A new blog

This is my first posting to my blog. And as I write this, I wonder, Why another blog? I'm reminded of a favourite film of mine, "Lawrence of Arabia," when a reporter approaches General Allenby at Lawrence's funeral. The reporter asks, "Any words regarding Lawrence, general?" Allenby replied, "What... more words?"

Precisely. Does this world truly need more words? And do I wish to add to them?

Well, I suppose I do, since here I am posting this entry. That's because my answer to a comment like the scripted General Allenby is that yes, in fact, we do need more words. The problem is not that there are too many words in this world. The problem is that too few of those words point people in the right direction. Among the myriad of words sent to us on television, in newspapers, in magazines, at the theater, in libraries and on the internet, many of them offer no real hope to a hurting world. That's what we need more of: words of hope, words of faith, words of peace. Who would complain about more of those words? Who would ask, "What... more hope?" or "What... more peace?" But lest the world still end up with a glut of unhelpful words, I suggest that we need words that communicate a specific kind of hope or faith or peace. Jesus said, "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you - not as the world gives do I give to you." (John 14:27). The words of peace that Jesus offers are different than the words of peace the world offers. And the same is true of the words of hope and faith Jesus offers. Jesus offers heavenly words, and those are the kind of words I'm hungry for. What he offers will satisfy my soul for eternity, long after my soul no longer needs this earthly body. It's words of hope like those that I want to add to in this world. Let such words multiply as bloggers all over this planet add words of real and certain hope to the many other words of this world.


© 2008 by Ken Peters

A Worship that's Sincere (church bulletin cover)

They sought God. I seek God. They were eager to know God’s ways. I am too. They asked God for just decisions and delighted in His nearness, and I hope the same could be said of me. But God strongly rebukes the people who are described in this way in Isaiah 58:2. Why?

What was so wrong that God would be that upset with a people who seemed so passionate for Him? Isaiah 58 goes on to point out what God knew was missing in the lives of these seemingly devout people. In this passage, God is graciously providing us the clues we so desperately need for knowing if our delight in God and our desire to seek Him are sincere. And the main issue? How God’s people responded to the needs of people around them.

I’m extremely challenged by how Isaiah 58 helps me to know if my devotion to the Lord is truly from my heart. Verse 7 asks if we “share [our] food with the hungry and provide the poor wanderer with shelter—when you see the naked, [do you] clothe him…?” I know I can’t help everyone in that kind of need, but am I consistently doing anything to help with such needs? The way for me to ensure that my relationship with God is sincere is to be sure that my love for God is revealed in my love for my neighbour—and particularly the poor. 1 John 3:17-19 agrees as John declares that it is by putting our love for the needy into action that we can assure our hearts before God and know that we are of the truth.

For this to be the case requires some careful intentionality. I need to be on the lookout regarding needs that God exposes me to in my everyday life. God help each of us to see the needs around us and to respond appropriately! And I trust that Love Winnipeg and Caring for the Core will be valuable incentives for those of us who could use a little help growing in this area of regularly responding to the needs of people living right here in the city of Winnipeg!

© 2008 by Ken Peters

Diligent to Hope! (church bulletin cover)

When I feel shaken by the gritty gusts of life and my confidence in God is not so sure, it’s likely that I’ve pulled up what the writer to the Hebrews called “the anchor of the soul”, which is our hope in Christ (Hebrews 6:19). I certainly have my days when I struggle to trust God, and you can be sure that my focus on those days is on me and my circumstances rather than on Jesus. Keeping my focus on Jesus on such days is an effort. But nobody should feel less spiritual just because it’s work to trust in God! We’re in a battle, and to remain confident in the smoke of it ought to call for diligence.

Hope takes work. Hebrews 6:11 speaks of a “diligence” necessary for realizing “the full assurance of hope.” And then warning us of sluggishness, the writer to the Hebrews exhorts us to imitate those who inherited the promises of God “through faith and patience” (6:12). This makes it clear to me that God fulfilling His promises in our lives is not likely to be some short-term, quick-fix, instant-gratification kind of scene. Hoping in God’s promises requires persevering faith in tough times and hard-fought patience as we wait for God’s timing.

