To the NEXT GENERATION

September 24, 2024.

1 My people, hear my teaching; listen to the words of my mouth.  2 I will open my mouth with a parable; I will utter hidden things, things from of old—3 things we have heard and known, things our ancestors have told us.  4 We will not hide them from their descendants; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, his power, and the wonders he has done.  5 He decreed statutes for Jacob and established the law in Israel, which he commanded our ancestors to teach their children, 6 so the next generation would know them, even the children yet to be born, and they in turn would tell their children.  7 Then they would put their trust in God and would not forget his deeds but would keep his commands.  8 They would not be like their ancestors— a stubborn and rebellious generation, whose hearts were not loyal to God, whose spirits were not faithful to him.

-Psalm 78:1-8 (NIV)

Part of the above passage should be familiar with many people.  It’s the passage that our Vision Statement is based on.  If you haven’t realized by now, this is our official Vision Statement:

 “We will pass the faith we have received from our ancestors to the NEXT generation so they can be enthusiastically engaged in Christ’s mission.”  inspired by Psalm 78:4….

Some people may say, “Our church has no vision.”  I and a number of others in St. Andrew’s church beg to differ.  For as long as it takes and to reach as many as God wills it, we will receive the gospel message with faith and pass it on to this generation and to many generations to come, and equip these generations to carry out Christ’s mission with joy, courage and perseverance!  “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.” (Rom. 1:16).  And perhaps there are aspects of our vision statement and what I just said that is forgotten by many.  Enthusiasm, joy, courage and perseverance are key words I’m emphasizing here.  We will not stop!  We will carry on!  We will carry out Christ’s mission! 

Many people in our church display actions exemplifying that they’re “all in”.  These people give it their all when it comes to serving God and his kingdom!  Still others not so much.  If you’re in the camp of being all in, CONGRATULATIONS.  You know the price of Jesus Christ on the cross, you know the magnitude of his resurrection and you know the glorification that God gets.  You also know the cost of discipleship and the immense wholeness and fulfilment you receive.  For those in the other camp of, “Well, I’ll go to church and don’t want to get involved,” or “I’ll come out to church sometimes when I feel good and when I don’t have any other plans.” – if you’re in this second camp, you’ve got to look at your life with a sobering perspective and ask yourself this:  Do I really know the real Jesus yet?  Now I’m not the final judge, jury and executioner and thank goodness for that, but the true answer might be closer to “no” than you realize. (I told you, it’s a sobering question and actually with a shocking answer).

The fact of the matter is this:  All of the disciples and followers of God through Jesus in the New Testament (except Judas Iscariot), and all of the true priests, prophets and followers of God in the Old Testament met God and never turned back – they were ALL IN!  This is essentially the reason for writings from people like Asaph in our Psalm reading (a worship leader and prophet during King David’s time).  The followers of God in the Old Testament knew a Messiah was coming and they just didn’t know it would be Jesus.  They knew the same message that the followers in the New Testament knew as well: God saves! -  the followers in the New Testament just knew it more directly through Jesus Christ.  Thus, the saving power of God is the same in the Old Testament as in the New Testament and both pointing to Jesus Christ.  This is the hidden message Asaph alludes to in Psalm 78:2, but not hidden to believers! – We are to recognize and live out the saving power of God through faith and a life fulfilment with God!  And the reason Asaph and others made it a priority to pass on this message to this generation, the next and so forth, is two fold:

1)     They were ALL IN! So great has been the Lord, so great has been his power and wonders (and still is till this day)!  Following God meant goodness!

2)     They did not want to be like any rebellious ancestors.  Rebelling against God meant ruin and destruction.

I forgot to also mention that with God, the worst is middle ground (not in either of the two camps).  Hear now the words of Rev. 3:16:   “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.”

