Salvogesis

Today when we hear the name Rahab, we often think of this lady whom the LORD used to save the spies and deliver Jericho into the Hebrews’ hands. Did you know the name ‘Rahab’ translated from Hebrew means ‘broad’ or ‘fat’ and in common usage it refers to ‘fierceness’, ‘insolence’, and ‘pride.’ In the Bible, the word ‘Rahab’ is used commonly as an insult for the country of Egypt. Rahab, the lady in this passage, was a marginalized, prostituted Canaanite. But Rahab is saved and Rahab is redeemed! After Rahab’s faith and deeds were used by God to save the Hebrew spies and deliver Jericho over to the LORD, do you know how the Lord transformed her life? According to Jewish tradition, she, a lady who was extremely marginalized, became the ancestor of eight priests (Tal Megillah 14b). She is listed as one of four women of  surpassing beauty  (Tal Megillah 15a). Rahab may mean ‘broad’ but this Rahab is nonetheless a beauty. She is – to quote Reba – she is not a back of the store l...

I have a couple of questions for us today. Question #1: What do the following have in common: Ghost Busters 2, Blues Brothers 2, Aladdin 2, Gone With The Wind 2, Lion King 1 ½? They are all movie sequels; they are for the most part either not very good or not very popular movie sequels. Last week we spoke about  Jonah Part 1: Everything Is Under Control . This week we will look at the sequel,  Jonah Part 2: Get Rid of Your Enemies . Hopefully it will be better received than was the first  Star Wars  prequel. Question 2: I’ve got another list for us today. You have seen those ‘top ten’ lists before. This is a ‘bottom 5’ list: let’s see if you can tell me what this is a ‘bottom 5’ list of? What do these professions have in common? 5. Telemarketers 4. Lawyers 3. Mechanics 2. Politicians 1. Used car salesmen This is a list of the least trusted professions in this country. There are many different lists of these least trusted professions actually. They co...

I must admit that I am a fan of Leo Tolstoy, both his epic novels like  War and Peace  (probably my all-time favourite book) and  Anna Karenina  but also some of his religious writings like  Confession.  I have some quotes to share today from Tolstoy: q         Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself. q         All happy families resemble one another, each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way. q         It is amazing how complete is the delusion that beauty is goodness. q         Wrong does not cease to be wrong because the majority shares in it. q         If you want to be happy, be [happy]. Here are a couple more quotes by Tolstoy and others as well: q         Tolstoy: To get rid of an en...

When God made this wonderful garden out of nothing at all for Adam and Eve to tend. He asked something very simple in return. God made the world for His people and He just told them to take care of it and obey Him in some simple ways. ·           Genesis 1:28a: “God blessed them and said to them, ‘Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it…” ·           Genesis 1:28b: “Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground.’” ·           Genesis 2:16-17: “And the LORD God commanded the man, ‘You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.’” God says 1) populate the earth (Genesis 1:28a), 2) take care of everything in it (Genesis 1:28b) and 3) in doing ...

 “A rose by another name is still a rose.” William Shakespeare put these words in the mouth of Juliet in ‘Romeo and Juliet’: “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” Juliet is talking about her love. Juliet says that you cannot change the beautiful nature of something by simply renaming it. A rose is still as beautiful even if you call it a turnip or a skunk. These days there are myriad ways that some, even in our churches, are trying to convince us that a rose is something other than a rose. Over the past few years we have heard people telling us that the Bible is not the inerrant Word of God (TSA Doc 1). From this deception they proceed to tell us all kinds of things that should be easily seen as untrue. They are selfish and tell us that we have to look out for ourselves before serving God through others. They tell us that even though the Bible says certain selfish behaviours can be changed, the Bible doesn’t really mean what it s...

Late one night, a burglar breaks into a house that he thinks is empty. He tiptoes through the living room but suddenly freezes in his tracks when he hears a voice say: “Jesus is watching you!” When it becomes quiet again, the burglar creeps forward. And again the voice says, “Jesus is watching you.” The burglar stops dead in his tracks. He is frightened. Frantically, he looks all around. In a dark corner, he spots a… birdcage and in the cage is… a parrot. Gathering his senses, he asks the parrot: “Was it you all this time who said, ‘Jesus is watching me?’” “Yes”, said the parrot. The burglar breathes a sigh of relief, then gaining some confidence he asks the parrot: “What’s your name?” “Clarence,” says the bird. “That's a dumb name for a parrot,” sneers the now confident burglar. “What kind of a silly person would name a bird, ‘Clarence?’” The parrot replies, “The same person who would call his attack dog ‘Jesus’… Jesus is watching you.” Parrots...

 “Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.   Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. As it is written: ‘They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor; their righteousness endures forever.” Staff and management and Officers, we receive a paycheque or a living allowance for the work we do. We are blessed by God as we serve Him and others. Volunteers are a double blessing. You help without any payment. If there is no money to pay for the work to be done, God still uses you to do His work. It is only because of you that any of the work here is able to be done at all. You come out to help at the times that you help, on the days that you help, in the seaso...

This story is from an article by Reverend Dr. Darren J.N. Middleton published in The Expository Times where he relates a Ghanaian parable: Once Kwaku Anansie lived in a town filled with wicked [selfish] people. They were always fighting, backbiting … [gossiping, and just being selfish]. Finally Kwaku decides to teach the people a lesson. He tells his wife to prepare a large banquet. Then he invites everyone in the town on one condition, that they have to eat with the spoons that are provided. As the guests arrive Kwaku hands each guest a spoon with a very [very] long handle. The guests then begin to eat the delicious food set before them. But since they are sitting close together they begin to disturb each other with their long spoons. In a short time all the guests are pushing, shouting, and fighting with one another. Kwaku [then] stands on a chair and calls for order. ‘I have invited you to a banquet and you have turned it into a battleground. Why are you doing this?’ One of the...

We have been getting our garden all ready lately. We have been pulling weeds and pruning trees, mowing, and raking. My father is good at taking care of a yard; much better than am I. Growing up we always had more than one garden and many fruit trees to take care of. My dad even grafted an apple branch on a pear tree. He was very good at yard work. There was a joke at my house though about my dad's pruning. My mom would say that he would prune so much that there would be no tree left. I did a similar pruning job on a vine in our back yard yesterday. This, of course, reminded me of John 15. If we don't prune the vine or the tree it will not produce as much fruit as it can. God gives us opportunities in our life to go through periods of pruning. These are opportunities for us to have cut out many negative things in our lives. Sometimes it may feel as if we have got nothing left of us but the truth is as we remain in the Lord through these times of pruning we will bear much fruit...

The other night my teenage daughters and I went to see Poison and Cheap Trick in concert. I am blessed. We have seen Alice Cooper, Deep Purple, GNR, Live and others in concert together. It is a lot of fun to be able to share these experiences with my daughters. The Poison, Cheap Trick concert was a Father's Day concert and this was a good way to celebrate Father's Day: listening to music from when I was a teenager with my teenagers. My teenagers actually like this old music! I don't know how they developed the same taste in music as I have. I think it flowed from a school (History?) assignment of Sarah-Grace's but I am not sure. I know that even though I don't listen to music a lot, they did have the chance to hear my old tapes. Some of my influence must of rubbed off on them. Rebecca now even has a tape player so she can and does play my old tapes! They have also gotten these older songs in newer formats to listen to. They must of picked up something from my influe...