Westmount Park Church > RSS > Articles en http://www.westmountparkchurch.org RSS Feed for Westmount Park Church Copyright: (C) Westmount Park Church, see http://www.westmountparkchurch.org for terms and conditions of reuse 60 Westmount Park Church Ecclesiact Web System for Churches http://www.ecclesiact.com <![CDATA[Is There Nothing we Can Do? Really?]]> It had been an extraordinary time of worship and celebration. One of the missionaries we support is a Wycliffe Bible translator. Our church has known her for over 35 years, and her family is deeply embedded in the DNA of our church. She had just come home after completing the translation of the New Testament into the Maithili language, a tongue spoken by a people group of 22 million people in Nepal and India. This was an historic occasion, and we celebrated it with her and many of her acquaintances and relatives present with us.




As I was standing near the exit where people say there good-byes and "God bless yous" to the preacher, one gentleman stopped to commend me on the emphasis I gave in my prayers (there was no sermon on this day). He said, with great conviction in his voice, "You are right. We can do absolutely nothing. There's nothing we can do." He said it so very solemnly. I knew it meant a lot to him to share something with me that was so important to him. So I thanked him and he was on his way. For what he had in mind, he was probably right.







But two things happened to me internally. The first thing is this. Often people will say to me as they leave, "I especially liked that part where you said..." and they will quote something I said, although I never said that. This might have been the case that day.





The second internal rumble can best be described as an inner conflict. Theologically, the statement is wrong. I KNOW that there is no salvation-winning merit in any of my actions. Jesus paid the entire price for my redemption. I also know that it is God who works in me both to will and to do of his good pleasure. I know and believe the Word where Jesus says, "apart from me you can do nothing." I get that.





But did you realize that even Jesus said this of himself? "By myself I can do nothing" (John 5:30). "I do nothing on my own" (John 8:28).





Here is the amazing thing. Jesus did not have a sin nature to contend with. But even with a pure sin-free nature, He pointed to the fact that as the Father's Son, he was completely dependent on His Father for everything that He was to do.





Thus, we should be that much more aware of how dependent we are on Christ our Lord. We are far from sinlessly perfect; thus we have a strong bent inside of us that wants its independence from anything that sounds like the submission/obedience/dependence dynamic.





On the other hand, there are other declarations in Scripture that say things such as Paul's words. "I can do everything through him who gives me strength" (Phil 4:13). Had I whispered those words into our visitors ear in response to his words, I'm sure he would have agreed wholeheartedly.





So here is my point. The Bible nowhere merely says "We can do nothing." Everywhere this is implied, there are modifiers.





Think of those heros of Bible translation in Nepal and India. For decades, day after day they would work on learning an obscure language, building contacts with key national figures who grew up in the language. Then they began to translate one paragraph at a time. It would have to be tested and retested. New fonts had to be developed by their IT department. Typesetting. Printing. Proof-reading. Publishing. Packing. Shipping. There was so much that needed to be done. Now how does that phrase sound. "Brother, we can do nothing.."





But they did it. It's not that they did nothing. It's that they did nothing apart from Him. But IN HIM, they gave it their all. As a matter of fact, Jesus gave his disciples these astonding words - 12 ...Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father." John 14:12.



I would not be surprised if the Lord were to place this feat of Bible translation under the category of those greater works.



If we are standing in the right place, there are all kinds of things we can and should do. We must do.


By standing in the right place, I mean understanding and believing with all of my heart that God is Sovereign and I owe Him my all.


By standing in the right place I mean that I believe Jesus Christ atoned for all of my sin(s), and there is nothing left for me to do to "top off" any kind of payment to God by my works, penitence or devotion. Jesus indeed, "paid it all".





But now, on this side of Calvary we can and must be doing. In His strength, of course. In His name, to be sure. But we dare not be passive; there is so much to do. Let's maintain balance in our theology.

]]> 144392555 Mon, 19 Dec 2011 08:34:24 GMT Westmount Park Church http://www.westmountparkchurch.org 1866539317 144392555 0 2011-12-19 It had been an extraordinary time of worship and celebration. One of the missionaries we support is a Wycliffe Bible translator. Our church has known her for over 35 years, and her family is deeply embedded in the DNA of our church. She had just come home after completing the translation of the New Testament into the Maithili language, a tongue spoken by a people group of 22 million people in Nepal and India. This was an historic occasion, and we celebrated it with her and many of her acquaintances and relatives present with us.




As I was standing near the exit where people say there good-byes and "God bless yous" to the preacher, one gentleman stopped to commend me on the emphasis I gave in my prayers (there was no sermon on this day). He said, with great conviction in his voice, "You are right. We can do absolutely nothing. There's nothing we can do." He said it so very solemnly. I knew it meant a lot to him to share something with me that was so important to him. So I thanked him and he was on his way. For what he had in mind, he was probably right.







But two things happened to me internally. The first thing is this. Often people will say to me as they leave, "I especially liked that part where you said..." and they will quote something I said, although I never said that. This might have been the case that day.





The second internal rumble can best be described as an inner conflict. Theologically, the statement is wrong. I KNOW that there is no salvation-winning merit in any of my actions. Jesus paid the entire price for my redemption. I also know that it is God who works in me both to will and to do of his good pleasure. I know and believe the Word where Jesus says, "apart from me you can do nothing." I get that.





But did you realize that even Jesus said this of himself? "By myself I can do nothing" (John 5:30). "I do nothing on my own" (John 8:28).





Here is the amazing thing. Jesus did not have a sin nature to contend with. But even with a pure sin-free nature, He pointed to the fact that as the Father's Son, he was completely dependent on His Father for everything that He was to do.





Thus, we should be that much more aware of how dependent we are on Christ our Lord. We are far from sinlessly perfect; thus we have a strong bent inside of us that wants its independence from anything that sounds like the submission/obedience/dependence dynamic.





On the other hand, there are other declarations in Scripture that say things such as Paul's words. "I can do everything through him who gives me strength" (Phil 4:13). Had I whispered those words into our visitors ear in response to his words, I'm sure he would have agreed wholeheartedly.





So here is my point. The Bible nowhere merely says "We can do nothing." Everywhere this is implied, there are modifiers.





Think of those heros of Bible translation in Nepal and India. For decades, day after day they would work on learning an obscure language, building contacts with key national figures who grew up in the language. Then they began to translate one paragraph at a time. It would have to be tested and retested. New fonts had to be developed by their IT department. Typesetting. Printing. Proof-reading. Publishing. Packing. Shipping. There was so much that needed to be done. Now how does that phrase sound. "Brother, we can do nothing.."





But they did it. It's not that they did nothing. It's that they did nothing apart from Him. But IN HIM, they gave it their all. As a matter of fact, Jesus gave his disciples these astonding words - 12 ...Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father." John 14:12.



I would not be surprised if the Lord were to place this feat of Bible translation under the category of those greater works.



If we are standing in the right place, there are all kinds of things we can and should do. We must do.


By standing in the right place, I mean understanding and believing with all of my heart that God is Sovereign and I owe Him my all.


By standing in the right place I mean that I believe Jesus Christ atoned for all of my sin(s), and there is nothing left for me to do to "top off" any kind of payment to God by my works, penitence or devotion. Jesus indeed, "paid it all".





