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No Pride

3/25/2023

“Old-Fashioned” or “Prude”.

Those are the labels that would be placed on myself and others who did not believe that premarital sex was a good idea. After all, how are you supposed to know if you like someone unless you live with them first? Living together, and experiencing sex before marriage was a kind of “try before you buy” opportunity. Check things out before you sign on the dotted line. It sounded like a good idea. And besides, what harm is there in it anyway?

Those, like myself, who did not agree with this approach, and who believed (and still do) that this is contrary to God’s plan for our lives, were simply thought of, at worst, as ignorant fools, and at best, we were simply ignored.

Go ahead and preach what you want, preacher, we are two consenting adults. What we are doing is none of your business.

The fact that I considered people living together unmarried as “living in sin” might have annoyed some people’s conscience, and they might have thought I was “behind the times” or “living in the past”, but for the most part, we all carried on reasonably well. Life continued. I didn’t (and still don’t) approve of such behaviour. From time to time it will come up during a sermon, because I do believe the Bible teaches that premarital sex is a sin and that it is contrary to God’s will. Despite my belief, many people continue to live together unmarried, happily ignoring my views on such things.

Here’s the point. In thirty five years of being a minister of the Gospel, I have never been accused of hating persons who have lived together unmarried. Never. Not once. Not even close. I have never been accused of being afraid of people who choose to live together unmarried. I have never been accused of being a bigot. At worst, I was some old-fashioned nut to be ignored. They carried on with their lives and I carried on with mine.

People who had vastly different views on this topic could be neighbours, they could be co-workers, their children could play together in the park or do homework together. With different views, we all got along. No one suggested “hate”.

Fast forward twenty five years and replace “living together unmarried” with “homosexuality” and all of a sudden people are up in arms! Now some would have you believe that I am a fearful, hate-filled bigot.

My views have not changed. I have not changed. I still preach the same message; that any form of sexual intimacy outside of Biblical marriage (a man and a woman) is sexual immorality. This is not new. This is also why I can not support “Pride” in any way. Not only that, i find it incomprehensible that this is being pushed in our schools (and even some churches).

People are still free to disagree with me. They have the legal right to do whatever they want. But all of a sudden, instead of simply being some old-fashioned prude, I must be homophobic, along with all the negative connotations that come with that. I hate people. I despise people. I am a bigot. I don’t understand them. I have no tolerance of them. And so on.

So what has changed?

My message hasn’t changed. My life hasn’t changed. The person I am at the core hasn’t changed. Neither has my willingness to help people no matter what their choices in life are.

What has changed is other people’s willingness to make room for people like myself who can not support, endorse or encourage sinful behaviour. I do not hate any such persons. I disagree with their choices, and yes, where appropriate, I will call it sin, as I have done for decades, because that is exactly what it is.

I understand mine is not a politically correct opinion, but I do believe it is a biblically correct one. If that makes me an unfit member of society, so be it. I have no problem with that. I do not expect many to agree with me; and that’s okay. But before you accuse me of hating or being afraid; think about what your own reaction is towards me.

Pastor Norman

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Be a Blessing

11/25/2022

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One of the ways that this church has been very strong (and for which I am very grateful) is our commitment to “give back” to both our community and to those around the world.

Over the recent years we have done just that; both with our time (running events for the community) and in our giving to missions and compassionate ministries. When you add it all up it is actually rather amazing. Praise be to God!

With the Advent season now upon us, our focus in December usually turns to blessing others. There are so many needs, here locally, and around the world.

I’d like to suggest several ways that you can be a blessing:

1: The Salvation Army

The Salvation Army Christmas Kettles could always use some help—both in standing by the kettles (volunteering your time) and in putting a donation in the kettles. The kettles are now up and running in various locations throughout Whitehorse. Our church has made a commitment to help on Saturdays. If yu can help stand by a kettle on a Saturday, please speak to Dorothy (there is also a sign up sheet in the foyer). If you are unavailable on Saturday but would still like to help, please call the Salvation Army directly to volunteer. They have many slots throughout the week that will need to be filled. They will love to hear from you. You can reach them at 393-8320.

