SCRIPTURE: Jeremiah 17:19-27 OBSERVATION/APPLICATION: The sabbath (Hebrew for ‘to cease, to rest’) was a special day at the end of each week designed to remind God’s people that they depended on Him (and not on their hard work), to give them a taste of freedom from the curse of sin, and to point them forward to…
God’s way or else
SCRIPTURE: Jeremiah 17:1-18 OBSERVATION/APPLICATION: This section is divided into two parts, the description of the way of sin vs. the way of God [1-13] and Jeremiah’s prayer [14-18]. The way of sin involves rejecting/disobeying God, relying on our own ways and thoughts and abilities, and the consequence (judgment) of choosing our own way. Trying to find…
mercy always wins
SCRIPTURE: Jeremiah 16:14-21 OBSERVATION/APPLICATION: Right in the middle of dire warnings of judgment, there lies this promise, that God will one day rescue and restore His people [14-15]. His plan has always been to establish a people for Himself and the world, a people who would bless the nations (not follow them), and point them back…
stubborn heart
SCRIPTURE: Jeremiah 16:1-13 OBSERVATION/APPLICATION: Another difficult passage. If I read it correctly, the Lord is saying to Jeremiah, don’t get married, don’t have children, don’t mourn with those who mourn and and don’t celebrate with those who celebrate. Why? Because the coming disaster is discipline from God, and it will be awful. The only way I…
missionary blues
SCRIPTURE: Jeremiah 15:12-21 OBSERVATION/APPLICATION: This passage contains the message of God’s judgment [15:1-9,12-14] and the struggle of Jeremiah as the messenger [15:10-11,15-21]. Jeremiah was called and equipped to be God’s messenger, but his job was not easy, and here he breaks down before God, wishing that he was never even born [10]. This reminds me that…
dorothy on leadership
This article raises interesting and challenging thoughts on leadership today. N.S. “How a Movie from our Childhood Can Help us Understand the Changing Nature of Leadership in the Postmodern Transition” By Brian D. McLaren OK, I admit it. I spent most of the 80’s and early 90’s wishing I could be just like Bill Hybels, Rick…
fair trade
I met today with Nancy, an advocate for fair trade in the Sunderland, ON area. Our meeting was for me to connect this work with our SERVE and Encounter week (Jun 30-Jul 4), with the theme “Right The Wrong”. We sat outside at Katie’s Coffee House in Sunderland, enjoying a beautiful day and very friendly…
friendly robbin… or slow learner
Linda Wielinga sent me this story which struck me as interesting, a neat God moment as it made me think of myself and what a slow learner I am. How many times do I keep bumping into those things that are no good for me, and yet I foolishly persist in doing it again… and…
identifying with Jesus
Eddie Gibbs and Ryan Bolger have been studying the emerging churches movement (if you don’t know what it is, read the book, its hard to explain). As I read their book I am finding that, apart from some occasional discomfort on how emerging churches apply their ideas, I am often resonating with what they stand…
taking my booth with me
Wow, not only have I been in Port Perry for 10 years, the first Tim Horton’s here in Port Perry is also celebrating their 10th anniversary. But now I am leaving… For the last 10 years I have been going to Tim Horton’s almost every morning for my own quiet time, sitting in the same booth. But…