Patrick's Perseverance

With St. Patrick's Day coming up, it is neat to read from his own words in his Confession (link to the full document is here: http://www.ccel.org/ccel/patrick/confession.pdf )

"Even if I wished to leave [Ireland] and go to Britain---and how I would have loved to go to my country and my parents, and also to Gaul in order to visit the brethren and to see the face of the saints of my Lord! God knows it! that I much desired it; but I am bound by the Spirit, who gives evidence against me if I do this, telling me that I shall be guilty; and I am afraid of losing the labour which I have begun---nay, not I, but Christ the Lord who bade me come here and stay with them for the rest of my life, if the Lord will, and will guard me from every evil way that I may not sin before Him.

This, I presume, I ought to do, but I do not trust myself as long as I am in this body of death, for strong is he who daily strives to turn me away from the faith and the purity of true religion to which I have devoted myself to the end of my life to Christ my Lord. But the hostile flesh is ever dragging us unto death, that I is, towards the forbidden satisfaction of one's desires; and I know that in part I did not lead a perfect life as did the other faithful; but I acknowledge it to my Lord, and do not blush before Him, because I lie not: from the time I came to know Him in my youth, the love of God and the fear of Him have grown in me, and up to now, thanks to the grace of God, I have kept the faith.

Hence I ought unceasingly to give thanks to God who often pardoned my folly and my carelessness, and on more than one occasion spared His great wrath on me, who was chosen to be His helper and who was slow to do as was shown me and as the Spirit suggested. And the Lord had mercy on me thousands and thousands of times because He saw that I was ready, but that I did not know what to do in the circumstances. For many tried to prevent this my mission; they would even talk to each other behind my back and say: `Why does this fellow throw himself into danger among enemies who have no knowledge of God?' It was not malice, but it did not appeal to them because---and to this I own myself---of my rusticity. And I did not realize at once the grace that was then in me; now I understand that I should have done so before.

Now I have given a simple account to my brethren and fellow servants who have believed me because of what I said and still say in order to strengthen and confirm your faith. Would that you, too, would strive for greater things and do better! This will be my glory, for a wise son is the glory of his father."

  I find these words both incredibly encouraging and challenging. Wherever God has brought us, and whatever we have been called to leave behind, let us keep on striving!

Norwegian Scientist Claims Revolutionary Cure for Male Pattern Baldness!

            The scientific community was disrupted earlier this week by the claims of Dr. Sigjurd Sarnuffson, a Norwegian molecular biologist who claims to have discovered the cure for male pattern baldness. His study, which has taken him 26 years to reach this stage, is controversial for a number of reasons. First of all, his sensationalist announcement has yet to be substantiated with physical evidence. He assured the press in a conference on Monday that his research was sound and that he was simply in the preparatory stages for performing the experiment. Second, his reference to a cure is offensive to the majority of scientists as it suggests that male pattern baldness is some kind of disease or malfunction. Due to the fact that many scientists are endowed with baldness, this is a topic of sensitivity.

Sarnuffson’s theory proposes that baldness is caused by two main factors: excessive brain activity and manliness. The intelligence argument is that the blood used by less intelligent people to maintain a healthy head of hair is required for mind functions by those with more active brains. The manliness argument is formulated by observing that people who grow facial and other body hair start to lose the hair on the top of their heads out of simple temperature equilibrium. All of the body heat gets trapped by the body hair and the body in an act of self-preservation and protection against overheating, sheds the hair on the top of the head to provide a thermal exit point. Though there are obviously some exceptions to this rule of manliness and intelligence (Danny Devito, for example), this part of Sarnuffson’s theory seems to be sound.

With the problem apparently diagnosed, one must wonder what kind of solution Dr. Sarnuffson proposes. When interviewed, he was hesitant to tell exactly what was involved in his miracle cure but after much interrogation by Hair Loss Journal reporters, he relented.