2: The Whitehorse Food Bank

The Whitehorse Food Bank could always use more food items. We have a “Reverse Advent Calendar” that we would like to suggest. Each day you are encouraged to put a specific item in a box or bag at home then bring those items to the church each Sunday. We will then send these down to the food bank each week. What a great way to support our local community.

3: Compassionate Ministries: Giving Calendar

Another option is to collect funds that will go towards Nazarene Compassionate Ministries work around the world. We have a “Giving Calendar” which shows what you are suggested to give, based on what you have. For example, for Dec. 1st you are encouraged to give 5 cents for each medication you have in your house. Another example; on Dec. 8 you are asked to contribute 5 cents for every light bulb in your house. You total up your giving throughout the month and then make a contribution marked “Compassionate Ministries” at the end of the month.

4: Compassionate Ministries: Gift Catalog

One other option is to make use of the Compassionate Ministries “Gift Catalog”. The idea here is that instead of buying someone a gift that they may (or more likely may not) use, you can honor someone by buying a gift for someone around the world on behalf of your friend or family member. The gift catalog is available in the foyer. If you do make use of the gift catalog, you are welcome to send the contribution through this local church and we will make sure you receive the tax receipt at the end of the year. You can also access the gift catalog online at this link.

There you have it. Four ways that you can contribute to the needs of others.

Of course, none of this takes the place of reaching out, in person, to your friends, neighbours and loved ones, to do what you can for them as well. But as we've been blessed, again and again, we would do well to turn out attention towards blessing others.

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"You Hate Me!"

7/5/2022

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Nancy Oleson, the ridiculously spoiled adopted daughter of Harriet and Nellie Oleson in the old television series, "Little House on the Prairie" would blurt out "You hate me!" whenever she didn't get her way. It was her very intentional and manipulative method of gaining sympathy, especially from Harriet.

As much as Nancy made the lives of those around her difficult, no one actually hated her. Certainly there were those who disliked her behaviour and wouldn't approve of her shenanigans.

Hate is such a strong word. Unfortunately it is still being used to manipulate a reaction. If you disagree with someone, particularly if you don't approve of someone's choices, you are deemed to "hate" them (or fear them). But neither of these are necessarily true, and in the extremely vast majority of cases, it is not true at all.

Because I don't support what someone does not mean I hate them, fear them, or wish to stay away from them. It simply means I don't support what they are doing. Period.

Why don't I support them? I don't need to give a reason. It is my prerogative not to support what everyone does, just like it is their prerogative not to agree with me. And that's fine. That's what makes us a civil nation. We can disagree. We can even agree to disagree. If you really want to know why I can't support certain things, I'm happy to sit down and have a cup of coffee or tea with you to discuss it.

But when the word "hate" is thrown out there, what I am essentially being told is that I can't disagree with someone; that if I don't support them fully, that I must be hateful or fearful.

That is manipulation of the Nancy Oleson variety.

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Live and In-Person!

3/6/2022

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Do you like sports? Many people do.… and pay a heavy price for some top events:

2012 London Olympics Opening Ceremony – top ticket price was $4,000
2017 Boxing Match – ringside seat: $145,200. Then there’s basketball, hockey, soccer and baseball.
2016 Baseball championship… average price was $2,249… but the top price was $1.17 million.

I could go on. But here’s the point… every one of these events were available to watch, at no cost at all, on television. Nothing. Zero. And in almost every case, you get a much better view on television… plus you don’t have to pay outrageous prices for snacks at home. So why do people even bother?

Earlier this year my wife and I were spending a weekend in Tagish. We had a wonderful time and we were able to take in the worship service, online. I have to admit that it was rather nice! There we were, out in the comfort of our wilderness home, sitting on our love seat, coffee in hand, feet propped up, lyrics were on the screen (thank you Joel)… it was really comfortable. And quite honestly, I think for one week here or one week there, it probably would be all right. It was a way to stay connected when we couldn't be there in-person … but there was also something very significant missing.

Yes, God was still able to speak to me through His servant, and I thoroughly enjoyed the music, but as comfortable as that was it just wasn’t the same. There is something very meaningful about being at an event live and in-person. No matter how exciting an event is on television, it doesn’t carry the same “feel” as being there. If that is true for sports… how much more is it true when it comes to our time to worship the Lord.

