Scriptures - www.sheepspeak.com/drwas.htm - with more comics
Thursday, March 06, 2008
Tuesday, March 04, 2008
Mark 7:18-23 - sanctification in paper bag?
It is not what enters into a person that defiles one but rather what comes out of someone for there in lies evil intentions.
This is a very simple truth …it is not what the world pours into us that purifies or defiles us, it is the effect we have on the world as what is inside of us is poured out.
There is a children’s story by Robert Munch (illustrated by Michael Marchenko) entitled the Paper Bag Princess. In this story, Prince Ronald was about to marry Princess Elisabeth when a dragon comes smashes the castle, burns all the royal possessions and carries off – Prince Ronald.
So off to the rescue is Princess Elisabeth. There is only one problem though, the castle is smashed, she is all covered in soot and can’t find anything to wear except a dirt old paper bag.
Undaunted, she puts on the paper bag and proceeds to prove her Royal worth by out-manoeuvring, out-smarting, and defeating the dragon while rescuing Prince Ronald.
When Ronald sees his rescuer, He looks at her and says, “Elizabeth, you are a mess! You smell like ashes, your hair is all tangled and you are wearing a dirty old paper bag. Come back when you are dressed like a real princess.”
“Ronald, says Elisabeth, “your hair is nice and your clothes are all pretty, you look like a real prince but you are … [not].” They don’t get married after all.
You see, Prince Ronald was clean on the outside but he lacked some of the good fruit of Galatians 5 on the inside that we read about earlier. Elisabeth, however dirty she was on the outside, showed patience, perseverance, and other beautiful fruit; on the inside she was clean.
So today I encourage us all to make sure that we are clean on the inside. Look at ourselves in the mirror of Mark Chapter 7 and make sure that our glasses are shiny indeed. Make sure that inside there is no, as Verse 21ff of Mark 7 says, make sure there are no “evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and make a man ‘unclean.’”
If upon examination, we do see these things, reflected in our glass, don’t worry, it doesn’t need to remain that way. There is a great detergent out there called ‘Sin Away’ produced by the blood of Jesus - that can remove any stain and get those glasses as shiny as new again.
This is a very simple truth …it is not what the world pours into us that purifies or defiles us, it is the effect we have on the world as what is inside of us is poured out.
There is a children’s story by Robert Munch (illustrated by Michael Marchenko) entitled the Paper Bag Princess. In this story, Prince Ronald was about to marry Princess Elisabeth when a dragon comes smashes the castle, burns all the royal possessions and carries off – Prince Ronald.
So off to the rescue is Princess Elisabeth. There is only one problem though, the castle is smashed, she is all covered in soot and can’t find anything to wear except a dirt old paper bag.
Undaunted, she puts on the paper bag and proceeds to prove her Royal worth by out-manoeuvring, out-smarting, and defeating the dragon while rescuing Prince Ronald.
When Ronald sees his rescuer, He looks at her and says, “Elizabeth, you are a mess! You smell like ashes, your hair is all tangled and you are wearing a dirty old paper bag. Come back when you are dressed like a real princess.”
“Ronald, says Elisabeth, “your hair is nice and your clothes are all pretty, you look like a real prince but you are … [not].” They don’t get married after all.
You see, Prince Ronald was clean on the outside but he lacked some of the good fruit of Galatians 5 on the inside that we read about earlier. Elisabeth, however dirty she was on the outside, showed patience, perseverance, and other beautiful fruit; on the inside she was clean.
So today I encourage us all to make sure that we are clean on the inside. Look at ourselves in the mirror of Mark Chapter 7 and make sure that our glasses are shiny indeed. Make sure that inside there is no, as Verse 21ff of Mark 7 says, make sure there are no “evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and make a man ‘unclean.’”
If upon examination, we do see these things, reflected in our glass, don’t worry, it doesn’t need to remain that way. There is a great detergent out there called ‘Sin Away’ produced by the blood of Jesus - that can remove any stain and get those glasses as shiny as new again.
Monday, March 03, 2008
Mark 7:1-23: Inside and Outside
Read the sermon: http://www.sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/This one is a little more narrative than most of mine; let me know what you think: blog@sheepspeak.com
Friday, February 29, 2008
In the news...
Interim ruling gives breakaway Anglican parishes sole access to churches
Last Updated: Friday, February 29, 2008 3:33 PM ET
CBC News
The southern Ontario diocese of Niagara has lost its attempt to share the church buildings of two breakaway parishes in a temporary arrangement
read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2008/02/29/anglican-court.html
related: http://www.anglicanjournal.com/ / http://www.anglicanplanet.net/
AND
UN experts call for protection of housing rights of Hurricane Katrina victims
28 February – United Nations experts on housing and minority rights today called on the United States Government to halt the demolition of public housing and protect the human rights of African-Americans affected by Hurricane Katrina, which battered New Orleans in 2005.
read more: http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=25782&Cr=housing&Cr1=
Last Updated: Friday, February 29, 2008 3:33 PM ET
CBC News
The southern Ontario diocese of Niagara has lost its attempt to share the church buildings of two breakaway parishes in a temporary arrangement
read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2008/02/29/anglican-court.html
related: http://www.anglicanjournal.com/ / http://www.anglicanplanet.net/
AND
UN experts call for protection of housing rights of Hurricane Katrina victims
28 February – United Nations experts on housing and minority rights today called on the United States Government to halt the demolition of public housing and protect the human rights of African-Americans affected by Hurricane Katrina, which battered New Orleans in 2005.
read more: http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=25782&Cr=housing&Cr1=
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Happy Birthday to the War Room in Vancouver
It is the Birthday of the Vancouver 614 War Room. We spent a good time in that room when we were serving there. The War Room is a room on the DTES (it was was at Main and Hastings when we were there - maybe it still is) where you can pray around the clock 24/7 in 3 hr shifts.
Priase the Lord for this ministry expression...it is important.
hat tip: www.armybarmy.com
Priase the Lord for this ministry expression...it is important.
hat tip: www.armybarmy.com
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Project Ploughshares
Have you checked out Project Ploughshares?
Project Ploughshares is an ecumenical agency of the Canadian Council of Churches established in 1976 to implement the churches' call to be peacemakers and to work for a world in which justice will flourish and peace abound. The mandate given to Project Ploughshares is to work with churches and related organizations, as well as governments and non-governmental organizations, in Canada and abroad, to identify, develop, and advance approaches that build peace and prevent war, and promote the peaceful resolution of political conflict.
"and they shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation; neither shall they learn war any more." (Isaiah 2:4)
Home page: http://www.ploughshares.ca/
Project Ploughshares is an ecumenical agency of the Canadian Council of Churches established in 1976 to implement the churches' call to be peacemakers and to work for a world in which justice will flourish and peace abound. The mandate given to Project Ploughshares is to work with churches and related organizations, as well as governments and non-governmental organizations, in Canada and abroad, to identify, develop, and advance approaches that build peace and prevent war, and promote the peaceful resolution of political conflict.
"and they shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation; neither shall they learn war any more." (Isaiah 2:4)
Home page: http://www.ploughshares.ca/
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
A day at a time
I was privilleged to attend an AA meeting the other day here. I was encouraged and excited to hear how important God is to the movement and vice versa as well, I'm sure. I, of course had the oportunity to name God as Jesus Christ and I am very thankful for that. I was also reminded through all of this that indeed as with AA it is always one day at a time; so, with God, we grow one day at a time.
related: http://www.sheepspeak.com/localmedia.htm#substances%201
related: http://www.sheepspeak.com/localmedia.htm#substances%201
Monday, February 25, 2008
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