We celebrated Ben’s first birthday with him on Saturday. It was a fun day of friends and family at James’ and Carolanne’s place. Ben seemed to really enjoy all the attention and all the people.
We had the privilege of meeting Simon for the first time this past several weeks. I guess I don’t have to describe what Simon’s relationship is to our family…
We had a great time together (though I had to be away for part of the time and then was sick for the past week!! sigh!!). He is now back in Thailand where he serves the Lord in a soccer ministry (he calls it football) under the auspices of OMF International.
Bec and I were able to take a long weekend and get away for a bit of R & R and celebration of her birthday.
I would like to present you with a tough but exciting challenge for 2008 . . . but let me back up a little!
This past two months I have been somewhat restricted in my activities because of a ruptured achilles tendon. After 4 weeks in a fiberglass cast and now another almost 4 weeks in a cast boot I am still using crutches to get around and spending much of my time with my foot propped up on a pile of cushions. At first it was a bit of an adventure to have family and colleagues helping me with such basic things as opening doors or carrying a cup of coffee. But the adventure aspect wore off quickly and I found myself in a complaining mode. I didn’t complain to God openly but in my heart there were the sulky “why” questions - you know what I mean!
I tell you this for two reasons. First, because I have been so restricted I have found myself with much free time on my hands with only a few options available for filling those hours. So I have been taking some of my own advice (found here) and have spent considerable time reading and re-reading the book of Hebrews - aloud. Secondly, the personal result of that exercise has been for me to come to view my torn achilles as a blessing and not a curse. For the past few weeks I have been soaking in the wonder of who Jesus is and what he has done for me (for us). Normally I find I can fill my hours with so many good things that I rarely take the time to meditate on the Word in any more than a passing attempt. Lately I have been “allowed” all the time I need and that has been a blessing.
So back to the challenge for 2008! I would like to encourage you to carve out the time and space necessary and read the book of Hebrews 12 times this year - once a month - and read it aloud. The ideal would be to read it in its entirety in one sitting but if you cannot do that break it into two or three chunks and read it that way. Here is what I would encourage you to do:
* Make 2008 a year of coming to know Jesus better. Many years ago when I was a young student at Prairie Bible Institute a visiting speaker, Dr. J. Sidlow Baxter, encouraged us to read the Gospels “pictographically” - in other words with the express purpose of seeing Jesus as the gospelers pictured him. That is the challenge I pass on to you - read Hebrews pictographically - with a view to seeing Jesus anew. The writer to the Hebrews himself speaks of Jesus in this way. In 2:9 he writes, “But we see Jesus…” In 3:1 he enjoins his readers to “…fix your thoughts on Jesus…” and in 12:2 he exhorts, “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith…” Jesus is the centrepiece of Hebrews. My prayer for you is that you will come to see him afresh this coming year - that you will rejoice in the wonder of who your Savior is, what he has accomplished for you and who you are because of him.
* Take your time - don’t hurry. Allow the writer’s passion for Jesus to permeate your soul.
* Read expressively. Try to read Hebrews the way the writer intended it to be read. At first you may not find reading aloud the most comfortable thing to do - but try it - I believe you will like it!
* Notice how Hebrews weaves a wonderful tapestry of descriptions of Jesus’ person and work, exhortations to live fully in what Jesus has provided, cautions that we not take lightly this marvelous salvation and examples of others - both faith-filled and faith-less.
* Don’t give up! This is not an easy challenge - but you will find it very worthwhile!
As the year progresses share with me and other readers of this blog what you have seen. Feel free to add comments to this post. Return here throughout the year and encourage and be encouraged - that is what the writer of Hebrews tells us to do.
But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. (3:13)
…let us encourage one another - and all the more as you see the Day approaching. (10:25)
I have placed a 2008 Challenge Comments link on the Northwest Baptist Seminary website in the sidebar (under Special Topics) so that you can return and read the comments of others or add your own. May God richly bless you this year and may you daily rejoice in the wonder of this Hebrews benediction:
May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
We have had a few opportunities to be with Ben and his mommy and daddy lately. Here are some photos we snapped recently.
I have posted photos of Myron and Heather’s wedding. You can find them under the weddings album.
We spent a lazy afternoon today with James, Carolanne and Ben.
Ben is at that stage where he is beginning to discover his voice and use it.
There are too many memories of my trip this past summer to put them all into a gallery but here are a few selected images.
It was truly a trip of a lifetime!!
Warning!!
“if you don’t know what an alpha release is, don’t use this software!!”
I love the concept of free web software - a web application that has been designed by someone out there in cyberland who has put it up on the net to be downloaded and used freely (donations always appreciated). It is in this context that I have chuckled in the past couple of days as I have been searching for some very specific plugins (small web applications) for WordPress (the web software on which this site runs). In the process I have come across several websites that describe their particular plugin as an “alpha release” - with the following warning- “if you don’t know what an alpha release is, don’t use this software!!” Warning heeded!!
It is common for web software programmers to release a version of the software they are developing to the public - a version that is not fully tested or does not have complete functionality - in order to give the internet community an opportunity get a sneak preview or even to help in the debugging of the program. In this way users will often help with suggestions as to what additional functionality might be added to the software in order to make it a useful tool. These releases are labeled “alpha” or “beta” versions and if the software is deemed to be almost complete, “release candidate 1 or 2″ (RC1, etc.). I have occasionally experimented with web software that was still in the “beta” stage.
Sometimes, however, it is frustrating when I am looking at a piece of software that is advertised to do just what I want it to do - but it is still “beta”! Do I dare use it o n my “precious” website? Can I trust it? Other times it is quite annoying when software touted as the ultimate answer for a particular need does not live up to its promise. But that is the world of software offered on the web and those are the risks you take when you use a “beta” version.
Today is Canadian Thanksgiving Day and I was reflecting on what I had to be thankful about and thinking about some of the experiences I have had with “alpha releases” it occurred to me that when Jesus provided the “Ultimate Answer” to mankind’s deepest need he provided the only and final release, free and absolutely complete!
Jesus…prepared for every contingency, every possibility, every condition and every era. He did not take any shortcuts or half measures and did not leave any functionality out.
When Jesus provided salvation for us He prepared for every contingency, every possibility, every condition and every era. He did not take any shortcuts or half measures and did not leave any functionality out. He did not forget anything or ignore anything. He knew every need we would ever possibly have and provided for them all. When He died on the Cross to save mankind from sin he did not take a trial and error approach - he went all the way and did it perfectly - first time! His “plan” for us has never needed debugging, security updates, patches or fixes. It is perfect, there will never be any other versions or releases - and it is free for the receiving! In fact donations are not even possible and to attempt payment nullifies the “plan”.
So, to recap! The salvation Jesus has provided is absolutely perfect, absolutely complete, absolutely efficacious, absolutely trustworthy and absolutely free. Now that is something for which I can be very thankful - and so can you!.
In the realm of web software I will continue to experiment with the occasional “beta” release. In the spiritual realm, however, I have settled on Jesus’ perfect “plan”- His provision for eternal salvation.
Interested in that Salvation? Click here for more information