Hebrews 10:25, “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”

I wonder if it was complacency and comfort that was keeping people away, or if it was the threat of persecution. We don’t know exactly when this letter to the Hebrews was written, but it is likely before the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem (AD 70). It is likely that there was a fair bit of persecution happening to the Christians. It was not an easy time. Meeting together could have been a life or death situation.

Whatever the reason, the writer of Hebrews recognizes that some people have stopped participating in worship and he urges the remaining followers of Christ to not only continue coming themselves, but also to encourage one another to keep coming (or to come back). He’s basically sending out the message… “we need you”!

And today… especially after we’ve become comfortable watching worship services electronically, I believe the message for us is that we need to get back into the practice of meeting together in person.

Watching online is fine… as a last resort… and hopefully only very temporarily.

So what’s the big deal? Why do we need to be AT the church? Why do we need to come together in-person as the Church? There are many reasons, but I’m going to summarize it into just three.

Accountability (spiritually there are extremely few “lone rangers”).
We are all accountable to God, first and foremost (Romans 14:12 – “Each of us will give an account of himself to God”). But we also have a responsibility (and accountability) for one another.

Galatians 6:1, “Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted.”

The idea here is not that we are trying to pry into each other’s lives and trying to find fault with each other or feel morally superior to anyone else…. but simply that fact that every one of us is prone to failure and one of the best ways to avoid that or to recover from that is by others who are close to us.

1 Thess. 5:11, “Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.” What beautiful words: “encourage” “build one another up”… we can’t do that on our own. That’s what accountability does. It isn’t a negative; it’s a positive! It’s a safeguard. It’s a building tool.

Quite honestly, this is something we resist because we find it offensive to have to answer to anybody!

But here’s the thing… notice that we need to submit to accountability. It’s not something that can be forced on us.

The church should be a safe place where we hold one another accountable for the purpose of building one another up.

Spiritual Growth (closely related to accountability is maturity – growing spiritually).
Whereas “accountability” generally refers to correction of some sort, “spiritual growth” speaks of discipleship.

There’s a reason why the disciples spent so much time with Jesus. There’s a reason why the disciples spent so much time together as the church. It is not that someone can’t grow (spiritually) on their own; (they can), but it isn’t nearly as likely.

Acts 2:42-47 speaks about God’s people coming together very regularly; even daily. The worshipped together, they fellowshipped together. They broke bread together. And through it all, they grew together. As a result, every day, the Lord was adding to their number. This didn’t happen because they each went off on their own spiritual pilgrimage.

Proverbs 27:17, “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” That’s the beauty of the church. Together, we sharpen one another; or as Hebrews puts it, we spur one another on towards maturity.

Ministry (we have a job to do and we do it better together).
In most situations in life, we are more productive when we are part of a team. It might not be always the case, but in most cases, we accomplish more when we work together than we could as individuals.

I believe this is the point of Paul’s teaching about the body having many parts. (1 Cor. 12). Each part has a function on it’s own; but when it all comes together, that is when it is really productive. For example, the eye can see a lot of wonderful things… “oh… isn’t that a lovely dinner on the plate” Yes, the eye can see the dinner, but seeing it is not going to nourish the body. At some point, the hand has to get involved and pick up the food. Then there’s the mouth and the stomach… It’s only when all the parts work together that the body is able to accomplish more than what the sum of the individual parts could do on their own.

And as Christians, we have a calling as well. We are here for a purpose. We have a function.

At the start of his ministry Jesus told his first disciples, “You are the salt of the earth… you are the light of the world…” (Matthew 5:13, 14). And at the end of his ministry he told his followers to “Go and make disciples of all nations…” (Matthew 28:19). There is always a task before us. The same is true with the church. We come together, in part, to be able to serve; and with very few exceptions, we are able to function more successfully when we are together.

Accountability, discipleship, and ministry... these are just some of the reasons why, I believe, Hebrews 10:25 urges God’s people to not give up meeting together. Bottom line is that it is essential.

Coming to church, live and in-person, is a privilege that we must not take that for granted.

