Category: This Week at The Centre

“Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!”
When we think of royalty, the picture that most quickly comes to mind is one of pageantry and excess. Last year there was a royal wedding in Britain and it seemed as if the whole world was watching, discussing every aspect of the whole production (and it was a huge production!). The invited guests contained a “who’s who” of the entertainment and political worlds — people of power and prestige. This was no small affair! And this wedding will pale in comparison to when the next monarch is crowned.

Compare this scene to how Jesus was welcomed as King in Jerusalem. He didn’t require much, only that a certain colt would be found for Him to ride. He didn’t send an itinerary forward with the parade route mapped out. There wasn’t a huge reception waiting for Him once they reached the temple. There were no discussions as to His pedigree. And yet people knew that He was the King! Those who were present welcomed Him with shouts of “Hosanna!” and laid their cloaks down on the road He was travelling. They cut palm branches as well and placed them on the road, a sign of victory and Jewish nationalism. There was no mistaking who Jesus was, and He didn’t fight it or tell people to stop. In fact, Jesus told the Pharisees that if the people were quiet “the stones will cry out!” In other words, all of creation knew that He was King!

This coming Sunday at our gathering we’re going to celebrate Jesus as King, and discuss what that means for us. How does His triumphal entry into Jerusalem affect our lives today? If you are interested in coming for prayer before the service,  we will meet after 3pm to pray.

Have a blessed week!

Pastor Mike

Coming home. For many it’s a wonderful feeling. The sense of returning to a place that is familiar and safe and welcoming. I know that when I have gone away, even for just one night, there is nothing better than coming home to friendly faces and warm embraces, and sleeping in my own bed! It is a wonderful thing!

God calls us home. I’m not talking about eternity (although He will do that), but even now in this lifetime He calls us to return to Him. He invites us back into relationship and friendship, and to be a part of His family. He calls us to trust in Him, to find rest in Him, and to find our purpose in Him. And no matter how long you have traveled away, or how far you think you’ve strayed from Him, He is right there encouraging you to turn back to Him. It doesn’t matter how many walls you’ve put up, or the many awful things you think you’ve done, God is wanting to welcome you back and offer you a place at His table.

Come home to God. You will find rest. You will find peace. You will find a warm embrace and a place for you.

This Sunday at our gathering (4-5pm) we will be finishing off our series in Hosea, looking at chapter 14. We will also be celebrating communion. Our table is open to all who are following Jesus, and have put their hope and trust in Him. We look forward to seeing you!

Blessings, Pastor Mike

“Is there anything else you’d like to tell me?”

I’ve asked that question many times in my life; as a teacher, a youth pastor, a pastor, and as a parent. It generally comes after a confession of some sort in which the person lets me know about something they’ve done wrong. Quite often (but not always) the confession comes alongside an explanation for their behaviour. “I only acted this way because . . . .” There are all sorts of excuses and reasons that people give, and always with the aim of making themselves look better.

I learned to ask the follow up question because most times people don’t share the whole story. They leave out the bits and pieces that don’t look good on their part. The problem is that when we leave parts out, or pass the blame and responsibility on to others, we aren’t being truthful and the parts that are unconfessed continue to weigh us down. We think we’ve gotten away with something, but it’s still there under the surface, and sooner or later it will trip us up.

This was the problem the Israelites had (there really is nothing new under the sun!!). They “hid” things from God, lied to others and themselves, and thought that everything was working out just fine until it all came undone. They went from having everything they needed and more, to being exiled and having nothing. God gave them many warnings — “But you must return to your God; maintain love and justice, and wait for your God always” (Hosea 12:6) — but they didn’t listen. They continued to do things their way, “hiding” things from God and others, and lying to themselves that everything was fine. It wasn’t a good place to be, and eventually the truth caught up with them.

“Is there anything else you’d like to tell me?” Be honest with God. He already knows everything already, so you’re not going to surprise Him! Turn to Him and He will lift you up. Wait for Him and He will be there with you. Confess your sins and He will forgive you.

Blessings, Pastor Mike

Historically, the areas in which the church grows the fastest is where there is persecution and hardship. Right from the beginning, the early church was faced with intense persecution, first from the Jewish people and then from the Roman Empire. It became illegal to worship and follow Jesus, and yet the church grew and grew until three centuries later it became the state religion. Through the 1700 and 1800’s, as Christians went out into the world and took with them the gospel message, they faced steep opposition. Many were martyred. Those who accepted Christ were often shunned, kicked out of their family, or even worse. And still the church grew.

