The Year in Review

I am tempted to give the decade in review, but since Amanda has done a better job on her blog, I will focus on this year.

This has been a very stressful year, although as you will see from Amanda's review, we are still waiting for that stressless year. There have been some very challenging times. The hardest was the discovery that my mom had cancer and her death just a few weeks later. Those couple of weeks were some of the hardest in my life and yet we felt support from so many of our friends and especially from God. I was able to lead her funeral and to pay tribute to her life of faith and love. Added to that was the sale of my childhood home. The "sold" sign literally went up the day after the funeral. It was hard going through the house and being overwhelmed by all the memories. More recently, we sent our daughter Abby to a temporary residential treatment program. She is still there and we are still waiting to find out how long she will be there. We miss her terribly.

But there were good things that happened as well. In March I graduated from the Arrow Leadership Program. This was a fantastic experience and it had a huge impact on my personal and ministry life. I have seen new ways to understand my leadership roles. I was also accepted into the doctor of theology program at the University of South Africa and officially started in November. New doors for academic and teaching interests have opened up with invitations to teach at Tyndale and to present a paper in Belgium. I had the opportunity to do some traveling as well and Amanda and I went to Ottawa and Montreal. I went to New Orleans for the SBL meeting.

I look forward to 2010. I am not under the naive impression that it will be easy. But God's faithfulness has been so evident that we have renewed hope for good things to come. Amanda and I look forward to our 10th anniversary in February with a cruise and the renewal of our vows. We are thankful for all our blessings and are excited to see what God has in store for us.

Review of Unmasking the Pagan Christ

As you may know, a couple of years ago I co-wrote a book called Unmasking the Pagan Christ. One of the stressful parts of it is reading the reviews. Tonight I got a new review. As me and the kids were heading out for a coffee/donut run, Justus grabbed a copy of the book and gave me the following review: "I love this book, it is my favourite! Once upon a time there was a great big Jesus." If I ever get a chance to put reviews on the back cover, that is one that I am putting on!

My Year in Pictures

This came from an application on Facebook. They say a picture is worth a thousand words. This was our year, for better or for worse. God gave us strength through it all.

Why is the Bible Important?

On Sunday, we looked at the question: why is the Bible important? There are other books about religion and other books that have beautiful words, so why does the Bible have such impact on people? We looked five reasons why the Bible is important:

1) The Bible teaches us who God is. God is the creator who is separate from his creation and yet still interacts with his creation. He is both just and loving.

2) The Bible teaches us who Jesus is. Jesus is God incarnate who taught and performed miracles, was executed on a cross, rose from the dead and promised to return.

3) The Bible teaches us what God wants from us. God wants us to put our faith in Jesus and the payment for our sins that he made on the cross. By making Jesus our Lord, we receive the benefits of Jesus' sacrifice.

4) The Bible gives us a picture of what this life should look like. This life should be marked by love for God and love for people.

5) The Bible gives us a picture of the afterlife. We will be dead a lot longer than we will be alive. For those who refuse God's gift of forgiveness, there is the afterlife of separation from God which is hell. For those who embrace the gift, there is an afterlife not of an eternally disembodied spirit but an eternity as a resurrected being with God on a new earth.

These are things that are revealed to us only in the Bible. This message is the introduction to our 2010 series on Genesis to Revelation. Part one of the study guide for you to follow along with this series is found at my web site: www.stephenjbedard.com.

How to Have a Merry Christmas

This morning was fun watching the children open their gifts. We had some challenges getting Justus upstairs. He wanted to stay downstairs and guard the presents. It has been great having Abby home. It would not be the same without her. Unfortunately there is someone missing this year. This is the first Christmas since my mother passed away last April. To make matters worse, in two days it would have been her 77th birthday. For forty years I saw her at some point during Christmas and this is the first year that I can't. I can still see her in my mind's eye in her slippers and housecoat taking every picture she could of the kids with her disposable camera (Justus still identifies disposable cameras with grandma). I won't lie and say it is easy. It has been wearing on me for weeks. What gets me through is the real meaning of Christmas. Christmas is not just about trees, turkey and presents. Christmas is not even just about a nativity scene and the image of innocence that is seen in a baby lying in a manger. The message of Christmas is that God broke through into our world in the person of his Son Jesus Christ and that because of him we can have hope in this life and in the next. I still miss my mother and father and wish that they could be here with us to enjoy the smiles of the children. But in Christ I can trust that they are in the presence of God and that God will give me the strength that I need until one day I see them again. That is how I have a merry Christmas.

Calvin's Commentaries

Christian Book Distributors (www.cbd.com) have a great deal on right now. The entire set of Calvin's Commentaries (plus a copy of his Institutes) has a retail price of $1200.00. CBD is offering the entire 22 volume set for a limited time only for $99! Often with biblical commentaries, they are considered out of date after about fifty years. John Calvin was born five hundred years ago and yet his commentaries are still cited regularly. He was far beyond his time in exegetical method. This is a deal that is worth checking out. Can you find the info here.

