Almost the End...

It is almost the end...at least the end of my time here at TBS. It's an odd mix of exciting and frightening to think of the future, both responsiblities and blessings to come.

Something that has struck me in the last little while, is just how influenced people are by perspective, counting many things as factual because someone told them it was true. I find this particularly interesting because so many people use it as an argument against Christianity, but it is more true of other worldviews, and yet people don't recognize this.

A short time ago a friend of mine posted a comment about a particular dinosaur discovery that was making some headlines in the paleontological realm. A "new" species was supposedly discovered, a story was theorized about it, where it ranged, what it ate, how it captured its prey, what its hide looked like, etc. Whatever you can think of, there were details about it. However, what had actually been found was no more than a fragment of the maxilla (upper jaw, part of the skull). Now here is a case of something that thousands, if not millions will believe is some magical part of the already magical evolution process, and yet it is at best speculative propaganda.

There are numerous other examples of this sort of thing. Environmentalists spout all sorts of "facts" but fail to mention where the information comes from or how it was calculated. Most, if not all, liberal theologians begin their interpretation of scripture with their own ideas that begin with denying scriptural statements (which is also grossly inconsistent).

Where we begin our worldviews and what we base them on is very important. There should be astrong attempt to avoid inconsistencies while accepting that we cannot know or do everything. Lots of theories pop up when people simply can't find any other way to explain something. Just look at evolution...

Been a while, huh?

It has been quite some time since I blogged apparently. Either no time or no internet for the most part I guess. It's interesting how easily we can become sidetracked from things. I don't specifically mean me and blogging, but it s certainly one example. I think of the number of people i have known who simply lose sight of what is important, or how easily we manage to spend so much time on what we acknowledge to be unimportant things.

It's somewhat depressing to realize what the world considers important, and to see how they evaluate what is important and what is not. There really is no basis for one person to look at another and say that one thing is more important than another, because really, it is all subjective and a matter of opinion. Christmas is coming up soon and Bob could easily look at Fred and tell him that eating turkey is more important than spending time with family or buying presents. Fred ould easily respond that the meaning of life is found in his wife buying him another cordless drill. Both may sound absurd, but what basis is there for any absolute? None.

Our society is one that is dependent entirely on perspective, yet one that realizes that there is a need for absolutes. Everyone would agree that a man who kills his 2 year old daughter has done something wrong, even though they may not be able to state why it is wrong.

As Christians, we have a responsibility to not only proclaim the gospel, but also to live our lives in accordance with scriptural truths. We have been blessed with an absolute truth in scripture, beginning with an absolute God. There is great responsibility that comes with this and if we do not do what we can to be examples not only to others in a church setting, but also to society insofar as we are involved in it, then we forsake not only our society, but also the responsibility of that truth and through that, the truth itself.

Need for the gospel

I have just returned from a lovely weekend back home in Marmora, ON, with my lovely girlfriend Angela. I could ramble on about various details of our time there together, but then that's not really any of your business (no offense). However I will share a bit of how I think, and hope, I may have changed since leaving.

First of all, my purpose in going home for the weekend was to preach at madoc Baptist Church on Sunday morning, and it was through this agency that the change came. Let it never be said that a preacher cannot learn from what he's preachingon, or that the Holy Spirit cannot convict the heart that he is using to convict others; I tell you it is not the case.
The greatest difficulty inpreaching whe you are not the regular preacher of teh church is what to preach on. As the regular preacher, you determine a book of the Bible to preach through or a topic and simply go through it week by week, which both provides you with the next weeks material as well as giving ample time to think of the next book or topic you would like to preach from. Now there are other difficulties that arise, but for me, this has alway been the biggest; what to preach on when you have only one time to preach?

So it was on this particular occasion. I had eventually settled on Micah 6:8, "He has shown you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To do justly, and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. (NIV)"
Now after carefully breaking it down to examine the text carefully and look at it in a systematic way that would examine it from a biblical perspective and encourage and convict the people of God , I though I was prepared. Then just a few hours before I preached, as I thought through my sermon it hit me: "What does it all mean if we do these things in a way that does not portray Christ; His sacrifice, His condescension, His love and His Godhood. This then I hope to make the new thrust of my life. It is something that I think all believers understand and strive for, but often take, as I think I have, too passively.

No matter what we do for others, and no matter what we give to others, if we do not give them Christ we do nothing for them and we give nothing to them that is of any importance or significance.

I have thought, as have others, that it enough to live a "Christian" life and not use every opportunity to share, but to wait for those opportunities to arise. But how many chances do we have each day to share the gospel through our lives and we waste them because we do not speak our faith? Perhaps it is fear, or maybe just modern western apathy, I don't know, but I honestly believe that if more Christians actively shared their faith, as well as praying for the unsaved and revival, I believe we would see much more revival in North America and the world.

Back at blogging and a little fed up

It's been a while since I have blogged (ok it's been ages since I've blogged), but I finally have some time to do it.

I am slightly miffed. First of all I should say that I don't normally get political on the net, but this time I've had enough. For the last couple of weeks, all I have heard about is which party is less environmentally friendly than the other, which leader said what in the past, and how it's so very important but they would rather spend time duking it out for an election than actually doing something about the issue. This is one of the problems with party politics, everyone is more concerned about how much power their party has than actually doing anything beneficial.

Don't get me wrong, I think the environment is a very important issue. I think there is inherent in man's God given mandate a responsibility to care for our surroundings, and I think that extends far beyond the ozone layer. What I am saying is that for far too long, the environment has been a political fortress for politicians to hide behind or platform on, but there has been terribly little done about it. We constantly hear about car emmisions, and to that end the drive clean program has been a good idea, at least in Ontario, but how widely implemented is it ini other provinces? Car emmisions only count for a very minute portion of "greenhouse" emmisions, so lets see some higher standards on factories, and more regulations concerning industrial and commercial power consumption.

