Make a statement of faith today

Good Friday morning, my friends.

Having faith is all about making a choice.  We either choose to believe in God and His goodness or we don't.  We choose to follow Jesus Christ or we don't.  And we have to make this choice every day.  Sometimes every hour.  Use this prayer as your personal statement of faith today.

Amazing grace and eternal peace to you,

Bruce

Father, the philosophies, trends, and mind-set of the world stands in great contrast to the gospel of Jesus Christ.  Your Word tells us that those who are not for You are against You.  

We can't walk on both sides of the fence so we are faced with a choice we must make; the same kind of choice Joshua gave to the Israelites thousands of years ago.  We must choose whether to follow after the gods of this world and forsake You or we must forsake the world and devote ourselves to You.  

Father, I choose to follow after You; You who reconciled me to Yourself through Jesus.  You have proven Yourself trustworthy for Your promises are true.  You provide the power and presence of Your Holy Spirit to lead me and direct my every path.  Your Word illumines my every thought.  

I choose You today, exclusively and eternally!  Amen.

Bruce MacPherson macpherson@celtic.ca

Don't be a Pharisee!

Good Thursday morning, my friends.

In John 11:47-48, just after Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead, we read:

Then the chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the Sanhedrin.

   "What are we accomplishing?" they asked. "Here is this man performing many miraculous signs. If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and then the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation."

How many people do you know who are afraid to put their faith in Jesus because the feel it will cost them their position and their possessions?  

How many of us are afraid to surrender all areas of our life to Him for the same reason?  

I think the easy answer to that is: all of us.  There is always some area of rebellion in our lives.  There always will be.  Faith is a journey, not a destination.  Little by little we learn to trust Him more and we need to do that by allowing Him to work in our lives.  If we hold everything we have so tightly in our grubby little hands that He cannot remove anything, then He cannot add anything either.

So don't be a Pharisee - trust in Christ even if it means you may lose something.  You will be amazed at what you gain.

Amazing grace and eternal peace to you today,

Bruce

Take, O Lord, and receive my entire liberty, my memory, my understanding and my whole will. 

All that I am and all that I possess You have given me. I surrender it all to You to be disposed of according to Your will. 

Give me only Your love and Your grace; with these I will be rich enough, and will desire nothing more.

St. Ignatius Loyola

Bruce MacPherson macpherson@celtic.ca

Bless me indeed, revisited.

Good Wednesday morning, my friends.

Last week I wrote a post about how it is Biblical to ask God for personal blessings.  Something about that message has been bothering me ever since.  I guess what I did was to give myself permission to ask God for the things this world has to offer.  It took me a few days to realize that my focus had turned selfish.  I was asking for blessings strictly for myself, and not so that I could share it with others.  (It is my view that this was the primary sin of the Israelites of the old testament - yes they were blessed, but what God actually said to Abraham in Genesis 22:18 was "through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.")  So, is it wrong to ask for personal blessings?  No, biblically it is still correct.  But be careful where your heart is.  Offer your blessings back to God and share them with those around you.

Amazing grace and eternal peace to you,

Bruce

Lord, let me not hear the false call of greed, the promises of lasting happiness that the riches of this world cannot fulfill.

Make me truly thankful for all the blessings of this life: 

the things of beauty, 

the things that give ease and comfort, 

the things that make me able to help others, 

but let me never set them in the place of true joy that endures forever.

Amen.

Bruce MacPherson macpherson@celtic.ca

At times we are the accusers, at times the accused

Good Tuesday morning, my friends.

This morning on the way to work I was listening to the story of a woman caught in adultery on my audio Bible:  

  But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, "Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?" They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.

  But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.

  At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. Jesus straightened up and asked her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?"

 "No one, sir," she said. 

      "Then neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared. "Go now and leave your life of sin." (John 8:1-11)

I have always been drawn to this story for its theme of forgiveness and for the way it sheds light on judging others (not unlike Jesus telling us to remove the plank from our own eye in Matthew 7:3-5).

I would love to know what Jesus was writing on the ground.  In my mind I can see him writing two columns: the first, a list of names - the names of her accusers; the second, a list of random sins - and then He playfully starts to draw lines connecting the first column to the second as he says "If any of you is without sin ...".  

I am also intrigued that we are told that the older ones were the first to leave.  I know the older I get the more aware I am of my own failings and weaknesses.  When I was younger, I was invincible of course, not to mention always right.  (Now I am only usually right!).  It appears that human nature has not changed much in 2000 years.