If you hear these words, great!  Now is the time to act and do not delay!  Be ALL-IN with Jesus and serve him with all your heart’s desire.  If not, feel free to go back to my sobering question and let that sit with you.  Ignore it at your own peril. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

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The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

September 17, 2024

11 As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.” 12 For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, 13 for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”   14 How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? 15 And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”
-Romans 10:11-15 (NIV)

Most news is getting ugly fast.  The bad news is, the world is not getting better, it’s only getting worse and there’s people perishing each minute.  The GOOD news is – THE GOSPEL!    The gospel message is the only GOOD news out there and it’s the only good news we need!  It’s also the only news relevant for each generation, to everyone on the planet and for all time.

Folks, I’m going to drop a bomb statement here:  Christianity is exclusive, but the gospel message is inclusive for all.  Not all are Christian and even some that claim to be Christian are actually not.  With that said, salvation is for some and not for all.  Some of you may be hearing this and don’t like to hear that message at all.  For those that don’t like hearing it, I got a question for you:  Do you believe the gospel message is really GOOD news for all? – or maybe it’s in the category of BAD news, or fake news, or even UGLY news.

I have to share a true story about me here.  I’ve preached in church settings where people claim to be Christian and yet fall in love with one or more of the following ideas.

1)     universalism - everyone will be saved and gets to heaven

2)     religious pluralism – holding more than one religious worldview and essentially it implies more than one religion can be equally true

3)     side-stepping Jesus – claim to connect/access God without Jesus

Unlike those three completely heretical beliefs I just stated, John 14:6 (and many other biblical passages) obliterate all the lies!…and I can honestly say that I’ve been brutally attacked with “supposed Christian” people ganging up on me when I preached the gospel here.  It wasn’t a physical attack, but it was definitely a spiritual and emotional assault.  On multiple days people came at me with complaints and one evening I really took it like a champ when a small group of people voiced their hatred to me preaching and teaching the gospel…..and I did it all for the glory of God!  At St. Andrew’s, perhaps this is why I’m completely stunned when I believe I shared a more blunt and harsh message and yet usually get the most positive feedback.  This is something I’m just not used to when compared to some of my previous settings.  Metaphorically speaking, I’m used to the mentality of putting on my bootstraps and going to war every time I preach the gospel and if you haven’t figured it out by how I preach, I preach for urgency and I preach for warning.

Of course there are some Christians that read Romans 10:11-15 and think, “What if…..in the Amazon rainforest there is a person that has not had outside human contact and a chance to hear the gospel?  Are they going to hell?  How is that fair?”  I think if we have a heart, we’re all concerned for such people.

Let me tell you God not only finds, but makes a way - and in fact, he makes THE way through Jesus!  For anyone wresting with these “What if….?” statements, have you not read the story of Cornelius in Acts 10?  How about the story of the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts 8?  God saves whom God wants to save, period!  If God wills it and ordains it, he will make it happen!  Both accounts nullify the “What if…..?” questions.  God simply makes a way to deliver the gospel message through and only through Jesus Christ to whomever he wishes, in whatever time, place and space he chooses – it’s God after all and this is what makes him omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent!  There is no distance too far, nor obstacle too great, nor thought inconceivable for our triune God.  Our God is not limited by any circumstance, he acts as he pleases and he saves whom he wants to save!  If he wants to save someone, he absolutely will make it happen, regardless of any hypothetical “What if….?” statements – and believe this: our God is merciful and this is why he saves, because he doesn’t have to!

Our only response is to be obedient to him.  Our Romans text tells us that our Lord is the same for all.  In terms of salvation, he makes no distinction between Jew and Gentile (non-Jew) and anyone who calls on the name of Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour will be saved!  This directly implies the gospel message is GOOD NEWS for all, not some.  It is the same GOOD NEWS for the prophets and followers in the Old Testament too.  They were seeking the Messiah, but just never saw him.

