The Gospel: This I Believe

What exactly is it that we are to believe?

This blog is formed from excerpts from a sermon by Darrell Baker from Faith Baptist Church, Huntsville, ON Canada

The obvious answer is to believe that Jesus rose from the dead. But when you dig deeper into that phrase you understand that Paul implies much more than that. Jesus resurrection means that…

  1. First we are to believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God
  2. Second we are to believe that He came to this earth and lived the perfect/sinless life.
  3. Third we need to believe that He died with the sin of the world placed upon Him.
  4. Fourth we need to believe that He was buried and that three days later He rose from the dead.
  5. Finally we need to believe that it is by accepting His death and resurrection as the only way of salvation that we will be saved.

Notice: THIS IS ALL ABOUT ACCEPTING WHAT CHRIST DID FOR US.
There is no mention of

  • good works
  • or how you treat others
  • or your personal lifestyle
  • or attending church
  • or rules you need to follow
  • or reading your Bible
  • or praying
  • or any of the spiritual disciplines
  • or anything except Jesus!!

Our salvation is based solely on what Jesus has done for us. This is not to say that these other things are not important, because they are. There needs to be proof, evidence that our salvation is genuine. Our faith should make a difference in our lives but that difference grows out of our salvation it is not the means of our salvation. 

Paul says in vs. 10 that “For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.” We have been pronounced guiltless and declared righteous by God because of Jesus Christ shed blood.

John MacArthur summarizes this verse well when he writes: “Righteousness has to do with what we become, and salvation has to do with what we escape. The first has to do with the eternal life we receive but do not deserve, the second with the eternal punishment we deserve but do not receive. The first relates to entering into blessedness, the second relates to escaping cursedness.”

Does this seem hard? Who can live up to these standards? In one sense, it is suppose to be hard. Our sinfulness is always getting in the way of living for Jesus. Yet that only makes us more dependent on God.

We begin our life in Christ by faith and we live each day by faith as well. Just as we need Jesus to save us so we need the Holy Spirit to help us live in obedience to Him. There are two dangers in the Christian life: one is being too hard on ourselves, the second is not being hard enough.

  • There are those who are perfectionists and see every weakness every sin as a sign that they are not saved.
    • Such people need to be reminded of the grace of God and the forgiveness of God.
    • They also need to be reminded that when Jesus died He had their sin placed upon Him.
    • When we accept our Lord’s salvation He grants us forgiveness for all our sin, past, present and future.
  • Then there are those who think that sin is no big deal.
    • God understands that we are human, He made us this way, so He can’t complain or punish us for how He made us.
    • Such people need to be reminded that sin hinders our walk with God, that our prayers may be affected, and our relationship with other believers could be impacted by their sin.
    • No sin is trivial and all sin must be confessed before God.
  • Then there are some who want to “do something” in order to be saved. They want to perform some task, complete some assignment, go through some ritual. But at the end of the day all you need to do is accept what Jesus Christ did for you.

There is a story in the O.T. that illustrates this so well. It’s about an army officer of Aram named Naaman, an enemy of Israel. The Aramite soldiers had captured and brought home a young Jewish girl who became the servant of Naaman’s wife’s.

  • Naaman himself had a serious problem, he was a leper.
  • The young girl told Naaman of the prophet Elisha back in Israel, who she said could cure him of his leprosy.
  • Naaman went to meet with Elisha, but Elisha didn’t even see him, instead he sent a messenger who told him to go and wash seven times in the river Jordan.
  • Naaman was not use to being treated with such indifference and he was indignant.
  • Here is what happened next. 2 Kings 5 – But Naaman went away angry and said, “I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the LORD his God, wave his hand over the spot and cure me of my leprosy. Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Couldn’t I wash in them and be cleansed?” So he turned and went off in a rage. Naaman’s servants went to him and said, “My father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more, then, when he tells you, ‘Wash and be cleansed’!” So he went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, as the man of God had told him, and his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy.” 
  • If the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? Naaman almost missed a miracle because it was too simple.