“It’s quite simple,” He remarked casually. “If the causes truly are temperature imbalance and high intelligence, then one only has to eliminate these causes to prevent hair loss from occurring.” His proposal is to reduce manliness through the use of hormonal supplements such as estrogen and to hinder the operation of the brain with mind altering substances. A cocktail of these substances must be taken regularly, mainly between the ages of 17 and 38 years old, in order to be effective in hair loss prevention. When questioned about possible side-effects of this kind of high impact course, he admitted that it was very dangerous.

“Since the tests have not been completed as of yet, it is impossible to know exactly how much this will affect the subjects. There is the obvious side-effect of being an unmanly moron, but people have put up with worse for cosmetic purposes.”

But whatever the risks, Dr. Sarnuffson seems to be right, as there are already 100000 pre-ordered courses of the treatment which costs about $250 per month. So it seems, whether the cure for baldness has truly been discovered or not, Dr. Sarnuffson’s financial problems have been cured likely for the rest of his life.

Apocalyse Ever?

The Infamous Mayan Calendar

So far, in 2012, Harold Camping and the Mayans have been wrong about the end of the world... but in light of that, let's not forget the words of 2 Peter 3:3-9.

"Above all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.” But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word the heavens came into being and the earth was formed out of water and by water. By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.

But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance."

I could go into specifics about other reasons why I think the 'end of the world' is not going to happen just yet, but that would probably just start an obnoxious debate between fellow believers. The main reason is found here in verse 9: God is patient and merciful and wants everyone to come to repentance (turn from their sins and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ). The fact that you and I 'live and move and have our being' on December 22, 2012 is thanks to the Mercy and the Grace of God. Let's not test His patience.

My Eyes Have Seen Your Salvation!

Rembrandt, Simeon in the Temple - 1669

Luke 2:25-32

'Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.  It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.  Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required,  Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:

“Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,
    you now dismiss your servant in peace. 

 For my eyes have seen your salvation,

    which you have prepared in the sight of all people,

a light for revelation to the Gentiles
    and for glory to your people Israel.”'

When Simeon held the baby Jesus in his arms, his life was complete! This is amazing. Remember, Jesus was at this point, helpless, not yet gracing the world with authoritative teaching, or miraculous healings. He had not accomplished the purpose for which He had come to the earth, the purpose for which His Father had sent Him. His tiny hands would one day toughen and callous from work and be nailed to the cross but at that moment, they were frail and helpless. And yet, Simeon’s eyes are opened. He calls the little child God’s Salvation, which is what the name Jesus means. Simeon was dazzled by the Light that still shines upon the Gentiles like you and I, bringing us to God. Simeon saw the promises of God to Israel fulfilled in Christ, who is the true Glory of Israel: the Promised Seed, the Righteous Branch. And all of this before He turned water into wine, before the Sermon on the Mount, before the Crucifixion and Resurrection!

Christ’s value is not tied up in what He has done, although it is important. Before He had done anything as a human, He was worthy of worship, for He Is Who He Is; He was worthy of thanks, for He Is With Us!

Sorry God, I Am Too ____!

William Blake, Zacharias and the Angel - c. 1799

An excerpt from a sermon I preached last year on Zechariah and Elizabeth (Luke 1:5-25,52-66)

"God can use even the most unlikely people to accomplish his purposes and build his kingdom. God loves to use us against all odds, no matter what our weaknesses are, and no matter what the world may think of us. But sometimes, even when we have prayed to be used and prepared ourselves for service, we doubt God’s ability to use us. Don’t be that way.

Do you continue to trust him when you have to wait for an answer?
Are you truly prepared to be used by God?
Do you feel too weak, emotionally, spiritually, or physically to be used by God?
Do you feel too old to be used by God?
Too young?
Or maybe you feel like you have sinned far too much in the past to be used by Him in the future?
Do you feel like you are too disorganized for God to use you?