But now, on this side of Calvary we can and must be doing. In His strength, of course. In His name, to be sure. But we dare not be passive; there is so much to do. Let's maintain balance in our theology.

]]> <![CDATA[The Nature of God Part 1]]>
This series of messages is challenging, because the topic headings are huge, and I have to select those points that I consider the most important ones those points that every Christian ought to know, defend and enthusiastically promote. It's something like the task of defining the universe. It's impossible. And so today, we talk about God. How is that for a broad topic?




Something I am going to leave for another day is to simply discuss the existence of God. Providing evidence of his existence is a huge discussion, and that falls more under the category of Apologetics rather than the nature of God and HOW he exists. If that is something that is of interest to you, talk to Dave Stubbs. Or send me an email J

Something else by way of introduction here we can discuss what God is like till the cows come home. But unless we talk about our relationship to those truths, we are wasting our time. So all along during this message, I want you to be asking yourself the question, ...What does this mean to me? What are the implications of this truth to my life?o Will you keep that in the back of your mind as you listen? And feel free to text your questions, or write them on a slip of paper and we will collect them at the end.

So I am going to do like the Bible does as far as the existence of God is concerned. I am going to ASSUME his existence. I am not going to PROVE His existence.

The Bible says at the very beginning, ...In the beginning God. ...
So we are in good company by simply assuming the existence of God.

Now, whenever I go on to a secular discussion board on the Internet and join in where they are having a religious discussion, this inevitably comes up.

Christians are arrogant because they assume that God is a personal God who cares about people. In other words, the assumption in the minds of those who are blinded to truth, is that if there is a God, He is so big, so powerful, so almighty and so vast and incomprehensible in His being that He would not possibly care about this little planet, and these humans that are simply ...ugly bags of mostly watero

1. Knowability
Now, whenever I go on to a secular discussion board on the Internet and join in where they are having a religious discussion, this accusation inevitably comes up.

Christians are so arrogant because they assume that God is a personal God who cares about people. In other words, the assumption in the minds of those who are blinded to truth, is that if there is a God, He must be so big, so powerful, so almighty, so vast and incomprehensible in His being that He would not possibly care about this little pencil point of a planet, and these humans that are simply made up of ...mostly watero (a reference to a Star Trek episode where aliens refer to humans thus.)

That brings us to the first major point about God. Is God KNOWABLE? Is He a personal God? Or is He just some all-powerful Super source of intelligent impersonal energy?

The Bible is very clear on this, even though humanity is not. The Bible teaches, without ambiguity, that we can know God personally.
John 17:1 3 (NIV84)
1After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed: ...Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. 2For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. 3Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.
In other words, it is critical to know the Father. If you do not know the Father or the Son, you do not have eternal life!

And in our Scripture reading, we see that God encourages us (if we are going to boast about anything) to BOAST about knowing Him..
Jeremiah 9:24 (NIV84) (this is our memory verse for this week)
24but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight,o declares the Lord.
So this goes further than ...knowing about Godo
But let's stop for a minute and ask the question How do I know that I know Him?

Well, let's get logical. How do you know that you know me? How well do you know me? How would you get to know me better?? Who do you think knows me the best?

Knowing what I look like does NOT help you very much. Seeing me does not help you. I see the same man walking up my street every day, but I do not know him.

Here's the deal. And this may surprise you. You cannot know Him personally JUST by reading the Bible. You can know about Him.
But the Bible says, in 2 Cor 4:6 - 2 Corinthians 4:6 (NIV84)
6For God, who said, ...Let light shine out of darkness,o made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.
It is only by a merciful revelation of God that any of us can get to know Him. And it is initiated by faith.
1 Cor 1:21 says ...in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him,o

And here is something very important to factor in: 2 Corinthians 4:4 (NIV84)
4The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
SO, God chooses to make himself knowable. However, we cannot know or understand Him completely, or exhaustively, on any point. See Ps 139:6 In a Psalm where the Psalmist sings God's praises for being all knowing, all-powerful and present everywhere at once, he says ...Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.o

So we cannot be arrogant about this. We must always remember what an awesome privilege it is to know our Creator.

So, from a practical point of view, what are the implications that God is knowable, and THAT I CAN CLAIM to know Him?

What did Jeremiah say in our memory verse? Two words I want you to focus on:
Glory, and Boast.
Therefore -
1. Knowing Him is the source of my JOY.
2. Knowing Him is the fountain of my significance.
My confidence and sense of significance is ultimately NOT to come from my strength, my gifts, my abilities, my wealth or my beauty.
It comes from knowing HIM.

Is that hard to understand? Think of it as a love relationship. Every young woman who has had a mad crush on a guy knows how this works. Now transfer all of that over to God.

It gets better as we begin to ask ourselves the question,
...So what is God Like?o

Let's go back to the beginning. Some may say this is backwards. But bear with me.
In the beginning, we are told, God created the heavens and the earth. And as he created animals, we are told that He created each of them AFTER ITS OWN KIND.
But when it comes to the creation of MAN, we are told that we were created in the image of God, after his likeness. We are distinct, from the rest of creation in this respect.

THAT IS WHY we have this kinship with God, this sense of wanting to connect with our Creator. And there are qualities within US that help us understand what He is like.

For instance, when we are told that God is LOVE, we know SOMETHING of what that means, because it is a part of our nature to LOVE. There are qualities (or characteristics) of God that He has shared with us. We are partakers of those characteristics. Only our love has been marred and distorted by sin, and is therefore imperfect.

And then there are other characteristics that He has not shared with us.

Theologians call this distinction, the communicable and the incommunicable attributes of God. (Shared, not shared)

SO here are some qualities of God that help me a great deal.

1. He is independent (i.e. He does not need us or the rest of His creation). So think about the implications of this statement ...I love you, but I do not need you to make me complete.o What does that say to you? I don't know about you, but I would not want a God who depends on MY faith to somehow make him more fulfilled. His independence is what makes his love so free. Unconditional.

Read Acts 17:25
25And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else.
DO NOT make the mistake of assuming that God was somehow lonely, and needed company, and therefore created Man. Or that God was needing to be worshipped and glorified, and therefore he created us to be his worshippers.

God exists in eternity as the perfect three-in-one. Listen to what Jesus said in his prayer in John 17:5 Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.

God always existed as the Trinity, and was never lonely or needy for anything. Existing in perfect community as Father, Son and Holy Spirit, He created out of Joy, not out of need.

But here is something extraordinarily amazing:
Although God has No Need, He rejoices over us and is glorified in and through us. Let me share with you some amazing verses: (Although these passages are speaking about Israel, this does show us something about the nature of God.)
Isaiah 43:6 7 (NIV84) Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the ends of the earth' 7everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.o
Zephaniah 3:17 (NIV84)
17The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.o
Now, are you ready for the next great attribute of God that gives me great comfort?

His unchangeableness.
God says of Himself,
Psalm 102:25 27 (NIV84) 25In the beginning you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. 26They will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment. Like clothing you will change them and they will be discarded. 27But you remain the same, and your years will never end.
Malachi 3:6 (NIV84) 6...I the Lord do not change. So you, O descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed.
James 1:17 (ESV)
17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.

Let me anticipate a question here What about passages where it is apparent that God changed his mind, or expressed regret that he created man?

