Lord, Your resources are not vast, they are limitless!

Good Friday morning, my friends.

Do you ever hear that little voice telling you that you can't do something?  Telling you that you aren't smart enough?  Aren't experienced enough?  Aren't skilled enough?  

Is this particularly true when you feel called to do some form of ministry or service?

I know that voice all too well.  And the irony is that the voice is usually right!  We are not able to do a lot of the things we are called to do, at least not in our own power.  That's the whole point of FAITH - relying on God's power to accomplish what we could not possibly do on our own.

And just how powerful is God?  Is His power vast?  NO!  It is LIMITLESS!  We so often box God in by seeing Him in human terms.  As you pray this prayer, see Him in His terms.

Grace and peace to you in abundance,

Bruce

Lord, 

your immensity reminds me that your resources are not vast,

they are limitless,

because you are limitless.

You may call on any number--

an infinite number--

of resources to accomplish your will,

because you lack nothing, 

and all you possess you possess in infinite number!

So, 

are you telling me about something you want to accomplish in me?

Through me?

I know that nothing is too hard for you. 

I open my heart and will....

pour into them whatever you choose, in Jesus' name, amen.

(http://bobhostetler.blogspot.com/2010/10/immensity.html)

Bruce MacPherson macpherson@celtic.ca

How do we offer our bodies as living sacrifices?

Good Thursday morning, my friends.

In Romans 12:1-2 Paul tells us:

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

How do we offer our bodies as living sacrifices?  What does it mean to transform our minds?  To me this means being more and more aware of God in every circumstance, where ever we are, in every interaction with others.  The more often we bring Him into the equation, the more our thoughts, words and deeds will please Him.  And when we do that, we are living in God's good, pleasing and perfect will.

Grace and peace to you in abundance,

Bruce

Father of love, hear my prayer.

Help me to know Your Will

and to do it with courage and faith.

Accept my offering of myself,

all my thoughts, words, deeds, and sufferings.

May my life be spent giving You glory.

Give me the strength to follow Your call,

so that Your Truth may live in my heart

and bring peace to me and to those I meet,

for I believe in Your Love.

(http://www.ramshornstudio.com/way_to_peace.htm)

Bruce MacPherson macpherson@celtic.ca

Each day and night give us Thy peace

Good Wednesday morning, my friends.

A colleague of mine at Promise Keepers Canada turned me on yesterday to a publication called "Carmina Gadelica - Hymns and Incantations". (This is a collection of prayers and folk poetry from the Western Isles of Scotland translated from the original Gaelic.)

This was the prayer that was sent to me and I really feel it connects my heart with God's.  I hope (and pray) that it blesses you as it blessed me.  And speaking of being blessed, the video below, of my own cousin Kelley Mooney, is (in my humble and non-biased opinion) simply amazing.  As she explains in her introduction, she was asked to sing Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" at a church service.  After looking up the lyrics online, she decided that it wasn't exactly appropriate for that environment, and sat down to re-write the lyrics.  Let me know what you think of this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=guhr0Vh2hE0

Grace and peace to you in abundance,

Bruce

I AM bending my knee

In the eye of the Father who created me,

In the eye of the Son who died for me,

In the eye of the Spirit who cleansed me,

     In love and desire.

Pour down upon us from heaven

The rich blessing of Thy forgiveness;

Thou who art uppermost in the City,

     Be Thou patient with us.

Grant to us, Thou Saviour of Glory,

The fear of God, the love of God, and His affection,

And the will of God to do on earth at all times

As angels and saints do in heaven;

Each day and night give us Thy peace.

     Each day and night give us Thy peace

(http://www.ramshornstudio.com/for_grace.htm)

Bruce MacPherson macpherson@celtic.ca

Make Me a Blessing

Good Tuesday morning, my friends.

Today's prayer (actually a song) comes to me by way of my lovely wife, Rosemary.  She forwarded this to me this morning and I really like it.  We, like Abraham, have been blessed by God.  And with that blessing comes a responsibility - we are blessed so that we may be a blessing to others.   So how will you bless others today?

Grace and peace to you in abundance,

Bruce

============ Forwarded message ============
From : Rosemary MacPherson<rosemary@celtic.ca>
To : "Bruce MacPherson" <bruce@celtic.ca>
Date : Tue, 26 Oct 2010 12:15:41 +0000
Subject : make me a blessing
============ Forwarded message ============

Make Me a Blessing Words by Ira B. Wilson Music by George S. Schuler Genesis 12:2 "And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:" Out on the highways and byways of life, Many are the weary and sad; Carry the sunshine where darkness is rife, Making the sorrowing glad. Chorus Make me a blessing, make me a blessing; Out of my life may Jesus shine. Make me a blessing, O Saviour I pray, Make me a blessing to someone today. Tell the sweet story of Christ and His love, Tell of His pow'r to forgive; Others will trust Him if only you prove True every moment you live. Chorus Make me a blessing, make me a blessing; Out of my life may Jesus shine. Make me a blessing, O Saviour I pray, Make me a blessing to someone today. Give as 'twas given to you in your need, Love as the Master loved you; Be to the helpless a helper indeed, Unto your mission be true. Chorus Make me a blessing, make me a blessing; Out of my life may Jesus shine. Make me a blessing, O Saviour I pray, Make me a blessing to someone today.

