Forgive us Our Debts

A number of years ago when one of my children was battling through a tough stint in school, I was at a loss as to how I could affect their marks in a certain subject. I thought that perhaps it was just a bit of laziness. Knowing that I would be within earshot, I spoke a few harsh conclusions to Joleen about what I thought might be the problem. I realized almost immediately after I said them that they were potentially very hurtful words but I could not retrieve them. The damage was done. This became more apparent as time went on. Even though I asked forgiveness for the things I said (several years.. yes years later), I often ponder with regret those brief moments when I could have chosen my words more carefully.
Praise God for His daily invitation for forgiveness. He does not harbour judgment against us. He is always willing to extend forgiveness to us. We must ask, though. This can be humbling, but necessary because it can be pride that prevents us from asking and receiving forgiveness. Pride can convince us of our own righteousness... That's not something that I want to be convinced of.
The final detail to this transaction between repentance and forgiveness is our own culture of forgiveness towards others. Our inspiration is clearly stated in the verses following the Lord's Prayer (Matt. 6: 14-15). If we forgive others, then our Heavenly Father will forgive us. And because I know the extent of what I need forgiveness for, that should be a no-brainer!

Happy Valentine's Day

It has been so very, very good! "The man who finds a wife finds a treasure, and he receives favor from the Lord." Prov. 18:22

Give us, this day, our daily bread...

I like food. I think I'm in good company when I say this. As I grew up out of my childhood I figured the Lord's Prayer was God's prompting to acknowledge Him in my daily needs. I still believe that. Except for famine, illness or fasting, we have been created with this daily need that does not often go interrupted for too long. It's a cycle that includes hunger (hopefully), followed by the satisfying feeling of food. So we try not to take our daily bread for granted. We ask Him for it, then we thank Him for it and bless it.
Now, for another important truth that is perhaps best described by King David in Ps. 63: 1-5. He begins by describing his need for God like a hungry teenager raiding the fridge... "my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water." He finishes by describing how he is satisfied by God, "my soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods."
Only God can satisfy. Only He can fill the emptiness. There is no other; even as the world offers all its substitutes. Nothing will ever compare!

Happy Birthday Steph!

I simply want to wish my daughter a very happy birthday. Did we bribe you to take this picture?

Your Kingdom Come

Last week my brother and I made a quick trip to Saskatchewan by car. Somewhere between Hafford and Krydor at about 12:30 A.M. I leaned back in the passenger seat and gazed out my window and up into the prairie sky. The expanse was peppered with stars. The song playing on the stereo was U2's "Where the Streets Have No Name". It seemed fitting; echoes of that eternal city as I stared off into the face of infinity.

So this, the second post devoted to the Lord's Prayer is an interesting one. How many have uttered "thy Kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven" and didn't consider their request literally? It does have a nice ring to it but what are its implications?

I've always been amazed that despite God's sovereignty, His predestining of people and His ability to design and bring intricate plans to pass, that He would instruct people to pray in this way. Its almost as if we need "us" to pray more than He needs "us" to pray. Nevertheless, the prayer itself finds us gazing from our mortal foothold off towards eternity and inviting all that God "is" there, to be here in this "not so spiritual" place called earth. This is a bold prayer. It is a "buying in" to God's plan of redemption. This is a prayer one would offer after venturing through the door of salvation. Faith has been exercised in receiving His gift. The first marvelous taste has been received. If this is you Lord, I want what You have, not the meager counterfeit that the world has to offer.

When we ask that God's Kingdom come, we invite all that is His to invade every part of us. We aren't asking Him to go to a third party location where we admire His government from afar. This is a request that goes straight to the heart. We ultimately are asking for more than we bargained for.

Our Father...

As some of you may recall, the Lord's prayer found in Matthew 6 has played an important role in my time with Him. Each segment of the prayer is intentional and purposeful for the Christian. This isn't just a Catholic tradition. When Jesus responded to the disciples' request "teach us to pray", He laid out a pattern that is as relevant today as it was 2000 years ago on a dusty mountain on the outskirts of Jerusalem. I hope to spend the next few posts looking at the prayer and how it provides us with a simple outline of how we should approach God, and what really matters in all things eternal.

Today, we begin with the first two lines, mentioned first for a reason. When we come to God, whether it be in daily prayer or whether it is our first time whispering His Name, this portion indicates a "posture" or "attitude" that is important to understand. We want to acknowledge that He is Lord. He has a place of preeminance, and we willingly, humbly bow before One seated on His throne. Now this may be a precarious posture to take if we knew Him as "Dictator" or "Tyrant" but that is not who He is. We call Him Father! The very first think Jesus tells us to do, is call this incredible God, Father. What an invitation! What a priviledge! We know that typically, a father knows how to give good gifts to his children. Well, so does our heavenly Father. Sadly, many today do not (cannot) bring themselves to call Him "Father". Pride may keep them from bowing before Him. They may be convinced that they are quite capable of doing it themselves, thank-you very much. They may have a twisted idea of what a father is and does and want no part in Him. Should they leave this life not knowing, never bowing, we know that that acknowledgement will be made. "Every knee will bow, every tonque will confess".

And, in case we didn't quite "get it", He describes the name as "hallowed" or "holy". We see in numerous other scriptures, the importance of a name. It not only has meaning but can carry with it, authority. We know that "holiness" is "without sin", a love that is pure and uncorrupt, never changing, always true and constant.

So we see that we are able to come without pretense. Yes He is King, but invites us to come as a son or daughter would. What an invitation! So simple, so profound!

A City on a Hill

Our farm in Saskatchewan was (still is) located approximately 60 miles north of Saskatoon. On a clear night (most nights), you could look south and see that familiar glow rising up from the horizon representing a city of 175,000 people.
I've always like the metaphor mentioned in Matthew 5:14. Clearly, the city that Jesus is speaking of is worth seeing; it's light not limited to one direction but set up on a hill for those around it to see. If you live in this metaphorical city, perhaps you've wondered about the kind of light that is being seen by others.
In our small group discussion last night, we considered the "love-one-another" command that Jesus gave. How captivating that kind of a light is! The love that comes from Christ, that pure love that does not come with conditions is so foreign to the area surrounding "the city". If we were to reflect on what it is that keeps us and holds us close to Christ, it's that love!
When the "prodigal son" decided to return to his father after he squandered his inheritance, he thought he had forfeited the love of his father. He could only hope for some peripheral blessing, maybe if he was lucky, he could be given the status of a servant on his father's estate. He hadn't counted on the unwavering love of a father that had not changed even during the absence of his son.
This is the kind of light the radiates from the city that Jesus spoke of. This is the love that gets attention. This is the love that can penetrate the most hardened soul.