It Means More than Everything

June 25, 2025

48 “However, the Most High does not live in houses made by human hands. As the prophet says: 49 “‘Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool.  What kind of house will you build for me?
says the Lord.  Or where will my resting place be?  50 Has not my hand made all these things?’  51 “You stiff-necked people! Your hearts and ears are still uncircumcised. You are just like your ancestors: You always resist the Holy Spirit! 52 Was there ever a prophet your ancestors did not persecute? They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered him— 53 you who have received the law that was given through angels but have not obeyed it.”  54 When the members of the Sanhedrin heard this, they were furious and gnashed their teeth at him. 55 But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 56 “Look,” he said, “I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”  57 At this they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him, 58 dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul.  59 While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60 Then he fell on his knees and cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he fell asleep.
-Acts 7:48-60 (NIV)

In this last portion of the final testimony of Stephen, we have the incredible witness of the gospel and his Christian faith.  Remarkably and just like all the disciples (except Judas Iscariot), Stephen was willing to die for his faith and so he did.  Stephen and all of God’s followers (Old Testament and New Testament) had such an unshakable faith that they were all willing to die for their faith! 

For them, God through Jesus Christ meant more to them than anything else in life. 

Some of you may be saying, “Well the Old Testament has no mention of Jesus so how can that be true for the Old Testament followers?”  For anything thinking that, I’m sorry to burst your bubble, but it’s incorrect.  I’ve mentioned in the past a number of times that the specific “angel of the Lord” or “angel of God” title doesn’t refer to just any angel and actually refers to Jesus in the Old Testament.  This theological phenomenon is also known as the Christophany – pre-incarnate appearance of Jesus.  In fact, the New Testament even documents this theological phenomenon (in places like Jn. 8:56-58, Heb. 11:26, Jude 5, 1 Cor. 10:4, Jn. 12:40-41 to name a few).  You may want to read my March 12, 2025 devotional posting entitled “The Lord Will Provide” to bring you up to speed.  In summary, God told his followers in the Old Testament about Jesus and Prov. 30:3-5 is proof.

…So if the Old Testament followers and New Testament followers were willing to die for their faith, the question I have to ask is, are you?  Rev. 21:8 lists the unbelievers, the vile, the murderers, the sexual immoral, those practicing magic, idolaters, liars AND EVEN COWARDS as people to be sent to hell. Are some of you surprised?  Now do you know how series our Christian faith is?  It’s literally a matter of life or death!

Acts 1:8 tells us that we as Christian believers will receive power by the Holy Spirit and that we will be witnesses.  The Greek word used for witnesses here is actually martyr.  The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines a martyr as “a person who voluntarily suffers death as the penalty of witnessing to and refusing to renounce a religion.”  Stephen did no wrong and in fact Acts 6:8 says Stephen was full of God’s grace and power, performing great wonders and signs among the people.  Acts 6:15 describes Stephen as having a face like that of an angel.  Now to be frank, to be a Christian is to be a witness, and to be a witness is to be a martyr for Christ.  To be a martyr for Christ is to be at enmity to the world and an enemy to the world (James 4:4) but a friend to Jesus Christ.  Stephen was full of the Holy Spirit (verse 55) and was building the House of the Lord (ref. verse 49).

Can we honestly say about ourselves that we’re doing the same?  Are we building the House of the Lord like Stephen is?  Are we devoting ourselves to God like Stephen has done and are we willing to pay the price that Stephen paid in verse 60?  Stephen was put to sleep meaning he was put to death.

….So some of you think your finances, your health, your spouse, your children, your family, your home, your time, your relationships, your reputation, even your life or anything else is greater than your pursuit of God through Jesus Christ?  The pursuit of Jesus is all or nothing and nowhere in between.  That’s the cost of discipleship!  Your Christian faith should never utter words such as, “I’ll follow God and trust in him, but let me deal with ______ first.” (fill in the blank with xyz scenarios).  Christianity doesn’t work that way and God waits for nobody!  Do you fear for your life and anything in it?

Doesn’t Jesus Christ and his kingdom mean everything to you?

John MacArthur (An American Pastor) once said, “All death can do to the believer is deliver him to Jesus.  It brings us into the eternal presence of our Saviour.”

….for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. (1 Jn. 5:4).

……blessed is the one that overcomes for his is eternal life!  (James 1:12, Rev. 21:7).

