Visit With Abby

We had a great visit with Abby today.  She is doing really well.  She is talking more and even using utensils.  We are very proud of her and how far she has come.  We still need prayers as to how things will work out in the next few months and what the government will plan to do.

Right Communion

A week ago at church we looked at communion/Lord's Supper/eucharist from 1 Corinthians 11.  We can easily see this as Paul seeking to provide a nice liturgy for modern pastors to use on communion Sunday.  That is not the case.  Paul wrote this because the Corinthians were celebrating communion in the wrong way.  Having been in the Anglican, Pentecostal and now Baptist churches, I have seen communion celebrated in different ways.  But that is not Paul's concern.  The problem with the Corinthians is that they included communion as part of a larger meal (not a problem) and then were content with the rich eating much and the poor eating nothing or very little (big problem).  It is interesting that in 1 Corinthians, the body of Christ means two things.  It means the body of Christ broken for us as symbolized by the bread.  It also means the church (1 Corinthians 12).  It is incredibly ironic that Christians could treat a piece of bread with more respect than they treat brothers and sisters in Christ.  When we take time before communion for self-examination, we should reflect on how we are treating each other.  Do we truly recognize the body of the Lord?

Great Deals on Books

CBD has some crazy deals on books.  Click on the following links for more information.

The Myth of a Christian Nation: How the Quest for Political Power is Destroying the Church Only $1.99! By Gregory A. Boyd / Zondervan Should church and state really be separated? Does the church belong in the political arena? Arguing from Scripture and history, The Myth of a Christian Nation makes a compelling case that whenever the church gets too close to any political or national ideology, it is disastrous for the church and harmful to society. Contending that the American Evangelical Church has allowed itself to be co-opted by the political right (and some by the political left), Dr. Boyd exposes how this harms the church's unique calling to build the kingdom of God. In the course of his argument, he challenges some deeply held convictions of evangelical Christians in America, such as America being "a Christian nation" and that Christians ought to be trying to "take America back for God."

Truth on Trial: The Lawsuit Motif in the Fourth Gospel Only $2.99! By Andrew T. Lincoln / Hendrickson Publishers The Gospel of John presents a Jesus who claims to tell and be the truth. Pluralism and postmodernism radically challenge that tradition. Lincoln here reflects on contemporary issues and studies the Gospel to argue that Christians can simultaneously exercise critical judgment and accept John's testimony that Christ embodies the truth. 527 pages, hardcover from Hendrickson.

Judas and the Gospel of Jesus: Have We Missed the Truth About Christianity? Only $1.99! By N.T. Wright / Baker Books A publishing phenomenon, The Gospel of Judas soared to the top of bestseller lists---and sparked a worldwide debate about its impact on Christianity. What exactly is this ancient document, and how significant is it for today's believers? Wright tackles these provocative questions, offering a much-needed theologically sound response to this controversial "Gospel." 144 pages, hardcover from Baker.

Jesus: The Only Way to God--Must You Hear the Gospel to Be Saved? Only $4.99! By John Piper / Baker Books In this pluralistic world, the belief that Jesus is the only way to salvation is often called arrogant and hateful---causing many Christians to shrink from spreading the good news. Piper provides a biblical basis for why Jesus is still our only hope. His insights will encourage you to proclaim your beliefs to the nations! 144 pages, softcover from Baker.

Restoration of Reason Only $2.99! By Montague Brown / Baker * When Renaissance and Enlightenment philosophers arbitrarily restricted reason, the results were disastrous for human understanding. Brown issues a call for its restoration to full power. With clarity and grace, he offers students of philosophy and theology a classical perspective on the scope of human rationality---one that includes moral goodness and aesthetic beauty as well as truth. 272 pages, softcover from Baker.

Galatians New International Biblical Commentary Only $1.99! By L. Ann Jervis / Hendrickson Publishers Paul's letter to the Galatian churches is among the most riveting, personal, and rich of the apostle's writings. It arose in the midst of a crisis situation in which Paul is battling with "Judaizers" over the loyalty and doctrine of the Gentile Galatians. Ann Jervis provides delightful insights into the nuances of this battle. She shows how important Paul's gospel is to him both by detailing the many ways he asserts its truthfulness and by pointing out his adamant opposition to the gospel of his adversaries.