1. This doctrine of unchangeability has to do more with his character than his attitude towards sin and repentance and prayer. In other words, God's character behind the story of Noah remains the same. He is both merciful and just. If wicked people repent, in mercy |He will forgive them, and his justice is held in reserve. But His character does not change.
2. What about prayer? Moses prayed and the lives of the children of Israel were spared, after God threatened to wipe them all out and start all over again with Moses himself. Again, it is BECAUSE Moses knew God's character that he is not ambivalent or changeable that he was able to appeal to his mercy, and because Moses knew that God uses prayer as a means of accomplishing his purpose1/2

So why does this doctrine give me a very practical comfort?
He is absolutely reliable. We can take him at his word. We KNOW where He stands.

He will not change his mind about me. I may change. He never changes. His standards of holiness and righteousness remain the same and his mercy and grace and love never change.
That is why we can say along with Moses, God is my Rock.

His Omnipresence

Simply put, God exists everywhere, at once, completely.

Jer 23
23 ...Am I a God at hand, declares the Lord, and not a God far away? 24Can a man hide himself in secret places so that I cannot see him? declares the Lord. Do I not fill heaven and earth? declares the Lord.


One of my favorite verses: Acts 17:28 In Him we live and move and have our being.

There is so much more to say. But this is enough for today.

But let's think of what this God means to each one of us.

What does it mean to you that He is eternal?
Unchangeable?
All powerful?
Completely present everywhere?
Independent?

Do you worship Him? Do you long for Him?



]]> 2008136272 Wed, 23 Nov 2011 10:01:54 GMT Westmount Park Church http://www.westmountparkchurch.org 1866539317 2008136272 0 2011-11-23
This series of messages is challenging, because the topic headings are huge, and I have to select those points that I consider the most important ones those points that every Christian ought to know, defend and enthusiastically promote. It's something like the task of defining the universe. It's impossible. And so today, we talk about God. How is that for a broad topic?




Something I am going to leave for another day is to simply discuss the existence of God. Providing evidence of his existence is a huge discussion, and that falls more under the category of Apologetics rather than the nature of God and HOW he exists. If that is something that is of interest to you, talk to Dave Stubbs. Or send me an email J

Something else by way of introduction here we can discuss what God is like till the cows come home. But unless we talk about our relationship to those truths, we are wasting our time. So all along during this message, I want you to be asking yourself the question, ...What does this mean to me? What are the implications of this truth to my life?o Will you keep that in the back of your mind as you listen? And feel free to text your questions, or write them on a slip of paper and we will collect them at the end.

So I am going to do like the Bible does as far as the existence of God is concerned. I am going to ASSUME his existence. I am not going to PROVE His existence.

The Bible says at the very beginning, ...In the beginning God. ...
So we are in good company by simply assuming the existence of God.

Now, whenever I go on to a secular discussion board on the Internet and join in where they are having a religious discussion, this inevitably comes up.

Christians are arrogant because they assume that God is a personal God who cares about people. In other words, the assumption in the minds of those who are blinded to truth, is that if there is a God, He is so big, so powerful, so almighty and so vast and incomprehensible in His being that He would not possibly care about this little planet, and these humans that are simply ...ugly bags of mostly watero

1. Knowability
Now, whenever I go on to a secular discussion board on the Internet and join in where they are having a religious discussion, this accusation inevitably comes up.

Christians are so arrogant because they assume that God is a personal God who cares about people. In other words, the assumption in the minds of those who are blinded to truth, is that if there is a God, He must be so big, so powerful, so almighty, so vast and incomprehensible in His being that He would not possibly care about this little pencil point of a planet, and these humans that are simply made up of ...mostly watero (a reference to a Star Trek episode where aliens refer to humans thus.)

That brings us to the first major point about God. Is God KNOWABLE? Is He a personal God? Or is He just some all-powerful Super source of intelligent impersonal energy?

The Bible is very clear on this, even though humanity is not. The Bible teaches, without ambiguity, that we can know God personally.
John 17:1 3 (NIV84)
1After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed: ...Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. 2For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. 3Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.
In other words, it is critical to know the Father. If you do not know the Father or the Son, you do not have eternal life!

And in our Scripture reading, we see that God encourages us (if we are going to boast about anything) to BOAST about knowing Him..
Jeremiah 9:24 (NIV84) (this is our memory verse for this week)
24but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight,o declares the Lord.
So this goes further than ...knowing about Godo
But let's stop for a minute and ask the question How do I know that I know Him?

Well, let's get logical. How do you know that you know me? How well do you know me? How would you get to know me better?? Who do you think knows me the best?

Knowing what I look like does NOT help you very much. Seeing me does not help you. I see the same man walking up my street every day, but I do not know him.

Here's the deal. And this may surprise you. You cannot know Him personally JUST by reading the Bible. You can know about Him.
But the Bible says, in 2 Cor 4:6 - 2 Corinthians 4:6 (NIV84)
6For God, who said, ...Let light shine out of darkness,o made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.
It is only by a merciful revelation of God that any of us can get to know Him. And it is initiated by faith.
1 Cor 1:21 says ...in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him,o

And here is something very important to factor in: 2 Corinthians 4:4 (NIV84)
4The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
SO, God chooses to make himself knowable. However, we cannot know or understand Him completely, or exhaustively, on any point. See Ps 139:6 In a Psalm where the Psalmist sings God's praises for being all knowing, all-powerful and present everywhere at once, he says ...Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.o

So we cannot be arrogant about this. We must always remember what an awesome privilege it is to know our Creator.

So, from a practical point of view, what are the implications that God is knowable, and THAT I CAN CLAIM to know Him?

What did Jeremiah say in our memory verse? Two words I want you to focus on:
Glory, and Boast.
Therefore -
1. Knowing Him is the source of my JOY.
2. Knowing Him is the fountain of my significance.
My confidence and sense of significance is ultimately NOT to come from my strength, my gifts, my abilities, my wealth or my beauty.
It comes from knowing HIM.

Is that hard to understand? Think of it as a love relationship. Every young woman who has had a mad crush on a guy knows how this works. Now transfer all of that over to God.

It gets better as we begin to ask ourselves the question,
...So what is God Like?o

Let's go back to the beginning. Some may say this is backwards. But bear with me.
In the beginning, we are told, God created the heavens and the earth. And as he created animals, we are told that He created each of them AFTER ITS OWN KIND.
But when it comes to the creation of MAN, we are told that we were created in the image of God, after his likeness. We are distinct, from the rest of creation in this respect.

THAT IS WHY we have this kinship with God, this sense of wanting to connect with our Creator. And there are qualities within US that help us understand what He is like.

For instance, when we are told that God is LOVE, we know SOMETHING of what that means, because it is a part of our nature to LOVE. There are qualities (or characteristics) of God that He has shared with us. We are partakers of those characteristics. Only our love has been marred and distorted by sin, and is therefore imperfect.

And then there are other characteristics that He has not shared with us.

Theologians call this distinction, the communicable and the incommunicable attributes of God. (Shared, not shared)

SO here are some qualities of God that help me a great deal.

