Discovery Church of Ridge Meadows

“We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. 17 And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world. 18 Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love. 19 We love each other because he loved us first.” ~1 John 4:16-19 NLT

In this section of John's first letter to the early churches he challenges his listeners and readers with a concept that is both challenging and penetrating to the very core of our being... he states that our ability to love comes from God's original desire to love us first!

What a concept to consider!

Today, more than ever, we seem to be focused on the need for acceptance and love. Commercials on the television challenge us with the reality that love moves mountains and breaks down barriers of all kinds! Parents are inundated with seminars, books, and shows on the big screens in their living rooms reminding them to love and nurture each other and the precious gifts God has given them called their children.

Love most definitely is a great thing to focus and to draw people's attention to because in the end it is the one thing that cuts through so many tragedies and injustices here on this sin-filled planet.

However, in order to understand the true perspective of love as it is intended to be we need to understand the author and perfecter and originator of love and that is God himself!

God is LOVE... and we have the potential to express and embrace love because as John reminds us God first loved us!

Love is not some syrupy emotion that is fleeting and fluctuating... it is a gift given to us by the ONE who created us. It is a gift meant for relationship with Him and with others and to be shared with the world around us!

To take God out of the equation of love is something we should never attempt to do because when we remove the originator from the picture we're left with something that is only a mere fabrication of the REAL deal!

Seeking to LOVE God and others because He first loved me...

Rev Trev

“Be strong and courageous, for you are the one who will lead these people to possess all the land I swore to their ancestors I would give them.7 Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you. Do not deviate from them, turning either to the right or to the left. Then you will be successful in everything you do.8 Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do." ~Joshua 1:6-8 NLT

So... courage is founded in the WORD. At least that is God's instruction to Joshua. He challenges Joshua in a time when he needed God most to commit himself to the WORD... to the teachings of TRUTH!

God challenges Joshua to STUDY it... to MEDITATE on it... to LIVE it and he will find the COURAGE he needed for the humongeous task that he was now facing of leading the people of Israel into the Promised Land. Moses had just died and now Joshua was charged with the role of leader for this mission that God was sending His people on and in order to do that Joshua would need to have COURAGE and STRENGTH because he would face many difficult and challenging situations!

In life many of us face our own difficult and challenging situations and the STRATEGY would be the same as God's prescription to Joshua. 

STUDY the WORD... MEDITATE on the WORD day and night... and LIVE the TRUTH revealed!

In other words... LIVE LIFE according to the PROMISES of God and the challenges will look differently than the might without the lens of TRUTH!

Sounds pretty simple to me!

Rev Trev

So this morning on my way to a one-day leadership conference at a local post-graduate institution I was met by someone who I recently ran into because I was teaching at a chapel event in another college setting. After the usual pleasantries (Good morning… How are you?) This very nice man said tome something that has been haunting me for some time now… he said…

“Thanks for the talk the other day!”

Hmmmmmm… as a preacher and teacher of the gospel I think the last thing that most people in my shoes wants to hear is… “Nice talk today!” OR “That was a nice chat you gave us today!”

REALLY?

To think that I spent the past 20 + hours of my life preparing for a “Nice talk” or a “Nice discussion” is rather disconcerting… disturbing… and just a little unsettling.

You see… as a pastor and teacher of the WORD of God the last thing that I want is give a nice little talk! To give a nice talk… or chat… or speech when handling the most powerful material in the world is almost akin to striking out on three straight pitches with the game on the line! It is equivalent to dropping the ball on the one yard line in overtime! It is the same as coughing up the puck with the Stanley Cup on the line and giving the other team’s best scorer a clear cut breakaway!

SERIOUSLY!

The Bible contains God’s message to a world that truly needs to hear another way of doing life in these challenging and sometimes confusing times! And a sermon is designed to be the vessel that God uses to communicate His desires through those He chooses to speak on His behalf! God’s WORD changes lives… transforms broken people and families… brings LIFE to desperate situations and circumstances!

