Time & Rest

Time is a funny thing. Some have said that time is fleeting. Probably because it is here one minute and gone the next. 😉😉 Today is Sunday July 22, and here I sit writing my first blog post in…. how long? I forget! But alas, I find myself sitting at my computer, nursing a cold on a Sunday afternoon, and typing up some thoughts about time; and subsequently, rest.

Today I’m bored, but last week I was rejoicing. Last week, was my final 14 hr day, scanning tickets down at the stampede grounds. I’m grateful for the work, but after doing that for 6 days straight, my body was craving rest. Rest and being able to wear shorts again. HAHAHA!!!

Rewind to a month ago, the middle of June, I was again craving rest. I have been going nonstop since January and at some point in June, I was starting to feel tired. I had been getting enough sleep at night, but during the day, I felt as though my mind was always working. I was in charge of The Outpouring, a once a month worship service for the special needs community at centre street church; I was co-leading a bible study once a week with a fella connected to URSA; I was part of a team of people helping plan a disability ministry conference, and I have recently become a part of Young Life, with plans of working with them starting sometime in the fall.

So if I wasn’t sleeping, my mind was buzzing with ideas for one of those things. Which, I don’t mind
doing (and I’m actually quite excited to be doing those things once again after the summer is over).But if your mind is going all day everyday like that for 6 months, your energy level starts to wane. Now I’m 6 days into my season of rest, and I’m bored. Reflecting on this, it reminds me of the Israelites after they left Egypt. In Egypt, they worked themselves to the bone for 400 years, complaining and praying to God for some relief and freedom from such oppression. A few weeks into the freedom they so desperately craved, they didn’t like it and wanted to go back. (Exodus 16:1-3). HAHA!! I guess it’s true what they say: history repeats itself. 😛

That said, I’m not going to just sit on my butt twiddling my thumbs until September waiting for things to start back up again. Instead, I’m going to fill the time with stuff that will breathe some new life into these bones. The website, Every Day With God has a series of devotionals on resting and other Sabbath related posts. I’m planning on reading those once a day starting tomorrow. My fitness coaches, Jackie and Jamie are running an 8 week fitness challenge using Beachbody’s new workout program, Liift4. That started this past week, and I plan on following through to the end.

With my involvement in Young Life starting in the fall, I was planning on attending my buddy Erik's

“dreaming about and planning for the future” thing him and his wife are hosting next weekend, hoping it would give me some ideas for young life in the fall, but after some prayer and reflection, I decided to not to attend. Young Life may already have things in store for me when I get there. So ill just grace Young Life’s doors with a “ready to learn” attitude instead. Also, my best friend and I are planning on spending a few days in Edmonton this summer too.

Those are just MY plans. Who knows what other adventures I’ll encounter during my season of rest. The proverbs do say, "A man plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.  (Proverbs 16:9). Whatever happens, I’m ready and willing to embrace it, head on.

You're Not Moses

I am six weeks into my membership with a toast masters club. I have been going since January but have been reluctant to join. When you join you get a couple workbooks; one that teaches you about the leadership roles necessary to run the club smoothly and another is filled with assignments that guide you in formal speech delivery and preparation. Some examples of roles in their leadership manual include a time keeper. Someone to monitor the amount of time you spend speaking to the crowd. Another role is the head toastmaster, or emcee of the evening. Their responsibility is to host the crowd and provide smooth transitions between each portion of the meeting.

The workbook with speech assignments give you tools to become a better public speaker. The first assignment’s goal is to build your confidence in public speaking. It’s also designed to show you how easy it is to find content for your speeches.

I became hesitant to join after looking through the assignment book. My hesitation was due, in part, to the fact that I already know the basics of public speaking. I know that opening with a good hook, or catch phrase captivates your audience and if successful, you have lured them in wanting to know more. With approximately a decade worth of public speaking experience, instead of building on the skills I already have, I was afraid I would be digressing.

I also considered Moses who wasn’t the most eloquent speaker (Exodus 4:10), yet led an entire nation of people in revolt against Egypt’s pharaoh (Exodus 3:7-10)

These are two reasons that slowed my obedience to God in becoming a public speaker. I eventually swallowed my pride, listened to the Lord’s promptings, joined, and as of this past Tuesday, completed my second speech at toastmasters.

I have been obedient in joining a toastmasters meeting, but there are still times I catch myself asking why, if I have experience speaking before crowds, am I at toastmasters, revisiting the basics of speech preparation. Until this week.

Possibly my greatest roadblock to being obedient to God's call of pursing public speaking was knowing that Moses wasn’t the most articulate speaker, yet he was chosen by God to transform Egypt’s prime labor force into a seperate nation. If Moses wasn’t the best with words, why must I go through this training that forces me to revisit and reuse skills I have had for years? The answer came in two parts.

