Blog

How is Your Aim?

Challenge Central: a CBC devotional

by: Pastor Jeremy Heikkinen

2 Cor. 5:9-10 says, “So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him. For we must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil” (emphasis added, ESV).

What are you aiming at these days? Growing up we used a phrase to describe someone’s poor aim, we would say “You can’t hit the broad side of a barn door.” It was one of the biggest things around! Hitting a barn door seems like such an insignificant target today. There are so many things going on right now that have become targets in our lives: Covid restrictions, protests against vaccine mandates, tax returns, upcoming elections, etc. What should be our aim or goal in all these things? What is your goal?

In 2 Corinthians, Paul is writing to a group of believers in the midst of crazy times in a crazy city (Corinth). He writes to help keep them focused on what is truly important. In verse 1-4 of chapter 5, Paul reflects on how challenging it can be to live in our own skin sometimes, we groan. Yet, there is one target that Paul gives that is the most important where ever you are. Please God. This is the most important target for all of humanity. This is why we were created! This one target affects every other goal in our lives. It does not mean that we have no other goals, but it does mean that no other goal is above this one. It also means that I cannot pursue any other goal without the influence of this goal. How you live really does matter! Paul reminds them that they will give an account to Jesus for what they chose to do and how they did it, whether good or evil.

So how are you doing at being pleasing to God in the midst of your stance on political issues, family tension, pandemic restrictions, and personal groaning? Are you seeking to please God above all in these things or are you trying to please someone else? Are your answers gracious and seasoned with salt in such a way that does not corrupt (Col. 4:6; Eph. 4:29)? In what ways are you “walking in wisdom towards outsiders, making the best use of the time” (Col. 4:6)? In 2 Cor. 5:14-15 Paul describes what it looks like when the love of Christ controls us. It looks like no longer living for myself but for him who for our sake died and was raised. What will it look like for the love of Christ to control you this week? In what ways will you no longer live for yourself but for Christ?


.

All Challenge Central devotionals »

Tell Someone Something

Challenge Central: a CBC devotional

by: Pastor Lars Janssen

Have you ever had an industrious young person, maybe 10 or 12 years old, knock on your door and ask if you would pay him to shovel your driveway? This tends to happen once or twice a winter in my neighbourhood. I usually give a polite, “No thank you,” but my answer has more to do with myself than the young entrepreneur. I think it’s great that the person at the door is willing to work to earn some money. But, by God’s grace, I am able-bodied and, as a result of many hours of study, I am generally in need of exercise—especially in the winter. However, a slightly different scenario confronted me during one of our recent snowy days.
It had snowed all night and I knew that I’d have to get out there and shovel soon when there was a knock at the door. The man who asked to shovel my driveway for a small fee was older than I am. I paused for a moment and reflected. If a man this age was out trying to earn some money shoveling driveways, he probably really needed some money. So this time I said, “Yes.” He seemed pleased and got right to work shoveling. I turned to my wife and told her what had just happened. We were both a little unsure about what to do next—should I go out and help him? Would that diminish his sense of having earned any money I gave him? As I finished up what I had been doing, I began silently asking God what to do when I remembered a conversation I’d had with the other pastors.
We had discussed how to provide our church family with opportunities to practice having gospel conversations with those who need to hear about Jesus. We aren’t talking about presenting a mini-sermon. We’re talking about what Jesus instructed the former-demoniac to do in Mark 5:19, “Tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” As you may have heard during our mission’s emphasis Sunday, in the coming months we’re planning to invite you, our church family, to take some tracts in hand and intentionally practice this—either in your own sphere or together around the church building’s neighbourhood.
As I thought of that conversation with the pastors, I realized that God had prepared a good work (see Ephesians 2:10!) for me to do by having this man come to my door. I needed to get out there and start shoveling with him. I did and we talked as we shoveled. It’s worth noting that I later found out he’d walked three blocks from his home and my door was the first door he knocked on! As we shoveled, he unexpectedly poured out his heart to me and I even had the opportunity to pray for him. I tried to be generous with him when I paid him for his time with bills wrapped in a tract (Please, always try to be generous Christians!). I don’t know what God is doing in that man’s life, but I am glad that I was able to share how God has had mercy on me and that the same mercy is available to him.
I challenge you, my friends, to start asking God to open your eyes to gospel-conversation opportunities. You don’t have to present a perfectly rounded package of theology in each conversation—just tell someone something about how much the Lord has done for you.

All Challenge Central devotionals »

The Bible’s Godwink?

Challenge Central: a CBC devotional

by: Casey Korstanje

Challenge Central - February 10, 2022
Song of Solomon 2:10–13 (ESV)

[10] My beloved speaks and says to me: 
“Arise, my love, my beautiful one, 
and come away, 
[11] for behold, the winter is past; 
the rain is over and gone. 
[12] The flowers appear on the earth, 
the time of singing has come, 
and the voice of the turtledove 
is heard in our land.
[13] The fig tree ripens its figs, 
and the vines are in blossom; 
they give forth fragrance. 
Arise, my love, my beautiful one, 
and come away.

I don’t mind Christmas movies. You know, the Hallmark kind with predictable plots. Girl meets boy. Girl not impressed. Boy not impressed. But they eventually fall in love. Then there is a painful misunderstanding approximately 11 minutes before the movie ends, which is sorted out over the next five minutes, they kiss and live happily ever after. Sigh. Pass the dill chips.

Don’t worry–today’s challenge is not remotely about Christmas movies. It’s tied to a new word that has apparently entered the Christian lexicon and which I stumbled across in a Hallmark movie called A Godwink Christmas.