1. He is independent (i.e. He does not need us or the rest of His creation). So think about the implications of this statement ...I love you, but I do not need you to make me complete.o What does that say to you? I don't know about you, but I would not want a God who depends on MY faith to somehow make him more fulfilled. His independence is what makes his love so free. Unconditional.

Read Acts 17:25
25And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else.
DO NOT make the mistake of assuming that God was somehow lonely, and needed company, and therefore created Man. Or that God was needing to be worshipped and glorified, and therefore he created us to be his worshippers.

God exists in eternity as the perfect three-in-one. Listen to what Jesus said in his prayer in John 17:5 Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.

God always existed as the Trinity, and was never lonely or needy for anything. Existing in perfect community as Father, Son and Holy Spirit, He created out of Joy, not out of need.

But here is something extraordinarily amazing:
Although God has No Need, He rejoices over us and is glorified in and through us. Let me share with you some amazing verses: (Although these passages are speaking about Israel, this does show us something about the nature of God.)
Isaiah 43:6 7 (NIV84) Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the ends of the earth' 7everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.o
Zephaniah 3:17 (NIV84)
17The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.o
Now, are you ready for the next great attribute of God that gives me great comfort?

His unchangeableness.
God says of Himself,
Psalm 102:25 27 (NIV84) 25In the beginning you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. 26They will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment. Like clothing you will change them and they will be discarded. 27But you remain the same, and your years will never end.
Malachi 3:6 (NIV84) 6...I the Lord do not change. So you, O descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed.
James 1:17 (ESV)
17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.

Let me anticipate a question here What about passages where it is apparent that God changed his mind, or expressed regret that he created man?

1. This doctrine of unchangeability has to do more with his character than his attitude towards sin and repentance and prayer. In other words, God's character behind the story of Noah remains the same. He is both merciful and just. If wicked people repent, in mercy |He will forgive them, and his justice is held in reserve. But His character does not change.
2. What about prayer? Moses prayed and the lives of the children of Israel were spared, after God threatened to wipe them all out and start all over again with Moses himself. Again, it is BECAUSE Moses knew God's character that he is not ambivalent or changeable that he was able to appeal to his mercy, and because Moses knew that God uses prayer as a means of accomplishing his purpose1/2

So why does this doctrine give me a very practical comfort?
He is absolutely reliable. We can take him at his word. We KNOW where He stands.

He will not change his mind about me. I may change. He never changes. His standards of holiness and righteousness remain the same and his mercy and grace and love never change.
That is why we can say along with Moses, God is my Rock.

His Omnipresence

Simply put, God exists everywhere, at once, completely.

Jer 23
23 ...Am I a God at hand, declares the Lord, and not a God far away? 24Can a man hide himself in secret places so that I cannot see him? declares the Lord. Do I not fill heaven and earth? declares the Lord.


One of my favorite verses: Acts 17:28 In Him we live and move and have our being.

There is so much more to say. But this is enough for today.

But let's think of what this God means to each one of us.

What does it mean to you that He is eternal?
Unchangeable?
All powerful?
Completely present everywhere?
Independent?

Do you worship Him? Do you long for Him?



]]> <![CDATA[Are You Saved?]]>
How do you respond when someone tells you that you need to be saved? And have you wondered to yourself, ...Saved from what?o Have you wondered why that person thinks you need to be saved? Did he think you were in danger of some sort? Are you about to walk in front of a speeding Mack truck? Does he know something you don't?






As a child, I was on an inner tube at the lake, blissfully having a great time, but totally unaware that I was in water that was way over my head. I had floated out to where the big boys were playing, and one of them reached over and flipped me off my inner tube. Down I went. I didn't know how to swim. While swallowing water (half the lake, it seemed) I somehow thrashed my way towards the sunlight even though I hardly knew which way was up. Thankfully, someone recognized my difficulty and pulled me in. I was saved. Rescued.

What if someone had said to me at that point, ...You need to be savedo? In between gulps of air and water, I might have answered with ...Thanks, Captain Obvious!o

So where does this salvation language come from that Christians use? The answer is rather simple. It comes from the Holy Scriptures, the Bible. Christians believe the Bible is God's Word, His message to all of mankind.

Jesus used that language when he walked the earth. Here is an example of what He said and taught. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. (John 10:9).

According to Jesus, entering the kingdom of God through the ...gatewayo that He claimed to be and ...being savedo was the same thing. He regarded mankind as being lost and in terrible danger of never finding their way back home to the heart of God. The gateway to the heart of God is Jesus Christ. This is why he taught us the following words:

16 ...For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16).

While I was almost drowning, it would have done me no good to tell me to learn how to swim. I could not have rescued myself. I needed someone to pull me out of the water. I had no strength or skill to do that on my own. Had it not been for that person who reached down and rescued me, I would not be here today.

It is the same in the spiritual realm. The Bible teaches us that we cannot save ourselves. We do not have the capacity to do that. We are disconnected from God, and the very thing that we need to be rescued lies not with us, but with God. It's called, God's grace. He needs to extend his grace to us. We do not need to extend our best efforts to Him. They simply get in the way.

So how does God's grace reach me?

Here is how it all works together. Jesus Christ died on the cross to actually pay the penalty for our sins. Our sins are what keeps us disconnected from God. As we place our complete trust in Him (remember John 3:16?) God reconciles us to Himself. We are forgiven of all our moral failures. Jesus has taken care of all that through his death. We are promised this in His Word. Our responsibility is to simply believe with all our hearts that Jesus did this for us.

So what are we saved from? We are saved from the danger of being lost to God. We are saved from condemnation and judgment by God. We are saved to live a life of meaning and purpose. We are saved to live for God's pleasure. Now do you understand what it means when someone asks you, ...Have you been saved?o

It is impossible to explain all of it in a short leaflet. If you have any questions or feedback, please consider contacting us or joining us to learn the teachings of Jesus together.


]]> 560952560 Sat, 04 Feb 2012 16:25:37 GMT Westmount Park Church http://www.westmountparkchurch.org 1866539317 560952560 0 2011-08-23
How do you respond when someone tells you that you need to be saved? And have you wondered to yourself, ...Saved from what?o Have you wondered why that person thinks you need to be saved? Did he think you were in danger of some sort? Are you about to walk in front of a speeding Mack truck? Does he know something you don't?






As a child, I was on an inner tube at the lake, blissfully having a great time, but totally unaware that I was in water that was way over my head. I had floated out to where the big boys were playing, and one of them reached over and flipped me off my inner tube. Down I went. I didn't know how to swim. While swallowing water (half the lake, it seemed) I somehow thrashed my way towards the sunlight even though I hardly knew which way was up. Thankfully, someone recognized my difficulty and pulled me in. I was saved. Rescued.

What if someone had said to me at that point, ...You need to be savedo? In between gulps of air and water, I might have answered with ...Thanks, Captain Obvious!o

So where does this salvation language come from that Christians use? The answer is rather simple. It comes from the Holy Scriptures, the Bible. Christians believe the Bible is God's Word, His message to all of mankind.

Jesus used that language when he walked the earth. Here is an example of what He said and taught. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. (John 10:9).

According to Jesus, entering the kingdom of God through the ...gatewayo that He claimed to be and ...being savedo was the same thing. He regarded mankind as being lost and in terrible danger of never finding their way back home to the heart of God. The gateway to the heart of God is Jesus Christ. This is why he taught us the following words:

16 ...For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16).

