The Parable Of The Lawn Weeds

 

We have been studying and preaching through the gospel of Matthew at my church and are in the midst of chapter 13, a chapter chock full of Jesus’ parables.

It’s also spring, and I’ve begun working in my yard again, now that I, like all Canadian critters, have come out of hibernation. And one of the first things to pop up in the yard, ahead of my grass even, is the beloved dandelion.

As I crawled around on hands and knees, popping them out of my lawn (I’m retired-ish now, so I have time to actually care about my lawn), I had a lot of time to think, to contemplate, to ruminate. And I realized a number of spiritual truths that were driven home to me as I worked. And so I present to you The Parable of the Lawn Weeds.

Four neighbours on a certain street ventured outside in the springtime to inspect their lawns, all of which were infested with weeds.

The first neighbour looked up and down the street. “My lawn’s not as bad as one of those other lawns” he remarked, and went inside to make another cup of coffee.

The second neighbour shook his head. “Looks awful” he said “but I don’t have the time now. I’ll get to it later”, whereupon he turned and went back in the house to watch Netflix. A week later, the lawn was a disaster.

The third neighbour said “No problem. I’ll deal with this.” He grabbed a pail and some gloves, and began ripping the weeds out, but only the flowers and leaves tore off; the roots remained behind. In a half hour, he was finished and everything looked great, but mere days later there were just as many weeds visible, and more.

The fourth neighbour looked at the state of his lawn and wasn’t sure how to go about solving the problem. He went and bought a Lawn Maintenance Manual, and read through it, learning how the weeds infiltrate and propagate, and how to deal with them on a permanent basis. It was going to cost him time, sweat and resources, and quite possibly some pain, but it would be worthwhile. As he applied what he’d learned from the Manual, he noticed that his lawn was more free of weeds. But he also noticed that it wasn’t until he removed the really big weeds that he started to notice the smaller weeds; these would require still more focus to get at those. And he also realized that this was not going to be a one-time thing; rather, he was going to have to constantly keep an eye on things and deal with the weeds when they were small. But as he did so, he found his lawn bringing him much more joy, and the required investment to maintain it was far less significant.

The Interpretation

The lawns represent people’s lives, and the weeds in the lawn represent the sin in people’s lives.

The first neighbour represents the lost, many of who look at their lives and compare them horizontally, to others. Since we can always find someone in worse shape, they feel they compare favourably and there’s nothing to worry about. Others in this group are oblivious to the weeds. Still others may actually admit they like the weeds.

The second neighbour sees his sin but procrastinates, not wanting to give up the things he likes. Sin unchecked can cause disastrous damage in our lives.

The third neighbour, to his credit, tries to do something about his sin. Unfortunately, his focus is on the surface; those things that are visible. His efforts fail to get at the root of the issue, and so the sin sprouts forth again with a vengeance, because it was never really removed in the first place.

The fourth neighbour acknowledges both the severity of the problem AND his inability to deal with it. Instead, he turns to the Bible, represented by the Manual, for his instruction. In it, he finds wisdom that will finally free him from the burden of his sin. There will be a cost; it may even be painful. But it will be worth it.

He learns how to identify and remove sins from his life, but he also finds that, as he gets rid of some of the big things, he starts to see little, more subtle sins, that were not so obvious when the big sins were still in place. And it becomes increasingly clear that rooting out sin is not going to be an event, but a regular practice. 

But as he continues to be vigilant about sin establishing roots in his life, he finds more joy in his life, and the investment required to maintain that life becomes less significant.

Friends, it’s not for nothing that Jesus frequently used agricultural examples in His parables. Much can be learned from the simple process of growing things, caring for them, feeding and protecting them.

If we want to live a life of joy, real joy, the question of our sin needs to be dealt with first. We can’t do that on our own, but God has already told us in His Word how our sin problem can be taken care of. Read the Bible, find a Bible-preaching church and find forgiveness from the penalty of sin and freedom from the power of sin in your life today.

Why I Argue For Churches To Be Allowed To Open

Lately, on social media, I have asked for churches to be allowed to re-open, or to have greater capacity. And as a consequence, I have been accused of being selfish, or unkind, or thoughtless ... or worse yet, a COVID denier, ignorant, or even immoral.

I am none of these. Oh, I admit I have behaved selfishly at times as a human being. Similarly, I have been unkind, or spoken or acted thoughtlessly; haven't we all, at one point or another in our lives? But people who know me know I am not characterized by these behaviours.

I would actually argue that I advocate for this position, in part, out of kindness and thoughtfulness, for those in my congregation and others who are suffering the often unacknowledged damages of lockdowns.