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The Potter

June 18, 2025

5 I am the Lord, and there is no other; apart from me there is no God.  I will strengthen you, though you have not acknowledged me, 6 so that from the rising of the sun to the place of its setting people may know there is none besides me. I am the Lord, and there is no other.  7 I form the light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and create disaster; I, the Lord, do all these things.  8 “You heavens above, rain down my righteousness; let the clouds shower it down.  Let the earth open wide, let salvation spring up, let righteousness flourish with it; I, the Lord, have created it.  9 “Woe to those who quarrel with their Maker, those who are nothing but potsherds among the potsherds on the ground.  Does the clay say to the potter, ‘What are you making?’  Does your work say, ‘The potter has no hands’?  10 Woe to the one who says to a father, ‘What have you begotten?’  or to a mother, ‘What have you brought to birth?’
-Isaiah 45:5-20 (NIV)

Maybe I’m guessing here, but my guess is that everyone doesn’t entirely like everything written in the Bible.  Now I might be wrong about that, I’m not sure.  That’s just my guess because we’re all sinful people in needing of the Saviour (Jesus Christ).  I’m actually a fallen person too!  And I wish everyone could go to heaven with not most people going to hell.  I wish the elected few didn’t have to suffer on account of their Christian faith (Rom. 5:3-5).  I wish the penalty and the wages of sin is not death (Rom. 6:23).  And because it’s such a heated topic with so many broken hearts, I greatly sympathize with many hurting people on both sides of this topic - I’ll go out on a limb here and skate on thin ice, but a part of me actually wishes God was okay with non-traditional unions apart from between one man and one woman.  Again, it’s coming from the part of me anguishing with the hurting people on both sides of this topic (and believe me, there are many people hurting everywhere and not just on one side of this topic).  I need further sanctification that’s for sure, and that only comes with convicting help from the Holy Spirit.

However, though parts of me feel this way, overall I understand the reasoning:  It’s because we’re dealing with the Potter!  I shared many times in the past that God is infinitely holy, just, righteous, sovereign and good!  And well…..HE’S GOD and I’M NOT!

Whatever xyz sinful behaviours we’re going through, we are ultimately accountable to him and his ways are perfect!  Because he is such a holy God, his standards are also holy and God in his absolute wisdom also knows we could never reach any kind of perfection, which is why he sent Jesus Christ down to take all the blame for sin and rebellion against God the Father and on the cross (2 Cor. 5:21)!  This is all hard to swallow for some, but the alternative is trying to quarrel with the Maker!

I mentioned last Sunday from the pulpit that God’s divine order matters and it surely does!  Adam and Eve tried to usurp God’s divine order and it didn’t go well and Satan tried to do it too and it didn’t go well either.  They all got kicked out of their homes!  We cannot dare go against God’s divine authority because God alone is sovereign and he sets and makes the rules by which we’re to live by.

Now here’s something many people don’t understand about rebellions and God’s authority:  Rules without relationship = rebellion!

This means the more time you spend with Jesus and develop an amazing relationship with him, the more you’ll appreciate his ways and his care for you.  How can we ever keep rebelling against God?  How can we ever think his ways of life as expressed in scripture are bad or even wrong?  He’s the one that brings prosperity and disaster.  He’s the one that brings righteousness.  He’s the Potter and we’re just the clay.  We have no right to be rebellious or disobey God.  I don’t know about you, but I don’t want what happened to Adam and Eve or to Satan.  I want to dwell in the house of the Lord forever and thank goodness the blood of Jesus guarantees that, marked and sealed with the Holy Spirit (Eph. 1:13).

Now here’s great reflection questions for the day:  How much do you appreciate and enjoy God’s ways for righteous living as evidenced in scripture?  What parts about scripture give you trouble and why?...and also, do you hurt with people who are far from God through Jesus Christ?

And now, what are you going to do about all of this?  I suggest you start with prayer.

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The Spirit of Truth

June 11, 2025

7 But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. 8 When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: 9 about sin, because people do not believe in me; 10 about righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; 11 and about judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.
12 “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. 13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. 14 He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. 15 All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.”
-John 16:7-12 (NIV)

John 8:44 describes Satan as the Father of Lies and if you ask me, he does a superb job in making the whole world believe all kinds of lies!  Here’s some of the bigger lies that I know of:

There are multiple ways to Heaven and eternal life.

Hell isn’t real and even if it were, it’s not a place of eternal suffering.

Everyone will get to Heaven in the end.

You can continue to sin and just ask God for forgiveness later.

You don’t have to repent (and any and all sins can remain hidden).

