~ February 2010~

Home from the Holy Land;

Well, I made it back from Israel last week,  and I don’t think I’ll ever be the same again.
I’ve always wanted to go there but it just never worked out for some reason or another.
Over the years I would always run into John Howsen (director for Bridges for Peace, Canada) who would always ask me in his drawn out yet compassionate voice,  “Danny, when you coming to Israel?”   Every time he asked me, I had a desire to go, yet it was really only in the last number of years that the Lord had caused my desire to grow stronger and stronger.
God was doing something in my heart.  A passion for God’s chosen people was being birthed in my heart that although was always there, now was so passionate that going to the Holy Land was the only next logical step.

 

People have asked on my return,  “What was the most amazing part of the trip?”  And in response I could provide the typical response of the, “garden tomb,” or the, “boat ride on the Sea of Galilee,” or "praying at the Western Wall", and yet on reflection, the one honest answer that I can only come up with is that,   “I have seen that Israel is still here and still the apple of God's eye!”  They are back in their land, living and thriving despite all of the attempts of demonic forces (even in the church) to try to wipe them off the face of the earth.

And to be there and see it with my own eyes reminds me that our God, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is faithful.  He has been faithful to Israel all of these thousands of years and he is also faithul to us.  We who have been, “grafted in,” who now are recipients of the same blessings and same promises as Israel, we can know that he is faithful and no matter what our future holds,  he will continue to be faithful to the very end.

 

Therefore I challenge you.  Next time you’re planning an overseas trip to “somewhere, ” consider Israel.   I promise you, if you allow him to, the Lord will mess you up in such a way that you’ll never be the same again.  After all, when he comes back to reign, I think the Bible says something about that place being kind of important to him.   Therefore shouldn’t it be a little important to us?

 

Shalom

 

~ January 2010~

I find myself over the last week watching the news over the recent earthquake in Haiti.
Everything is gone. Homes, roads, government buildings, people’s personal possessions as well as quite likely over 100,000 lives.  All lost within seconds. 

When disasters like this happens in our world, especially in places like Haiti which is considered the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere, all of us can be tempted to ask the question,  “where is God during this tragedy?”  
Well the obvious answer is, “Of course He’s there, He will ALWAYS be there.”   So then, why the pain, why such sorrow,  why the death of so many innocent victim, many of them children?

 

And to answer this question is not a simple ‘cut and dried’ answer.   The truth is that first of all we have to accept and understand that God is God and we are not!   That despite what we think He would or should do is completely inappropriate during these moments.   We in our finite minds can not comprehend His ultimate goals and plans and therefore we have to rest in that truth. 
In Psalm 96:10-12 we read;

 

"The LORD reigns. The world is firmly established, it cannot be moved; he will judge the peoples with equity.  Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let the sea resound, and all that is in it; let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them.

 

Also in Psalm 46:1-3 it says
“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change and though the mountains slip into the heart of the sea; thou its waters roar and foam, though the mountains shake at its swelling pride. The Lord of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our stronghold.”

 

From these scriptures, two main points stand out to me.   First of all that God is in charge of this world that nothing is going to happen to it outside of his will, and secondly, when tragedies do happen and the world looks as if it’s about to be destroyed,  “the Lord of hosts is with us.”

Because of sin, there will continue to be death, there will continue to be natural disasters and there will continue to be tragedies in our lives that in the natural never make sense.

 

Yet let it be known that Jesus warns us as well as encourages us all with the same verse of John 16:33-17:1 where he says;
In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." 

 

In other words because of sin both within our own human nature and in our world, there will be trouble, there will be wars, there will be natural disaster and death.   Yet because of his sacrifice, we can, “take heart for he has overcome the world.”

Let us all remember that as time marches on and the return of the Lord comes closer and closer, we can be guaranteed that there will be more struggles, more disasters, more turmoil. Yet let these “birth pains” both remind and encourage you that  God will one day soon birth his glorious Kingdom upon this earth and in the end establish a new heaven and new year.

 

Therefore until that day comes, let us find ourselves faithfully working for his service.  Let’s all do our part in reaching out to our lost and broken world.  Because   I think there’s a few Haitians who just might need our help right now.

 

If you would like to financially support the victims of the Haitian earthquake, please send you donation to the ERDO – Haiti Earthquake Response 2450 Milltower Court, Mississauga, ON L5N 5Z6

 

 

~ December 2009~

It’s hard to believe that it has already been twelve months since we last sent each other cards, ate too much Christmas baking and of course bought gifts for one another that by now are either broken, wore out or sold in a yard sale. How sad it would be if that was all there was to this special time of year.   Yet how thankful we should be as I just shared in my sermon last month that the Lord has opened our eyes to the wonderful truth of  his first coming and how it has forever transformed many of our lives.

The Incarnation is the perfect solution to the world’s oldest problem. There should be no doubt in our minds that God the Father’s plan to send His only Son to this earth as the perfect Savior was indeed the perfect solution. Whatever our circumstances during this season, lets all remind ourselves that in many parts of the world, many believers are denied any kind of outward Christmas celebration.

There are Christians who live in the midst of cultures that have no place for Christmas. Where the strict letter of Moslem Shari’ law forbids any outward recognition of this special season.  There are Christians who will spend this Christmas behind bars or working in labor camps. Their jailers will give no recognition to their faith; there will be no day of rest, or special rations, no opportunity to fellowship with their Christian friends.

Let us never forget how privileged we are here in the Western world. We have freedom to put into practice those precious truths that we hold so dear to.  The freedom to meet together and enjoy the fruits of Christian fellowship. The freedom to hear the wonderful message of Christmas read and preached.
So many of us will meet with family and friends as we traditionally do, yet in all of the joy and fun, let us take the time to think about and pray for those in other parts of the world who are denied even those basic rights to which we are all entitled to and take for granted.

May this reflection also be focused locally as well.   Where many of us here at Evangel have friends and family that we will be spending time with this season, realize that there are literally thousands of people here in our own city who really have no family or no ability to share this wonderful season with others due to either financial struggles or health issues.

This season, let’s search our hearts to see what we might be able to do.  Make the effort to meet your neighbors, do a random act of kindness or even get involved in some of our outreaches planned here at Evangel Chapel this Christmas season.

There is something wonderful that happens in the heart of a person who chooses to give rather than receive.  And the Bible says that this act is actually “better” due to how it makes you and God’s heart feel. For when a kind hearted act is performed on another human being, suddenly there is a sense that you are doing something good and in fact are doing exactly what Jesus would do this Christmas season.

And so in our world full of darkness, let a light shine.   That is exactly what Jesus did for us, can we do anything less.

 

On behalf of my wife Lenise and our children, Taylor, Jordan and Aliyah,   I want to wish all of our church family the most wonderful Christmas as well as a prosperous and blessed New Year.