While I was almost drowning, it would have done me no good to tell me to learn how to swim. I could not have rescued myself. I needed someone to pull me out of the water. I had no strength or skill to do that on my own. Had it not been for that person who reached down and rescued me, I would not be here today.

It is the same in the spiritual realm. The Bible teaches us that we cannot save ourselves. We do not have the capacity to do that. We are disconnected from God, and the very thing that we need to be rescued lies not with us, but with God. It's called, God's grace. He needs to extend his grace to us. We do not need to extend our best efforts to Him. They simply get in the way.

So how does God's grace reach me?

Here is how it all works together. Jesus Christ died on the cross to actually pay the penalty for our sins. Our sins are what keeps us disconnected from God. As we place our complete trust in Him (remember John 3:16?) God reconciles us to Himself. We are forgiven of all our moral failures. Jesus has taken care of all that through his death. We are promised this in His Word. Our responsibility is to simply believe with all our hearts that Jesus did this for us.

So what are we saved from? We are saved from the danger of being lost to God. We are saved from condemnation and judgment by God. We are saved to live a life of meaning and purpose. We are saved to live for God's pleasure. Now do you understand what it means when someone asks you, ...Have you been saved?o

It is impossible to explain all of it in a short leaflet. If you have any questions or feedback, please consider contacting us or joining us to learn the teachings of Jesus together.


]]> <![CDATA[Shackin' Up Isn't Measuring Up]]>
I am a man of simple tastes. Although my wife is an artist and adds colour to my life in a lot of different ways, she shares my views when it comes to simplicity in some things. Our wedding (38 years ago in May) was a case in point.

We didn't want to exclude anyone from sharing in our joy, so we handed out invitations to everyone and anyone in the church the Sunday prior to our wedding day.Of course, friends of ours outside of the church received an invitation as well. We printed our own invitations using the silk screen printing method on our kitchen table (these were the days before ink jet printers and computers).





It was a thing of beauty in its simplicity. During the Sunday morning service, the minister announced that the congregation would be witness to a couple who wanted to take their wedding vows as a part of their church life. Carole and I repeated our vows to one another that Sunday morning and following the service, we had a small reception in the afternoon.

We could have gone even simpler. We could have just moved in with each other. No fuss, no expense, no celebration, no vows. But that wasn't in the cards. I'm so glad it wasn't.

There is a clear body of growing evidence that indicates that if a lasting union is what you want, getting married increases your chances by far.

Ironically, couples say that their motive for shacking up was to 'make sure they were compatible' first. In other words, they believe that, like new clothes, they need to 'try each other on', before they make the final choice.

And that's what they do in droves. I don't have Canadian figures, but in the U.S. the number of couples cohabiting has risen by about 700% from the 1960's to the present.

Playing house before marriage is a model that is now preceding 50 % of all marriages. Research shows these couples are divorcing at a much greater rate than those who entered their union with a wedding preceding their union. It is so clearly demonstrable now that cohabitation is NOT working, and even secular sociologists are pointing it out.

It was common in the sixties to say ...What does a piece of paper have to do with making my chances better at staying together? How can our love be enhanced by a signature on paper?o

The fact is, that a legality and a public vow in many cases can make all the difference. Every relationship has its ups and downs. If I am in a relationship with an attitude that says, ...I'm trying this out, and I won't commit until I know this can worko, guess who will walk at the first sign of difficulty? And especially if I am a guy who typically wants the whole enchilada without counting the cost, I will go looking for another partner who will make what I am looking for easy to get.

On the other hand, if I am in a publicly declared committed relationship, with an attitude that says, ...I am in this relationship for my partner, in sickness and health and for better or for worseo, then again, when things are tough, I do not come at the problem with a 'me and my satisfaction first' attitude.

The empirical bottom line is this. Men and women both are happier, healthier, and more sexually satisfied in marriage than in cohabitation. Imagine always being on trial in a relationship; never knowing whether your partner will walk or stay.

If the authority of the Scriptures mean anything to you, you need to know that a the wedding was always a covenant event held before God and society. All sexual interaction outside of marriage was always deemed harmful to the soul (read sin). The results are in. Shacking up doesn't measure up. Plain and simple.
-Werner Peters


]]> 591235197 Thu, 18 Aug 2011 14:44:54 GMT Westmount Park Church http://www.westmountparkchurch.org 1866539317 591235197 0 2011-08-18
I am a man of simple tastes. Although my wife is an artist and adds colour to my life in a lot of different ways, she shares my views when it comes to simplicity in some things. Our wedding (38 years ago in May) was a case in point.

We didn't want to exclude anyone from sharing in our joy, so we handed out invitations to everyone and anyone in the church the Sunday prior to our wedding day.Of course, friends of ours outside of the church received an invitation as well. We printed our own invitations using the silk screen printing method on our kitchen table (these were the days before ink jet printers and computers).





It was a thing of beauty in its simplicity. During the Sunday morning service, the minister announced that the congregation would be witness to a couple who wanted to take their wedding vows as a part of their church life. Carole and I repeated our vows to one another that Sunday morning and following the service, we had a small reception in the afternoon.

We could have gone even simpler. We could have just moved in with each other. No fuss, no expense, no celebration, no vows. But that wasn't in the cards. I'm so glad it wasn't.

There is a clear body of growing evidence that indicates that if a lasting union is what you want, getting married increases your chances by far.

Ironically, couples say that their motive for shacking up was to 'make sure they were compatible' first. In other words, they believe that, like new clothes, they need to 'try each other on', before they make the final choice.

And that's what they do in droves. I don't have Canadian figures, but in the U.S. the number of couples cohabiting has risen by about 700% from the 1960's to the present.

Playing house before marriage is a model that is now preceding 50 % of all marriages. Research shows these couples are divorcing at a much greater rate than those who entered their union with a wedding preceding their union. It is so clearly demonstrable now that cohabitation is NOT working, and even secular sociologists are pointing it out.

It was common in the sixties to say ...What does a piece of paper have to do with making my chances better at staying together? How can our love be enhanced by a signature on paper?o

The fact is, that a legality and a public vow in many cases can make all the difference. Every relationship has its ups and downs. If I am in a relationship with an attitude that says, ...I'm trying this out, and I won't commit until I know this can worko, guess who will walk at the first sign of difficulty? And especially if I am a guy who typically wants the whole enchilada without counting the cost, I will go looking for another partner who will make what I am looking for easy to get.

On the other hand, if I am in a publicly declared committed relationship, with an attitude that says, ...I am in this relationship for my partner, in sickness and health and for better or for worseo, then again, when things are tough, I do not come at the problem with a 'me and my satisfaction first' attitude.

The empirical bottom line is this. Men and women both are happier, healthier, and more sexually satisfied in marriage than in cohabitation. Imagine always being on trial in a relationship; never knowing whether your partner will walk or stay.

