It is not your pastor's responsibility to make your life perfect.
What is your Pastor's responsibility?
To guide those who look to Jesus for the answer.
...reminiscing about the meaning of life and the world and spiritual matters.... thinking out loud... cataloguing life... chronicling God moments... blueprints, rough drafts and different ideas...proof- texting... eisegesis... come and see for yourself... I DARE YOU TO ENTER THE MIND & WORLD OF MR. BILSON! (Warning! This is not for the dull or dignified or both.)
What a beautiful day huh? In case you forgot it is Valentine’s Day. Some of you may be saying, “O Gosh, I forgot all about it! I gotta go and get flowers and chocolates and dinner and etc…” while others may be saying, “O, I got to go and get that bucket of Chocolate Ice Cream and have a pity party and cry over some ‘romantic’ movie.” There are so many different ways to celebrate. There are so many reasons for the season.
I was in India last year and Valentine’s is a new concept being introduced to the people. I’m not sure if everyone there understands how it is celebrated. My dad was reading the paper that told about this man who was madly infatuated with this woman. Valentines came and he made his intentions known to some damsel. She wasn’t very interested or impressed with the guy and kinda let him down. So how did he react? He cut off her hand! OUCH!
Also there was this Internet group that was planning to celebrate Valentines in another way. There was this guy who was trying to rally this group together to commit suicide on this day. He got caught and is in custody with the police now. Wow.
My Dad has a different way of celebrating. He usually comes with flowers, wine and chocolates and presents them to my mom. She starts of being bitter but later she reluctantly accepts. Dad’s quite the honey dripper.
So Dad decided to give me some ‘advice’ on celebrating. Well, I’m not sure if it is called advice or nagging when he says, “When are you going to get married and settle down and yadda yadda yadda!” I told him that I have never been happier in my life. The degree is finished, I get to do tons of ministries, I have a lovely roof over my heart, a 3-course meal (sometimes more), and a vehicle. I just cleared my VISA card and I don’t have to worry about mortgage, mouths to feed, bills, dates to remember etc. etc. etc. Life has never been better. I can take a deep breath and Praise God! They’re very few people who are as blessed as me. Dad chuckled and mentioned how my fore fathers gave blood, sweat and tears to make it so I try not to take it for granted.
Then I found an article at church celebrating Valentines. It celebrated some truths for singles about marriage from Bill and Lynn Hybels, which I will share with you:
1) Marriage will not end one’s loneliness. Apparently there are millions of lonely people who are in ideal marriages
2) Marriage will not heals one’s brokenness. Only God can do that he, “ heals the broken-hearted and binds up their wounds.” (Psalm 147:2)
3) Marriage will not always ensure one’s happiness and according to the Hybels, in Fit to be Tied, “…an unhappy single person will be an unhappy married person.”
4) Marriage is not for everyone. Jesus and Paul spoke about the advantages in ministry as singles.
Now don’t get me wrong I’m not against marriage in any way but I wish we’d realize the Valentines could be a day to celebrate for us singles as well. Check out Paul and Mother Teresa who have had happy single lives for God. They did a grand work for the Almighty and aren’t they awesome models to follow? Their lives changed the face of the earth. We singles need to rise up and tell the World that Valentines is a festive day for celebration for us as well. This day can be a day to gain a new inspiration for ministry and also a day to count our blessings and make light of the advantages of serving God with little hindrance. It can be a day to regather a new momentum and gain a better perspective. Then we'll be able to rejoice and say, "What a wonderful day it is!" and "Happy Valentines Day!"
Do you know what the requirement is for a miracle? It’s the impossible. Miracles are when the impossible becomes possible. Some examples of miracles are can be a healing that the Doctors said could never happen. It can be also be a situation that we thought would never turn out for good but does.
We can never truly see the face of God until we are faced with impossible odds. When God makes the impossible possible, we get a small glimpse of what he looks like, what he can do, and who he is. This usually happens when we bottom out or come to the end of our self, or when we have done everything within our means to make the most out of and impossible situation. When we are in a situation where we need something or someone more powerful than ourselves to take over, we get a chance to see God in a tangible way..
But what do we do in the meantime? After, we’ve prayed and fasted and read the Bible, got the advice from some godly friends, and kept ourselves free from sin, what do we do next? What do we do when we’ve done all we are meant to do? What do we do when we are in the gap between the promise of God and its fulfillment?
There are many options. We can double check to see if we fulfilled all our responsibilities. Or we can give in to worry that we didn’t cover all our bases. We can start to doubt that God can come through. We can get depressed by assuming the worst. We have so many options.
Well the Bible talks a lot about having to face odds that are stacked against us and it offers a different solution. The Bible says that we should do things like wait which has some tangible benefits to help us on our way, “but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” (Isaiah 40:31) We get knew strength when we wait on God
The Bible also says that we should also have something called faith, which is, “… being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see (Hebrews 11:1).” But even our faith can be challenged at times. So what should we do? How do we get more faith? According to Romans 10:17, “… faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.”
