Grains of Sand

Sea World, Orlando, Florida, March 2012

Reading: Zechariah 5-8 You probably don’t expect tips on church growth to be found in the writings of the minor prophets. After all, what do they know about modern outreach methods. The answer to that: They probably know a whole lot more than we do. Take these chapters from Zechariah as an example. God is assuring His people through the prophet that their future is bright. Using the current high priest, Joshua, as His living illustration, the Almighty graphically portrays not only the future of Israel, but gives them a glimpse of the coming Messiah who will be both Priest and King forever. Through this coming Priest and King many from all nations will be gathered to grow His church in the world. That’s basically Zechariah 6. In chapter 7, God speaks to Zechariah in response to a question from some of the people of Bethel. They wondered if it was worth it to continue their practice of mourning and fasting. It’s kind of a “duh” moment when the Lord comes back with his answer. He...

Reading: Jude “ To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy—to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forever more! Amen ” (vss. 24, 25, NIV) I think the first time I hear these verses was from the lips of one of our summer interns. He had preached what I suspect was his first sermon and was about to close the service. Looking back on the scene, I imagine that he was nervous; afraid that he would forget the words he’d so carefully memorized. Someone had told him that he needed to hold out one of his arms as though he were placing his hand on someone’s head in blessing. It looked awkward, though I’m sure the gesture became more familiar with time and practice. With a fierce look of concentration on his face, he pronounced this blessing from the book of Jude. Since then I’ve heard the words quoted many times. I’ve quote...

People: Sometimes frustrating creatures, but fascinating all the same. There is a young woman in the neighbourhood around the church who intrigues me. Every day as I walk to work, she is out walking too. When I go home at night, she is out walking. I've seen her on the street at other times during the day when I've had occasion to leave the office. She has Down's Syndrome. Her clothes are neat and clean. She is polite, speaks, and smiles at me when we pass each other. I have never seen her come out of any of the homes in the neighbourhood though I assume she lives somewhere close by. There are times when I find her walking and conversing with other people. She appears to be well-known and obviously liked. But why does she walk all day? Who looks after her? Does she live alone and look after herself (she seems to be quite capable) or does someone shove her out the door in the morning and tell her not to come back until later? Then there is a man I have never met from w...

Numbers 21-24 They got impatient and started to complain that God wasn't keeping up with their needs. “ Then the Lord sent venomous snakes among them; they bit the people and many Israelites died ” —Numbers 21:6. The punishment seems a mite excessive until we remember that this was only one of the countless number of times Israel rebelled against God. Like little kids, sometimes reasoning doesn’t work and you have to “apply the board of education to the seat of learning” as my mother used to say. This event was the backdrop for the beautiful illustration of what Christ would do one day many years later. As Moses raised the bronze serpent and Israel was instructed to look at it if they wanted to be saved, so those who look to Christ can also be saved. God had his ways of dealing with Israel, but that didn't mean he was willing to allow other people to deal with them in any way they chose. Take Balak, for example. He called on a prophet, Balaam, to put a curse on Israel. The conv...

Genesis 37-39 This is a riches to rags story. Joseph, the favoured son of privilege, ends up as a slave. Hated and betrayed by his brothers, he loses everything he had: home, family, security, inheritance. In the house of his first master, Potiphar, the Lord blesses him. But that rank and a new kind of privilege as a trusted servant in the household are not his for long. That too is stolen from him by a slighted woman. Joseph loses everything again and ends up in jail for a crime he did not commit. He goes about his assigned work and gains the trust of the keeper of the jail. If it can be said that one can be privileged in prison, Joseph is that one. “ The Lord was with him ” (Genesis 39:2, 21). Some might say that the Lord had abandoned Joseph. I wonder if Joseph clung to the dreams he had had as a young man back in his father’s house (Genesis 37:5-9)? The promise of God that one day everything would turn out as God wanted it might have been the only thing Joseph could keep that no on...