People are hurting. They are fearful, and discouraged. Depression, suicide and other mental illnesses are sharply on the rise. (See https://edmontonjournal.com/opinion/columnists/david-staples-lockdowns-will-cause-10-times-more-harm-to-human-health-than-covid-19-itself-says-infectious-disease-expert?fbclid=IwAR21H_aVF3PUrsHUbpt54wWEvrM7jPTGFelxC33yTJO1-kaEJU-QBYEOiLU or https://www.sickkids.ca/en/news/archive/2021/impact-of-covid-19-pandemic-on-child-youth-mental-health/?fbclid=IwAR2KLL8p_JmacLmFYOeLVmk2ydDHL7tCe6ePg-3wHOhNo_IpgA_hBW32wDY for example). And the Bible has the ONLY lasting, permanent answers to these kinds of hurts.

As a pastor, who cares not only for the people under his charge, but also for his neighbours, family and friends, I believe we as a nation need ready access to a faithful, Bible-believing and Bible-teaching church. But first, let me clarify that I am not advocating for unbridled, unmasked, throw-caution-to-the-wind gathering. I believe we need to be wise and careful, and I believe we can do that through masking and sanitizing. It is a risk assessment, based on a number of items, where the benefits far outweigh the risks. Our church group is not a congregation of elderly; my wife and I are the oldest there! Were our congregation one of mostly elderly members, we might very well lead them differently. But COVID-19 is not our primary focus.

Here are my reasons why I, as a pastor, believe church gathering is essential:

1. God commands it for His followers. Hebrews 10:24-25 states “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” God has earned my love, loyalty and obedience. He comes first above all else; government, friendships, even my own life. I have to have a really convincing argument to go against an explicit command, and I haven’t yet heard one.

2. God commands it for our good. People often like to believe they know the mind of God, and they say things like “I’m sure He will understand if you don’t come to church, given the circumstances. He’ll hardly be angry with you over it ....”. What that reveals is a mindset that “going to church is a way I win favour with God”, which is completely false. Some will attend church every Sunday that it’s open and still go to hell in the end, while others may never darken the door of a church and go to heaven. That may seem odd for me to say but it’s biblical truth; eternal life is not earned by our performance, but is a gift of God’s grace through Jesus Christ. Ephesians 2:8-9 says “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”

It isn’t a “Do this or God will be angry” thing. It’s a “Do this because God has designed the life of His followers to be lived in community, not in isolation. Gathering together is life-giving; it’s for our good.” So that’s the underlying foundation: God instructs us to keep gathering because it is for our spiritual good, our spiritual health. And it’s meant to be not simply reserved for Sunday, but part of our whole DNA as a church. As a church family, we literally have meals with one another through the week, and talk/text, and hang out; it’s a family. And just as I am unwilling to isolate myself from my parents on the one hand, and my granddaughter on the other, for an entire year (and who knows how much longer), I am also unwilling to isolate myself from my church family for that time. I benefit from it and they benefit from it.

3. There are frightening consequences to lockdowns that are far more costly than the risk of contracting COVID. We have been collecting research on the consequences of lockdowns in the form of mental health decline, depression, suicides, overdoses, domestic abuse, etc.; the results are greatly disturbing, and reinforcing what we have already been seeing even in our own congregation with the initial lockdowns. I’m not talking about collecting YouTube videos of conspiracy theories; we have medical journal after medical journal reporting these findings. I personally know of one person who tested positive for COVID; he recovered. I know of two who have committed suicide; they obviously did not. I’ve been counselling several who have been battling severe depression, referring them to qualified professionals for help. Church gatherings are not the source of super-spreader events. The contribution of church gathering to COVID-19 infection is minuscule. Our church gathering is life-giving and essential to our group, at the very least.

4. Without the gospel both preached and lived out, a person could live their whole life free from COVID and spend an eternity in hell. In Matthew 16:26, Jesus asks “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?” We could ask “What will it profit a man if he protects himself from COVID but never hears the gospel and forfeits his soul?” If church is simply a group gathering for social reasons, or for social justice issues, or for some other cause, then sure, it’s not essential, although it might be important. But if the goal of God’s followers is to be witnesses to the essential need of every human being to be right with God, to worship Him with every aspect of their being, and to lovingly model a life lived for Him, then church is essential, church is a priority.

The sad reality is that many churches do NOT embody these truths. Perhaps if the followers of Jesus all lived this way, things would be different; the world would say “We NEED this; it is good for us.” I can’t take responsibility for all of that, but I do know that our little church lives their faith differently, and it’s something I am fully invested in. And they are, incidentally, a very generous group, looking constantly for ways to love their neighbours, friends and relatives in very practical ways through this difficult time. And I firmly believe that, if the need were there, they would put themselves at physical risk to care for someone who was sick and in need.