As we read the word of God we meet other people who were in the same predicament. Like Sarah who wanted a child but was too old to, or Moses who had to lead a nation through a sea, or David who needed deliverance from enemies. What ended up happening when they waited on God with faith and hope? God came and saved the day in perfect timing. He came and delivered what he promised. We have seen God in a tangible way now. We know it can only be Him because after all he did what we couldn’t do. He gets all the glory. He made the impossible possible, which is a miracle. So what happens to us? Our faith EXPLODES! The next time that w are faced with impossible odds, take it as an opportunity to see God face in an unquestionable way.
Sometimes we hear about someone who does something outrageous. They fight for a worthy cause, challenge the status quo and make a difference. People like Billy Graham who spread the gospel to billions, or Mother Teresa who picks babies out of the garbage and loves lepers with words and deeds in the name of Jesus. We call them heroes.
We get inspired. We get passionate. We almost stand in awe of these people. Hope starts to flood in with ideas and possibilities of making the world a better place. Yes we can make a change. We can make a better tomorrow for our children. It can happen. It is possible. We are charged with a new optimism and a living hope. We are charged up and ready to go. We are like a stick of dynamite!
As we begin to make a game plan and put passion into action, we get tested a bit. Are we really willing to pay the price for it? Will we stop at nothing to see a change for the better? Can we truly fight the good fight? Will we finish the race and complete what we started?
We get tested when our passion makes us hyper-sensitive. These tests can take on different forms. It can be a person who doesn’t agree that it can happen. It can be resources that won’t come through. Sometimes we get so passionately sensitive that we become offended by the tests. We respond by cutting off the dream or find a new fellowship. Sometimes we even give up and discouragement sets in and trauma and doubt. Could it all be for nothing we ask? Was I wrong? Can we really make this place a better world for tomorrow? Were the heroes really right?
But the tests are meant to strengthen our resolve. They test the work to see if it will last or if it is true and pure and right. Will we still stick it out? How do we stay in the race? What can we do to avoid discouragement and trauma? Expect it! Expect tests to come on the path. Find a way to respond in a productive fashion. A way that doesn’t compromise the vision but brings in more force and multiplies the momentum. We need to respond in a way that makes others catch the vision and maybe even dare to come on board. We need to be over comers and conquerors doing it with the right motives and means. Not conquering each other but conquering the unseen forces that work against us.
We also need to guide passion with wisdom and love. We need to have passion guided by a love that is not easily provoked. A love that bears all things and believes all things and hopes all things and endures all things (1Cor 13). A love that lays downs his/her life for a friend (John 15:13).
We need a model to follow as well. Jesus is perfect. He had the love and vision and he even laid down his life for it. When we study him, understand him, follow him and even worship him, we become like him. We heed his words which can increase faith. After we go through the tests that show if our work is true and pure and right, we realize that our vision was actually His. When we continue to obey him his resources become our resources! His Father our Father. His Spirit our Spirit. His passion our passion. Those heroes who inspire us, who fight good fights with pure causes with righteous means point us back to Jesus. And we live out what we were meant to live!
We seem to covet the famous. The ones with the killer looks, to die for mansions and bottomless bank accounts. They seem to have it all. But have you heard about some of their personal lives? Mel Gibson had it all. He had the bank account and looks and money and fame and so on. I seen him in an interview looking at a picture of himself on some popular magazine. It was a picture during one of the peaks of his career and where he just finished rocking the Box office with one of his action flicks. He captured the hearts of women with Colgate smile and the admiration of Men with his machismo, smart alec ‘can’t touch this’ attitude. But what was Mel thinking? He said that was the lowest point of his life. He was suicidal and in alcohol and prodigal living and felt empty and dead inside. How can this be? He had it all man! Well one night he had a Bible in his hand and came back to a faith in Christ that was introduced to him when he was a kid. What happened next? He was changed.
Later I saw an interview of Britany Spears. She has it all. Just like Mel, she has fame, fortune and a following. These people almost look bullet proof! They seemed invincible. They are set for life, a life without the hassle of making mortgage payments or getting the kids through college and so on. This is what we yearn for. A comfortable and easy life where we are the centre of attention and people covet us and admire us and maybe even worship us. We want this kind of rest from our toil and become larger than life. At least that’s how Hollywood portrays them.