Having dealt with her accusers, Jesus now addresses the woman: "Go now and leave your life of sin."  At times we are the accusers, at times the accused.  We must learn from the lessons Jesus taught to both.  

Amazing grace and peace that surpasses all understanding be yours today,

Bruce

Father of mercy, like the prodigal son I return to You and say: "I have sinned against you and am no longer worthy to be called your son." 

Christ Jesus, Savior of the world, I pray with the repentant thief to whom You promised Paradise: "Lord, remember me in Your kingdom." 

Holy Spirit, fountain of love, I call on You with trust: "Purify my heart, and help me to walk as a child of light."

Bruce MacPherson macpherson@celtic.ca

By the grace of God, I am not what I was

Good Monday morning, my friends.

I have been on this journey of faith for about 10 years.  Actually, it started about three years prior to that when I completely rejected "religion", but started on an odyssey of discovery.  I have learned many things on this journey, but one lesson that has been very difficult for me is to not condemn myself for my failures.  I see His example and long to be like Christ, but over and over again I fail in thought, word and deed.  But, as Paul tells us in Romans 8:1, "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus".  If God does not condemn me, what right do I have to do so?  If you have been flogging yourself for not being perfect, then you, as I, have committed the sin of pride.  There was, and is, only One who is Perfect.  And He died so that we would be free from condemnation.  All condemnation, even our own.  So live with me in that freedom today.

Take these words from John Newton (author of Amazing Grace) to heart:

I am not what I ought to be,

I am not what I want to be,

I am not what I hope to be,

But by the grace of God,

I am not what I was.

Amazing grace and eternal peace to you today,

Bruce

Lord, thank you for today. 

Thank you for the opportunity to live and impact this world for Christ today. While I often times take for granted the very air I breathe, I wish to acknowledge that today and give you thanks.

I thank you for the people that you have placed in my life that minister to me, and those in which I am responsible for ministering to. 

I thank you for my job, and I pray that with all I accomplish, you'll receive all of the glory, honor, and praise.

Lord, I thank you for my church family and their encouragement. I thank you also for their commitment to serving you, and the body, with the gifts that you've blessed them with.

And Lord most of all I want to thank you for Jesus and the salvation that He has provided to me. I'm grateful for his tremendous love and I'm encouraged to know that whatever this day holds for me, He is right there with me! Thank you for that truth, O God!

In the name of Jesus I give you thanks,

Amen.

Bruce MacPherson macpherson@celtic.ca

Bless me indeed!

Good Friday morning, my friends.

I am sure that you, like me, have had the thought that praying for ourselves is selfish.  Petitioning God on behalf of other people is one thing, but asking things for ourselves?  How self-centred is that!

But Biblically, that is incorrect.  One of my favorite passages in the Old Testament is stuck in the middle of chapter 4 of Chronicles.  In the midst of a litany of the descendants of Judah is this little jewel:

And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying, "Oh, that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain!" So God granted him what he requested. (1 Chronicles 4:10)

Jabez asks for 4 things, including to be blessed and enriched.  And God granted them.  Many times we miss out on blessings simply because we do not ask for them!

Jesus says in Luke 11:9-10: 

"And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened"

In James 4:2 we are told: "You do not have, because you do not ask God".

Does that mean we should ask God for a million dollars?  No. I think it is best to leave it the way Jabez does - ask for a blessing, and let God choose the blessing.  Would God not make a better choice than we would anyways?

GO SENS GO!

um, I mean Amazing grace and eternal peace to you today,

Bruce

Dear Lord,

I want every single blessing that You would love to give me.

Forgive me for not desiring these enough to ask for them.

Please open Your heart, and be gracious to me.

You are good, and everything You do is good.

So let me experience You today, in all of Your abundant loving kindess, even though I am in all of my unworthiness.

Touch my life in ways that are very personal so that I don't miss Your fingerprints.

Bless me, Lord, I pray -- bless me, indeed!

And I will praise You, from whom all blessings flow.

Amen.

Bruce MacPherson macpherson@celtic.ca / Blog: The Celtic Christian / Home: 613.489.4174 Cell: 613.720.0821 You are receiving this email because you have requested it or I felt you would be interested in this material. If you would like to be removed from this email list, please do not hesitate to contact me at the above email address. Likewise, if you know of someone else who you believe would appreciate receiving these messages, please let me know.

A miserable Christian is a work of the devil

Good Thursday morning, my friends.