If the authority of the Scriptures mean anything to you, you need to know that a the wedding was always a covenant event held before God and society. All sexual interaction outside of marriage was always deemed harmful to the soul (read sin). The results are in. Shacking up doesn't measure up. Plain and simple.
-Werner Peters


]]> <![CDATA[If I have Offended Anyone...]]>
While watching a news program tonight I was reminded of a pet peeve of mine. It's the ...If-you've-been-offended-I- apologizeo apology. Yes, I have even heard this in Christian circles. Many people have been apologizing in the news lately. Some of the Vancouver rioters following the Canuck loss of the Stanley Cup tournament are coming forward to apologize (only after being caught of course), and certain celebrities and politicians who outright lie to everyone about their moral ...mis-stepso and scandals that they have unloosed with their outrageous behaviour. And many of those apologies are of that simpering variety that really says very little.
Isn't it obvious that when I say ...If you were offended..o I am placing the burden of responsibility on you for being offended? It makes the offended party look like he is some kind of sissy who is hurt far too easily. We should all toughen up. That way we will not be offended!


So imagine the Christian saying this to the Lord. ...Forgive us our trespasses, (if you were offended) . Dear God, I apologize for that white lie! (But you should really not be so sensitive! Maybe you could scale back a little bit on your sensitivity-meter!)
If you have a habit of apologizing like that (and yes, I have done this once or twice), you don't understand the nature of trespass and guilt. When we sin, we incur real guilt; a legal guilt before a holy God. Many people have acquired an understanding of how God looks upon sin by hearing that ...God cannot be in the presence of sino, as if sin is to God what kryptonite is to Superman; i.e. he cannot bear sin.
In reality, it is sinful man that cannot bear to be in the presence of a holy God. God is everywhere, so He does not flee the presence of sin, as if it were poisonous to his nature. But we stand condemned and will end up in an eternal Hell as a consequence of our toxic sin if it has not been forgiven.
Think about it. Our sinful actions cannot be undone. They are recorded by time itself. We cannot time travel into the past to reverse our actions. Sin makes its mark that cannot be erased apart from a remedy that only God can provide. So when I offend God; i.e. break his moral commandments, there is nothing I can do about it except to hope that He is merciful. And He is!

Forgiveness is the only remedy for sin.

And to be forgiven, I must have the right attitude towards God, and that attitude is one of faithful repentance. The Bible tells us clearly, ...If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousnesso (1 John 1:9).
But we cannot come to him and say ...If I have offended you, please forgive.o
We must agree with God. (That's what confession means). Let your confession of sin be rigorous. Pray something like: ...I am a sinner, and I deserve to be lost forever. But I ask you God, to forgive me of my sins. I understand and believe that Jesus Christ, your Son died so that it becomes possible for you to forgive sin. May you have mercy upon me and allow the atonement of your Son to be applied to my sins as well! Your grace is the only remedy I have.o
That is one prayer that God will always answer.
]]> 1454320319 Mon, 27 Jun 2011 09:12:51 GMT Westmount Park Church http://www.westmountparkchurch.org 1866539317 1454320319 0 2011-06-25
While watching a news program tonight I was reminded of a pet peeve of mine. It's the ...If-you've-been-offended-I- apologizeo apology. Yes, I have even heard this in Christian circles. Many people have been apologizing in the news lately. Some of the Vancouver rioters following the Canuck loss of the Stanley Cup tournament are coming forward to apologize (only after being caught of course), and certain celebrities and politicians who outright lie to everyone about their moral ...mis-stepso and scandals that they have unloosed with their outrageous behaviour. And many of those apologies are of that simpering variety that really says very little.
Isn't it obvious that when I say ...If you were offended..o I am placing the burden of responsibility on you for being offended? It makes the offended party look like he is some kind of sissy who is hurt far too easily. We should all toughen up. That way we will not be offended!


So imagine the Christian saying this to the Lord. ...Forgive us our trespasses, (if you were offended) . Dear God, I apologize for that white lie! (But you should really not be so sensitive! Maybe you could scale back a little bit on your sensitivity-meter!)
If you have a habit of apologizing like that (and yes, I have done this once or twice), you don't understand the nature of trespass and guilt. When we sin, we incur real guilt; a legal guilt before a holy God. Many people have acquired an understanding of how God looks upon sin by hearing that ...God cannot be in the presence of sino, as if sin is to God what kryptonite is to Superman; i.e. he cannot bear sin.
In reality, it is sinful man that cannot bear to be in the presence of a holy God. God is everywhere, so He does not flee the presence of sin, as if it were poisonous to his nature. But we stand condemned and will end up in an eternal Hell as a consequence of our toxic sin if it has not been forgiven.
Think about it. Our sinful actions cannot be undone. They are recorded by time itself. We cannot time travel into the past to reverse our actions. Sin makes its mark that cannot be erased apart from a remedy that only God can provide. So when I offend God; i.e. break his moral commandments, there is nothing I can do about it except to hope that He is merciful. And He is!

Forgiveness is the only remedy for sin.

And to be forgiven, I must have the right attitude towards God, and that attitude is one of faithful repentance. The Bible tells us clearly, ...If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousnesso (1 John 1:9).
But we cannot come to him and say ...If I have offended you, please forgive.o
We must agree with God. (That's what confession means). Let your confession of sin be rigorous. Pray something like: ...I am a sinner, and I deserve to be lost forever. But I ask you God, to forgive me of my sins. I understand and believe that Jesus Christ, your Son died so that it becomes possible for you to forgive sin. May you have mercy upon me and allow the atonement of your Son to be applied to my sins as well! Your grace is the only remedy I have.o
That is one prayer that God will always answer.
]]> <![CDATA[Bringing Missions Home]]> Many of us, (myself included) were raised to think that in order to fulfill the Great Commission, we had to send missionaries to foreign lands to learn new languages, proclaim the gospel and plant churches. And that's what we did. Decades later, the evidence is in. Thousands of churches have been started. In many of these far-flung fields the percentage of Christians now exceed the percentage of Christians in our own country. And the degree of commitment that believers exhibit in many of these same countries would put us to shame.

The point of this article is to alert us to the fact (if you haven't already discerned this for yourself) that while the light of the gospel is ever shining brighter in many parts of the world, it seems to be losing its radiance here at home.


Currently Lifeway is reporting a decline with the largest evangelical denomination in North America. You can read about it here . This is a trend representative of North American evangelicalism.


In our own denomination, the Associated Gospel Churches , although we are seeing a growing number of individual churches that have been planted, we are not seeing an overall increase in conversion growth. People are not coming to faith in Christ like they once did in the post war years. Much of the growth that does occur in in our churches is what is called ...transfer growtho. Christians moving from one church to another for various reasons. Many of our own Christians have come from other churches.


Among the youth, George Barna is reporting that following the teen years, most 'twenty somethings' who were active in churches while under the influence of their families are leaving the church and are opting for a vague and ill-defined set of values that rejects doctrinal substance and embraces a feelings based spirituality.


At the same time, we have the claims of some segments of the emergent church claiming that either there is no hell, or that almost everyone will be saved in the end (universalism) because after all, a loving God would not tolerate the ongoing torture of lost souls throughout eternity. Evangelicalism is headed for some serious turbulence ahead as a younger generation determines what it wants to believe. It seems the same battles that were fought during the liberalization of the church in the last century are being revisited, but now it is not on the fringes. This is now happening in the heartland.


All of that to say that we are in trouble if we ignore the trends, and if we fail to see what is happening in our own fellowship.