And now when we unpack Romans 10:14-15, the focus then becomes on us.  Once again, it stresses the importance on Jesus being the only source of salvation, but now with the added responsibility of us being Christians to bring the GOOD NEWS to those that have not heard it.  How far are you willing to spread the gospel?  How much scrutiny and hardships are you willing to endure to spread the gospel?  Followers in the Old and New Testament left their homes and gave up their lives!  Let me stress that again: THEY GAVE UP THEIR LIVES to spread the gospel!....so how beautiful are the feet of those who bring the GOOD NEWS?  I don’t know, but if our feet are not full of scars, callouses, or other injuries, have we done enough?  If we’re not challenged, I would say we haven’t.  If we’ve become too comfortable to not spread the gospel, then either we don’t care enough, or we don’t think hell is hot enough!  A famous late rapper once named a terrible album, “It’s Dark and Hell is Hot”  (and I definitely don’t recommend that album for anyone). Those words couldn’t be more true for those perishing!  The GOOD NEWS of the gospel is definitely GOOD, but to those perishing, it’s definitely BAD and UGLY!

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Nothing Happened

September 10, 2024

10 these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit.  The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. 11 For who knows a person’s thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 12 What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us. 13 This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words. 14 The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit. 15 The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments, 16 for, “Who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?”  But we have the mind of Christ.
-1 Corinthians 2:10-16 (NIV)

I recently watched a video on the internet where a former atheist came to Christian faith.  In this video, the atheist young woman tells about her story where she was invited to a church worship service, and she accepted the invitation.  During the Sunday worship service, I think the young woman was inspired and wanted many of the typical benefits associated with a life and love for Jesus Christ – peace, joy, fulfilment, etc.  We all want that don’t we?

However, the pastor also challenged her to read the Bible.  The young woman then actually read the entire bible and mentioned that nothing happened and there was no change to her.  I was actually astonished and confused here, because I was under the impression that going through scripture actually changes you for the better and leads you to a life and love of Jesus Christ – at least, that’s what happened to me and many others that I know of.  In the video, the woman continued and described that something happened and she changed after she read the entire bible a second time.  After the second time reading the Bible, she was won over and became a Christian.  Why wasn’t she changed after the first time she read the Bible?  Well, during the first time, she approached scripture with the mindset that the Bible was written for her.  Like many people in life, she placed herself and her own needs and ambitions on a pedestal.  She thought the entire bible was written to benefit herself and her own worldly desires.

Nothing goes to waste in God’s economy!  After her first attempt, she realized the error in her ways and the Holy Spirit worked in her heart to compel her to read the Bible a second time and this time, she read it from the perspective of, “The Bible was written for God’s glory, not my own.”  That was the game changing eureka moment!

Before proceeding, I have to ask you this:  Have you changed to be more Jesus Christ-like in your faith journey and are you being changed for the better by scripture?  Are you conforming to the gospel message or has nothing happened?

After watching this story testimonial video, I had forgotten that even the demons believe in God and shudder (James 2:19).  I had forgotten that Satan knows scripture more than any of us and he has not changed and never will.

Here’s the bottom line:  Nobody will change to follow after Jesus Christ unless it’s revealed by God!  (Matt. 16:17).  Moreover Paul addresses the same thing in our 1 Corinthians 2:10-16 reading.  It’s impossible for God’s will to be revealed unless God wills, ordains and reveals it himself.  At first for the atheist woman in the video, she did not accept the gospel message because at the time, she didn’t have the same Holy Spirit and therefore, she could not accept the teachings and life transformation that scripture dictates.  At the time, she was concerned for the things of this world and in particular herself more than anything.

Now let’s be honest here:  When was the last time you went through parts or all of scripture?  Have you changed? If nothing happened, honestly ask yourself, “Why not?”  The reality is, we all must be constantly changing and conforming to God’s Word as a lifelong process and this is the very principle to Reformed Theology – we’re constantly being reformed by God’s Word over and over again, until completion.  Some of us change faster than others, but it all takes a lifetime.  Keep at it, pray for God’s help, be sincere about your approach to pursue Jesus and his righteousness.  If you don’t desire to be changed to be more Christ-like, then I got bold news for you: you may not be a Christian and perhaps you may not have met the real Jesus yet, but there’s still hope.  Like I said, changing to be more Christ-like is a lifelong process and we all get stuck in a rut at times.

