HAPPY CANADA DAY!

Back in 1867, a nation was created - actually called the Dominion of Canada, under British rule.  Many people called this dominion their home, even before the Europeans emigrated.  Today, the First Nations, Inuit, Metis and people from across the oceans live here together.

It isn't always peaceful and perfect.  Wherever humans try to exist and interact in some level of relationship, there is jealousy, greed, competitiveness and pride.  We just can't seem to get along!  No matter which political party is in power, regardless of efforts to be fair and just, our nation still struggles with divisions.  Canada is blessed with rich resources, majestic landscapes and vast space to live and make a living. It is "our home and native land" whether we were born here or were transplanted from other national soil.

I respect the strength and survival of the First peoples who first called this land their home.  Some of my best friends are of indigenous roots and I love their loyalty and sense of humour!  I feel most at home and most accepted by the people who have taught me so much.  My life and my family's values have been hugely impacted by the influence of indigenous love of family and friendships.

My greatest desire is to see ALL peoples who live in this beautiful dominion find peace with God and with each other.  My faith is in Jesus Christ alone to make this peace possible.  He died on the cross to secure this peace with God by taking all our sins and wiping them away.  He then made all people who believe in Him able to have peace with each other because there is no one who deserves this forgiveness and gift of grace!  We are all the same in our sinfulness and in our need of a Saviour.  We are all equal as sinners but also all will be received as His children through faith.

Let's lay aside our differences and work towards living at peace with each other in as much as is possible.  May God keep our land glorious and free!

"He shall have dominion from sea to sea and from the river unto the ends of the earth."  Psalm 72:8

 Trying to understand God is humanly impossible!

Even attempting to describe Him and how He operates, I find my words weak and my expressions totally inadequate.  

There is one God.  He expresses Himself in three Persons.  Father and Holy Spirit we have mentioned in the past two Blog articles.  But there is a third Person whom God chose to send on a mission to Earth.

"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."  Hebrews 1:1 & 2

God has spoken through creation, through nature that we all see around us.  This is a general revelation that points us to a Divine Being, a Creator and Master.  But God continued to speak in more specific ways through history.  He chose prophets to deliver specific messages to humanity.  Men like Moses were sent to deliver the Israelites from slavery in Egypt; men like Samuel were raised up to speak to Israel and to Israel's kings.  Through these prophets, God would speak warnings, and also instructions on how to live and how to relate to Him.  

Through both prophets and priests, God would speak to His people and also to the Gentiles (who were any people NOT of the Israelite or Jewish heritage).  When God brought in the system of sacrifices for forgiveness and the worship in a tabernacle or temple, the prophets and priests would speak for God and God would receive their prayers on behalf of the people.  

Do you notice the go-between of communication?  Instead of a direct line for communication, God would go through a third party.  This reminds me of my Grandma Sanders who was a switchboard operator for the telephone company back in the 1950's and 1960's.  A call would come through the phone system and Grandma would answer.  The caller would request the number they wished to reach, or name the person specifically.  It was Grandma's business to know everyone and their number.  She would connect the caller with the desired party and let them communicate.  (Sometimes, she would listen in for a minute or two just to make sure they had a good connection.  Or that's what she would say if she was caught listening in a bit too long!)

Many times these prophets would be unsuccessful in connecting the two parties - their prayers were received in heaven but God's messages were not always heeded on earth!  The books of Judges, Samuel, Kings and Chronicles record the cycles of life that the Israelites experienced in their relationship with God.  Over and over, God would reach out in love and with warnings, and sometimes they would repent and get back on track; other times they fell away and continued to worship other gods and practice evil.

Clearly general revelation through nature wasn't quite enough to convey God's messages to people.  The more specific words through the prophets were not always heeded.  God then found a way to reach more personally and directly to those He loves:  He sent His Son!

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God.  He was in the beginning with God.  All things were made through Him..."  John 1:1-3a

This verse sounds a lot like Genesis 1:1 that in the beginning God created and here we see someone called "the Word" was present with God in the beginning.  This Person was there at creation and all things were made through Him!  It also said in Hebrews 1:2 that the world was made through Him, referring to the Son.  The Son, the Word, we know is Jesus Christ.  

Why would God send His Son to the Earth?  The world is a mess.  The people on the Earth are constantly in trouble and seem to do everything they can to offend this holy and patient God.  Somehow, God was moved by compassion and made a plan to rescue His beloved creation through an ultimate sacrifice, the Lamb of God that would take away the sin of the world (John 1:29).  

Jesus is called the Word - meaning He is the ultimate way God has chosen to reveal Himself and communicate His message to the world.  God made Himself through Christ Jesus to become a human, by making a virgin girl, Mary, pregnant by His Holy Spirit.  What a crazy and unfathomable plan?!  But the story of Luke 1 and 2 gives the account and records the historical facts that Mary was willing to go along with this plan.  Jesus was born into the messy world as a human baby and grew up in a human experience.  God was going to show up directly and share His heart!

Hebrews also explains that Jesus went through every temptation and hardship that we as men and women encounter in our lives.  He didn't get special treatment because He was the Son of God.  "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin."  Hebrews 4:15  Jesus is able to connect with us because He went through what we experience.  