There is an adage that holds true generally. The light that shines the farthest shines the brightest at home. The church that will be effective in proclaiming (by proxy) the gospel in distant lands should, theoretically, be even more effective in proclaiming the gospel at home.


We must turn our focus on what it means to ...do Missionso right here where we live. I am not talking about missionaries whom we support who work here in Toronto (God bless them)! I am talking about the concept that each of us, as Christians are called to be missionaries where we live. Let us apply as much fervor, investment and prayer into reaching the lost in our own back yard as we do towards missions in foreign places and other cultures. Let's bring Missions home! Let's engage with our world!

]]> 1541236689 Wed, 15 Jun 2011 21:04:37 GMT Westmount Park Church http://www.westmountparkchurch.org 1866539317 1541236689 0 2011-06-15 Many of us, (myself included) were raised to think that in order to fulfill the Great Commission, we had to send missionaries to foreign lands to learn new languages, proclaim the gospel and plant churches. And that's what we did. Decades later, the evidence is in. Thousands of churches have been started. In many of these far-flung fields the percentage of Christians now exceed the percentage of Christians in our own country. And the degree of commitment that believers exhibit in many of these same countries would put us to shame.

The point of this article is to alert us to the fact (if you haven't already discerned this for yourself) that while the light of the gospel is ever shining brighter in many parts of the world, it seems to be losing its radiance here at home.


Currently Lifeway is reporting a decline with the largest evangelical denomination in North America. You can read about it here . This is a trend representative of North American evangelicalism.


In our own denomination, the Associated Gospel Churches , although we are seeing a growing number of individual churches that have been planted, we are not seeing an overall increase in conversion growth. People are not coming to faith in Christ like they once did in the post war years. Much of the growth that does occur in in our churches is what is called ...transfer growtho. Christians moving from one church to another for various reasons. Many of our own Christians have come from other churches.


Among the youth, George Barna is reporting that following the teen years, most 'twenty somethings' who were active in churches while under the influence of their families are leaving the church and are opting for a vague and ill-defined set of values that rejects doctrinal substance and embraces a feelings based spirituality.


At the same time, we have the claims of some segments of the emergent church claiming that either there is no hell, or that almost everyone will be saved in the end (universalism) because after all, a loving God would not tolerate the ongoing torture of lost souls throughout eternity. Evangelicalism is headed for some serious turbulence ahead as a younger generation determines what it wants to believe. It seems the same battles that were fought during the liberalization of the church in the last century are being revisited, but now it is not on the fringes. This is now happening in the heartland.


All of that to say that we are in trouble if we ignore the trends, and if we fail to see what is happening in our own fellowship.


There is an adage that holds true generally. The light that shines the farthest shines the brightest at home. The church that will be effective in proclaiming (by proxy) the gospel in distant lands should, theoretically, be even more effective in proclaiming the gospel at home.


We must turn our focus on what it means to ...do Missionso right here where we live. I am not talking about missionaries whom we support who work here in Toronto (God bless them)! I am talking about the concept that each of us, as Christians are called to be missionaries where we live. Let us apply as much fervor, investment and prayer into reaching the lost in our own back yard as we do towards missions in foreign places and other cultures. Let's bring Missions home! Let's engage with our world!

]]> <![CDATA[Truth is Stranger than Fiction]]> With regularity, I find that sceptics and others who are eager to debunk Christianity will find something that from a human point of view is highly improbable and use it to support their ongoing unbelief and in some cases outright hostility against Jesus Christ and His teachings.


The objection that has been getting a lot of mileage ever since Tom Harpur's book, The Pagan Christ hit the bookstores has to do with the alleged similarities between a lot of the older mythical gods of the Greeks and Egyptians and Jesus Christ. ...Because some of the events are similar, and because there isn't a whole lot of evidence of Christ's existence,o they say, ...the existence of Christ must be placed in the same category of myth.o


Aside from the obvious fallacy of distraction in this thinking, it needs to be pointed out that improbability does not make a very good case. Let me show you an example out of our more recent history.


Let us say that in 1000 years from today, someone finds records of a George Bush, President of the USA in the late 20th century. Someone else on the other side of the country finds records indicating that there was a George Bush, President of the USA in the early part of the 21st century. It seems someone is getting their wires crossed.


Further to that, one discovers that George Bush fought a war with Iraq, but stopped at the Kuwait border, and that Saddam Hussein survived the war and continue to persecute his own people. The other archaeologist disputes those findings, saying that George Bush did indeed invade Iraq, and that Saddam's atrocities were stopped, and that he was unceremoniously hung on the gallows and died like the dog he was.


Whom to believe?


The fact is that both claims were correct. Father and son were both presidents. And of course, we know the rest of the story because we were there. We were all eyewitnesses of the events that transpired thanks to CNN.


But had we seen this kind of story out of Biblical history, the critics would all shake their heads. ...Copycat history.. highly improbable thast there were 2 George Bushes, and even more unbelievable that they both waged wars on the same person and country, with different outcomes... can't happen!o And books would be written, seminars would be held, debates would ensue.


Improbability does not a proof make. We know that now. (We always did).

]]> 1481774803 Tue, 14 Jun 2011 16:05:56 GMT Westmount Park Church http://www.westmountparkchurch.org 1866539317 1481774803 0 2011-06-11 With regularity, I find that sceptics and others who are eager to debunk Christianity will find something that from a human point of view is highly improbable and use it to support their ongoing unbelief and in some cases outright hostility against Jesus Christ and His teachings.


The objection that has been getting a lot of mileage ever since Tom Harpur's book, The Pagan Christ hit the bookstores has to do with the alleged similarities between a lot of the older mythical gods of the Greeks and Egyptians and Jesus Christ. ...Because some of the events are similar, and because there isn't a whole lot of evidence of Christ's existence,o they say, ...the existence of Christ must be placed in the same category of myth.o


Aside from the obvious fallacy of distraction in this thinking, it needs to be pointed out that improbability does not make a very good case. Let me show you an example out of our more recent history.


Let us say that in 1000 years from today, someone finds records of a George Bush, President of the USA in the late 20th century. Someone else on the other side of the country finds records indicating that there was a George Bush, President of the USA in the early part of the 21st century. It seems someone is getting their wires crossed.


Further to that, one discovers that George Bush fought a war with Iraq, but stopped at the Kuwait border, and that Saddam Hussein survived the war and continue to persecute his own people. The other archaeologist disputes those findings, saying that George Bush did indeed invade Iraq, and that Saddam's atrocities were stopped, and that he was unceremoniously hung on the gallows and died like the dog he was.


Whom to believe?


The fact is that both claims were correct. Father and son were both presidents. And of course, we know the rest of the story because we were there. We were all eyewitnesses of the events that transpired thanks to CNN.


But had we seen this kind of story out of Biblical history, the critics would all shake their heads. ...Copycat history.. highly improbable thast there were 2 George Bushes, and even more unbelievable that they both waged wars on the same person and country, with different outcomes... can't happen!o And books would be written, seminars would be held, debates would ensue.


Improbability does not a proof make. We know that now. (We always did).

]]> <![CDATA[Compassion Ministry]]> Our ministry of Compassion allows those who attend Westmount Park Church to minister and be of service to one another in times of need.


