a Jesus Well

Just a little post to encourage you about sharing.

As you know each month through this blog I “reap” money from people who care to give to Native Missionaries, and I am sending 50$ for November in a few days, to Gospel for Asia, it’ll serve to buy winter clothing to missionaries in South Asia who cannot afford it. If you read the comments that people leave on this blog, you might have read what my dad wrote.

His church is raising money for a well. A well costs about 1200$ to dig and everything in countries like India. So I thought that this month, whatever money we will raise, it’ll go to my dad’s church found raising for a well. And this is done through Gospel For Asia as well so, no worries about if the money is properly used!

I encourage you to share, I know it’s Christmas season and we’re all speding money on our family and friends, which is good, but let us remeber those who don’t even have water in their village, and the good opportunity it will be for Christians to be witnesses of Jesus love as a verse is usually written on the well, and as it is usually dug close to a church. Please let me know if you’d like to participate by giving 2, 5, 10$, whatever you want. Thanks.

Higher Purposes

“But seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be gien to you as well.” (Matthew 6:33)

You probably are familiar with this verse and its context, but in case you are not, Jesus has been telling his disciples / people (/ who really was there eh?) that they should not worry about their lives, the food they will eat, their body, the clothes they will wear… because God feeds the birds and clothes the flowers of the fields. And Jesus tells them that, people are more valuable than birds and flowers. So that is why they should not worry about these things that God knows they need. And so Jesus keeps going but in a different direction, starting with “But” so Jesus is saying, “Instead of worrying about your life and your needs, you should seek God’s Kingdom, God’s righteousness… and all these things you could worry about, they will be given to you.”

I think that I am experiencing a little bit more that verse since I’ve started university. I know. I talk about university all the time, but I learn and notice a lot of things because I go there so… As I said, I live a little bit more that verse now.

I do not think that Jesus was thinking of food and clothes only, I think He was thinking about any need that I could have. Going to university, one of my needs (or purposes) is to meet the requirements of each of my courses, is to succeed. There are plenty of things that I simply do not understand and sometimes it seems that’s all I am doing: school-related work, it seems as if I am focused on university because I need to, I have too if I want to succeed. And that’s true to a certain extent. What I have been realizing is that there is more to my assignments, to the endless hours  spend in class, the writing exercises I have to do, the books I have to read and the writing of exams. I believe that there is a deeper, or higher purpose to this all. It’s not just about me and my degree. It’s first of all about God and the salvation of anybody I rub shoulders with, whether teachers or students. So having this in mind, I have been less worried about my grades, how I am going to do this crazy assignment and how I am supposed to write this enormous paper in two weeks… and more “worried” or let’s say, more concerned with the Kingdom of God here where I am. What do I mean? What do Jesus mean? I believe that in my situation, seeking God’s Kingdom and His righteousness is to spread God’s Name around, reflect His image, His attitude, build bridges from people to Jesus, not that I am a mediator, but someone who will let them know that Jesus offers them grace and free salvation. I think that is what it means for me to seek God’s Kingdom and righteousness right now.

Since I realize that God wants me to ”take care” of His business instead of worrying about my needs… I am not so worried about my succeess at school and how I am doing, I care most about the people around me and how I can shine forth Jesus to their hearts. The neat thing is that many times I was sure I was going to fail the exam, many times I did not see an end to everything I had to do… but everytime, God surprised me and I could not believe the marks I’ve gotten (apart for my argumentative essay, see previous post!!!), seriously God has been blessing me all the time. I am not saying that God has given me super good marks, but He has surprised me a lot. And I think that it is because I understand that His purpose for me in university is not for me to get my degree; His purpose for me is to use me to spread His Name. So I try to keep this in mind and try to do my best at school, but I need not to worry about my needs, He is taking care of it all.

So let us

“… seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness…” and not worry about ourselves too much, because it’s God’s business to take care of us.

Is a pair of pigs on your wishlist for Christmas?

So the other day I got a little magazine from Gospel For Asia the introduction was saying that this was a special magazine for Christmas, to send special gifts to native missionaries in South Asia. I though right away thatit would be special things like… I don’t know. Things for the native missionaries themselves, just as we get presents for ourselves for Christmas. But I was “gladly surprised” to see that it was not the case. The things that we could buy for our brothers and sisters in the East, were the very things that we can get them all year round, like Gospel tracks, Bibles to distribute, bicycles, winter clothing, lanterns, to help them carry the Gospel further… all these thing we could get them for Christmas, were not really for themselves, but things that would furter God’s cause in South Asia. I was surprised, because it seemed different from anything else, but I knew it was something GFA would do, because it’s all about God’s Kingdom and the salvation of the unreached, not about those native missionaries.

