Espresso and Chili Chocolate

It may sound strange, but it's a satisfying combination. A little goes a long way.

A real blog post will be coming along shortly.

Health Care in a Different Era

As I was sorting through a few boxes of old pictures, letters and other things, I came across an old bill from the U of A Hospital. It was remarkable to see that my Dad put down cash for the surgery and associated services. What was even more remarkable is how little it cost in those days. If I am reading this bill correctly, my Dad paid $25 up front and received change!

I believe this surgery was for a collapsed lung that my Mom suffered in 1948 when she was not quite 24 years old. I'm sure she was in the hospital longer than this bill indicates, so it may be that this invoice only deals with details of the operation.

If any of my family are reading this, I'd love to hear more about this. Regardless, I thought this bill was an interesting historical snapshot.

It's amazing the things my Mom kept.

Another Gem from Spurgeon

October 15, Morning

“But who may abide the day of his coming?” Malachi 3:2

His first coming was without external pomp or show of power, and yet in truth there were few who could abide its testing might. Herod and all Jerusalem with him were stirred at the news of the wondrous birth. Those who supposed themselves to be waiting for him, showed the fallacy of their professions by rejecting him when he came. His life on earth was a winnowing fan, which tried the great heap of religious profession, and few enough could abide the process. But what will his second advent be? What sinner can endure to think of it? “He shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.” When in his humiliation he did but say to the soldiers, “I am he,” they fell backward; what will be the terror of his enemies when he shall more fully reveal himself as the “I am?” His death shook earth and darkened heaven, what shall be the dreadful splendour of that day in which as the living Saviour, he shall summon the quick and dead before him? O that the terrors of the Lord would persuade men to forsake their sins and kiss the Son lest he be angry! Though a lamb, he is yet the lion of the tribe of Judah, rending the prey in pieces; and though he breaks not the bruised reed, yet will he break his enemies with a rod of iron, and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel. None of his foes shall bear up before the tempest of his wrath, or hide themselves from the sweeping hail of his indignation; but his beloved blood washed people look for his appearing with joy, and hope to abide it without fear: to them he sits as a refiner even now, and when he has tried them they shall come forth as gold. Let us search ourselves this morning and make our calling and election sure, so that the coming of the Lord may cause no dark forebodings in our mind. O for grace to cast away all hypocrisy, and to be found of him sincere and without rebuke in the day of his appearing.

From C.H. Spurgeon, Morning and Evening

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving as a holiday may not be the most significant event on the calendar. It is a relatively recent creation and a junior holiday, if you will, compared to Christmas, Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday. Having said that, giving God praise and thanks is very serious business. It is good that we have a weekend to celebrate that fact.

Several years back, it dawned on me that worship is more about receiving from God than it is giving to God. Yes, we respond, but for our worship to be pleasing to God, we must first acknowledge him as the Source, the Giver of all - even the praise comes from him.

Tomorrow morning I am jumping ahead in my Hebrews series and preaching on one verse for the occasion of Thanksgiving Sunday, Hebrews 13:15:

Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name.

We offer praise and thanksgiving, and that is a pleasing sacrifice to God. Our sacrifice only qualifies if it is "through him" - our Lord Jesus Christ. It is only because we can follow him into the Most Holy Place that we may worship God at all. In this worship, we again come to God to receive from him - we need mercy and grace on an ongoing basis. God is pleased when we are dependent upon him, all the time. "O to grace how great a debtor, daily I'm constrained to be."

Let me suggest an annual Thanksgiving weekend discipline for any believer: Read and reflect upon Psalm 50. God does not need anything that we could offer Him. To believe that He does is blasphemous, but God demands our sincere thanksgiving.

The benefactor gets the glory, and our God is a jealous God. Why is God so concerned that we focus on him? Because he is GOOD, in the absolute sense - there is no greater object for our appreciation, our wonder, our praise and thanksgiving. What God requires in this praise is what is the very best thing for us as well. Eternally.

Have a blessed Thanksgiving.

Making Gospel Connections

A variety of things today kept pushing me to think about Gospel connections. The Good News of the person and work of Jesus Christ has implications for every area of life - it really is "of first importance."

I am preparing a Bible Study on the beginning of 1 Timothy. The Apostle Paul did not insist upon sound doctrine because he was an academic perfectionist. Because he was called and sent by God to bring Good News to the Gentiles, he was compelled to stay on message. It was God's love that compelled him. He knew by revelation and by experience (in that order) that the Gospel is the power of God in the lives of everyone who believes.

