Manly Christianity!

Good Friday afternoon, my friends.

I have been chewing on a thought all week.  It concerns the question (OK, my question): What does the relationship between God and a man (as in male, not the species) look like?

Over my decade or so in evangelical churches I have often heard the phrase "loving and personal relationship with Jesus Christ" and it has never sat very comfortably with me.  I am sure there are other men out there who feel the same way (I have spoken to a few) and perhaps even a few women.  (Conversely, I am sure there are men who are quite comfortable with it.)

So why am I uncomfortable with it?  I guess because it is not the way I view my relationships with other men, and Jesus was/is a man.  I could get into the whole "feminization" of the church, and reference David Morrow's "Why Men Hate Going to Church" but that is not where I want to go with this.  Instead, I just want to talk about what does make me comfortable in talking about my relationship with Jesus.

The way I see Jesus is as my commanding officer in battle.  I have deep respect and loyalty towards Him because He has proved Himself worthy of that - He has always made the right decision when it came to directing His "troops".  You could even call it "love", but you would not call it a "loving and personal relationship".  

This all came together on Sunday as our pastor preached from 2 Timothy:

Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs—he wants to please his commanding officer. (2 Timothy 2:3-4)

I want to please my CO.  I want to serve Him with honesty, purity, dignity, integrity and endurance.  I want to earn His trust so that I will be given important assignments to carry out.  That's the kind of terminology I can feel comfortable with.  Can anyone relate?

Amazing Grace and Eternal Peace to you,

Bruce

   God, give us men! A time like this demands 

   Strong minds, great hearts, true faith and ready hands; 

   Men whom the lust of office does not kill; 

   Men whom the spoils of office cannot buy; 

   Men who possess opinions and a will; 

   Men who have honor; men who will not lie; 

   Men who can stand before a demagogue 

   And damn his treacherous flatteries without winking! 

   Tall men, sun-crowned, who live above the fog 

   In public duty and in private thinking; 

   For while the rabble, with their thumb-worn creeds, 

   Their large professions and their little deeds, 

   Mingle in selfish strife, lo! Freedom weeps, 

   Wrong rules the land and waiting Justice sleeps.

   -- Josial Gilbert Holland, God, Give Us Men!, From The Best Loved Poems of the American People, selected by Hazel Felleman.

(http://www.sermons.org/integrity.html)

Bruce MacPherson macpherson@celtic.ca

I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!

Good Thursday morning, my friends.

This first half of this prayer reminds me of the plea of the father who brought his son to Jesus to be healed of an evil spirit:

So they brought him (the boy). When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth.

Jesus asked the boy's father, "How long has he been like this?"

"From childhood," he answered. "It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us."

" 'If you can'?" said Jesus. "Everything is possible for him who believes."

Immediately the boy's father exclaimed, "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!" (Mark 9:20-24)

"I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!"  We all have a measure of faith as gifted by the Holy Spirit.  We could all use more.  Likewise for hope and love - we have some, but as we learn to trust in God they grow.  Do you want more faith? Hope? Love? Then ask for it!  "You do not have, because you do not ask God" (James 4:2b).

And the last half of this prayer is just beautiful - "patient in affliction, and humble in good fortune."  I love that.

Amazing Grace and Eternal Peace to you today,

Bruce

O God. You are my creator and protector, 

and the ultimate end of my existence. 

I believe in You 

- strengthen my faith. 

My hopes are in You 

- may they live and grow. 

I love You 

- teach me to love You even more. 

Fill my heart with thanks for Your goodness, 

love of my neighbor, 

charity towards my enemies, 

and distrust of worldly wisdom. 

Make me prudent in my undertakings today, 

patient in affliction, 

and humble in good fortune. 

Grant that I may be attentive to my prayers, 

and ever mindful of Your presence, 

through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.

(http://www.livingwithanxiety.com/anxiety-prayers.htm)

Bruce MacPherson macpherson@celtic.ca

Surrender

Good Wednesday morning, my friends.

Yesterday I wrote about how God is showing me that I have not truly surrendered my life to him - my marriage, finances, schedule, morality and ethics.  How do I know I haven't?  Because I have lacked peace in these areas.  Because I have still worried about each of these, sometimes to the point of deep anxiety.  

How could I have such negative feelings about something that I have surrendered control to another - One who is INFINITELY more capable of handling them than I am?  If I have surrendered, for example, my finances to Him I should have peace in that regard even if I still have debt.  