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What is "Charitable" Giving?

9/14/2021

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The Government of Canada allows registered charities to issue official tax receipts for charitable giving. This is carefully regulated and every charity is required to file a "charity return" on an annual basis in order to comply with and continue issuing charitable receipts.

While charitable giving is never the motivation for giving, it is helpful to know that the Government of Canada supports charities by allowing charities to issue tax receipts which will then result in approximately 35% of the donation being returned to the donor (by way of a reduction on their annual income tax).

But that leads to the question... what qualifies as a charitable contribution (for tax purposes)? That is the question this post will attempt to answer. This is not a "legal" answer... it is only a summary to the best of my knowledge.

Let's look at some examples of what qualifies and what does not qualify.

A general (unrestricted) donation to the church will always be considered a charitable contribution. This would include any tithes or offerings that are not designated to anyone or anything in particular. Furthermore, donations to our building fund would also be considered a charitable contribution.

A donation to a mission or ministry that the church supports; provided that mission or ministry is also a charity, qualifies as a charitable donation. For example, you might want to send a donation to Wycliffe or to Avant Ministries. You can certainly send it directly to those ministries; or you can send it to the church earmarked for those ministries. Because those ministries are charities themselves, we will process your donation, send it off to the respective organization, and we will be the ones to send you a tax receipt at the end of the year.

Likewise, donations to ministries within the Church of the Nazarene are also charitable contributions. For example, donations to the Thanksgiving Offering (for World Evangelism) or the Alabaster Offering or any other Nazarene offering or missions project are all charitable contributions.

What is NOT a charitable contribution is donations made to a specific individual. For example, let's say you want to bless one of your pastors with a gift of $100. That is very kind of you (and thank you, by the way); but that is not a charitable contribution because it is for an individual who is not a charity themselves. It is not treated any different than, say, you gave that $100 directly to one of the pastors. The benefit of giving it through the church would be that your gift would be anonymous to the pastor involved, but it wouldn't be a charitable contribution.

You might want to give a financial gift to a missionary. That is also not a charitable contribution if you are giving it (even through the church) for the individual's personal use. If on the other hand, you are giving it to that individual's missionary work, or deputation fund (and not to the individual themself) then it is a charitable contribution.

For example, you might want to bless Nora with a $100 gift. You give those funds to us and we send those funds to Nora. That is not a charitable contribution. However, if you earmark a $100 donation to Nora's Wycliffe Ministry (and we send that money, on your behalf, to Wycliffe for Nora's ministry) then it is a charitable contribution.

What about benevolence giving? From time to time there are special needs and we would like to help out people through a difficult situation. Here's how that works. If you are giving a donation to the church's Benevolence Fund, that is definitely a charitable contribution... but do keep in mind that the donation is to the fund, not to any particular individual. If you earmark it for a particular individual, it is no longer a charitable contribution. By giving to the Benevolence Fund you are leaving it up to the discretion of the church board to use the funds to help individuals that the Board determines. If you are directing your funds to a specific person, then that is not a charitable contribution.

What about fundraising events? For example, we sometimes have a baked goods auction. We have seen some cakes auctioned for $100 or more (who can resist Lindsy's cakes?). This is a little more tricky because the cakes definitely have value (you are getting something back for your $100), but the cake doesn't usually sell for $100 either (in other words, you are being generous). In this case, the value of the cake is deducted from your donation.and the balance is considered a charitable contribution. So, for example, the cake might be valued at $40; but you give $100 for it. We would issue you a tax receipt for $60 in this example.

There is also the question about services in lieu of a donation. These are not charitable contributions. For example, we need an electrician to do about $500 of labour for us. Mr. (or Mrs.) Nice Electrician does the work and does not charge us. That is very kind (and appreciated) but we can not issue a charitable receipt for that. If on the other hand, Mr. (or Mrs.) Nice Electrician bills us $500 (and we pay them $500), then they can give us back $500 (because, after all, they are nice), then we can give them a chartiable receipt for that $500.