Romans, Daily Bible Commentary By James D.G. Dunn / Hendrickson Publishers Only $2.99! Paul's letter to the Romans played a crucial role in shaping the faith of the first Christians. It presents some of the most thorough explanations of Christian theology and laid the cornerstone for the creeds and confessions of the church. From the fallen state of humankind to the limitless gift of salvation through Jesus Christ, the dual themes of God's righteousness and faithfulness strike an awe-inspiring harmony throughout the entire book. Scholar James D. G. Dunn leads readers through the New Testament's definitive theological statement---and on a life-changing journey to the heart of the New Testament's message. A mere reading of the Bible fails to fulfill its ultimate purpose. The Bible's message is meant to transform. The Daily Bible Commentary series distills the best of current scholarship into the straightforward language of a devotional. It skillfully opens each New Testament book and helps readers respond to the eternal truths within. General editors Richard A. Burridge, Dom Henry Wansbrough, and David Winter, together with other renowned scholars from an array of Christian traditions, provide helpful introduction, accessible explanation, and fresh meditations on individual passages. Balancing profound reflection with penetrating insight, the two-page daily readings engage the mind while never failing to touch the heart. James D. G. Dunn is Lightfoot Professor of Divinity, University of Durham and is the author of, among other books, the two volumes Romans 1-8, Romans 9-16 (Word Biblical Commentary), Unity and Diversity in New Testament Theology, and Christology in the Making.

Proud of Amanda

Amanda will be preaching again this Sunday at First Baptist Church.  I am looking forward to what she has to say.  She is a natural at preaching.  She has a keen mind, a fresh perspective and a passion for the faith.  Thankful to have her in this role.

Devotions

I must confess that I have often struggled with devotions.  However, I have noticed that when I have stopped, there is a negative impact on my spiritual life.  There is no one way to do devotions but I thought I would share what I do.  I do not do all of this every day but I do them most days.  You are free to take or leave this as you wish.
1) I read a chapter (or two when I am in the Psalms) from the ESV Literary Study Bible.
2) I do a reading from Richard Foster's A Year With God.
3) I read a few pages from John Wesley's Journal.
4) Amanda and I read from The One Year: Great Songs of Faith.
We are blessed with so much good devotional material, most of all Scripture, we should take advantage of it and go deeper in our relationship with God.

A New Stage

This has been a big couple of weeks for us.  Justus has just started junior kindergarten.  We are very proud of him for going to 'big boy school.'  We know his teacher and have heard that he is very inquisitive and asks great questions.  We already knew that.  Justus is a very smart kid, especially when it is something he is interested in.  He is only four and he is already trying to figure out death.  He is fascinated by my dad, even though he died a couple of years before Justus was born and therefore they never met.  Justus is trying to figure out where grandpa is and why he can not be here with us.  So far, school seems to be going pretty good for Justus.  One thing did make us sad.  Today Justus was getting into a fight with Emma (as they do on a regular basis).  Often this means that there is something else going on.  Justus admitted that some kids at school laughed at him.  He was not generous with the details, but it seems some kids on the bus laughed at him for helping Logan. We have no idea how much of this is Justus' perception and how much is reality.  My instinct is to rise up to defend him.  However, we are encouraging him as he and Logan have a special bond and we are proud of how he takes care of Logan.  It is a challenge to be a parent and to watch your kids go through this.  I am beginning to see what my parents went through.

