned on its head. The disciples ask, "Why is this man blind? Who sinned causing this blindness?" They are trying to understand the condition, meaning, and purpose of this man's life. If he is blind, if he is disabled, isn't it because he or someone has sinned? Why would he be this way if no one had sinned? In their way of looking at the world, a problem like blindness was always the direct effect of someone's sin. Today, we think such ideas are old fashioned. We are too educated for such simplicity. But just hold on. What is our gut reaction when someone is homeless or a refugee? For many of us, our first response is to ask why. To step back and analyze the situation. And isn't that exactly what the disciples were doing? Analyzing the situation, making it fit into their worldview. They don't see a man in need of healing, do they? They're blind to his pain. They want an answer to a theological question. Likewise, we try to explain what we see as unfortunate, lamentable, regrettable. But in doing this we place ourselves at the centre of our questions; God is put on the sidelines. In our text, Jesus flips the disciples' thinking on its head, as he so often does. In responding to their question, Jesus shifts their focus from the blind man to God and to Himself as the Light of the World. He says to them, "Don't look for someone to blame. Look instead for what God can do. This man needs light and I am the light of the world." Jesus intends to point us beyond the problem to the possibilities it presents. When we see an afflicted individual, we should not start with blame, but rather how can peace, comfort, and healing for this person show the glory of the God. We should be about the business of bringing wholeness to them. Jesus continues to rebuke his disciples when he says, "While it is still day, we must do the works of the one who sent me. Night is coming. Then no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world." In other words, don't let your opinions deflect you from the task that God has put you here to do. How often do we analyse and dissect rather than act to bring God's light into the world? How often do we apply our theological minds to working out why something is the way it is, rather than doing what we can to right the wrongs we see? In being the hands and feet of Jesus, others discover through us that Jesus is Immanuel, God with us. To paraphrase Jesus, "Whoever has eyes to see, let them see!" As you journey on, go with the blessing of God: May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm. May your day end with rejoicing at the wonders he has shown you. May you rest in his provision as he brings night, and then new dawn.

When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, "Do you want to get well?" "Sir," the invalid replied, "I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me" (John 5:6-7). Jesus loved to ask questions. Some were innocent enough, like "Will you get me some water?" (4:7). Some were asked to encourage people to leave him alone, like the time he asked the Jewish establishment, "Where did John get his authority, from man or from God?" (Matthew 21). Others helped a listener probe deeper into Jesus' identity, like when he asked his disciples, "Who do people say that I am?" Still others, like the one in our text, are a set up. The question does seem a bit strange, but the setting helps us get a handle on it. Jesus went up to Jerusalem, the city of peace. He went to celebrate one of the Jewish feasts, a joyful event praising God for his work of deliverance. The scene is the pool named Bethesda, which means 'house of mercy.' So, the location is peace, joy, mercy. We are expecting a happy story. Instead, we are told that this pool is surrounded by a great number of disabled people, but we focus on one person. He has been lying there for 38 years. That's a long time by anyone's reckoning. We might want to know about the magical nature of this pool. How is it that only the first person who touches the pool after it is stirred gets healed? Was it really an angel of the Lord who stirred the pool? But Jesus does not oblige our curiosity. He wants us to focus on this person lying here for 38 years. How many times has he seen the water stirred and he has not been able to touch it because someone else was always faster? Has he given up hope? Has he given in to his condition and expects to live out his life begging for scraps from passing feast goers? Jesus asks, "Do you want to get well?" Some suggest that Jesus wanted to know if the man had any hope left; it being a requirement for healing. Others suggest that Jesus was exposing that the man had become comfortable in his paralysis and did not want to get better. He needed to start taking responsibility for himself. These issues are not part of this story. The man doesn't answer Jesus' question. He just says, "Hey man, what I want doesn't really matter. I can't get to the pool. I won't get healed." The man's got nothing. Jesus heals him. His mercy is free. He comes to bring it to those who are without hope. He comes to bring it to those who don't expect it anymore. He comes in mercy to bring peace and joy. Are you looking for God's mercy? Are you trying to figure out how to answer Jesus' question? The answer is not important; Jesus brings mercy wherever he goes. You don't need to look elsewhere. Look to Jesus. As you journey on, go with the blessing of God: May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm. May your day end with rejoicing at the wonders he has shown you. May you rest in his provision as he brings night, and then new dawn.

What Jesus did here in Cana of Galilee was the first of the signs through which he revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him (John 2:11). This Advent, we are focussing on Immanuel, God with us. Let's head deeper into the gospels to see what there is regarding this theme in the life of Jesus. Today, a wedding in Cana. There is significant mystery in this story. There is no mention of who the happy couple are or why Jesus and his disciples and his mother are even there. There is no explanation as to why Jesus tells his mother it's not his time but then does a miracle anyway. Everything focuses on the problem and its solution. The problem is that the wine has run out. This was simply not allowed. Hospitality was paramount in Jewish culture and a wedding with out wine…that was the worst of the worst. It would be the story of the town for generations. But Jesus intervenes and provides an abundance of excellent wine. And I do mean an abundance. The six stone jars that are suddenly filled with wine have a combined capacity of over 700 litres. John tells us why he included this story in his gospel. It was the first of the signs through which Jesus revealed his glory. The glory of God's kingdom revealed in an abundance of wine. "Is that wise?" you might ask. Well yes, it is. It says two things about God's kingdom. First, it is a kingdom of plenty. Many Christians in North America wonder, if we ought to feel guilty about the abundance of wealth we possess, compared to most of the residents of this globe. It's good to ask such a question. But the answer is that we do not need to feel guilty. Everywhere in the Bible, God's kingdom is shown to be a kingdom of plenty. Guilt should not be our reaction to our wealth. Rather, a true understanding of God's kingdom causes us to become generous. If God has plenty, then we can share what we have because God can replenish our bank accounts. That, I think, is, at least in part, what Paul communicates in 2 Corinthians 8 & 9. It's worth the read. The second thing this story tells us about God's kingdom is that it is characterized by joy. Years ago, I was walking alongside some colleagues who were struggling with their churches. They just couldn't get on the same page as the leadership. It was painful to watch. I remember wondering if it was alright for me to be enjoying ministry so much, because I really was. Then a retired pastor told me that it was permitted to enjoy ministry. He reminded me that the kingdom of God is one of joy. Jesus brought joy with him. The angels said as much to the shepherds. So, when you receive a gift this Christmas, receive it with joy, recognizing that God is inviting you to enjoy a taste of his kingdom. As you journey on, go with the blessing of God: May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm. May your day end with rejoicing at the wonders he has shown you. May you rest in his provision as he brings night, and then new dawn.

A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings!  The text is 2 Samuel 7:1-18. Dive Deeper discussion questions are below for further reflection! To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube.  Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca Dive Deeper David begins this chapter at rest. How would you define rest? How does God give a different shape to rest? David wants to honour God by building a temple for him. What does honouring God look like in your life? What specific things have you done to honour God? Why does God reply to David's desire with a litany of all God has done? What are the seeds that God plants in this chapter? In what ways have you seen the flowers from those seeds blossoming in your own life? In the life of the church? When and how do you "sit before" God?

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth (John 1:14). Recently, I suggested that there were frequently two things involved in God's appearances in the Old Testament. He showed his glory here on this earth and he came to call his people back. In that podcast, I reflected on God's glory; today, I want to spend some time on the second element. Imagine God and his angels sitting under the tree having lunch with Abraham. God had important stuff to do further on, but he took the time to linger with Abraham. Many of us cannot imagine God having such time for us; but consider Jesus drawing the little children to himself when his disciples tried to shoo them away. God has time for us. He is Immanuel. John 1 is a complex chapter drawing in several Old Testament references. This might cause us to miss the main point, which, as Peterson paraphrases, is that God has moved into the neighbourhood. Why has he come? He has come to find the lost. He came to arrange for our adoption. He wants to be able to call us his children. In Luke 15, Jesus paints three pictures of God on the hunt for us. In the first, he compares God to a shepherd who has lost one of his 100 sheep. He ends the story with this, "And when he (the shepherd) finds it (his sheep), he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, "Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep…I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent" (Luke 15:5-7). So, if you are listening and don't follow Jesus, know that God is looking for you. He wants to find you and name you his child. He wants to give you a brand-new identity and a brand-new family, the church. Get in touch with us if you'd like to have a conversation about this. Many of you who are listening have family and friends who do not follow Jesus. Our text has a word of encouragement for you. We wonder how on earth we are going to get them to follow God. Know this, God has his eye on them, he is out searching for your child, your spouse, your relative, your friend. We try to figure out how to connect people to God. The thing is, God is better at arranging that connection than we are. When people find God, its usually not in the expected manner. God tends to surprise us in the way he finds his lost sheep. Throughout the stories of Jesus birth, the gospel writers emphasize that Jesus came to save. So, let's have confidence that God can connect with people. We don't have to make it happen, rather let's pray that God will do his stuff and let's tell stories of God's love in our lives. As you journey on, go with the blessing of God: May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm. May your day end with rejoicing at the wonders he has shown you. May you rest in his provision as he brings night, and then new dawn.

The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God (John 1:9-13). As he begins his gospel, John draws together the story of creation and redemption – our story. The very light through which the world had been made came into the world, but it did not recognize him.  Jesus, born at Christmas, was there at the very beginning of all things with the Father and the Spirit as together, they formed this world. Creation. We humans were created then too. The crown of the Creation, formed in the image of God to steward his rule on this Earth. But we abandoned our royal heritage to strike out on our own, creating our own kingdom where we make the rules. We did not want to follow those set out by God. The fall. John introduces the agent of Redemption. Again, Jesus is here, together with the Father and Spirit to do a creating work. This time creating a restoration, a redemption, a right to come home to the royal family as children of God once again. This theme of homecoming as children of the royal family echoes all through the New Testament. Yet, it's rarely the way we think of ourselves. Maybe we get distracted by other forms of our identity, loosing track of the most important one. We are busy being a "student" or "employee" or "employer."  Being "attractive" or "successful."  Being a "parent" or "friend" or any number of other things. We spend so much time with these identities that we forget who we truly are. Underneath all these identities, there is one more durable than any of the ones we create for ourselves or are given. It's more permanent than even the identity of our own family and surname.  Because unlike all these other identities we carry, our eternal identity did not come "through any human decision." This identity was given us by God Himself.  Our permanent identity is who Christ has made us: the children of God. Christian is the identity that counts in our lives. It is who we are. Royalty. Those who Belong.  Those who will rule and reign with Christ. Never forget who we are in Christ. We are children of God, children of the King. As you journey on, go with the blessing of God: May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm. May your day end with rejoicing at the wonders he has shown you. May you rest in his provision as he brings night, and then new dawn.

Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. Moses could not enter the tent of meeting because the cloud had settled on it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle (Exodus 40:34-35). Returning to the Old Testament, Exodus concludes with an important Immanuel moment. Israel has spent considerable time in the wilderness around Mount Sinai. God has spoken to his people, given his law, but also been very angry because they rebelled against him. God and Israel would have parted ways if Moses had not interceded for the people. Yet, in the last scene of the book God comes to his people in glory, filling the tabernacle so full of himself that even Moses could not enter. In this episode, we see the heart of what Immanuel means. God coming to his people. Many religions are concerned with how we as humans, can find the gods. And granted, many Christians live the same way. But our God finds us. "Where are you?" he asks. It is important for us to pay attention to this. God comes to us. That is Immanuel. That does not mean that we always experience God's nearness. For many reasons, God may seem distant. Even Jesus experienced that on the cross, "My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?" These very real experiences of not feeling God's closeness, do not negate the profound truth of the Christian religion that God comes to us. That is at the heart of Immanuel. We don't need to search for God; he searches for us. This story also portrays that God finding us presents us with a problem. We can't get near God. If God shows up, we can't survive. We can't see God and live as he once told Moses. There is always the problem of God's holiness, or is it the problem of our unholiness? Our sinfulness? And thus, it is important to take time to explore Immanuel, God with us. We must keep digging into this theme that runs throughout the Bible. God searches for us because it is our sin that drives us away from him. More will be said about this later. For now, I want to leave you with two things. First, Immanuel, God with us, is not a new theme in the New Testament. It wasn't something God came up with after a few unsuccessful ideas. It always was and still is his plan and desire to dwell among humanity. Second, Jesus is not with us anymore! Does that matter? Well, yes it does. Jesus is not physically with us right now. He sent us His Spirit. Through the Holy Spirit he is spiritually with us. As he told his disciples, "I will not leave you as orphans. I will come to you" (John 14:14). The Holy Spirit's presence in us, makes Jesus as near to us as if he were here physically. So be not afraid. Wherever you go, your God is with you. As you journey on, go with the blessing of God: May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm. May your day end with rejoicing at the wonders he has shown you. May you rest in his provision as he brings night, and then new dawn.

A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings!  The text is Deuteronomy 18:14-22. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection! To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube.  Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca Dive In! If you could know the absolute truth about one future event in your life, what would you want to know? Why or why not? What is the strangest superstition or method of "predicting luck" you've ever heard of or seen? Do we ever treat prayer like a way to "twist God's arm" rather than a way to know Him? Have we lost our sense of "healthy fear" or awe regarding God? If so, what should we do? Does our culture have "false prophets"? (think about promises of happiness through money, politics, or self-help). How do we use Scripture to test those messages? Practically speaking, what makes it hard for to listen to Jesus during a busy week? What is one specific noise or distraction you need to turn down this week to hear Him better? For the next 24 hours, pay attention to the "voices" you listen to (podcasts, news, social media, friends). Ask yourself: Does this voice align with the Prophet Jesus, or is it trying to sell me a different version of the future?

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the father, full of grace and truth (John 1:14). In The Message, we find this paraphrase, "The Word became flesh and blood and moved into the neighborhood. We saw the glory with our own eyes, the one-of-a-kind glory, like Father, like Son, generous inside and out, true from start to finish." In the Old Testament, there are stories of God visiting humans: Adam and Eve, Moses, Elijah. God came and he kept coming. Through the centuries, he appeared among his people. Two things were often part of those visits: his glory was revealed, and he called his people back to holiness. These things come to fullness in the story of Christ's birth: Immanuel – God with us, come to save his people from their sins. Matthew tells it most plainly. Eugene Peterson writes concerning John 1, "the Word (that Creative and Powerful force by which the cosmos was formed and fashioned) became flesh and blood and moved into the neighbourhood." Hebrews picks up these themes and spends considerable time punctuating the fact that Jesus is the final and grandest Word of God, THE Immanuel. He is God with us, forever. End of story! This is the glory and beauty Christ's arrival. When we Christians talk about dwelling with God and seeing his glory, we often think about life after physical death. We like to say that when a Christian dies, she enters glory. This is alright after a fashion. However, it can cause us to miss one of the truths of Immanuel. What did John say, "we have beheld the glory of God." Jesus reveals the glory of God. And before he left his disciples, he promised to send them his Spirit. Let me say this plainly, the Spirit connects us to God's glory, now, today. This is Paul's teaching in 2 Corinthians 3 which ends with, "And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit" (18). Dwelling in the glory of God is not reserved for after death. It begins now. It's true that "For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face" (1 Cor. 13:12). So yes, there is a difference between then and now, but only one of decree. Sometimes we see the glory in the gathering of God's people at worship; sometimes we see it in the face of a fellow Christian; sometimes we see it in someone that we serve or someone who serves us. But see it we do, if we have eyes to see. Look for him. Look for his glory. Jesus is Immanuel. He is God with us. He is here with us now. As you journey on, go with the blessing of God: May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm. May your day end with rejoicing at the wonders he has shown you. May you rest in his provision as he brings night, and then new dawn.

Our Scripture is Exodus 3:7-8a The Lord said, "I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. So, I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians… (Exodus 3:7-8a). When Elijah traveled to Mount Horeb, he discovered that "the Lord was not in the fire." Years earlier, Moses also traveled to Mount Horeb, and that's exactly where God was! It was on Mt. Horeb, this mountain of God, that Moses encountered the burning bush—ever aflame, but never consumed. It's out of that bush, which stood in the wilderness, on a deserted desert mountain, that Moses first met the God of his ancestors. God had been active in Moses' life, but there is no record of Moses paying any attention to him. He certainly had not experienced standing in God's presence. But now in the wilderness, Moses had his sandals off and his face hidden, because God had shown up! But God was not there for Moses. He had come because of the misery and the suffering of his people. They were crying out to God, and he was concerned for them. He set out to rescue them from their slavery. God stopped Moses in his tracks because Moses was God's chosen agent to bring his people out of Egypt. Thus, God in the fire. This story is echoed in Romans 8. When Paul writes that "we cry Abba, Father" he's echoing the cries of God's enslaved people in Egypt. And as Moses discovered in the desert: those are cries that God listens to; cries that he responds to when, like a good Father, he comes down and scoops us up in his arms to comfort us in our suffering. Noticing Israel's suffering was not a chance moment for God. Jesus launches him ministry with these words, "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favour" (Luke 4:18-19). There is much suffering around us, locally and globally. Its easy for us to become immune to it. As such, we may think God becomes immune to it as well. But that would not be true. It is for the suffering ones that Jesus came and comes. We must cry out, "Abba, Father". It's in wilderness places that God suddenly shows up in a burning bush to say: "I've seen the misery of my people and heard their cries, so I have come…" Jesus is present in our suffering even when we are not aware of it. Paul takes this a step farther. God comforts us so that we can comfort others. As Jesus is present with us, he wants us to be present with other sufferers. Which sufferer will you approach? As you journey on, go with the blessing of God: May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm. May your day end with rejoicing at the wonders he has shown you. May you rest in his provision as he brings night, and then new dawn.

        Then a voice said to him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" (1 Kings 19:13). Advent is all about waiting, waiting for Immanuel, God with us. The final word on Immanuel is at the end of Revelation when God makes his home on earth with us. Before that scene, the Bible is littered with stories of God with his people. This Advent we will explore some of those. One of my favourites is God's question to Elijah in his despair, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" You can read the whole story in 1 Kings 19. This comes just after Elijah's mountain top experience with God. He had challenged the priests of Baal to a "do or die contest" of the gods. Baal vs the Lord God of Israel. The Baal priests would build an altar to Baal and Elijah would build one for the Lord God. Which ever god sent fire to light their altar would win the contest. God won in spectacular fashion! It was really no contest. With all the priests of Baal killed, Queen Jezebel wants Elijah's head. Elijah flees in fear and despair. He drops down, exhausted under a broom tree in the wilderness. He just wants to die. Many of God's people have felt the same. One of them was a great hymn writer, William Cowper. Check out his hymn, Oh for a Closer Walk with God. He regularly suffered from severe depression. The thing in this story that always intrigues me is God's response to Elijah. He feeds him. Twice. This is not a prescription for curing depression. However, it does give us an image of God showing up in our discouragement. Later, Isaiah would write this about God's chosen servant, "A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out" (Isaiah 42:3). Jesus was and is this servant. I wonder if Isaiah got the idea from God's interaction with Elijah? Its an image of Immanuel, God with us, which Jesus embraced. Elijah then journeys to the mountain of God, where God appears to him in the whisper of the breeze, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" We may want to lash out at Elijah, "how could you be so discouraged after what God did on Mount Carmel?" Of course, there may be some mild rebuke in God's question. But God is gentle with Elijah and sets him back on course. Elijah thinks he is all by himself, that he is done and God is done too. But God tells Elijah that he still has 7 000 in Israel who worship him alone. God was doing a lot more than what Elijah could see. And then God gives Elijah more work to do. So often, we think our ability to do God's work is based on our performance. Its not. It's based on God's calling and equipping. Even though Elijah wondered off course, God still showed up. He was still Immanuel, God with us. Be encouraged. As you journey on, go with the blessing of God: May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm. May your day end with rejoicing at the wonders he has shown you. May you rest in his provision as he brings night, and then new dawn.

A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings!  The text is Genesis 28:10-22. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection! To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube.  Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca Take time to reflect on promises you made and promised you received. Do you expect them to be kept? What does the name Jacob mean? How does this attitude show up in your life? Where do we find Jacob in our passage for today? Have you ever been in that place? Write down some of God's amazing grace as revealed in this story. What is the stairway about? Jacob has a double response to his dream. How will you respond to God's promise, "I will be with you to the very end"?