If you asked me “Is opening churches in the middle of a pandemic in keeping with what God would want?”, then I would answer with this: Jesus said that the two most important commandments were “to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength, and to love your neighbour as yourself.” (Matt. 22:37-39) I believe that when the church functions as God intended, God is worshipped as He is worthy of. And the most loving thing I can do for my neighbour is to tell them honestly about the eternal doom they are facing and the God who loved them enough to give His Son’s life to rescue them from that doom, because 70, 80, even 100 years here on earth is still a blink of an eye compared to eternity. I’d want them to be where I am, worshipping God and being loved by Him forever.

Resurrection Buns

Next to my salvation, my wife is my greatest gift from God.

She is an extraordinary wife; loving, beautiful, funny, creative, humble, sassy. A true Proverbs 31 woman of God, she industriously cares for our home and family, while discipling other women with grace, honesty, transparency and humility. She is also an amazing mom and grandma. She is incredibly talented in the kitchen; I am in the "rookie" stage there, but learning as I move toward retirement! And she is a creative and gifted Primary teacher, currently managing a class of 16 junior kindergarten munchkins through some form of distance education, as we muddle our way through COVID-19 and a new "normal" here in Ontario. She loves each of those little ones like they were her own, and they are never truly far from her thoughts.

Easter being near, she decided that, if they were in the classroom, she would have made Resurrection Buns (see the story and recipe here) together with them but, since that was impossible, she would make them herself, record a video to teach her students about them, and then deliver a gift bag to each family on Sunday morning. While this may not seem particularly extraordinary, you have to understand that my generous wife never gives "just one"; you have to have something to share! And her families live all over our Durham Region. But that's just the phenomenal woman to whom I have the privilege of being married.

Resurrection Buns can have a number of variations in the recipe, but the basics are essentially the same, as they provide object lessons to tell the story. We begin with a white marshmallow; the intense whiteness of the marshmallow speaks of the purity of Jesus, who qualified as the sacrifice for our sins because of His perfect obedience and sinlessness. 


We then dip the marshmallow in melted butter and roll in some cinnamon and sugar; the spices speak of the spices used in the embalming process on His dead body. Then we wrap the marshmallow tightly in a pastry dough, pinching closed all the seams, so that the marshmallow can't leak out. Some use Pillsbury crescent roll dough; my wife uses regular dinner roll dough. The dough speaks of the tomb in which His body was laid; it was sealed completely shut with a massive stone, and a Roman guard was posted, so that no mere man could get in or get out on their own.


The final step is to bake it in the oven, which is a great opportunity to speak of Jesus suffering the punishment for our sins under the hands of a holy and righteous God, and to highlight that Jesus spent time in the grave. He died. (He did not swoon and then recover from His ordeal; people don't survive crucifixion. It was a torture device that had been perfected over many years to exact the most pain and suffering possible, before taking the life of the victim. In fact, most criminals who were scourged first, like Jesus was, didn't even survive the scourging. How much of this detail you include would be determined by the age of your children.)

Once they've been baked and cooled, they can be cut open. The marshmallow inside will have melted away, leaving a hollow in the bun, which is a beautiful picture of the empty tomb! The tomb did not have to be opened to let Jesus out; the tomb was opened to show that Jesus was already gone!

In education, we often talk about activities that are "low floor, high ceiling"; that is, they are simple to understand at the basic level, but there's lots of room to "plumb the depths" of the concept. Resurrection buns fit the bill; little children can understand the simple object lessons that relay the story of the Resurrection, but grown-ups like you and I can spend our lifetimes plumbing the depths of what it meant for holy God to wrap Himself in  a limited, human body and then allow the creatures He had made to nail Him to a cross. What it meant for the sinless Son of God to "become sin for us", as it says in 2 Cor. 5:21. What kind of ridiculous, outrageous, extravagant love God must have for mankind, that He would go through all this in order to make a way possible for us to be forgiven, redeemed and restored. What an insult it must be to God when we try to get right with Him on our own merits and efforts.

And, as I look at that simple Resurrection bun, I realize that I can never unsee the beauty, the majesty, the complexity, the depth of love, that is Easter. My heart overflows in gratefulness and worship.

You can contact the author at mikeysingsbass@gmail.com.

Pondering COVID-19 ...

"... even the hairs of your head are all numbered."

Matthew 10:30

In the matter of a few hours, our whole world changed.

Thursday, March 12th, 2020, started like many of my “last day before March Break” days had started in years past. I taught my classes, wished my students an enjoyable break and prepped all my handouts and resources for the first day back. I could walk away and leave school behind me because everything was planned and ready to go when we returned.

Over the course of that day, I had several conversations with colleagues who had March Break trips planned but, in the wake of concerns over the Coronavirus, had cancelled those trips. My wife Judy and I had planned to visit family in Quebec but we were, quite frankly, exhausted and decided we just wanted to stay put. Also, being education workers, there was a slightly greater risk of exposure, and we sure didn’t want to end up inadvertently passing the virus along to our elderly parents.