If you are having anxiety over some area of your life this is an indication that it has not been surrendered.  What is keeping you awake at night?  What is giving you an ulcer?  Is it worrying about your children?  Your marriage?  Your own faith?  Give Him control, and then trust that He will handle the situation better than you ever could have imagined.  It won't likely happen overnight, and won't likely look like you have imagined, but it will happen.  In His time - His perfect time.

Amazing Grace and Eternal Peace to you today,

Bruce

O Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in You, hoping for all things from Your goodness. 

You make a root flourish beneath the soil; You can make fruitful the darkness in which I find myself today. 

I adore You in all Your purposes even without knowing them; Your will be done, not mine. 

May I be patient! 

It is so difficult to realize these trials, heartbreaking as they are, can be turned into blessings. 

Lord, give me peace of mind, peace of heart, and peace of soul, as I offer You my thoughts, my words, and my action, and yes, Lord my sufferings. 

May they all be for Your greater glory, Amen.

(http://www.livingwithanxiety.com/anxiety-prayers.htm)

Bruce MacPherson macpherson@celtic.ca

Moving up to solid food ...

Good Tuesday morning, my friends.

I trust you had a very good Thanksgiving long weekend, and that you have had your fill of turkey until Christmas!  (Except of course for the leftovers you will be eating all week ...)

It seems every time I feel I have gained any level of maturity in my "Christian walk" that God shows me the next level, and how truly far it is I have to go.  That was my experience this weekend.  I felt rather like the believers in Corinth must have felt when Paul wrote to them: "I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready" (1 Corinthians 3:2).  This has happened in the past, and has been accompanied by a certain level of frustration.  But not this time.  This time I find it rather exciting.  

One of the things he has shown me is that I have not truly surrendered my life to Him.  Whereas I have been thinking that there are perhaps just a few small areas left for me to give up, what He has told me is that I have not really given Him anything.  But I have shown them to Him - saying "look - here is what I have to offer" without actually giving it to Him.  But it does not feel like chiding or criticism, but rather encouragement.  He is showing me the life that is available to me as I truly give Him control of my marriage, finances, schedule, morality, ethics.  And my pride.  Any of you who have been a reader of these messages for any length of time may have recognized how self-focussed they have been.  Indeed this one is no different.  But perhaps sharing my own journey is part of His will for me - that I will have to work out.

I am seeking His will for my life.  And His answer is to abide in Christ and to try to be constantly aware of the presence of the Holy Spirit in my life.  Baby steps.  (Or perhaps baby food would be a better analogy.)  But it is a new stage, and I am excited by it.  I pray that God reveals the next step in your journey - that He lights your path.

Amazing Grace and Eternal Peace to you today,

Bruce

Lord, teach me to be patient - with life, with people,and with myself. 

I sometimes try to hurry things along too much, and I push for answers before the time is right. 

Teach me to trust Your sense of timing rather than my own and to surrender my will to Your greater and wiser plan. 

Help me let life unfold slowly, like the small rosebud whose petals unravel bit by bit, and remind me that in hurrying the bloom along, I destroy the bud and much of the beauty therein.

Instead, let me wait for all to unfold in its own time. 

Each moment and state of growth contains a loveliness. 

Teach me to slow down enough to appreciate life and all it holds. Amen.

(http://acatholiclife.blogspot.com/2006/05/prayer-for-patience-in-accepting-gods.html)

Bruce MacPherson macpherson@celtic.ca

The future...

Good Friday morning, my friends.

Yesterday I watched this short (10 minute) video from ABC News.  It is an interview with 5 young evangelical leaders - none of whom I have ever heard of before.  I was very very impressed with the way they conducted themselves, even while being baited with questions on hot-button issues such as abortion and same-sex marriage.  

http://abcnews.go.com/US/video/face-american-evangelicalism-10744135

What a difference from the current crop of "right-wing fundamentalist Christians" who now dominate the media in the US (and to a certain extent in Canada).  The grace extended by these folks, even to their predecessors in that political spectrum, is inspiring.  It makes me personally feel that the church is adjusting course back to a New Testament / First Century heading.

Have a wonderful weekend.

Amazing Grace and Eternal Peace to you,

Bruce

Father, although I cannot see the future You have planned,

And though the path is sometimes dark and hard to understand,

Yet give me faith, through joy and pain to trace Your loving hand.