SO… to hear that all my efforts produce nothing more than a “Nice chat”… or a “Good speech”… or some “Nice thoughts”… is almost like hearing fingernails on a blackboard to me… and to most people in the preaching world.

The author of the New Testament letter of Hebrews reminds us of the TRUTH of the WORD when he writes this in chapter 4… verse 12…

“For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.” ~Hebrews 4:12 NLT

The WORD is alive and powerful… and it has NEVER been meant to be simply words solely for discussion and entertainment… the substance of a nice chat on Sunday morning… or whenever God’s people gather together!

Personally… I appreciate the sentiment behind the words that so many people seem to use in the context of the hearing of God’s WORDS to His people gathered wherever that may be! BUT I gotta say… if all we get out of the preaching of the WORD is simply another piece of information in a world of informational overload then we may want to re-think some things in our lives.

Every time the WORD is shared it is an opportunity to learn of the LOVE of God… His plans and purposes and then to build the TRUTH revealed into our lives!

Eugene Peterson puts it best in his book… “Eat This Book” when he writes…

“Christians feed on Scripture. Holy Scripture nurtures the holy community as food nurtures the human body. Christians don’t simply learn or study or use Scripture; we assimilate it, take it into our lives in such a way that it gets metabolized into acts of love, cups of cold water, missions into all the world, healing and evangelism and justice in Jesus’ name.”

SO… the next time you are tempted to politely say to that pastor who has prayed… lived… and breathed the WORD in order to deliver a message… “Nice chat” may I suggest… just walk on by… just walk on by!

In His Service…

Rev Trev

“When the ten other disciples heard what James and John had asked, they were indignant. 42 So Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. 43 But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of everyone else.” ~Mark 10:41-44 NLT

This passage in Mark is an incredible passage considering the context of its occurrence. During Jesus’ journey to Jerusalem in the days leading to the Passion Week and His death, burial, and resurrection… James and John and the other disciples were still clamouring for position and power in a Kingdom they had really no true understanding of after their time with Christ.

After 3 years of walking with Him and listening to many sermons and private conversations the two brothers still had no real understanding of what was to come and how that would affect the future.

In the Kingdom of God it is NOT about power, position, prosperity, or privilege… it is about service, sharing, sacrifice, and surrender!

As always, the Kingdom is the ALTERNATIVE REALITY to what we see in the world around us. Jesus tells them that “IF” (and I say this carefully because we really cannot decide by action OR attitude whether we are first in the Kingdom) they want to be first among other believers that they need to take a servant attitude in all aspects of life and faith.

In the Kingdom it is NOT about glory and grandeur BUT grace and giving!

As we continue the privilege of walking with Christ on this earthly journey may we pay attention to this passage and this event recorded for us in the Bible… in the gospel of Mark… so that we can WALK purposefully… today…tomorrow… and for eternity!

Blessings…

Rev Trev

A friend of mine had this image on his Facebook page and I have seen it in many forms over the years but every time I see it I am both convicted and inspired!

“Then Jesus' mother and brothers arrived. Standing outside, they sent someone in to call him. 32 A crowd was sitting around him, and they told him, “Your mother and brothers are outside looking for you.” 33 “Who are my mother and my brothers?” he asked. 34 Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! 35 Whoever does God's will is my brother and sister and mother.” ~Mark 3:32-35 NIV

Interesting… I think we sometimes get too static in our faith… we get stuck into thinking that BELIEVING is enough… BUT here once again the ONE who came to set us free and to set an example for us reminds us that those who “DO” the will of God in this world are truly His brothers and sisters in the Kingdom of God!

Hmmm… certainly some food for thot!