"The king rejoices in your strength, Lord. How great is his joy in the victories you give! You have granted him the desire of his heart, and not withheld the request of his lips" (Psalm 21:1-2). Psalm 21 is obviously a song of victory. It is not difficult to imagine the people of Israel singing these words as David returned victorious from battle. The day is perfect for Israel: king and people are following the Lord and rejoicing in his blessings of victory. Notice how the victory clearly belongs to God alone. It was asked for by the king; it was a desire of his heart. But the song recognizes that only God is responsible for the defeat of the enemy. The psalm exudes trust and confidence in God. Notice also that the enemies haven't got a chance. The singers are totally convinced that they are goners. None who oppose God can survive. While the enemies wither away, the king's days are lengthened, even, for ever and ever. Of course, David did not live forever. Peter says on the first Pentecost that David's tomb is there for all to see. This phrase in verse 4 is likely a reference to the promise that David will have a descendent on Israel's throne forever. From this perspective, Psalm 21 is about more than David coming home victorious from battle. It is filled with notes that resound with Easter. It's a psalm for Christians to pray on that festival, and even every Sunday. We worship corporately on the first day of the week because Jesus' resurrection is central to our faith, hope, and love. It is reasonable to think that this psalm sustained Jesus on his journey to Jerusalem and the cross. Perhaps he meditated on these words as he spoke of being delivered over into the hands of sinful men. Even as he carried the weight of the sin of the world, he trusted in the steadfast love of God to raise him up in power three days later. It is not at all difficult to hear the ascended and exalted Christ praising his Father on the other side of the empty tomb, "He asked life of you; you gave it to him, length of days forever and ever." After passing through death on behalf of his siblings, Jesus was met with rich blessings, greeted by throngs of worshipping angels, crowned with glory and honour because of the suffering of death (Hebrews 2:9). This is a psalm for a vindicated Messiah. What does it mean for us? We have confidence today because Christ has prayed for us that all those whom the Father had given to him "may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me" (John 17:24). We know that God will give the Messiah his heart's desires and will not withhold the request of his lips. Therefore, we live in the hope that we will share in the glories of Christ's victory. God's children do experience suffering in this life. But we suffer patiently and with hope, confident that God's victory has been secured by Jesus' resurrection. Furthermore, God has made us "most blessed forever," giving us every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as we were chosen in him before the foundation of the world (Eph 1:3,4). Or as a paraphrase reads, "Long before he laid down earth's foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love, to be made whole and holy by his love" (MSG). Even as we struggle in this life, God is at work in us accomplishing his purposes. This psalm shores up our faith when it wavers. As you journey on into the week ahead, go with the blessing of God:           May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you : wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness : protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing : at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing : once again into our doors.

Love must be sincere…Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited (Romans 12:16). A student, having tea with her teacher, said, "I've learned all you have to teach me, except one thing. Please teach me about the ways of God." Taking the pot, the teacher poured tea into the student's cup. The cup filled and the tea spilled onto the saucer. The master poured until the tea spilled over the saucer and onto the floor. The student finally said, "Stop, stop, the tea is spilling over. The cup can't take any more." The teacher then looked at the student and said, "You are so full of yourself that there is no room in your life for God. It is not possible for you to learn the ways of God until you learn to empty yourself." In laying out the groundwork for Christinas to get along with outsiders and each other, Paul indicates two essentials for living in harmony, illustrated by the story of the teacup. Being conceited—full of oneself--is the first. Conceit can come from opposing directions. We may think so highly of our own ideas and abilities that we don't have time for anyone else. Or conceit may come from a place of insecurity. We dominate conversations to boost our self esteem. Either way, we have little room for other people and their ideas and abilities. Filled with conceit, we don't listen to others and get angry when we our desires are impeded. The way forward is to close our mouths and open our ears. We are to come with open minds, eagerly listening to others and weighing their insights. Humility seeks to understand before being understood. It prefers to communicate rather than do battle with words. The second matter Paul raises here is similar, "do not be proud." But here he speaks about our associates. We tend to connect with people like ourselves. But Christians are called to associate with all, especially with those who may be less important, as measured by our cultural standards. To attain harmony, we must reject the temptation to think high thoughts about ourselves, as though we are a superior breed of Christian. There must be no perches of isolation but rather mingling with people of lower position. Jesus climbed down from His heavenly place to suffer the humiliating death of a criminal…for us (Philippians 2:1-11). We are to do like wise; but there is a caveat. Its easy for us to help others from an attitude of superiority. True harmony happens when we all see each other as equal, equally valuable and equally gifted. The renewed mind of the Christian that has learned to love, truly sees no distinctions between people. This love distinguished the church from the world. As you journey on, go with these words: Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

Our scripture is from Matthew 9:37-38: Then [Jesus] said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field." Life can feel like a hamster wheel of daily demands: work, school, relationships, home and church. Is it possible that these daily rhythms as moments filled with possibility for God's mission? Our text is often understood as a call to action. Christians should get out there and do something for the Great Commission – serve in the church, go on a mission trip, help the homeless. That is not all wrong, but it is not the essence of the matter. There is also this: God is Lord of the harvest. This has implications: the mission of God is not ours to initiate, carry or fulfil. It belongs to Him. Further, it implies that God is at work all around us. He is already lovingly and persistently drawing people to Himself. He is doing that in the places we frequent regularly – work, school, coffee shop. Are we paying attention? Many of us partition our lives into two halves. We do the spiritual stuff: go to church, have devotions, attend Bible study. And we have the rest of life: laundry, work, volunteering, studying. What happens if we take the dividing wall away? What if we see the ordinary stuff of life filed with the divine? What if the harvest is right here—the people we spend our days working, studying, playing with? If God is present everywhere and if the harvest belongs to God, then we must believe that he is with those people we encounter daily. There is really no such thing as church missions. There is only one mission—God's mission. We either join with God in his redemptive work or we don't. Mission isn't something we create or carry alone. It begins with God, and he's at work all around us, even when we're not aware of it. There is a popular missional phrase, "You don't need to bring Jesus into your workplace – He's already there." The harvest is already plentiful, not in some faraway place, but right now in our neighbourhoods, our workplaces, the stores we frequent. And Jesus is the Lord of it. Let's ask Jesus to open our eyes to see the harvest. Let's ask him to open our ears to hear the spiritual questions people are asking. Let's ask him to help us join in the conversations that are already happening. Let's ask that he gives us confidence to participate in the harvest, remembering that we are not responsible for it. As you journey on, go with the blessing of God: Wherever God takes you today, may He fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit and that you may live carefully—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity.

We had a guest preacher today at Immanuel. There is no podcast available. 

Our Scripture is Exodus 12:38: A mixed multitude also went up with [the Israelites], and flocks and herds—a very large number of cattle (NET). Israel's Egyptian experience began with this, "They set a place for [Joseph], a separate place for his brothers, and another for the Egyptians who were eating with him. (The Egyptians cannot eat with Hebrews, for the Egyptians think it is disgusting to do so) (Genesis 43:32 NET). Racism! That is how the Israelites were received in Egypt. They were not to tell Pharaoh that they were shepherds because such an occupation was detestable there (46:34). Eventually, they became slaves. Egyptian disgust of the Israelites gave way to attempted genocide. So, when Israel leaves Egypt, we read that 'a mixed multitude' left with them. The NET footnote explains, "The "mixed multitude" refers to a great "swarm" of folk who joined the Israelites, people who were impressed by the defeat of Egypt, who came to faith, or who just wanted to escape Egypt (maybe slaves or descendants of the Hyksos). We are allowed to wonder how the Israelites would treat these folks, later referred to as rabble (Numbers 11:4). Would the Israelites now act like the Egyptians? Would they treat the 'mixed multitude' like Egypt treated them? All these people are gathered at Mount Sinai when the Lord gives his commandments forming them into his people. Included is this instruction regarding the Sabbath day, "On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns" (Exodus 20:10). They were all equal before God. They were all given time to rest – to be human – to take joy in life and the gracious gifts of God. Israel was not to be Egypt. The wonder of the people of God in the Old Testament is the marvel of transformation whereby "not a people" became "God's people" (see 1 Peter 2:10), Jews and Gentiles. In Revelation, there is a great multitude gathered around God's throne, a multitude from every nation (7:9). The gathering of this crowd begins with Sabbath. The Heidelberg Catechism offers this explanation of the Sabbath law, "that every day of my life I rest from my evil ways, let the Lord work in me through his Spirit, and so begin already in this life the eternal Sabbath". Surely, racism is one of the evil ways we must put aside. When you gather with your Christian community is there evidence of this crowd? What attitudes do you hold that keep your community uniform? Let's allow the Spirit to probe our attitudes about other people so that we can set aside any pride that gives us superior attitudes "and so begin already in this life the eternal Sabbath". As you journey on, hear Jesus' invitation: Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls (Matthew 11:28-29).

Our text is Romans 12:15:      Love must be sincere…Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. One of my professors warned, "There will be days when you do a funeral in the morning and a wedding in the afternoon. You will need to weep in the morning and rejoice in the afternoon. Your tears and your joy better be sincere." That advice comes directly from our text for today. Paul is laying out different shades of Christian love which is not rooted in feelings but in a decision of the mind to behave in certain ways. Empathy is "the ability to understand and share the feelings of another." Sympathy, the capacity to share in another's pain or sorrow, is one side of empathy. To rejoice when another rejoices is the other side. This, I think, is the more difficult aspect. Think about it -- to rejoice with people who are rejoicing, even if we do not feel like it. Your loved one is dying of cancer, and someone else's is healed. And you rejoice with them. That's Spirit stuff. We are equipped with a great capacity for giving and receiving love. Even the hardest heart melts before the innocent smile of a child or the antics of puppies. Yet these two sides of empathy are often locked up in the confines of selfishness. This may be because genuine, loving, empathetic involvement is debilitating and costly. To weep when you are more interested in having fun or to appreciate another's gain when you are suffering loss is hard, but necessary. Doing so helps us overcome our selfishness; it is an act of selflessness; it is sincere love. The problem with this rejoicing is that someone else's success often arouses jealousy and envy in our hearts. Jealousy and envy, hatred and malice are our native bents. When we can truly rejoice with someone's success without envying them, we are demonstrating a transformed mind (12:2). Not envying those that prosper but rejoicing with them, being truly glad that others have the success and comfort which we do not, and not despising those that are in trouble, but being concerned for them, and ready to help them: this is to do as God does. He delights in the prosperity of his servants (Ps. 35:27) and is likewise distressed in their distress (Isa. 63:9). Where there is a mutual love between the members of the church, there will be such empathy. True love will interest us in the sorrows and joys of one another and teach us to make them our own. But how do we get there? Philippians holds a key, "I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength" (Phil. 4:12, 13). When we learn to be content with out lot in life, because we trust God, then we can be an empathetic community. As you journey on, go with the blessing of God: Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Our scripture is from Colossians 3:12-14: "Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience…Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity." When are we involved in God's mission? Christians often think that only activity connected to the church is involved in God's work. The implication is that God is not interested in our daily lives. But this is far from the truth. In the beginning, we were made to be involved in the development of creation, in other words, to work it. That design has never been revoked. Despite human rebellion and sin's negative effect on our daily lives, Christians participate in God's grand mission of redemption as we live out our daily lives. When we praise God by the excellence of our work, we are exercising our proper vocation. We are serving God in the way he called us to serve him. Church work is not more spiritual or more in tune with the mission of God than carrying out our daily tasks. Our main purpose in life is not to serve the church, but to serve God; sometimes we serve God by serving the church. Our gathering for corporate worship is not separate from our work. The common prayer that we can lay aside the distractions of the week to focus on God is misplaced. God does not want us to ignore our lives when we worship. He desires that we bring all of that in with us. He wants to hear our thanksgiving for the good things we have encountered. He wants to hear the confession of words spoken and of actions that harmed him or a human or anything else he created. He wants to touch us in our brokenness and pain. He wants to hear our prayers for the grace to forgive, for strength to resist temptation, for patience for that difficult person, for wisdom for that complicated problem. Christian, you are on the leading edge of God's mission of redemption as you live in retirement, as you inhabit your situation for earning an income, as you live together as a family. The Holy Spirit is present with you always, nudging you towards the way of Jesus' kingdom, so that you embody love's kaleidoscope: compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, a capacity to forgive. The mission of God includes the renewal, restoration and reformation of all things (Colossians 1:19-20). Vocations in business, medicine, poetry, engineering, counselling, chemistry, marketing, construction, and finance all have a role to play in Christ's cosmic work of reconciling all things. As you live this week, gather a basket full of things you will bring with you the next time you gather with God's worshipping community. As you journey on, go with the blessing of God: Wherever God takes you today, may He fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit and that you may live carefully—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity.