Under the leadership of the Pastor, the congregation is kept informed of those asking for prayer. This information is sent to those ...on-lineo by computer or by our telephone prayer chain. Our present co-coordinators are Fred and June Visser who can be reached through the church office. Volunteers bring encouragement and love when visiting the sick and the shut-ins and, if needed, meals would also be provided during difficult times. A member of the Compassion Committee sends cards of encouragement on a regular basis.



Our ministry of Compassion is rooted in prayer:


2 Corinthians 1:2-4 (NIV) - Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.



-written by June VIsser and edited by Pat Parington

]]> 1025563496 Sun, 12 Jun 2011 14:56:55 GMT Westmount Park Church http://www.westmountparkchurch.org 1866539317 1025563496 0 2011-06-10 Our ministry of Compassion allows those who attend Westmount Park Church to minister and be of service to one another in times of need.


Under the leadership of the Pastor, the congregation is kept informed of those asking for prayer. This information is sent to those ...on-lineo by computer or by our telephone prayer chain. Our present co-coordinators are Fred and June Visser who can be reached through the church office. Volunteers bring encouragement and love when visiting the sick and the shut-ins and, if needed, meals would also be provided during difficult times. A member of the Compassion Committee sends cards of encouragement on a regular basis.



Our ministry of Compassion is rooted in prayer:


2 Corinthians 1:2-4 (NIV) - Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.



-written by June VIsser and edited by Pat Parington

]]> <![CDATA[Spiritual but not Religious]]>
Here are some attempts at a definition from real people in a chat room.

"I am spiritual because I try to retain the best from the founders of every religion i.e. Jesus, Buddha, etc ."


"I feel I am most spiritual when I do my yoga and meditate."


"Being spiritual means to be kind and caring for ourselves, the living beings we know and also for the living beings we do not know. "


"Through our thoughts and actions we can each make the world a little better, or a little worse. We can each help or hinder human evolution. Being spiritual is simply adopting this awareness and choosing to consciously act accordingly."


So what is it? Is it cosmic awareness? Is it being aware of some evolutionary design that I am a part of? Is it simply being kind to all of creation? Or is it becoming more self aware and de-stressing myself by learning biofeedback techniques?

There are a multitude of different voices and definitions, each one with more authority than the last. Yet there is one voice that stands out uniquely. Jesus Christ made some very interesting statements about spirituality.

A woman from Samaria was doing her chores. Life had been hard on her. She had already had five husbands, and was now living with a guy who was not her husband.

Her chores included drawing water from the community well. There she met Jesus who happened to be traveling through that area. Jesus, being fatigued from travel, asked her for a drink of water. A fascinating conversation ensued. Samaritans had a different worship tradition from the Jews, and she insisted that proper religion should be practiced by the Samaritan traditions and practices. She was defining spirituality her way.

Rather than argue about whose temple represented the most genuine spirituality, Jesus said to her that temple worship would soon fade from the scene. He said, ...God is spirit, and worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.o In addition, Jesus said, ...God is seeking such worshipers.o

First of all, Jesus teaches that spirituality has everything to do with a connection, or a relationship to God. And because God is spirit, we must connect with Him on that same level; i.e. the spiritual level. The implication is clear. God has given us the capacity to connect with Him, and according to Jesus, that is what being spiritual is all about.

There is some bad news though. On our own, we cannot do that. Man has always tended towards self sufficiency and self reliance and because of this ego of ours, we find it very difficult to come to God on his terms. We want to define the terms of the relationship and we stubbornly resist being told by God how to approach Him.

Yet, we were created to know and serve God; Augustine famously said our hearts are restless until they find their rest in God. This disconnection from God is what lies behind all those various attempts at spirituality. Everyone is trying to find their own way. And these attempts feel very spiritual. Yet people are so lost, lonely and disconnected.

It certainly doesn't feel very spiritual to admit to God that we are selfish sinners who resist God at every turn. But that is the starting point that every human needs to arrive at if we are going to be truly spiritual. Jesus said that the gate through which we must enter would be a narrow and difficult one. We desperately need to reconcile with our Creator, and this happens as we trust in Jesus Christ with our very lives and see Him as our Redeemer.


Jesus said, ...Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.o]]> 509661414 Tue, 14 Jun 2011 14:42:09 GMT Westmount Park Church http://www.westmountparkchurch.org 1866539317 509661414 0 2011-03-05
Here are some attempts at a definition from real people in a chat room.

"I am spiritual because I try to retain the best from the founders of every religion i.e. Jesus, Buddha, etc ."


"I feel I am most spiritual when I do my yoga and meditate."


"Being spiritual means to be kind and caring for ourselves, the living beings we know and also for the living beings we do not know. "


"Through our thoughts and actions we can each make the world a little better, or a little worse. We can each help or hinder human evolution. Being spiritual is simply adopting this awareness and choosing to consciously act accordingly."


So what is it? Is it cosmic awareness? Is it being aware of some evolutionary design that I am a part of? Is it simply being kind to all of creation? Or is it becoming more self aware and de-stressing myself by learning biofeedback techniques?

There are a multitude of different voices and definitions, each one with more authority than the last. Yet there is one voice that stands out uniquely. Jesus Christ made some very interesting statements about spirituality.

A woman from Samaria was doing her chores. Life had been hard on her. She had already had five husbands, and was now living with a guy who was not her husband.

Her chores included drawing water from the community well. There she met Jesus who happened to be traveling through that area. Jesus, being fatigued from travel, asked her for a drink of water. A fascinating conversation ensued. Samaritans had a different worship tradition from the Jews, and she insisted that proper religion should be practiced by the Samaritan traditions and practices. She was defining spirituality her way.

Rather than argue about whose temple represented the most genuine spirituality, Jesus said to her that temple worship would soon fade from the scene. He said, ...God is spirit, and worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.o In addition, Jesus said, ...God is seeking such worshipers.o

First of all, Jesus teaches that spirituality has everything to do with a connection, or a relationship to God. And because God is spirit, we must connect with Him on that same level; i.e. the spiritual level. The implication is clear. God has given us the capacity to connect with Him, and according to Jesus, that is what being spiritual is all about.

There is some bad news though. On our own, we cannot do that. Man has always tended towards self sufficiency and self reliance and because of this ego of ours, we find it very difficult to come to God on his terms. We want to define the terms of the relationship and we stubbornly resist being told by God how to approach Him.

Yet, we were created to know and serve God; Augustine famously said our hearts are restless until they find their rest in God. This disconnection from God is what lies behind all those various attempts at spirituality. Everyone is trying to find their own way. And these attempts feel very spiritual. Yet people are so lost, lonely and disconnected.

It certainly doesn't feel very spiritual to admit to God that we are selfish sinners who resist God at every turn. But that is the starting point that every human needs to arrive at if we are going to be truly spiritual. Jesus said that the gate through which we must enter would be a narrow and difficult one. We desperately need to reconcile with our Creator, and this happens as we trust in Jesus Christ with our very lives and see Him as our Redeemer.


Jesus said, ...Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.o]]> <![CDATA[]]>
Our memory verse project has ended for now.












]]> 230141090 Fri, 09 Mar 2012 16:04:34 GMT Westmount Park Church http://www.westmountparkchurch.org 1866539317 230141090 0 2011-02-03
Our memory verse project has ended for now.












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