Whether it's facing suffering and loss, everyday parenting, overcoming sin and temptation, or being a witness at work, getting the Gospel right and keeping it central must be the first priority for every Christian.

Two Years Today

Today is September 27. It was two years ago today that Emily went for her last walk on this old earth. Oh, for that day when the New Heavens and Earth are revealed, when we see the Saviour face-to-face and He makes all things new!

We're doing quite well, by God's grace. We trust Him, and we are greatly comforted for Emily's sake and ours by our sure hope in Christ. The Gospel changes everything.

We stayed home today. Juanita and the girls did school day things, I did a couple of projects, and we had some friends over for supper. We didn't feel the need to get out of town like we did a year ago.

These reminders, these anniversaries still hurt. I'd be lying if I said otherwise. However, we are experiencing the joy of the Lord and we are pressing on. I think all of us are a more serious about life and about what we believe. That's been evident in our church family as well. We do see God at work in people's lives - our own included - and for that we are deeply thankful (if I visit with you in person sometime, I'll tell you some stories).

Thank you, friends and family, for your prayers. Though our grief isn't as acute as it was, we are still conscious of our need to be carried by God through the prayers of His people. We feel like we've had a disproportionate amount of prayer from all over the place. We are humbled and deeply grateful. God is good.

Preaching on Suffering

Had a rich time of study this morning in Hebrews 12:3-11. God knows what He is doing in our lives.

We can trust Him completely.

I'm planning to take two weeks on this passage. There's just too much here for one sermon.

Matt Chandler on Suffering

Just found this video this morning. Though Matt's situation is very different than ours, I am so thankful for his faithful theology of suffering. This is God's grace in action.

Further Thoughts on Sentencing

It is difficult to put yesterday’s sentencing of Emily’s killer into perspective. I thought that after sleeping on it, words might come more easily. It is not to be. It is hard to sum up yesterday, let alone the almost two years that preceded yesterday’s closure. I know that there are many people looking for a personal reaction on this blog, so I will share a few thoughts.

First, in the big picture, yesterday’s sentence changes very little. God is still good, He is sovereign over all things. Emily is still not with us, though we have a sure hope that we will see her again. We still miss her terribly. As a family, we are doing well, carrying on and loving one another. We have grown in our love for God and one another, and we have a great, ever-widening circle of friends and a wonderful church family.

Yesterday was significant, though. We anticipated the sentence that was delivered. Some hear “18 years” and react negatively to such a short sentence. For the record, the sentence for second degree murder is a mandatory life-sentence with a minimum ten-year parole ineligibility. In this case, the ineligibility has been extended to 18 years due to particulars in this situation. We have been assured by the Crown prosecutor and by the closing comments of the Judge that all the facts relating to this brutal attack and the unrelated sexual interference charge will be on record for that time of evaluation 18 years down the road (or, specifically, 18 years from December, 2008).

We have said from the beginning that our hope is not in the Canadian Legal system. Justice is God’s, and, by His grace, we have been able to leave that to Him. We are thankful to God for the way this process has worked. We have been treated very well. We have been impressed with the professionalism, wisdom and care demonstrated by everyone in the system.

Our legal system is not perfect. It’s another human institution populated by fallible sinners, like every human institution, including, of course, the church. If you struggle with cynicism and a complaining attitude to Canadian institutions, consider the alternatives around the world and throughout history. We have it very, very good in Canada. My observations are anecdotal and the circumstances of this crime are extraordinary, but I am humbled and satisfied with how things have unfolded in this very difficult case.

Alberta Court of Queen's Bench Justice Lawrie Smith was concise, serious and most professional as befits her position. Her closing words after sentencing were a surprise to us. She took the time to give profound credit to the RCMP for their exceptional work. She said directly that without their work, we would not be here today. She also took the time to address us and the other victim’s mother and encourage and commend us. She offered her prayers and spoke of the evidence of God’s grace in our lives. That was very much appreciated.

One of the things I most appreciated about the Justice’s closing comments is that they effectively turned everyone’s attention from the perpetrator to the victim’s families. That was classy and well done.

I hesitate to mention other names because there are so many people to thank, and miss. From the many RCMP officers; EMT members; Victim Services people; the Crown Prosecutors we dealt with; and others, let me say publicly that we are thankful, and impressed with the good work that these people do. There are much easier jobs out there, and I am deeply grateful for these people that serve all of us.

