OnFire Encouragement Letter
OnFire #189 Winning for Trying
If you haven’t seen them, take a look at our canoe trip pictures. Click on the picture on my website www.onfireletter.com for a slide show.
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While out on our bikes one day, my brother and I encountered one of the neighbourhood troublemakers. He could be nice enough at times, but there always seemed to be something inkit for him, and this one day was no exception.
He convinced me to let him try out my bike. After a few minutes of riding it around, I wanted it back but he kept on. Tthe more I tried to tell him to give it to me, the more he kept it. Back and forth he rode, passing close enough almost to hit me.
At some point I figured that if I grabbed the handlebars I could stop him. So I mustered up all of my ten or eleven-year-old courage and reached for the bike. I clutched the bar and pulled the bike over, dropping the kid to his hands and knees on the hard pavement.
As I look back on it, it was a little like poking a bees nest with a stick. Having been stirred up, he came after me looking for his revenge. It all happened so fast I didn’t think to run, or even duck, for that matter. He hit me in the face and blood poured from my nose.
Someone must have seen and called my home. As I walked along holding my face with one hand and towing the bike with the other, my mother met me and lectured all the way back about staying out of fights. It seemed that day I couldn’t win one way or the other.
Resistence is the theme today. "Resist the devil and he will flee from you," James writes in 4:7.*
There are lots of thoughts that run through my head about resisting the devil. First, there is a calming reassurance from the promise that we can resist Satan successfully. This is important for us to know as we battle temptations and trials of various types.
Simultaneous to that thought is the one which goes like this - "I know I should resist, but if I resist, I might not get what I want." This matches up with James’ earlier words, "Each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed." (1:14) Obviously, there is no real temptation when we are not interested. Rather, the more we want something, the stronger the attraction. There are moments of powerful temptation when I fight this battle about whether I really want to resist. I know I should resist, but I want it so badly...
My big fear at this point is that I cannot win for trying. I will exert a lot of effort to resist, and still miss out in the end. Isn’t it just easier to give in and get what I want? I think this is a battle that we all face.
James has something to say to us about this battle. Some words are kind and pastoral, and some are designed to kick us in the behind to get us moving in the right direction.
"Submit yourselves, then, to God.... Come near to God and he will come near to you." (James 4:7_8) These are the kind words of James the pastor, encouraging us to draw near to God in times of struggle and temptation. We do not have enough strength to stand on our own, but when we stand close to God we find courage.
And then there is James the motivator - "Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded." James calls it the way he sees it. When we start thinking that it is OK to compromise because we might not get what we want otherwise, we are double-minded and wishy-washy, in need of spiritual cleansing and a kick in he pants to motivate us.
Sometimes we need the soft and kind words. Sometimes we need the kick in the pants. Either way, James holds the key: "Resist and the devil will flee." The goal is not to get what we want, but to remain pure and holy. If we keep this in mind then we really can win for trying.
I hope this helps. Be on fire.
Troy
OnFire is a weekly letter on faith and character by Troy Dennis. Troy is the Pastor of Family Ministries at Highfield Baptist Church, Moncton NB Canada. This letter published May 28, 2009. *Bible references 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://onfireletter.blogspot.com/
OnFire is an occasional letter on Christian faith and character
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Thursday, May 21, 2009
OnFire #188 Weeding the Heart
OnFire Encouragement Letter
Onfire #188 Weeding the Heart
Jan has been busy lately weeding our flower and perennial beds. There is a lot to do, and what makes it all the harder is the size of some of the roots. She has long since discovered that it is not enough to cut weeds off, but rather the roots have to be dug out. We had some thistles which we thought we had conquered last fall, but we did not get all the roots and so some are back.
The last time I wrote (OnFire #187 Pile Drivers and Posts of Wisdom) we talked about some of the qualities that make for good relationships: purity, peacefulness, consideration, submission, mercy, good fruit, impartiality, and sincerity. This week we turn this around to look at what makes for bad relationships.
In James 4 :1-3* we encounter one of the most insightful and piercing pieces of scripture outside of the Old Testament prophets. James asks, "What causes fights and quarrels among you?"
This is important. There is no shortage of fights and quarrels, and I’ve had my share. In the past, I’ve talked about my argument with the college custodian (Onfire #15) but there have been many others. As a teen I flattened my brother after we got into some kind of argument. At the time it scared me because I realized I could hurt someone quite badly if I didn’t control my temper.