Jesus is also called a "great high priest", like I mentioned that God used the role of priests to speak to and reach people.  The high priest would offer sacrifices to pay for sin and to cleanse the people.  Jesus was more than a normal high priest; He became the sacrifice that was offered on the cross!

There's a Gospel song I enjoy that expresses this truth:

"Wonderful, merciful Saviour, precious Redeemer and Friend; Who would have thought that a Lamb could rescue the souls of men, Oh, You rescue the souls of men." - (Dawn Rodgers & Eric Wyse)

God so desperately wanted to speak to us that He sent His own Son as a personal messenger; the Word  was willing to die as the sacrificial Lamb in our place.  He spoke His love and His plan of rescue through Jesus!

 If God is a real Person, if He exists as a living being, how can we hear Him speak?

From early on in my first pregnancy, I would rub my growing belly and talk to the life inside me.  It was natural for me to communicate to this little one, important for me to speak words of love and comfort and assurance.  I didn't expect a response.  But out of my joy and sometimes angst of bringing this life into the world, I would automatically talk to my unborn child.

Have you ever noticed that all babies are born with two ears and one mouth?  God intended for us to hear words, listen for sounds and respond to voices.  He also gave us our mouths, tongues, lips, teeth, vocal chords, all to form discernable noises.  Although some have impairments that may affect hearing and verbal communication, we all learn to reveal ourselves and let our needs be known!

God has a desire to communicate with us.  He has had conversations with His human creations since the Garden of Eden.  I used to wonder what language God spoke.  And because the cultures around the world speak various languages, how could God speak to each of us in words we individually could understand?

Although in ancient times, God spoke in an audible voice to Adam and Eve, Abraham, Moses and so on, it is rare that He speaks that way today.  So He directed certain chosen scribes to record His words so that we all could receive the same words, the same message from Him.  This is the Bible.

"All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness..."  II Timothy 3:16

God is the speaker, the originator, the initiator of the Scriptures.  He used men to write the physical words but His Spirit (pneumos - breath) inspired the invisible message.  In Exodus 17:14, this is what God instructed Moses:  "Then the Lord said to Moses, 'Write this as a memorial in a book and recite it in the ears of Joshua...' "   We understand today that the first 5 books of the Old Testament were written by Moses (and Psalm 90).  An interesting verse is recorded in II Samuel 23:1-2 about David, the King of Israel.  "David the son of Jesse declares, the man who was raised on high declares, the anointed of the God of Jacob, and the sweet psalmist of Israel, 'The Spirit of the Lord spoke by me, and His word was on my tongue.' "  God spoke by His Spirit and it was heard/perceived by the spirit of  David.  He wrote many of the Psalms and we are blessed to have them to sing and pray as we worship the Lord!

Don't you think it's interesting that the Almighty God could communicate anyway He chooses, yet He chooses to speak to and through mere humans?  Now, the tablets containing the Ten Commandments were written by the finger of God (Exodus 31:18 and 32:15-16).  But all other Scriptures were written by a human hand.  The apostle Paul included these words as he closed one of his letters (book of II Thessalonians 3:17)  "I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand.  This is the sign of genuineness in every letter of mine; it is the way I write."  

I am so grateful that God inspired His Word and preserved it for thousands of years so I could hear His voice personally today!

 Many people in today's world wonder if there is a God.

Everybody has a theology or a belief system.  An athiest doesn't believe God or any divine being exists.  An agnostic isn't sure if there is a God or not.  A polytheist believes in many gods or spiritual beings.  An animist believes that things in nature all possess spirituality.  There are a whole lot more categories of belief systems, including the dark side of satanism and witchcraft.  

What is YOUR theology?

"In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth."  Genesis 1:1

The Christian and the Jewish faiths believe in one God and that He is the creator of everything.  Both also accept the first 39 books of the Bible as God's inspired Word (Christians include the  27 New Testament books to be Scripture, as well).  

"Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one."  Deuteronomy 6:4

Because the Christian Church was birthed out of the Jewish faith, we also accept this truth: that the Lord is one God.  We also believe that God reveals Himself.  He speaks to the humans that He created.  How?

"For His invisible attributes, namely, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made.  So they are without excuse."  Romans 1:20

God reveals His character - who He is - through what He has done.  He displays His power and divinity through creation.  Everyone can perceive that He is real and He does exist.

"The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims His handiwork.  Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge."  Psalm 19:1-2

Without saying a word, God reveals Himself through the skies, the stars, the vastness of space.  I remember standing out on the farm, staring into the blackness of night and locating the Big Dipper.  I felt very small.  And I wondered:  is there a God out there?  I'm thinking almost every human being has done that wherever people roam on this planet.  Or  what about those who have ventured out into space - their quotes are pretty amazing as they saw the heavens and viewed the earth from there!  

"It suddenly struck me that that tiny pea, pretty and blue, was the Earth.  I put up my thumb blotted out the planet Earth.  I didn't feel like a giant.  I felt very, very small."  Neil Armstrong

No matter what your theology may be, God is speaking.  He is letting humanity know He is there.  All you have to do is look up...

