Musings with PWC

  Spirituality and Sailing If you are not a sailor—too bad.  No really, if you are not a sailor let me tell you a few things that you need to know. # 1.  Sailing requires wind.  Yep hard to believe but it’s true.  No wind—no sailing. # 2.  Even when you have wind, there is still the possibility of the boat not moving or moving in the wrong direction. # 3.  Being a sailor requires some elementary concepts of how to ‘catch the wind’ and adjust the sail(s) and rudder to get the boat moving. A sailor needs to understand how to adjust the boat’s riggings to move the boat in the required direction.  This is not particularly rocket science, but it does require some knowledge and some practice.  It is best to learn sailing from a sailor.  It is best to crew a boat for a friend (read do what you are told by the captain) than to solo sail.  Be prepared to get wet and fail.  Anyone learning to sail will probably dump the boat over...

  Ps 42:8. But each day the LORD pours his unfailing love upon me, and through each night I sing his songs, praying to God who gives me life. Common life.  Everyone breathing benefits from the breath of life and the ability to be alive. God gives life—whether that life is acknowledged or not. Spiritual life.  Ah this is different.  It is the Spirit that gives life!  Here this is special life or special grace.  It is an opening of one’s understanding through divine grace and revelation of the need of spiritual life infused with forgiveness, grace, and freedom.  Unsaved person do not know they are dead in their trespasses and sins.  They are breathing God’s air.  They are the recipients of common life/ common grace—but they are dead—as dead as dead can be.  They think they are alive but they are totally deceived and they are trying to live their common life with as much life as they can muster up.  Now only spiritually alive pe...

  COVID 19 The Pandemic —a disease prevalent over a whole country or the world. What is this pandemic doing to our world? People are panicking.  They don’t know what to do! People are angry.  They want answers!  They want help. Some people are scoffing—saying it is all a conspiracy. Some don’t cooperate. Some cooperate. Some are making lots of money. Some are making no money. Some businesses are booming. Some businesses are closing. Some believe this is a purposeful move by the government to take over our rights. Some believe the government is doing the best they can, but they too are confused. Some say, the solution is the mask. Some say the real answer is in the vaccination. Some say the vaccination is another ploy by ‘someone’ to control the masses.  So, there is no way they are getting vaccinated. It’s confusing. But notice what is NOT happening! There is no call to repentance! There is no call to just seeking God, calling f...

  This week I experienced something very profound and powerful. I experienced seeing two individuals who were total opposites.  Let me tell you briefly about them.      First person.   Well this person was large in stature and large in attitude.   He was aggressive and emitted a “I’m ticked with life in general—and you are lucky I am going to serve you.”   I found him intimidating, large like I already said, and incredibly unhappy.   He seem like a born bully.   I did my best to be polite, kind, and share a little humour—but nope—that wasn’t going to work with Mr Bear,   After I made my purchase (can you believe less that $5.00—that further ticked him off!) , he placed my few items which I purchased on the counter with a little bag beside.   I offered to put the items into the bag as he wrote the receipt.   His response? “Well, Walmart doesn’t put your sh*t into your bag and you can be sure I won’t either!”   I w...

Two of the most horrific things I can imagine.   These two things are dreadful, they are frightening and they are awful.  You cannot find more ghastly things than these two things I will now mention. # 1:  Paying the price for your own sin The entire justice of God is revealed and met in the mission of Christ Jesus. I was once asked if God would send a homosexual to hell.  At the time, I was surprised at the answer that came out of my mouth (read—the Spirit gave me the answer!). “God doesn’t send anyone to hell.  People choose hell because they choose to pay the price for their own sin.” What, you may ask is the price for your sin?  “The wages of sin is death.” (Romans 6:23) “The soul that sins is the soul that dies” (Ezekiel 18:20) “If you eat the fruit of it you will surely die.” (Genesis 2:17) BUT… Jesus’ mission was to lay his life down as a sacrifice for my sin, your sins, and the sins of the world.  What a tragedy to refuse that s...

  Psalms 139: (NLT) 13 You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. 14 Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. 15 You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. 16 You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. I’m not quite sure what was meant by the following statement I recently read:  'Additionally, in Judaism, we believe life starts at the first breath, not conception.’  Now, I’m not a Jewish scholar, but I know the Psalm passage was written by a Jew—so there is a problem there. I am aware that this is counter cultural—however this is the way I see pro-choice as taught in Scripture.  I am also aware that this will not be a popular blog! I want to delicately suggest that I believe  the Bible tea...