Finally, I should mention "gifts in kind". These are usually physical items that have a value and are donated to the church. Gifts in kind are charitable contributions.... but only to the actual value they have (at the time of donation) and only if the church is actually looking for and wanting that item. For example, the church might be looking for a video camera and you just bought a video camera two months ago and decided to donate it to the church. You can give it to the church and we can issue you a tax receipt for the value of that camera. On the other hand, you might have a computer that you paid $2,000 for about two years ago. We are not looking for a computer, and that computer is definitely not valued at $2,000 anymore; so we would not issue you a charitable contribution receipt for that gift.

The rules for a charitable contribution are very specific and are there to safeguard the system so that it is not misued and continues to benefit charities. I do hope this helps clarify questions you may have. If you need any more information, please do contact the church office.

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Electronic Giving - Here to Stay

11/17/2020

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It seems that with a growing number of people who have been choosing to make electonic contributions to the church, I thought I would take a few moments to describe the options and the pros/cons for each one so that you can decide what is best for you.

Essentially (right now) there are three options.

1. eTransfer
eTransfer is a direct transfer of funds from your online banking to the Church of the Nazarene bank account. Any eTransfer to "whitehorsenazarene@gmail.com" is automatically deposited into the church account and the church office receives an email stating that you have made a transfer.

Because this email account is set up with the bank already; you will not need to enter a security question and answer for the transfer. It will be automatic. It will be automatically deposited to our account. No one (at our end) needs to "accept" the transfer and there is no cost (to the church) for receiving your transfer. It is easy and it is quick.

Most eTransfers will be for "tithes" however, you are most welcome to include "offerings" as well. If there is no "note" we will assume it is your tithes. However, if you wish to add a contribution to a special offering, you can specify it (or the portion of it) in the "note" section before finalizing your eTransfer.

Once the eTransfer is received, the church office prints out a report that shows your name and the transferred amount. This is then entered into our "contributions" database, which later issues you a tax receipt.

2. Credit Card: Tithe.ly
Tithe.ly is a church specific credit card option. If you wish to use a credit card, and if you don't mind NOT being anonymous, and especially if you would like to give a contribution by credit card regularly.... "tithe.ly" is your best option for a couple of reasons:

a) for YOU there is a "tithe.ly" app that you can download. Once you set it up and choose the Whitehorse Church of the Nazarene, you can open the app, press a button or two, and make a donation virtually on the spot. Once it is set up, it takes only seconds to make a contribution. If you are in church, the app will recognize your location; but you can make a donation from any location. This is probably the easiest way to give (regularly) with credit card.

b) for US, the fee we are charged from "tithe.ly" is a little lower than the alternative (which we will look at next). The fee is not a big deal. We are quite prepared to absorb the fee for either credit card service... but this one is just a fraction lower.

3. Credit Card: Canada Helps
Canada Helps also offers charities the benefit of receiving donations through credit card. There is no fee to you and the fee to us is just a fraction more than the alternative. Canada Helps will charge us a flat 4% of your contribution.

The advantage of Canada Helps is that you can issue your contribution 100% anonymously (to us) and STILL get a tax receipt. How is that possible? Because our charity is registered with Canada Helps and THEY will issue you the tax receipt. So when someone gives through Canada Helps they can indicate their name (if they wish) or make their contribution anonymous. Either way, the tax receipt is issued from them, not us. We will not issue a tax receipt for any contributions made through Canada Helps because they issue it.

LINKS

Please be aware that MORE than the actual financial contribution (as much as that is appreciated), your faithfulness to the Lord is the top priority.

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Tithes & Offerings

10/20/2020

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One of the "traditions" for Nazarenes around the world is to give to a special offering. These offerings can be a real source of blessing.

One question that often comes up is how is an "offering" different than the "tithe"?

Good question!

Biblically, the tithe is a tenth portion of one's increase that is given to the Lord. In the Old Testament, this was a requirement. In the New Testament, it is not a "requirement of the law" (at least, not the written law), but a response of love.

Does that mean I don't need to give a tithe?

This might sound self-serving, but I truly believe it (and practice it myself); that the law of love doesn't even consider that question. Seeing how Jesus compares the law of love to the written law (the law of love always goes beyond the requirements of the written law); it would seem that the old written law is a starting point for even greater response (not less).The question that love asks is not how little I can give, but how much I can give. (I’ve sometimes said that giving 10% is for beginners - because that is the starting point).

