OnFire Encouragement Letter
OnFire #232 On a Tear (Rhymes with Pear)
Hi folks:
The Dennis family is all back under one roof. Ian finished at camp and is home again. It feels good to be all back together again.
Ian began driver’s education this week. This is a little strange, but one of those necessarily things along the path to independence. On Sept 1 he will write his knowledge test and then start his student driving. Wow.
Mark has a job interview Thursday for a part-time job at a local nursing home. Again, wow. Steps to independence.
Blessings for your week.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This week I finally finished the painting I have been working on this summer. It was more involved than I anticipated because I had to replace some trim boards, which led to replacing some rotten boards underneath the trim. But to do that I had to take off some sheathing, and then I didn’t always have time to work on it, so what seemed like a simple project seemed to drag on and on.
This week, however, I sensed that I was close to the end and that if I just kept at it, I would complete it. The end was in sight and so I didn’t waste time getting started and barely took time to eat. As we might say back home, I was “on a tear” (rhymes with pear), meaning that I was determined to accomplish a lot in a short amount of time. A newer expression might be “Get R’ Done.” The end was so close all I wanted to do was finish.
Last week we looked at Titus 2:11-15 and talked about goodness, which is the goal of our faith and character development. This week we want to look at the same passage but this time we want to see the motivation.
For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope--the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good....*
There are two motivations in this passage to live godly, upright lives. The first is God’s grace. We ought to be so grateful that God has taken mercy on us that it translates into behaviour and action. This is what Paul means when he says that grace “teaches us to say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age...”
The second motivation in this passage is the return of Jesus Christ: “...while we wait for the blessed hope--the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ...” In the case of my painting, every dip of the brush and every stroke of the roller brought me closer to the end. For followers of Jesus Christ, each moment brings us closer to our “blessed hope.” Every day brings us one day nearer to the “glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.” This is where faith comes in, because unlike painting, we cannot see it with our eyes. But even still, we sense it, we know it, and it motivates us to finish strong. Our strength and hope are renewed because we are near the finish.
We are more motivated and we work harder when we know the end is near because we know that we are almost finished. May the second coming motivate us to live completely and fully for Jesus Christ. We are almost done.
I hope this helps. Be on fire.
Troy
OnFire is a weekly letter on faith and character written by Troy Dennis. Troy is the Pastor of Family Ministries at Highfield Baptist Church, Moncton NB Canada. This letter published August 25, 2010. *Scripture taken from the New International Version. To subscribe or reply, email onfireletter@gmail.com. Archives are located at www.onfireletter.com. Blog located at http://www.onfireletter.blogspot.com/
OnFire is an occasional letter on Christian faith and character
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
OnFire #231 The Paint Covered Ladder
OnFire Encouragement Letter
OnFire #231 The Paint Covered Ladder
Hi folks:
I have been borrowing a step ladder from our neighbour because we don’t have one our own. I’m not sure how old it is, but it is obvious that it has long been used for painting because there is a thick and conspicuous layer of paint on the top step and on the shelf. This layer is truly impressive - not just a few drops, but drop on drop, on top of many other drops so that it is a thick coat. I likely contributed my own globs to those of other painters over the years.
This week we are looking at Titus 2:11-15:
For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope--the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good....*
This is a key passage in Titus and pulls together themes of hope and goodness. The second coming of Jesus gives us hope for a better future and inspires us to live self-controlled, godly lives. This is why Jesus died, that we be saved from our sin and in turn be eager to do what is good.
This theme of goodness shows up in various ways throughout the short book. Church leaders must love what is good (1:8), in contrast to the rebellious who are unfit for good works (1:16). The older women need to teach what is good (2:3), just as Titus must set an example of what is good for the young men (2:7). The people should always to be ready to do good things (3:1), and in fact, they ought to be devoted to doing what is good (3:8) in order that they may live productive lives (3:14). The theme pops up over and over in Titus, showing us that goodness ought to be a main quality of the believer.
This brings me back to the ladder covered in paint. It was obvious to me that the ladder had often been in the presence of a painter since it was coated with a thick layer of paint. That is verse 14: Jesus “gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.”
The cross is not only about saving us from our sins, but about living out the goodness of Jesus. It ought to be obvious to people that we have been with Him. The more time we spend with Jesus, the more we are splattered with his goodness, the more it is reflected in our own lives, “...eager to do what is good.”
I hope this help. Be on fire.