Bruce MacPherson macpherson@celtic.ca

My confidence cannot exceed your generosity

Good Monday morning, my friends.

I was searching for a prayer this morning when I came upon this one written by Claude de la Colombière (1641-1682).  The line that got my attention was:

"I know that my confidence (in You, God) cannot exceed your generosity"

There is a space I need to live in!

On a sadder note, I would ask your prayers today for this family:

http://www.ottawasun.com/news/ottawa/2010/10/24/15814086.html

Jaye worked as the Administrative Assistant to the Director General on my floor.  Her friend, Lena, mentioned in the article is the Administrative Assistant to the Director for which I work.  Please lift these folks in your prayers today - may it be a pleasing aroma to the Lord.

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

Bruce

In you, O loving God, have I hoped: 

let me never be confounded. 

I know too well 

that I am weak and changeable. 

I know the power of temptation 

against the strongest virtue. 

I have seen stars fall 

and foundations of my world crack; 

these things do not alarm me. 

While I hope in you, 

I am sheltered from all misfortune, 

and I am sure 

that my trust shall endure, 

for I rely upon you 

to sustain this unfailing hope. 

Finally, I know that my confidence cannot exceed your generosity,

and that I shall never receive less than I have hoped for from you.

Therefore I hope that you will sustain me against my evil inclinations,

that you will protect me against the deceitful attacks of the evil one,

and that you will cause my weakness to triumph over every hostile force.

I hope that you will never cease to love me and that I shall love you unceasingly. Amen.

Claude de la Colombière

(http://bobhostetler.blogspot.com/2010/10/prayer-of-claude-de-la-colombiere.html)

Bruce MacPherson macpherson@celtic.ca

Slow me down, Lord

Good Friday morning, my friends.

We are almost at Halloween, which means the Christmas "season" is just around the corner.  Perhaps before we get caught up in that whirlwind we can take the time to reflect with this prayer.

Also, a good friend of mine (thanks, Walter) sent me an email with the pencil sketches below.  I love the love that Jesus displays in these pictures - But Jesus called the children to him and said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these." (Luke 18:16)

Amazing Grace and Eternal Peace to you,

Bruce

Slow me down, Lord.

Sometimes I find myself going 100 miles an hour.

Too fast to see you.

Too fast to hear you.

Too fast to feel your touch.

Too fast to know your will for me.

Today, Lord, help me to step off the treadmill

And wait for you.

Amen

(http://praying.kansasbob.com/2009/12/it-may-be-time-to-slow-down-bit.html)

Bruce MacPherson macpherson@celtic.ca

What we can learn from the kids

Good Thursday morning, my friends.

(Apologies to anyone who received yesterdays message 3 - or more - times.  And if you receive this one multiple times!  Server issues ...)

I really like this article by John Fischer:

What we can learn from the kids by John Fischer Thank goodness Jesus didn't grab a 30 year-old man and say, "Unless you become as one of these, you cannot enter the kingdom of heaven." No, it's the children he wants us to emulate. Why do you suppose? Here are some possibilities: Kids don't have to be right. Kids will try anything. Kids don't care about their reputations. Kids don't care about skin color, nationality, religion or politics. Kids can make mistakes. Kids don't hold grudges. Kids forgive and forget. Kids don't keep score. Kids can make friends with anybody. Kids don't know the value of money. Kids don't care what the trends are. Kids trust, hope, and believe. "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 18:3)

John Fischer The Catch Online

Find your "inner-child" and pray this prayer through them.

Amazing Grace and Eternal Peace to you,

Bruce

Be near me, Lord Jesus!

I ask Thee to stay

Close by me forever

And love me, I pray.

Bless all the dear children

In Thy tender care

And take us to heaven

To live with Thee there.

Amen.

(http://www.prayer-and-prayers.info/prayers-for-children/be-near-me-lord-jesus.htm)

Bruce MacPherson macpherson@celtic.ca

Blinds spots

Good Wednesday morning, my friends.

This week I have come across a couple of more quotes on character (I wrote a message on this theme back in August: Character).

This one is from Billy Graham: 

When wealth is lost, nothing is lost; when health is lost, something is lost; when character is lost, all is lost.

"You can't take it with you" isn't quite true - your character - if it has not been lost - is what you will take with you.

Today, I read this one by author Sam Ewing:

Hard work spotlights the character of people: some turn up their sleeves, some turn up their noses, and some don't turn up at all.