After dinner Thursday evening, I was informed by a friend that the Minister of Education had closed all schools for the two weeks following March Break, blindsiding us completely. The long tendrils of COVID-19 had now reached out and touched our world.

In the days that followed, zoos, museums, malls and theatres — any place of public gatherings — were closed down. Businesses moved to a “work from home” model. As one of three co-pastors of our church Fellowship Oshawa (fellowshiposhawa.com), I joined in discussions over how we were going to continue to serve our church family: what would we do re: preaching and providing a sense of community, despite physical distancing. The phrase “a new normal” became familiar.

Not knowing what this is going to look like moving forward has made it a challenge to rest, to enjoy the “break”. And I have found myself pondering what it looks like to pastor our congregation through this. Much of our community has been built around shared experiences: shared meals, shared games and activities, shared laughter. How do I help my church family maintain that needed sense of community during a period of time where physical proximity is discouraged, even potentially dangerous? 

Thankfully, we have so many tools available to us to be connected, not just by voice but face-to-face: FaceTime, Ring Central, WhatsApp and Zoom are just a few of the tools we’ve used over the last while. I’ve touched base with friends and family this way and found great encouragement from doing so. I’ve even been able to help a friend get started to learn to play guitar via a WhatsApp video call!

While it’s all been challenging, I have also had more time for introspection; our crazy, hamster-wheel lifestyles in North America don’t often leave room for that. And I’ve noted a lack of fear and anxiety. (Remarkably, I felt no pressing need to stockpile toilet paper ...) And the reason for that is God and His character.

The Bible is one of the key ways God has chosen to reveal Himself to mankind; another is through His Son Jesus. But Jesus stepped into time for only a short period; God left us His Word in written form so that we could continually learn more about Him, and be reminded of the things we had forgotten.

1. God is Sovereign. This means that He is in control; nothing catches Him by surprise. Colossians 1:16-17 reads “For by Him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.” The person referred to in this passage is Jesus. Given this kind of sovereignty, the coronavirus is not something that will cause Him to say “Whoops! I didn’t see that coming!” Just like everything else in our lives — the pleasant and the unpleasant — Jesus knew it before it happened and it isn’t capable of thwarting His plans. So I needn’t fear that things are out of His control; He’s got this.

But if it’s all under His control, can He be trusted? Is He kind or malicious, faithful or fickle? The answers to those questions are also found throughout the Bible.

2. God is Good. Psalm 106 is just one of many that include the refrain found in verse 1: “Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for His steadfast love endures forever.” Psalm 34:8 even invites us to “taste and see that the Lord is good!” Don’t just take my word for it, or even the record of His goodness in the Bible; try it for yourself! What is very important to understand, however, is that God is good and righteous. He’s not Santa, doling out gifts and favours with a hearty chuckle; He is King, true to His plans to do what is just and righteous and good for His Kingdom. An important question for you might be: are you a subject of His Kingdom, safe within the protection of His walls? Or are you outside the gates, unprotected and unable to enjoy the benefits of His resources?

3. God is Faithful. Lamentations 3:22-23 reads “The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. Sadly, our generation and culture knows so little about love that lasts; how many marriages do you know of that are still solid after 20, 15, even 10 years? When I introduce a new course I’m teaching, I share a bit about myself and my students often clap when they hear that I have been married to my best friend for over 30 years; their hearts yearn for a love that lasts a lifetime but they don’t often see examples of it being possible. God’s love doesn’t just last years, or a lifetime; it never ends. He is faithful forever. To whom? To Himself, of course! And because of that, because He is Truth, He cannot be false to His promises.

So, if you are a follower of Jesus, you needn’t fear the coronavirus; One much greater than the coronavirus is your God and King! Regardless of what happens here on earth — whether you contract the virus or not, whether it takes your life or not — that same Sovereign, Good, Faithful King Jesus took your place on the cross, suffered the punishment for sin that you deserved, and transferred His righteousness and perfection to your account so that He could pour out His steadfast love on you unceasingly, even into eternity! Paul states, and every follower of Jesus can echo it, “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” (Phil.1:21) While He leaves us here, let’s proclaim the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ, the gospel of hope, to our neighbours, to our family members, to our friends. Tell them of the Saviour who died to set them free from sin to love Him and be loved by Him! Show them, by your example, that His “perfect love casts out fear.” (1 John 4:18) Give them a reason to take that first step, to “taste and see that the Lord is good”.

Love like Jesus loved, sacrificially. If there is a need, act. Be wise, for sure, and take precautions, but don’t fear; nothing, not even death, can touch you outside of His will.

