Agents of Change

“Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness, instead, rebuke and expose them. It is shameful even to talk about the things that ungodly people do in secret. But when the light shines on them, it becomes clear how evil these things are.” Ephesians 5:11-13 NLT


Standing in the park amidst the lush green rain forest, one would never suspect that an ugly sore festered nearby just under the radar of everyday life. Surrounding this beautiful urban forest, the community embraced a peaceful, friendly lifestyle but ignored the source of the neighborhood’s infection, which quietly seeped the pollution of its wickedness. As the residents followed the rhythm of their daily lives, God looked down upon this area only to sense the anger building within His gut. With a determined clap of His hands, He declared, “It’s time to end this evil. I know just the right family to be my agents of change. Today, I am moving them into this neighborhood.”

That was back in 1991 and the unsuspecting family was mine! Over the next four years, God orchestrated both financial and spiritual changes in our lives. First, economic struggles through a recession and job loss culminated with the purchase of a local video rental store. Then, He led us from a spiritual wasteland to Christian commitment. Yes, we became believers in Jesus Christ! Eager to learn how to walk a God-honouring life, we attended church just minutes from our home. Within months, wanting to take on full membership in this local church, we signed up for the required baptism. But first: the interview. The church leaders met with us, needing to confirm our conversions and our desire to lead a life pleasing to God. Then they asked the question: “What about the adult XXX-rated videos at your store that you rent and sell?” Whoa! That festering sore in our neighborhood was IN OUR STORE! “Oh, that section was there when we bought the store. It’s just part of the business,” we explained matter-of-factly. Gently, they explained the perils and sinfulness of pornography. “Oh, I see,” we said, “we’ll think about that.” God’s light shone upon us revealing the changes we needed to make. Learning that every facet of a Christian’s life must reflect His values, we quickly closed that section of our store in time for our baptisms.

Later, we learned that church members had been praying for the removal of the pornography since the store opened in 1981, just steps from the church. Now, along with the smiles on their faces, God’s smile was broad as He celebrated His victory over this evil in our neighbourhood. As God’s light shone brighter upon us, we yielded to His way becoming His agents of change fulfilling His purposes for His Kingdom!

Lord, thank you for your Spirit in us who reveals our sinful ways. Thank you for your forgiveness that cleanses us from guilt and penalty. Lord, continue to guide us along your straight and narrow path. Amen.

Painted Targets

“Long ago, even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. His unchanging plan has always been to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ.” Ephesians 1:4, 5 NLT

Painted targets – that is what we were! God had marked my family for ambush: a loving one, that is. Bit by bit He maneuvered our circumstances to bring us closer to His Way. Although initially unseen by us when we moved to Ocean Park in 1991, God was present in our daily lives preparing to orchestrate major changes. What began as a move to a bigger home and a quieter neighbourhood turned out to be more than we anticipated!

The realtor who sold us the house actually lived a few houses away, so she was very interested in the family who would be moving in, especially to know if they had children who would become playmates for her daughter. Naturally, she was thrilled to learn that we had children of similar age. From the time we moved in, she told me later, she and her family began praying that we would go to their church and come to know Jesus. As our older girls met new friends at the elementary school, my husband and I also met their parents. We got to know one such family who lived at the other end of our block and, as it happened, knew the realtor and went to the same church. Unbeknownst to us until later, they started praying for us, too. I am sure this was part of God’s ambush plan – He had us surrounded by praying Christians! Between the two families, our kids received offers of rides to Sunday school and other kids’ events and programs at the church. We let them go, knowing there would be no harm in that. Remembering the faith of my youth, I thought it would be a good thing for them to learn about God. In addition, the older girls went to Christian summer camps where they learned more about God and each one actually committed her life to Jesus. I can just hear the angels saying, “Two down, and four to go!”

During 1994 and 1995, my husband and I became involved in a multi-level marketing business, in addition to our day jobs. After some time, we found out that our sponsors were Christians, but of course, one’s religion had no bearing on the business so we did not think much of it. Little did we know that they also began praying for us! God definitely had us clear in His sights.

In the meantime, our financial situation dipped to some desperate lows, out of which we could not see a clear way. Finally, we attended a gathering at which we heard some very convincing Christian testimonies. By the time of the altar call was made, our hearts were ready to accept Jesus as our Lord and Saviour and so we did! Now with four of the painted targets secured, only two remained.

Over the next several months, we joined our neighbours’ church which embraced us with open arms while continuing to pray for our family. Our son accepted Jesus in time to join the other four of us in baptism on Palm Sunday, 1996. Two years later, seven years after moving to Ocean Park, the prayers of our neighbours, our business associates, and church family culminated in our youngest daughter committing to Jesus and going through the waters of baptism, too! Mission accomplished!