I want to be a guy that turns up my sleeves but I know that sometimes I don't show up at all (at least not in spirit).  (Ewing had many great quotes; one of my favourites - because I can relate - "Inflation is when you pay fifteen dollars for the ten-dollar haircut you used to get for five dollars when you had hair. ")

We are very good at turning a blind eye to  the major flaws in our character (or the log in our own eye, as Jesus would say), but are very quick to see them in others.  The prayer today is for God to take a "full-body scan" of our character and reveal to us the imperfections found therein.  Then we can start to make alterations where necessary.

Amazing Grace and Eternal Peace to you and your family today,

Bruce

Heavenly Father, point out blind spots in my personal integrity; 

forgive me for those times when I am less than honest with myself and others; 

help me to die to self—and my own self-deception—

so that I will more genuinely imitate and reflect your character.

(http://www.christianitytoday.com/moi/2010/005/october/17.17.html)

Bruce MacPherson macpherson@celtic.ca

Pray for political leaders

Good Tuesday morning, my friends.

First of all, I just want to add an afterthought to yesterday's message.  If we are to preach the Gospel, the Good News, to ourselves then we must accept both parts of it - that we are "the worst of sinners", and, more importantly, that we have been redeemed by the blood of Christ!  For a long time I found the first easy to confess, and the second very hard to accept.  If this is your heart then you will NOT be able to preach the Gospel to anyone - because you haven't accepted it for yourself.

Today I want to encourage you to pray for the government of Canada - regardless of your political leanings.  In 1 Timothy 2:1-2 Paul says:

I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.

If you would like a chance to pray for our municipal government leaders and first-responders (Police, Fire, Paramedics) and you are in the Ottawa area, please join me at the Civic Prayer Breakfast coming up on November 5th at The Hampton Inn (200 Coventry Road).  Details can be found here.

Amazing Grace and Eternal Peace to you,

Bruce

Father, in Jesus' Name, I give thanks for our country and it's government. 

I hold up in prayer before You the men and women in positions of authority. 

I pray for all people in authority over us in any way. I pray that the Spirit of the Lord rests upon them.

I believe that skillful and godly wisdom has entered into the hearts of our leaders and knowledge is pleasant to them. 

Discretion watches over them; understanding keeps them and delivers them from the way of evil and from evil men.

Your Word declares that 'blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord.' 

I receive Your blessing and declare with my mouth that Your people dwell safely in this land and that they prosper abundantly.

It is written in Your Word that the heart of the king is in the hand of the Lord and that You turn it whichever way You desire. 

I believe the heart of our leader is in Your hand and that his decisions are divinely directed of the Lord.

I give thanks unto You that the good news of the gospel is published in our land. 

The Word of the Lord prevails and grows mightily in the hearts and lives of the people. 

I give thanks for this land and the leaders You have given to us, in Jesus' Name.

I proclaim that Jesus is Lord over my country.

Amen.

(http://www.tgm.org/prayers.htm#salvation)

Bruce MacPherson macpherson@celtic.ca

What does it mean to pursue righteousness?

Good Monday morning, my friends.

Once again the pastor at our church has given me a nugget to reflect upon.  We are in the midst a sermon series titled "Becoming a Courageous Christian" based on the book of 2 Timothy and this week one of the passages we looked at was 2 Timothy 2:22 (doesn't that have a nice, balanced ring to it?):

Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

The pastor's question to us was: What does it mean to pursue righteousness?  In Matthew 6 Jesus is teaching us not to worry about what we will eat, what we will wear, etc. and he says this: 

"But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well" (Matthew 6:33).

So?  What does it mean to seek righteousness?  I thought the pastor's answer was profound.  He said: Pursue righteousness by preaching the Gospel every day - to yourself.  

I find it easy to forget what I have been, and indeed what I still am.  As Paul says in 1 Timothy 1:15: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst.  No one knows my sin as deeply as I do.  Jesus Christ died on the cross so that I could be forgiven these sins.  His blood and sacrifice have redeemed me.  We are crowned as sons and daughters of God because of this incredible act.  

If we begin each day remembering who we were (and are) - the worst of sinners, and then reflect upon the gifts of grace and mercy we have been given, then we cannot help but seek His righteousness more and more.

Preach the Gospel to yourself this morning.  Then you will want to share it with someone else.

Amazing Grace and Peace that surpasses all understanding be yours,

Bruce

Dear Lord, how tenderly You care for me. 

Jesus, my Shepherd! 

When I hear your reassuring voice I know that I am secure. 

When I wander far away You search for me. 

And when you find me, You hoist me upon Your strong shoulders, rejoicing that I have been found. 

You are the gate that leads to the fold of salvation. 

You are the fold in which I find safety. 

When I am in danger, You lay down Your own life for me. 

You give me the gift of life, life to the full. 

Oh to know You, gracious Shepherd, and to be known by you ~~this is true life! 

Thanks you Jesus, I love you.  Amen

(http://praying.kansasbob.com/2010/10/good-shepherd.html)

Bruce MacPherson macpherson@celtic.ca