Controlling temper is one thing, but getting to the root of the matter is something quite different. James digs it out as he continues. "...Don't they come from your desires that battle within you? You want something but don't get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight."
There are parts of scripture, like this one, which make me uncomfortable. I’d prefer it if there was some other explanation, but, like it or not, I have to acknowledge the truth of what James writes. There are times I have quarrelled because I was jealous that someone else had what I wanted. One year at Christmas my brother got a pellet gun, but I really wanted one for myself. That really chewed me up inside, until one morning we ended up in a wrestling match.
Jealousy is powerful. It can lead me to have bad thoughts about people because of the things they have, their homes, hobbies, vacations, successes, and even the way they look. If I’m not careful, it can lead to a bad attitude toward them, and that in turn leads to fights. I think James is right.
Fortunately there is a two-part weed treatment against the jealousy which leads to fights and quarrels. The first part is in the passage we looked at last week. We need to cultivate the qualities and characteristics which lead to peace.
We see the second part of the treatment as we finish this short passage: "You do not have, because you do not ask God." This reminds me of a guy I worked with who told me, "Don’t ever steal anything from me. All you need to do is ask, and I’ll probably just give it to you." There are times when we lack because we simply did not ask God. So, James tells us, stop fighting and ask God for what we lack.
Does James mean God will give us anything we ask for? No.
Motive is important to God: "When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures."God knows when we are being selfish and we cannot expect Him to answer those prayers the way we want. This is not a complete answer to why some prayers are not answered, but it does explain some unanswered prayers.
James uses some strong words in this passage to grab our attention. Instead of blaming other people for the quarrels and fights we get into, we need to look within our own hearts to root out selfish desires, jealousy and covetousness. May God give us the strength and insight to do this hard work of weeding in the heart.
I hope this helps. Be on fire.
Troy
OnFire is a weekly letter on faith and character by Troy Dennis. Troy is the Pastor of Family Ministries at Highfield Baptist Church, Moncton NB Canada. This letter published May 21, 2009. *Bible references 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://onfireletter.blogspot.com/
Onfire #188 Weeding the Heart
Jan has been busy lately weeding our flower and perennial beds. There is a lot to do, and what makes it all the harder is the size of some of the roots. She has long since discovered that it is not enough to cut weeds off, but rather the roots have to be dug out. We had some thistles which we thought we had conquered last fall, but we did not get all the roots and so some are back.
The last time I wrote (OnFire #187 Pile Drivers and Posts of Wisdom) we talked about some of the qualities that make for good relationships: purity, peacefulness, consideration, submission, mercy, good fruit, impartiality, and sincerity. This week we turn this around to look at what makes for bad relationships.
In James 4 :1-3* we encounter one of the most insightful and piercing pieces of scripture outside of the Old Testament prophets. James asks, "What causes fights and quarrels among you?"
This is important. There is no shortage of fights and quarrels, and I’ve had my share. In the past, I’ve talked about my argument with the college custodian (Onfire #15) but there have been many others. As a teen I flattened my brother after we got into some kind of argument. At the time it scared me because I realized I could hurt someone quite badly if I didn’t control my temper.
Controlling temper is one thing, but getting to the root of the matter is something quite different. James digs it out as he continues. "...Don't they come from your desires that battle within you? You want something but don't get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight."
There are parts of scripture, like this one, which make me uncomfortable. I’d prefer it if there was some other explanation, but, like it or not, I have to acknowledge the truth of what James writes. There are times I have quarrelled because I was jealous that someone else had what I wanted. One year at Christmas my brother got a pellet gun, but I really wanted one for myself. That really chewed me up inside, until one morning we ended up in a wrestling match.
Jealousy is powerful. It can lead me to have bad thoughts about people because of the things they have, their homes, hobbies, vacations, successes, and even the way they look. If I’m not careful, it can lead to a bad attitude toward them, and that in turn leads to fights. I think James is right.
Fortunately there is a two-part weed treatment against the jealousy which leads to fights and quarrels. The first part is in the passage we looked at last week. We need to cultivate the qualities and characteristics which lead to peace.