But Hebrews 6 makes it abundantly clear that this is no futile exercise. God provides us with great words of hope in this passage so that we can lower the anchor of our soul — our hope in Jesus — into the bedrock of God’s Word, and be deeply encouraged. Words of hope like “I will surely bless you…” (6:14), “...the unchangeableness of His purpose...” (6:17), and “...a hope both sure and steadfast...” (6:19).

God’s Word is Truth, and Jesus is God’s Word made flesh. And I want to make every effort to keep the anchor of my soul hooked on Jesus as I face the aggressive gusts and sea swells of this life. Whatever the circumstances, we can be sure of the hope we have in the One who sits on the throne of grace: Jesus our great High Priest (4:14-16; 6:20)!

© 2008 by Ken Peters

Influenced by His Glory! (church bulletin cover)

It’s been said that Gateway’s South congregation is now moving from being “tent-dwellers” to having a building. But as I consider their move into a building in Fort Rouge, I recall what happened at the completion of the tabernacle in Exodus 40. I’ve always been amazed at the description of God’s glory filling the Tent of Meeting as the tabernacle was completed. What a sight that must have been —this cloud coming and covering the tent and filling the entire tabernacle, and then becoming a fire at night! And it says that Moses, the man with whom God spoke from the cloud at the entrance of his tent — the man whose face would shine from being so near to the LORD — couldn’t even enter the tent of meeting because it was so full of God’s glory! Exodus 40:38 says that “throughout all their journeys, the cloud of the LORD was on the tabernacle by day, and there was fire in it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel.”

That verse shifts my amazement to confusion. With this awesome display of glory ever before the Israelites, how could they have ever shrunk back from the things God told them to do, such as when He urged them to go in and take the land? And as that question occurs to me, I realize that I’m caught. Caught in the same confusing acts of unbelief before God’s awesome glory as the Israelites were so prone to. After all, I’ve seen God’s glory revealed in the love and mercy of His Son on the cross. I’ve experienced the goodness of the Gospel at work in my life as Christ has come and made His tabernacle in my heart! And corporately speaking, we’ve seen God extravagantly provide for us to purchase the building on Rathgar, thereby providing a new home for Gateway South. And yet as human beings, we are so prone to unbelief, often doubting that God will be enough for us as He calls us to obedience, such as the taking of new land in which His glory is to be made known.

What are we to do? As I read Exodus 40 again, I want us as a community of faith to be so influenced by God’s display of His glory through His work in our lives and in our midst, that we would be filled with an unshakeable awe and confidence in the God who chose us to be His children! And with that, let us go into the land that God has placed before us so that His glory will be seen by all around us!

© 2008 by Ken Peters

Would I Crucify Him?

The day after Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, Luke provides a dramatic picture of the contrast between two groups of people. There we see the chief priests, scribes and leading men wanting to kill Jesus, but the general populace wanting to catch every word that dropped from His lips.

Now I have to ask myself: Who am I more like? The “chief priests and the scribes and the leading men among the people” (Luke 19:47) or “all the people [who] were hanging on to every word He said” (Luke 19:48)?

I certainly don’t want to kill Jesus, but I also don’t think that I’m often as mesmerized with the words of Jesus as Luke describes the people to be that day. So if I’m not quite like either, who am I more like? Well, because I do in fact love Jesus, I must be more like the people. But sometimes I’m conscious of a subdued irritation with Jesus—a barely concealed consternation over unanswered prayers or unanswered questions. A feeling that Jesus has let me down or that He has not done what I expected or wanted. And I can see in those turbulent emotions and disappointments that I’m capable of being more offended with Jesus than in love with Him, except by the grace of God. The truth is, apart from God’s grace, I can't be sure that I wouldn't have been among those who, shortly after Luke 19 (in Luke 23), shouted, “Crucify Him!”