Don’t let the simplicity of the gospel rob you of enjoying the forgiveness of God and of having eternal life. If God had told us to fast for one week, to memorize large sections of Scripture, to work in some social program and then to pray for 24 hours, some of you would have done it and felt then that you had earned your salvation.

Instead He says, “Believe in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved.” Believe, with all your heart, with all your mind and with all your your strength. Not just give lip service but really believe.

This I Believe by Ben Fielding / Matt Crocker

Our Father everlasting
The all creating One
God Almighty

Through Your Holy Spirit
Conceiving Christ the Son
Jesus our Savior

I believe in God our Father
I believe in Christ the Son
I believe in the Holy Spirit
Our God is three in one
I believe in the resurrection
That we will rise again
For I believe in the name of Jesus

Our Judge and our Defender
Suffered and crucified
Forgiveness is in You

Descended into darkness
You rose in glorious life
Forever seated high

I believe in God our Father
I believe in Christ the Son
I believe in the Holy Spirit
Our God is three in one
I believe in the resurrection
That we will rise again
For I believe in the name of Jesus

I believe in You
I believe You rose again
I believe that Jesus Christ is Lord
I believe

And I believe in You
I believe You rose again
I believe that Jesus Christ is Lord
I believe in God our Father
I believe in Christ the Son
I believe in the Holy Spirit
Our God is three in one
I believe in the resurrection
That we will rise again
For I believe in the name of Jesus

I believe in God our Father
I believe in Christ the Son
I believe in the Holy Spirit
Our God is three in one
I believe in the resurrection
That we will rise again

For I believe in the name of Jesus
For I believe in the name of Jesus

For I believe in the name of Jesus

We believe in love, Jesus
I believe in life eternal
I believe in the virgin birth
I believe in the saints’ communion
And in Your holy Church
I believe in the resurrection
When Jesus comes again
For I believe, in the name of Jesus

Come on!

I believe in God our Father
I believe in Christ the Son
I believe in the Holy Spirit
Our God is three in one
I believe in the resurrection
That we will rise again
For I believe in the name of Jesus

I believe in God our Father
I believe in Christ the Son
I believe in the Holy Spirit
Our God is three in one
I believe in the resurrection
That we will rise again
For I believe in the name of Jesus
For I believe in the name of Jesus

This I Believe (The Creed) lyrics © Capitol Christian Music Group

Cooking with Moose: Zucchini Bread

Recipes we use at camp and some from Moose’s family cookbook, “That Tastes Like Home”. Today’s recipe: Zucchini Bread. This is the best way to eat zucchini!!!

Ingredients

  • 3 eggs
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 ½ cups white sugar
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1 cup raisins
  • 1 cup chopped walnuts
  • 2 cups grated zucchini, skin on
  • 2 tsp. vanilla
  • 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
  • ¼ tsp. baking powder
  • 2 tsp. baking soda
  • 3 tsp. ground cinnamon

Directions

  • Beat eggs
  • Stir in oil, sugar, zucchini and vanilla
  • Mix dry ingredients and stir into mix
  • Add raisins and walnuts
  • Put in greased & floured loaf pan (1 large or 2 small)
  • Bake at 350 F for one hour or until done (do not open oven for at least an hour), usually needs an extra 10 minutes

Not My Vision

I can truly tell you that the Ignite partnerships are Not My Vision! I could not have imagined what one week with 30 campers 10 years ago could become. Back in 2008 I was just looking to fill a few more beds at camp when Bob Johnston, from SU Sportz, put Mark Gray (Toronto Police, 42 Division) and myself together to talk about an overnight camp experience for the youth Mark was working with in the Malvern neighbourhood. And get more campers we did. And more ministry and life change and reaching into neighbourhoods that needed the love of Jesus. 

Mark and I now laugh abut the fact that we really had no idea what we were doing or getting ourselves into that first and maybe the second summer. God has done so much to bless us in this ministry. 