First and (perhaps) foremost, Moses wasn’t the one that spoke to the Israelites. His brother, Aaron, spoke to them for Moses. Comparing myself to Moses was irrelevant. Moses barely spoke to the crowds if at all. This comparison could never disqualify me from having to be part of toastmasters.

The second part of the answer had to do with name sakes. If my life was a carbon copy of Moses’ life, I’d still have to go to toast masters, or at least take part in some formal training for public speaking and relearn the basics. Why? Because I’m not Moses, I am Tim. I’m not some adopted son of a pharaoh living as a sheep herder in the Middle East. My name is Tim and I live in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.  So comparing myself to Moses and insisting I don’t need to climb the ranks as a public speaker is just goofy, because I’M NOT MOSES.

And unless your living in the ancient middle east and share the same name, occupation, and lifestyle of the characters in the bible, perhaps your just like me: you’re not Moses (or any other biblical person for that matter), so don’t be surprised when God calls you to do something that no other biblical character has done, regardless of your likeness to any Biblical Patriarch, because, like me, YOU’RE NOT MOSES!!!

Crouching Timbits, Hidden Potential

John 15:16 says that Jesus chose us to be his disciples. It also says that we ought to avoid the following lifestyle:



***If you watched the video your probably confused at the moment. Chances are you’re trying to figure out the connection between Green Day and of all things, the bible. Trust me its there! Just keep reading***

One of the encouraging things I find about this verse is it tells us Jesus CHOOSES the people he hangs with. In high school, our home room teacher was also a martial arts instructor. Twice a week he taught women’s self defense classes outside school. And once a week he would teach a handful of my fellow class mates martial arts over the lunch period. One year he personally asked me to join the class. He said he’s had martial arts students in the past with polio, and after taking them under his wing they’ve had nothing but positive results. Even though I was in a wheelchair, he could teach me how to defend myself if I ever met a creepy person with bad intentions.

I don’t know if he was ever aware, but I wanted to take his martial arts class and was hesitant to ask him… I thought the wheelchair would be a deterrent and he’d say no, so I never did. but then HE approached ME! This meant he saw something in me that I didn’t. There was a potential deep inside me that needed to be coaxed out. Boy did he ever hit the nail on the head that time. After that, I was hooked. I became a devoted follower.

Those lunch hours were priority number one. On nights off, I practiced my newfound skills at home. Jackie Chan, Jet Li and Steven Segal became my newest reasons to go to the movies. Whenever they threw a kick or punch, I announced which kick or punch it was. I even remember going to the library to sign out books on martial arts and tried to mimic the diagrams they had on the page. Once I tried watching an old Bruce Lee movie, but it was too cheesy and turned it off. For the rest of my high school days I ate slept breathed and bled anything to do with martial arts. I did this all with great enthusiasm because my master believed in me. Where I saw a bitter end, he saw a bright and hopeful future.

That same enthusiasm is demonstrated in Christ’s disciples. It’s the reason the apostle Peter did such crazy and outlandish things. Christ chose to spend three years of his life with Peter and 11 others because He saw something they didn’t. Where the disciples saw losers and drop outs, Jesus saw winners, and catalysts for a movement that would take the world by storm. Jesus saw that they had a purpose; all it would take is a little coaxing.

A Key To Longevity In Youth… [Err, um ALL] Ministry

It’s said there’s 52 weeks in a calendar year…which accounts for 13 months instead of 12 by the way, but I digress…

So by that count, I’ll be celebrating a rather unique anniversary in the next week or two. The end of July is when I first moved into my own place. Since that time life has been a whirlwind of adventure. Without getting into too much detail, I can in retrospect say there were times when I was so busy I very nearly experienced burnout. I can recall at least three times this past year, if not four, I’ve had to put the breaks on, isolate myself, and recharge my batteries. There’s nothing wrong with that; Jesus modeled it during his ministry.

He directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children. Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone… Matt 14:19-23 NIV

This time, I decided to turn off my phone, lock my door and read through a selection of psalms. I open the book and begin reading the first psalm when my eyes come across this:

His delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers. Psalm 1:2-3 NIV

In college we were told the longevity and sustainability of your ministry, what ever it may be, is directly connected to your relationship with God. If you’re feeding that relationship by spending time with the Lord in prayer and reading the scriptures, then your ministry will flourish. If that relationship is stagnant, and you’re not including the use of scripture and/or prayer in your daily activity, your ministry will suffer; and even become stagnant itself.

Whenever I read that in a book or heard someone else say that, I would make time to read my bible and pray. Unfortunately it wouldn’t be too long before that discipline would taper off and I’d be doing things in my own strength, treating my prayer and bible reading as a panic button or a glass case containing a fire extinguisher. In case of emergency break glass!

Now that I’m out of college and been in ministry for approximately a year. I can say without a doubt that taking time to nourish your relationship with God is a key to a successful ministry. I would even venture to say any activity suffers if you neglect to “… delight in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.