That's where the "offering" comes in. The offering is a contribution, over and above the "tithe" that is usually given for a special purpose. While the "tithe" is for the general ministries of the church; the "offering" can be for anything one desires to give toward.

It could be the Alabaster Offering (used to help fund the purchase of land or building materials for missions projects); it could be some other ministry or missionary that I support. It could be the Thanksgiving Offering (for World Evangelism). It could be to a building fund or a benevolence fund or any number of things.

For us in the Church of the Nazarene, we usually collect an Easter Offering (in the spring) and a Thanksgiving Offering (in the fall) both for world evangelism. These offerings will go 100% over and above what our church is already committed to giving to world missions. The World Evangelism Fund is the "bread and butter" of our missionary work.

What happens to the "tithe"?

The tithe is used for the ongoing ministry of the local church and our portion of the ongoing ministry of the district and the global church. We believe that when God's people are faithful in giving their tithes, then the needs of the church will be met. That is why we don't actually collect special offerings for our own needs; nor do we engage in fundraising for our ongoing ministry. This is also why we don't charge a fee for anything that we provide, whether it is books or meals or whatever else. In fact, in my 33+years that God has given me in Whitehorse, I know of only one occasion when we charged a fee to participate in something (and that was done, not for the money, but to reserve seats for those who really wanted to come). We are able to provide what we do without added cost because we believe the source of income for the church is the tithe; and people have been very faithful in giving their tithes.

Are there more offerings coming up?

There are always special offerings coming up. We don't apologize for that because we don't "push" them either. We simply let people know that there are these needs, beyond our own local church needs, and we give you an opportunity to give an "offering" towards it. If you can, great. If you can't, that's fine. No shame in that. Give as the Lord enables you.
What are some of those offerings?

Let's see.... without thinking too hard... (and I'm sure I'll miss some) we usually receive these offerings throughout the year:

Thanskgiving Offering (for World Evangelism)
Compassionate Ministries Offering (usually in December - but also any time there is a global need).
Alabaster Offering (in February and September)
Easter Offering (also for World Evangelism)
Deputation Offering (when we have a visiting missionary - for a project they want to undertake)

So there you have it... a summary of what our "tithes" and "offerings" are all about.

Thank you so much for your continued faithfulness. If you have any questions, we are always delighted to provide information.

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Love: Always, Always, Always.

2/14/2020

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"Love always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”

Our first thought is to connect this with marital relationships; as we do with so much of 1 Corinthians 13. After all, 1 Corinthians 13 is all about "love" and what better place to show love than in a marriage!

However, 1 Corinthians 13 isn’t written to a couple that has fallen in love… it is written to a church that has fallen out of love.

Paul is writing to a church that has been bogged down in gossip, slander, sexual immorality, drunkenness; and so much more; to a church that has was not reflecting the holiness of God; and what he is essentially saying in chapter 13 is “hey church, this is what you are supposed to look like." And there in verse 7; Paul describes some key characteristics of the church; which truthfully does apply in all our relationships: “Love always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”

Therefore, in the context of the church, what does it mean to “protect” one another?

For starters, we can protect a reputation. It happens far too often: someone comes to you with a juicy tidbit of information. It often begins with the words, “Did you know…” or “Have you heard..." Or maybe “don't tell anyone I told you this but..." Almost inevitably, whatever it is that is being said; it is harmful to the person being spoken about. Love does not allow harm to someone’s reputation to go unchecked like a roaring fire. James 3:6 reminds us “The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one's life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.” Love does not spread the fire…. even if it's true.

A good example of a love that protects is the love that Joseph had towards Mary. You remember the story. Joseph didn’t understand Mary’s sudden pregnancy. How could he? He was prepared to divorce Mary “quietly” in order to save her from disgrace (as much as possible). That's what love does. That's what it means to protect. Love wants to see as little harm done to someone else as possible. That is certainly one way in which love protects.