In our day and age, while the church seems to be plateauing and even declining in North America, it is growing exponentially in China and South East Asia, parts of Africa, and throughout Central and South America. One thing that each area has in common is the persecution of Christians. Why is the church growing in areas where it seems the most unlikely? I believe the answer is found in what Jesus taught (it’s always a good place to start looking for answers!). In Mark 10:17-31 we read the story of a rich man who approached Jesus and asked Him how he could inherit eternal life. Jesus said to the man that he needed to go away and give all that he had to the poor, and the man went away sad because he was very rich. Then Jesus said, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” There is our answer.

And because there is nothing new under the sun (read Ecclesiastes to get that message), this is the same message that we can read in Hosea. The people had everything, and so they didn’t need God. They thought they could do it on their own apart from God. They were wrong. My prayer and hope for the church in North America is that we recognize our need for God above all else, that we wouldn’t become enamoured with the things of this world, and we would listen to what God is calling us to be and do. My fear is that history will repeat itself because we are so slow to learn from our mistakes.

This Sunday we will continue our study of Hosea looking at chapters 9-11. One thing I’ve greatly appreciated as we’ve gone through this book is God’s promise of forgiveness that is always underlying the discipline. If they’d only turn from their sins and return to God He would forgive them. That message is still true today. Our gathering begins at 4pm. If you’d like to come for prayer before the service we will be meeting from 3-3:30 to do just that. Hope to see you on Sunday.

Blessings, Pastor Mike

It’s the end of January. I’ve heard it a few times that if you’re in the market for fitness equipment now is the time to buy! New Year’s resolutions are no longer being kept, and the stationary bike is quickly gathering dust. People are looking to get rid of things that are making them feel guilty.

It’s hard to change your lifestyle, especially when you try to do it on your own strength and on your own. Yet each year many people try to do just that. They convince themselves that this year will be different, that this year they’ll finally make it. But they don’t – – we don’t. We miss a day and say we’ll make it up later in the week. Sickness comes and messes with our schedule, and then we struggle to get back on track. And then, after all our good intentions, the gym membership goes to waste, or the juicer sits idle on our counter.

Here’s some good news for you: you’re not alone! In fact, this is something that has been happening over and over again, ever since we left the Garden. We set goals and then miss the mark. We tell ourselves, “Never again!” but then all too soon hear our own voice say, “Just one won’t hurt. . . .” This is a regular occurrence, and something that is common to everyone. So where’s the good news? God knows us. He knows what we’re made of, what we’re capable of, what we’ve done and will do. And even though He knows all about us, He still loves us! Now this doesn’t give us a licence to sin all the more (just read Paul’s explanation in Romans 6-8), but it should give you hope. Even though you fail, and will fail in the future, God hasn’t given up on you. His love for you is perfect, and His grace covers over all our sins.

So don’t give up. Confess your shortcomings and sins to God. Dust off the bike and hop back on! Phone a friend and go for a walk. Have a smoothie for breakfast, and give thanks to God whose mercies are new every morning!

This Sunday we’re going to be looking at Hosea 6-8 (3 chapters!). It’ll help if you read through the passage beforehand. Our gathering starts at 4pm, and this week we will restart our prayer time before the service from 3-3:30pm. Hope you’re able to join with us.

Blessings, Pastor Mike

“My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge.” Hosea 3:6

I remember a video I once saw of a man dumping gasoline on a giant pile of wood and garbage. He was standing on top of the pile, which must have been over 8 feet high, emptying a whole jerry can of gas on to it. The man lit a piece of cardboard and tossed it onto the pile. What happens next is utter chaos. As the flaming box hit the pile there was a tremendous explosion. Wood and debris flew everywhere, and you briefly see the man flung backward with wood hitting him.

When I see a video like that, or hear a similar story, I’m reminded by this verse from Hosea. If the man had known that gasoline (both the liquid and the vapours) is explosive, not just flammable, he would have known better than to douse the wood with gas. When the flame hit the wood, all of the vapours that had settled down into the pile exploded. He had created a bomb, and it went off.  A lack of knowledge almost cost him his life.