Jesus can never forgive ______ (insert any type of sin)/his atonement is limited.

Once saved is not always saved.

Jesus is equal or lower to other gods.

The biblical Christian Jesus is not the real Jesus.

The Jesus found in ______ (insert any other non-Christian faith) is the real Jesus.

Jesus already died for my sins and therefore I can do anything I want.

Satan is not real.

There is no afterlife.

There are probably a lot of other big lies Satan constantly promotes, but these are just a few.

 And when I look at the world today, perhaps we need the Spirit of Truth now more than ever! 
 

Arguably now more than ever I’m stunned (in a bad way) thinking about how morality seems to be upside down and twisted.  The loud advocates of transgenderism, sensuality, sexuality, adultery, rage, lust, abortion, Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID), pedophilia, polygamy, Diversity-Equity-Inclusion (DEI), etc. more and more are seen as heroes in modern society.  It wasn’t that long ago when all of these issues were frowned upon and rejected by the modern western world.  What happened?

I can tell you what happened.  People are not led by the Holy Spirit and it’s getting worse.  I hope and pray Jesus comes back soon, but until that happens and to anyone reading this, I hope and pray you are continually led by the Holy Spirit of Truth!  Notice I spelled Truth with a capital T!  Some of us know Jesus is described as “the” truth and not “a” truth (Jn. 14:6).  And knowing this makes a world of a difference.  No more deceit and no more games.  The Holy Spirit (the Advocate) has come into the world on Pentecost and verse 8 of our reading tells us, “he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment.”  Moreover people reject John 3:16 because of John 3:19

Admittedly we all don’t like hearing the truth at times because it exposes just how sinful we are and needing Jesus, the Saviour….And although we may not want to hear it at times, we have to realize healing can only come after the decayed parts of us (our sinful behaviour) is removed, and that’s a painful but rewarding process.  You can be sure that Jesus is the only one able to wash our sins away and make us presentable to God.  There is no alternative and the more we know scripture, the more the Holy Spirit of Truth illuminates our lives to live holy and pleasing to God.

Let me say this plainly and bluntly:  Turn to Jesus now because your life depends on it!  Have you seen what’s happening in L.A. currently (riots)?  Have you seen mobs of riots and protests in the UK, Dallas, parts of Europe, Canada, etc.?  Something bigger is happening to the world right now, and a large part of me thinks this is just the preliminary works of the Antichrist or demonic forces ushering in the Antichrist.  I wish I could put my finger on exactly what.  I just know the world needs the Spirit of Truth!  Francis Chan calls him “The Forgotten God” meaning the forgotten 3rd person of the Trinity.  Let’s pray for the convicting power of the Holy Spirit.  Let’s pray that the Holy Spirit is revealed to these places and people of hurt and confusion.  Only our triune God can improve things and make it right. 

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Trustworthy, Complete, Perfect and Authoritative

June 4, 2025

12 So I will always remind you of these things, even though you know them and are firmly established in the truth you now have. 13 I think it is right to refresh your memory as long as I live in the tent of this body, 14 because I know that I will soon put it aside, as our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me. 15 And I will make every effort to see that after my departure you will always be able to remember these things.

16 For we did not follow cleverly devised stories when we told you about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in power, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 17 He received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” 18 We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain.

19 We also have the prophetic message as something completely reliable, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. 20 Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things. 21 For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
-2 Peter 1:12-21 (NIV)

If you’re a Professing Member of our church or a known Adherent, we want you to vote on Sunday, June 8th, 2025 (ideally in person).  In fact, it’s extremely important for the health and life of this congregation, that you vote on that Sunday.  We are voting to depart from the Presbyterian Church in Canada (PCC).  The PCC is only giving one method to depart: The Voluntary Withdrawal (VW) Procedure.  This procedure details departing congregations must vote on two separate occasions successfully in order to actually depart.  We had our first successful vote date in November of 2024, and now on June 8th, 2005, we’ll have our second and only remaining vote day.  There will be no other chances to vote.  If we fail this upcoming vote, we will not depart from the PCC and completely give-up any ownership of our assets (land, building, etc.) to the PCC. – Yes, this is why it’s SO IMPORTANT to vote!

During the first vote, we passed the required threshold by an extremely narrow margin (by I believe 3 votes).  If we successfully vote on June 8th, we will continue to function and operate as we always have and we’re staying true to scripture – The Word of God!

If you have questions on the process or the vote, please do not hesitate to contact me or an Elder before the vote date.  PLEASE PRAY FOR THE VOTE – We need God’s help!