A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings!  The text is Acts 1:1-11. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection! To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube.  Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca Dive In Take a stab at defining Christian communal identity. What comes to mind when you hear the words 'mission' and 'missionary'? How should we understand it? The disciples ask Jesus about the kingdom. How does he shift their focus? Four responses to the Holy Spirit were mentioned: which one comes easiest to you, which is the most difficult? How will you respond to the Spirit this week? Pay attention to the way the Spirit is moving in your life. What does it mean to be a witness to Jesus? What should the church be devoted to?

Our text is Deuteronomy 15:1, 4-5: "At the end of every seven years you must cancel debts…there need be no poor people among you, for in the land the Lord your God is giving you to possess as your inheritance, he will richly bless you, if only you fully obey the Lord your God and are careful to follow all these commands I am giving you today." Old Testament laws are not always easily applied to us because they concern Israel as a nation state. These laws about the Sabbath year, when debts are cancelled and land is returned to the families it was originally given to, are such instructions. We live in a very different context and economy. However, we should not pass them by too quickly. Our economy is largely rooted in the principles of scarcity. We are all in competition for limited resources. But that is not the way it was meant to be. The creation was able to provide for its creatures. The land Israel received as a gift from God was able to provide sufficient resources for each Israelite. "There need be no poor people among you." This was rooted in a deep belief that God would provide. Sabbath was, at least in part, a space of deep joy and celebration for Israel because life was secure in their covenant Lord. As such, this weekly rest from work, offered room for generosity to bloom in the hearts of God's people. If God provided, then his people could provide for those who had less. Israel was to be a nation of generosity, just like the God who had freed them. This generosity is a quality that grows in those who follow Jesus. Luke's description of the early church includes this, "All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need" (Acts 2:44-45). And two chapters later, this is added, "All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had" (4:32). Those who take time for Sabbath, who learn to rely on God, find themselves growing in generosity. The authors of the Heidelberg Catechism understood this. They teach that "especially on the festive day of rest, I regularly attend the assembly of God's people" to, among other things, "bring Christian offerings for the poor" (A 103). Israel's generosity was rooted in her memory of slavery from which God redeemed her (15:14-15). In the same way, "God's indescribable gift" (2 Corinthians 9:15) is the source of our generosity. In an economy of scarcity, generosity is foolish. For those who 'rest' as an act of faith in the God who provides, there is space for generosity to take root. Sabbath keeping is a pause that refreshes us and can transform society. As you journey on, hear Jesus' invitation: Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls (Matthew 11:28-29).

Our text is Romans 12:14      "Love must be sincere…Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.      Love has many colours. Having explored hospitality, Paul ups the ante. Love is no easy thing. It flies in the face of the normal human reaction to negative things: anger and revenge. Let's start with a brief story about revenge.      On a Friday early in 1982, Kevin got drunk, got into his car, went for a drive and killed an 18-year-old. He was convicted of manslaughter and drunk driving. Since he was only 17, he served a court sentence and had to spend a year campaigning against drunk driving. The victim's family sued him for $936, to be paid by $1 cheques each Friday, hand delivered to the family home.      Kevin had a hard time doing this. It haunted him. He couldn't sleep on Thursdays. He kept missing his payments. He's offered postdated cheques, with an extra $52. But the family wouldn't accept. For 18 years they wanted to see him on their doorstep on Friday evenings. They wanted revenge. They wanted to curse him.      Christians are called to do the exact opposite. How often have you seen Christians do that? There are examples. One of the more famous is the Amish community in Lancaster County which publicly forgave the man who killed their school children. Unfortunately, there are many stories of Christians cursing their enemies, expresses a desire for really bad things to happen.      Blessing and cursing are opposites, wishing people good or ill, health or harm. We are told to bless those who persecute us. Persecution includes Christians killed for their faith, being denied benefits and freedom because they lived their faith in Jesus, deprived the freedom to publicly worship, being ridiculed by friends for going to church, or denied promotions.      Our response to all such things should be to bless. Of course, Paul was echoing the teaching of Jesus, who told us to love our enemies, do good to those who hate us, bless those who curse us, pray for those who mistreat us (Luke 6:27-28). There is no better way to express our positive wishes for our enemies' welfare than to turn them into prayer and into action.      Of all the qualities of love, this is undoubtedly the most difficult to carry out. The others may fall by the wayside because we are busy or tired or self-absorbed, but we typically don't resist them. Returning good for evil, on the other hand, goes against every instinct we possess — especially when the offender is a fellow Christian. Grace in response to sin is a quality unique to God, and this ability can only come from Him and be enabled by Him.      If we are to grow in the grace of blessing those who harm us, we will need to ask for help. As you journey on, go with these words:      Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

Our text comes from Romans 15:2,      "Each of us should please our neighbors for their good, to build them up." This verse is written for the church community. Yet, Paul uses the word neighbour, which is rarely used except in the commandment, "Love your neighbour as yourself." So, we can apply this instruction to contexts outside the church. It a good word of wisdom for daily living. How might we apply it to our workplaces, communities in which we volunteer, and even in our homes? It is important to recognize that we build others up without desire for personal return or benefit. It's encouragement for its own sake, to lift others up and cheer them on. It does have the goal of community building; a desire to see an increase in the wellbeing of the group. But there is no "tit for tat" intended here. This is easier said than done. Criticism comes more naturally to most of us then encouragement. We often frame critique as a means of building up, even though we are aware that it rarely brings positive results. It creates fear and competition. It weakens a sense of community and diminishes a desire to work together. As you enter a community, wonder to yourself how you can bless the people there? How can you lift them up? Offer words of blessing rather than complaint or correction. Be sincere. Give thanks and appreciation for something someone has done or a quality you admire. There are practical ways we can build others up. Be on time for events, even a little early so you can help set up or stay behind to help clean up. Offer a ride to someone who can't get around. Pay attention to people who are in a different stage of life or more difficult situation. See if there is a practical way you can help them out. Sometimes I find little gifts on my desk: a plate of cookies, a jar of honey, or even electronic gadgets. Some are anonymous, some not. They all delight my soul. This is not a solicitation for more, just an illustration of encouragement. To bless someone includes speaking well of them. It means to see someone's energy and honour it as a source of joy and delight. To greet one another with enthusiasm – I'm glad to meet you. I've missed you. I've been wanting to talk with you. It means we refrain from derogatory comments, even when they are not nearby. We don't always get encouragement right. But we should give one another grace and not give up. By God's grace, let's keep practising and growing in encouragement as we seek to build one another up. As you journey on, go with the blessing of God: Wherever God takes you today, may He fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit and that you may live carefully—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity.

here on YouTube

Our text is Deuteronomy 5:15: "Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the Lord your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore, the Lord your God has commanded you to observe the Sabbath day." Egypt is difficult to forget – for the Israelites; also for us, Egypt seeps back into our bones. Egypt is brick building. Quotas. Meet your quota. Exceed your quota and you might get rewarded. But if you don't meet your quota, you will be punished, severely. Brick building. Endless brick building. Mr. Julius Caesar Dithers in the comic strip Blondie is the quintessential Egypt – never satisfied. Egypt seeps into our bones – "I haven't produced enough," is Egypt's refrain. We are easily coerced to perform better, produce more and consume more. Not all are equal in production. Some are more effective than others. Some get all the breaks. Since not all are equal in production, not all are equal in consumption. Therefore, we are not equal in worth and significance. The more we produce and the more we consume the more we are valued. Such valuing creates "haves" and "have-nots". Sabbath is the great day of equality when all are equally at rest: you shall not do more or sell more. You shall not control more or know more. You don't have to have your kids in ice skating or soccer or ballet or hockey. You don't have to be younger or more beautiful. You don't have to score more. On Sabbath we are all equal. This day breaks the pattern of coercion, we are of equal worth, equal value, equal access, equal rest. In Deuteronomy, Sabbath is about remembering Egypt—that system of coercion, endless brick making. And then, remembering that God set us free from that. Free to rest. Free to rejoice. When we forget this, we will give our lives over to coercive competition. Sabbath is opportunity to remember that God has banished this system. Our value is not in meeting the expectations of our parents, of our bosses, of our brokers, of the influencer. Remember. Remember what God did to Pharoah (7:18) and remember the Lord gives you power to get wealth (8:18). The Lord your God has set you free. When you wake up in the night, do you mull over your 'not-yet-done" list, vexed that you did not meet expectations? Do you fall asleep counting bricks? Do you dream of the flawed bricks you made or the ones not yet made? Remember the exodus! Sabbath is the opportunity to recall Egypt and Pharaoh and then to remember the Lord and the exodus. It is the day to dance and sing, "Free at last." To respond to the invitation, "Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost" (Is. 55:1). Those who remember and keep Sabbath find they are less driven, less coerced, less frantic to meet deadlines, free to be, rather than to do. Take a Sabbath. Train your body, your soul will follow. As you journey on, hear Jesus' invitation: Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls (Matthew 11:28-29).