In Hosea’s time, the people of Israel had forgotten about God and what He had instructed them to do. Instead of seeking and following Him they were trying to do things their own way. Sometimes it seemed as if things were working, and for a time they were prosperous and safe, but that would only last a short time. All too soon they were overrun and destroyed.

The same can be said for our time and generation. Many people don’t know who Jesus is. They follow their own heart, and chase after the gods of this age. They decide to put themselves first before anything else. But just like the man dumping gasoline on a pile of wood discovered, what you don’t know can hurt you.

This Sunday we’ll be looking at Hosea 3-4 at our weekly gathering. We meet on Sunday at 4pm at Bethel church (70 William St. S). Hope to see you there.

Blessings, Pastor Mike

How much would you pay to have something of yours returned to you? Perhaps you lost your bike or cell phone — what’s it worth to you? Or maybe it’s something of sentimental significance such as a wedding ring or a family heirloom. How much would you pay to get it back? How about a pet? How about a child, or your spouse, or another family member? The material things that we lose we can likely get by without — it is just stuff after all, and those items can be replaced. But something with emotional significance and attachments cannot be replaced. They are unique, one of a kind, special. This is why people will spend extraordinary amounts of time, energy, and resources to make sure these people, or items, are kept safe and secure. We know they’re irreplaceable.

Hosea demonstrates this principal clearly. Even though his wife has cheated on him and left him, he still loves her and finds her, and pays for her release so that they can be together once again.  He does this as a living example of how God acts towards Israel, for just as Hosea’s wife Gomer cheated on him and left him, so too had Israel cheated on God and left Him for others. But God, in His love and mercy, shows grace towards Israel and welcomes them back even though they don’t deserve it. This act by God for Israel is a foreshadowing of how He will through Jesus’ sacrifice buy back all those who trust and put their faith in Jesus. “[We] are not [our] own, for [we] were bought with a price” (1 Cor. 6:20). We don’t deserve forgiveness or grace, nor can we earn it — it is something that God gives us freely. Just as Hosea bought back Gomer and restored their relationship, God buys us back and makes us a part of His family. All we need to do is accept this free gift by believing in Jesus and what He has done.

This Sunday we’re going to look at Hosea 2 and 3, and in response we’re going to celebrate communion (the Lord’s table). If you’ve never taken communion with us before, it is open and available to everyone who has accepted and believed in Jesus as their Saviour, Lord, and King. We will gather at our regular time of 4pm on Sunday. Hope to see you there.

Blessings, Pastor Mike

No one likes to be punished. And no punishment is enjoyable at the time. When we are being punished our first instinct is usually denial and self-righteous indignation. We try to justify our actions, describe ourselves as the victim, and make it seem like there was no choice for us but to act out in a way that went against the law. It doesn’t matter if we were speeding; our schedule and priorities were more important than everyone else’s at that time! Because there was no choice for us but to act the way we did, there’s no reason why we need to be punished. Sound familiar? This is the line of thinking and way of acting for most people when they go against God. We believe that our circumstances are such that we need to override God’s law — we place ourselves in His position. This is a dangerous place to be!

The author of Hebrews says as he quotes from Proverbs 3:11-12, “ . . . the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.” Later in that same in that same chapter that “ . . . God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” (Hebrews 12:10b-11). Discipline, or punishment, isn’t something God does on a whim, or because He wants to see us squirm. His discipline is so that we will grow in our righteousness and become more like Jesus. It is not arbitrary, but purposeful.  

Over the next few weeks we’re going to look at the book of Hosea in the Old Testament, a book about God’s punishment of Israel. It is hard to read at times as it is mainly written as poetry and uses a lot of symbolic and figurative language. It is also set in history and speaks to events that were happening in Israel over 700 years before the time of Christ. But it still is relevant to us today, and speaks to what we as the Christian church in North America are currently going through, and it also speaks personally to each one of us. I know a lot of questions will be raised as we study it which is why we’ll also be having a bible study that happens alongside this series. If you’d like to be a part of that, please let us know. We’ll be meeting every other Thursday evening beginning on January 17th.
Hope you have a wonderful week, and we look forward to seeing you on Sunday at our gathering at 4pm.

Pastor Mike