I have to admit though I do feel like a hypocrite saying this as its not something I continually practice. So if you come across this, I would ask that you pray for me. That I would regularly take time to read the word of God and pray, so I don’t experience burnout as much, and can have the strength to face the day for the many moons ahead of me.

Running Together

This winter I joined a racing team. Once a week we would do laps at an indoor track in preparation for a series of road races during the spring and summer months. A few weeks ago, I competed in my first road race since joining the team. I was amazed at the amount of people cheering me on as I approached the finish line.

Since then, the opening verse of Hebrews 12 has been on my mind.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Hebrews 12:1 NIV

The opening verse of chapter 12 is a continuation of what the writer pens in the previous chapter. Chapter 11 starts out with a definition of faith, then the writer lists a variety of people throughout the Old Testament who demonstrated great faith and commitment to God. Among those listed are Abraham, Moses, Rahab the prostitute, Samson, David, Samuel and the prophets. The list and the stories go on.

Trusting in the unknown is a tough thing to do, and all those listed in Hebrews 11 are people whose faith in God leads them into dangerous situations. Abraham gave up everything he had and followed God’s voice into an unknown land. Then he trusted that God would give him a son to pass on his inheritance; something that didn’t happen until Abraham passed his hundredth birthday. When Moses freed the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, he did so by leading God’s people in a revolt against his adopted father.

The Hebrew writer continues demonstrating the power of faith in God by telling the readers that faith conquers kingdoms, raises the dead, offers strength to those in need, and defeated whole armies (Heb 11:33-35). Great faith also leads to difficult times. Faith in God, the author says, cost many their lives as they fell victims to torture via jail time, being whipped with stones and public execution.

At this point Hebrews 12 opens with a word picture of running a marathon. Those listed in the previous chapter make up our “could of witness.” Those who have already finished a life of faith are cheering us on to follow in their footsteps. By providing us with examples of people who have completed a life of faithful commitment to God we the readers are encouraged to continue as the apostle Paul says “…toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called (us) heavenward in Christ Jesus.” (Phil 3:14)

Hebrews 12:1 encourages us to “throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles.” By doing so, we will successfully finish the life of faith that has been marked out for us. There is no clear indication as to what weighs us down in our race. But theologian Ray Stedman suggests what that excess weight may be. He says: “As Moses laid aside the prerogatives of royalty for the sake of his God-given mission, so we must throw off whatever may hinder faith even though it may be right for others… Each runner must honestly judge what hinders faith for him or her and resolutely lay it aside, even though others seem to be unhindered by the same thing.”

I don’t know what could be weighing you down in your relationship with God, but I do know that whatever slows us down differs for every person. For some it’s an addiction to alcohol. For others it could be an ongoing struggle to maintain sexually pure until after marriage. Anger, over eating, laziness, busyness, self mutilation, pride, racism, struggling with body image are all examples of the things that weigh us down and distract us from a commitment to God. The possibilities are endless. Struggling with sin can be a daunting task, sometimes draining our energy and needing all our focus.

Toward the end of my road race, I was tired and sore but still had a steep hill to climb. A few times it was too much. I had to stop to catch my breath and gain some strength. While I was stopped, people passed me, “don’t give up!! You’re almost there!! You can do it!!” were some of the ways my fellow racers gave me the strength I needed to keep going. Before I new it I was at the top of the hill. From that point the race was easy to finish.

The same principle can be applied to our relationship with the Lord.

Living with sin can be like carrying too much weight slowing us down, preventing us from accomplishing all the plans God has for us. Getting rid of the weight that slows us down isn’t always an easy task. That’s why these verses are an encouragement. It reminds us we don’t face the world alone. We have a community of believers to turn to for encouragement and support. One of the ways we get that encouragement and support is by sharing our lives with each other and asking for it.

The book of James tells us to confess our sins to each other (James 5:16). Gal 6:1-2 says: “… if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself. Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ.” If you have been running the race on your own, and find there are a few things that you constantly stumble on (like maintaining sexual purity for example), let me encourage you to find an accountability partner.

Ideally this will be someone of the same sex you trust. The old adage honesty is the best policy applies here. An accountability relationship only works if the two of you can always be 100% honest with each other. The more vulnerable you can be with this person the better. When looking for an accountability partner try and find someone who has been through the same trial you are facing. As some one who has “been there,” they maybe able to offer tips and advice to help you avoid tempting situations.

With these things in mind, let me close by asking what is weighing you down in your relationship with God?

Do you have an accountability partner? Can you think of someone you can trust to be completely vulnerable with? If not, begin by asking God to put people in your life with whom you can be accountable. If you would like to, you can use the sample prayer below.

Lord Jesus thank you for loving me, despite the stumbling block I have in my life. Please help me find someone I can be accountable to so I can be a better servant for you and finally be able to put {name your stumbling block} behind me. Thank you Jesus in your name I pray, Amen!

Blessings to you as begin the journey toward accountability my friend!