We are also thankful that we do not have to endure a trial and subsequent appeals. This stage is over. Now we are praying that we will have many more opportunities to share the Gospel with people that need to be reconciled to God. I am weak, but He is strong. May He be glorified in our lives.

Sentencing Day

Juanita and I spent the day in Hinton, the nearest Provincial Court Bench to us (about an hour away from Edson). Today was the day that Emily's killer was sentenced. Mr. Kleman plead guilty to second degree murder in April and today he was sentenced to life imprisonment with no parole eligibility for 18 years. This was what we were expecting, and we are thankful for the resolution of the legal proceedings.

We are also thankful for the incredible work of the RCMP and the professional and kind way that we were treated by people in the system. It is humbling to see how people have been affected by Emily's death.

There are several stories hitting the news. That is all part of it. There are some more details out there, too, so if you don't want to read or see those, you might want to avoid the coverage.

There is much more that could be said, but I just wanted to give a brief update at this time.

Home Again

After 10,577 kms, we are back from our holiday. We left Josh at Toronto Baptist Seminary and Bible College - his need to get there and our desire to see him off was the genesis of this trip.

Along the way, we connected with family, old friends and made several new friends. It was a good trip and we are thankful.

I will post a little about our experiences in the days to come, but one of the things that stood out to us as we drove up behind our garage this evening was the fact that nothing went wrong with the van and we didn't have any troubles at all. Compared to travel historically, or in many places in the world today, that is amazing.

We're looking forward to worshiping with our church family tomorrow morning, and to getting a good sleep tonight.

Big Holiday 2010

Our family is in Quebec City today. After we arrived yesterday afternoon, we went down to the Old City to check things out. I was going to post a picture, but our hotel wireless is not cooperating.

We are a long way from home, but the trip is going well and we are thankful.

Save Face?

You can tell a lot about someone by their face. It is said that the eyes are the window of the soul. But people can become very proficient at superficiality. At best, reading someone's countenance is not a sure-fire way to diagnose their soul. Still it is a start. Have you been noticing people's faces recently?

I have been thinking about faces lately because I have been reflecting upon Psalm 42 again. This is the Psalm that encourages us to talk God's promises to our own souls when we are on the hamster wheel of discouragement and affliction. If you haven't encountered this concept, I would encourage you to pick up Spiritual Depression by D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones or at least listen to this message on Psalm 42 by C.J. Mahaney. Or just read the Psalm reflectively. That's the best place to start.

If you use a modern translation, as I do, you won't seen anything about faces in Psalm 42. If you read the KJV, you will find that in that Psalm the line translated "my Saviour" or "my salvation" in verses 5 and 11 are "help of his countenance" and "health of my countenance" respectively. The range of the Hebrew in the original allows for either. Woodenly, I guess you could say that God is the one who can save my face by showing His face.

Note the progression captured in this Psalm in verse 5 and verse 11 in the KJV:

42:5 Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance.

42:11 Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.

The way the KJV has it, the recovery that the Psalmist needs - his salvation from his soul trouble - comes from the countenance of the Lord. In the parallel verse at the end of the Psalm, this God is the help of his countenance. God shows His face and the man is restored so that health is restored to his own face in the midst of his troubles.

Now I know that the word "countenance" carries more freight linguistically speaking than the mere word "face." That line about the eyes being the windows to the soul gets at "countenance" more profoundly. Countenance includes our whole aspect - character, attitude and personality.

So what about suffering and faces? If our suffering is caused by our own sin, we ought to feel shame - we'll want to hide our face. If our suffering is external to us, imposed upon us, yet public, we can become conscious of the fact that we are "those people." Our faces are noticed in the grocery store or even in church. This can be uncomfortable. If we let it, it can accentuate our suffering. Either way, we need help.

Our face in this metaphorical sense as well as literally is bound up with our identity. In suffering, our identity can be overwhelmed by whatever grief or despondency has gripped us. Our face will show our suffering. Our face needs saving. We need to see God's countenance. He is the lifter of our head. We need to know that God is willing and able to save us in His mercy by His grace. We learn this in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In Him there is life. In Him there is now no condemnation. There is health and salvation in His healing look.