How many of those people were disappointed that Jesus didn’t do what they thought He should do? Oust the Romans! Set up His Kingdom and revive the glory days of Jerusalem! It’s only with God’s help that amidst unanswered prayers and unmet expectations, we can see Jesus for who He is, love Him as we do and be hungry for His Word. And as we choose to trust Him with every longing in our heart, knowing that His will is always good, acceptable and perfect, we will grow increasingly eager for every word of wisdom—and for every moment in time—that He lovingly shares with us.

© 2008 by Ken Peters

Facing the Facts! Rejoicing in the Truth! (church bulletin cover)

A rock moved away. An empty tomb. These are historical events that are as central to our faith in Christ as the cross on which He died. For as Paul said, “if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins.” (1 Corinthians 15:16-17). And in a society largely convinced that truth is simply whatever you personally believe to be true, the resurrection of Jesus is an historical fact (that is, a truth) that people need to grapple with. We have a vast mass of literature claiming that Jesus was confirmed by Roman authorities to be dead, the tomb in which He was laid was covered by a stone of great weight, guarded by disciplined Roman soldiers, and sealed according to Roman authority to warn away any who desired to tamper with this tomb. Yet on that wonderful Sunday, the tomb was empty. Christ’s enemies could not deny it was empty because they could not produce the body. They blamed the disciples. But how and why would 11 frightened and disillusioned disciples defy a Roman seal, get past a Roman guard and move the stone? And how would such a scam result in their transformed lives which they were later willing to lay on the line for their conviction that Jesus was alive? The literature of the day, the many witnesses, the transformed lives — it is all credible historic evidence that cries out for a verdict. Jesus’ tomb is empty and He offers the same resurrection life to all who call out to Him. What is your response?

© 2008 by Ken Peters

Finding Faith in the Storms (church bulletin cover)

What does it take for me to not be afraid? Does God need to make all the storms of my life go away in order for me to have no fear? When Jesus asked His disciples, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?” (Mark 4:40), did He calm the storm first because He figured that was the only way His disciples could avoid their fears? Or did He want them to have chosen not to be afraid even in the midst of the storm? In the midst of our current sermon series on spiritual warfare, it’s an important question. Do the battles we face have to end in order for us to not be afraid? The answer must be no, for Jesus’ question was two-fold: it was about their fears as well as about what they had already witnessed as food for their faith. It feels as if Jesus is saying, “What is your problem, you guys? Haven’t you seen enough miracles to know that I can also take care of any storm you’re facing? Where’s your faith gone to now that the going’s gotten tough?” So as I face storms in my life, do I need Jesus to calm them in order for me to not be afraid and in order for me to have faith? Or have I seen enough of God’s hand at work in my life to have faith in the midst of the storms — even ones that are bad enough to leave me feeling like I could perish in them? I know the reality is that I’m afraid far too easy — long before I’m at risk of perishing. But I want Jesus’ questions to ring in my ears: “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?” Because I know that even in the storms Jesus doesn’t calm, He’s with me through it all, and can turn those winds around whenever He chooses!

© 2008 by Ken Peters

Who's at that table with God? (church bulletin cover)

Starbucks is not just a place for coffee. It’s a place for relationship. It’s a place to hang out with friends and share what’s on your mind or on your heart. Imagine God sitting at one of those little round tables sipping a latte. Who would be sitting with Him, hearing what’s on His mind? Who would He be leaning across the table to speak with as He shares what’s on His heart?

Psalm 25:14 speaks of that kind of relationship with God... “The Lord confides in those who fear him; he makes his covenant known to them.” What a picture. Here’s the God who flung galaxies across the universe and who holds it all in the palm of His hands, confiding in a tiny, little resident of that universe – someone He created for a relationship with Him. Who is it David had in mind for such intimacy with God as he wrote Psalm 25? It’s not reserved for those we might consider the Somebodies of this world, but it’s also not just for anybody. Psalm 25 says that the Lord saves chairs at such tables for “those who fear Him.”