Rev Trev

“The same thing happened in Iconium. Paul and Barnabas went to the Jewish synagogue and preached with such power that a great number of both Jews and Greeks became believers. 2 Some of the Jews, however, spurned God’s message and poisoned the minds of the Gentiles against Paul and Barnabas. 3 But the apostles stayed there a long time, preaching boldly about the grace of the Lord. And the Lord proved their message was true by giving them power to do miraculous signs and wonders. 4 But the people of the town were divided in their opinion about them. Some sided with the Jews, and some with the apostles.”

~Acts 14:1-4 NLT

Over the years of ministry I have often wondered “WHY” it is sometime so hard to plant the WORD into the lives of the people that God has brought into my world. I would say that overall the split between those who accepted the WORD through the teaching and ministry was probably 50/50 or maybe 40/60! It is a frustrating thing to watch people walk away from the faith that can change lives for today and for eternity! It is difficult to witness people reject God (and the ministry that I’ve been called to) and live for themselves or for the faith of this world.Sometimes in watching this happen I have called out to God seeking some kind of miracle that would prove the TRUTH of the WORD… some kind of miracle like the healing of those around me who are sick and ailing! IF only they could see the power of the message demonstrated in some kind of miraculous way… then maybe the percentage of believers to naysayers would go up!

However… as I read this section in the New Testament book of Acts (and many other sections in the ministry journey of Paul and the apostles) I am reminded that people will chose even when their eyes witness the powerful and miraculous! In the city of Iconium (and many others) Paul and Barnabas preached boldly and the Lord proved their words to be TRUE by giving them power to do miraculous signs and wonders and STILL some people sided with the Jews and some with them!

The REALITY is… some people may witness the power in the WORD… and believe and others may witness a MIRACLE and in the end still want more proof of the truth of the message being brought their way! Which in some strange way encourages me today as a minister of the Gospel of Christ because what this means is the outcome is not in my control! Even though I wished it were sometimes within my control (human nature I guess) the response to the message of the WORD of God is in the hands of the ONE who gave us the message in the first place! Our role as ministers, as followers of Jesus is simply stated… to be FAITHFUL to witness to the change in our lives through our words and actions and then leave the results in the hands of the ONE who is in control of the ultimate outcome!

Seeking to be FAITHFUL despite the outcome…

Rev Trev

“After this time had passed, I, Nebuchadnezzar, looked up to heaven. My sanity returned, and I praised and worshipped the Most High and honoured the one who lives forever. His rule is everlasting, and his kingdom is eternal. 35 All the people of the earth are nothing compared to him. He does as he pleases among the angels of heaven and among the people of the earth. No one can stop him or say to him, ‘What do you mean by doing these things?’” ~Daniel 4:34-35 NLT

God’s rule and kingdom is everlasting and eternal…interesting how easy it is in the day-to-day stuff of life to forget that one! As I sit in front of my computer preparing myself for one of the busiest weeks in recent memory I am challenged by this TRUTH once again. So often I am guilty (if that is an appropriate word) of forgetting that God’s rule and reign in my life and this world goes far beyond my own world and circumstances. It is so easy to get caught up in the present especially when things might be overwhelming or taxing.

However, a TRUTH is no less a reality just because we allow other issues or situations to cloud our perspective. It took seven years for Nebuchadnezzar to learn the lesson that God wanted for him… to see that He is in control and that He reigns above all our earthly splendour or accomplishments. When he finally did learn that lesson these words found in chapter 4 of this Old Testament book reminds me that there is proper perspective needed as we engage every moment of our lives!

To the Most High who is ultimately in control... be all glory… honour… and praise!

Rev Trev

“No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.” ~Romans 8:37 NIV

In this verse in an amazing section of God’s WORD at the end of the 8th chapter in Paul’s New Testament letter to the early churches in Rome the apostle gives us a moniker for the Christian… “CONQUERORS”

The Greek term is “Hupernikao” which has only one real meaning which is unique for any word within the Greek of Paul’s world… and that is this…

“To be more than a conqueror, to gain a surpassing victory”

In this amazing verse Paul labels God’s people as “CONQUERORS”… as people who a “VICTORIOUS”! However, my experience personally and especially as a pastor to His people is simply this…many of us live LIFE as the DEFEATED and not as the VICTORIOUS!