I think this difers so much from my own view of life. It’s Christmas, so I get things for the joyof people I love, which is fine. And I get presents from people who love me and it’s all about me, it’s for my own joy, my own use. These native missonaries don’t get special treats for Christmas, they get more gospel tracts and the like to preach Jesus as only Savior, that is their joy: to see people freed from the power of Satan.

So anyways, there was somthing special though. There was a new section where they presented gifts you could make to families for Christmas, gifts like chickens, rabbits, buffalos, cows, pigs, etc. These gifts of animals would not be like giving a dog to a kid for Christmas here in Canada. These animal that cannot be afforded by most, can provide food and income to families. So I bought a pair of pigs for people I probably will meet only in heaven. I believe it’s neat that we have little opportunities like that to give and I thank Go for Gospel For Asia who seek, at all times, to further the Kingdom of God. 

 So far we’ve got 50$ this month for native missionaries and it’ll go out to South Asia so that they can buy winter clothing for those missionaries who freeze in the mountains, bringing the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the unloved and unreached people. Please check out the page on “Bank for Native Missonaries” to learn more about this bank. It’s just at the top of this page.

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the Others

Is that the title of a movie? I think so. But I’m not going to write about this movie.

What I mean by “the others” is those denominations that are not like “mine”, those that have beliefs that I just don’t agree with. Going to university gives me the privillege to meet people from various faiths, religions, churches, denominations. It’s all good but very … how to say… sort of frustrating. Here in Montréal, most people will respect you, whatever the beliefs you have and as long as you don’t force your beliefs on the people, and even then, they’ll just say “whatever” and think you’re a freak. I know this is a generalization, but that’s the picture I get.

So I’ve got friends (what does the word “friend” means here, I am not sure) who believe in certain doctrines, practices, thoughts, traditions in which I don’t believe because when I read the Bible, I can’t find a foundation for thos beliefs. As I chat with those friends and try to understand their beliefs better, I try to make them think about the obvious: If you say you base yourself on the Bible, then read it and seek to understand it, take your stuff into context, can’t you see the obvious? It seems that what is obvious for me isn’t for others. Why? I think that the main reason is that the Holy Spirit enables me to understand God’s Word because I am God’s child. A second reason might be the way that I was taught. Almost all my life I went to a Baptist church, or any denomination that ressemble it, like Les Frères, Mennonite, etc. So no matter if I wanted it or not, the ideas and thoughts I have right now about God and how I (not translate, but I can’t find the word) or what I think it means… it’s all based on the teaching I’ve got. I was thought that when Jesus, on the cross, said to John “Here is your mother” talking about Mary, that it simply meant that Jesus wanted John to take care of his mom, Mary. But some people were taught that Jesus, there on the cross, was making Mary the mother of the church. If I would have grown up with this view of this verse… I don’t know what I’d believe today. To me, it doesn’t make sense to believe that in this context Jesus makes Mary the head/mother of the church because of the context, and the great lack of reference to Mary after this very verse on, through the epistles. Anyways, I won’t go further with Mary, since I don’t know much anyways.

But do you get my point? It must be tough for people to turn away from their beliefs in order to re-think everything they thought they understood anew. You know, it is one of the greatest privillege to have been taught the Scripture not by men alone, but by men filled with the Holy Spirit. I find it frustrating how people think I’m right and understand my point of view, but don’t do anything about it, keep their own beliefs, even if their beliefs are against what I say they say is right. Does not make sense to me… People are blinded, but they think they see.

BANK FOR NATIVE MISSIONARIES: 50$ as of November 20, 2006 - Thank you! Please click on the page called “Bank for Native Missionaries” at the top of this page for more information on this bank.

Little Essay

I was really tired today. You know those days when you wake up with a little headache? For me it usually stays with me for the rest of the day and it did. I had a class that made us reflect on … reflection. Then I went out for coffee with two girls who go to my homechurch but live in Montréal. I’ve been playing with FrontPage and realized I understand how it works pretty well in a global way. I plunged in my batteries so my mouse can work tomorrow. I bought a Jack Johnson cd (In between dreams) and realize how I love this kind of music and wish I could play like him. I’m going bowling this weekend and plan on doing homework for the next three day and take it easy on Sunday.