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In Service

September 4, 2024.

24 When the ten heard about this, they were indignant with the two brothers. 25 Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. 26 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— 28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
-Matthew 20:24-28 (NIV)

What’s church to you?  People go to church for all kinds of reasons.  If we’re being completely honest with ourselves, some of us go to church to meet and worship God in community.  Some of us go to church to hear a great sermon.  Some of us go to church because we like the music.  Some of us go to church to meet with friends.  Some of us go to church thinking it’s the only place where I can share thoughts and feel relevant.  Some of us go to church to find companionship in a lonely world.  Some of us go to church because we’re forced by family or friends.  Some of us go to church simply because it’s something we’ve always done and it’s become more of a traditional habit rather than anything else.  Some of us go to church because it’s a place to network and make business contacts.  Yet, some of us go to church because it’s work (if you’re paid staff).  I’m not pointing fingers at anyone in any of these statements, nor do I hold any suspicions, but I want us to actually take the time to examine why we actually go to church.

Perhaps one of the last reasons to go to church that anyone can think of is to serve God; and by doing so, not only are we meeting and worshiping him, but we’re responding to him by giving our lives to him.  Thus, I want to ask you:  How much thought have you put into serving?

If you believe you’re a Christian, then you wouldn’t get offended by the idea that God calls you to be more Jesus Christ-like each and every day.  We all can agree on that statement right? GREAT!  But what if that meant washing dishes or putting away tables and chairs?  Would your immediate response be, “Ha! That’s icky or too much work!  That’s beneath me!  Get someone else to do that!”?

What if becoming more like Jesus Christ meant leading a prayer ministry, bible study, answering the call to be a Church Elder, or leading another worthwhile ministry?  Would your response be, “I don’t think I can and maybe later.  I have xyz to deal with at the moment.”  Perhaps your response sounds like, “I’ve never done that before, I feel nervous about it, and I don’t think I have enough knowledge or training.”

Once again, I’m not trying to put anyone on blast here, but these are common responses.  To answer my own question of, “How much thought have you put into serving?”  My answer would be another question: How much do you want to grow and be more Jesus Christ-like?  We all have things happening in our lives that takes time or are very important.  We all go through periods of great, consuming challenges (financial, emotional, relational, etc.).  We absolutely do have to manage these momentary challenges well, but at the end of the day, the Lord waits on nobody!  I preached recently to, “ANSWER THE CALL” and I hope and pray these words do not fall upon deaf ears.  Am I being blunt and direct?  Yes.  Is it painful to read?  Yes.  But do I want sainthood for myself, you, our entire congregation, etc.? Absolutely, YES! 

I commend a number of you for serving in the capacities that you do.  And I’m also challenging you to serve in ways and commitments you’ve never done before, modeling after Jesus Christ himself!  This is essentially the tone that Jesus gave to the mother of the sons of Zebedee in our Matthew reading.  She wanted greatness for her sons, and Jesus’ response displeased those that heard him.  Gentile (non-Jew) leaders of Jesus’ time (and even today) dominated with power.  Nobody likes it when leaders lead by force.  I’ve served and worked in too many committees and even corporate offices (before being in ministry) to find that out.  And what Jesus is urging his disciples (including us) to do, is to show leadership through servitude.  Some of us feel we’re not called to leadership.  I beg to differ when leadership is shown through exemplified and continued servitude (not one-off servitude). 

Jesus also said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few...” (Matt. 9:37).  I’ve been praying for more workers (more servers), and I’m hoping to find them.  I do not want any existing Jesus Christ loving servants to burn-out and the only way to remedy that is for these people to spend more time with God who offers peace and rejuvenation (Matt. 11:30), but also to share the load with other workers in the harvest.  St. Andrew’s (the local body of Jesus Christ) needs you, and God is calling!  Don’t delay!  Make your move!