This past Sunday I had the opportunity to ponder this in the series I have been teaching at Discovery and I have to admit that I am still in pondering mode today as I sit answering emails… and Facebook posts.

Paul tells us that “We are to live LIFE as OVERCOMERS not the DEFEATED” but do we really believe that? Does our relationship with Jesus really make that kind of difference in the average believer’s life?

Well… the sad reality that I have found throughout my time as a pastor over the past 11 years is for the average Christian this is a TRUTH that seems to elude most of us!  BUT that does not make this any less a TRUTH… just because we don’t live it out… or we don’t have enough belief or trust in something that the Bible discusses doesn’t make it any less true.

The TRUTH is… because we have been FORGIVEN… because we have BELIEVED… CONFESSED… and TRUSTED we have been given the same power that raised Christ and seated Him at the right hand of the Father in Heaven.  We have been given access to the power of the Holy Spirit to LEAD… GUIDE… and DIRECT our lives into the WILL and PURPOSES of God for our lives both individually... and especially collectively!  We have been blessed with the ability to CONQUEROR life’s challenges… difficulties… trials and testings in whatever form they may come in!

However... the biggest CHALLENGE is to TRUST that TRUTH when our situations and circumstances do not always represent that reality. And I think therein lies the biggest problem with EMBRACING this TRUTH that Paul and other writers of the scriptures discuss… and that is…

“TRUTH is not always represented in our SITUATIONS and CIRCUMSTANCES!”

You see… more often than not LIFE is not a mirror image of the TRUTH contained in the Bible. My experience and that of those I have been privileged to walk with as a pastor has shown me that often in LIFE many of us face very challenging circumstances and situations along the journey. And “IF” we let those events dictate our BELIEFS we can find ourselves in some very difficult places along the way.

The TRUTH is… Jesus taught… and the Bible teaches… that we will have CHALLENGES and not simply live perfect little lives!  Listen once again to the words of Jesus as He discusses the challenges that He would face at the Cross and that His disciples would face during that time and beyond…

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” ~John 16:33 NIV

You know... Jesus was someone who faced incredible CHALLENGES and SITUATIONS… He did not live a perfect LIFE as many of us understand that reality during His time on this planet. BUT… through it all He understood the TRUTH that we have “VICTORY” in the long haul when we TRUST in the POWER of God to see us through!

You see… despite LIFE… despite what LIFE appears to be as it is reflected in our situations and circumstances… we have the POWER to OVERCOME… to live as OVERCOMERS in this world… as we TRUST in the TRUTH that is revealed in the writings of Paul and his friends that remind us that as God’s people we are to live VICTORIOUSLY as OVERCOMERS each day!

Learning more and more to TRUST…OBEY… and CLAIM… the TRUTH...

Rev Trev

“But that is the time to be careful! Beware that in your plenty you do not forget the Lord your God and disobey his commands, regulations, and decrees that I am giving you today. 12 For when you have become full and prosperous and have built fine homes to live in, 13 and when your flocks and herds have become very large and your silver and gold have multiplied along with everything else, be careful! 14 Do not become proud at that time and forget the Lord your God, who rescued you from slavery in the land of Egypt. 15 Do not forget that he led you through the great and terrifying wilderness with its poisonous snakes and scorpions, where it was so hot and dry. He gave you water from the rock! 16 He fed you with manna in the wilderness, a food unknown to your ancestors. He did this to humble you and test you for your own good. 17 He did all this so you would never say to yourself, ‘I have achieved this wealth with my own strength and energy.’ 18 Remember the Lord your God. He is the one who gives you power to be successful, in order to fulfill the covenant he confirmed to your ancestors with an oath.” ~Deuteronomy 8”11-18 NLT

In the passage above from the 8th chapter of the Old Testament book of Deuteronomy, the author reminds the nation then of something that is so important for us today as we look out at our Western world.