We see the second part of the treatment as we finish this short passage: "You do not have, because you do not ask God." This reminds me of a guy I worked with who told me, "Don’t ever steal anything from me. All you need to do is ask, and I’ll probably just give it to you." There are times when we lack because we simply did not ask God. So, James tells us, stop fighting and ask God for what we lack.
Does James mean God will give us anything we ask for? No.
Motive is important to God: "When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures."God knows when we are being selfish and we cannot expect Him to answer those prayers the way we want. This is not a complete answer to why some prayers are not answered, but it does explain some unanswered prayers.
James uses some strong words in this passage to grab our attention. Instead of blaming other people for the quarrels and fights we get into, we need to look within our own hearts to root out selfish desires, jealousy and covetousness. May God give us the strength and insight to do this hard work of weeding in the heart.
I hope this helps. Be on fire.
Troy
OnFire is a weekly letter on faith and character by Troy Dennis. Troy is the Pastor of Family Ministries at Highfield Baptist Church, Moncton NB Canada. This letter published May 21, 2009. *Bible references 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://onfireletter.blogspot.com/
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
OnFire #187 Pile Drivers and Posts of Wisdom
OnFire Encouragement Letter
OnFire #187 Pile Drivers and Posts of Wisdom
As I drive to the church each day, I can see two large construction cranes in the downtown, working on a new building. A few days ago, however, as I stopped the car, I could hear the distinct "Thump, thump" of a pile driver in action, and decided to investigate.
As it turned out, those construction cranes are driving piles for a big new building. One crane holds a set of rails with a driver and post. Compressed air powers a giant piston which drives a long steel post into the ground as it cycles back and forth. The other crane stands by to lift another post into place.
The object is to hammer the posts into the ground until they rest on solid rock, and then to build on top of the posts. I watched this for a little while, thinking how much those posts are like the pillars of wisdom we see in James 3:17-18.
"But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness."*
Last week we saw that wisdom is about action and not advice. We cannot proclaim ourselves to be wise. True wisdom, rather, is seen in the things we do. Thankfully in our passage today James gives us some examples of what wisdom looks like. Each one of these stands as a post grounded on the solid rock of godliness.
Pure - wisdom bears a quality of holiness and of being unspoiled.
Peace-loving - wisdom does not always have to argue and pick fights, and furthermore, it finds ways to smooth things over.
Considerate - wisdom thinks of other people and ways to help them.
Submissive - wisdom does not always need to get its own way. I could use my power and strength to get my own way, but I choose not to.
Merciful - wisdom doesn’t need to remind other people about their faults and foibles when they are down, but shows compassion and finds practical ways to help
Good Fruit - wisdom doesn’t need to proclaim itself because there is already lots of evidence
Impartial - wisdom does what is right and not only what is in one’s interest
Sincere - wisdom is not two-faced or hypocritical
Back at the work site, I noticed that we won’t see the posts when the building is done. However, we will see the evidence of their presence in the way the building remains solid and stable. Its the same for us. People aren’t going to walk around and say, "My, look how pure he is," or "Isn’t she a model of mercy and impartiality." The evidence of wisdom in our lives will be shown, rather, in the quality of our relationships.
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 May 6, 2009. *Bible references 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://onfireletter.blogspot.com/
OnFire #187 Pile Drivers and Posts of Wisdom
As I drive to the church each day, I can see two large construction cranes in the downtown, working on a new building. A few days ago, however, as I stopped the car, I could hear the distinct "Thump, thump" of a pile driver in action, and decided to investigate.
As it turned out, those construction cranes are driving piles for a big new building. One crane holds a set of rails with a driver and post. Compressed air powers a giant piston which drives a long steel post into the ground as it cycles back and forth. The other crane stands by to lift another post into place.
The object is to hammer the posts into the ground until they rest on solid rock, and then to build on top of the posts. I watched this for a little while, thinking how much those posts are like the pillars of wisdom we see in James 3:17-18.
"But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness."*
Last week we saw that wisdom is about action and not advice. We cannot proclaim ourselves to be wise. True wisdom, rather, is seen in the things we do. Thankfully in our passage today James gives us some examples of what wisdom looks like. Each one of these stands as a post grounded on the solid rock of godliness.
Pure - wisdom bears a quality of holiness and of being unspoiled.
Peace-loving - wisdom does not always have to argue and pick fights, and furthermore, it finds ways to smooth things over.
Considerate - wisdom thinks of other people and ways to help them.