When I recall that in the past your promises have stood

Through each perplexing circumstance and every changing mood,

I rest content that all things work together for my good.

Whatever, then, the future brings of good or seeming ill,

I ask for strength to follow You and grace to trust You still;

And I would look for no reward, except to do Your will.

(http://www.brokenrites.org/a_prayer_for_the_future.htm)

Bruce MacPherson macpherson@celtic.ca

Announcement: Promise Keepers Canada

Hello my friends.

As of September 1st I have joined the staff of Promise Keepers Canada on a part-time basis as their Regional Representative for Ottawa East (East of the 416).  Promise Keepers Canada is an amazing organization devoted to working with men in developing Godly attitudes towards manhood, sexuality, being a husband, and being a father.  In the 3+ years I have been interacting with this organization they have taught me much, prayed for me more, and were used by God in a huge way to get me on the path I now travel.  It is a privilege for me to give something back to this great ministry.

Promise Keepers hold annual conferences here in Ottawa and in numerous other cities across Canada.  World class speakers are brought in to teach and disciple the thousands of men who attend these events every year.  If you or someone you know has attended one of these event, you know the impact these conferences can have  In addition to the conferences, Promise Keepers sends out fantastic free resources on a monthly basis to any man who wants them.  These include CD's of speakers from various events, daily devotionals, and their very own SEVEN magazine produced in Canada for Christian men.  For Men's Ministry groups Promise Keepers has produced a series of "Men's Summit" DVD's that can be used for a Saturday breakfast or other gatherings.  Each kit provides 2 DVD teachings, an agenda for running a session, and a power point presentation of discussion questions.  Other resources we have available include full day workshops and weekend long "Discipleship Training".

Our mission is to help the men of Canada, and the world, be better followers of Christ and in doing so to become better husbands, fathers, church members, friends, workers, and bosses,  Our motto and our goal is "Leave No Man Behind".

Up until recently Promise Keepers concentrated on the annual conferences as their primary focus but more and more often pastors and men's group leaders have come forward indicating their men need to be "fed" on a more regular basis.  This is what has prompted the organization to begin producing these new high quality resources.

For those of you in the Ottawa area, I am looking for people - men and women - in as many churches as possible who will partner with me in promoting the ministry of Promise Keepers.  It can be as simple as putting up posters of upcoming events or it can be more involved - organizing groups for breakfasts or workshops - or volunteering at an event as an usher, prayer team member, etc.  If this is you or someone you know - please contact me. 

For those of you outside of the Ottawa area who would like more information or would like to be involved in any way with Promise Keepers, please send me a note and I will forward your contact information to the appropriate person in the organization.

It is a privilege to serve the Lord in this capacity.  Please, as you are led by the Holy Spirit, lift up this ministry, my work in it, and my family in prayer.  I would also love to have some of you offer to join a prayer team that would regularly pray for these and other requests.  I have a friend who is willing to lead such a prayer ministry and if you would like to be involved in that aspect, please let me know.

Amazing Grace and Eternal Peace to you,

Bruce

Bruce MacPherson Regional Representative - Ottawa East Promise Keepers Canada Email: bmacpherson@promisekeepers.ca Blog: The Celtic Christian  Home: 613.489.4174 / Cell: 613.720.0821

Our mission: To ignite and equip men to become fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ - resulting in families, churches, workplaces, communities and nations impacted by the grace of God through the lives of men.

I need to repent of my repentance

Good Thursday morning, my friends.

Do you, like I, sometimes loose sight of the magnitude of sin?  Do we take for granted the grace extended to us when Jesus took all of our sin upon Himself?  

I am not talking about beating ourselves up for our failures - I did that for years, have the bruises and scars to prove it, and my relationship with God is none the better for it.  No, what I mean is truly acknowledging our sin - the "sinfulness of sin" as this prayer puts it.  I tend to give half-hearted confession, simply assuming forgiveness without ever really grieving what I have done wrong.  I need to "repent of my repentance".

Take your time reading this prayer - it took me several times through it to really understand it.  Allow it to wash away any debris that stands between you and God today.

Amazing Grace and Eternal Peace to you,

Bruce

O God of Grace,

You have imputed my sin to my substitute, and have imputed his righteousness to my soul, clothing me with a bridegroom's robe, decking me with jewels of holiness. But in my Christian walk I am still in rags; my best prayers are stained with sin; my penitential tears are so much impurity; my confessions of wrong are so many aggravations of sin; my receiving the Spirit is tinctured with selfishness.

