Bragging

As we draw nearer to Christmas, houses are decorated, refrigerators and cookie jars are filled with baking, and families are gathering together to celebrate this wonderful time of year. Hopefully, as we gather, we remember WHY we celebrate this time of year. Though it is not the time of year Jesus was born, it is when we celebrate this blessed event. After all, what better gift could we receive this time of year besides eternal salvation?

This time of year is a time of family, presents, and love. For me though, there is something else to be excited about. A mere three days after Christmas is the 28^th of December; an unimportant date for many people. To me though, December 28^th is very important. It marks the anniversary of the day that I married my sweetheart.

Yes, last December 28^th, I married my wonderful, loving wife. Laverne (my Verny), has been a wonderful blessing in my life and I can easily say that I love her more today than ever. Did I love her the day I married her? Of course! Still, my love for her has grown over this past year. Though I cannot imagine how it is possible, I know that I will love her even more tomorrow. See, love continues to grow every day.

I have been very blessed to have married a wonderful woman of God. Additionally, she is someone who seeks to fill the example of the ideal woman as described in Proverbs 31:10-31.

10 Who can find a virtuous wife? For her worth is far above rubies. 11 The heart of her husband safely trusts her; So he will have no lack of gain. 12 She does him good and not evil All the days of her life. 13 She seeks wool and flax, And willingly works with her hands. 14 She is like the merchant ships, She brings her food from afar. 15 She also rises while it is yet night, And provides food for her household, And a portion for her maidservants. 16 She considers a field and buys it; From her profits she plants a vineyard. 17 She girds herself with strength, And strengthens her arms.

18 She perceives that her merchandise is good, And her lamp does not go out by night. 19 She stretches out her hands to the distaff, And her hand holds the spindle. 20 She extends her hand to the poor, Yes, she reaches out her hands to the needy. 21 She is not afraid of snow for her household, For all her household is clothed with scarlet. 22 She makes tapestry for herself; Her clothing is fine linen and purple. 23 Her husband is known in the gates, When he sits among the elders of the land. 24 She makes linen garments and sells them, And supplies sashes for the merchants.

25 Strength and honor are her clothing; She shall rejoice in time to come. 26 She opens her mouth with wisdom, And on her tongue is the law of kindness. 27 She watches over the ways of her household, And does not eat the bread of idleness. 28 Her children rise up and call her blessed; Her husband also, and he praises her: 29 “Many daughters have done well, But you excel them all.” 30 Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, But a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised. 31 Give her of the fruit of her hands, And let her own works praise her in the gates.

Verny is a Godly, virtuous, loving wife and she tries to be better each and every day. I want to brag on her! She is so good to me and is a “help meet” as it says in Genesis 2. She helps in the church and leads Sunday School when we have children attend. She decorates both church and home. She cooks, cleans, and keeps a tidy house. More importantly, she supports me, encourages me, and lifts me up in prayer. She is creative and kind. My Verny is a hard worker and is dedicated. She is a beautiful woman, but WHO she is makes her even more beautiful.

I love my wife, and can only hope to be a good husband to her. Through this year, we have had ups and downs (as any couple will). We have had good times and bad times as well. She has put up with me when I’ve not been the best I could be, and has stayed by my side when she could have abandoned me. My Verny has taken care of me while I’ve been recovering from surgery, and has done so without complaining. I know I can trust her when she says that she doesn’t mind helping me. That’s another wonderful thing about Verny: I can trust her!

I could continue writing to brag on my wonderful wife, but the point of this post is simply to let the world know how blessed I am to be married to such a kind and loving woman. As our first anniversary approaches, I know that I am excited to be able to say that I have been married to Verny for a year, and to be able to continue our journey together. I know without a doubt that we will spend the rest of our lives together, and that idea absolutely thrills me. Whether we end our lives by way of death, or rapture, I know that we will remain together, loving each other more every day.

We have made the choice to love and to remain faithful. We have pledged to love, honour, and cherish each other. What a joy it is to fulfill these vows we made (nearly) a year ago.

I love you Verny!

Grampy's Approval

My grandfather is a great man. I tell you, the closest thing I've ever had to an idol is my Grampy. It has always seemed to me that he could do anything. He could find his way through the densest forest without using his compass, could lift his boat on and off of the truck, could find where the mackerel were running, and he knew everyone. My Grampy could never get hurt. Instead, he'd always say, "It's only pain".