Submissive - wisdom does not always need to get its own way. I could use my power and strength to get my own way, but I choose not to.
Merciful - wisdom doesn’t need to remind other people about their faults and foibles when they are down, but shows compassion and finds practical ways to help
Good Fruit - wisdom doesn’t need to proclaim itself because there is already lots of evidence
Impartial - wisdom does what is right and not only what is in one’s interest
Sincere - wisdom is not two-faced or hypocritical
Back at the work site, I noticed that we won’t see the posts when the building is done. However, we will see the evidence of their presence in the way the building remains solid and stable. Its the same for us. People aren’t going to walk around and say, "My, look how pure he is," or "Isn’t she a model of mercy and impartiality." The evidence of wisdom in our lives will be shown, rather, in the quality of our relationships.
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 May 6, 2009. *Bible references 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://onfireletter.blogspot.com/
Thursday, April 30, 2009
OnFire #186 Dent and Return Surprises
OnFire #186 Dent and Return Surprises
I used to shop in a "Dent & Return" store. This was a warehouse at a canning factory where - you guessed it - all the dented and returned cans were brought. They could not be sold to a retailer because of their appearance, but they were still safe and a customer could pick and choose among the bins at a discount rate.
The most interesting section was where they sold the cans without labels. There weren’t a lot of these cans, but to save the labour costs of having to identify the contents by the codes, they were sold from a single bin at an extremely discounted rate. It might have been one of a dozen different kinds of vegetables, or pie filling - apple, cherry or pumpkin.
Like the cans in the random bin at Dent & Return, there are a lot of things that have to be experienced to know their true nature. The experience of the product is important. A friend told me lately about his car-shopping adventure. He really loved one particular model until he took it for a test drive. It reminds me of the saying, "The proof of the pudding is in the eating."
People are similar. We read about this in James 3:13. "Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom."*
Is someone really wise? The only way to know is to observe what they do. I used to think that wisdom was represented by the white-haired guy with a long beard, kind of like Gandolf in "Lord of the Rings," sitting on top of the mountain, with people lined up to listen to his words.
This is not the picture of wisdom in the Bible, however. Wisdom in the Bible is not about a person’s words. Instead, wisdom is demonstrated by action. Those who are wise will show it by how they live.
As I look around me, there are some people who simply live out their faith in Christ in all they do. They don’t make a big deal over it. They don’t trumpet their deeds or proclaim their smarts. In fact, they demonstrate humility by always being willing to learn something new. The don’t presume to be the expert, although some of them are actually leaders in their fields. To me they demonstrate the truth of James’ words. I want to be like them, like the way James tells us.
James reminds us that wisdom is not about whether we think we are wise, but whether our lives actually show that we are wise. Its not the advice we give, but the life we live.
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 April 30, 2009. *Bible references 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://onfireletter.blogspot.com/
I used to shop in a "Dent & Return" store. This was a warehouse at a canning factory where - you guessed it - all the dented and returned cans were brought. They could not be sold to a retailer because of their appearance, but they were still safe and a customer could pick and choose among the bins at a discount rate.
The most interesting section was where they sold the cans without labels. There weren’t a lot of these cans, but to save the labour costs of having to identify the contents by the codes, they were sold from a single bin at an extremely discounted rate. It might have been one of a dozen different kinds of vegetables, or pie filling - apple, cherry or pumpkin.
Like the cans in the random bin at Dent & Return, there are a lot of things that have to be experienced to know their true nature. The experience of the product is important. A friend told me lately about his car-shopping adventure. He really loved one particular model until he took it for a test drive. It reminds me of the saying, "The proof of the pudding is in the eating."
People are similar. We read about this in James 3:13. "Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom."*
Is someone really wise? The only way to know is to observe what they do. I used to think that wisdom was represented by the white-haired guy with a long beard, kind of like Gandolf in "Lord of the Rings," sitting on top of the mountain, with people lined up to listen to his words.
This is not the picture of wisdom in the Bible, however. Wisdom in the Bible is not about a person’s words. Instead, wisdom is demonstrated by action. Those who are wise will show it by how they live.
As I look around me, there are some people who simply live out their faith in Christ in all they do. They don’t make a big deal over it. They don’t trumpet their deeds or proclaim their smarts. In fact, they demonstrate humility by always being willing to learn something new. The don’t presume to be the expert, although some of them are actually leaders in their fields. To me they demonstrate the truth of James’ words. I want to be like them, like the way James tells us.