Today our text is Romans 12:9a, 13 Love must be sincere…Share with the Lord's people who are in need. Practice hospitality. We return to hospitality. Why? Because culturally, hospitality is mostly about the one hosting, whereas Christian hospitality is about the one being hosted. Let's flesh this out some more. Hotels and restaurants are part of the hospitality industry. They seek to impress customers so that they will return. Likewise, we want to impress people so they will associate with us. Hospitality is largely understood as having people over. More importantly, people we want to associate with. I'm not saying you shouldn't do this anymore. But let me ask a question: when is the last time you invited someone to your house that you didn't want over? You see, the thing we are talking about, 'Christian hospitality', includes such events. It can include having friends over; it can include going the extra mile to clean the house and preparing a delicious meal. But we don't do it to impress; we do it because the people we have invited are important. Not important in a worldly or cultural or political sense. Hosting them may not benefit us at all. They are important because God has sent them to us. We have the privilege of hosting them on God's behalf, even if we don't want to. Jesus put's it this way in a parable 'Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me…Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me' (Matthew 25:45-46). Many Biblical scholars suggest that the word 'practice' ought to be translated 'pursue.' There is an urgency to it. Further, the word for hospitality includes the idea, "love of strangers". It carries the idea of extending love to those who are different — folks from another culture, another race, or a different belief system. Love takes the initiative, actively looking for opportunities to benefit others, especially those who are different. A cold, unfriendly church contradicts the gospel message. Yet unfriendliness stands out as one of the most common criticisms people have of the local church. It doesn't take people long to figure out that there is a "churchy" love among Christians that ends shortly after the service. It is a superficial Sunday-morning kind of love that is unwilling to venture beyond the walls of the church building.  Christian hospitality moves us beyond our comfort zones. It nudges us to give time, attention and space to strangers that God sends our way, tending to their needs before our own. It also insists that we see ourselves as God sees us: his beloved children who have been loved so deeply that we are able to love. Such hospitality is not rooted in our limited resources, but in the unlimited resources of God. When he calls, he will also provide. As you journey on, go with this blessing:      Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

Our text comes from Genesis 2:15, The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. and Ephesians 2:10, "For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." Well, its another Monday. Rumor has it that many of us do not like Mondays. We do not like the return to the grind of work. The weekend is relief, Monday is back to it. Yet, it was not meant to be this way. Created in the image of God, each of us was created to be productive. This does not refer only to paid labour. We were each created to contribute to the well being of creation and the flourishing of other humans. Our text from Ephesians is often understood to mean some sort of 'spiritual' work, different from the regular stuff of life. But what if it includes the original creational mandate of contributing to the thriving of creation? Having been made new in Christ, we are able to become the people God created us to be. Can we believe that in our daily activities we are doing the 'good works' which God prepared for us to do? What if we embrace the tasks of today as offerings to God, as "our true and proper worship"? I invite you to join me in prayer, offering the regular activities of this week to God: Lord Jesus, we bring before you our labours and their fruit – the work of our hands. We confess that often, we take pride in our work, doing what we can to draw attention to ourselves and to our own abilities. Our work becomes a means of self-validation, of propping up our self-image and our sense of personal value. Today, we ask that you re-orient the direction of our praise – lifting our eyes to our heavenly Father, who brings forth every good and perfect gift. Holy Spirit, enable us to do our work as activity that brings glory to our God. Help us to find our value in being his image bearers rather than in what we produce. Take the works our hands, both big and small, using them for your kingdom purposes. May they honour you, bless other people, and direct the attention of co-workers to you and not to us. Thank you that you join us by your Spirit in our work. Thank you that because of your grace, our labour is never in vain. Continue to teach us how to be workers in your Kingdom; ever mindful of the rhythms of grace that you kindly invite us into. We pray these things in the name Jesus who is worthy of our work. Amen. As you journey on, go with the blessing of God: Wherever God takes you today, may He fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit and that you may live carefully—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity.

A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings!  The text is Colossians 1:15-23. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection! To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube.  Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca Dive In Questions What image of the resurrection did this sermon begin with? What does it mean that Jesus is the beginning, the firstborn, the firstfruits? Does this encourage you in your Christian life? What does it mean that the church is Christ's gathered community? Why must the church also understand herself as a sent community?

Our text is Deuteronomy 6:12: "Do not forget the LORD." Have you ever wondered why the book of Deuteronomy is so long? Why did Moses give such a long sermon to Israel as they were about to enter the promised land? Forty years wandering in the desert; they can smell the aromas of new land; they want to cross over; they want to finish the trip; to settle down; to build houses; to have homes. But Moses holds up a stop sign saying "Now, listen to me." The kids know its lecture time. Why? Moses sees that the land of Canaan is an enormous temptation. The affluence of the land will create a crisis in covenant faith. The new land will produce so well that Israel will think they can manage on their own. They will be tempted into thinking, "We don't really need the Lord God". Prosperity will breed amnesia. He warns against this, "be careful that you do not forget the Lord, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery" (6:12) and "make sure you don't become so full of yourself and your things that you forget" YOUR God (8:14 MSG). Moses wanted the Israelites to remember where they came from, the system of unbearable pressure in which they had to meet impossible brick production schedules. If they forget the God who freed them from Egypt, they are likely to create their own pressure system. Without remembering this history, they will become materialistic, believing that the goal of life is to acquire and acquire and acquire. A system of acquisition pits neighbour against neighbour. In Deuteronomy, Israel is warned to "Watch out!" or the land in its productivity will transform them into producers and consumers and will destroy the fabric of the covenantal neighborhood. The market of acquisition regards the land as property and possession to be bought and sold and traded and used. Israel is not to view the land this way. For her, the land is a birthright and an inheritance, one's own property is part of the larger inheritance of the whole people of God. If the land is possession, then we live with the pressure to acquire more. If the land is inheritance, then we live to enhance the neighborhood and the extended family so that all members may enjoy the good produce of the land. The economy was not to become a rat race in which people were exhausted from coercive goals; it was, rather, a covenantal enterprise for the sake of the whole community. In Deuteronomy, Moses exhorts Israel to reject the acquisitive culture of its neighbors for the sake of this covenantal alternative. How were they to remember? Simple. Keep Sabbath, which is remembering who they were and where they came from. We live in a very different time and place. Yet, the temptation is the same: to join the rat race. The way out of the rat race is the same: Sabbath, remembering that we belong to God through the redemptive suffering of Jesus Christ. What will you do this weekend? As you journey on, here Jesus' invitation: Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls (Matthew 11:28-29).

"The king rejoices in your strength, Lord. How great is his joy in the victories you give! You have granted him the desire of his heart, and not withheld the request of his lips" (Psalm 21:1, 2). Psalm 21 is a song of victory. It is not difficult to imagine the people of Israel singing these words as David returned victorious from battle. The day is perfect for Israel: king and people are following the Lord and rejoicing in his blessings of victory. Notice how the victory clearly belongs to God. It was asked for by the king; it was a desire of his heart. But the song recognizes that only God is responsible for the defeat of the enemy. The psalm exudes trust and confidence in God. Notice also that the enemies haven't got a chance. The singers are totally convinced God is stronger than all his enemies, and thus, the enemies of God's people, our enemies. While they wither away, the king's days are lengthened, even, for ever and ever (4). Of course, David did not live forever. Peter says at Pentecost that David's tomb is there for all to see. Like in Psalm 16, we understand that this phrase refers to the promise that David will have a descendent on Israel's throne forever. But this means the psalm is about more than David coming home victorious from battle. It holds notes that will become the resounding chorus of Easter and Ascension. This victory of Israel's enemies is only a small foretaste, an appetizer, if you will, of Christ's victory over his enemies on the cross. It hints at Paul's conclusion in Colossians 2, "Having disarmed the powers and authorities, [Jesus] made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross" (15). As such, the psalm gives content for our praises in the days of Easter and Ascension. It is reasonable to think that this psalm sustained Jesus on his journey to Jerusalem and the cross. Perhaps he meditated on these very words as he was delivered into the hands of sinful men. Even as he bore the sins of the world on the tree, he trusted in the steadfast love of God to raise him up in power three days later. After passing through death on behalf of his brothers, Jesus was met with rich blessings, greeted by throngs of worshipping angels, crowned with glory and honour because of the suffering of death (Hebrews 2:9). This is a psalm for a vindicated Messiah. Can we hear the ascended and exalted Christ praising his Father on the other side of the empty tomb? Can we hear, as Jesus sat down at the Father's right hand, the angels praising God, "The king rejoices in your strength, Lord. How great is his joy in the victories you give!" There is more here for us. We can have confidence today that our enemies will not overwhelm us because Christ has prayed for us. His hearts desire is that all those whom the Father had given to him may be with him where he is, to see him in his glory (cf. John 17:24). God will give his Son his heart's desire and will not withhold the request of his lips. Our future is guaranteed. Paul affirms this in his letter to the Ephesians writing, "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ" (1:3). And later, "And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus" (2:6-7). We cannot imagine the joy that awaits us when God's redemption is complete. Psalm 21 whets our appetite and invites us to live in expectation of what awaits us, and while we wait, to sing God's praise. As you journey on, go with the blessing of God: May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you: wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing; at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.