 May is the month that holds some special dates in our life.

Walter and I were married on May 21, 1989.

My Dad and his wife, Dinah were also married in May on the 15th of the month in 1982.  It would have been their 40th anniversary if Dad was still with us.

I graduated from Arcola Highschool in May, back in 1984.

And for the past two years, we have been part of NCEM's Candidate Orientation & Training of new missionaries in this month of May! We have just finished three intensive weeks of learning and building relationships as a mission family.  Covering topics such as NCEM History & Thought, Dependency, Spiritual Warfare, Fundraising, Cross-Cultural Ministry, First Nations Culture and Traditional Religion, Finances and some specific training in suicide prevention and intervention and teaching the Bible chronologically.

Whew!  Walter taught the first three topics.  We team-taught the fundraising sessions and then had the candidates practice their 1-minute and 7-minute spiels to present their ministries!

We also had sessions with our field supervisor couple and our member care coordinators.  We felt it was important for them to get to know those who will be providing supervision of their ministries and offer support and resources to thrive on the mission field.  

For fun, we played board games, NHL playoffs on the big screen and walk/jog fitness sessions!

It was like launching our own children as we presented them with gifts and congratulated them on finishing the training!  Did we prepare them adequately for their ministries?  Will they be equipped for all they will face in their futures?  Are they ready for reality?????

We had two families with kids in the age range of 5-10 years old.  They were troopers through hours of childcare each day.  God provided interns and camp staff from Big River Bible Camp to hang out with the 7 children. I enjoyed a morning with the kids and played some games like Connect 4, Blokus, Aggravation and Sorry during our free time!  MK's (missionary kids) are a precious part of the mission family and I pray they, too, will be prepared for their lives on the mission field.

And now...we are about done-in as we have finished three weeks involved in the training and a total of four weeks away from home.  Can't wait to sleep in my own bed and yet, I will miss the fellowship and privilege of getting to know these amazing newly graduated missionaries!

(The following are our newest recruits:  Sarah & Kent, Kari, Afifa, Jordan, Corrie and Isabel; missing are Nathan & Emily and Marcie)

 Everyday this week I have seen evidence of the gradual arrival of spring.

I had complained at how slow the snow was disappearing and how anxious I was to put away the boots and parkas in exchange for my fun summer wardrobe!  But I am thankful for the little things.  The robins, the meadowlark, the sparrows and the geese bring me joy.  The appearance of ground and grass lifts my spirits.  I can't wait to see the young shoots of irises, tulips and other perennials.  And the leaves!  I am craving that fresh green that tempted us when spring had sprung in BC a couple of weeks ago.

And everyday this week I enjoyed the pleasures of my morning devotions.  Reading Scriptures is like planting the seeds of God's Word in the soil of my heart. The Lord was giving me special glimpses of Himself and His wisdom.  He gave me wonderful delights from Philippians, Romans and Isaiah. I've been listening to a couple of different series of daily devotionals and  it has been such a treat.

Just like He unfolds the beauty of the seasons, He reveals His truth little by little.  We cannot handle it all at once. In His graciousness, our loving heavenly Father teaches us what we need when we need it!  

So as I soak in the wonders of spring, I am also soaking in the marvels of God's mysteries...one day at a time.

 Spring!  Will it ever arrive on the prairies?

This is the question of the day.  Just when we all get our hopes up that spring has sprung, another winter blizzard blows in and dumps new snow!  We wonder if God forgot to flip the calendar page and begin to send the warmth of the sun and to turn the grass to green.  Why is winter taking so long to let go?

Spring's delay means I haven't put away  my winter clothing and footwear.  It means we are still driving with our studded winter tires.  It also means I just removed the Christmas lawn lights that were buried under several feet of snow!  Only yesterday I could roll our garbage and recycling bins to the side of the house where our driveway is finally reappearing.  

But something happened that gave me renewed faith that God still has spring in store for us here on the Canadian prairies: I heard a robin singing its heart out!  I opened the door leading to our deck and tried to locate the robin in the poplar tree out back.  There he was, hanging onto the branch for dear life, feathers ruffled in the wind and singing his mating call with great gusto!  The robin can't be wrong; God instilled in this little guy the instinct to sing in a mate.  It must be spring!

I also feel a sense of renewing in my spirit.  We have just acknowledged five years of serving as Director of NCEM.  As we evaluate the changes and new initiatives, I feel encouraged!  At times, the travel and extra load of ministry has been heavy.  At other times, we have felt the strength and leading of the Lord so clearly and feel so privileged to be leaders at this time in history!  As we just finished the Annual General Meeting for NCEM last Thursday, it was very obvious that the mission family is getting more involved in the business of NCEM and growth is happening.  The Board was re-elected.  Awards for service were given.  New candidates and Board members were introduced.  What a blessed time to be serving Jesus Christ in His harvest field.

Another sign of spring in Regina is the opening of a certain ice cream stand, The Milky Way.  Maybe today would be a good opportunity to celebrate spring with a "Flavour of the Day" cone!  And to celebrate the goodness of our God in the seasons of life...