James reminds us that wisdom is not about whether we think we are wise, but whether our lives actually show that we are wise. Its not the advice we give, but the life we live.
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 April 30, 2009. *Bible references 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://onfireletter.blogspot.com/
Thursday, April 16, 2009
OnFire #185 Chia Tongue
OnFire Encouragement Letter
OnFire #185 Chia Tongue
Hi folks:
The big news here is Mark and Jan’s trip to the World Sport Stacking Championships in Denver Colorado. They flew out this morning and will compete Saturday and Sunday, arriving home late Monday. This past week has been a flurry of fundraising, media interviews and packing.
To follow Mark’s progress, check my website www.onfireletter.com and click the Sport Stacking logo for a **daily update.** Mark has had several media outlets cover his trip and they are included on the update.
Thanks for your prayers for them as they travel and compete.
There will be no OnFire next week as I will be away for board meetings. We’ll pick up again the following week.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Do you remember Chia pets? They are the ceramic planters in the shape of something, say a cat, that grows grass like fur. Simply water and spread the seeds, and watch it grow! A few weeks ago Chia introduced Chia-Obama - a ceramic head in the shape of Mr. Obama, with the grass being his hair. I kid you not - I couldn’t make up this kind of stuff!
We’re in James 3. The tongue is a fire, he says in verse 6.
Now, I’ve never been particularly mouthy. Oh, I’ve had my episodes of bragging, swearing, gossiping and lying. But some early experiences were very important in my development. My mother washed my mouth out with soap after I came home from the playground with some new words. That fixed me until I was about 12, about the time when it became cool to reintroduce those same words around my friends. Later that year I became a Christian, however, and it was impressed upon us that such words ought not to come from believers.
Early in our marriage, I used a vile word in a moment of frustration, thinking that Jan would take pity on me because this was so uncharacteristic. She did not react the way I thought she would, however. I will never forget her six, simple words:
"If you ever say that again . . ." She didn’t finish the sentence. She didn’t need to - the look in her eyes convinced me that my life would be in danger.
Like I said, some important experiences cemented lessons in my moral development. Like the lessons about lying. My parents told us constantly that it was always better to tell the truth, no matter how bad, because the consequences if they caught us lying would be worse. I thought regular punishment was bad enough! Plus, I was never good with a quick, convincing comeback, so lying was not much of an option for me.
My parents, relatives, pastors, Sunday school teachers, camp counsellors, and youth group leaders can take a lot of credit for influencing me. Not that I’ve been perfect. No no. But their direction was important.
That’s a good thing because I have enough trouble dealing with the other bits of controlling my tongue (check verse 3 for the pun on that one). There are lots of ways to use my tongue which are not proper, and which I must constantly guard myself against.
It would be easy to take credit for someone else’s ideas or work. It is tempting to stretch the truth to protect myself in tight spot. I must always be careful not to betray confidential matters. When I am tired and frustrated, it is easy to cut someone down with angry or defensive words. And it is always hard to apologize. These are just a few areas that come quickly to mind. Give me a little while and the list would grow like a Chia pet in the window.
James reminds us that the tongue is small but powerful, even dangerous. A tiny rudder turns a very large ship. Small sparks char acres of woodland. The human tongue weighs 60-70 grams.
Hmmmm - though it makes up a mere .07% of my body weight, my tongue can change the direction of my life or create smoking ruins all around me.
I can’t help but think of the Proverb which says, "When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise." (Proverbs 10:19)
"Lord, help us all to be wise." 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 April 16, 2009. *Bible references 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://onfireletter.blogspot.com/
OnFire #185 Chia Tongue
Hi folks:
The big news here is Mark and Jan’s trip to the World Sport Stacking Championships in Denver Colorado. They flew out this morning and will compete Saturday and Sunday, arriving home late Monday. This past week has been a flurry of fundraising, media interviews and packing.
To follow Mark’s progress, check my website www.onfireletter.com and click the Sport Stacking logo for a **daily update.** Mark has had several media outlets cover his trip and they are included on the update.
Thanks for your prayers for them as they travel and compete.