In John 10:9-10, Jesus says "I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full."  So what does that mean to us as followers of Christ?  Well, first and foremost that we are saved.  Saved from what?  Well, I suspect mostly from ourselves.  Saved from a self-centred, miserable life here on earth and in eternity.  But what about that last part about having life and having it to the fullest?  Raymond Chapman in his book Following the Gospel Through the Year says this: 

"If life abundant is the will of Christ for his people, to refuse the opportunities for happiness is to spurn some of God's bounty.  A serious concern for right living is one thing, but a miserable Christian is a work of the devil."  

But God does not ask us to be miserable.  Quite the contrary he wants us to be filled with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23).  Even in the 23rd Psalm we are presented with an image of the shepherd leading us to green pastures and still waters, of being the guest of honour at a banquet, and having a cup that overflows with blessings.

So how about it - do you know any miserable Christians?  (Some Christians tend to be what my wife calls a "black hole of joy", sucking all the joy out of an entire room.  OK, she is usually referring to me when she says that.)  Are YOU a miserable Christian?  I suspect we all are sometimes. Jesus was not a miserable person when He was here on earth.  Indeed He seemed to enjoy life to the point that His enemies accused Him of being a drunkard and a glutton (Luke 7:34)!  We sometimes hesitate to enjoy the amazing blessings that we are given because we feel guilty doing so, and that guilt is straight from the enemy.  Live in and enjoy your God-given blessings today.

Amazing grace and eternal peace to you,

Bruce

Loving Shepherd of the sheep, lead me through this world so that I shall neither turn aside into false paths nor miss the delights that have been prepared for me to enjoy.

Grant to me the grace that shows the life of faith is a life of joy, so that I may help others to find the life abundant that is your gift and your will.

Bruce MacPherson macpherson@celtic.ca

The recognition of men

Good Wednesday morning, my friends.

It is very difficult for me to do good deeds and not want to receive credit for it.  I long to hear someone say "Wow! You did THAT!  You are incredible! You are SOOOO generous!"  You know what I mean?

But Jesus is quite explicit about this.  He says "Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven." (Matthew 6:1).  He goes on to mention three particular "acts of righteousness":

• Giving

"So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full." (Matthew 6:2)

• Praying

"And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full." (Matthew 6:5)

• Fasting

"When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full." (Matthew 6:15)

(As an aside, notice that Jesus says "when you give" and "when you pray" but he also says "when you fast" - he doesn't say "if you fast").

Personally, I crave the "recognition of men".  But the real recognition we must seek is to be honoured by God.  What we should be longing to hear is "Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!" (Matthew 25:23).

Amazing grace and eternal peace to you today,

Bruce

Father, there is great temptation to seek the commendation of those around us so that we might be esteemed in the sight of others.  

But there is no honor or reward in this life that compares with the commendation of being tested and approved in Christ.  

Father, You know the very intent of our heart by that which we think and speak and by every action we carry out. 

May we honor You in all that we do in the daily battleground of forming attitudes and making choices.  Amen

Bruce MacPherson macpherson@celtic.ca

Pray for each other...

Good Tuesday morning, my friends.

 James reminds us :

Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. (James 5:13-16)

In Ephesians 6:18, Paul admonishes us:

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

This morning is a prayer I offer up for each of you, and ask you to do the same for each other.  This is just one way that we can help carry the burdens of one another.

Amazing grace and peace that surpasses all understanding be yours today,

Bruce

Father, I ask you to bless my friends reading this right now.

Lord, show them a new revelation of Your love and power.

Holy Spirit, I ask You to minister to their spirit at this very moment.

Where there is pain, give them Your peace and mercy.

Where there is self doubting, release a renewed confidence in Your ability to work through them.

Where there is tiredness, or exhaustion, I ask You to give them understanding, patience, and strength as they learn submission to Your leading.

Where there is spiritual stagnation, I ask You to renew them by revealing Your nearness, and by drawing them into greater intimacy with You. 

Where there is fear, reveal Your love, and release to them Your courage. 

Where there is a sin blocking them, reveal it, and break its hold over my friend's life.

Bless their finances, give them greater vision, and raise up leaders, and friends to support, and encourage them. 

Give each of them discernment to recognize the demonic forces around them, and reveal to them the power they have in You to defeat it.

I ask You to do these things in Jesus' name.

Bruce MacPherson macpherson@celtic.ca

Lord, you’ve known me a long time ...

Good Monday morning, my friends.

Whoever wrote the prayer below must have known me well.  I smiled all the way my first reading of it.  "Teach me the glorious lesson that on some occasions I may be mistaken."  OK - but only on rare occasions!