Then the interviewer asked Britany about her old love and heart throb. Later you see her blushing, broken and embarrassed and in tears. She was filled with guilt and shame for a mistake she made that broke her relationship with that N’Sync dude. She was exposed and not so bullet proof as we think. Interesting…
Than there was another interview with Terry Hatcher. You remember here right? She’s was the babe on the old Superman show that was on in the ‘90’s I believe. She was the ‘bombshell.’ Whatever happened to her? Like Britany and Mel she had it all but talked about how she lost almost everything: her house, money, marriage and so on. You could see the emptiness in her eyes. Hard to believe that these people are only humans like you and me. They feel guilt, pain and sometimes feel insecure just like anyone else. When we see their true story, we don’t seem to covet them anymore. We might even seem relieved that are life was not as grim as there's.
So what’s the point in all this chatter? I guess the point is that everything is not quite what it seems? Sometimes it just doesn’t add up. When we are brought to the end of ourselves like Mel and Brit and Terry, where should we turn? Who do we go to? What should we do? Well I for one would like to have love and joy and peace. This is what happens when we turn to Jesus and sow in the Holy Spirit he gives to us. Mel kinda mentioned it. So are you interested? Step aboard!
I've met all kinds of people over the years. They can fall into all sorts of categories, in fact I came up with three today. They can either be:
1) Takers
2) Takers and Givers
3) Givers
But God calls us to a much higher level. Take a look at what Paul said in the book of Romans, "I appeal to you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship." (Rom 12:1).
We are called to be givers. We are to offer our mind, body, soul, spirit and will to God. Now I know God promises rewards but wouldn't it be great if we weren't in it for ourselves for a change? We need to get rid of the old WIFM (What's in it for me) attitude. Wouldn't that be great?
I.D for Intelligent Design which is an argument that states that the origin of life, the diversity of speices, and even the structure of organs like the eye are so bewilderingly complex that they can only be the handiwork of a higher intelligence. Some suggest that this intelligence is God!
What do you think?
I was just reading some quotes from a man named Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who was a Lutheran Pastor in Germany during World War II. He opposed the Nazis and was captured by the Gestapos and later executed in April, 1945.
He wrote a book called "Cheap Grace," which he defined as "preaching forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, communion without confession, absolution without personal confession. Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus living and incarnate."
Does this kind of teaching exist today?
Just read the Time Mag on Happiness, which speak of some spiritual subjects. In 2003 a study involving 3,300 adolescents found that teens who attend services, read the Bible and pray feel less sad or depressed, less alone, less misunderstood and guilty and more cared for then non religious peers.
Another study showed that Protestants reported higher levels of well being than Catholics and even higher levels than Jews. One possible reason is that Protestants voiced a greater belief in an afterlife than did Jews. The study suggested that Protestants derive more joy in their internal faith in God, whereas Jews and Catholics draw more comfort from their religious communities.
Quite Interesting… What are your comments?
Just the other day I was hearing a preacher preach an awesome sermon. He was speaking about the story of His glory. It had me at the edge of my seat. He was not from around here. I love hearing foreign missionaries preach. They seem to be more sensitive to see our idols and sin than we are. We can be too de-sensitized at times. Apparently here in Canada, our churches are known to be in a state of slumber. The church here seems to be like a sleeping giant. Maybe not all parts but definitely some.
I can’t remember all he said but I do remember this. The preacher went on to say that we need inspirational leaders. What is and inspirational leader you may ask? They are volunteers who say, “Something has to be done and I’m going to do it! I’ll do it whether my pastor or church or parent will do it or not!”
But so often we fall short of this. Instead we look at our vulnerabilities. We can’t measure up. We don’t have the charisma or the looks or the gift of the gab or enough education etc...
It’s not a question of what we don’t have but we can do with what little we do have. It’s not by power or might but by my Spirit. Remember what Jesus did with a couple of loaves and fish? He fed multitudes!
What kind of faith can you offer?
Offer God your pain, failures, traumas and weaknesses and remember:
A CAUSE NOT WORTH DIEING FOR ISN’T WORTH LIVING FOR!
Thank you, Alphonse for those inspiring words
Mr.Bilson
I became a bumbling mess of tears and greif as I had to say "good-bye" to my friend and mentor Pastor Pritam Singh Sandhu!
P - Presistant
R - Risk Taker
I - Inspiring
T- Thrill-Seeker
A- Accepting
M- Meek
Thanks for encouraging me when I was down.
Thanks for giving me comfort when I was broken hearted.
Thanks for inspiring me to step out of the comfort zone.
Thanks for challenging me when I felt bold.
I will never forget you.
Thank you Jesus for Pritam
5Then he said to them, "Suppose one of you has a friend, and he goes to him at midnight and says, 'Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, 6because a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have nothing to set before him.'
7"Then the one inside answers, 'Don't bother me. The door is already locked, and my children are with me in bed. I can't get up and give you anything.' 8I tell you, though he will not get up and give him the bread because he is his friend, yet because of the man's boldness he will get up and give him as much as he needs.
9"So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 10For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.
(Luke 11:1-10)