Upward Sports founder & president Caz McCaslin explains that the vision for Upward sports wasn’t about him either. There are two parts; part 1 and part 2. You should watch both because they are powerful to see.

Over half our summer is given over to our Ignite Partnership Camps. Working with kids and youth from at risk and marginalized communities. They’re a different camper than our open enrollment weeks. They use words we don’t used to hear at camp. And yet, we learned that kids and youth from at risk and marginalized communities are still kids and youth that need our love and attention and Jesus. 

Our Ignite camps started in 2009 as a way to get more campers. A that time I had no idea what God was about to do. He took two guys from different worlds and 30 campers from the Malvern neighbourhood to camp. And that week got big so we reached out to a church in Hamilton, then Guelph, then Etobicoke, then North York. Who knows where God will lead us next. (Brampton may be calling…)

These weren’t my ideas. Turns out, it wasn’t my vision. It still isn’t. It’s God’s vision. I am a steward of this ministry and He allows me to take part in it. It all belongs to God. 

It has changed camp. It has changed my heart for kids and youth from hard places. It has changed the kind of staff we need. It has changed what we do. But not at the core. We will always focus on the Bible as our guide, for cabin devos and opening our day in prayer and God’s word. We’re know for morning money’s and words of wisdom. We’re known for all camp games, for cheering for everything, for lots of other traditions. We went from annual donations of about $5,000 to over $200,000 this summer.

We were created to do good works. Ephesians 2:10 – For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Ephesians 3:20-21 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

Moose/Mike

Traditions are the Stories that Families Write Together

Traditions are the stories that families write together. This is a line from a Christmas movie (Reunited At Christmas – Hallmark Channel) that a grandma speaks to her young granddaughter as she shares the cherished Christmas star that has been passed down for generations and sits atop the family Christmas tree.

We have some things that have become traditions in our family. Some are borrowed from each of my wife’s and my families. Some we made up for ourselves. Here are a few of our favourites:

  • We say something like, “have fun, be good, make good choices and play nice” when our kids leave our house. Of course it started when they were much younger. 
  • The way we open Christmas gifts. Read more here. 
  • Summer camping trips to Port Burwell, Mikesew and a few other provincial parks. Fry truck fries and feeding the seagulls. 
  • Group camping with the Payne, Calleja and Potts families. We added other families as the girls got older & moved away from home. Elaine, Melissa and I still go with this group every summer. 
  • A yearly picture at the bus stop (at least through grade school). 
  • Father-daughter fishing trips, spring fall and winter at a cabin with 3 other families all with girls (13 girls, 4 dads). Yup, we were crazy.
  • Summer movie nights in the Rosseau Community Hall
  • Maple syrup making in the back yard when we lived in Rosseau.
  • Pulling GT’s behind the tractor in the winter and riding in the trailer in the summer. This started with my dad pulling the girls around their yard in a trailer in the summer in Milton. 
  • Attending the annual sled dog race in Rosseau.

What are your family story traditions? 

Truth & Lies

A lie only runs until it is overtaken by the truth. Cuban proverb.

Recently a number of my blogs have started by hearing a line in a movie that catches my attention and I see where they go from there. This one did too. As usual, I want to focus on what God says through the Bible about what I’m writing about. 

Two quotes you have heard before:

  1. Always telling the truth is easier because you don’t have to remember what lie you told to what person. Just tell the truth. 
  2. A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on. Winston Churchill

Let’s see a few verses of what God’s Word (the Bible) has to say about lying. All the verses are from the English Standard Version. 

  1. Proverbs 12:22 Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but those who act faithfully are his delight.
  2. Colossians 3:9-10 Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.
  3. Proverbs 12:19 Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue is but for a moment.
  4. Luke 8:17 For nothing is hidden that will not be made manifest, nor is anything secret that will not be known and come to light.
  5. Matthew 15:18-20 But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a person. But to eat with unwashed hands does not defile anyone.”
  6. John 8:32 And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
  7. Hebrews 6:18 So that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us.
  8. John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
  9. Zechariah 8:16 These are the things that you shall do: Speak the truth to one another; render in your gates judgments that are true and make for peace;

Always tell the truth. It’s that simple. 