Our text comes from 1 Timothy 6:6: But godliness with contentment is great gain. Gahazi's is a sad story. As Elisha's servant, he watched as Elisha refused payment for the healing of Naaman. Gahazi thought this was rubbish. He slipped out the back door to follow Naaman. Interrupting the commander's journey home, he lied about his purposes and came away with a sizable payment, which he hid. But of course, Elisha was wise to him. As punishment, Gahazi was inflicted with Naaman's leprosy. Gahazi lived with and served God's primary prophet in Israel. He knew the miracles that both Elijah and Elisha had performed. Surely, he knew that to provide adequately for his prophets was no big deal for the God of Israel. Provision he had aplenty. Access to God he had at his fingertips. Yet he wanted more. He was not content. Paul warns us about this, “Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs” (1 Timothy 6:9-10). Instead, pursue this, “Godliness with contentment is great gain.” There's a quiet strength in these words — a kind of wisdom that cuts against the grain. We are surrounded by messages that tell us gain comes from getting — more possessions, more comfort, more status. But Paul says, true gain does not come from adding more. This is not a contentment that shrugs its shoulders and settles for less. It's a deep sufficiency — a settled peace that flows from knowing that Christ is enough. We don't find contentment by ignoring the world's goodness, but by knowing where our ultimate treasure lies. This contentment isn't natural. We must learn it as Paul did, “I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.” That learning often comes through loss, through the stripping away of the things we thought we needed. And in those moments, we discover that we can lose everything and still have Christ — and therefore still have everything that matters. Godliness with contentment — that's not a small thing. It's freedom. Freedom from envy. Freedom from anxiety. Freedom from the restless drive to prove ourselves. It is the life of one who has found their joy in God Himself. So, what does this look like for us? It changes the reasons for paid employment. It changes the way we purchase things. As you go about your activities this week, keep an eye on your heart. Pay attention to the moments when discontentment rises. In Christ, we already possess the greatest treasure — and when we have Him, we can learn contentment, knowing that nothing more can make us truly rich. As you journey on, go with the blessing of God: Wherever God takes you today, may He fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit and that you may live carefully—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity.

Our text is Exodus 34:21: Six days you shall labor, but on the seventh day you shall rest; even during the plowing season and harvest you must rest. In the shadows of Mount Sinai, Israel made a choice defining her values as a nation. She chose to trust the God who created heaven and earth and to trust the reliability of the creation. The people also chose to shun the anxiety that comes from a lack of confidence in the goodness of the creator and the goodness of creation. They chose to follow the God who rests. But that choice was difficult to maintain. The covenant is confirmed in Exodus 24, but by Exodus 32, Moses has been on the mountain for 40 days. They are not convinced he will return, and God seems extremely distant. As such, they return to anxiety. What do they do in their anxiety? They make their own god, of course, just like we do. Their god was made of gold. Our gods are less tangible: money, production, consumerism, entertainment, knowledge, psychology, sports, even religious rituals. They assumed that they could somehow purchase security. Don't we do the same. Trusting our own resources to solve our problems. When Moses returns, he smashes the stones with the commandments into dust. The covenant lies dissolved at the foot of the mountain. God is rightfully angry, but Moses intervenes, and God does something astonishing: he forgives. He says, “I am making a covenant with you. Before all your people I will do wonders never before done in any nation in all the world. The people you live among will see how awesome is the work that I, the Lord, will do for you” (Exodus 34:10). Then he gives them new commandments, similar but different than the ten. These include this, “Six days you shall labor, but on the seventh day you shall rest; even during the plowing season and harvest you must rest” (34:21). Growing up in the agricultural sector, I remember the pressure to work in spring and fall when crops needed to be sown and harvested. There is always work to do. The pressure to produce rarely subsides. It's not easy to let go of our anxiety that production depends on us. This command to rest concerns the human work of exercising “dominion” over the earth to cause it to produce. Sabbath interrupts the productive, food-producing creation system in which we must participate. It's an invitation to trust the land—creation and its creator—enough to rest, even in the busy agricultural seasons of sowing and reaping. Our lives should conform to the rhythms of creation, work and rest in appropriate amounts. When we are in sync with that, we train our bodies away from the anxiety production causes in us. Resting teaches our bodies to trust in God; our minds and our souls will catch up if we live the rhythm. As you journey on, go with this blessing: Go to Jesus and he will give you rest and an easy yoke (Matthew 11:30). May the presence of God go with you and give you rest (Exodus 33:14).

This archive edition is upon request from a listener. What follows is the original audio track from August 29, 2024. Our text comes from Philippians 3:         "He will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like His glorious body" (Philippians 3:21). The gospel story sounds too good to be true. It is the story of sheep rescued from a dark and fearful wilderness by the strong arms of a fierce shepherd. It's the story of children released from prison, of demons unmasked. It is the story of fearful disciples in a storm-tossed boat; the storm stilled by the command of their Master. It is the story of sick people healed, of blind people seeing. It is the story of dead people coming to life. It is the story of the God-man. It is the story of God who is captured, sentenced, and crucified by His own people. His friends weep and his enemies laugh. And all because of a snake. The gospel is a story about a snake who experienced the thrill of evil victory. "I have won," he hissed. "God lays in the grave." But as the sun rose over the horizon chasing the darkness from the garden, the guards ran with it, and the unexpected happened. The story turned. There was one more chapter to be written. The Shepherd came out of the tomb; God was alive. Heaven and earth shouted for joy; the angels danced, and the Father smiled as His Son went off to find His friends. And the snake; he lay in the dust; his head crushed; his tail quivering as life left him. It is a story that we are part of. That Sunday morning, many years ago is our story. The resurrection is part of our Christian faith, its cornerstone. As we read the resurrection story our hearts are stabbed with joy. We dance with the angels as good triumphs over evil. We are glad, our faith is not in vain, Christ arose. But… This life and this present world are subject to sin. We seldom think of sin as vanity, but it is. Life is vanity when it has no meaning. If we do not know the meaning of life, why live? why do anything at all? Most people don't like that question because it is too deep; it gets too close to the answer that life is not worth living; that there is no purpose to it. This is the haunting refrain of the book of Ecclesiastes. Vanity means emptiness, fluff, a fistful of wind, a pocketful of nothing. It means to pay the mortgage for all your working days and then to die. It means working hard and running fast and getting nowhere. Vanity is a political speech that means exactly nothing. Vanity is the hope that tomorrow will be different, that there is gold at the end of the rainbow; vanity is wisdom and folly, hard work and laziness, laughter, seriousness, and everything, because everything leads nowhere. In this life, we struggle against this sin. We fight against sin in our own lives. We struggle against sin in the world. We push against greed, and we bite our tongues to keep from lying. We stand up for the oppressed and give money to the poor. We seek to elect politicians who strive for justice. When our eyes fill with longing for another's toys, we turn away. But so often it feels like it's all in vain. The world does not get any better. And we, well, we don't seem too either. We cry out with Paul, “What a wretched person I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death, to vanity?” But because of the resurrection we can also answer with him, “Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Romans 7:24-25). The resurrection gives us something to hope for in the future. While we struggle against sin today, we know that tomorrow sin will be gone. While our bodies are weak today, we know someday they will be strong. The gospel is our story. We too will be changed. Christ will transform our lowly bodies. They will no longer be subject to disease or age or sin or vanity. Christ will transform our characters to be like his. We will have no more inclination for lying. Our eyes won't covet our neighbour's stuff. As surely as Christ opened the eyes of the blind and stilled the storms, he will transform us. There is hope for us. Thanks be to God. As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:   May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm. May your day end with rejoicing at the wonders he has shown you.  May you rest in his provision as he brings night, and then new dawn.

Our text comes from Deuteronomy 25:15-16: You must have accurate and honest weights and measures, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you. For the Lord your God detests anyone who does these things, anyone who deals dishonestly. A few years ago, I spent some time in Brazil. A Christian businessman told me that when he took a client out for lunch, the restaurant normally offered to make the receipt out for double what he paid, so that his tax exemption would be doubled. He always declined. However, he admitted that the temptation was always present to go along with the system. To have integrity, to be honest, took effort. Throughout history, dishonesty in the buying and selling of goods has been common practice. To promote fairness, we have developed standard weights--an international prototype kilogram made of nine-tenths platinum and one-tenth iridium is locked under 3 glass jars in Paris. This need for honesty in business dealings extends beyond ancient scales. It applies to any area where numbers can be manipulated, such as taxes, online transactions, timesheets, donations, and even our personal relationships. For this purpose, accounting and financial rules have been enacted into law. Auditing firms analyze financial records to detect misuse of funds. But laws are subject to interpretation and manipulation. As Christians, we seek to do everything to the glory of the Lord (1 Corinthians 10:31). This means, like my Brazilian acquaintance, we put effort into honesty in all our dealing, including financial ones. We do this because God himself is profoundly honest with us. He is just and true and we seek to be like him. Sometimes, God includes a comment that a law offers long life in the land. This does not mean that every individual will live to a ripe old age. Rather, it suggests that the keeping of this law means a society can flourish for many generations. By insisting on fair practices, the community is protected from exploitation. A society where people can trust each other can thrive economically and socially. When a society runs on dishonesty, it is always the weak and poor who suffer the most. Dishonesty deteriorates a society into strong people exploiting the weak. And God will stand up for them, dismantling unjust nations. We should reflect on how to apply this principle in our live. Do we have accurate "weights" in our daily life, such as being truthful about our timecards, finances, or online sales? How can we advocate for fairness in a world where the powerful can easily take advantage of the weak? Honesty in our business dealings demonstrates our faith that the LORD will sustain us both monetarily and physically. As you journey on, go with the blessing of God: Wherever God takes you today, may He fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit and that you may live carefully—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity.

A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings!  The text is John 15:9-17. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection! To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube.  Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca Dive In!  How would you explain friendship to someone? Who has been a friend to you? What made you feel that friendship? What is the first aspect of “friends of God”? What is the kingdom of God? How do we experience it today? What is the second aspect of “friends of God”? What are its results? What has it cost you to love and obey? How have you experienced the joy of obedience? What is the third aspect of “friends of God”? How has this been misunderstood? How will this change how you pray?