When I read Psalm 42 in the KJV, I had an image of an old Western wanted poster in my mind. I saw the Psalmist as one who is hunted and in a state of near panic as his enemies without and his fears within are overwhelming him. His own face accuses him. He sees that poster everywhere. Like a hunted criminal, he knows he has to get out of Dodge, but he can't. He needs a Saviour. He needs more than a witness protection plan, he needs a perpetrator protection plan. That is what God - the God who saves sinners - provides.

Saviour / salvation are fine words in Psalm 42:5, 11. Sometimes, however, it pays to reflect upon the old English ways of putting things so that we can look at things from a different angle. The countenance of our Great God and Saviour is my help. His face is health for my countenance.

Sunday Hymn

This morning we sang Let Us Love and Sing and Wonder (Indelible Grace version). I really love the words to this hymn, so I thought I would share them here:

Let Us Love and Sing and Wonder
from 1 Cor. 6:11, 20; Rev. 1:5

1. Let us love and sing and wonder
Let us praise the Savior’s name
He has hushed the law’s loud thunder
He has quenched Mount Sinai’s flame
He has washed us with His blood
He has washed us with His blood
He has washed us with His blood
He has brought us nigh to God

2. Let us love the Lord Who bought us
Pitied us when enemies
Called us by His grace and taught us
Gave us ears and gave us eyes
He has washed us with His blood
He has washed us with His blood
He has washed us with His blood
He presents our souls to God

3. Let us sing though fierce temptation
Threatens hard to bear us down
For the Lord, our strong salvation,
Holds in view the conqu’ror’s crown
He, Who washed us with His blood,
He, Who washed us with His blood,
He, Who washed us with His blood,
Soon will bring us home to God

4. Let us wonder grace and justice
Join and point to mercy’s store
When through grace in Christ our trust is
Justice smiles and asks no more
He Who washed us with His blood
He Who washed us with His blood
He Who washed us with His blood
Has secured our way to God

5. Let us praise and join the chorus
Of the saints enthroned on high
Here they trusted Him before us
Now their praises fill the sky
Thou hast washed us with Thy blood
Thou hast washed us with Thy blood
Thou hast washed us with Thy blood
Thou art worthy Lamb of God

©2001 Laura Taylor Music.

The Resurrection Changes Everything

Excellent devotional comment on Acts 9 today by Dr. Carson. This is biblical theology in action. Could there be anything more important than this?

I'll quote the July 22 entry in its entirety:

WHAT WAS PAUL’S PERSPECTIVE before he was converted (Acts 9)? Elsewhere (Acts 22:2; 23:6; Phil. 3:4-6) he tells us that he was a strict Pharisee, brought up (apparently)in Jerusalem, taught by one of the most renowned rabbis of the day. For him, the notion of a crucified Messiah was a contradiction in terms. Messiahs rule, they triumph, they win. The Law insists that those who hang on a tree are cursed by God. Surely, therefore, the insistence that Jesus is the Messiah is not only stupid, but verges on the blasphemous. It might lead to political insurrection: the fledgling church was growing, and might become a dangerous block. It had to be stopped; indeed, what was needed was a man of courage like Saul, a man like Phinehas who averted the wrath of God by his decisive action against the perverters of truth and probity (Num. 25; see meditation for May 16), someone who really understood the implications of these wretched delusions and who saw where they would lead.

But now on the Damascus Road Saul meets the resurrected, glorified Jesus. Whether he had seen him before we cannot be sure; that he sees him now, Saul cannot doubt. And a great deal of his theology, worked out and displayed in his letters, stems from that brute fact. If Jesus were alive and glorified, then somehow his death on the cross did not prove he was damned. Far from it: the claim of believers that God had raised him from the dead, and that they had seen him, must be true—and that could only mean that God had vindicated Jesus. Then what on earth did his death mean? From that vantage point, everything looked different. If Jesus was under the curse of God when he died, yet was vindicated by God himself, he must have died for others.

Somehow his death absorbed the righteous curse of God that was due others and canceled it out. In that light, the entire history of the Hebrew Scriptures looked different. Was it not written that a Suffering Servant (see yesterday’s meditation) would be wounded for our transgressions and chastised for our iniquities? Does the death of countless lambs and bulls really take away human sin? Or do we need, as it were, a human “lamb of God,” a human “Passover Lamb”? If the tabernacle and temple rituals are read as pointing to the final solution, what does that say about the present satus of the covenant enacted at Sinai? What about scriptural texts that promise a new covenant, a great outpouring of the Spirit in the last days (Acts 2:17-21; see Joel 2:28-32 and the meditation for July 15)? What place does the promise to Abraham have in the scheme of things, that in Abraham’s offspring all the nations of the earth would be blessed (Gen. 12:3; see meditation for January 11)?