Cooking with Moose: Poor Man’s French Pastry

Some recipes we use at camp and some from Moose’s family cookbook, “That Tastes Like Home”. Today’s recipe: Poor Man’s French Pastry. When we were kids we used to call this french man’s poor pastry to bug my mom (Moose).

Ingredients

  • Graham crackers
  • 1 instant vanilla pudding
  • 1 package Dream Whip or whipping cream
  • Icing sugar, milk and margarine to make icing
  • Bitter-sweet bakers chocolate

Directions

  • Place a layer of graham crackers in a 9 x 13 pan (trim them to fit right to the pan edges)
  • Then a layer of vanilla pudding on top of that
  • Then a layer of whipped cream or dream whip
  • Then a second layer of graham crackers
  • Then ice it with a butter cream icing (leave it runny so it spreads easily)
  • Finish up with shaved or grated bitter-sweet Baker’s Chocolate over the top
  • Decorate with sliced maraschino cherries if desired

Every Kid Deserves to GO to Camp

IMG_20150726_191046Do you remember the first time to saw a sky full of stars? Or the first time you shot an arrow for archery? Or the first time you heard the name Jesus and it wasn’t swearing? Or scaling a climbing wall or jumped off a blob tower or been on a high ropes course or played Widji ball or learned to ride a bike or eat three full meals every day or so many camp activities that we sometimes take for granted. 

For hundreds of kids that happens every summer at Camp Widjiitiwin through our Ignite partnership camps. We are impacting one camper to impact one family to impact one neighborhood to impact three cities to impact the world!!

We’re working with local churches and agencies to engage kids and youth from at risk and marginalized neighbourhoods in a manner that leads to a transformational faith development consistent with the Truth of God’s Word. 

Ignite: A brand that clearly expresses the objectives of the program to potential partners and donors.  The campers will typically just know Camp Widjiitiwin.

  1. Ignite a desire to change their status quo, to break the cycle of poverty, or poor education or abuse or​ drugs or alcohol, ​ ​or whatever their situation is​, to be a better version of themselves, to…
  2. Ignite a spark for the love of God
  3. Ignite a passion for helping others, serving, 

A strike anywhere match has two chemical components that come together to produce the flame. It brings two things together to produce change. 

  • Widjiitiwin and our partners
  • The camper community and camp
  • Heaven & earth
  • Communities and churches/ministries

Verses

  • See how a small spark can ignite a great forest fire. James 3:5b 
  • The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. John 1:5 ESV

Partners

  • Fresh Air Camp in partnership with Toronto Police, 42 Division in Malvern going into it’s 11th summer, targeting 50-60 campers.
  • Escape Camp, Hughson Street Baptist Church in Hamilton, going into its 8th summer, targeting 60 campers.
  • Royal City Camp in its 7th year partnering with Church of the City in Guelph. Plus a group of volunteers from Guelph YFC, targeting 60 campers.
  • Capstone Camp with partner Capstone Community Bible Church in Etobicoke is going into its 5th year, targeting 80 campers.
  • Ephraim’s Place Camp, from Ephraim’s Place and Church of the Nazarene in North York (Jane/Sheppard), going into its 4th year, targeting 55 campers. 

Fill The Cups Of Glasses Half Full People

What if you could be the pitcher that fills up the cups or glasses of half full people? How could we do that? What would it look like? Is the group you hang out with better or worse for you being in it? Is the room better or worse for you being in it? Or leaving it? Are people more positive and encouraged in your company? 

Here are some things I’ve learned that can help you fill the cups of glasses half full people. The first part is called Charisma Quotient © Eagles Flight.