I need to repent of my repentance; I need my tears to be washed; I have no robe to bring to cover my sins, no loom to weave my own righteousness; I am always standing clothed in filthy garments, and by grace am always receiving change of raiment, for you always justify the ungodly; I am always going into the far country, and always returning home as a prodigal, always saying, "Father, forgive me," and you are always bringing forth the best robe.

Every morning let me wear it, every evening return in it, go out to the day's work in it, be married in it, be wound in death in it, stand before the great white throne in it, enter heaven in it shining as the sun.

Grant me never to lose sight of the exceeding sinfulness of sin, the exceeding righteousness of salvation, the exceeding glory of Christ, the exceeding beauty of holiness, the exceeding wonder of grace.

from The Valley of Vision: A Collection of Puritan Prayers, edited by Arthur Bennett

(http://bobhostetler.blogspot.com/2010/10/i-need-to-repent-of-my-repentance.html)

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.

Father, whet our appetite for spiritual food

Good Wednesday morning, my friends.

In one of the more colourful pieces of scripture, Proverbs 26:11 says: "As a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his folly."  I don't know about you, but I do this much too often - abandoning the pure, nourishing food of life for the regurgitated refuse of this world.  What I long for and pray for is an intense craving for the life that God offers me - life and life more abundant (John 10:10).  God is answering that prayer.  Too slowly for my impatient heart sometimes (OK most of the time), but He is answering it.  Make it your prayer too.

Amazing Grace and Eternal Peace to you today,

Bruce

Father, whet our appetite for spiritual food that brings sustenance, growth and experience as we partake of the Bread of Life.   

May our hearts hunger for the wonderful promises, provisions, and principles revealed throughout Your Holy Scripture.  

As we regularly taste of these nourishing nuggets we will become mature and be strengthened so that we can trust You in times of famine. 

Keep us tasting and keep us trusting.  

In Jesus' name we pray.  Amen.

(http://adailyprayer.wordpress.com/2010/09/28/a-prayer-for-spiritual-appetite/)

Bruce MacPherson macpherson@celtic.ca

Choose God or to choose self

Good Tuesday morning, my friends.

Yesterday I had a conversation with a friend and he joked that he would live this life for all it's worth, and pray "like hell" on his deathbed.  I am not so sure he really was joking - he probably will do that if he gets the chance.  When I suggested to him that he may not, for any number of reasons, have that opportunity, he then countered that "God is a forgiving God, right?" and said he would be forgiven when he gets to heaven.

I had to think about this - God certainly is a forgiving God.  In the end I explained that this life was given to us in order to make that choice - to choose God, or to choose self - there are no other options. If we fail to make the choice for Jesus in this life, given all of the information available to us and quest for eternity that God has placed in us, then we have set our own course.  Are there second chances?  All the time, but only while we are here.

Do you have friends who think like my friend that they can continue to put off reconciling with God?  Do you have this belief yourself?  Are you willing to risk it?

Light your candle and bring light to your world.

Amazing Grace and Eternal Peace to you today,

Bruce

Father, grant that I may be a bearer of Christ Jesus, your Son.

Allow me to warm the often cold, impersonal scene of modern life with your burning love. 

Strengthen me by your Holy Spirit to carry out my mission of changing the world or some definite part of it for the better. 

Despite my lamentable failures, bring home to me that my advantages are your blessings to be shared with others. 

Make me more energetic in setting right what I find wrong with the world instead of complaining about it. 

Nourish in me a practical desire to 

build up rather than tear down, 

to reconcile instead of polarize, 

to go out on a limb rather than crave security. 

Never let me forget that it is far better to light one candle than to curse the darkness,and to join my light, one day, with yours. Amen.

(http://praying.kansasbob.com/2010/10/prayer-for-today.html)

Bruce MacPherson macpherson@celtic.ca

Abba, Father, I want to be a man who ...

Good Monday morning, my friends.

I love this prayer.  I love it because it shows me where I am now, and where I want to be in my relationship with God.  It gives some perspective on life that under normal circumstances (whatever that is) we do not take the time reflect upon.  It is like taking a deep breath, assessing the current situation, and then starting to move on with our eye on the target.

Amazing Grace and Eternal Peace to you today,

Bruce

Abba, Father, I want to be a man (or woman)...