Grampy could split the biggest piece of wood with only one swing of his axe, could shoot a deer in the perfect spot to kill it instantly every time, and could take fish off of the hooks faster than my eyes could follow.

I've looked up to my grandfather for as long as I can remember, and I have no doubt that it is due, in part, to the "brainwashing" he put each of us kids through. See, when I was born, Grampy would come to the hospital on his lunch-break, hold me and chant, "Grampy's boy, Grampy's boy" over and over again.

Grampy has always been there for me, always been encouraging, has always been the strong "man's man." Additionally, Grampy has been strong in the faith, and has been an example of always trusting in the Lord.

Because of the great and mighty man that Grampy has always been, I've continued to look up to him through my whole life. Along with my father, he has shown me what a real man is, and that you can trust God even through the hardest times of life.

My Grampy was, and is, a great story-teller. I can't even begin to tell you the stories he's told me; stories of Coony's Ridges, the Scraggly Pine, Kipling's stories about Rikki-Tikki-Tavi, the time when Uncle Russ lost his finger, how when he and Nana were first married they looked through the glass window in the oven to watch cakes rise.

I have spent my life trying to live up to the shadow, to the example that Grampy has made every day of his life. I have tried, and failed at times, to be like Grampy. In him, I've seen a tremendous example of who I should be in Christ. My father claims the same thing; that Grampy taught him how to be a good, Christian man.

I appreciate my father too, and as I said earlier, he also has shown me what a real man is, and that you can trust God even through the hardest times of life. I love my father, but this post is about Grampy.

As the title of this post indicates, what I've searched for in life is Grampy's approval. For anyone who doesn't know my grandfather, that may make it sound as though he's some awful person who can't be pleased. That is not the case at all! Rather, he is such a great man, that all I've wanted is to have him be proud of me. If Grampy is proud of me, then I know I've done well.

I know my grandfather to be a man who seeks to please God, and who strives to be a good Christian. Because of that, I know that following his example will keep me in good stead.

It is wonderful that Grampy has always shown himself to be that Real Man throughout life, but I want to tell you that even when things have been bleak, hard, and downright awful, he has still been that strong man that I've watched growing up.

His authenticity of faith, his honour, his integrity, all these things encourage me, and make me want to be more and more like him. I want to be a man like my grandfather is. When I was a child, that translated into dressing like he did, talking like he did, and even trying to sneeze like he did. Now that I am a man, I realize that the outward trappings are not what makes up my grandfather. No, it is his faith, love, strength, and courage that makes him my Grampy.

What I want is to have my Grampy and my God proud of me. Again, I want others to be proud too (namely my wife, parents, and siblings), but this is about Grampy.

Let me close by saying that my Grampy has done nothing but good to me, and I love him with all of my heart. I only hope that, should the Lord tarry until I have grandchildren, I will know that I've been the same kind of man as my Grampy has been.

I love you Grampy, and I can't even begin to tell you how much I appreciate you.

Benjamin

P.S. The worst thing that Grampy has ever done to me is made me read Kipling's "The Power of the Dog". So, in honour of my Grampy, here it is copied for all of you to sob your eyes out at.


There is sorrow enough in the natural way
From men and women to fill our day;
And when we are certain of sorrow in store,
Why do we always arrange for more?
Brothers and sisters, I bid you beware
Of giving your heart to a dog to tear.

Buy a pup and your money will buy
Love unflinching that cannot lie--
Perfect passion and worship fed
By a kick in the ribs or a pat on the head.
Nevertheless it is hardly fair
To risk your heart to a dog to tear.

When the fourteen years which Nature permits
Are closing in asthma, or tumour, or fits,
And the vet's unspoken prescription runs
To lethal chambers or loaded guns,
Then you will find--it's your own affair--
But ... you've given your heart to a dog to tear.

When the body that lived at your single will,
With its whimper of welcome, is stilled (how still!)
When the spirit that answered your every mood
Is gone--wherever it goes--for good,
You will discover how much you care,
And will give your heart to a dog to tear.