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It’s About Time

August 27, 2024.

8 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. 9 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.

10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare.

11 Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives 12 as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. 13 But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.

-2 Peter 3:8-13 (NIV)

Perhaps one of the hardest things to deal with is God’s time.  How many times have we prayed for something and the request doesn’t get answered quickly?  How many times have we cried out for a miracle or for God’s favour to be made known and it doesn’t happen when we want it?  Sometimes for a  specific request, God may not grant our request at all.  Really this begs the question: How receptive and appreciative are we of God’s sovereignty?

I have an unbelieving friend from high school that I had lunch with a while back and he once said to me, “David, when we get older we just turn into bigger versions of what we always were.”  Biblically I think he’s incorrect in that Romans 12:2 tells us we can be transformed and 2 Corinthians 5:17 tells me that I am a new creation, and any positive changes come only from Jesus Christ.  However there may be some tendencies or personality quirks that have not changed to the levels we would like - take patience for instance (one of the fruits of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23).  If you’ve been around young children enough, you probably know how impatient they can be.  All it takes is one road trip and you probably lost track of how many times a child asks, “Are we there yet?”  A child can get quite impatient and a child seems to have an innate and unique ability to test your own patience at the same time.  However and as we get older, do we really gain more patience?  Sometimes yes, and sometimes no, but I find we still struggle with God’s timing.  It’s almost as if from God’s perspective on timing, we revert back to childhood when it comes to our lack of patience.

I don’t know about you, but I start to feel guilty about God’s timing when I realize that God has every right to strike me down for any number of wrongs I’ve committed, and yet he’s extremely patient with me.  Is God slow to act?  2 Peter 3:9 tells us that God is not slow at all and his perfect timing is constantly in motion, choosing his prescribed method to save and sanctify me – and in so doing, I repent.  Sometimes I wish I was smart enough to repent sooner.  In the end I realize, I’m slow, but God is not.  I’m impatient, but God is gracious.  But even this period will soon come to an end.  There will be a time when Jesus Christ comes back, not as a shepherd but as a conqueror.  Our text tells us that this day will be marked not with continual patience, but with fire and destruction.  God is not slow in keeping his promises, but he is definitely gracious in keeping them.

Listen, you may have unwanted habits still.  You may know someone is not coming to faith and/or displaying unwanted habits.  Trust God in the process, but please keep turning to God in the process.  Nothing happens without his divine blessing and approval, and nothing happens contrary to God’s timing.  If you can spare 5 minutes of your day, you got time to pray, and it’s about time we pray more!

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About Suffering

August 20, 2024.

Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged. 2 The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head. They clothed him in a purple robe 3 and went up to him again and again, saying, “Hail, king of the Jews!” And they slapped him in the face.  4 Once more Pilate came out and said to the Jews gathered there, “Look, I am bringing him out to you to let you know that I find no basis for a charge against him.” 5 When Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe, Pilate said to them, “Here is the man!”  6 As soon as the chief priests and their officials saw him, they shouted, “Crucify! Crucify!”
-John 19:1-6 (NIV)

Lately I’ve been reflecting on the role of suffering.  What does it mean to suffer?  Yes, suffering means pain and yes, prolonged suffering may lead to agony – but why does God allow it?  I know Rom. 5:3-5 describes suffering as producing perseverance, character and hope, and ultimately directs us to Christ, but I have to tell you that I struggle with this.  Why do I struggle?  Because I hate suffering and I hate pain!  At the same time I realize that I’m very stubborn and I’m completely fallen as a person and I believe we’re all like this (unless you’re some kind of sadistic, which is another psychological category altogether).