If this message touched you in any way please leave a comment sharing your story.

The Necessity of Biblical Context

Whenever reading your bible or preparing a bible study/ sermon or the like, it’s vitally important to consider the context of the passage. What things do the surrounding verses say about your passage and who is original audience the message was intended for? Consider their surroundings as well. This gets tricky when dealing with prophecies and apocryphal language as the imagery used can mean many things. This still doesn’t dismiss the importance of context. Without it, the message can become construed and people can make a mess of God’s word leading people to believe a message contained in scripture that was not there in the first place.

I remember being asked to preach from a particular passage of scripture by a pastor friend of mine and as we were discussing it, we were at odds with each other. By looking at the selected verses alone, the pastor saw one message. While I considered the context, I insisted he had missed the message because he wasn’t considering the context. In this particular case I stuck to my guns, prepared the message as I saw it, and it turned out to be one of the best messages the pastor had ever heard.

This is something I personally strive for when preparing any message I share. It’s also a discipline I tend to practice in my personal bible reading as well. Still, I find there are times when God speaks to me in lieu of scriptures contexts. Consider yesterdays worship service for example.

Accountability groups were being re-introduced to the congregation. To give us a taste of what its like, we were split into groups of 6 and were asked to mimic an accountability session. The pastor then asked us to interact with John 13:1-8 and answer a series of questions as it relates to our lives. At one point we were asked the question, how God spoke to us through this scripture passage. There was some talk about the cultural background and the meanings of a foot washer back in the day. However there were a couple guys in the group, myself included, who shared how Jesus reply to Peters refusal jumped off the page at them:

"No," said Peter, "you shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered, "Unless I wash you, you have no part with me."(John 13:8)

Our responses had nothing to do with its context. Instead we referred to being cleansed of our sin and living a holy, sanctified life. Without this cleanliness, we can’t be a part of God’s kingdom work.

I recognize the importance of scriptures context, as stated in the first paragraph. But situations like yesterdays church service have me wonder if examining the context and including it as part of God’s message to us is always 100% absolutely necessary?

Dirty Laundry

Hand washing dirty laundry is not an easy task. In some countries people carry their laundry down to the river and spend most of the day getting their clothes clean. For those of us who have the luxury of washing machines, this might be tough to imagine. But for a moment, I want you to imagine what it would be like if you did have to take your clothes to a river each day. Sifting through your dirty laundry you find the sweaty t-shirt you wore on a hot summer day. Thinking it should be easy; you decide to clean that one first. Having success you gain some confidence and decide to tackle your pair of khakis. The ones with that spaghetti stain after the waiter dropped the plate at last night’s dinner date.

Grabbing them from your laundry basket you squirt on some liquid soap and start rubbing them together. It works! The little bits of onion that have glued themselves to the fabric are now coming off. All that’s left is the red stain left by the tomato sauce. With some enthusiasm you keep on rubbing. A couple minutes pass and all it’s doing is making the spaghetti stain bigger. Being persistent you grab your grandmother’s old washboard hoping it will help. Ten minutes pass and all that remains of last night’s spaghetti stain is a weird color scheme of pink and beige on the thigh of your light brown khakis. Now frustrated, you bring out your instant stain remover; soak them in some water and hang to dry; vowing never to do that again. There’s a great parallel with this story in the psalms I want to share with you today.

The psalms are a collection of prayers by God’s people alive during the time of the Old Testament. Some psalms are written as praise to God – either for his awesomeness, or for interceding at the right time. Some of these prayers are God’s people in their rawest moments venting out their frustrations and revealing their brute honesty. Then there are psalms written after God has exposed a person’s sin, leaving them feeling guilty, bearing the stains that sin leaves behind. And they long to be clean. The scripture used today comes from one of those psalms.

Soak me in your laundry and I'll come out clean,

scrub me and I'll have a snow-white life.

Tune me in to foot-tapping songs,

set these once-broken bones to dancing.

Don't look too close for blemishes,

give me a clean bill of health.

God, make a fresh start in me,

shape a Genesis week from the chaos of my life.

Don't throw me out with the trash,

or fail to breathe holiness in me.

Bring me back from gray exile,

put a fresh wind in my sails!

Give me a job teaching rebels your ways

so the lost can find their way home.

Commute my death sentence, God, my salvation God,

and I'll sing anthems to your life-giving ways.

Unbutton my lips, dear God;

I'll let loose with your praise.

Psalm 51:7-15

(The Message)

Israel’s King David wrote this psalm shortly after the Lord exposed him as an adulterer who got Bathsheba pregnant. He attempted to cover it up, and then created a conspiracy to have her husband killed (2 Samuel 11). After being confronted about his conspiracy he writes psalm 51 as a prayer of repentance for sleeping with Bathsheba.