But as I read it a second time, I saw much truth from my life in it.  Perhaps you will too.  For me, I would indeed "settle for growing humility".

Amazing grace and eternal peace to you today.

Bruce

Now Lord, you've known me a long time. You know me better than I know myself. You know that each day I am growing older and someday may even be very old, so meanwhile please keep me from the habit of thinking I must say something on every subject and on every occasion.

Release me from trying to straighten out everyone's affairs. Make me thoughtful, but not moody, helpful but not overbearing. I've a certain amount of knowledge to share; still it would be very nice to have a few friends who, at the end, recognized and forgave the knowledge I lacked.

Keep my tongue free from the recital of endless details. Seal my lips on my aches and pains: they increase daily and the need to speak of them becomes almost a compulsion. I ask for grace enough to listen to the retelling of others' afflictions, and to be helped to endure them with patience.

I would like to have improved memory, but I'll settle for growing humility and an ability to capitulate when my memory clashes with the memory of others. Teach me the glorious lesson that on some occasions I may be mistaken.

Keep me reasonably kind; I've never aspired to be a saint; saints must be rather difficult to live with. Yet on the other hand, an embittered old person is a constant burden.

Please give me the ability to see good in unlikely places and talents in unexpected people. And give me the grace to tell them so, dear Lord. 

Amen

– Anonymous

Bruce MacPherson macpherson@celtic.ca

A taste of heaven

Good Friday morning, my friends.

Have you ever been to an event where thousands of people are singing the same song of praise?  Or better yet, and old hymn like "Amazing Grace"?  I have been to a number of Promise Keepers events here in Ottawa and in Toronto.  To stand and listen to 5000+ men belting out "The Old Rugged Cross" with all their hearts is an amazing thing.  It makes me try to imagine what life will be like in heaven.  We get a tantalizing taste of this in Revelation 5:11-14:

Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. In a loud voice they sang: 

   "Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, 

   to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength 

   and honor and glory and praise!"

Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing: 

   "To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb 

   be praise and honor and glory and power, 

         for ever and ever!" The four living creatures said, "Amen," and the elders fell down and worshiped.

Wow.  Kinda makes you wanna be there, no?

Amazing grace and eternal peace to you today,

Bruce

Lord God you are my only God

Diligently I seek you

My mind longs for you

My mind thirsts for you as if I am in a desert without water.

Lord with you I am safe as I have seen your power and your glory in Jesus Christ.

Because your love is better than life

I will sing your praises

I will praise you as long as I live

And your name I will lift up with my hands

My mind is satisfied with your rich wisdom

And with singing lips I will praise you all my life

Lord I will rejoice and praise your name as you are God.

Through Jesus Christ alone is salvation.

Praise be to the Lord my God.

Bruce MacPherson macpherson@celtic.ca

Difficult times, spiritual growth

Good Thursday morning, my friends.

I had a couple of conversations yesterday with a family member who is going through a very difficult time right now - financially, relationally and emotionally. (She is on this list, and I ask you to offer a prayer that God will bring peace and joy to her and that His will be done in her life.)  As we talked, I recalled the times in my life that were the most difficult, the most heart breaking.  And I told her that as I look back now, many of my greatest blessings came to me BECAUSE of those times, not IN SPITE of them.  (I met my incredible, lovely wife because of one of these circumstances.)  When we are hurting and suffering, it means God is working in our lives.  It is just really difficult to see at the time.  If this is you right now, please take heart - it truly is "darkest before the dawn".  It is so difficult to lay those burdens at His feet and trust Him, but that is exactly what He wants us to do.

Amazing grace and eternal peace to you today,

Bruce

Father, when the tough times come, you are doing something to test me and refine me. 

Its easy to want out of those tough time quickly, but I pray to You now and say, "Don't take the tough times away until your purpose for that hard circumstance has been accomplished in my life." 

I don't ever want to shy away from what you are doing in me and through me.

Help me to see the lesson you are teaching me.

Help me to be content in all circumstances, even these.

In Jesus' holy name, I pray.  Amen.

Bruce MacPherson macpherson@celtic.ca / Blog: The Celtic Christian / Home: 613.489.4174 Cell: 613.720.0821 You are receiving this email because you have requested it or I felt you would be interested in this material. If you would like to be removed from this email list, please do not hesitate to contact me at the above email address. Likewise, if you know of someone else who you believe would appreciate receiving these messages, please let me know.

We pray peace over their household

Good Wednesday morning, my friends.

