A very long time ago, the summer after Janet and I were first married, Janet was introducing me to a northern Ontario Lake. A lovely place for sure.
There was an island that people would swim to. Not far from this beach. At least it didn’t look that far to my city eyes 😉
I went at it full speed. Feeling like a champ. I looked up to see how close I was. Thinking I was almost there, I was only ½ way there. Of course now I’m tired, I’m reminded that I’m a horrible swimmer, and I decide to get myself close to the floating line that went from the shore to the island.
I panicked, but Janet stayed close.
I felt a humbled, as the kids with their arm floaties, passed me by. She stayed close.
The life guards, through megaphones were telling me to stay clear of the rope. I didn’t listen to them. She stayed close.
We made it across. We laughed. I caught my breath. And eventually made our way back, slowly but surely. She stayed close.
I always wondered if we weren’t married by then, if Janet would’ve broken up with me from sheer embarrassment. But the contract was signed. And she continued to stay close.
Looking back on that day in the lake, I think of the verse from Isaiah 43 (we read it earlier) …’when you pass through the waters, I will be there.’
She was with me, every step (stroke), of the way. So is God.
The whole verse in Isaiah 43:2 mentions 3 kinds of metaphors for trouble or suffering:
– water (being deep)
– rivers (being tricky)
– fire (being impossible and the most scary of the three)
God says…I’ll be with you…it won’t sweep over you…it won’t consume you!
God gives one reason why: I am the Lord you’re God.
The purpose of God’s words to and through Isaiah are to given Israel, and us, for confidence to be able to walk through difficulty & suffering, in life and in mission, knowing that HE IS with us.
My little lake story involved water and therefore led me back to the first part of the verse.
I wonder, in your life, in your past or current struggles, which part of that verse resonates with you most.
Waters. Rivers. Fire. ???
I’d like us to turn to an Old Testament story that, among other things, reminds us of this truth – that in the fire, we are not consumed. I wonder if Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego had Isaiah in mind when going through their own struggle and nightmare.Daniel 3…
Babylon had besieged Israel
They are not ruling themselves any longer
The King of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar, ordered the smart ones, the ‘good’ Jews, to serve in the King’s palace.
Among those were Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
A number of interesting things happen in chapters 1-2.
King Neb, after some fancy wisdom from Daniel, even gives a shout out to Yahweh, Daniel’s God.
But in chapter 3 something shifts…
King Neb makes an image, a statue of gold (some say it was to the god of Nebo)
He calls the leaders to come to the dedication ceremony. They of course oblige.
Then comes the command (3:5-6)
“As soon as you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe and all kinds of music, you must fall down and worship the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. Whoever does not fall down and worship will immediately be thrown into a blazing furnace.”
Cue the music (repeated 4x in ch.3)
Interesting to note how many times the musical instruments are mentioned here. Like they wanted a very precise and recognizable cue.
Some people go to the King to inform him that his favourite Jews will not be participating and not following his instructions. (3:12) “But there are some Jews whom you have set over the affairs of the province of Babylon—Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego—who pay no attention to you, Your Majesty. They neither serve your gods nor worship the image of gold you have set up.”
This doesn’t go over well with the King…
(3:14) “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the image of gold I have set up?…if you do not worship it, you will be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace. Then what god will be able to rescue you from my hand?”
The punishment? Throw them in the furnace
“What god will be able to rescue you from my hand.”
Lots of pride in that statement
Then comes 3:16-18… Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, “King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”
This really doesn’t go well with the King
Raises the heat (7x)
Throws the boys in, fully clothed and tied up.
Then comes the fun, yet potentially tragic part of this story…
3:24-25…Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, “Weren’t there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?” They replied, “Certainly, Your Majesty.” He said, “Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.”
There’s a forth person in the fire
The King changes his tune after this. Speaks well of Yahweh.
A few chapters later, we read a similar story with Daniel (The Lion’s Den)
– – – – – – – –
What part of your story have others been able to say, “I see God in your circumstance’?