  • Smile
  • Be decisive
  • Be knowledgeable, in your area of expertise
  • Listen first, then respond
  • Have ideas – prepare for meetings, tasks & assignments
  • Speak clearly with conviction
  • Encourage others
  • Create an atmosphere of FUN
  • Speak the truth, always
  • Be enthusiastic, it’s contagious 

And some lessons I teach our summer staff and SALTers

  • Know yourself, what are your strengths and weaknesses, how you fit into a team, what your role is
  • Influence – it can be good, bad or mediocre, your choice
  • Hold others in esteem – they have intrinsic value as made in God’s image
  • Learn from others, you don’t know everything and you never will
  • Celebrate successes – individual & team, friends & family
  • Servant leadership (the leader serves all to make sure they have everything they need to succeed)
  • Example of Jesus, we don’t get a better one. Read about him in the Bible. 
  • Character; have a good one. Someone said, character is how we behave when no one is looking

We all have natural talents and abilities, but those can be enhanced by learned behaviours. We can all be better at making sure the people in our lives are encouraged and feel good about themselves. It can be at home, at work, in our neighbourhoods, at church, on the bus or subway, even at a sports event. In fact, it can be anywhere you interact with other people.

2019 – How Did That Happen?

Happy New Years!!

The older I get, the faster time seems to go. 2018 is now gone, but it was a busy year in our house. I started back to work full time after being out of commission for May and June 2017, on sick leave July to September, part time in the fall. The most exciting part of 2018 was our third grandchild, Liam, was born on August 22nd. I also continue to learn that I need to slow down and make sure not to cross my enough line. 

In 2018 I resolved… to establish guardrails so I don’t cross over any lines into things I shouldn’t do. One of those pieces was a Bible reading plan to read through the scripture in one year. The plan was to read 4 chapters per day and get it done. I started late and I’m not quite done, but overall, I have only missed a few days of Bible reading in 2018. 

Peter said, “For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love.” 2 Peter 1:5-7

Don’t let your 2019 resolution be anything like this: My goal for 2019 is to start the goals from 2018 that I meant to accomplish in 2017 which I should have done in 2016 because I promised to do them in 2015 which I planned in 2014. 😉

Rather something like this, “Resolved, to be a better person on December 31, 2019 than I am today through prayer, Bible study, and service to my fellow man.”

Christmas Morning Traditions

What are your Christmas morning traditions? Our (Moose & Mumz) traditions are a collection from my family and Elaine’s. Christmas stockings get opened before breakfast and all at once. There is a small hammer that always ends up in my stocking that has been wrapped and re-wrapped many times. Then for a quick breakfast. We have a long tradition in both our families of opening one gift at a time so everyone can watch. Sometimes this takes us last lunch time. 

One tradition we adopted from Elaine’s family goes like this: A ho and a ho ho and a ho ho ho. An what do we have here? Followed by a very detailed description of the Christmas paper wrapping each gift. The colour of paper, characters, snowmen, Santas, princesses, designs like stripes or stars, words like Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, the weight of the gift, who it’s for and who it’s from and on and on… and so it continues with each new paper that comes from under the tree. It took a very long time this year for one gift that had 20 layers of wrapping paper.

And then there’s the guessing. Back in the 80’s it was “is it an 8 track?”, “is it a pair of undies?”. Then it it got updated to cassettes, CD’s, DVD’s, etc. Now it’s more about is it a book or socks or clothes, a tool, a loud toy, etc. 

Lunch is “lapatizers”, defined by Carolyn (Tundra) as lunch appetizers eaten on your lap. It consists of meats, cheeses, shrimp & sauce, crackers, hot appetizers, punch, cookies, butter tarts, short bread cookies and other baking. 

Dinner is of course the traditional Canadian Christmas fare of turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, cranberry sauce (if desired), gravy, rolls, etc. Dessert is pies pumpkin, pecan, maybe blueberry with whipped cream and icing. Naturally there’s coffee and tea and more sweets that follow. 

Nicole added a beautiful new tradition last year. Later in the evening, we were in the basement and each person had a candle. After a person’s candle was lit, each of us took turns speaking affirmation to them. 

What are your Christmas morning traditions?