Another way that love can protect is when someone is about to harm themselves; spiritually or otherwise. This is a little more difficult because everyone has the right to make his or her own decisions. And yet, when you love someone you will do what you reasonably can in order to prevent them from harming themselves. It’s called looking out for one another. Galatians 6:1, “Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted." Love does not sweep sin under the rug pretending it’s not there. Love seeks to restore someone gently.

What Paul seems to be telling the church is that “love" will cause us to look out for someone else’s welfare; even at the cost of our own. That, after all, is the example that Jesus gave us.

Out in the world, the attitude of many is “I'm going to look out for myself". “Mind your own business.” However in the church, there is definitely a place for us to do as Philippians 2:4 says; “do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.” (NASB). It seems to me that this is definitely one very important expression of love. Love always protects.

When someone does something wrong; we have two options. We can either broadcast it, to the detriment of the person and to our own testimony… or we can seek the welfare of that person and at the same time promote the gospel of Christ… not by hiding the wrongs... but by dealing with things in an appropriate and godly manner.

That’s what love will do. And one of the reasons why love will do this is because love sees what God can be doing in a person down the road.

Rather than jump and shout and claim my rights… rather than telling everyone how much someone has hurt me or wronged me… what Paul is saying is that love holds off on that sort of reaction.

Peter had the same idea in mind when he wrote in 1 Peter 4:8, "Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.”

It’s not that sin is swept under the rug – not at all. It’s that love does not allow sin to have the final word in a relationship. Love sees that there is more; that there is potential; and so it doesn’t do anything to hinder the continued work of God in that person’s life.

As God's people, we are called to love one another in this manner. Likewise, if relationships in the home are going to work the way God intended them to work, we are going to have to love one another in this manner – a love that bears all things and a love that endures all things – a love that hopes. A love that will not give up.

So today, Valentine’s Day, besides focusing on romantic love; perhaps there is someone in your life that needs the kind of love that Paul wrote to the Corinthians about. Someone who needs you to stand up for them; someone who needs to know they are not beyond hope; someone who knows you can trust them; someone who will realize that you will not give up on them. And who knows… that someone might very well be your spouse.

Let us truly love one another as Christ loved us.

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Saying Good-Bye

8/14/2019

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Today, August 14, 2019 is a special day. There have been other special days. The day when I found out I’m going to be a father. The day I held each of my grandchildren (so far) the first time! The day I led three of my children in the covenant of Christian marriage. Today is no less special. Today is the day my oldest “child” is leaving Canada for what is planned to be a two-year period, and quite possibly for much longer.

I’ve been asked a few times how I feel about my daughter packing up and moving to Tanzania. Am I nervous? Am I worried? Do I have mixed feelings?

I can say I am 100% confident and comfortable with what Nora is doing and where Nora is heading. This is true for several reasons.

Ever since Nora was born (as is the case for all of our children), Nora has belonged to God. Yes, Heather and I raised her, protected her, educated her, etc, etc, and of course we love her dearly and will miss her greatly.... BUT Nora is a gift from God and belongs to God. Period. We do not “own” her. We have been privileged to raise her and have her as our firstborn. We are delighted to have had this opportunity - and we look forward to more blessings with her in the future. But in the end, she belongs to God. She always has.
Ever since Nora was a young child, she had an interest in serving the Lord in missions. Perhaps it was just a childish thought, but it was there. She might not even remember it. I do. After one of our missionary services, Nora told me that one day she would like to be a missionary. There is something in her heart that compels her in this direction. She loves the Lord and is passionate about others being able to know and love the Lord.
Ever since Nora has been a young adult, she has been preparing for this. First through college, then university, then working to keep herself out of debt, then more university, then preparation and training specific to this field, then two years (or more) of raising support. She has not just imagined this last week. She is as well prepared as anyone her age could possibly be. Furthermore, she has already traveled to many parts of the world.
Ever since Nora has graduated university she has been careful not to “love the things” of this world. Sure she enjoys nice things, as we all do, but they are not her pursuit. She is willing to sacrifice; she has been willing to do without; she has been willing to trust God with her future; giving up on a secure job with a good income that would have enabled her to acquire much. That’s a pretty tough thing to say “no” to. But she did.
Ever since Nora has announced her intention to serve with Wycliffe there has been growing support (prayer and financial) for her to be able to go. Nora has reported how people have come forth, sacrificially, to support her. I am so grateful to all of these people. I don’t know who you all are (that’s not something I’ve asked or been told) but I am indebted to you for your support for Nora.