I hope and pray that when you go through the fire, someone looking on, a neighbour, a friend, family, co-workers, can say, “There’s no way you’re handling this on your own, someone must be helping you.”
When was the last time you realized, either gradually, or miraculously, that God showed up, or, was there the whole time?
This ancient story is a huge reminder that no matter what you’re going through, God is with you in your fire, in your storm, in your ridiculous situation.
Let’s not forget that this story is also very much about mission. It’s about 3 young men, being committed to who they are, being committed to following God, being committed to a value in their life, no matter the consequences. This begs the question: It’s one thing to say, ‘God be with me’, but can we say, confidently, ‘God, I’m with you?’
Please never stop inviting God to be with you or recognizing that God is with you in your fire, but can we also, like the young men in this story, say with confidence, ‘God, I’m with you. If you rescue me or not, if I make it or not, if I live or not, I’m with you?’
What does your fiery furnace look like? Sickness? Failure? Loss? Addiction? Abandonment? Broken Relationship? Poverty?
In a very intriguing interview with Stephen Colbert (host of the Late Night on CBS), we get a glimpse into his dark days of loss and grief. Two of Stephen’s brothers, along with his father, died when he was only 10 years old. He said of that season, “I was personally shattered, and then you reform yourself…it gives you a different world view than your peers.” His mother’s faith was an example to him. He learned that even the most difficult things in life can be a gift if you allow them to be. Suffering can be a way to become who you were intended to me, even though you wish the suffering never happened. He says, “It’s a gift to exist, and with existence comes suffering. That’s my catholic faith coming out of me.”
Most times we ask, Why me?, but once we’re in it we start to ask, Why not me? Because others suffer all the time, I am not immune to it.
Stephen ends with these profound words. “In my tradition that’s the great gift of the sacrifice of Christ, that God suffers too – that you’re really not alone…God suffers too…and he is with me when I suffer.” (full interview here)
– – – – – – – –
This year our family feels like we’ve been a furnace. Suffering through the worst sickness. Cancer. My wife has been fighting for her life all year. Through all the emotions, all the interruptions, all the, for lack of a better word, crumminess, God has been with us. If I remove myself from the scene to look into my home from the outside, I can honestly say that there are not only 4 people living in my home. Janet, Jacob, Madison, and I…we are being kept company by Jesus. He’s with us. There’s a fifth person there. It’s God. He’s in our furnace, our deep waters, our storm.
And my hope is that we would live in such a way, that when my neighbours and friends look our way, they see him too. They might not be able to verbalize or articulate who he is (just like King Nebuchadnezzar couldn’t), but they will, in some profound way, know that we are not alone, and that God is with us.
One more thing. May we be so present in peoples lives, when they suffer, that they feel like the real presence and person of Jesus is with them too.
If you missed Sunday’s conversation or wanna review it again, here you go.
In a nutshell, Danielle encourages us to apply these four principles when dealing with oppression, take some time to think about them and apply them to your life and/or situation.
To Be Free, one must…
– Believe it’s possible
– Don’t be afraid
– Start now, start with you
– Never, ever, give up
Christ has set us free to live a free life. So take your stand! Never again let anyone put a harness of slavery on you. (Galatians 5:1, the message)
(This talk is from a summer 2019 series at The Meeting House)
What do you want to be free from?
What do you wish you could say ‘bye’ to?
Is it a season, a circumstance, an addiction, a habit, etc?
Name it. Fill in the ________. Then let it go!!!
The story of Moses leading the Israelites to freedom from slavery is our story! Danielle Strickland teaches us how Jesus wants to set us free from oppression to live in His kingdom of love and peace.
Watch (or rewatch) last week’s talk. And come back for part two this Sunday.
(note: we edited out the Q&A, so if that’s all you’re looking for, skip to the 30min mark)
(Thanks to The Meeting House for the use of this video series)
It is so good to be back. Oh how we missed gathering together!