Whatever the govenment decides right now is irrelevant. The problem is not one of a lack of ideas and potential solutions to the problem, but that no one in Parliament really wants to do anything. If these people who are supposed to be representatives of the people really are representing the people, then why can't they put party differences aside and work together on something they supposedly agree on?

Likely more will follow this post, but for now, that's my rant!

Back to Normal...?

Well the time for peaceful reflections by the lake seem to be past, as are those firsdt easy days of class. Things havev all too rapidly approached and achieved their "normal" status of hectic and building towards crazy. I don't know how I ever get by without times like these!

Tommorrow marks the beginning of our College and Careers program here at Jarvis St. Baptist church. We will be spending the afternoon passing out tracts and trying to attract some attention for our first meeting which is to follow in the evening. On behalf of all of the leadership involved I would ask that you keep us in prayer as we seek the Lord's will for our direction this year. We hope, at least I hope (our leadership meeting is tommorrow!) that this will be a year to bring in new faces, tocontinue to seek growth for our members spiritualy, to outreach to the community, especially youth and young adults, and to take time to relax and have fun as well. Those who have gone from high school to college will learn all too soon that there is often not as much time outside of school life for fun and relaxation, which is not to say that it will not be there, but it may not come as often. As well, i know from experience that there is a great deal f stress and pressure when you are single and in school, whether at seminary or any other school, and sometimes it is important to take things slow once in a while. And so, while we will be trying to focus on a time of praise and teaching from scripture, we will also be making opportunities to "retreat" or just to have fun some nights as well.

We will be regularly meeting at Jarvis Street Baptist Chruch, at the corner of Jarvis St. and Gerrard St. East, at 7:30 pm every Saturday night. Anyone seeking more information can contact me at donaldvilneff@hotmail.com or our C&C contact person Karissa at kdarvin@gmail.com

Please feel free to invite anyone you know who may be interested.

Thoughts from the lake

I'm back at TBS again, and apparently I'm blogging again. I coul give an update of what's going on here at school, or I could say what happened over the summer. But right now I want to share a thought or three.

Last week I embarked as one of the many travellers on the TBS student/faculty retreat, held at beautiful Shalom by the Lake, about 1/2 an hour North of Minden, ON.
thursday, while stroling along the beach and admiring God's creation and contemplating His goodness to me, I looked down into the water and out on the lake and these things occurred to me.

While looking at the stones on the lake bottom in the shallow water, it occured to me that those rocks are very much like the problems and difficulties in our lives. We know they are there and sometimes whether we pay attention to them or worry about them or not, they cause us pain and we more often than not wish that they weren't there. But if those small rocks are the struggles in life, then God is the whole lake (don't read any more than I say in here. I know there are problems, but hey, it's a metaphor). The lake moves thos rocks and goes right over top of them as if they weren't there at all. More to the point, it also shapes those rocks. God, in far grander fashion, moves the rocks in our lives around. He puts them where they are for a reason, and He shapes them perfectly for His purposes. And when they seem so big to us, God goes right over them as if they weren't there.

While canoeing across the lake with my friend Philip I thought; the lake is kind of like life and the canoe like our progress through it. When you think that you've gone a long ways and it seems like you've been on the water forever, look around, and you will probably see that you really haven't gone that far. Or sometimes we like to take the motorboat, because fast seems ike so much fun. But in the end we only get to the other side and find out that the ride is over faster, and that we didn't take the time to appreciate the ride.

I could go on, I could explain all of the subtle nuances and take various tangents on these little thoughts of mine. I could, but then you're smart people and I'm sure you'll figure it out on your own!

Even on the Worst Days...

It's funny how things can sometimes hit you only after they're past. Take today for example. I woke up this morning and had to go to work; it was raining and by the time I made it to the subway, both feet were wet, and my jacket was beginning to soak through. I got to work early, but that only meant that I had time to spend on Greek homework (I like Greek, but first thing in the morning; right before I start work? C'mon!). I was then greeted by the most mundane of tasks and duties that I have thus far encountered at the store, and spent about 60% of my day trying to solve other peoples problems over the phone or tracking down things that we didn't carry in stock. Sounds like a crumby day right?

Here's the thing...throughout the whole day, almost none of this bothered me at the time, because I was simply content to be able to do what I do. I stopped once or twice to reflect on some of the days events, and then it seemed that things had been a whole lot worse than they actually had been. But that isn't my point.

Later on, after even more relatively uninteresting and mundane "activities (?)" I came to a yet greater conclusion concerning the day: God is good!
I hadn't really thought about it much all day, just as I had sort of taken for granted the way that things were going to go at work and put myself in that frame of mind, I think I also had come to take the fact that God is good so much for granted that it simply hadn't occurred to me all day. Which brings me to my point...

Even on the worst days, God continues to be exactly who is is and always has been. I think that all too often we fail to stop and reflect on who God is and what He has done for us, even just in that day since we have gotten out of bed. Everyday I get out of bed. Sounds like a simple thing, and sometimes I don't even want to, yet how many people are unable to do this on their own, or in some cases at all. I complain some days because of classes or homework, or work, or because I'm too busy, but how blessed I am to have the opportunity to go to school, and to be able to do hoimework, and to have a job? All of this is by God's providential sustaining work in my life, and in that same way, He sometimes uses me in the lives of others (such as those people I sometimes have to deal with at work).

All of that just to say that God is as good today as He was yesterday as he will be tommorrow. Leave it to me to find the wordy way to say it!