Lord, thank you that you chose us to become part of your spiritual family. Thank you that you take us as we are, forgive us, and love us. Lord, thank you for your people who pray for the salvation of others; who pray unceasingly; and who pray with eternal hope. Lord, grant them abundant blessings, for we are eternally thankful for their persistence. Amen.

Stony Reminders

“So Joshua called together the twelve men and told them, “Go into the middle of the Jordan River, in front of the Ark of the Lord your God. Each of you must pick up one stone and carry it out on your shoulder . . . We will use these stones to build a memorial. In the future, your children will ask, ‘What do these stones mean to you?’” Joshua 4:4-8 NLT

I guess I am not the only one who needs reminders! Throughout time, people created ways to pass down important information to their descendants. In Old Testament times, stone altars served the excellent purpose of commemorating God’s intervention in the lives of the Israelites. “Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, ‘I am going to give this land to your offspring.’ And Abram built an altar there to commemorate the Lord’s visit” (Genesis 12:7). Later, his son, Isaac, built one after the Lord appeared to him announcing: “I am the God of your father, Abraham, do not be afraid, for I am with you and will bless you. I will give you many descendants, and they will become a great nation” (Genesis 26:24, 25). Still later, the Lord visited Isaac’s son, Jacob, in a dream, promising many blessings for him and his descendants. Upon waking, Jacob “took the stone he had used as a pillow and set it upright as a memorial pillar. Then he poured olive oil over it. He named the place Bethel – ‘House of God’” (Genesis 28:18, 19). A few generations on, Moses built an altar after God promised to “blot out every trace of Amalek from under heaven.” He called it, “The Lord is My Banner” (Exodus 17:14, 15). These piles of stones focused on divine intervention - every time you stumbled into one, you were reminded of something, or Someone, significant!

What if, today, we used stone pillars as reminders? I can just picture it . . . Stores would entice us with special deals. Pillars would come in every kind of style, colour and shape imaginable tying in with the latest décor trends. There would be luxury models made of marble or granite and plastic versions for the not-so-rich. We would compete with our neighbours to see who would have the most reminders in their backyard. Thankfully, today we use other things such as books, art, movies, and photos as memory triggers and do not need to litter our gardens.

Importantly, it is only through words that we can explain and hear or read about the details of an event. Although I love to memorialize special events through photography, it is hard to use that medium, like stones, to explain a moment when God intervened in my life. Photos and stones serve merely as the reminder. That is why, recently, my desire to share significant ‘God Moments’ in my life has lead me to start writing down these events in the hopes that they may be encouraging to others on their journey with God. Writing allows me to include the details that make the story complete and easy to accurately repeat in the future. When my children ask me about my encounters with God, if (and when!) my memory fails, I can open the binder that keeps my stories safe and share the details of my wonderful relationship with Him who loves me.

So, dear reader, may you be encouraged by my words, by the words in the Bible, and by the words of other believers. Why not start your own spiritual journal? Write it in your own style. Share it if you want. Create some reminders that will cause you and others to stop and ask, “What went on here?” Then, reading from your journal, you can say, “It all started . . .”

Escape the Decadence!

“He has promised that you will escape the decadence all around you caused by evil desires and that you will share in his divine nature.” 2 Peter 1:4 NLT

Pacing back and forth, with hand on chin, the preacher formulated his thoughts. The pained expression on his face revealed his inner turmoil. We waited, expectantly. Then, “Why does God set us in a group of believers for fellowship only to be disappointed by some of their actions?” Good question! With the Holy Spirit’s presence in the hearts of believers, surely one’s evil desires are overcome and quashed by God’s divine nature.

Amazingly, throughout time, God chooses to be in our presence. In the Old Testament era God walked and talked with Adam in the Garden of Eden, led the Hebrews out of Egypt in order to communicate more closely with them, met Moses in a thundercloud on Mount Sinai, helped young David kill the giant Goliath, and spoke through the many prophets. In New Testament times, God walked as a man among all segments of society offering salvation to all who listened. After His resurrection, He continued to reveal Himself to the people of Israel, and then sent His Spirit at Pentecost to reside in believers’ hearts. Today, despite knowing our frailties, He truly loves us and still wants us to share in His divine nature, which is the community of the Father, the Son, and the Spirit.