And if you’re not a follower of Jesus, now is the time. Because of your sin, you stand condemned before Him. Oh, He is patient, loving and gracious; the fact that you’re reading this is evidence of His grace to warn you of your eternal peril. If the coronavirus, or a car accident, or simply natural causes, should take your life today, you will stand before this King and you will be judged based on what you did with Jesus; did you ignore the rightful King and choose your own kingdom, usurping His throne? Or did you bow before Him, give Him your heart and life and ask His forgiveness for your rebellion against Him? There’s still time, right now, where you sit reading this post, to take advantage of His gracious offer to save you; take it today! After over 50 years of being His, with many, many screw-ups along the way, I can attest to His goodness even when I wasn’t good, His faithfulness even when I wasn’t faithful, His love even when I didn’t demonstrate my love for Him. He is such a loving King! Kneel before Him today and give your all to Him; you will never regret it!

A Word About The Word

"In the beginning was the Word ..."

John 1:1

Ever played the Telephone Game?

You line up a group of people and then whisper some message to the first person (only once, no repeats!) who then turns and whispers what they heard to the next person, and so on down the line. When it reaches the last person, they loudly proclaim the message they received, whereupon the first person states the message they sent, and everyone laughs at how the message got convoluted going down the line.

It's a silly little game, but it can make for a good teaching illustration on how it is important to listen carefully, or communicate clearly; one might use it at a staff team-building event, or in a classroom, or as a sermon illustration, or at a marriage seminar.

Atheists and others who argue against the veracity of the Bible love to use this as an example to illustrate how oral traditions are not trustworthy channels for passing down information from one generation to another. They suggest (validly) that family stories can get muddled from generation to generation, as details are left out, or inaccurately retold, or even incorrectly perceived.

Say, for instance, that you grew up as I did, a first-generation Canadian of Dutch descent. Both of my parents were children in Holland during the German occupation of that country in World War II. I heard many stories about relatives hiding Jews during the war, or being part of the Resistance, or the struggle to find sufficient food. My maternal grandfather was taken to the German labour camps; he survived and even successfully escaped from the camps, walking back home from Germany to Holland. My paternal grandfather managed to keep his little family safe and alive, despite one home being bombed and another having a plane crash on it. And in the tail end of the war, when the Allies were pushing the Germans back into Germany, they were evacuated from their home in Arnhem in the middle of the night by Canadian soldiers, because the fighting was about to get very heavy. They escaped with no loss of life, and learned very important lessons about the relative importance of "things".

As I recount these stories to my children, it is quite possible that some of the details will be wrong; not intentionally, but simply affected by my memory and perception. My children will then pass the stories on to their children, perhaps including a few more inaccuracies, until, in a few generations, the story is no longer the same one told to me as a child.

If we were to apply this same principle to the first generations described in the book of Genesis, we would understandably imagine that the Creation stories, for example, or the story of Noah, would be markedly different from the real accounts and therefore, not reliable. They would be relegated to mythology, the kinds of stories that become "enhanced" over time and retelling.

But let's go back to my families' stories of WWII. What if, as I recounted the stories to my children over dinner, my parents and grandparents were also sitting at that same dinner table? My grandparents could clarify the details of what happened, because they were there. My parents could correct the errors in my retelling of the stories, because they were there. And now the stories have been corrected, realigned, as it were, to rectify any errors and ensure their veracity. And as this pattern continues, as I become the grandparent at my grandchildren's dinner table, I can correct the inaccuracies as well, ensuring valid transmission of the stories.

This is precisely what happened with those early oral traditions. First, early families were very closely knit, not like our individualistic Western culture; several generations often lived together, or in close proximity, and stayed connected. Second, Genesis 5 gives us the first of many genealogies in the Bible. It also records that people had significantly greater lifespans. I mapped it out once for a class and discovered that Adam died when Lamech, Noah’s dad, was 46 years old. So eight generations could hear the accounts straight from Adam.

Later, Moses wrote the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Bible. These and the rest of the Old Testament were hand-copied by scribes. To ensure accuracy in the recopying, the scribes kept numerical tallies on each page of the number of jots and tittles (dots and strokes which make up the Hebrew letters) on each page, the number of words on each page, what the center word should be, and so on. They strove to obey God’s command: “You shall not add to the word that I command you, nor take away from it ...” (Deut. 4:2) And we now have hundreds of times more copies and fragments of the word of God than of any other ancient document. Many of these manuscripts and fragments go back thousands of years, and show us that no significant changes have occurred to our copies of God’s Word, compared to those written even before Jesus was born.

The Bible is accurate historically. In every aspect where the Bible can be tested and verified (by archaeology, for example), it has been shown to be trustworthy. There have been, over the years, instances where it was thought that some lack of discovery seemed to prove the record in the Scriptures false, only to have it verified later. For example, until 1961, no record of Pontius Pilate existed, much less anything about him; this resulted once again in some claiming that the Bible was inaccurate, simply a legend or myth. Then a stone was discovered with an inscription, not only naming Pilate but verifying biblical details about him, and validating that particular Scriptural account.