I realize that if we didn’t have suffering, we wouldn’t place all our hope upon the redemptive, saving and sanctifying work of Jesus Christ.  If we didn’t have suffering, we’d be stuck in our set ways and we’d go on in life rejecting Jesus at every turn, because we’d be too comfortable!  More and more I’m realizing that suffering leads to Godliness whether I like it or not!  In God’s wisdom, suffering reveals God’s nature and God’s grace more than we could ever realize!  It’s ironic because in times of suffering we often question where God is and if he cares.  And it’s in these moments we can either dive into God’s presence, surrendering everything to him, or we can turn our backs on him completely.  Why did I mention that suffering reveals God’s nature and God’s grace?  Because if suffering produces Godliness, God wants to bless you through these painful moments.  If suffering produces Godliness, then God invites you to be more like Him.  If suffering is so painful, then it should trigger in us a giant reminder that our home is not in this temporal and sinful world, but with Jesus Christ in eternity.

Think about this:  Even Jesus Christ suffered until death!  In John 19:1-6, God revealed that suffering is God’s prescribed method to coronate Jesus as king to the world!  Instead of a crown of jewels, Jesus was fixed with a painful crown of thorns.  Instead of being clothed with majesty, Jesus was given a purple robe in mockery whereby purple is a royal colour.  After being reduced in a courtroom of corrupt leaders and lawmakers where he should’ve been elevated, he was metaphorically brought down by being slapped in the face.  His own chosen people (Israelite Jews) rejected him, and he was insulted as they said, “Hail, king of the Jews!”

Here's another amazing fact:  As God’s prescribed method of coronation is suffering, God doesn’t just prescribe this method for Jesus Christ, but also prescribes it for us, giving ultimately meaning for our suffering while on this earth.  In other words, our royal welcome into God’s royal family is also marked with suffering.  There’s also something else we must realize with regards to the role of suffering:  our entire lives are not for our own glory, but for God’s glory!  The latter is a tough pill to swallow, because it’s the ultimate humbling statement!  Our lives are not our own and we were purchased by the blood of Jesus Christ and all for God’s glory.  The story of our lives is a part of the larger story of Yahweh.  Pain now, glory tomorrow…..and forevermore!

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The True and Bright Morning Star

August 13, 2024.

12 How you have fallen from heaven, morning star, son of the dawn!  You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations!  13 You said in your heart, “I will ascend to the heavens; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of Mount Zaphon. 14 I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.”  15 But you are brought down to the realm of the dead, to the depths of the pit.

-Isaiah 14:12-15 (NIV)

Anyone got time for another Olympics rant?  Keep scrolling and ignore this devotional message if you don’t.  In my last devotional message and while I did comment on a number of demonic and satanic references in the opening Olympic ceremonies, looking back I still missed a ton of things and too numerous to count.  I can’t believe that hip hop personality Snoop Dogg wore a Baphomet, satanic goat necklace at one point during the Olympic festivities (he also carried the torch in Paris this year too, which shows how popular he is to many people).  He claims it’s just a necklace to describe himself as the G.O.A.T. (Greatest Of All Time), a casual term used to describe the best of the best in any category among younger crowds nowadays (think about Wayne Gretzky or Michael Jordan).  However and if you ask me, he’s covering up the truth!  I encourage you to research the typical image of the Baphomet (a satanic and occult figure) and Snoop Dogg’s necklace and you’ll see what I mean.  By the way, I really encourage readers to stay away from his music.  He’s gotten a pass by the media over the last few years, but I find his overall body of work is anti-Christian – and as a personal confession (believe it or not), I was HEAVY into all kinds of music at one point and especially hip hop, so I think I know a thing or two about his music.

I also can’t believe we have boxing scandals where the IOC let two men with XY chromosomes (Imane Khelif from Algeria and Lin Yu-Ting from Taiwan) beat-up women with XX chromosomes in the ring and both claiming gold medals in different weight classes, in women’s boxing).  I thought the western world promoted women’s rights and here the Olympics are, taking that away and putting women’s lives in danger! 