...who rises early,

...who eases into the day, thinking of prayer before food, spiritual above physical,

...who works hard, but not frantically,

...who creates, not just functions,

...who eats lightly and healthily,

...who exercises but not slavishly--to be in shape and to be useful, not impressive,

...who knows and expects that unexpected things will happen, and keeps enough margin in his month, week, and day to cope with the unexpected,

...who is confident enough of your pleasure that he doesn't sweat pleasing others,

...who is focused but not myopic, 

...who knows how to rest, how to say no, and how to do without,

...who does justly, loves mercy, and walks humbly with you...

Make it so, Lord, please, in Jesus' name, amen.

(http://bobhostetler.blogspot.com/2010/09/i-want-to-be-man.html)

Bruce MacPherson macpherson@celtic.ca

Take away from me the heart of stone

Good Friday morning, my friends.

I thought I would leave off the week with this beautiful prayer written by Ambrose of Milan (c 339-97).  

The prayer refers to God's ability to take a heart of stone and make it into flesh.  My heart was turned from stone to flesh a number of years ago, but it has a tendency to harden again if left unused for any length of time.

Amazing Grace and Eternal Peace to you today,

Bruce

O Lord, who hast mercy upon all, take away from me my sins,

and mercifully kindle in me the fire of thy Holy Spirit.

Take away from me the heart of stone,

and give me a heart of flesh,

a heart to love and adore thee,

a heart to delight in thee,

to follow and to enjoy thee,

for Christ's sake.

(http://www.faithandworship.com/early_Christian_prayers.htm)

Bruce MacPherson macpherson@celtic.ca

Two rich men

Good Thursday morning, my friends.

My friend Dan sent me a link to a sermon by Francis Chan.  The sermon is called "Lukewarm and lovin' it!".  I felt very challenged by this message, so I decided to do what I usually do in those circumstances - share the pain with you.

In Mark 10:25 Jesus says "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."

We have heard this hundreds and hundreds of time, I am sure, and choose not to dwell on what He truly means by this - because we are some of the richest people who have ever lived on this earth.

So let's be brave enough to dwell on this for a minute.  What does He mean?  Is He saying it is impossible for us to get into Heaven?   Let's look at two other passages:

The Rich Ruler

A certain ruler asked him, "Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?"

"Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good—except God alone. You know the commandments: 'Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.'"

"All these I have kept since I was a boy," he said.

When Jesus heard this, he said to him, "You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."

When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was a man of great wealth. (Luke 18:18-23)

Zacchaeus the Tax Collector

Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. He wanted to see who Jesus was, but being a short man he could not, because of the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.

When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, "Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today." So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.

All the people saw this and began to mutter, "He has gone to be the guest of a 'sinner.' "

But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, "Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount."

Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost." (Luke 19:1-10)

Here are two rich men.  The first is so caught up in his riches, so attached to them, so dependent on them that he cannot give them up.  The second immediately recognizes what is truly important - his relationship with God.  He is willing to part with all that he has to gain that.  (Does that remind you of the story Jesus told about the man who found a valuable pearl in a field?)  

"Today salvation has come to this house."  A rich man has been saved.  The impossible has been accomplished.  

How attached are you to your "stuff"?  The think about stuff is - the more you have, the safer you feel.  Like I said, this is challenging for me.  A week ago or so I told you that I was in a precarious situation in regards to my work situation.  I work on contract, and my contract ends today.  I went to God and told Him that I trusted Him, and that whatever happens, whatever I might have to divest myself of, I was willing to do so, knowing that He would provide for me and my family.  And I mostly believed what I was saying.  Mostly.  Yesterday afternoon we were told that our bid had won the new contract ("by the slightest of margins") and I will be remaining where I am currently planted.  A big thank you to all of you for your support and prayers during this time.  And praise and thanksgiving to God for His generosity and faithfulness.

Amazing Grace and Eternal Peace to you today,

Bruce

Father, we come to you knowing that we are rich beyond the wildest dreams of most of the people who have ever walked the earth.

Help us to understand that all we have has been given by You,

that you gave us this wealth not to make our lives easier,

but that we could use it to ease the burden and pain of others.

Forgive us for the times that we have trusted in earthly treasures

and not built up treasures in heaven.

Give us hearts like Zacchaeus, so that salvation may be brought to our houses - today.

In the name of Christ our Lord we pray.  Amen

Bruce MacPherson macpherson@celtic.ca