Our text is Exodus 20:8-11: Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore, the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. Sabbath keeping is an art form in which we resist certain values, refusing to allow them to define our identity and way of life. Within the 10 commandments, it gets a place of prominence, linking our relationship to God with our relationship to fellow humans. It gets the most words. Consider these things with me. In Egypt, Pharaoh was god, his word was an iron law. But he was an anxious god, worrying about his dreams. Knowing that famine was coming, he gathered resources. When the hungry people came to him for food, instead of sharing his wealth, he sold his resources so that all of Egypt, including its people, belonged to him. God indeed – he controlled everything! In such a world, everyone worked for Pharaoh. And every person, including neighbours and family, was competitor for the scarce resources that Pharaoh passed out. Competition raged. Everyone was anxious. At mount Sinai, the Israelites switch allegiance. They commit themselves to the God of Abraham (cf. Ex. 19:8), who freed them from Pharaoh's clutches. But what kind of God is he? He is a God who rested (Genesis 2:2-3). After creating, God did not show up to do more, nor did he check on creation in anxiety to ensure it was working. He had complete confidence in the fruit-bearing, blessing-generating processes of creation. Despite sin, this still holds. Jesus pointed to the birds and flowers. They are still provided for, so stop being so anxious (Matthew 6:25ff). Unlike Pharaoh, God is not a workaholic. He does not keep jacking up production schedules. Instead, God rests, confident, serene, at peace. God's rest bestows on us a restfulness that contradicts the “drivenness” of the system of Pharaoh and of our own day. God invites us to a new life of neighborly freedom in which Sabbath is the cornerstone. Such faithful practice of work stoppage is an act of resistance. Our bodies declare that we will not participate in the anxious system that pervades our social environment. We will not be defined by busyness and by pursuit of more, in either our economics or our personal relations. Our life does not consist in production. Sabbath invites us into a life that does not consist in frantic production and consumption reducing everyone else to threat and competitor. Sabbath permits a waning of anxiety, redeploying energy to the neighborhood, to exchange anxious productivity with committed neighborliness. This practice creates an environment of security and respect and dignity that defines how we live and how we view others. As you journey on, go with this blessing: Go to Jesus and he will give you rest and an easy yoke (Matthew 11:30). May the presence of God go with you and give you rest (Exodus 33:14).

Love must be sincere… Share with the Lord's people who are in need. Practice hospitality (Romans 12:9a, 13) Hospitality, as a practise of the Christian life, means more than opening our homes to people. It is rooted in God's own character and behaviour. Jesus helps us understand. First, Jesus came to earth. When we think of hospitality, we often think about inviting people into our spaces. When we do that, we remain in a comfortable place, and largely in control of the situation. We can expect people to play by our rules when they enter our space. But Jesus came to earth. He turns the concept of hospitality on its head. He comes into our space. And he sends us out, he says ‘Go'. Go into other people's spaces. Part of Christian hospitality then, is to let go of the control that comes from being in our own spaces and learning how to live and move in some else's. Are there places we don't want to go? Are there places that make us uncomfortable and therefore we stay away? I think the honest answer is yes. As a pastor, I have been invited into many spaces that were unfamiliar, in which I really did not know how to behave. I'm sure that I made a mess of some. But in such spaces, I have learned to ask a simple question, why did you invite me here, or what would you like me to do while I'm here. Such questions empower people; it lets them set the agenda. It also reminds me that there is much I don't know and that people might not need anything from me but my presence. Second, because Jesus lived as a human, he can sympathize with us. The book of Hebrews makes a big deal about this. How long did Jesus live here? About 33 years. How can we sympathize with people if we don't invest time in walking with them? An essential component of Christian hospitality is the ability to sympathize with other people. This can not be rushed. So, hospitality invites us in for the long haul. It calls us to pay attention to people, to set aside our own agendas, especially our answers to people's problems and to listen. We tend to view people as projects that we get to fix. Once, fixed, we move on to the next. People are not projects. Each human bears the image of God. Does this understanding of hospitality unnerve us? Does it seem more difficult than just inviting someone over? Of course, it does. But remember this, after Jesus returned to the Father, he sent his Spirit. God's Holy Spirit now makes his home in us. He empowers us to be hospitable. He helps us love like God loves. As you journey on, go with the blessing of God: May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm. May your day end with rejoicing at the wonders he has shown you. May you rest in his provision as he brings night, and then new dawn.

Our text comes from Matthew 5:37: All you need to say is simply ‘Yes' or ‘No'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one. Words have value! In a world with too many words, we forget their value. Christians have always recognized that words have power. We believe in a God who spoke the cosmos into being. We believe that ‘the Word became flesh.' We submit ourselves (not always willingly) to the proclamation of the gospel through preaching because we believe God speaks to us in this way. But we have too many words and too many ways that words come to us. The multiplication of words has led to the multiplication of lies and fake news. Many words we do not trust. Ecclesiastes describes this well, “The more the words, the less the meaning, and how does that profit anyone?” (6:11). We live in a world that often runs on half-truths, exaggerations, and spin. It is easy to join the fray. But the Bible teaches that “Sin is not ended by multiplying words, but the prudent hold their tongues” (Proverbs 19:10). And Jesus teaches us to keep our words simple and short and truthful. In His day, people often made elaborate oaths to prove they were telling the truth—swearing by heaven, by earth, by Jerusalem, even by their own heads. But oaths like that often masked a lack of honesty. If we need to pile up promises and guarantees, maybe our word cannot be trusted. Jesus cuts through all of that. He says, in essence: Truthful people don't need oaths to prop up their words. Their speech itself carries the weight of truth. Let your “yes” be yes. Let your “no” be no. In other words, be so consistent, so trustworthy, so transparent, that people know we mean what we say without needing further proof. Before we make a promise, we ought to plan how we will keep it. This way we be able to determine if we can fulfill what we commit to. Our God is a promise keeping God. He is well known for it. A disciple of Christ is called to mirror the character of God, and God is the One who never lies, whose promises never fail. If He says “yes,” it is a “yes” forever. If He says “no,” it is unshakably “no.” Our speech, then, becomes a reflection of His faithfulness. If your co-workers were asked about your character would truthfulness be mentioned? Would they say that you keep your word, you can be counted on? There is great freedom in not having to calculate, exaggerate, or cover your tracks—when you can speak with the kind of integrity that needs no backup. So let your “yes” really mean yes. Let your “no” really mean no. As you journey on, go with the blessing of God: Wherever God takes you today, may He fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit and that you may live carefully—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity.

A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings!  The text is Exodus 19:1-7. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection! To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube.  Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca Dive-In Questions What underlies God's covenant with us? Why did God make covenant with Israel and now the church? How does this impact on our lives? Why is the “if” in verse 5 important? Describe “treasured possession, kingdom of priests and holy nation.” Why does God use this language? What motivates you towards holy living

Our text is Exodus 9:1: Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and say to him, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, says: “Let my people go, so that they may worship me.” In 1901, Dr. Girdner coined the term “Newyorkitis” to describe an illness whose symptoms included edginess, quick movements, and impulsiveness. It was a condition of the mind, body, and soul affecting many New Yorkers. That was a world without the internet, high-speed cars, or computers. Our world has only sped up. I wonder what he would say about us. Speed has become a god. Our culture generates in us an endless pursuit of greater security and greater happiness; a pursuit always unsatisfied because we have never gotten or done enough. This god is accompanied by the god of the market that summons us to endless desires and needs that are never met but always require more effort. The advertising god in service to the market god always offers one more product for purchase, one more car, one more deodorant, one more prescription drug, one more cell phone, one more beer. We are harassed by many Pharaohs who kept reminding us of the inadequacy of our lives. Constantly, we see signs that we do not measure up yet, haven't quite arrived, haven't yet reached our potential, haven't been recognized by quite the right people. Weariness, being heavy-laden, carrying an ill-fitting weighty yoke are all ways of speaking of those serving these gods of endless productivity. We have become worshippers of a system of gods that leaves us permanently restless. Into that system God says, “Let my people go, so that they may worship me.” The God of the Bible is a Sabbath-keeping God, ensuring that restfulness and not restlessness is at the center of life. Sabbath becomes a decisive, concrete, visible way of opting for and aligning with the God of rest. We must choose the gods of restlessness or the God of restfulness. Jesus declares to his disciples, “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money” (Matthew 6:24). The way of money is the way of endless desire, endless productivity, and endless restlessness without any Sabbath. Jesus taught his disciples that they could not have it both ways. God called Israel to depart from the Egyptian system to dance and sing in freedom (cf. Exodus 15). He calls us to do the same. Sabbath is not an idea but a practical art. We are conditioned to run at brick-making speed. God offers freedom. To cease, even for a time, the anxious striving for more bricks is to find ourselves with a “light burden” and an “easy yoke.” It is now, as then, enough to permit dancing and singing into an alternative life. Which will we choose? As you journey on, go with this blessing: Go to Jesus and he will give you rest and an easy yoke (Matthew 11:30). May the presence of God go with you and give you rest (Exodus 33:14).

Love must be sincere… Share with the Lord's people who are in need. Practice hospitality (Romans 12:9a, 13) This terse command, practice hospitality, is sandwiched into a meditation on love, an attitude of the mind that leads us to bless others in practical ways. The beauty of our love and our hospitality will only be revealed when they are deeply rooted in the love and hospitality of our God and empowered by his Spirit. Other places in scripture also address hospitality. Hebrews 13:2 says, “Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it”. This is preceded by the instruction to keep loving each other as sisters and brothers. Luke describes the church this way, “All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need” (Acts 2:44-45). Hospitality within the church family naturally leads to hospitality to those not part of the family. As Luke finishes, “and the Lord added to their number daily” (47). In the context of a famine, we also discover hospitality. God sends his prophet Elijah to a widow. He finds this woman preparing a last meal for herself and her son. After that they will die of starvation. Elijah has the nerve to ask her to prepare some bread for him first. Talk about hospitality to a stranger! He follows up his request with this promise, “this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘The jar of flour will not be used up, and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the Lord sends rain on the land'” (1 Kings 17:14). The widow did as Elijah asked. She fed him and family until the Lord provided rain. For me, she is the prime example of human hospitality in the Bible. Hospitality has often become an act of impressing others, of showing off. We show case our homes, our decorating abilities, our capacity to put on a meal, our ability to entertain. Unless we can imitate Martha Stewart or some celebrity chef, we feel inadequate. Such hospitality is about us, portraying a sense of having it all together. The Christian discipline of hospitality is not about us. We cannot give out of our abundance. It will never be enough. Rather, we need to give out of God's provision. He has provided us with resources, not to hold onto tightly, but to hold loosely, so that they easily slide out of our fingers towards those God invites us to love. We need to develop the faith of this widow, who acted hospitably towards Elijah, trusting in God's provision for herself and her family. God promises that he will provide for us. Jesus says, “But seek first [God's] kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things (clothes, food, shelter) will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:33). Trust in this promise enables us to practice hospitality. As you journey on, go with the blessing of God: May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm. May your day end with rejoicing at the wonders he has shown you. May you rest in his provision as he brings night, and then new dawn.

A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings!  The text is Genesis 11:27-12:3 & Genesis 18:16-19. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection! To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube.  Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca Dine In! How do curse and blessing relate to each other? To whom does the blessing lead? What role does the doctrine of election play in the blessing? How has our congregation been living into that role? How can we improve? What can you do this week to live the doctrine of election in your daily life? What was Abraham's task in moving the blessing forward? Who taught you the way of the Lord? Who are you teaching it to? Is our teaching rooted in “law” or does it proceed from the “promise”?