Grant that Jesus is alive and vindicated, and everything changes.

D.A. Carson, For the Love of God, Crossway Books, Wheaton, Illinois: 1998, p. 229

Peter Pan

Juanita, Petra and Anne are anticipating Peter Pan performances tomorrow and Friday at our little theatre in Edson after three weeks of hard work.

I have had a couple of glimpses of the rehearsals. They are all having too much fun!

27 kids have registered and the volunteer leaders are doing a great job. Juanita is the musical coordinator, Petra is Wendy and Anne gets to be Nana the dog.

This should be good fun, but I'm not sure if there are any tickets left (it's worth checking out if you're in the area).

Teaching on Roman Catholicism

My Sunday sermon was a part of my Frequently Asked Questions series - 5 messages on a range of subjects. We have friends who are Roman Catholic, and a few people in our church from Catholic backgrounds. I certainly don't want to be offensive, and I tried to be accurate and fair in my description of Roman Catholic teaching. If you don't agree with what I had to say, I can respect that. The differences between Protestants and Roman Catholics are profound, longstanding and often very personal. I don't think anyone is served by pretending that they don't exist.

I must admit that I am looking forward to the Fall and getting back to consecutive preaching through a Bible book. It is safer for both me and our church if I stick to the text, though not less likely to cause offense.

If you'd like to hear what I had to say, it is available at our church website.

FAQs

I'm doing something a little different for my summer sermon series this year. I will be away a few weeks on holidays, and other people are in and out over the summer, so I'm doing stand-alone messages. This is typical for a summer series, the twist comes in the topics.

I started as a full-time pastor in the fall of 1990. I haven't kept a record of frequently asked questions, but there are a few that keep coming up. So, this summer, I'm going to try to answer some of these FAQs. I didn't do any polling, and I didn't ask for responses, but going from experience, I've selected five common questions to tackle.

- July 4: What about people that have never heard the Gospel? Can they be saved?

- July 18: Roman Catholic and Protestant: What's the difference?

- August 15: Angels and Demons: What does Scripture teach about them?

- August 22: What does separation of church and state mean?

The first message is up over at our church website, www.edsonbaptist.com

Perhaps I am rushing in where angels fear to tread, but I've gotten a positive response to the concept of the series. I know not everyone liked the first message, but that's not why I preach.

What is that old line? The purpose of preaching is to comfort the afflicted and to afflict the comfortable. I was certainly convicted by the implications of my message today. I need to act on it. Beginning this week!

** UPDATE: The link for the sermon at the church website is now fixed. Sorry 'bout that!

On Faith

I have been preaching through Hebrews since September. I'm working thorough Hebrews 11 now. It is taking longer than I anticipated. I am continually amazed at the richness and depth of faith in this chapter, let alone all of Scripture. Faith is like a magic onion - when I peel off several more layers in trying to understand it, the onion looks much bigger after the process.

It is easy to find a simple dictionary definition of faith (like these), but because faith is such a central concept in Scripture, it is so much more than these simplistic (and often inaccurate) definitions. Real Christian faith, Gospel faith, is much greater than we tend to think.

A paradigm shift that I already experienced years ago (when I embraced Reformation theology) is taking me deeper. This understanding is the biblical perspective that faith has a lot more to do with God - the character of God, the grace of God, the work of God - than it does with us. Yes, we must exercise faith, but God is the author, the power and the object of true Christian faith.

Don't settle for simplistic conceptions of faith. Go deeper. Try to figure it out and how it applies to your life. It is a rewarding study.

Troubling Details

Yesterday we met with Victim Services here in Edson. We learned that a "Statement of Fact" was being released to the media. This is a very detailed document. The Victim Services coordinator read much of it for us - sensitively checking with us when the details were particularly difficult.

We thought that without a trial, the media would not have a lot to work with, but I guess we're learning as we go how the system works.

Mr. Kleeman is due for sentencing after his guilty plea earlier this year. We had been expecting a June 9 date (that's why this statement of fact is being released now). Our victim impact statements are in order, but we will have to wait a little longer. The sentencing has been put off until September.

The main reason I'm writing this is to let our friends and family know to avoid the news - or be ready to tune out - in the next few days if you don't want more disturbing details. Judging by one report I read online, I'm a little slow off the mark.