Believers, through the Spirit’s presence in them, create community with other believers resulting in fellowship full of blessings and challenges. Some of my personal blessings received include prayer support during difficult personal and family times, shared joy upon significant family milestones, and spiritual growth due to the influence of others. In turn, I have had the opportunity to be a blessing to others through similar situations. In contrast to these encouraging times with other believers, some personal challenges experienced include disagreement with committee members, disappointing results in leadership positions, and disregard for some of my ideas. A further challenge was to understand and properly respond to a pastor’s lack of integrity as well as another believer’s slanderous comments about MY integrity! While the blessings of Christian fellowship are fresh breezes through our souls, the challenges are frightening whirlwinds for all involved, just as the preacher’s face revealed.

One of the true reflections of God’s divine nature in a group of believers is the forgiveness they offer to a fallen one, through the Spirit, in order to restore him or her to the envelope of God’s presence. The attack upon my integrity was the hardest, most shocking situation in which for me to grant forgiveness. The next day the attacker acknowledged the error of her words and asked for forgiveness. Although I struggled to do that, I knew that God would forgive her first and asked Him to enable me to forgive as well. With the Spirit’s help I did, choosing to look upon her as a forgiven child of God, one with many imperfections, JUST LIKE ME!

Lord, how gracious you are to forgive my sins, my lapses in good judgement, my quick tongue, and my thoughts of self-importance! How wonderful that I may enter into your presence to experience your divine nature, despite my failures! Thank you that you strengthen me to quash the evil desires that still lurk in my heart. I look forward to my time in eternity with you when I may encounter the wholeness of your perfection! Amen.

Sabbaths and Sundays

“The Sabbath was made to benefit people, and not people to benefit the Sabbath. I, the Son of Man, am master of the Sabbath!” Mark 2:27, 28 NLT

My nagging question is, “Just what am I supposed to be doing on Sundays?”
First, let us define Sabbath. It is Hebrew for rest, or intermission.
Next, let us search the Bible for information.

How did the Sabbath get started?
“So the creation of the heavens and the earth and everything in them was completed. On the seventh day, having finished his task, God rested from all his work. And God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, because it was the day when he rested from his work of creation” (Genesis 2:1-3).

What were the reasons for the Sabbath?
-To help you “remember that I am the Lord, who makes you holy.”
-As a sign of God’s covenant (promise) with the Israelites, to be his chosen people, who would receive his blessings.
(Exodus 31:13, 16)

How were the Israelites to observe this day?
-On the seventh day of the week
-As a day of rest from the regular work and activities of the other six days
-As a holy day when they would try to avoid sinning
-By dedicating the day’s activities to the Lord
-Under threat of death if they did not obey God’s rules for this day
(Exodus 16:23-24, 20:8-11, 31:12-18, 31:13, 35:2, Lev 23:2, Deut 5:12-15)

What were the benefits for the Israelites?
-A day of rest from usual daily activities
-Experience holiness
-Receive blessing(s) from God
-Time to focus on the Lord

What does Christ have to do with the Sabbath?
-He is the Lord of the Sabbath. (Mark 2:28)
-Today, our holiness is secured “through the death of Jesus Christ for all time. His sacrifice paid for the sins of all humankind, thereby making those who believe holy in God’s eyes” (Hebrews 10:10-14). In other words, Christians are holy every moment of the week, not just on the Sabbath.
-His Spirit enables believers to live holy lives every day. (Romans 8:2, 1 Thes 4:3, 7, 5:23)

If Christians, through Christ and by his Spirit, can live holy lives every day, then why bother with a day of rest?
-To dedicate regular time to focus on God, just as we schedule other important things during our week (Exod 20:10)
-To change our pace of living – our physical bodies need regular rest to maintain good health (Mark 6:31)
-To walk closer with God through prayer, reading the Bible, worship, and friendship with other believers (Acts 2:41-47)
-To remember that His power can overcome all our challenges - this gives us peace of mind (Matt 11:28-30)
-To reflect upon our future eternal rest with God in heaven (Heb 4:1-11)

Finally:
As I meditated upon God’s many words about the Sabbath, being holy, and resting, God revealed that, on our ‘day of rest’, it is more about our focus than our activities. No matter whether a Christian’s ‘day of rest’ is on the seventh day of the week, or the first, God still wants us to enjoy this time to ‘rest in him’. Taking this weekly ‘day of rest’ allows God to pour out upon us many blessings such as the regeneration of our frail bodies, the calming of our busy minds, and the soaring of our tender spirits.

Therefore, Lord, in my quest to honour you on my Sundays, which is the traditional Christian Sabbath, I pray that my actions will reflect your desires and that my heart will rest in your greatness. Thank you for your sacrifice that makes me holy every day of the week. And, thank you for my ‘day of rest’!