Is It Ever OK to Steal?

A parish priest in the UK has told his congregation to shoplift if they need to. You can find the story here. I hear what he is saying about people in need and I appreciate his challenge about how much we spend on ourselves. But I think there are better ways for the church to help than to give the stamp of approval on stealing. His analysis is correct, his solution is lacking.

Witness of Widows and the Purpose of Life

Last Sunday we finished off our advent series with the last of the heralds of Christ's birth. This time we looked at Simeon and Anna from Luke 2. Simeon was an elderly man who had been told by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before seeing God's salvation through the appearance of the Christ. Anna was an elderly widow who spent all her time in the Temple and after seeing baby Jesus, went off and told all she met. These are two Spirit-filled prophets who understood their purpose. Simeon witnessed the presence of the Christ and prepared the parents for what was to come. Anna witnessed the presence of Christ and went off and shared the good news. This tells us that there is a common purpose and a specific purpose for every Christian. The common purposes for every Christian are to: recognize Jesus, worship him, love God, love people, be faithful and become more Christ-like. But each one of us has a specific purpose as well. I will never be a prayer warrior or an evangelist but that is okay. My purpose is to be a student and teacher of the Bible. I still pray and tell my story, but God designed me to work with the Scriptures and that is where I get my energy. We all have to work on our common purpose and we must also discover our specific purpose.

Johnny the Baptist

Last Sunday we continued our series on the Heralds of Christ's Birth. We saw that in Acts 2, Luke saw the church as Spirit-filled men and women, old and young. The previous week we saw how God used an old man and woman. This time we looked at how God used a young person, in fact a fetus. When Mary came to visit her relative Elizabeth, baby John the Baptist leapt in his mother's womb. The only way that baby John could have recognized Jesus (also a fetus) was by the power of the Holy Spirit. This teaches us a couple of things. The Bible has a tradition concerning God's hand upon the unborn, preparing them for his plans (Psalm 139, Jeremiah 1, Ephesians 2). God would later use John in a great way, but he began to prepare him before he was born. When God calls us to do something for him, he does not just call us out of the blue. He has been preparing us since before we were born. Also, people often feel like that they are not talented or equipped enough to serve God. The only thing that baby John could do was leap and so that is what he did. Do not worry about what you can not do, be obedient in what you can do. Finally, the fact that God used Zechariah and Elizabeth at an elderly age and John the Baptist before he was born means that God wants to use everybody. If you fit in any of the categories of male, female, old or young, God has a role for you.

Blind Side

Amanda and I went to see a fantastic movie this week. It is a true story called Blind Side. The title comes from the importance in football of protecting the quarterback's blindside, a metaphor for protecting the people you love. The story is about a kid (a big one) named Big Mike. Mike struggles in school but he encounters some people who believe in him at a Christian school. Mike is from a broken (that is being generous) home. He is taken into the home of a rich Christian couple (played by Tim McGraw and Sandra Bullock) and their children. What starts off as a temporary arrangement, turns into a strong family unit. Mike begins to show some talent in football and his future opens up. There is so much about this movie I loved. I liked the positive and realistic (not perfect) portrayal of Christians that does not come across as preachy. I liked the humour (I laughed very hard). I liked the positive message that was not too sugary or cheezy. It was a good wholesome and entertaining movie. One of the best I have ever seen. If you have not seen this movie yet, make sure you do.

Zechariah and Elizabeth

On Sunday we began our Advent series by looking at Luke 1. It is interesting to note the spiritual context of Luke. Before Luke's Gospel there was an expectation that prophecy and the Holy Spirit were no longer available. At the beginning of Acts (Luke's second volume), there is an understanding that the Holy Spirit was available and that men and women, old and young would prophesy. What changed? Christmas! The birth of Christ changed everything. Because of that, you would expect some heralds of Christ's birth that would signify this change. On Sunday, we looked at Zechariah and Elizabeth. Both responded differently to God's message but both were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to prophesy. There are three lessons for us. First, you can not be too old to be used by God. There were younger people available but God chose to use Zechariah and Elizabeth. Secondly, God does not use perfect people. Zechariah responded in doubt and needed severe correction to get back on track and yet it was Zechariah that God chose for this important event. Do not wait until you are perfect before you make yourself available to God. Finally, believe, believe, believe. Have faith that God can do something incredible in and through you.

For the next few weeks, the text and audio of this message can be found at www.meafordbaptist.ca. If you listen to the audio, you will notice something ironic. I spoke on Zechariah who lost his voice and if you listen carefully to me, I was beginning to lose my voice during this message. Just a coincidence. I hope...