We've sorrow enough in the natural way,
When it comes to burying Christian clay.
Our loves are not given, but only lent,
At compound interest of cent per cent.
Though it is not always the case, I believe,
That the longer we've kept 'em, the more do we grieve:

For, when debts are payable, right or wrong,
A short-term loan is as bad as a long--
So why in--Heaven (before we are there)
Should we give our hearts to a dog to tear?

Preachers of Truth

Maybe this post will come off more as my insane ramblings than anything else, but I feel that it needs to be said.

It seems to me that everywhere I've looked today, I've seen people, groups, websites, and media mocking our Christian beliefs, and misinterpreting the truth that I hold so dear. The thing is, our world has reached the point where it is okay to mock Christians and our faith. At the very least, it's okay to laugh our beliefs off as "old fashioned," "outdated," and "irrelevant."

It truly saddens me to see and hear such things. It bothers and saddens me when I see the truth dragged through the mud, and completely misrepresented. It bothers me, as it should; in fact, it should bother all Bible believing Christians. I wonder though, how much does it bother us? Does it simply miff or perturb us, or does it truly bother us enough to do something about it?

While we need to stand up for what's right, write letters, call those with influence, and simply make sure that we don't sit idly by; I believe that there is something further that we need to do. I believe that each and every one of us need to determine to be Preachers of Truth.

What does it mean to be a Preacher of Truth? Well, a preacher, by definition, is someone who proclaims a message publicly. Note that "preacher" does not mean "pastor." All pastors are preachers, but not all preachers are pastors. You see, every single Christian has been called to be a preacher; to proclaim God's message publicly.

In fact, we are told in Mark 16:15 - And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature."

So, as Preachers of Truth, we must publicly proclaim God's Message in Truth, and not allow falsehood to reign. Now, I don't know how many who will read this will get a strong desire to go out into town and start preaching, but consider again that preaching is proclaiming the message. You can proclaim the message of God's Truth in how you live your life, in the things that you allow in your life, the way you speak, and the way you act.

Whatever it is that is keeping you from being a Preacher of Truth in every aspect of life needs to be addressed. I know that I have been guilty of not doing everything I could do to spread the Word. For example, I used to record my sermons and upload them to YouTube. Recently though, I've grown lazy in doing so. No, it isn't a lot of work, and I could easily do it, but I had stopped over time.

That is something I plan to change. I want to be a Preacher of Truth on more than just Church days. I want to be sure that each and every day, whether I meet with people or not, there is the opportunity for people to hear the message of God's Truth. I plan to begin loading my sermons onto the Internet again so that people have a greater chance to come across those sermons, and hear the Word of God.

I want to be sure that every time that someone crosses paths with me in the real world, they leave knowing that they've met with a Christian. Now, it's not that I've been a rude, obnoxious person, but I want to be doubly sure to put forward that extra effort to be a Preacher of Truth, and an Ambassador for my King.

That's me though. What about you, dear reader? What will you do to ensure that you fulfill that great call that God has placed on your life? Will you do more than simply copying and pasting someone else's thought or picture? Will you actually be someone who proclaims the Truth of God's Word in your life, for all to see and hear?

Will you determine to become a Preacher of Truth in every part of everyday?

What Am I Offering?

There is a beautiful song by Third Day that has been close to my heart ever since the first time that I heard it. It's called, "Offering," and these are the lyrics:

Verse 1:
Magnificent, Holy Father
I stand in awe of all I see.
Of all the things You have created, 
Still You choose to think of me.

And who am I, that You should suffer;
Your very life to set me free?
The only thing that I can give You
Is the life You gave to me.

Chorus:
This is my offering, dear Lord.
This is my offering, to You, God.
And I will give You my life
For it's all I have to give, 
Because You gave Your life for me.

Verse 2:
I stand before You at this altar,
So many have given You more.
I may not have much I can offer,
Yet what I have is truly Yours. 

Chorus:

I'm sure you can see why this song is so dear to me. It speaks quite plainly about what it is that we have to offer our Lord and Saviour. Regardless of how great we may think we are, regardless of how much we can possibly grow or how rich we may become, there is nothing that we have to offer God other than our lives.

We can worship Him, but our worship belongs to Him already because He is King of kings and Lord of lords according to Revelation 19:16 - "And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS."

We can give our lives to Him, but He has already purchased them on Calvary, so even that is only what Paul calls "our reasonable service" in Romans 12:1 - I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service."