Faith

Last week, we looked at the concept of faith in Romans 1:16-17.  We looked at three stages of faith.
1) The faith of God.  Faith can also be faithfulness.  The difference between the God of the Bible and other portrayals of God is that the Bible describes God as a covenantal God.  A covenant is a contract and a demonstration of God's faithfulness.  God is not a fickle God who can change his mind at the last time.  The Christian faith is what the prophet Jeremiah called the new covenant.  We have hope because we can trust in God's faithfulness.
2) Saved by Faith.  Salvation comes by faith.  Jesus provided all we need for forgiveness and salvation on the cross but we cannot access that until we put our faith in Christ.  It is by faith we are justified or deemed righteous in the eyes of God.
3) Walk by Faith.  Paul quotes the Old Testament text: "The righteous live by faith."  This can mean that we first experience life by faith, but it also means that we continue to live by faith.  This is not about a continued attempt to earn salvation, but acknowledgement that we must live each day in faith, trusting in God's strength daily.
The audio of this message can be found at www.stephenjbedard.podbean.com.

Ante-Nicene Fathers

Christians of course base our faith on the writings of the Bible.  But we are not the first to ask those questions.  One of the blessings to the church are the writings of the Ante-Nicene (that is those writers that wrote before the council of Nicaea) Fathers.  CBD has a great deal on this set, ten volumes for only $99.  You can purchase it here.

The Ante-Nicene Fathers, 10 vols. By Hendrickson Publishers The Ante-Nicene Fathers ranges from the Apostolic Fathers to various third and fourth century sources including the liturgies and ancient Syriac documents. It was intended to comprise translations into English of all the extant works of the Fathers (with the exception of the more bulky works of Origen) down to the date of the first General Council held at Nicaea in 325 A.D. This American edition by Arthur Cleveland Coxe is a revision of the original series edited by Alexander Roberts and Sir James Donaldson and published in Edinburgh. The revision involves a major rearrangement to conform to the historical sequence, the addition of brief introductions and notes indicating variances in readings, specifying references to scripture or literature, clarifying obscure passages, and noting corruptions or distortions of patristic testimony (as forged in the Decretals). The basic aim of the translations has been to strive for literary exactness, placing the English reader as nearly as possible on an equal footing with those who are able to read the original. Volume Titles: Volume 1: Apostolic Fathers, Justin Martyr, Irenaeus Volume 2: Hermas, Tatian, Athenagoras, Theophilus, Clement of Alexandria Volume 3: Tertullian Volume 4: Tertullian (IV), Minucius Felix, Commodian, Origen Volume 5: Hippolytus, Cyprian, Caius, Novatian, Appendix Volume 6: Gregory Thaumaturgus, Dionysius the Great, Julius Africanus, Anatolius and Minor Writers, Methodius, Arnobius Volume 7: Lactantius, Venantius, Asterius, Victorinus, Dionysius, Apostolic Teaching and Constitutions, Homily, and Liturgies Volume 8: Twelve Patriarchs, Excerpts and Epistles, The Clementina, Aprocryphal Gospels and Acts, Syriac Documents Volume 9: Gospel of Peter, Diatessaron, Testament of Abraham, Epistles of Clement, Origen and Miscellaneous Works Volume 10: Bibliography, General Index, Annotated Index of Authors and Works

Sometimes I Like to Laugh

I record my sermons each Sunday on my computer.  This Sunday I forgot to hit stop and it was still recording by Monday afternoon.  One of the things my computer recorded was a phone conversation between Amanda and I.  Amanda called to tell me that she was cleaning my travel cup of coffee that I had left in the van for a number of weeks.  Amanda threw up twice in the process.  Here is my compassionate response.

Checking Out the Web

I have always been fascinated by spider webs.  To think such small creatures can build such beautiful and yet effective things as webs is just incredible.  This morning, this is what I found on our van.  All the kids loved seeing this creation.

Confessing Sins

I thought this was a great quote:

"To confess your sins to God is not to tell God anything God doesn't already know.  Until you confess them, however, they are the abyss between you.  When you confess them, they become the Golden Gate Bridge." - Frederick Buechner, Beyond Words

God's Response to Prayer

One of the hidden gems of the Psalms is Psalm 18.  I love the imagery of how God responds to prayer.