When reading this psalm it’s clear to see that David longs to be forgiven and to be free from the consequences of his actions (2 Sam 12:13-14). His longing to be clean can again be seen in David’s request to be scrubbed clean and not thrown out with the trash. When David asks God to scrub him clean, the actual word he uses suggests that David needed to vomit out of his body whatever sin was dwelling within him that was displeasing to God. David’s hope is that his life will be transformed, and he will teach people about God’s ways instead of breaking God’s law.

Everyone that wants to follow God faces an internal war. This internal tug of war is a struggle with our human nature that seeks to satisfy our most sinful impulses and desires. Greed, jealousy, racism, sexism, violence, sexual exploitation, and chauvinism are all examples of the impulses we struggle with when it comes to pleasing the Lord. These are also areas in our lives the devil tries to use to pull us away from God.

The bible tells us to resist the devil and he will leave us be (James 4:7). But how does someone do that? I have spent the last few weeks wrestling with this issue in an attempt to provide an answer, and I’m still left wondering. Perhaps you can provide one that applies to your own “stain of sin”. With that said, let me provide you with the following scripture verses to stimulate your thinking:

Eph 4:17-24
Eph 6:10-18

if you have any thoughts or comments regarding this, please feel free to share, Tim bits

My Wonderwall

At the moment, I’m sitting in front of my computer piecing together another devotional for my eventual book. This particular piece involves an interaction with Paul’s words on the armor of God in Ephesians 6. Verse 12 in particular is jumping off the page at me and causing my mind’s wheels to turn and get me thinking. It reads from the NIV like this:

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

It's not so much the actual scripture itself that’s got the gears grinding in my head, as a commentary I’m reading about Paul’s words. Allan Turner writes:

…Behind the physical confrontations we experience with our fellow human beings, there are unseen spiritual hosts of evil at work. There is an ongoing confrontation between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of darkness… This battle is unseen but real.

I’ll get into discussions with people... those types of people can range from professing Christians, those curious about the bible, and those who outright oppose anything to do with Christianity. Some are dealt with peacefully. Other times, we both walk away with questions and curiosities to ponder until a later date, when the discussion continues. Then there are times when our confrontations become heated shouting matches. And the only real solution is for someone to referee the situation, tell the both of us to go to our corners of the ring, take off our gloves and call it a night.

Countless times I walk away from those heated arguments confused, angry, and wondering if my actions were that of a light on a hill, or an outrageous beast looking for a fight. Early on in my relationship with the Lord, I’ve known about this spiritual battle the bible speaks of. Even then I’ve always wondered why these heated arguments occur. Is it a case of right and wrong, and those of us involved are too stubborn to see the err of our ways? In my experience, sometimes that’s true. Or is it an angel and a demon locked inside a steel cage, with the gloves on, dueling it out until one wins by knock out or submission? This is a question I’ve always had ever since that first heated argument, and one I continually seek an answer for. Maybe this will be one of those questions only God has the answer too and I'll only get the answer too when I get there. Until then i'll be echoing the words of Liam Gallagher when he sang this from Wonderwall

And all the roads we have to walk along are winding

And all the lights that lead us there are blinding

There are many things that I would

Like to say to you

I don't know how

Thoughts, opinions, or suggestions anyone?

Strength In Numbers

“Two heads are better then one” was a song I remember hearing on Sesame Street when I was a kid.



The great thing about the classic children’s song is that there is some truth behind it in every day life. The reality of strength in numbers is also reflected in scripture.

Ecclesiastes 4:12 says: Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

Proverbs 27 reads: Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart, and the pleasantness of one's friend springs from his earnest counsel. As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another. (Prov. 27:9 & 17).

This came to the forefront of my mind late last night. I was reflecting on my day and sharing about my laziness with a friend. She then encouraged me to end the day on a high note, by not dwelling on my slothful ways, and start the next day fresh by picking up the slack I incurred Monday. It’s about midway through the day and I already am feeling better and more productive about today, thanks to last night’s strength in numbers.

Sometimer's

This week has been a challenging week for me. I experienced a desire to be selfish. To do what I want while throwing all caution to the wind not caring about the consequences or ramifications of my actions. There were times I struggled to do what pleases God, but there’s an odd thing about these selfish desires … I felt a pull toward them like a magnet to a chalk board. I don’t know why I act that way but I’m sure the foursome of Skillet feels the same way as they write:

Sometimes I don't try

To make you happy

I don't know why I do the things I do to you but

Sometimes I don't wanna be better

Sometimes I can't be put back together

Sometimes I find it hard to believe

There's someone else who could be

Just as messed up as me

Sometimes I can't hide

The demons that I face

Sometimes don't deny

I'm sometimes sinner sometimes saint

Sometimes I don't wanna be better

Sometimes I can't be put back together

Sometimes I find it hard to believe

There's someone else who could be

Just as messed up as me

I find comfort in the confession of the Apostle Paul as he shares his struggles to remain a committed Christian, the struggles of the Israeli’s in Judges and 1 & 2 Kings, for it means I'm not the sole person wrestling with this. Still I struggle with why there’s this tug toward sin. I mean the bible says that Christ overcomes the power of sin doesn’t it? I suppose next time I’m tempted to “go astray” I could take Jesus advice to Peter and pray. I have a problem with that though. It’s easier said then done! My heart races, I feel a sense of pressure, and an intense weight sometimes falls on my shoulders. My mind goes topsy turvy and I go back and forth with thoughts of:

*** I could give in to my urges because {insert reason here}, but I really shouldn't because {insert opposing reason here} ***

Am I on to something here, or am I up Schmidt creek without a paddle? MEH! Whatever! I don’t know what I’m saying… It’s late, and I think I really should head to bed before I spin circles around my own thoughts? *** thinks to himself*** "hey! Is that a RAT?

AAAAHHH!!!!!! Rats drive me crazy! Crazy? I was crazy once there were rats there. Rats drive me crazy! Crazy? I was crazy once there were rats there. Rats drive me crazy! Crazy? Ooops I think its too late for that lol! good night yall!

What If: In The Steps Of A First Century Disciple

With it being easter weekend, i thought it would be appropriate to share one of my newest devotionals on the night of Jesus betrayal...So please enjoy one of my devotionals titled What If: In The Steps Of A First Century Disciple I hope it inspires you, Tim bits


What if…

• You discovered a new island, what would you name it and why?
• A classmate asked you for the answer to a question during an exam while the teacher was not looking? Would you give them the answer?
• You were in the bank and somebody started to hold up the bank, what would you do? How would you react?
• You had only 48 hours to live, what would you do?

Jesus told them, “Tonight all of you will desert me. For the Scriptures say, ‘God will strike the Shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’ But after I have been raised from the dead, I will go ahead of you to Galilee and meet you there.” Peter declared, “Even if everyone else deserts you, I will never desert you.” Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, Peter—this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny three times that you even know me.” “No!” Peter insisted. “Even if I have to die with you, I will never deny you!” And all the other disciples vowed the same.

MATT 26:31-35 NLT

After having a feast with his disciples, Jesus takes them on a walk to the Mount of Olives. Along the way, Jesus tells them he will be captured by the end of the night. The disciples will then run away in fear, and deny any association with Christ. Shocked by this news, Peter pledges to die with Jesus if he has too; and he proves his readiness to die by drawing a sword and hacking off someone’s ear when confronted by the mob that would take Jesus away (John 18:10). Unfortunately for Peter, Jesus was right. Peter denied ever knowing Jesus and ran like the dickens when the rubber met the road. (Matt 26:69-75).

Perhaps you’ve read the same story agreeing with Peter. If you heard Jesus say he was going to be arrested and abandoned by his closest friends, you would promise to die with Him too. Only this time it would be different. You would confirm your alliance with Christ, stand your ground and not run like the coward Peter was at that moment.

The Gospel of Luke says Jesus came to fulfill everything that the Old Testament ever spoke of concerning a coming Messiah or Savior (Luke 24:44). The first century Jews were looking for a Savior that the Old Testament referred to, and Matthew wrote his gospel to show the Israelites that Jesus is the long awaited Messiah the Old Testament spoke of. So when Matthew wrote his Gospel, he mentioned things in Jesus’ life that matched the Old Testament prophecies which spoke of a coming Messiah or Savior. The disciples scattering at the time of Jesus’ arrest is a fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy proving Jesus to be the chosen one. The disciples abandoning Jesus was one of these fulfilled prophecies. So the likelihood of everyone deserting Jesus at this time is not only definite but certain.

I don’t know what your relationship with God is like today, but maybe this story is tugging at your heart. Maybe you find yourself in the same situation as Peter; feeling remorse for a stupid decision you made recently. If you do, let me say all hope is not lost. Three days after his crucifixion, Jesus rises from the dead and has a heart to heart talk with Peter during breakfast by the Sea of Galilee (John 21:1-17). After this, Peter’s hope was restored and his faith rekindled. Despite his many mistakes as a disciple, Peter became a great leader in the church. He even became a contributing author to the New Testament as he wrote 1 and 2 Peter. Being restored that morning near the Sea of Galilee, Peter had no idea how God was going to bless his life. All it took was a heart to heart conversation with Jesus. If you find yourself needing the same thing as Peter did, be encouraged to know that Jesus is waiting to hear from you.

Here I am waiting

Abide in me I pray

Here I am longing

For You

Hide me in Your love

Bring me to my knees

May I know Jesus

More and more

Come live in me

All my life

Take over

Come breathe in me

I will rise

On eagle's wings

Breathe On These Dry Bones!

The hand of the LORD was upon me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the LORD and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. He led me back and forth among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry. He asked me, "Son of man, can these bones live?"

I said, "O Sovereign LORD, you alone know."