Some people seem to believe that what they give in the offering plate is all that they need to offer to God, but even THOSE offerings belong to God. Malachi 3:8 says, "Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, 'In what way have we robbed You?' In tithes and offerings." 

There is absolutely nothing that we have that we could offer God. He owns it all! He deserves it all! So, we come around to the question in the title of this post: What Am I Offering?

What ARE you offering God? The song claims that what we have is truly His. Seeing as it all belongs to Him anyway, shouldn't we ensure that we aren't robbing the Lord by holding any part of our lives back? Shouldn't we make sure that we give Him absolutely everything?

I think that is one of the things that boggles my mind. People claim that they don't want to serve the Lord in such-and-such a ministry, yet their service belongs to the Lord! People decide to stay home from church because it's "their day to relax," yet the day itself belongs to God, and their service belongs to Him as well! People refuse to get "uncomfortable" for God, even though He bled and died for us!

People choose not to serve God, and instead choose to be pew warmers, but we are slaves of God. Romans 6:18 and 22 tells us, "And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.... But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life." 

So the question remains: What Am I Offering? Am I at least offering what is my "reasonable service?" Am I offering at the very least, what belongs to God? Am I at least giving Him every aspect of my life, since He purchased it on the cross?

How about you?

Would We Recognise Him?

Wow! It has been nearly a full year since I last posted here. It has been a busy year, but a good one nonetheless. I really need to post here more often.

Anyway, I had a thought last night that I'd like to share here, so I'm going to. Perhaps it is more of a question than anything else. Would we recognise Jesus if we saw Him? Would we have any idea who He really was, or would we just think that He was a part of the crowd?

When we read about Jesus in Scripture, we see that Jesus was one of the people; He was a common man with a common background. He was raised as a carpenter. He travelled on foot, and did not have a steady home.

And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head." (Luke 9:58)

Because He travelled on foot through a dusty climate, He likely wouldn't have been the cleanest of all people. Add that to the fact that He hung out with the scum and villainy of society, and we have someone that most of the "respectable" folks would avoid like the plague. 

Imagine that you were approached by someone who was obviously homeless, likely dirty, someone who spent his time speaking to thieves, the diseased, and prostitutes. How would you feel? Nervous? Uncomfortable? 

That's the thing about when Jesus was walking this earth; He went to the lost so that they could be found. He went to the unbelievers so that they might believe. He went to the sick so that they could be made well. He went to those who had nothing, those who were no one, those who were outcasts so that He could show them love, understanding, and offer them a home. He went to the spiritually dead so that they could be given eternal life. 

With that in mind, we know that Jesus went to those places and spoke to those people that were the dredges of humanity. Chances are, if we were to see Jesus today, He would be in a crowd of everyday, ordinary, lost people. Jesus would be outside the mall, at the arena, on the side of the road, at Tim's. 

Now, I would hope that we would recognise Him for who He is. I would hope that we would see the difference in how He behaved and how He spoke. I would hope that we would be spiritually awake enough to recognise our Saviour when we saw Him. I wonder if we would though.

When we look at the Disciples, some of them recognised Jesus as Messiah. Others had to be told, "Come follow Me." Still others in the New Testament times refused to accept Jesus as Messiah because He didn't fit in with their preconceived notions of who Messiah would be. 

Which group would we fall under? Would we recognise Jesus instantly? Would He have to tell us, or prove Himself to us with signs and wonders? Would we just scoff and refuse to believe because He didn't set up His kingdom on earth? Would we be familiar enough with Jesus through His Word that we would know instinctively who He was? 

Like I asked in the beginning, would we recognise Jesus if we saw Him? Even more sobering of a thought, but if we didn't notice Jesus and He was in the crowd, would He be pleased with us? Would He be pleased with the way we treat others? Would He be pleased with the way that we spoke, the way that we acted, the places that we went? If Jesus was in the crowd around us, what would He think of us?

Yet, keep in mind that He does see us wherever we are. The Lord knows who we really are, and what we do. Realise for even a day that the Lord sees you. Spend a day acting as though Jesus is in the crowd with you. I believe it will change your outlook. 

Maybe this has been a bit of a ramble, but the question needs to be asked. Would we recognise Jesus, and whether we did or not, would He be pleased with us? Something to think about.

God bless!