Of greater significance than its accuracy, I believe, is the ability of the Bible to speak into each aspect of our lives with relevance and authority. In every aspect where I’ve trusted its wisdom, it has proved faithful and true. And in every aspect where I’ve ignored its instruction, I have suffered the same ramifications of my decision that Scripture warns against. The Scriptures are internally consistent and coherent. One can choose to ignore the instruction found in it, but one cannot avoid the consequences of that decision.

For example, the Bible teaches that we are not born as clean, blank slates; we are born already sinful. It's in our very make-up. As I raise my children, I notice that I don't have to teach them to lie; that comes naturally. I have to teach them to tell the truth. I don't have to teach them to be selfish; that comes naturally. I have to teach them to be kind, and share, and think of others. Just read Lord of the Flies by William Golding and you'll see exactly what I'm talking about. A naturalistic worldview has a hard time explaining this; nurture doesn't cut it.

The Bible teaches that our sin results in death; not just physical death, but spiritual death, separation from God. Our consciences condemn us, and we try to quiet the inner voice by finding fulfillment elsewhere: in drugs or alcohol, in sex and relationships, in fame and success, even in religion. None of these things can truly fill the void; no matter how good those things can be, there's still something missing. Solomon, the richest, wisest, most powerful king, who had everything, including 700 wives, said of all his projects, experiments and accomplishments "Vanity of vanities! All is vanity and striving after wind!" (Ecclesiastes) I have experienced it myself; when I tried to satisfy myself with other things, even good things -- work, success, relationships, religion -- they left me empty. I needed to find my satisfaction in God; it's how He has designed each one of us.

The Bible teaches that, because of that sin in me, I am already guilty before God, and condemned, before I've even done anything. We may not be as bad as we possibly could be, but we're all as bad off as we possibly could be! Now, our myths always create a human hero who rises above, who is bigger than life, to save the day. The Bible is unique; it teaches us that we can't save ourselves, but God, the One who created us, who we rebelled against, loves us still because He IS love. Only a perfect human could pay the price to satisfy His perfect justice and no human is, or ever was, perfect. So He sent His Son to become a human, live a perfect life, and then die in our place, so that God's justice and righteousness could be satisfied. And when we acknowledge our inability to make ourselves right, and accept His free gift of forgiveness and righteousness, on account of what Jesus accomplished, we find inner peace, lasting peace. Romans 8:1 says, "There is therefore now NO CONDEMNATION for those who are in Christ Jesus." And I know that peace; I've experienced the difference, because I acted on what the Bible said I needed to do.

Scripture explains, clearly and logically, the human condition, and answers the big questions like "Why, and how, am I here?",  "What is my purpose? What is it all about?" and "What happens after life is over?" You may not like the answers to those questions, but it provides answers to these big questions, and the unified package is coherent. I have a peace, and a purpose, and a passion, not because of my circumstances but in the midst of them, because of my relationship with Jesus. He is what makes all the difference.

We should not be surprised at the attacks on God’s Word; it was the devil’s first recorded challenge in Genesis 3: “Did God really say ...?” And he hasn’t changed his tactics. But you and I can rest assured that the Bible we have today is accurate and true, because it is God’s Word and He is faithful and true.

“The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.”
Isaiah 40:8

As always, I welcome your comments. I can be reached at mikeysingsbass@gmail.com.

What's The Point Of Easter?

Then came the day of Unleavened Bread,

on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed.

Luke 22:7

Yesterday was Good Friday, the day in which followers of Jesus remember, and celebrate, the His death on a Roman cross to pay the penalty for our sin. You may wish to read an earlier post of mine, entitled "What's Good About Good Friday?"

As Good Friday approached, I was preparing some other things when I came across some verses that struck me quite powerfully. I love that about God's Word; it makes the claim, in Hebrews 4:12, that it is "living and active", as opposed to dead and static; as a result, I should not be surprised that, after years of studying it, I still find new things to learn. Anyway, in preparing for a communion feast, I came across the verses above.

Verses 1 and 2 of the same chapter read "Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread drew near, which is called the Passover. And the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how to put Him to death ..."  Hmmm ... seems they had the same problem over 2000 years ago that we're dealing with today; the top religious leaders embroiled in some dirty scandal. If you've read my posts, you know that the consistent message of the gospel, as found in the Bible, is that being religious, performing religious rituals and doing religious things cannot save or transform you! The only thing that can is actually not a thing at all; it is a person, the person of Jesus Christ. It is to Him that we look for forgiveness, not acts of penance. It is in Him that we place our faith and trust, not in an institution like the church. And it is Him that we follow and model and obey, not a set of rules and regulations. And any good works that we perform are not done to EARN our salvation or favour with God, but a response out of a heart of love for the God who loved us first! But I digress ...