My life is a bunch of little things happening here and there which don’t have too much importance, but I like it and I praise God for the life He’s given me, seeking to spread His thought around me, having one purpose in life: to make Him known.

I had a neat little opportunity this last Tuesday afternoon. I was in a class and for the first time we were asked to write an argumentative essay on anything. It didn’t need to be related to education or English or anything like that, it had to be on whatever we wanted. What went through my mind was two options: (1) I take the easy path and write on the big paper I’ll have to hand in next week and the issues there, or (2) I write about something God-related. I couldn’t just take the easy way, I had an opportunity to share about Jesus with my teacher. So I thought for a while and then I decided I would write my argumentative essay on this question, “Is Jesus the Son of God”. I had to write no more than 2 pages, double-spaced, so really it was very little. I remembered one of Martin Jalbert’s (administrator or PdVB bible school) speech he spoke a few years ago and the main three points arguing that Jesus is God’s Son. So I used them in my essay, in an incomplete way for sure because of my bad memory and the little space I had. But … I’m privilleged anyways. I found myself praying for my teacher a couple of times since Tuesday and who knows what God can do with this small and incomplete essay? Maybe He won’t do anything that I can see, but I know I did the right thing, even though I feel like I’m a nerd for doing it.

Speaking about Jesus to unbelievers brings joy to me. I hope it does to you… if you dare being a nerd and experience it.

Remember your Creator in the days of your youth

That’s a verse from Ecclesiastes 12:1

Every time I hear that someone I knew died, my heart beats at a different pace, I slowly move into a “thinking mood”, I feel very strange. What grips me most is not so much the death in itself (although it depends on my relationship with the person who died), but it is the fact that this person met God. I don’t know why, but when I start thinking about this whole thing, it feels so strange. I am not comfortable going places I’ve never been before, and thinking that one day it will be my turn, I will no longer live in this physical world, I will meet my Creator. So it makes me feel uncomfortable because I’ve never been there and it’s not a place I can even start thinking I know how it is.

I didn’t know the guy very much. I talked to him a few times because I happened to be around at Bible School maybe a year or two ago. But he died, last Sunday night, probably when I was at Tim Hortons’ playing a board game with a few friends. It makes me think, if this guy died at 20 years old or around that age, what about my life and the lives of my ciblings, or close friends? It’s all about God, what He wants and allows to happen, I can’t do anything to change a single one hour of my life or the life of anybody else on earth. I don’t know when this time will come when God will ask my big brother, myLord Jesus to come pick me up and give me a ride home, I don’t know. We all think it won’t happen to us before we’re 80, or actually, most of us don’t think about dying at all. Why? I don’t know, probably because we don’t think we have a reason to think about it, we’re healthy and young (for those who ar healthy and young).

But the Word of God says that we, young people, should remember our Creator, right now. What does it mean? I’m not sure. Maybe it is to remember God is here and we’ll meet Him one day, that we should be at peace with Him today, because we don’t know about tomorrow. I don’t know.

Some Christians are scared to meet God when they die. I feel that way sometimes. Probably because I’d like to become a better person and be really “ready” when I meet Him. I’m scarred He’d be angry at me because of my sins. But when I think of it, I am thinking like a Pharisee. God knows my past, my present and my tomorrow. He knows the bad things I did yesterday and the ups and downs of today, but He knows the work He’s been doing in me all along and the times I obeyed Him with faith. He knows my tomorrow and He knows if I’ll fall or will be seeking Him, so why would I try to look good on my dying day, my Creator knows me from the time He thought about creating the earth. It doesn’t mean I shouldn’t strive to seek Him and obey Him. But I shouldn’t feel like I need to “get ready”, “be more righteous” when He comes… because Christ is my only boast and His blood that covers me is the only atonement I’ve got for my sins, and it’s all God asks for.

Bank for Native Missionaries: 50$

a new friend

This is going to be short. This post has nothing to do with Christ… although, when I think of it, everything I go through and have is from Christ anyways, so it’s all about Him again, but it’s not so “literally”. I just came back from my hometown, with a new friend. You see, it was my birthday a week ago and it seems good to my dad to get me a … how to saw, a really big present. I have to be careful with the things I say and write about because I might actually get what I want. I don’t know how my dad feels about having his picture on my blog… who knows what some freaks might do with it… just kidding. So yeah, my dad got me a new laptop, all securily taped, man. Anyways it’s a huge blessings and I think my dad was more excited than I was! Well, I never show excitment really so. Even though thispost is not really about Christ, it’s still because of Him I am blessed in such a way. I don’t understand why God allows me to be so blessed -seriously- because I do not deserve it at all. What can I say? Thank you God, thanks dad.