Troy
OnFire is a weekly letter on faith and character written by Troy Dennis. Troy is the Pastor of Family Ministries at Highfield Baptist Church, Moncton NB Canada. This letter published August 17, 2010. *Scripture taken from the New International Version. To subscribe or reply, email onfireletter@gmail.com. Archives are located at www.onfireletter.com. Blog located at www.onfireletter.blogspot.com
OnFire #231 The Paint Covered Ladder
Hi folks:
I have been borrowing a step ladder from our neighbour because we don’t have one our own. I’m not sure how old it is, but it is obvious that it has long been used for painting because there is a thick and conspicuous layer of paint on the top step and on the shelf. This layer is truly impressive - not just a few drops, but drop on drop, on top of many other drops so that it is a thick coat. I likely contributed my own globs to those of other painters over the years.
This week we are looking at Titus 2:11-15:
For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope--the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good....*
This is a key passage in Titus and pulls together themes of hope and goodness. The second coming of Jesus gives us hope for a better future and inspires us to live self-controlled, godly lives. This is why Jesus died, that we be saved from our sin and in turn be eager to do what is good.
This theme of goodness shows up in various ways throughout the short book. Church leaders must love what is good (1:8), in contrast to the rebellious who are unfit for good works (1:16). The older women need to teach what is good (2:3), just as Titus must set an example of what is good for the young men (2:7). The people should always to be ready to do good things (3:1), and in fact, they ought to be devoted to doing what is good (3:8) in order that they may live productive lives (3:14). The theme pops up over and over in Titus, showing us that goodness ought to be a main quality of the believer.
This brings me back to the ladder covered in paint. It was obvious to me that the ladder had often been in the presence of a painter since it was coated with a thick layer of paint. That is verse 14: Jesus “gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.”
The cross is not only about saving us from our sins, but about living out the goodness of Jesus. It ought to be obvious to people that we have been with Him. The more time we spend with Jesus, the more we are splattered with his goodness, the more it is reflected in our own lives, “...eager to do what is good.”
I hope this help. Be on fire.
Troy
OnFire is a weekly letter on faith and character written by Troy Dennis. Troy is the Pastor of Family Ministries at Highfield Baptist Church, Moncton NB Canada. This letter published August 17, 2010. *Scripture taken from the New International Version. To subscribe or reply, email onfireletter@gmail.com. Archives are located at www.onfireletter.com. Blog located at www.onfireletter.blogspot.com
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
OnFire #230 The Difference Between Sterile And Clean
OnFire Encouragement Letter
OnFire #230 The Difference Between Sterile And Clean
A friend asked me one day about the difference between sterile and clean. He sometimes sets me up with trick questions but I always learn something neat from them, so I responded. “Aren’t they the same?”
He smiled because it was indeed a trick question, and then continued. As an engineer overseeing the maintenance of electronic equipment in a hospital corporation, he and his staff faced the difference between sterile and clean every day. A machine could go through the appropriate procedures to make it technically sterile, but sometimes it still contained a speck of blood or dirt that was missed in cleaning. In this way it would be sterile, but not clean.
That was a few years ago but I recalled the distinction this week as I drank some water. Just as the last mouthful hit my lips I spotted dirt in the bottom of my glass. I would much rather discover dirt in my glass before I drink the water than after. The sterilization procedures of our dishwasher probably neutralized it, but dirt is still dirt, sterile or not.
In Titus 2:1-10, Paul tells Titus what must be taught to various groups in the church, including older and younger men and women as well as servants. Paul’s key idea for these groups is in verse 1, that he teach them in accordance with “sound doctrine.”* And then he goes into a list of highly practical behaviours, including sobriety, self-control, love, soundness of faith, endurance, reverence, purity, kindness, goodness, integrity, respect and honesty.
We might wonder how Paul goes from doctrine to behaviour, but Paul does not separate the two. We demonstrate the soundness of our doctrine by the way that we live, and so the two are directly connected. It is not enough simply to have the right belief, to answer the Sunday school questions correctly, to pass the test of orthodoxy. This would be like my glass of water or a piece of medical equipment which has the appearance of being sterile, but is actually not clean. Christian maturity means that we demonstrate the sincerity of our belief by how we act.
Our station and situation in life make no difference in this since Paul gives instructions for the old and the young as well as for those in slavery. All of us are called to live with respect and integrity so that it is clear we may be trusted. As we do this, we “make the teaching about God our Saviour attractive.” Belief must always be paired with behaviour or we make God unattractive. Think dirt in the bottom of the glass.
There is no such thing as “do as I say and not as I do,” either. Titus also has his instructions, to show integrity, seriousness and soundness in his own teaching and speech. Those of us in teaching positions have extra responsibility to set a good example. Dirt is dirt, but in leadership dirt multiplies to followers, poisoning whole households (1:11).