I hope and pray that our volunteers feel rested and ready to go, that you’re all in a better state of mind because of the summer. Of course we know that not everyone’s summer is restful or fun, some of you had terrible summers. I get it. For that, I am very sorry, and pray you have a better fall season. However, whatever your summer looked like, maybe you can look at Labour Day, or at September, as a reset.
I polled a few people regarding this question: what do they want to “reset” in their life this September? As you might have guessed, EXERCISE was the #1 answer.
– health plan, run, gym, 5:30 yoga, etc.
– I did get one ‘bible study’ as a response;)
We recognize that during the summer, things can get a little out of whack. Or simply put, we get out of sink, out of our routines, we’ve ceased doing the things that feed our soul or help our bodies. And then a day on the calendar kicks us in the butt and we think about hitting the reset button.
I love seasons like this, where we re-set, re-purpose, re-imagine, re-start, re-organize (my garage for example), re-focus, re-engage.
We tend ask identity questions (with actual words or deep in our hearts)
– Who do I want to be?
– What am I known for?
– What do you want to be known for in the future, and what do I do to get there?
This school year, this work season, this stage in your family’s life, this decade – who will you be, and what will you do to become the person you want to be?
– – – – – – – – –
I have Radio problems…No matter what station I left my car radio on, it often goes to 530 on the AM dial. Anyone know what station this is? Me either. Unidentified. That’s right, a non-station. Here’s the crazy or funny thing: it’s always a different station when it comes on…or it changes as you drive: Rock, Country, Classical, News, Punjabi, Gospel. From a gospel tune, to news, to ‘baby you’re all that I want’ to ‘we will rock you’. Never a clear signal I might add.
Who are you 530AM? Who are you???
So what do I do? I have to choose what station I actually want to listen to. EVERY TIME I SIT IN MY CAR. The fan 590. 680 news. JazzFM. 104.5. What’s more amazing is that I get to choose, it’s my privilege to choose. My car doesn’t choose for me. It may want to, but that’s my decision, not my VW’s decision.
What music, what voice, what information, what style, do I want in my ear that day. CLICK. My fingers, my choice.
Sounds simple, almost silly, but these are the decisions we face daily in regards to who we want to be. Will we be what others want us to be, or do we choose? Will we become what others are leaning us towards, or do we choose? What do we allow to be the voice in our ear, the voice in our heart, the influence in our mind and lives?
– – – – –
Before we took a break in August, we were walking through the Psalms. Village Songs? Remember? YES!
Who’s been reading the Psalms daily? Anyone done? Anyone started and didn’t through single digits? NO judging here!
You may have noticed that during our worship time we read Psalm 150. Very purposeful, as today we wanted to end with the bookends of the Psalms.
We read Psalm 150 during worship
We’ll talking about and teaching through Psalm 1
Psalm 1 is considered a wisdom Psalm. You’ll notice that as we read it.
It’s also what they call a didactic Psalm. A poem that instructs and was used to teach.
It seems to be placed at the right spot, #1 of 150 Psalms…it gets us started in the right direction.
Psalm 1 gets to the heart of hitting the reset button in ones life…purpose & identity.
It asks the questions: Who do you wanna be? What do you wanna be known for?
Psalm 1 Blessed is the one
who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take
or sit in the company of mockers,
but whose delight is in the law of the Lord,
and who meditates on his law day and night.
That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither—
whatever they do prospers. Not so the wicked!
They are like chaff
that the wind blows away.
Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked leads to destruction.
Read the first few verses slowly again…
Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take
or sit in the company of mockers,
but whose delight is in the law of the Lord,
and who meditates on his law day and night.
That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither…
The writer, who is unknown, is setting the stage for the rest of the Psalms. They go on to tell us what a blessed and wise person looks like.
The word ‘blessed’ is important here. The Psalmist is telling us that this is the kind of person they are about to describe.