Bank for Native Missionaries: 50$ as of November 13 2006, thank you!

Circles and Arrows and Dots

I just came from bible study with a few UQAM people and I find myself with no desire to do homework or study. On my way back home as I walked under my umbrella I kept thinking of one of the main issues we discussed around that oval table. We read in Matthew 6:33 “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you.” We thought about what seeking the kingdom of God and his righteousness meant. It led us to wonder about this:

We Christians are called to follow Christ and Christ is going before us, showing us the way. Now it is up to us to choose to walk on the narrow road or to come and go as we wish. Some Christians spend a lot of time looking and walking in a direction that is opposite the one Jesus is on. For instance, Christians who lack love for their neighbor, who don’t really care for those in need, who put themselves first. On the other hand, many people that are not Christians, that do not know Jesus as their Lord and Savior, would (using my own words) be better Christians than many of us that seem to be on and off the right road. Many unbelievers seek justice for the poor, care for the people around them more than they care for themselves, they seem to be “filled with the fruit of the Spirit” because they behave just in the same way God wants His people (and His world) to behave. 

How are we supposed to think about that? Because these fellow human beings that are not saved, are living lives that promote peace and justice. They live “better” lives than many Christians, they are closer to God’s will than some believers. How are we supposed to think? It’s obvious that Christians that go in a different direction Jesus points them to, have some major things to realize, and we all disobey Christ in many ways everyday, everyone of us. But I think about those unbelievers are they seeking God’s kingdom more than some Christians are?

I can’t open my bday Card!

My brother gave me a birthday card today. It was a rather funny one. On the cover, it was written (I’ll translate for you): “This birthday card can be open only by a perfect sister – which means, she has to be nice, thoughtful, respectful, generous, in short, without flaws!” I tried to open it, but I could not: the inside of the card was glued together. Funny eh? That’s what I thought. 

But now that I am supposed to read a textbook for school, I think of my card again and it makes me think of something pretty neat and real. Yes it reminds me of the passage in Revelation were we read: 

And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, ‘Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?’ But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll or even look inside it. I wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside. Then one of the elders said to me, ‘Do not weep! See, the Lion of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.’ Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing in the center of the throne (…) He came and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne. And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell facedown before the Lamb. (…) And they sang a new song: ‘You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God (…) – Revelation 5:1-10 

No one could open the scroll, because no one was worthy. Only the One who had shed His blood for sinners was worthy, the Lion of Judah, the Lamb of God, Jesus the Messiah. 

It makes me think of something else… that might go well with this first thought and reality. Think of the verse found in Romans 3:10ff 

“As it is written; ‘There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one. Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit. The poison of vipers is on their lips. Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness. Their feet are swift to shed blood; ruin and misery mark their ways and the way of peace they do not know. There is no fear of God before their eyes.’ (…) Therefore, no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin.” 

Just like my birthday card was telling me, there is no way a non-perfect sister could open it. Well, there is no way a sinner could come into the presence of God either. One needs to be clothed with a divine purity, and no human deeds can reach that holiness, because our efforts are human efforts, and our sins are real and stain our lives, no human act can make us clean or cleaner. That’s why Romans 3 goes on with verse 23: “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood.” And chapter 5 verse 6ff “You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. (…) But God demonstrates His love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” 

I am not a perfect sister, so I couldn’t open the card (actually it was a joke and glued together but, ) each human being is not perfect and is a sinner and cannot come into the presence of God, falls short of His glory. The only way to be justified (to open the card) is through Jesus Christ. To believe He is the Son of God, that He died on the cross, bearing on Himself my sins. That he rose up from the dead and is now seated at the right Hand of God. It is believing that it is in Christ alone that I find the way to God, forgiveness of my sins, because Jesus paid for them and purchased God’s justice on the cross for me. It is to repent from our iniquities and seek to serve and obey Him, not in order to get anything from God, but simply out of thankfulness, because He is our Savior and Master.  

I’m more than blessed to say that yes, Jesus opened the way to God for me, Gabrielle. I hope you can say the same. 

Bank for Native Missionaries, we’re at 0$ for now.