Then he said to me, "Prophesy to these bones and say to them, 'Dry bones, hear the word of the LORD! This is what the Sovereign LORD says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life. I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the LORD.' "

So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone. I looked, and tendons and flesh appeared on them and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them.

Then he said to me, "Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to it, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe into these slain, that they may live.' " So I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet—a vast army.

Then he said to me: "Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They say, 'Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.' Therefore prophesy and say to them: 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: O my people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you back to the land of Israel. Then you, my people, will know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves and bring you up from them. I will put my Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I the LORD have spoken, and I have done it, declares the LORD.' "

The Bay of Pigs

The gospel of Luke tells the story of Jesus exorcising a demon-possessed man. (Luke 8:26-35) The man Jesus encounters refers to himself as Legion and is indicative of the severity to his possession. “Legion” is symbolic of thousands of demons controlling this man’s every thought, word, and deed. Upon approaching Jesus, Legion blurts out Jesus true identity as Son of the Most High God. He further claims Jesus' ministry is interfering with the demon’s rule on earth. After healing the man, instead of sending the demons into the underworld, he sends them into a heard of pigs. The three little pigs then take a dive off a cliff and drown in the nearby lake

Plenty could be said about this showdown between Jesus and the demons. The demon's reference to Jesus as Son of the Most High God; show they have a supernatural knowledge of who Jesus is, ask favors of, and obey him. It’s been said that Jesus’ ability to heal the man possessed by many demons demonstrates His dominion over Satan and the other demons (click here). Ink has even been spilled over the Hellenization of the Jews resulting in the presence of pig farms on Jewish land, despite their forbiddance of pork consumption. Something that strikes my curiosity is why Jesus sent this legion of demons into the herd, before they went swimming with the fishes. Maybe Jesus embraced his Jewish roots and was reacting to the presence of the “other white meat”? I don’t know what to think about it, but I welcome your thoughts comments and suggestions. Much love, Tim bits

How Great Thou Art: In Opposition of Bill C-384

With 3 weeks left before Easter, my church has taken to honoring the season of Lent. Traditionally seen as 40 days of preparation for the death and resurrection of Messiah Jesus, the Church (by and large) spends each subsequent week focusing on the death and resurrection of God’s only begotten. Consequently, I have spent the last few days focusing on the hope we find in the midst of life’s greatest Challenge: Death.

I find it an oddity that while the church is focused on celebrating joy found in the death and resurrection, of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, an attempt to legalize euthanasia and assisted suicide is being brought forth in Canada’s parliament. Bill C-384 – otherwise known as the “Right to Die with Dignity Bill,” legally qualifies a person for doctor assisted suicide, under the following conditions: the patient must be at least 18 years old, they must continue to experience physical or mental pain while under treatment, but can choose to opt out of the treatment. The person can be terminally ill. They can also appear to be lucid. They can make 2 written requests to die inside a 10 day period, and finally they can appoint someone to act on their behalf if they are no longer lucid. This appointment must be submitted in writing.

At 19 years of age I was faced with the reality of death. After taking 48 Tylenol I was rushed to the hospital in the back of an ambulance. It was there that my life was intervened not just by human hands, but God’s hand was clearly on me in that hospital room. A Gideon came to visit me the first morning I was admitted. A complete stranger to me, we talked in the waking hours of that day. Recalling the events that led to my being in hospital, she first sat as a sounding board to the reasons I attempted suicide. Later on, she told me she was a Christian and offered me a New Testament. I reluctantly accepted her gift; afterward we parted ways never crossing paths again.

Sitting in a hospital room bored out of my mind, I decide to ask God a question,

“God, why am I in this hospital bed instead of dying somewhere?”

I opened my New Testament to a random page, pointed the first thing I saw and read,

“At my first defense, no one came to my support, but everyone deserted me. May it not be held against them. But the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. And I was delivered from the lion's mouth. The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.” (2 Tim 4:16-18 NIV).

A few months later I asked Jesus to be a part of my life, always remembering the day I found hope in the midst of my greatest challenge.

After my 18th birthday I could carry an intelligent conversation. I had also experienced a mental pain to which I saw no end. More then once, I hinted at suicide, but as the scripture says, no one paid attention to my cries. Then, in my darkest hour, God stepped in and saved me from imminent death. Offering me hope unimaginable; accompanied by peace and rest from my mental anguish.

Then sings my soul, My Savior God, to Thee, How great Thou art! When Christ shall come, With shouts of acclamation, And take me home, What joy shall fill my heart! Then I shall bow In humble adoration And there proclaim, "My God, how great Thou art!"

To No End

Where can I go from your Spirit? Or where can I flee from your presence?

Psalm 139:1

After beginning my relationship with God, like a stereotypical Christian I was reading my New Testament at least once a day if not more. (It wasn’t until I entered Bible College that I had a full bible). Around this time, I also became a heavily obsessed fan of the band Creed. The band had just come out with their Human Clay CD and it spent a lot of time in my stereo on repeat. One of the singles off the CD, Higher, was my new favorite. Scouring the lyrics page, the thing that struck me was the likeness Higher had with Revelation’s description of heaven (click here for the lyrics). In my excitement of the co-relation the band had with scripture and biblical themes, I shared my discovery with one of the youth leaders at church.