The Feast of Unleavened Bread was a memorial feast, reminding them of the time the people of Israel were slaves in Egypt. God was preparing to set them free by His mighty hand. This involved the people eating bread with no leaven (yeast) for seven days; not only that, but they were instructed to go through their houses and remove all leaven from their homes. All this was done while He judged Egypt for their sin of rebellion and stubborn disbelief. The ninth plague was darkness, and it was followed by the last and most terrible plague, the death of the all the firstborn in the land. And this is where Passover comes in: God instructed the people of Israel that they were to take a lamb, a blemish-free, perfect lamb, and kill it, and then take the blood of that lamb and splash it on the doorposts and the lintel of their home. "And when I see the blood, I will pass over you" and judgement would not come to their home.

Every single one of these symbols points to Jesus! Jesus was the Son of God sent to set us free from the slavery of our sin; because we are powerless to free ourselves, God had to do it by His mighty hand. Leaven is a picture, a type, of sin throughout the Bible; Jesus was the only Man in history to be without sin, and He came to remove our sin from us. But it came only at great cost to Him; John the Baptizer called Him "the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world", a reference to that Passover Lamb. Jesus was perfect and blemish-free, making Him the only suitable One to be our substitute. He was slain, and when HIS blood is applied to our lives, God's judgement passes over us, because Jesus was already judged in our place!

Remember the ninth plague, darkness? When Jesus hung on the cross, "there was darkness over the whole land" for three hours. In that time, God judged Jesus for our sin and, since Jesus came to BE our Passover Lamb, there could be no protection for Him; God paid the penalty for our sin with the death of His own Firstborn!

This, ladies and gentlemen, clearly demonstrates the extent to which God was willing to go to, the costs He was willing to incur, to procure our salvation. This is the clearest demonstration of His love for you and me! Readers, I plead with you, accept His gift of salvation! He offers it without cost to you, though it cost Him everything! What He asks in return is your obedience, your faith, your love, and SUCH a loving God is a delight to follow! This Easter, make Him your Saviour, your Passover Lamb, the Lover of your soul! It will change EVERYTHING, and you will never regret it! 

If you have questions about this, you can reach me at mikeysingsbass@gmail.com.

The Devil Is In The Details?

"Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered.

Do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows."

Luke 12:7

It was the summer of 2000.

A young woman named Megan attended her friend Bree's wedding at Joy Bible Camp as part of the bridal party. She also carried a burden; within her womb, a tiny life was growing.

That little one was not the burden. Her burden was choosing the right family in which to place her little one for adoption. She asked God to direct her, to give her wisdom to make the best choice for her baby.

My wife and I, with our then 4-year-old David, were camping at Joy at the time, although we knew nothing of that story. We heard there was a need later in the summer for male counselors at Senior Youth Camp; we talked and I volunteered. In the last week of August, we headed back up to Bancroft; I had a cabin full of teenage boys, and Judy and David had a room to themselves. We would spend time together whenever I was free.

In the middle of the week, I was paged for a long distance call. It was our adoption agency (JFJ Hope Centre): "We have wonderful news! A little boy has been born in Sudbury, and the birth mother has chosen you as the adoptive parents! You need to come right away!" I replied, "But I'm in the middle of Youth Camp!" And they responded, "Well, you're getting someone to take over, because you're coming to Sudbury!"

We informed the staff, who were all delighted on our behalf. Then I needed to tell my boys why we were leaving midweek. One of the staff suggested, "If you're willing, it might be really impactful for these teens if you'd share this story with the whole camp." So we did. They were excited and supportive. Would we please update them by the end of the week? We agreed.

My parents drove 2.5 hours to Bancroft to get our little David and care for him. He was settled in their car, and I was walking to our van with our bags when I was again paged for a long distance call from the adoption agency. "I don't know how to tell you this, but the whole thing has fallen through. Sit tight till we figure out what's going on." And the whirlwind comes instantly to a complete and utter standstill.

Over the ensuing hours, we would learn that the birth father's mother came to the hospital, saw the baby and wanted to raise him. That would not have been a good thing, and so the birth mother did the only thing she could to protect him; she claimed sole custody. We could understand her decision, but that didn't diminish our heartbreak.

That night we had our evening Bible study session. It was on committing your life to God. As a wrap-up, we would all go out in small groups of 2 or 3 and stand along the shoreline of the lake, talking with God about surrendering to Him. I stood with two other guys at the shore, silent before God. My heart ached for a little boy that I had already begun to love, whose loss I already had to grieve, and I didn't understand why. The tears began to flow. "I don't understand why this happened, God! Why would you let us get the phone call and go through all of this, when you knew it would all implode?" I wasn't angry; I was hurting and being completely honest with God. "I don't like this, it hurts so badly, and I feel completely in the dark." But then I said (and did) something that was not really characteristic of me in that stage of my life: "But I'm going to choose to trust You, God. I'm going to choose to believe that You ARE good, that You love me and have my best in mind." That was August 30th, 2000.