In the eyes of the world, we are way too weak and incapable to do anything to build a Kingdom, but remember,  this is God we are talking about. He can and will use each one of us, if we are willing. With or without our co-operation, His promises and purposes will be carried out, but he offers us all the chance to be part of it!"

A Cloud by Day, a Fire by Night

When joys surround and pleasures stay

And every piece falls into place

Although I'm on my well-lit way

You guide me Lord, a cloud by day

But other times, I'm filled with fright

For all the world seems full of hate;

When sorrows seem to quench the light

Your Spirit burns, a fire by night

Freedom from the Fear of Death

 

 Days of Darkness

We are in a unique time of the year. The trees have shed their dead leaves, a shroud of snow covers the hard frozen ground, and festivals of death are celebrated around the world. The pagans called this time Samhain and it is still celebrated by some to this day as an optimal time to commune with the spirit world; in Mexico it is Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead). Right here in North America, the stores devote the whole month of October to Hallowe'en merchandise. From the devils, skeletons and witches marching our streets, to the fake corpses hanging from trees, thoughts of death, doom and the devil dominate our world with darkness (an appropriately amusing alliteration). Pages and pages have been written about the different origins of these holidays, but one thing is for certain. They are quite a difference from the light, life and joy offered by the Only God! I believe that at the heart of these celebrations, there is that common human fear of death!

 

Out of Our Control

King Solomon, one of the greatest philosophers who ever lived, wrote in Ecclesiastes 8:7-8 ‘Since no man knows the future, who can tell him what is to come? No man has power over the wind to contain it; so no one has power over the day of his death.’ This is one reason for the fear of death! Our lives on this earth are incredibly fragile. None of us knows for certain what will happen in the future, even five minutes from now. We have as much power over the day of our death as we have over the wind! That’s not a very comforting thought if we are afraid of death.

A singer/songwriter named Ethan talked about this fear to God in Psalm 89:47-48 ‘Remember how fleeting is my life. For what futility you have created all men! What man can live and not see death, or save himself from the power of the grave?’ Life is so short and Death impacts us all. We don’t have to live very long before we lose loved ones in our own families or members of our communities. Though some may live like they are immortal, we often receive wake-up calls when even young children and youth that we love are taken from us. Each one of us is born with an expiration date that none of us knows! No one on this planet will be able to design a cure from death. No matter how many intense surgeries we put our bodies through, we will not be able to escape the grave; you could receive a transplant of all your organs one day and the next day be diagnosed with a terminal, incurable virus.  

 The Hope Offered by God

There is a neat prophecy in Hosea 13:14. This is God’s promise of what he would do for His people: “I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death. Where, O death, are your plagues? Where, O grave, is your destruction?’

The Apostle Paul quotes this verse in 1 Corinthians 15:55-57 ‘Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.’  If death was just a long warm sleep, giving us permanent rest at the end of our hard days, we wouldn’t be afraid of it (apart from the pain that might accompany the experience). The real sting of death is sin! The reason that death is a fearful thing is the guilt of the sin that we have committed. ‘But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.’ 

Victory Through Christ!

How is the victory through the Lord Jesus Christ? It is through what He has done on our behalf. Hebrews 2:14-15 “Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil—and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.” This of course is speaking of the Lord Jesus. He became fully human and experienced death for us so that he could destroy the devil’s hold on mankind; so that he could set us free from slavery to the fear of death! Through the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, much was accomplished. First of all, He proved that there was hope beyond the grave. He had hung bleeding and broken upon the cross, suffering a form of execution that left the body damaged beyond repair. When He died, a soldier thrust a spear into His side to make sure the deed was done. Even in our day of CPR, defibrillators and blood transfusions, He could not have been revived, and yet three days later, He came back to life again! Through this, He conquered death once for all time. He stands mightily as the one who died and yet lives!

Read the words of assurance given by our Lord in John 11:25-26:“Jesus said…  “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.” Now that is something worth celebrating.