In this address from Moses delivered to the people of Israel on the plains of Moab, he reminds the people to be careful… to be aware NOT to forget God in the midst of the abundance and plenty that surrounds us! In a series of three speeches or sermons given during the 40-day period prior to Israel’s entering the Promised Land around 1410 B.C. Moses reminds the people as they are about to enter the land promised to them that they must NEVER become complacent in their prosperity!

Sound familiar?

Well, all one has to do is look out our windows… or maybe even look around us in our own living rooms to realize that we are a very prosperous nation overall and unfortunately for many we have not listened very carefully to Moses’ words!

The reality is simply this… in one of the most prosperous nations in the world we have done our best to forget the ONE who has given us the ability to be prosperous and secure! In our plenty that surrounds us we have become complacent and contented with our own ability and achievements. In our luxury and extravagance we have wandered far from the ONE who has provided us with the abilities and opportunity to accumulate the stuff that surrounds many of us! In our freedom and liberty we have forgotten the ONE who is the author and perfecter of our true freedom!

The truth is… it is easy for us to forget when everything in life is going great or we have more than we really need! Maybe some would say it’s human nature, personally I would say that it is our selfish nature which is always at the heart of our sinful reality that causes us to believe and trust in our own strength and power rather than on God’s provision!

But Moses reminds us in this passage in one of the five original books of the Bible NOT to forget the TRUTH that it is God who provides. It is God who provides us with the power to be successful. When our bank accounts have become full and our lives have become prosperous and we’ve built fine homes to live in… and when our families, businesses, and churches have become very large…we need to BE CAREFUL! We need to be careful not to become proud at that time and forget the Lord our God… the ONE who had given us the opportunity and possibility to be all we can be and to accomplish so much in this world that He created!

Learning to remember the ONE who provides and gives…

Rev Trev

“But watch out! Be very careful never to forget what you have seen the LORD do for you. Do not let these things escape from your mind as long as you live!” ~Deuteronomy4:9a NLT

In this amazing section of the fourth chapter of the Old Testament Torah, Moses the author is reminding the people of Israel of a very important faith perspective and that is the principle of REMEMBRANCE!

The reality is… for most of us we have pretty short memories… particularly when it comes to God’s leading in our lives both individually… and especially collectively! When it comes to God’s interaction and direction in our lives we often fail to remember the times when He specifically intersected our lives with His wisdom… guidance…and direction! The truth is… most of us could not even recall the last time God engaged us as we went through our day to day experiences.

However… the principle of REMEMBRANCE is absolutely vital to keeping our relationship with God alive and active!

REMEMBERING when God was with us helps us to realize that He is still with us and will always be with us! The Bible tells us as much throughout its pages… listen to what the Apostle Paul writes about God’s presence and leading in our lives…

“What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? 32 Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else? 33 Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself. 34 Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honour at God’s right hand, pleading for us. 35 Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? 36 (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.” 37 No,despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. 38 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. 39 No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.” ~Romans8:31-39 NLT

You know… personally I understand how easily it is to FORGET… and to find myself in places in life where I regrettably wonder to myself… “Is God with me in this?” Human nature being what it is challenges us because we’re so prone to the “What have you done for me lately?” mentality! But in this verse Moses REMINDS the people that God has called him to lead that REMEMBRANCE is a vital aspect of a healthy relationship with our LORD!

So… in light of that let me ask you a simple question… but not an easy question…

“Can you recall a “LORD’S DOING” in your life recently?”

OR maybe better yet… “Can you recall a “LORD’S DOING” in your family’s life?”

OR how about… “Can you recall a “LORD’S DOING” in your Church family?”

REMEMBERING is a spiritual practice that helps us to stay strong in our faith… to stay focused on the right things in life as we serve the ONE who leads… guides… and directs!

Spending the day REMEMBERING…

Rev Trev