The week at camp ended, nothing changed with the adoption, we headed back home and resumed our lives. The school year started, and the hectic weeks of September melded into the regular routine of October. In the middle of that month, we again received a call from the adoption agency: a birth couple had chosen us as adoptive parents. We met with them on two different occasions and then, on the 25th of November, our beautiful Kathryn was born. Little did we know that her birth mom, Megan, was the same one who had been at Joy that summer! We met with them two more times in the next year. From that point on, the birth father was content with what he had in letters and photos. We continued to exchange letters and photos with Megan over the next few years until that came to a close as well.

When Katie was roughly 2 years old, we received a letter from Suzanne, a birth parent adoption worker with the agency; she was retiring and decided to send us a farewell letter! She had been the support worker for both David's birth mother and Katie's birth parents. She wrote what a delight and privilege it had been to be a part of placing both children in our family. She wrote a little paragraph to David, and another to Katie, and finally signed off. And then she added a PS: "I was cleaning out my files and found this, and I thought you might like to have it." When a birth parent decides on adoption, one of the first things they're asked to do is think about and list the characteristics they would look for in an adoptive couple. Some only want someone to love their baby, while others have a 19-item checklist. Megan was the "19-item checklist" type, and Suzanne had attached a photocopy of her list; she thought we might like to see what Megan had written down that ultimately resulted in her choosing our adoption profile.

I have no idea what is on that list; I couldn't tell you a single thing Megan wrote there. As I pulled that sheet out from behind Suzanne's letter, I saw only one thing. In the top right hand corner of the page was recorded the date she had written that list: August 30th, 2000, the same day I stood on the shore and told God I would trust Him! He honoured that, and He went a step further and showed me that I was right to trust Him!  I said, "God, You didn't have to do that, but that's pretty cool!"

In the years since Kate's birth, we have met and become friends with Bree and her husband Eric (though we still never knew this connection). A year ago, Bree turned 40 and her husband brought some of Bree's close friends together, including Megan, for a girl's weekend. As they visited together, Megan shared that she had been thinking a lot about Katie, and hoped that in the years to come, Katie might want to connect with her and have a relationship. Little did she know how soon that would happen.

Only a week later, we encouraged Kate to connect with her birth parents. We helped her find Megan first, and she sent her a friend request on Facebook. Megan received the request and thought "I don't know a Kate van't Slot. I'll just delete it." Her oldest boy, who LOVES to be outside, chose that moment to come in and look over her shoulder. "But Mom" he said, "what if that's OUR Katie?" Megan had kept a baby picture of Katie on the wall in her home and, as her children asked questions, she answered in age-appropriate terms. So her children all knew about this 'Katie'. At her son's comment, she went to Kate's Facebook page and "stalked" it. Suddenly she recognized something in one of the pictures! "That's the shoreline at Joy Bible Camp!" She immediately grabbed her phone and texted Bree. "Do you know a Kate van't Slot, and a Mike & Judy van't Slot?" Bree responded, "Why, sure! They are great folks. Kate was a lifeguard at Joy, bla bla bla..." Megan texted back, "That's MY Katie!" Bree responded with "ARE YOU SERIOUS?? I'M CALLING YOU RIGHT NOW!" And thus began a very enthusiastic and tear-filled conversation!

Anyway, Kate met with her birth mom, and later in the summer, her birth dad as well, and they are exactly the wonderful, caring, self-sacrificing people we've always told Kate they were. We've enjoyed getting reacquainted as well. It has been good all around, and I'm grateful, as these kinds of reunions don't always turn out that way.

But I share this story with you, dear reader, to either inform you or remind you that my God is big, big enough that He can orchestrate and conduct the workings of our universe -- burning suns and spinning galaxies -- and at the same time, involve Himself in the little details of our lives, the things that we, perhaps, might even deem inconsequential. Contrary to the title of this post (which is intentionally stated as a question), it is NOT the devil that is in the details; it's God. He loves us, He cares about us, He sticks with us and walks with us and weeps with us and rejoices with us. The psalmist David writes "You are intimately acquainted with all our ways" and it takes a big and powerful God to be able to do that! The details are not always pleasant at the time; the heartbreak of the loss of that little boy through the adoption reversal was significant. For someone to say "But you have other children now" is an indication that they've never experienced such a loss, and they don't really understand. But ultimately, God used the experience to teach us about Himself, and to show us He had something else, something very beautiful, in mind for us.

Know that He loves you, know that He is interested in the details of your life, and He directs them for your good and His glory. If you feel lost or confused, choose to trust Him. If you feel abandoned, know that it's not true; He's right there. If you can't see His hand at work, trust His heart. Call out to Him, invite Him in. And if you don't yet have that kind of relationship with Him, there's no time like the present. Make it happen today! If you have questions you need answered, please contact me; I would love to talk to you and I can be reached at mikeysingsbass@gmail.com.