In the past few months I have heard story after story of marriages struggling and breaking down.  I know this goes on all the time, but there just seems to be so much of it happening right now.  If this is going on in your marriage, or a family member or friend is going through this, please offer up this prayer for you or them.  

If you are interested in strengthening your marriage, regardless of its current condition, I recommend you seek out a local group offering either The Alpha Marriage Course or Laughing Your Way to a Better Marriage.  If you want more information on either of these, please contact me. There is an interesting article on marriage here titled The Myth of a Soul Mate.

Amazing grace and peace that surpasses all understanding be yours today.

Bruce

Father we ask that you would knit their hearts closely together and allow nothing else to come between them. 

Lord we ask that they both take personal inventory, repent and seek forgiveness for any wrong doing. We pray that they extend love and patience to one another and that the lines of communication, sensitivity as well as understanding are once again opened. 

We ask that you will allow all the pain, hurt and disappointment to begin to subside. 

Lord we ask that forgiveness is welcomed by each of them. 

Lord we ask that you would allow your joy to flow once again from heart to heart between them. 

Father we ask that you direct them as they seek you first in building trust, transparency and both physical and emotional intimacy. 

Father we pray peace over their household. 

Lord we Thank You for being who You are and we realize that all the power, honor and glory belongs to You now and forever,  and for this we give You the PRAISE. 

In the wonderful name of JESUS.

Bruce MacPherson macpherson@celtic.ca / Blog: The Celtic Christian / Home: 613.489.4174 Cell: 613.720.0821 You are receiving this email because you have requested it or I felt you would be interested in this material. If you would like to be removed from this email list, please do not hesitate to contact me at the above email address. Likewise, if you know of someone else who you believe would appreciate receiving these messages, please let me know.

Breaking the cycle

Good Tuesday morning, my friends.

Yesterday's message on grace seems to have struck a chord with a few people.  The goal of the enemy is to keep us at a distance from our God.  As long as he can keep us in that cycle of "good intentions - failure - guilt", he is happy because he knows that we will separate ourselves from God because of that guilt.  I know that well because I have lived in that cycle for years.  Breaking out of that cycle requires us to rest in God's grace and mercy, accepting His forgiveness.  Repent of the sin, but do not flog yourself because of it.  God HAS forgiven you and does not hold you guilty - His Son has already paid the price.  If God does not find us guilty, who are we to hold this guilt?  By releasing the guilt we break the cycle and start to live the life He has created for us - one of peace and forgiveness, seeking His will.

Live that life today.

Amazing grace and eternal peace be yours,

Bruce

Heavenly Father,

We thank you for all your love and grace for us. 

We ask forgiveness for our shortcoming's and ask your Holy Spirit to help us recognize them without berating our selves. 

Help us fix what we can and to seek your wisdom constantly . 

Lord we lift those up that ask for prayer and those we meet who need it. 

Help us remember when we need to pray . 

Lord, thank you for the blessings you give, in Jesus name we pray, Amen

Bruce MacPherson macpherson@celtic.ca / Blog: The Celtic Christian / Home: 613.489.4174 Cell: 613.720.0821 You are receiving this email because you have requested it or I felt you would be interested in this material. If you would like to be removed from this email list, please do not hesitate to contact me at the above email address. Likewise, if you know of someone else who you believe would appreciate receiving these messages, please let me know.

He loves me. He loves me not.

Good Monday morning, my friends.

Do you ever feel like you are in a vicious cycle of "good intentions - failure - guilt, good intentions - failure - guilt ..."?  Sometimes we are "successful" for days or even weeks at a time before succumbing once again to whatever it is that Satan uses to trap us.  And in the guilt phase, we tend to think that God is so disappointed in us, that we cannot go to Him, that we have failed Him once again.  In his sermon yesterday our pastor likened this to plucking petals from a daisy, trying to determine how God feels about us: "He loves me.  He loves me not.  He loves me.  He loves me not."  The pastor also read a quote from some one (whose name escapes me) who said that we will never have a day so bad that we are beyond the reach of grace, nor a day so good that we are beyond the need for grace.  Yes, we will still fail sometimes - for as Romans 3:23 reminds us - "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."  But in 2 Corinthians 12:9 God tells us: "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."  I decided not so long ago to throw away the daisy and stick with the "He loves me" answer.  My prayer is that you can too.

Father in heaven, thank you for your absolutely incredible gift of grace.

Your forgiveness for my rebelliousness is overwhelming.

I ask for your strength to stand up under temptation whenever I encounter it. 

Help me to live in the security of that grace, knowing and accepting your everlasting love.