Blessed isn’t necessarily happy, but wise…and discerning…and a person of peace & joy, no matter that circumstance. Blessed is someone who knows who they want to be, and takes steps toward that end. According the writer, the end goal is one who delights in and meditates on, God’s words & God’s instruction.
Two groups of three words are key…
STEP, STAND, SIT
vs DELIGHT, MEDITATE, PLANTED
What’s the instruction?
Don’t move in the direction of the wicked
Don’t stand in the same place where sin is prevalent
Don’t sit where mocking is the main activity
The choice is ours of where we step, of where we stand, of where we sit.
It’s easy to blame others for my outcomes and consequences, but this Psalmist is saying…
it’s my feet that got me there
it’s my legs that kept me there
it’s my butt that sat me down
What a vivid metaphor of our choices – a stark reminder of our decisions.
Of course, then, the writer contrasts this with other actions:
DELIGHTING in God’s words MEDITATIING on God’s ways PLANTING ourselves by a life giving stream (God)
As this collection of poems and songs begins, the writer gives us an introduction or a foundation to all the other Psalms – CHOOSE today what kind of person you want to be, WISE or foolish, BLESSED or not blessed.
It is your choice where you step, stand, and sit.
Step towards God. Stand in God’s presence. Sit in God’s grace.
Let God’s words feed you, inspire you, guide you.
And…be planted be his life giving presence.
Not sure of your opinion of McDs coffee? I’ve been stuck drinking it twice in the last two weeks. Both times I thought the same thing: this is terrible (you can insert your own disliked drink into this story). Funny thing is that it starts bad, but you then get used to its taste. Either it gets better…or…you slowly become ok with its mediocrity. This is opposite to experiencing a BIG MAC, which starts amazing, but then, just wait, a few minutes, an hour or so, and…you start to feel horrible.
Here’s the thing: we have a choice, of what goes into our bodies. Every time. No body forces us to stand in line, to eat fast food, to purchase unhealthy meals – that’s us. It’s all on us.
The same is true in our lives. The Psalmist lays it out plainly for us. If you want to be Blessed, if you want to be a person of Joy, if you want to be strong enough to handle or embrace the uncertainties of life…then delight in God, think about his instruction, and be planted beside him.
– – – – – –
Jesus, and the NT writers are very consistent with this
“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”
(Matthew 7:24-27)
So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. (Colossians 2:6-7)
As we reset this school year, this work season, this fall season, our family season…may we be encouraged and challenged to build our lives on Jesus, plant our selves in God’s soil, dig our roots deep in this love, mercy, integrity, grace, goodness.
As you hit the reset or restart button, be purposeful of where you step, where you stand, where you sit – because where you are eventually effects who you are.
We have been in Whitby for 15 years now. Wow, time flies when you’re having fun.
It feels like yesterday when we moved from Maple (2 min from Wonderland, which is not all it’s cracked up to be) to Jays Drive, Whitby. Our house sell experience was interesting.
Sold in January, moved out in April, closed the new house in August. Lived in my parents basement in between. (Good times)
Lots happened in that span…
– We had a fun experience with our house sale. NOT FUN. Long story short, the buyers tried to change the price before closing. It didn’t happen, we won, and sold.
– Our daughter Madison was born
– My dad passed
– And…we nearly lost our down payment…YA…all because of a shady investor.
This is what happened in a nut shell… – had mutual funds with this broker, nothing fancy
– sold our home, needed a place for my down payment to sit
– left it with him in a secured investment
– when we needed it to close, he was late, and was having a hard time transferring the funds
– that was a LONG day, that turned into a second day, which moved our closing one day (don’t you worry, I charged our investor the bridge finance fee
– fortunate for us, we got the funds, closed the house, and moved to Whitby
– we found out a few months later, that very unfortunate for others, they did lose money, lots of it. (So Sad)
THEY – I – trusted him.
Even though you hear about these things all the time, we never thought that this person was capable of doing what he did. He broke trust with loyal clients, old time friends, and even family.
– – – – – – –
Trust is beautiful…until it’s broken.