There will be no OnFire next week as I will be away for board meetings. We’ll pick up again the following week.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Do you remember Chia pets? They are the ceramic planters in the shape of something, say a cat, that grows grass like fur. Simply water and spread the seeds, and watch it grow! A few weeks ago Chia introduced Chia-Obama - a ceramic head in the shape of Mr. Obama, with the grass being his hair. I kid you not - I couldn’t make up this kind of stuff!
We’re in James 3. The tongue is a fire, he says in verse 6.
Now, I’ve never been particularly mouthy. Oh, I’ve had my episodes of bragging, swearing, gossiping and lying. But some early experiences were very important in my development. My mother washed my mouth out with soap after I came home from the playground with some new words. That fixed me until I was about 12, about the time when it became cool to reintroduce those same words around my friends. Later that year I became a Christian, however, and it was impressed upon us that such words ought not to come from believers.
Early in our marriage, I used a vile word in a moment of frustration, thinking that Jan would take pity on me because this was so uncharacteristic. She did not react the way I thought she would, however. I will never forget her six, simple words:
"If you ever say that again . . ." She didn’t finish the sentence. She didn’t need to - the look in her eyes convinced me that my life would be in danger.
Like I said, some important experiences cemented lessons in my moral development. Like the lessons about lying. My parents told us constantly that it was always better to tell the truth, no matter how bad, because the consequences if they caught us lying would be worse. I thought regular punishment was bad enough! Plus, I was never good with a quick, convincing comeback, so lying was not much of an option for me.
My parents, relatives, pastors, Sunday school teachers, camp counsellors, and youth group leaders can take a lot of credit for influencing me. Not that I’ve been perfect. No no. But their direction was important.
That’s a good thing because I have enough trouble dealing with the other bits of controlling my tongue (check verse 3 for the pun on that one). There are lots of ways to use my tongue which are not proper, and which I must constantly guard myself against.
It would be easy to take credit for someone else’s ideas or work. It is tempting to stretch the truth to protect myself in tight spot. I must always be careful not to betray confidential matters. When I am tired and frustrated, it is easy to cut someone down with angry or defensive words. And it is always hard to apologize. These are just a few areas that come quickly to mind. Give me a little while and the list would grow like a Chia pet in the window.
James reminds us that the tongue is small but powerful, even dangerous. A tiny rudder turns a very large ship. Small sparks char acres of woodland. The human tongue weighs 60-70 grams.
Hmmmm - though it makes up a mere .07% of my body weight, my tongue can change the direction of my life or create smoking ruins all around me.
I can’t help but think of the Proverb which says, "When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise." (Proverbs 10:19)
"Lord, help us all to be wise." 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 April 16, 2009. *Bible references 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://onfireletter.blogspot.com/
Monday, April 13, 2009
OnFire #184 Mark Prepares for Denver
OnFire Encouragement Letter
Onfire #184 Mark Prepares for Denver
Hi Folks:
We wish you a happy Easter and hope you were able to attend a worship service to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. It really is one of my favorite times of the year, although I find I have to be careful or it hits and I’ve barely been aware of it happening.
This year we did something we’ve never done before. Thursday, I set up a little Lord’s Supper as part of our supper meal. Before we ate, Ian read one of the passages while we celebrated with bread and grape juice. My thought was that as we ate the bread throughout the meal and drank the juice, it would help us remember Jesus’ death for our sins.
Easter also proved to be memorable because of our sunrise service. Sunday morning we woke to a snow storm. Our senior pastor has a great sense of adventure and we almost never cancel services, so off we went into the wet heavy snow at 6:30am. I played trumpet for several of the songs. We’ll never drive by that place again without remembering Easter.
Mark and Jan and her mother leave Thursday for the World Sport Stacking Championships in Denver. They are gone from the 16th to the 20th, and he competes on the 18th and 19th.
While Mark is gone you can follow his progress on the OnFire website. As I get information I will update the page. You can follow the link on my OnFire main page, or use this one: http://www.onfireletter.com/On%20The%20Road%20to%20Denver.htm
We got a neat bit of news today. Bob Fox from the WSSA called to say that a fourth member has been found for Team Canada. Mark is the senior member and will be the flag bearer. Jan will be coach. This will mean that he will be able to compete in the international team challenges in addition to his regular individual events.