I ask this in your Son's holy name.  Amen.

Bruce MacPherson macpherson@celtic.ca / Blog: The Celtic Christian / Home: 613.489.4174 Cell: 613.720.0821 You are receiving this email because you have requested it or I felt you would be interested in this material. If you would like to be removed from this email list, please do not hesitate to contact me at the above email address. Likewise, if you know of someone else who you believe would appreciate receiving these messages, please let me know.

Finding "God's will" in my life

Good Friday morning, my friends.

I don't know about you, but trying to figure out what "God's will" is for my life is a very foggy process most of the time.  There have been those few times in my life where I have definitely felt His saying "Bruce, this is what I want you to do."  But, like I said, those times are few.  Most of the time I feel like I am left to figure it out on my own.  My guess is that this is what free-will is all about.  When confronted with a choice between A and B, and God does not seem to guide me either way (provided I have sought His direction), my feeling is that He just wants me to choose one, ask His blessing on the decision, and He will do so.

This prayer expresses my personal desire to live a life that pleases God.  May it be your prayer today too.

Amazing grace and eternal peace to you,

Bruce

Jesus, help me to determine in my heart that Your words, "Follow Me" will far surpass the importance of any other mission I am called to in my life time.  

I pray that my goals, achievements, and ambitions never conflict with the major calling You have placed on my life.  

Lord, may all that I pursue establish for me a firm foundation where my faith will grow and where I bring glory to Your name, both in life and in death.  Amen.

Bruce MacPherson macpherson@celtic.ca / Blog: The Celtic Christian / Home: 613.489.4174 Cell: 613.720.0821 You are receiving this email because you have requested it or I felt you would be interested in this material. If you would like to be removed from this email list, please do not hesitate to contact me at the above email address. Likewise, if you know of someone else who you believe would appreciate receiving these messages, please let me know.

The pitfalls of Facebook

Hello, my friends.

A few years ago I signed up for Facebook, and about three weeks later I closed my account.  Actually, it took about 3 weeks of nagging before they would actually delete my account - they do not like to do that.  There were a couple of reasons I wanted out - one was for privacy concerns, but the other less-tangible reason was that I just felt this was not a place I wanted to be.

Today I received the following article.  It is addressed to men, to fathers, but I think it applies to all of us.  Don't get me wrong, I am NOT saying that Facebook is "evil" or anything like that - I just want you to be aware of the dangers it (and other so-called social networking sites) may pose in your life.  

Feel free to let me know if you agree or disagree - I can take it!

Have a great day,

Bruce

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: The Familyman <familyman@bnin.net>
Date: 8 April 2010 11:25
Subject: Familyman Weekly - Riding Facebook Canyon
To: macpherson@celtic.ca

Hey Dad,

I got a letter last week from a fellow dad. He shared how he made a Facebook mistake. It seems an old flame contacted him after the death of his father. He responded innocently a couple of times and then his wife stumbled upon ‘her’ Facebook message and was devastated.

His initial letter confirmed what I have been feeling for a while now. Ever since being introduced to Facebook, I've had a growing concern about the dangers lurking in the Facebook waters. From the moment I was persuaded to become a member, I saw the dangers of reconnecting with old friends from a simpler, happier time. I noticed pictures of innocent, Facebook teens that I knew posting alluring photos of themselves. I think they meant it in fun...but I thought then as I do now...they're wading into dangerous waters.

Then I started hearing reports of teens that ran off with older teens and husbands and wives who left their spouses and families for people whom they met or re-connected with on Facebook.

The dad who wrote me may not have realized it at the time, but he was headed towards the rocks. Praise God that his wife interrupted the ‘innocent’ emails.

How many more innocent stories of shipwrecked marriages and families do we need to hear before we say, “Maybe all this fun stuff isn't worth the price of admission?” Here's the clincher. I'm not just talking about our children and wives on Facebook; I'm talking about YOU, Dad. I would just about bet if you ‘do Facebook’ that you've had a contact with someone that you felt a bit awkward about, yet also felt a little rush like rafting down the canyon. That awkwardness was God warning you that you were wading into deep, dangerous waters.

I know that there are some reading this who by next year will have done something that will alter their lives forever in this ‘fun' place to meet people. I don’t want that to be you, Dad.

So if you need to pull your raft out of Facebook Canyon, DO IT! If you need to gather your wife and children and say, "Things are going to change”, Do IT! Dad, if you value your marriage and family, then you may need to take the raft by the horns and DO IT!!!!!

After all…

You 'da dad,