This is not an expression that fits well with our Starbucks culture. Inspiring fear in those you sit with kind of wrecks the atmosphere. Why does God only want to sit and share with people who fear Him? The answer is simple. God will only draw close in friendship to those who have first accepted His Lordship. God does not want to remain at a distance from us, but nor will He draw near to those who disrespect His counsel. He is God, and even as He sits closely at a table with us, He expects us to remember that. So who is the one who fears the Lord? Psalm 25:12 both asks and answers that very question: The person who is prepared to walk according to the way God has shown them. The rest of Psalm 25 makes it clear that such a person is by no means perfect! David, a man who truly feared the Lord, says in verse 11 that his own sin is great! But what he also says just prior to that is God “guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way (v.9). It’s the humble who fear God and bow to Jesus Christ’s Lordship, and as we do, we find ourselves offered a chair and a heart-to-heart with the King of kings!

© 2008 by Ken Peters

What were they Thinking? (church bulletin cover)

Here’s a sight: Two men who’ve just been publicly beaten “with many blows” with rods and who’ve just been put in stocks in the “inner prison” of a jail, and who have no idea what’s going to happen to them next (Acts 16:23-24). And Acts 16:25 says that at about midnight, these two men were praying and singing songs of praise to God while “the other prisoners were listening to them.” This is a story about Paul and Silas, and as I’ve heard people describe what a great example these men are to us, the focus has always been on what they were going through and how well they responded. But I can’t help but wonder, even if just for a moment, about the perspective of those other prisoners. What were they thinking? What a sight it must have been to see these guys singing and praying as the spilled blood dried on their backs and into their clothes. It must have impacted these on-lookers, for as an earthquake shook the place and everyone’s chains were unfastened and the prison doors were opened, all the other prisoners stayed in their places, probably looking to Paul and Silas for cues. What were they thinking of these God-centered men who didn’t escape when provided with such an opportunity? As I ponder this, I find myself musing about whether I live the kind of life that leaves people wondering about me the way those prisoners must have wondered about Paul and Silas. I don’t think I do. But if I’m honest, I know there’s a desire in me to live in a way that is so totally different than what the world around me would expect, that it gets people thinking… in a way that is so God-oriented that it causes the godless to pause and consider God. If people find me — or any of us as God’s people — truly praising God whatever our circumstances, what a sight that would be! And by God’s grace, those people around us will stop and listen until they see God at work opening their prison doors!

© 2008 by Ken Peters

Mercy for the Short in Spirit (church bulletin cover)

It seems that no matter what we’re going through, God expects His people to trust Him. But it also seems that even those who find it difficult to do so will still experience God’s mercy. In Exodus 6:5-6, it’s clear that God intended to deliver His people from bondage. He cared about their situation. But their battle for hope had just gotten worse after Moses’ first attempt to speak to Pharaoh. Even Moses’ confusion is evident: “Ever since I went to Pharaoh to speak in Your name, he has brought trouble upon this people, and You have not rescued Your people at all!” (5:23). And as a result, the people’s initial belief in Moses’ promises (4:31) turned to unbelief. “They did not listen to Moses on account of their discouragement and cruel bondage” (6:9). The Hebrew word for “discouragement” there means “shortness of spirit” or impatience. Impatience? Shortness? These people had been groaning in bondage for over 400 years! And then when hope had seemed near, things had suddenly gotten worse! Yet God still called their response impatience. It’s as though He was saying, “If I am big enough in your view of the battle you’re in, then I will dwarf any length of time you compare me to or any increase in warfare you go through!” If God is big enough in my understanding, no amount of trouble should cause my spirit to be short of hope in God. And thankfully I can rely on His infinite mercy, for even as He describes the Israelites as impatient and unwilling to listen to Moses’ words of hope (6:6-8), He immediately follows through on fulfilling the promises they wouldn’t listen to (6:10ff)! Oh how I need that mercy in the battles for hope that I face, for my shortness of spirit occurs much sooner than after 400 years! The story of how God delivered His people from Egypt reminds us that we can trust God through even the most epic of battles! With His help, our spirits won’t be short in the battles we face!

© 2008 by Ken Peters