Trust is comforting…until it crumbles.
Trust is settling…until it collapses.
Trust is reliable…until it’s not.
Who did YOU trust…that disappointed?
Who did YOU trust in…that failed you?
(people, government, tech, cars, systems, stuff, jobs, leaders)
In Psalm 20, we land on a verse that so emphatically challenges us to be thoughtful and careful of who and where we put our trust.
Before we land there, let’s read through this Psalm.
Psalm 20:1-5 1 May the Lord answer you when you are in distress;
may the name of the God of Jacob protect you. 2 May he send you help from the sanctuary
and grant you support from Zion. 3 May he remember all your sacrifices
and accept your burnt offerings. 4 May he give you the desire of your heart
and make all your plans succeed. 5 May we shout for joy over your victory
and lift up our banners in the name of our God. May the Lord grant all your requests.
After reading this a few times, I noticed that David is praying for someone else, not himself. Biblical Scholars call this a royal Psalm; one that is about and for the King. But which king?
– The current King who David might be praying for?
– Himself, who will one day be King?
– Or looking way into the future, the Messiah, who he knows will be THE KING?
I find it comforting knowing that David, takes time, to pray for a leader, but more than that, for another – for others.
Many of the psalms are personal prayers.
– God help me
– God save me
– God deliver me
But here, for the king, or even if it’s for his people, his community, David is praying for others.
It’s verse 7, which we’ll get to, got me to this Psalm, but verses 1-5 got my attention too. These words, this prayer, made me think:
– Who am I praying for?
– Do I use all of my journal space for me, or are there a few lines dedicated to others, those I lead, and those who lead me, those I do life with?
We learn something about all of us in this Psalm
– we get distressed
– we need help
– we desire to do well
– we need to acknowledge where we’re lacking
We also learn about God in this Psalm
– He answers us
– He helps, supports, remembers, gives, …
– His name means something, it carry’s weight, it has power attached to it.
Most importantly, we learn that we can TRUST him. We can trust God.
6 Now this I know:
The Lord gives victory to his anointed.
He answers him from his heavenly sanctuary
with the victorious power of his right hand. 7 Some trust in chariots and some in horses,
but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. 8 They are brought to their knees and fall,
but we rise up and stand firm.
Some may trust in horses…
Some may trust in chariots…
BUT we TRUST in the NAME of the LORD our GOD
What a plain and simple and important thought we have in this Psalm…
Don’t worry about what SOME do…
Don’t focus on what SOME trust in…
What things, after some reflection, do you, or did you, put too much trust in?
Fill the blank… Some may trust in _________? I may have trusted in _________?
In Deuteronomy 17:16, we read these instructive words, The king, moreover, must not acquire great numbers of horses for himself or make the people return to Egypt to get more of them, for the Lord has told you, “You are not to go back that way again.”
God is saying to Israel, ‘don’t be like the people you left’, ‘don’t be like the people who enslaved you’, ‘don’t count what you have and put your trust in it, trust me, God’.
We read these very familiar words in Proverbs 3, 5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.
– – – – – – – –
We posted this image in our story yesterday. The US dollar, the (apparent) envy of the economic world, has these words on it. (In God we Trust)
This was first put on coins in 1863. It was put into their law in 1956, Dwight Eisenhower, signed it into law. Why? I hope it was to show that they trusted in something other than money?
The thing with trust is…you can say you trust something or someone, but your actions are the proof at the end of the day. The US dollar is a perfect example of this. (ask me later why I think this).
The question for us today is this…
What will we put our absolute trust in?
I mean, do your homework and research…when it comes to investing, your health, your purchases, your relationships, make good decisions. Due diligence is important when it comes to these things. You want to feel comfortable about moving forward with your savings, your investments, your friendships, your important life decisions. But in the end, don’t put your absolute trust in anything or anyone else but GOD.
As David so plainly encourages us to ask… Will we be the people who trust in ________ or will we trust in the name of the Lord our God?
Daniel 3…