“In my distress I called upon the LORD; to my God I cried for help. From his temple he heard my voice, and my cry to him reached his ears.
Then the earth reeled and rocked; the foundations also of the mountains trembled and quaked, because he was angry. Smoke went up from his nostrils, and devouring fire from his mouth; glowing coals flamed forth from him. He bowed the heavens and came down; thick darkness was under his feet. He rode on a cherub and flew; he came swiftly on the wings of the wind. He made darkness his covering, his canopy around him, thick clouds dark with water. Out of the brightness before him hailstones and coals of fire broke through his clouds.
The LORD also thundered in the heavens, and the Most High uttered his voice, hailstones and coals of fire. And he sent out his arrows and scattered them; he flashed forth lightnings and routed them. Then the channels of the sea were seen, and the foundations of the world were laid bare at your rebuke, O LORD, at the blast of the breath of your nostrils.
He sent from on high, he took me; he drew me out of many waters. He rescued me from my strong enemy and from those who hated me, for they were too mighty for me. They confronted me in the day of my calamity, but the LORD was my support. He brought me out into a broad place; he rescued me, because he delighted in me.”
(Psalms 18:6–19 ESV)

Happy Birthday Abby!

Today (Sept. 12) is Abby's birthday.  This has been a crazy year for Abby.  So much has changed in the last twelve months and they do not look like they will slow down any time soon.  The one thing that has not changed is our great love for Abby.  She is a fantastic little girl.  She came home for a visit yesterday,  It was a great time of chowing down pizza and cake.  Most of all, just be able to see and hug Abby again.  Happy eighth birthday Abby!  We love you very much!

 

Faith Unbound

Last week in our Genesis to Revelation series we looked at the story of the Philippian jailer from Acts 16:25-40.  We all value freedom, but what is true freedom?  In this story, Paul and Silas seem to lack freedom as they are chained and are in jail.  On the other hand, the jailer who has authority and the ability to come and go seems free.  A closer look shows something different.  Paul and Silas are able to pray and sing, they stay at the jail even after the earthquake frees them.  They have joy because they are free in Christ.  The jailer was ready to kill himself when he discovered that the jail had been opened because he feared his superiors.  He was deeply bound.  But by the end of the story, he receives true freedom.  The only question he has is: "What must I do to be saved?"  Paul gives the answer: "Believe in the Lord Jesus."  There is a great freedom in Christ that is not bound by our physical circumstances.  This message can be found at www.stephenjbedard.podbean.com.

Prayer for Muslims

September 11 is an emotional day for everyone.  It is very easy to let anger and resentment take over.  There is a strong temptation to lash out.  Jesus calls us to a different way.  There will be many people today praying for the families of those who lost loved ones on 9/11, and we should pray for them.  Their loss was terrible.  However, I would like to take this time to pray for Muslims around the world.

Heavenly Father, we pray for the many Muslims in the world.  We thank you that you love every one as we read in in John 3:16.  Sometimes we forget this and we repent of this.  We are sorry that we sometimes blame the majority for the actions of relatively few extremists.  Lord we ask that you would touch the Muslims around the world.  Provide for their needs.  Many live in poverty unknown in the west.  Help them in their need.  Provide shelter, medicine and food.  Be with the children, protect them and keep them safe.  So many Muslims live in lands filled with violence and war.  We pray that you would bring peace to these lands, not just the removal of armies, but a softening of hearts and a longing for justice.  We pray for the extremists that have caused so much terror, touch their hearts and minds and transform them into instruments of peace rather than violence.  Lord, we thank you that Muslims have a desire to submit to God and to honor Jesus.  We pray that you will reveal yourself to them by the power of your Spirit and the truth of your Word.  May they know the truth of Jesus.  Lord, help us as Christians to reach out to Muslims in love.  We pray these things in Jesus' name.  Amen.