While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you” (Luke 24:36). Most of us live with a fear of failure. The need to succeed is strong. We don't want to be embarrassed. Think about the stress that report card season causes for teachers, students and parents. Or take field day. When I was in grade school, the day was all about first, second and third place ribbons. One year, they started handing out participation ribbons so that no student would go home ribbon-less. They were not put on display. We were not fooled; they smelled of failure. In the Christian life, we have the same problem. We need to succeed. How many of us haven't quit devotions because we can't pray as well as the next person? Or we miss a couple of days of Bible reading and before we know it feelings of failure set in. We don't start again until some motivational speaker gets us back on track. We tried witnessing once; it was a disaster. Never again. But what if we could see a different picture? What if we see Jesus entering the locked room his disciples were hiding in? He didn't wait for them to get their act together. He met them in their failure and doubt and sent them out as his witnesses. What if he had let Peter sink that day Peter walked on water and then got filled with fear? Jesus doesn't do that. He reached out his hand and caught him (Matthew 14:31). Our God recognizes our weaknesses and proneness to failure. Thus, he is described as “compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love” (Psalm 103:8). Even Abraham, that Old Testament great, failed in his walk with God. But he was not abandoned. He learned from his failures; they helped him grow in faith. Many of our unbelieving co-workers expect perfection from us. We lean into this heresy when we refuse to forgive ourselves. One of the ways that we can portray the character of our God is not getting bogged down in our shortcomings. This does not mean that we should take sin lightly, but to know in our very bones that it does not have the last work. When we let him down, Jesus reaches out and catches us. Surely, if the world can see a people who believe more firmly in the grace of God than the taunting of the evil one, they will want to know our God. When we fail, hear the words of Jesus, “Peace be with you.” The Spirit will pick you up and send you out again. As you journey on, go with the blessing of God: Wherever God takes you today, may He fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit and that you may live carefully—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity.

Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will perish by following their example of disobedience (Hebrews 4:11). Genesis 2 opens with the seventh day, where God rests, but not because he was tired. Instead, we get a picture of God finishing creation with a Sabbath that never ends. Sabbath is creation flourishing. This is illustrated in Israel's year of Jubilee in which slaves were freed, debts were forgiven, and the land was restored to those God had gifted it to; a nation created to flourish in the lavish abundance of their God. God's desire for his creation to experience and enjoy this Sabbath is expressed by Jesus through his miracles. He provides an abundance of wine, of bread and fish; he heals, gives freedom from demons and gives life to the dead. Many of these he performed on the Sabbath, giving rest to those bound by evil. Sin interfered with God's Sabbath in the beginning, continued to interfere throughout Israel's history and still stains our own lives today. Sin destroys shalom; it brings death where life was intended. Hebrews tells us that God is still at work; at work undoing the evil that is leeching health from us. He is moving history towards the ultimate Sabbath when all evil will be eradicated. We are redeemed to move into this Sabbath. Our text says, “Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest.” The Heidelberg Catechism offers this explanation, “that every day of my life I rest from my evil ways, let the Lord work in me through his Spirit, and so begin already in this life the eternal Sabbath” (A 103). Sin is an unpopular teaching today. The Christian church has often used it to shame and manipulate people. The Catechism is helpful, “I rest from my evil ways.” The emphasis is on the individual Christian pursuing righteous ways of living; to pray with the psalmist, “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me and lead me in the way everlasting” (Psalm 139:23-24). It is true that working sin out of our lives is difficult and failures are many. Yet, the Bible gives us hope, “For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age” (Titus 2:11-12). This was God's promise through Ezekiel, “And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules” (36:27). To embrace God's sabbath, we must make every effort to set aside our evil ways. As you pray with the Psalmist, ask God to reveal one thing you can move away from, moving from sinfulness to righteousness. Trust that God will help you. Go with this blessing: Go to Jesus and he will give you rest (Matthew 11:30). May the presence of God go with you and give you rest (Exodus 33:14).

Love must be sincere… Share with the Lord's people who are in need. Practice hospitality (Romans 12:9a, 13) Hospitality. Many of us don't like that word. Yet here it is…an aspect of sincere love. Thus, a part of Christian discipleship. In Christian Reformed churches, the elders are charged with the promotion of fellowship and hospitality in the congregation, recognizing that it is essential to the life of the Christian church. The word has fallen on hard times, partly because it is misunderstood. But also, because we do not spend enough time reflecting and preaching about God. We frequently focus on ourselves. What does God have to do with hospitality? The Bible opens with God's hospitality. He plants a garden for the humans: “trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food” (Genesis 2:9). When everything goes wrong in the garden, what happens? God shows up ‘walking in the garden in the cool of the day' calling out to the humans, ‘where are you?' Its long been understood that it was normal for God to come and spend time with his people. But now they were hiding. There are two things we should pay attention to here: God creates space and time. Both are essential components of hospitality. Israel's promised land is described as “a land flowing with milk and honey”. God took Israel, a nation severely oppressed by Egypt, to a land of plenty, to give them rest, Sabbath. God intended it to be a space for them to flourish and prosper where he could live among his people: space and time Isn't Jesus arrival in this world another example of God's hospitality? We use a big word, incarnation, to talk about this. It has its usefulness, but it hides the remarkable implications of Jesus' arrival. John, one of Jesus disciples, wrote that Jesus ‘made his dwelling among us' (John 1:14). In other words, he made his home on this earth with us. Jesus spent time eating and drinking with people and inviting others to join him. To Zacchaeus he said, “Come down from that tree, I must go to your house today” (Luke 19:5). Space and time. Why did Jesus come to make his home among us? Was it not to create a new community on this earth? A community in which all peoples, no matter what their language or colour or place of origin, can find a home? (Eph. 2:19; Rev. 5:9). As God was bringing Israel towards the promised land, he told them, “So, you also must love outsiders. Remember that you yourselves were outsiders in Egypt” (Deuteronomy 10:19). If that was true for Israel of old, it is equally true of the church today. Paul wrote, “Follow God's example, therefore, as dearly loved children” (Ephesians 5:1). As you journey on, go with the blessing of God: May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm. May your day end with rejoicing at the wonders he has shown you. May you rest in his provision as he brings night, and then new dawn.

You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you (John 15:16). What does success look like? A church picnic without rain? A business that makes money? A family that can enjoy Thanksgiving dinner together? A winning sports team? Top grades in school? A vacation that leaves us relaxed and refreshed? Now, none of these things are bad in and of themselves. And we should thank God when we experience these things. Yet, Jesus invites us to consider a different way of measuring success. “I chose you to bear fruit”. It's fine to pray for good weather and restorative vacations and safe travels. But here, Jesus challenges us to deepen our prayers, to consider how his kingdom might come through our lives, including the daily, ordinary, mundane, routine activities we engage in. There are many necessary things that we do each day: volunteering, employment, business transactions, driving children and/or parents, studying, cleaning up. While we do each of these things, Jesus calls us to bear fruit. How do we do that? Obedience. “Obey me,” he says (John 15:10). This obedience is about love. Out of his love, God has initiated relationship with us in Christ Jesus. He wants us to remain in that loving relationship. But we cannot without obedience. Here too, Jesus summarizes the law with one simple statement, “Love each other as I have loved you” (15:12). So, the people that we encounter during our day—children, parents, co-workers, clients, customers, supervisors—these are all people that Jesus call us to love. We love them not just by being nice to them. Also, by providing the best service and products that we can offer. Further, we love them by offering our goods and services at a reasonable price. It is not wrong to make a profit, but for Christians, profit is never the bottom line. Love is. This fruit bearing involves a wonderful triad: obedience, love and joy. When we set out to live obedient lives by passing on the love we ourselves have received from God, the result is joy for us. God's joy invades our lives. This is a joy that lasts. As we head out into a new week with the many things that will be required of us, how will we measure success? Will it be by a completing our to do list? Will it be by ensuring our bank accounts remains in the black? Or will we measure success by fulfilling the calling Christ has given us – loving obedience to our father? Can we believe that joy will come our way when we do this? Will we begin a new week but praying to bear fruit for our heavenly Father? As you journey on, go with the blessing of God: Wherever God takes you today, may He fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit and that you may live carefully—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity.

Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will perish by following their example of disobedience (Hebrews 4:11). Genesis 2 opens with the seventh day, where God rests, but not because he was tired. Instead, we get a picture of God finishing creation with a Sabbath that never ends. Sabbath represents a flourishing creation. This is illustrated in Israel's year of Jubilee in which slaves were freed, debts were forgiven, and the land was restored to those God had gifted it to; a nation created to flourish in the lavish abundance of their God. But sin interfered in the beginning, continued to interfere throughout Israel's history and still stains our own lives today. Sin destroys shalom; it brings death where life was intended. Hebrews tells us that God is still at work; at work undoing the evil that is leeching health from us. Jesus pursued this dimension of the Sabbath in his miracles. In Mark 1:21, he frees a man from an evil spirit and gives renewed vigour to the limbs of a paralytic in 2:27. Many of his miracles were performed on the Sabbath, such as the one for a woman “who had been crippled by a spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not straighten up at all. When Jesus saw her, he called her forward and said to her, ‘Woman, you are set free from your infirmity.' Then he put his hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and praised God” (Luke 10:11-13). These were signs that the kingdom of God was here; the Shalom of God was being brought back to the earth; the curse of sin was being undone. Jesus resurrection from the dead marked his victory over evil. The curse was undone; his kingdom was unstoppable. That is why Christians gather for worship on Sundays. We remind each other that Christ is risen. And we celebrate the coming end of evil. The Heidelberg Catechism gives a slight nod to this matter when it says that part of our Sabbath keeping is “to bring Christian offerings for the poor” (A 103). That is why offerings are taken up during worship services. The apostle Paul got this started (Acts 24:17; 1 Corinthians 16:1-2). Churches are rightly involved in alleviating hunger and rebuilding where infrastructure has been destroyed. Historically, Christians began hospitals. This was all understood as following in the footsteps of Jesus working against evil. Sometimes, I hear Christians tell me that Sundays are family days. That is well and good, but it is not enough. Sundays remind us that Jesus died to end the curse and evil. We are called to be his hands and feet. As you prepare for this weekend, how will you rest, and how will you help others to entire into God's rest? Go with this blessing: Go to Jesus and he will give you rest (Matthew 11:30). May the presence of God go with you and give you rest (Exodus 33:14).