Moreover though, I want to spend some time to think about the closing ceremonies of the Olympics.  Did anyone see that?  Once again and for all of these Olympics happenings, I’ve only seen short video clips on the internet.  However, I know during the closing ceremonies there was a scene with a shimmering, horned, gold figure raised down from a great height, descending upon a dark globe map of the world, and what appeared to be humanoid figures worshipping the gold figure in a ritual.  Some of these humanoid figures wore dark cloaks and at some point, a headless and armless statue was raised of what appeared to be either an angel or the Greek goddess Niké (the goddess of victory, that the sneakers brand is named after, with the iconic swoosh symbol).  Some say the closing ceremony was a nod to NASA’s Golden Record Voyager (a golden phonograph record said to compile sounds and images portraying diversity of life on earth).  Others see direct symbols to go back to either worshipping or being like the ancient Greco-Roman gods like Jupiter.  Here’s a posting from a random twitter/X user on the latter: https://x.com/PFKHealth/status/1822824657676062862

Either way, in my humble opinion and if you’re a Christian, this is not good and not Jesus honouring!

In my mind, I think about the description of Satan being cast out of heaven.  In Isaiah 14:12, Satan is described as a morning star.  Have you ever realized that Jesus is also described as the morning star in Revelation 22:16?  Often times in scripture, celestial bodies (planets, moon, sun, stars, etc.) are a reference to supernatural entities.  The morning star is the description of a star brighter than other stars.  As Satan (or Lucifer) is described as a morning star (not THE morning star), Lucifer means “shining one” or “light bearer” or “morning star” interchangeably.  Being brighter than other stars may also be a reference to how Satan was at a different level compared to other angels upon creation, before he rebelled and fell – described as being “the seal of perfection” in Eze. 28:12.

The difference with Jesus is that Jesus is described as being THE MORNING STAR, and not just the REAL light bearer, but the actual and REAL light himself (John 8:12).  Let’s also not forget that Satan masquerades as an angel of light (2 Cor. 11:14).  Knowing this now, are you surprised that the entire 33rd Olympic Games at Paris has been a complete mockery of Jesus Christ and Christianity?  More and more, I’m surprised that it’s all out there in the open now.  Instead of showcasing all the achievements and gifts to society that Paris and France brought in history, they choose to glorify a demonic mockery of Jesus.  Be warned!  Satan is real and he prowls around like a roaring lion (1 Pe. 5:8).  Dear Christians we must endure!  Contend for the gospel!
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Momentary Troubles

August 6, 2024

16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
-2 Corinthians 4:16-18  (NIV)

“This too shall pass away” is a famous saying people think is found in scripture, but it’s not!  That being said, 2 Cor. 4:17 says we will face momentary troubles.  If you’ve been following the news, there seems to be a lot of momentary troubles lately.  There’s certainly unrest in parts of Europe.  Elon Musk on Twitter/x.com mentioned that a “civil war is inevitable.”  This is in response to the riots happening all over the UK.  It’s my humble, personal opinion, but I believe CTV news much like many mainstream Western media news outlets has been corrupted, and I believe they’re falsely spinning the narrative to blame the riot uprisings on “far right groups.”

Far-right groups and anti-immigration protesters riot in wake of a mass stabbing at a U.K. dance class.[1]

Here’s the CTV News version of the UK riot uprisings (click the link):

https://www.ctvnews.ca/video/c2971913-ctv-national-news--riots-erupt-in-the-u-k-?playlistId=1.6989002

By the way and in case anyone is wondering, x.com (formerly known as Twitter) is now reportedly the #1 frequented social media platform (topping Facebook, Instagram, etc.) and is designed to be a platform for freedom of speech.  Multiple times Elon Musk has shown evidence of other news and social media sites distorting and showing false narratives, which is why he took over Twitter/x.com in the first place (to promote freedom of speech). Many and I mean many x.com users are reporting extreme Muslim groups armed with axes, hammers, swords and knives causing the UK uproar.  I’ll let you make your own decision on which version of the news is truthful.  I won’t post this side of the story because much of it is very graphic.