Prayer for Our Family

Our family needs your prayers.  As some of you may know, some time ago our daughter Abby went into a group home.  The reason for this decision was that her autism affected her in a way that made it difficult to be in our home.  She was destructive to her surroundings, literally ripping the paint and dry wall off our walls.  More than that, she would go after her siblings.  She is strong and in her tantrums she had no sense of what she was doing to her brothers and sisters.  It was a difficult time for our family but also for Abby.  We were thankful when a spot opened up and funding came available for Abby to go to a group home.  Our family went back to normal and Logan (who also has autism) began to thrive.  Abby, also did very well at the group home.  We saw more talking from her than we had in a long time.  Her behaviors were much diminished in their more stable routine.  The best was that when we visited Abby, we had wonderful visits.  We enjoyed each other, there was much laughing, hugging, kissing, and all the things we want for our relationship with Abby.

That was then, this is now.  We just found out that the government has denied our request for funding for her group home.  It costs thousands of dollars for Abby to be where she is.  We had temporary funding from another source but that is now gone.  We have until Monday to make some major decisions of what to do with Abby.  Amanda is doing a great job of advocating for Abby, making phone calls, writing letters and sending emails.  We have contacted our MPP and are in contact with other government officials.  Something has to happen and it has to happen soon.  Please stand with our family in prayer, asking for wisdom and sensitivity from the government and strength for our family.  Pray that the government will change its decision.  Feel free to pass this prayer request on to others.  Thank you.

Responding to the Qur'an Burning

A post on CNN's Belief Blog asks how other Christians will respond to the plan to burn Qur'ans this Sept. 11.  You can read the post here.  What will we do?  Is it enough to just inwardly disagree with this action?  Is it enough even to openly criticize the pastor responsible?  

There are so many problems with the Qur'an burning.  It puts our troops and fellow Christians in Muslim countries at risk.  Longer term, it is another reason for Muslims not to listen to the Christian message as they see us full of hatred and intolerance.  The Apostle Paul was willing to tolerate a lot of things he disagreed with so that others could come to faith.  There is not one good thing that will come from this Qur'an burning.

I have heard that the pastor is considering not doing the burning.  We can pray that he does come to his senses.  But there is much more that we can do.  Why don't we take this Sept. 11 to pray for Muslims.  Yes, pray that they will understand who Jesus is.  But pray for their families, pray for their children.  Pray for peace in their lands.  Pray for medicine and food.  Pray God's blessings upon them.  Let us remind them that as Christians, we hold on to John 3:16, "For God so loved the world...", a world that includes Muslims.  Who is with me?   

Niagara Falls

Last week Amanda and I went to Niagara Falls for a night.  Growing up in St. Catharines, we kind of took Niagara Falls for granted.  But is was nice to back for a short visit.  The first thing we did was go to the Bodies exhibition.  This was incredible.  This is a display of real human bodies, showing the skeletons, muscle structures, veins, organs and everything else.  I left the exhibit amazed at the complexity of the human body.  This makes me even more confident that humanity did not come about by an accident or chance.  Amanda and I also did something we used to enjoy quite a bit and walk around by the falls.  It is an incredible sight.  Often I try to imagine what it was like for people to stumble on the falls before it was built up and covered with tourist traps.  But even with all there is now, it is still a thing of beauty.  The picture here was the view we had from our hotel room.  What a blessing!

For God So Loved the World

A week ago at church, we looked at John 3:16 as part of our Genesis to Revelation series.  This verse is in some ways, a summary of the entire Bible and it is essential that we understand it.

1) For God - We have to begin with a belief in God.  If we don't get that, the rest of the verse is meaningless.
2) So Loved - There are many views of God, some of them very impersonal.  The biblical God is a God of love.  Not just love but so love.  Love was so intense that he had to do something about it.
3) The World - It is easy for us to see God loving good and respectable people, but the fact is that God loves the world, the good, the bad and the ugly.
4) That He Gave His Only Begotten Son - God acted on his love by giving.  It was not just any gift but it was the dearest thing to him, his Son.  We learn elsewhere that this was a full giving in that Jesus actually died for our sins.
5) So That All Who Believe in Him - It is here that things get narrower.  God loves everyone, but to get to the next stage we must respond with faith.  Believing is the way we access what Jesus has done for us.
6) Shall Not Perish But Have Eternal Life - This does not mean that Christians will not experience physical death.  Eternal life is not something that begins after death.  Eternal life is as much about quality as it is about duration.  Jesus infuses a new abundant life into us that starts now and is so powerful that even physical death can not extinguish it.