So Thankful

Today was the day that we have been dreading. Amanda and I took Abby down to London for her residential treatment. We won't see here again for a week and a half and she won't be home for a visit until Christmas. It actually went quite well. Abby did fine as we signed paperwork, waited in the waiting room, talked to people, waited some more in the waiting room. We went to the house where she is staying and she went to her new room as we signed more paperwork. At the end we went to her room to say goodbye and we expected some behaviors and emotions as we left her in the care of strangers. Instead, Abby was so pleased with her new room that she took our hands and showed us to the door, inviting us to leave. Not the farewell we were looking for, but much better than what could have happened. In all this, we are so thankful for the prayers, well wishes, words of encouragement and offers of places to stay. We have been overwhelmed by the support of our friends and we are very thankful. Please continue to pray for Abby and us and the rest of our children as we attempt to explain why Abby is not at home. Thanks again for your support.

An Emotional Day

Well, this day could not have been more emotional. Today was the last full day that Abby would be with us before going to London tomorrow for six to twelve weeks. We kept Abby home but sent the rest of the kids to school (except Faith who still has a cold). After making a stop at Woodford, I was just leaving to head back to the church in Meaford. My Blackberry buzzed that there was an email. The email was a response to a proposal I sent some time back. A biblical conference in Belgium that was dealing with the resurrection had accepted my proposal and was inviting me to present a paper in April 2010. I had been in Belgium briefly about fifteen years ago and have always wanted to go back. Even more, we felt that this was a leading from God as we have been praying about opportunities to be more active in academic projects. This will be a great opportunity for me to grow as a Bible teacher. A highlight was the response of Amanda who was so excited and made me feel like a million dollars. I am thankful to God for this opportunity. In the afternoon, we had our early family Christmas. Amanda's parents came over and we celebrated Christmas together before Abby was going to leave. It was lots of fun. The kids had a blast and loved their presents. Emma was adorable wearing princess shoes and work goggles. In the evening, it began to hit us that this was our last time putting Abby to bed before she left us. It is hard to say goodbye to her. She has always been our special little girl. We know this residential treatment is for the best but it is still hard. We will be taking her to London tomorrow and we will not have her home again until Christmas (although we will visit her in London in a week). We continue to ask for prayers for this difficult time. All in all, it has been a good day. We feel like God gave us some really joyful news right at the exact time that we needed it. We are trusting that God will continue to provide for us and that we will get Abby back better than ever.

Lutheran Airlines

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZR2_hLa0u00&feature=player_embedded

Blue Christmas

Tomorrow is one of the most important parts of Christmas season for me. At First Baptist Church we will be having our Blue Christmas liturgy. This is an acknowledgment that Christmas is not all about joy and presents. There are special people in our lives who are no longer with us to celebrate with. For some people this causes extra pain at Christmas. For our family, this will be the first Christmas without my mom (plus her birthday is two days after Christmas). We still miss my dad and think of our first child that we lost in a miscarriage. In this service we take time to light candles in memory of these loved ones and to bring these feelings to God. In the afternoon we will be having our Christmas potluck at Woodford Baptist Church. I am looking forward to this as well. Christmas is not complete without both parts. We need to acknowledge our pain and we need to take time to party. Jesus came into the world so that he could be involved in both parts of our life.

Difficult Times

Many of you may know that we have had some tough times with our children with autism. Abby in particular has struggled and we have tried to help her as much as we can. As a result, we will be sending her for residential treatment for six to twelve weeks. I have wondered how to explain what this means for our family. Amanda has explained it on her block much better than I ever could. Please go to: http://ramblingsofamother.wordpress.com/2009/12/01/decisions-change-your-life/ Both of us would like to ask for your prayers that God would strengthen our family during this difficult time.

Galatians Concludes

On Sunday, we concluded our series on Galatians by looking at chapter six. Paul has taught that we are not to live by law but to rely on grace and allow the Spirit to produce fruit in our lives. We can not make the fruit appear but we can provide a fertile environment in our lives. In the final chapter, Paul gives some practical advice on how to prepare our lives for the Spirit. First of all, we must keep each other accountable. We must be willing to gently correct others when they stray and yet be humble enough to know we could easily be in the same spot. We must also always test our actions and not trust in some habit from twenty years ago. We must share good things with those who instruct us in the Word. As a preacher and teacher, I was hesitant to talk about this but Paul includes it. I suggested that we could look at the church as the instructor in the Word rather than just an individual such as a preacher. Do we share the good things we have with the church that instructs us? We must sow to the Spirit so that we will reap a spiritual harvest. The things we do have an effect in our lives and in our relationship with God. Finally, we must do good to all, especially those in the family of believers. At first glance, this looks selfish to focus on believers. But if we are not taking care of our own, anything we do outside the church will look suspicious. We must help all people, but we must begin with the people that God has surrounded us with. If we do this, we will be providing a fertile environment for the Spirit to do his work in our lives.

For the next few weeks, this sermon will be found at www.meafordbaptist.ca and the entire series on Galatians can be found at www.stephenjbedard.com.