So Nora, I am excited for you. You are called of God for this; and we are all extremely proud of you. You are well prepared. You have the right heart. And while no one of us knows what the future holds, we know with confidence that you are in God’s hands; and we know that there is not a better place to be.

Of course we will miss you. Who am I going to go tumbling down stairs with? Who am I going to poke while going down the road? Who will be my entertainment officer? And how can I forget that first Chilkoot hike you and I did together.

Nora, I am virtually bursting with pride because of you. Not in a “look at me” way, but in a “look at what God has done in your life” way. And this is only the beginning. Blessings on you Nora. Safe travels. You are already missed and I look forward to your return in God’s time.

Your dad, always.

PS: If anyone would like to read more about Nora’s work in Tanzania, perhaps get her updates; please see this link.

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Family Camp

7/7/2019

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I just returned from a 2200 KM trip (that would be over 1350 miles for my friends in the USA). 12 hours one way. 12 hours coming back. And that does not include breaks for lunch, fuel, and gas station bathrooms which are hit-and-miss (no pun intended). Furthermore, there’s an international border to cross (don’t forget your passport). Construction delays. Frost heaves (serious ones that will take you airborne if you don't slow down). Pot holes that threaten to rip out front ends. Even a temporary highway closure due to forest fire. Oh ya, and gasoline isn’t exactly free either.

There and back again (sounds like a good title for a book).

So why bother? Why go through all that trouble to participate in family camp when I could have spent 5 days relaxing, just an hour away, in my own cottage in the woods? Why put up with all the “hassle”? I’ll tell you why.

First of all; I put up with “all that hassle” because I need family camp. I need to get away. I need to get away from my routines. I need to find that quiet place. I need to spend time with my wife and/or kids on the road. I need to be in fellowship with other believers. I need to hear the messages that came from the chapel. I need to participate in the fun and laughter. I need to have those quiet times of conversation with others. I need to make new connections with friends and rekindle friendships from previous visits. I need to recharge. It seems that there are many things that I need… it’s easy to put all those on the back burner at home. But I need this. I need Family Camp for me.

Secondly, I put up with “all that hassle” because I want my kids, my grandkids, and the people from my church to come to family camp. Just as much as “I need” all the things mentioned previously, the people that I care about in my life (and that includes you) also need those things. You need to unwind. You need to hear from God, perhaps in a different setting than usual. My kids need the same thing. My grandkids need all this and more. If I don’t go, how will others know? What incentive will they have? I go because I want to set an example for the people that I care about. If I don't go, they likely won't.

Thirdly, I put up with “all that hassle” because someone else at family camp needs me there. I do not go in a vacuum. I am part of a Christian community. There is bound to be someone there who needs encouragement. There is bound to be someone there who needs to hear the story that I’ve experienced. There is someone who needs a smile on their face. Someone who needs someone perhaps not quite so close to listen to them. I don’t know what impact I’ll have on others. But there’s a reason why the Psalmist prayed, “Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer.” (Psalm 19:14). My words… My attitude... My actions… can be a blessing to someone who might have come to family camp broken, confused, hurt. I’d miss out on that if I stayed home. It's not just about me.

The Alaska District is so incredibly blessed to have Camp Maranatha. I know there have been tons of people who have come up over the years to help develop it to what it is today. But it takes the leadership of a district to have brought it all together and to keep it going. It’s a huge camp. Great facilities. Wonderful camp directors; and I’m sure a whole team of people planning and implementing the various camps.

I want to encourage you, go to Family Camp wherever you may find it. Go to the nearest one to you (in my case, that’s 1100 km away). But it’s well worth it for me. And if you let it, it will be well worth it for you. Don’t let it slip by because if enough people “skip it” pretty soon there won’t be this amazing resource that is right beneath our noses (OK, in my case, maybe not right beneath my nose, but you know what I mean)….

Now I'm looking forward to next summer.

What about you? Can you tell us how Family Camp has been meaningful for you? Leave a comment below.