Mark is getting some press coverage because of the trip. He was interviewed and photographed by two different newspapers today, the Times-Transcript from Moncton, and Telegraph-Journal from Saint John. Brian Cormier, a columnist from the Times-Transcript, featured Mark in his blog today - http://www.briancormier.blogspot.com/.
If you would like to send Mark greetings and encouragements, send them to my email address, onfireletter@gmail.com and I will pass them along.
Have a good week and keep Mark, Jan, and her mother in your prayers. 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 April 13, 2009. To subscribe or reply, email onfireletter@gmail.com. Archives are located at www.onfireletter.com Blog located at http://onfireletter.blogspot.com/
Onfire #184 Mark Prepares for Denver
Hi Folks:
We wish you a happy Easter and hope you were able to attend a worship service to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. It really is one of my favorite times of the year, although I find I have to be careful or it hits and I’ve barely been aware of it happening.
This year we did something we’ve never done before. Thursday, I set up a little Lord’s Supper as part of our supper meal. Before we ate, Ian read one of the passages while we celebrated with bread and grape juice. My thought was that as we ate the bread throughout the meal and drank the juice, it would help us remember Jesus’ death for our sins.
Easter also proved to be memorable because of our sunrise service. Sunday morning we woke to a snow storm. Our senior pastor has a great sense of adventure and we almost never cancel services, so off we went into the wet heavy snow at 6:30am. I played trumpet for several of the songs. We’ll never drive by that place again without remembering Easter.
Mark and Jan and her mother leave Thursday for the World Sport Stacking Championships in Denver. They are gone from the 16th to the 20th, and he competes on the 18th and 19th.
While Mark is gone you can follow his progress on the OnFire website. As I get information I will update the page. You can follow the link on my OnFire main page, or use this one: http://www.onfireletter.com/On%20The%20Road%20to%20Denver.htm
We got a neat bit of news today. Bob Fox from the WSSA called to say that a fourth member has been found for Team Canada. Mark is the senior member and will be the flag bearer. Jan will be coach. This will mean that he will be able to compete in the international team challenges in addition to his regular individual events.
Mark is getting some press coverage because of the trip. He was interviewed and photographed by two different newspapers today, the Times-Transcript from Moncton, and Telegraph-Journal from Saint John. Brian Cormier, a columnist from the Times-Transcript, featured Mark in his blog today - http://www.briancormier.blogspot.com/.
If you would like to send Mark greetings and encouragements, send them to my email address, onfireletter@gmail.com and I will pass them along.
Have a good week and keep Mark, Jan, and her mother in your prayers. 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 April 13, 2009. To subscribe or reply, email onfireletter@gmail.com. Archives are located at www.onfireletter.com Blog located at http://onfireletter.blogspot.com/
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
OnFire #183 Broken Lawnmower Faith
OnFire #183 Broken Lawnmower Faith
OnFire Encouragement Letter
Hi folks:
I found my cell phone. It fell into a snow bank outside the church and was picked up by a local man walking his dog. At about the same time as he left a message on my home phone, we were trying the phone and he answered.
Mark is fundraising for Denver this week at the Dieppe Market from 8am - 1pm. Drop by if you live nearby and he’ll give you a demonstration. He and Jan fly out on April 16.
I got taken by an April fool’s joke. My senior pastor left a message for me that Mr Lyon had called. When I dialed the number it turned out to be the local zoo. He got me! We all had a good chuckle over that one.
After last week’s letter, an OnFire reader wrote to tell me about how a pastor she knows handles criticism. "Thank you for pointing this out to me. I don't see it at this moment but I certainly know my potential to be blind to my own problems in my character, so I will go to the Lord with this and ask Him about it. And, by the way, is there anything else you would like to point out to me?" I thought this was well-said, so I pass it along to you.
Finally, I send condolences to my friend Paul who lost his mother this week. We’re praying God’s comfort for you.
Blessings for your week.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In one of my summer jobs I broke the blade on a lawn mower. This is not an experience I would recommend to anyone. When it snapped, half of it struck a wheel, tearing it off the machine. Another quarter-turn and the broken piece would have flown out the back toward my legs.
A lawn mower with only half a blade isn’t very useful. We might think that it would still work because half the blade is there, but the engine is not balanced. The machine would shake worse than a shopping cart wheel.