Momentary troubles are not just happening in the UK.  The Bangladesh Prime Minister has reportedly resigned and flees in the midst of anti-government protests.  Not just that, but the world of finances are showing signs of extreme turmoil too.  The market has suddenly turned and it’s not looking good.  Here’s some surprising headline news statements:    

Global equities suffered heavy losses on Monday as Wall Street joined a global stock rout that started in Japan while the dollar tumbled against the yen and U.S. Treasury yields dropped on concerns about a recession in the United States.[i]

The value of Japan’s currency has tumbled so much that for a moment on Monday it took 160 yen to equal $1. A few years ago, it took closer to 100 yen to make a U.S. dollar. The yen has been so weak that it’s back to where it was in 1990, shortly after Japan’s famous ‘bubble economy’ burst.[ii]

Warren Buffett dumped 55.8% of Berkshire Hathaway’s holdings of Apple stock in the first six months of 2024, according to Reuters.[iii]

With all of this happening in the world, “Lockheed Martin shares reach all-time high amid geopolitical tensions.”[iv]

In addition, there’s something called, “The Pizza Meter — the number of pizzas ordered out because people at the Pentagon can’t leave their desks — suggests that war between Iran and Israel is upon us.”[v]  

As crazy as it sounds and not completely verified, this Pizza Meter reportedly tracks the amount of pizzas ordered at a Papa John’s pizzeria near the Pentagon and there’s suddenly an uptick of pizza orders suggesting that a potential war is immanent.

I will pause here and tell everyone – DON’T PANIC, DON’T BE ALARMED and WORRY-PAS!  These are all momentary troubles.  We do not lose heart, because our eternal salvation and joy is found in Jesus Christ and eternal life spent with him.  We are all wasting away outwardly, just like the world and its troubles, but inwardly the Holy Spirit gives us new found joy, hope and strength.  This joy, hope and strength is renewed daily, so while others place their hope on things that will be diminished, tarnished, ruined, lost and destroyed, we place our hope on Jesus Christ and his gospel which can never fail!  These momentary troubles refine us, sharpen our gaze and make known our position in the heavenly realms with Jesus Christ.

If you think  that’s the end of these troubles, think again!  If you think it can’t get any worse, think again!  If you think many of these other troubles you hear of are effecting others and not you, making you immune, think again!  You want sainthood and not just salvation right?  You want eternal joy right?  Find it at the feet of Jesus and look to the cross and empty tomb!  This is all just external noise that will one day be silence…FOREVER! – What is unseen is eternal!

[1] CTV News. (2024, August 4). CTV National News: Riots Erupt in the U.K. Riots erupt in the U.K. after mass stabbing. https://www.ctvnews.ca/video/c2971913-ctv-national-news--riots-erupt-in-the-u-k-?playlistId=1.6989002

[i] Carew and Mackenzie, S. and N. (2024b, August 5). Stocks plunge: Nikkei down 13%, European shares near six-month lows. Stocks sink with bond yield and dollar on recession fears. https://www.reuters.com/markets/global-markets-wrapup-1-2024-08-04/

[ii] AP News. (2024, April 29). Japan’s currency falls to its weakest since 1990 against the dollar as the yen keeps yelping. AP News. https://apnews.com/article/japanese-yen-dollar-currency-exchange-rate-2226ed50c429c6faf76da05bcab77c0c#:~:text=The%20value%20of%20Japan’s%20currency,famous%20%E2%80%9Cbubble%20economy%E2%80%9D%20burst.

[iii] Cohan, P. (2024, August 4). Why Warren Buffett’s Berkshire dumped 55.8% of its Apple Stock. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/petercohan/2024/08/03/why-warren-buffett-dumped-56-of-berkshires-apple-stock/

[iv] Mayadeen, A. (n.d.). Lockheed Martin shares reach all-time high amid geopolitical tensions | Al Mayadeen english. https://english.almayadeen.net/news/Economy/lockheed-martin-shares-reach-all-time-high-amid-geopolitical

[v] X.com. X (formerly Twitter). (n.d.). https://x.com/Doranimated/status/1819752322727067696  
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