I hope this helps to see the goal of maturity. Be on fire.
Troy
OnFire is a weekly letter on faith and character written by Troy Dennis. Troy is the Pastor of Family Ministries at Highfield Baptist Church, Moncton NB Canada. This letter published August 11, 2010. *Scripture taken from the New International Version. To subscribe or reply, email onfireletter@gmail.com. Archives are located at www.onfireletter.com. Blog located at www.onfireletter.blogspot.com
OnFire #230 The Difference Between Sterile And Clean
A friend asked me one day about the difference between sterile and clean. He sometimes sets me up with trick questions but I always learn something neat from them, so I responded. “Aren’t they the same?”
He smiled because it was indeed a trick question, and then continued. As an engineer overseeing the maintenance of electronic equipment in a hospital corporation, he and his staff faced the difference between sterile and clean every day. A machine could go through the appropriate procedures to make it technically sterile, but sometimes it still contained a speck of blood or dirt that was missed in cleaning. In this way it would be sterile, but not clean.
That was a few years ago but I recalled the distinction this week as I drank some water. Just as the last mouthful hit my lips I spotted dirt in the bottom of my glass. I would much rather discover dirt in my glass before I drink the water than after. The sterilization procedures of our dishwasher probably neutralized it, but dirt is still dirt, sterile or not.
In Titus 2:1-10, Paul tells Titus what must be taught to various groups in the church, including older and younger men and women as well as servants. Paul’s key idea for these groups is in verse 1, that he teach them in accordance with “sound doctrine.”* And then he goes into a list of highly practical behaviours, including sobriety, self-control, love, soundness of faith, endurance, reverence, purity, kindness, goodness, integrity, respect and honesty.
We might wonder how Paul goes from doctrine to behaviour, but Paul does not separate the two. We demonstrate the soundness of our doctrine by the way that we live, and so the two are directly connected. It is not enough simply to have the right belief, to answer the Sunday school questions correctly, to pass the test of orthodoxy. This would be like my glass of water or a piece of medical equipment which has the appearance of being sterile, but is actually not clean. Christian maturity means that we demonstrate the sincerity of our belief by how we act.
Our station and situation in life make no difference in this since Paul gives instructions for the old and the young as well as for those in slavery. All of us are called to live with respect and integrity so that it is clear we may be trusted. As we do this, we “make the teaching about God our Saviour attractive.” Belief must always be paired with behaviour or we make God unattractive. Think dirt in the bottom of the glass.
There is no such thing as “do as I say and not as I do,” either. Titus also has his instructions, to show integrity, seriousness and soundness in his own teaching and speech. Those of us in teaching positions have extra responsibility to set a good example. Dirt is dirt, but in leadership dirt multiplies to followers, poisoning whole households (1:11).
I hope this helps to see the goal of maturity. Be on fire.
Troy
OnFire is a weekly letter on faith and character written by Troy Dennis. Troy is the Pastor of Family Ministries at Highfield Baptist Church, Moncton NB Canada. This letter published August 11, 2010. *Scripture taken from the New International Version. To subscribe or reply, email onfireletter@gmail.com. Archives are located at www.onfireletter.com. Blog located at www.onfireletter.blogspot.com
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
OnFire #229 Plugging Leaks and Stopping Diversions
OnFire Encouragement Letter
OnFire #229 Plugging Leaks and Stopping Diversions
When we bought our house a few years ago we inherited two fish ponds. There is a lower pond in which we keep some goldfish, and a small upper pond with a fountain and waterfall. We pump the water from the lower pond to the upper pond, which then tumbles over the waterfall back to the bottom.
We were told that we would need to add water every week. No explanation was given, just that this was needed since the water level would go down. Sure enough, after a week or two the water was noticeably lower than before. After topping it up several times I checked for leaks in the plumbing and repaired several leaks which seemed to solve the problem.
A few weeks ago, however, I began to notice that we were losing water again. After checking the plumbing, I was at a loss to explain it until I noticed a wet spot beside the upper pond. I hadn’t noticed it before because splashing from the fountain in the bird bath wets the rocks anyway, but as I looked more closely I could see water trickling out in a low spot. We were losing water because it was being diverted out of the pond.
Diversion is the thought today as we continue to read Titus. From Titus 1:10-16, Paul gives us an unflattering snapshot of the group which was creating problems for the churches on Crete. “Rebellious people” who were “talkers and deceivers” taught from dishonest motives. Even their own poets agreed that they were liars, evil, and lazy. They loved controversy and rejected the truth. Far from being pure, their consciences were corrupted. All the while, they claimed to know God, but Paul reminded Titus that their actions spoke louder than their words. They were “detestable, disobedient, and unfit for doing anything good.”*
The situation was similar to the problem in our ponds. The upper one was always full, while the bottom one suffered. We continually pump water into the upper pond, which will only pour over the waterfall when it reaches the top of the dam. Consequently, the water level is always high in the upper pond, even if the water is diverted by a low spot. The lower pond where the fish are is the one which feels the effect of the water loss because it only receives back what is left over from the top.