That’s a picture of faith without deeds. It makes a lot of noise, but it is unbalanced and shaky. Practically useless. James says that faith without deeds is dead. (James 2:26)
Someone will ask, "What about my salvation? Do I lose it without deeds?" This is really the wrong question. The issue James wants us to address is "What am I doing with my faith?"
Faith for the sake of having faith doesn’t do much. Faith needs to result in action. James illustrates this for us with three examples. In v. 16, he uses the example of blessing the poor. "Keep warm and well fed." As he points out (rather uncomfortably), how can we say this and yet do nothing? If we believe God will provide, why do we not also trust God to provide for us, too, by sharing what we have?
Abraham is the father of our faith. He believed God would provide a proper sacrifice, even if it meant waiting until the last possible moment. And so he prepared his own son for sacrifice (2: 20-24). This always leaves me with the haunting question of what I would be willing to give up to follow Jesus? Faith demands action.
Rahab’s reputation wasn’t as solid as Abraham’s (2:25), but this shows us that faith and action also go hand in hand for people who aren’t like him. This is why I think James chose her as the next example. She believed the spies were from God and so she risked her own life to protect them. Again, that’s faith in action.
James reminds us that faith is not just something we have. It also needs to be something we do. Faith is both attitude and action. Not to prove to the world how holy we are - Jesus had harsh words for people like that. Rather, our actions ought to demonstrate that we have faith, in the same way that breathing indicates that we have life.
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 April 1, 2009. *Bible references 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://onfireletter.blogspot.com/
OnFire Encouragement Letter
Hi folks:
I found my cell phone. It fell into a snow bank outside the church and was picked up by a local man walking his dog. At about the same time as he left a message on my home phone, we were trying the phone and he answered.
Mark is fundraising for Denver this week at the Dieppe Market from 8am - 1pm. Drop by if you live nearby and he’ll give you a demonstration. He and Jan fly out on April 16.
I got taken by an April fool’s joke. My senior pastor left a message for me that Mr Lyon had called. When I dialed the number it turned out to be the local zoo. He got me! We all had a good chuckle over that one.
After last week’s letter, an OnFire reader wrote to tell me about how a pastor she knows handles criticism. "Thank you for pointing this out to me. I don't see it at this moment but I certainly know my potential to be blind to my own problems in my character, so I will go to the Lord with this and ask Him about it. And, by the way, is there anything else you would like to point out to me?" I thought this was well-said, so I pass it along to you.
Finally, I send condolences to my friend Paul who lost his mother this week. We’re praying God’s comfort for you.
Blessings for your week.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In one of my summer jobs I broke the blade on a lawn mower. This is not an experience I would recommend to anyone. When it snapped, half of it struck a wheel, tearing it off the machine. Another quarter-turn and the broken piece would have flown out the back toward my legs.
A lawn mower with only half a blade isn’t very useful. We might think that it would still work because half the blade is there, but the engine is not balanced. The machine would shake worse than a shopping cart wheel.
That’s a picture of faith without deeds. It makes a lot of noise, but it is unbalanced and shaky. Practically useless. James says that faith without deeds is dead. (James 2:26)
Someone will ask, "What about my salvation? Do I lose it without deeds?" This is really the wrong question. The issue James wants us to address is "What am I doing with my faith?"
Faith for the sake of having faith doesn’t do much. Faith needs to result in action. James illustrates this for us with three examples. In v. 16, he uses the example of blessing the poor. "Keep warm and well fed." As he points out (rather uncomfortably), how can we say this and yet do nothing? If we believe God will provide, why do we not also trust God to provide for us, too, by sharing what we have?
Abraham is the father of our faith. He believed God would provide a proper sacrifice, even if it meant waiting until the last possible moment. And so he prepared his own son for sacrifice (2: 20-24). This always leaves me with the haunting question of what I would be willing to give up to follow Jesus? Faith demands action.
Rahab’s reputation wasn’t as solid as Abraham’s (2:25), but this shows us that faith and action also go hand in hand for people who aren’t like him. This is why I think James chose her as the next example. She believed the spies were from God and so she risked her own life to protect them. Again, that’s faith in action.
James reminds us that faith is not just something we have. It also needs to be something we do. Faith is both attitude and action. Not to prove to the world how holy we are - Jesus had harsh words for people like that. Rather, our actions ought to demonstrate that we have faith, in the same way that breathing indicates that we have life.
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 April 1, 2009. *Bible references 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://onfireletter.blogspot.com/
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