  I am familiar with this following situation.   Many might not know this, but in certain countries it is illegal for nationals to eat beef.   The available beef in this country is for tourists.   A pastor was recently accused of eating beef and was placed in prison for one year.   I told that story, as literally thousands of other stories could be told of what I would call persecution.  I am reminded of the passage in Hebrews 10:32-39 Hebrews 10: (NLT) 32 Think back on those early days when you first learned about Christ. Remember how you remained faithful even though it meant terrible suffering. 33 Sometimes you were exposed to public ridicule and were beaten, and sometimes you helped others who were suffering the same things. 34 You suffered along with those who were thrown into jail, and when all you owned was taken from you, you accepted it with joy. You knew there were better things waiting for you that will last forever. 35 So do not throw aw...

Yes, there are bullies everywhere—even in church.  But what are we supposed to do with bullies? Usually most churches do nothing with their resident bullies and they tend to ruin the church in various ways.  I believe the scriptures will help us with three things.  And further—these three things are also a process that I have put in a certain order. Love covers a multitude of sins: 1 Peter 4:8 “ And above all things have fervent love for one another, for “love will cover a multitude of sins.”  This is the first and the greatest step…love!  Love the bullying out of them!  Ask God to heal them. Use the process outlined in Matthew 18:15-18 (NIV) Dealing With Sin in the Church15 “If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. 16 But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three wit...

  On Joe and the Stanley Cup Joe Thornton is coming to Toronto!  Everyone is pumped!  A few days ago I  was listening to a radio interview with Joe as the special guest. Talk of the Stanley cup came up.  This question was asked:  “Why the Stanley cup?  What’s so important about it?”   Joe’s response was as follows.  ‘You know even as kids, playing road hockey, you all imagine you are playing for the Stanley Cup.’ Then Joe said, “…the Stanley Cup, that’s why you play the game…it’s the big magical thing.”  Wow—that’s why you play the game!  I thought about that statement—that’s why you play the game!  That rang in my spirit because I realize that illustrates my spirituality and my spiritual life.  Here it is:  The reason I am able to live for Christ in a pretty much God-less culture that is more and more permeated with evil, selfishness, hatred, etc. is because of the prize—eternal intimacy with Jesus. Hu...

  I was looking for a place to do some work while waiting for my wife who was having her eyes checked at a hospital in downtown London.   I’m not a fan of finding a parking space in down-town anywhere.   I did however find a place at King’s University.   I read carefully the no parking signs and parked my van.   After Ruth was finished, she texted me and I left my outdoor picnic table study zone, packed my briefcase and got into the van and started driving over to St Josephs to pick her up.   Waiting at a stop sign, trying to get onto Richmond —which had all the signs of being the 401—I noticed something under my wiper blade.   Hmm.   Well as I had lots of time to wait, I jumped out and picked off a parking zone violation!   What!   They are wrong! After picking up Ruth I went back to the place I parked and took a picture of where I thought I had parked—-as evidence!  This was injustice at its finest.  Well, I read the tic...

In some religious orders, graduates of the ‘program’ take what is called a vow of obedience.  Part of that vow of obedience is submission to and obedience to a superior who will give appropriate direction in people’s lives.   After ‘handing yourself over to someone else’s directions,’ you will potentially have issues or concerns with what you are being told to do or, where you are being told to go.  It has been suggested that if you look at life as a series of hoops to jump through, you are always looking at the end as your ultimate goal. What about this approach?  Each event in life.  Every pain in life.  Every mistake.  Every victory.  Every decision.  Every trial.  Every hurt.  Every love.  Every enemy.  EVERYTHING is something used by God to form you! What if God is more interested in forming you into the person he needs you to be rather than achieving your end goal?  I have recently had the conversation w...

  Three gifts you have been given: Desire Openness Receptivity Thesis:  You will never receive anything from God except by revelation.  You are not looking for God—God is looking for you.  If God had chosen NOT to reveal himself, NO ONE would seek him nor find him.  God is a self-revealer. Definition:  Revelation—this means disclosure, making fully known. God cannot be found, located, known—unless he chooses first to reveal himself. What then is your responsibility?  If you cannot know God unless he reveals himself, what are you supposed to do? Three gifts God in grace has given you: Gift # 1:  Desire:  God has placed desire in your heart for himself.  There is deep inside EVERY human being a heart that is beating for God! Ecclesiastes 3:11 “ He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end.”  You...