The “rebellious” people Paul wrote about were this way, constantly diverting spiritual resources. Money, time, attention, and energy was selfishly spent and they didn’t care about how this might affect anyone else. Their pond was always full and they were oblivious to the fact that whole households were being ruined by their actions and teaching.
Not all was lost however. By appointing leaders of the highest moral and godly character (as we read last week) they could be taught to reject this way of life. The diversions would be stopped and the people would grow into godliness and good works because their leaders would set the good example.
When we act selfishly, we fill our own pond while others further down the stream are wanting. We teach by our example that if you want something you have to divert from other people to get it. Soon everyone is doing the same thing, just looking out for themselves. Paul reminds us that this is not the way of Jesus. “They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him.” (1:16) May this never be said of us as we aim for godliness, purity, unselfishness.
I hope this helps. Be on fire.
Troy
OnFire is a weekly letter on faith and character written by Troy Dennis. Troy is the Pastor of Family Ministries at Highfield Baptist Church, Moncton NB Canada. This letter published August 4, 2010. *Scripture taken from the New International Version. To subscribe or reply, email onfireletter@gmail.com. Archives are located at www.onfireletter.com. Blog located at www.onfireletter.blogspot.com
OnFire #229 Plugging Leaks and Stopping Diversions
When we bought our house a few years ago we inherited two fish ponds. There is a lower pond in which we keep some goldfish, and a small upper pond with a fountain and waterfall. We pump the water from the lower pond to the upper pond, which then tumbles over the waterfall back to the bottom.
We were told that we would need to add water every week. No explanation was given, just that this was needed since the water level would go down. Sure enough, after a week or two the water was noticeably lower than before. After topping it up several times I checked for leaks in the plumbing and repaired several leaks which seemed to solve the problem.
A few weeks ago, however, I began to notice that we were losing water again. After checking the plumbing, I was at a loss to explain it until I noticed a wet spot beside the upper pond. I hadn’t noticed it before because splashing from the fountain in the bird bath wets the rocks anyway, but as I looked more closely I could see water trickling out in a low spot. We were losing water because it was being diverted out of the pond.
Diversion is the thought today as we continue to read Titus. From Titus 1:10-16, Paul gives us an unflattering snapshot of the group which was creating problems for the churches on Crete. “Rebellious people” who were “talkers and deceivers” taught from dishonest motives. Even their own poets agreed that they were liars, evil, and lazy. They loved controversy and rejected the truth. Far from being pure, their consciences were corrupted. All the while, they claimed to know God, but Paul reminded Titus that their actions spoke louder than their words. They were “detestable, disobedient, and unfit for doing anything good.”*
The situation was similar to the problem in our ponds. The upper one was always full, while the bottom one suffered. We continually pump water into the upper pond, which will only pour over the waterfall when it reaches the top of the dam. Consequently, the water level is always high in the upper pond, even if the water is diverted by a low spot. The lower pond where the fish are is the one which feels the effect of the water loss because it only receives back what is left over from the top.
The “rebellious” people Paul wrote about were this way, constantly diverting spiritual resources. Money, time, attention, and energy was selfishly spent and they didn’t care about how this might affect anyone else. Their pond was always full and they were oblivious to the fact that whole households were being ruined by their actions and teaching.
Not all was lost however. By appointing leaders of the highest moral and godly character (as we read last week) they could be taught to reject this way of life. The diversions would be stopped and the people would grow into godliness and good works because their leaders would set the good example.
When we act selfishly, we fill our own pond while others further down the stream are wanting. We teach by our example that if you want something you have to divert from other people to get it. Soon everyone is doing the same thing, just looking out for themselves. Paul reminds us that this is not the way of Jesus. “They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him.” (1:16) May this never be said of us as we aim for godliness, purity, unselfishness.
I hope this helps. Be on fire.
Troy
OnFire is a weekly letter on faith and character written by Troy Dennis. Troy is the Pastor of Family Ministries at Highfield Baptist Church, Moncton NB Canada. This letter published August 4, 2010. *Scripture taken from the New International Version. To subscribe or reply, email onfireletter@gmail.com. Archives are located at www.onfireletter.com. Blog located at www.onfireletter.blogspot.com
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