Being Prodigal

A couple of weeks ago, we looked at the parable of the prodigal son from Luke 15:11-32 at church.  The term 'prodigal son' has entered into common usage when we see someone who we have not seen in a long time: "Behold, the prodigal son returns."  However, the word 'prodigal' has nothing to do with running away and coming back.  It literally means wasteful spending.  Now there is reason to see this parable as being about lostness as Luke places the parable with the lost coin and the lost sheep.  But I still see the concept of prodigal as being important in this story.  With that in mind, we can look at each of the three characters in the story.
1) The Younger Son - This is the one that we think of as the prodigal son.  He definitely was prodigal with the inheritance that he received.  Thankfully he invested well his last possession: his ability to humble himself in repentance. 
2) The Older Son - This son was good with finances but he was prodigal with love.  God gives each of us the ability to love and we must make right choices where we will invest that love.  The older son wasted his love by not giving it to his brother (or his father's son as he preferred).
3) The Father - The father was not a prodigal.  He spent what he had in the right ways.  Even giving the share to the younger son was right as he knew it would lead to important lessons.  More importantly, he offered his love to his son, despite his mistakes.  The father in this story represents the Heavenly Father, who spends in the right way, especially in giving us his Son Jesus Christ.

The question we have to ask is: Who in this story are we most like?

Church Dogmatics at a Crazy Price

One of the most important theological works is Karl Barth's Church Dogamtics.  For most of us, the price does not allow us to purchase this 14 volume work.  But Christian Book Distributors is making it available in hardcover for the incredible price of $99.99.  To put that into perspective, that is a savings of $895!  If you purchase it through this link, you can help support the work of Hope's Reason: A Journal of Apologetics.  I know I am planning on purchasing this set.

Church Dogmatics, 14 Volumes By Karl Barth / Hendrickson Publishers Karl Barth's Church Dogmatics is, arguably, the most important theological publication of the 20th Century. Reacting against a prevailing Enlightenment project (German Idealism), Barth sought to articulate an expression of Christian belief that nevertheless took seriously, and yet overcame the critique of Christian doctrine brought forth by 19th Century Protestant Liberalism, and the unsatisfactory re-construal of Christianity by rationalism's close relative, "Natural Theology". Most believe he succeeded wildly, and in doing so re-established Theology's ability to speak positively and confidently about faith, reason, and God in Jesus Christ.Since its publication in the United States the Dogmatics has remained relatively inaccessible to pastors, students, and even many professors due to its cost. Hendrickson Publishers, with its publication of the 14-volume set of the Church Dogmatics, has overcome this obstacle. Hendrickson is reproducing the original 14-volume set edited by T.F. Torrance and G.W. Bromiley first published more than forty years ago by T&T Clark. The Hendrickson edition will contain the entire 14-volume set and all its contents, or the entire Church Dogmatics as it was originally published by T&T Clark. This set is ideal for pastors, students, and scholars who have wanted to read Barth, but have been heretofore limited by the cost of such an endeavor. It is also an excellent opportunity for those who have had little exposure to Barth to become more familiar with a theologian who is increasingly influencing our understanding of the Trinity, Christology, Creation, Ecclesiology, the Christian life, ethics, biblical interpretation, and Christian interaction with culture and politics. In short, it is must reading for all students of theology and Scripture no matter their background or theological perspective. As Calvin's Institutes was the most influential theological masterpiece of the Reformation, there is little doubt that Barth's Dogmatics(if it has not done so already) will emerge to a similar status in relation to its own cultural and historical context. Note: As many of you know a 31vol. study edition of Barth's Dogmatics is now available. It is important to note that Hendrickson edition is not the same as the study edition. Moreover, the Hendrickson edition does not include translations of Greek, Latin, and other languages found sporadically throughout the Dogmatics.