That being said, I just shared our congregation intends to stay true to the Word of God!  In every age people heard the Word of God and most of the world has rejected it.  Most of the world believes the Word of God (scripture) is man-made and full of lies or partial lies.  In every age most of the world cannot stand for scripture and hates scripture.  However, and in every age, do you know what also happens?  In every age, a select few discovers scripture to be 100% infallible, inerrant and inspired and the only 100% trustworthy, complete, perfect and authoritative document ever in existence!

Are there naysayers to Christianity?  Of course....but how many of them have taken painstaking time, money and resources in extended attempts to disprove the validity of scripture for everyone in every generation?  Of the stories I’m aware of, these such people ultimately realize the Bible is true for everyone, everywhere and for all generations.  Lee Strobel (former atheist journalist) is a great example and he’s now a famous Christian apologist.  Ironically in his attempts to disprove Christianity and scripture, he came to the complete opposite reality that Christianity and scripture is purely authentic in all of its claims, statements and findings.  I hope and pray Joe Rogan (UFC and media personality, actor and comedian) is another one and it seems like he’s on the right path so far.  He used to reject, insult and smear Christianity but now is regularly attending church at the time of this writing.  And for anyone that doesn’t believe in our triune Yahweh through Jesus Christ as the Son of God and Lord and Saviour, I believe RC Sproul is right in that I believe atheists (and others) have a moral problem with God.

Here's the short video clip of RC Sproul explaining it:

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/YGik6kmU5zU

And as mentioned, I believe the above video clip not only applies to atheists, but I believe for everyone outside of those confessing Jesus is Lord and Saviour!  Such people have a moral problem of hating Jesus and scripture!

Scripture is not man-made and no error to be found.  Any unique oddities found in it can easily be verified from credible sources.  It is complete and perfect in its entirety, because it was written by the Holy Spirit, and not man.  Verse 21 in our reading explains that the origin of scripture is God through the Holy Spirit.  This means the author is ultimately God himself and sent his gospel message to human men to inscribe and carry out.  And we must constantly remind ourselves of this statement as Peter urges in verses 12-15. 

Therefore, the disciples and apostles that wrote scripture (cover-to-cover) were not mere copyists or transcribers.  If they were, they could not have produced the same message that links every book of the Bible together and could not account for the vast number, diversity, and accuracy of prophecies that came true over thousands of years, which mathematically is incalculable.  Furthermore, we have credible non-Jew and non-Christian historians and politicians (Josephus, Tacitus, Thallus, etc.) that also wrote about the accounts of Jesus and Christianity and thus corroborating Christian accounts.  No other faith manuscript can make these claims.  Not Hinduism, Buddhism, Muslim, Shintoism, Jainism, Taoism, Confucianism, Zoroastrianism, Baha’i Faith, Animism, Scientology, Mormonism, etc.

And although the matter of human sexuality and marriage is on the table and though the vast majority of our congregation wants to depart from the PCC and keep ownership of our building with it, we are departing ultimately because the PCC has changed scripture – and in this case, marriage and human sexuality as a symptom of the untrue and imposed changes to God’s Word (scripture).  Cover-to-cover, and even when exegeting the Old and New Testament, and even when parsing Greek words like arsenokoites (men who engage in sexual activity with other men) and in context, there is no contradiction or ambiguity and scripture is still trustworthy, complete, perfect and authoritative for all people, all time and everywhere, and only promotes marriage as between one man and one woman.  There is no other type of union that is encouraged or promoted by Yahweh, and all other unions are even condemned.  I’m reminded that scripture even says everything is permissible, but not everything beneficial (1 Cor. 10:23).  God designed, blessed, hand-picked, approved and ordained the marriage between one man and one woman only and for human flourishing.

Of course I’m well aware of the emotions, family and friends involved and how upsetting this topic is.  Most of my life I’ve either worked with or have friends that are in the LGBT+ community, so I can understand how difficult this subject is, and it does break my heart (even to tears on at least one occasion thinking about a friend).  Myself or the congregation, we do not treat anyone as better or worse.  Whether black, white, Asian, Hispanic, First Nation, LGBT+, tall, short, thin, wide, blue hair, pink hair, tattoos or not, piercings or not, wheelchair bound or not, old or young, etc., all are welcome, but not all is welcome to stay as they are (including myself and paraphrasing from a Timothy Keller statement with Heb. 12:6 in mind) – meaning all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Rom. 3:23) and we are all accountable to the complete Word of God with no cherry picking (2 Cor. 10:5).