They agreed with everything I had said but they were still hesitant in endorsing the group. Although the lead singer was a pastor’s son, Creed was not an openly Christian band, and therefore garnered no support from my spiritual mentor. She cautioned me that the devil is a great manipulator, and can make anything sound Christian by twisting the truth or telling a half lie to seduce people into believing something is Christian, but in fact is not. I can’t remember what I thought after the conversation but I do remember walking away disappointed that my excitement hadn’t been reciprocated. Nearly 10 years later, I understand her concern and still heed the warning, but sometimes disagree with that line of thinking.

William Paul Young says the Holy Spirit’s power to communicate is limitless, living and transforming. This is the reason evidences of the Holy Spirit could be seen in anything. A piece of art, music, silence, the people around you, creation and/or nature are all vehicles which God’s Holy Spirit may reveal himself to us. At times the Holy Spirit has even shown up in our pain and sorrow. Whichever vehicle the Holy Spirit uses, it’s always done in conjunction with God’s goodness and love.

As I look at the world around me, I see truth in Young’s declaration. I saw the movie Avatar about 6 weeks ago and like the rest of the world, I sat with my jaw open for at least half the movie. Afterward, I had a lengthy discussion with a married couple about what life might be like in heaven, and much like the main character, we will be given new and fully working bodies. Impervious to the pain and suffering life seems to incur. I don’t know if James Cameron or the countless others involved in that movie intended to convey a Christian message – but it is there. The Book of Eli, The Dark Knight, Superman Returns, Seven Pounds, are other places Christian overtones can be found. Subsequently, these are all tools the Holy Spirit could use to direct one to the famed Jewish carpenter. The Holy Spirit's means to communicate are indeed limitless.

tools of the trade

I’m reading through another book once recommended by a friend called This Beautiful Mess. In the opening pages, the Author tells he is a pastor. He says the primary tools are a bible, prayer, a crowd of people and a dinner platter filled with bread and wine. He then compares his process to that of gardening. The soul is his soil and he gets his hands dirty by sifting natural fertilizer (AKA manure) into the dirt. Pulling weeds and watering the crop is added to his profile of gardener for the Kingdom of God as his thinks about the best ways to yield a full harvest at the right time. I thought it was an interesting metaphor for the "job" as a pastor. (It definitely takes away from the age old theory that the church needs no volunteers because the pastor can do everything... but I digress); especially when Adam's primary role before the fall was that of a gardener. I’ve yet to be a pastor somewhere so I can’t speak to the truth behind the analogy... but I wonder if there is any truth in the comparison... what do you think?

In The Beginning God Said: YES!

Well hello world, I am Tim or Timbo or backwards mit or even hey you works sometimes... just make sure your not talking with the guy next to me lol. I am the author and creator of Tim Bits: Better then a Tim Horton's donut hole, nourishing your mind and soul.

For a number of months now I’ve been encouraged (both by God and others) to pursue writing. It started in early 2009. I was lying in bed one night frustrated with my relationship to God. . I went through a period of going to church with sin in my heart, asking for forgiveness, and, walking out the doors of the congregation-free and forgiven. that night I would be tempted to lust after someone I had absolute ZERO interest in, and end up exactly where I started the day: with sin in my heart. I’d then start out the next morning the same as the previous day. The only difference would be my geographical location.

This pattern became such a regular thing for me; you could almost guarantee that I’d be repeating it no more then three days later. I knew I was experiencing a lack of growth and my bible was just a dust collector; so something needed to change. One night I was laying in bed thinking up ways to break my religiosity toward sin. Reflecting on some of the things that have helped ward off my "fleshly desires", I recalled anytime I’ve interacted with God's word. The times I’ve been asked to preach or prepare a sermon have been the greatest times of growth. These were also the longest time I’ve gone without a craving for sin, or have had the wherewithal to ask for help during the temptation.

After rifling through the countless ways I could study God's word in the same fashion, I settled on sending people a weekly devotional via email. The only problem was I didn’t know anyone I could send them too. But I figured if scripture says the earth is God's footstool, and He created it and knows all and sees all then he knows people I could send these devotionals too. So I asked Him to hook me up and open a door. Take my bible study email idea and make it a reality.

2-3 weeks pass and an msn friend informed me she was starting a new ministry based in Australia. She was looking to put together a team to write weekly devotionals that would get sent out via email to a list of contacts she has, and offered me a spot on the team.

I was shocked at the offer as I had been praying about the same thing almost verbatim for roughly two weeks. I told her yes and began writing weekly devotionals in March of this year.

The story continues another day ... in the meantime check out Got To Be There Ministries International this is the group I write devotionals for.