In my limited time on God’s green earth, I’ve heard all the arguments promoting the more liberal view of marriage (any other union apart from one man and one woman) when going through scripture and believe me, they’re all misunderstandings and/or lies.  You may have heard them as follows:

1)     Instead, it’s talking about pederasty.

2)     Instead, it’s talking about a lack of hospitality.

3)     Instead, it’s talking about a conquest ritual or custom.

4)     Instead, it’s talking about temple prostitution.

5)     Instead, it’s talking about an immoral relationship between patron and receiver.

6)     Instead, it’s talking about the disapproval of the pagan or dominant culture around and not directly commenting towards God’s followers.

7)     Instead, it’s mistranslated.

8)     Instead, there was always a bias against the LGBT+ community.

9)     Instead, the term homosexual wasn’t around until recent times.

10)  Instead, people in biblical times didn’t understand the concept of orientation.

11)  Instead, with modern science we know more and better (CS. Lewis calls this “chronological snobbery”)

12)  Instead, everyone has both male and female persona or spirits within them (everyone is trans, two-spirited or non-binary).

13)  Instead, it was once frowned upon, but okay and even blessed (with God’s approval) now.

14)  Instead, the church has shunned this prohibited behaviour, but turns a blind-eye to others, so therefore this behaviour should be accepted (with a blind-eye), or approved and blessed like other prohibited behaviour as well too.

15)  Instead, Jesus never talked about it.

16)  Instead, nowhere does it mention the prohibition or condemnation of covenantal unions.

17)  Instead, we’re dealing with a covenantal union, and any union outside of a covenantal union is prohibited or condemned, and so therefore, “our version” of a covenantal union is good, okay and blessed, which excludes “someone else’s version” of a covenantal union.

….and there’s more not on this list.…

Instead, there is no intellectual problem, but a moral problem! 

Once again, RC Sproul’s quote stands!...and by the way, have we forgotten 1 Cor. 6:9-11?  Have we forgotten the Holy Spirit washes people clean of this sin and others? - Yes, people can change!  Have we forgotten only the Holy Spirit can do this and we cannot do it on our own efforts?  In other words, I’ve heard so many theological gymnastics are deployed in order to believe a narrative counter scriptural.  Many of these distortions are based upon the premise of, “Scripture is true, but not here or in these instances.”  Well, if scripture is not true, then there is a false assumption that it’s not the work of the Holy Spirit being the original author. 

Sometimes I heard it said, “I don’t believe in the traditional view of marriage, because I believe in a loving God.”  Well, yes, God is love (1 Jn. 4:8), but since when do we get to define love outside of God’s definition and holiness and righteousness?  And when did we get to define love on our own terms such that the flawed and limited perspective of any human defined love has then changed to suit the flawed and limited human dictated narrative?  This narrative can then change with the times and who’s to say your definition of an approved form of love is better than mine or someone else 100 years before me or after me or from a different country or continent apart from God’s Word?  You want more context?  The other day I watched a 60 Minutes Australia’s story of “Why People are Falling in Love with A.I. companions”.  Well then and if I agreed love with an Artificial Intelligence (AI) device is good in every way, then I can deploy many of the same arguments used for those advocating a Godly approval for a non-traditional union of marriage – also known as (aka), all of these “Instead…” blasphemies and distortions.

Here's the direct link to that 60 Minutes Australia video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_d08BZmdZu8

Moreover, there are no new and profound insights into scripture.  There is only a holy and joyful submission to our infinitely, holy and sovereign God through Jesus Christ, obeying all that Christ teaches (John 14:5) or not.  And if you truly believe the Holy Spirit is the real author of scripture, and if you truly believe the Holy Spirit is God, just as Jesus is God, and the Father is God, then you also know to obey not just the words of Jesus in the New Testament, but all of scripture cover-to-cover, because they’re all God’s trustworthy, complete, perfect and authoritative commands and teachings!  I believe I was talking to Jon in church office one day and he shared how he knows a Christian that doesn’t like the idea of a “red letter bible” that printed Jesus’ direct quotes (New Testament) in red text, while everything else is in black text, because all of scripture is actually God’s words.  – To that, I emphatically agree!

Now will you uphold the Word of God or not?

I pray that you do, and act to display this belief with humbleness, love, and grace, while not distorting or treading away from God’s truth.

As for me, I will defend and die knowing all of scripture is trustworthy, complete, perfect and authoritative.

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