“Godwink?” I tried desperately not to roll my eyes. “Here we go,” I thought. “Another silly, contrived idea that fits somewhere between rubber bracelets, chubby cherubs and absurd theology.” I refused to watch the movie.

But I did some research.

It begins with a guy named Squire D. Rushnell who wrote a book called When God Winks at You: How God Speaks Directly to You Through the Power of Coincidence. And sure enough, he struck gold because there are now nine more Godwinks books available along with jewellery, movies, podcasts, even hats and coffee mugs.

I find it embarrassing. (Don’t worry; I am self-aware enough to recognize my breath-taking arrogance in the matter, and I think God may be laughing at me.) 

Here’s what happened.

I had been going through a bit of a spiritual dry patch for a while. I won’t bore you with the details. This is just for context.

I was sitting on the couch reading a low-rent novel to pass the time. I can’t remember the title, or frankly much of the storyline. But right in the middle of the book, one character (a priest, I think) asks another what the scripture quoted above (Song of Solomon 2:10-13) is about. 

After some thought, the second character says, “It’s about death. You could use it at a funeral.”

This stopped me completely. I re-read the scripture. I pictured our Lord reaching out His hand bidding a saved soul enter into all joy. I began to feel the dryness falling away as I realized that, regardless of circumstance, Christ loves us joyfully, unconditionally at this moment.

The old commentators (Barnes and Matthew Henry) agree. It’s about Christ’s love for the Church. It foreshadows the Christian’s reunion with Jesus in heaven. It’s about the joy that awaits and the depth of the love our Lord has for you at this moment. I even checked Spurgeon who is emphatic on the point.

Do you remember first love–that time when unspeakable joy rises in the heart? It’s when thoughts of the other fill your mind completely.

The Song of Solomon, from beginning to end, radiates images of complete and unreserved love, the kind Jesus holds for you even now. There are no Hallmark misunderstandings and there is nothing you can do to change that love.

Romans 8:38-39 reminds us, “For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

The challenge: read the Song of Solomon. I shudder to say this but I think it might be the Bible’s Godwink.

Consider John 5:39: “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me.”

All Challenge Central devotionals »

“You’re Just Like…”

Challenge Central: a CBC devotional

by: Pastor Alan Rietberg

I wonder if these words have ever been said to you: “you’re just like your father” or “you’re just like your mother” or “you’re just like _________” (fill in the blank). 

Our characteristics, qualities, or abilities are always being viewed and often compared to someone else—sometimes good and sometimes not so good!

What people see in us not only reflects on us personally, but also on our family, the people we hang around with, and it may impact the viewer as well.

Let me clarify.

On my way to church this morning there was a ‘slow poke’ driving in front of me.  I had time to go around them and pull into the church parking lot, but it probably would have made that person slow down while I made the turn. 

What would they think about the church and Christians because of my driving? ran through my mind, and would the extra 5 or 10 seconds gained be worth the negative opinion they might form? I chose to be patient and stayed behind the ‘slow poke.’ But it reminded me of other situations in which we find ourselves almost daily. What about the way we speak to people? The jokes we tell? The patience or short temper we demonstrate? The work ethic we show at our workplace etc.?

How does all of this reflect on our allegiance to God and HIS nature? What things do our children pick up from us that are indicators of our true heart of worship in all areas of our life to the Saviour? 

In a magazine article that Gord Knight passed along to me there was a sobering statistic.  It said “A father’s religious conviction was the primary factor in determining if parents’ religion will be carried on by their children. If the father is non-practising and the mother is a steady church attendee, only 2% of their children will become regular worshippers and 37% will attend occasionally.”  It carried on saying “It’s vital that a father fulfill his responsibility to set an example of spiritual faithfulness that his children will want to emulate.”

This brings me back to the point: “You’re just like…”

What conclusion would someone come to about the depth of our heart-dedication to Christ, based on what they see in our day-to-day life?

Someone may say “I don’t care what people think, or that’s my business, not theirs.” This is a ‘me focus’ rather than a ‘God focus,’ a reflection of the ‘old nature’ we are to be putting off, rather than the ‘new nature’ we are to be adopting.

Ephesians 4:21-24 in the New Living Testament says:

“Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from Him, throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God — truly righteous and holy.”

A few verses later in Ephesians 5:1 we read: “Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are His dear children.”

When we become a Christian, we willingly relinquish control of every part of us to our Saviour. Even though we are not perfect, we should aim in the direction of becoming more and more like Jesus in every area of our life because He is working in our hearts.

“You’re just like your Father…” should be a wonderful compliment we’d love to hear because it means that our Father God is continuing to work in our lives and other people are noticing it and are drawn to the Saviour.  Matthew 5:16 (NLT) says, “Let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.”

In conclusion, can those around you see the ‘family resemblance’ between you and your heavenly Father?

All Challenge Central devotionals »

He Will Hold Me Fast

Challenge Central: a CBC devotional

by: Pastor Jeremy Heikkinen

What are you singing these days? Songs have the tendency to get stuck in our heads and we cannot help but sing alone or rehearse the lyrics to ourselves throughout the day. Over the last couple of months, Paul Nicholson and I have had the opportunity to discuss music and singing. Songs teach. What we sing has a profound ability to shape what we believe. Songs will often stay in our heads far better than the sermon outline on Sunday. This is why I am so thankful for good, theologically rich, gospel-centered, songs. One of those songs is “He Will Hold Me Fast”. We sang it on Sunday. It is a song that has been added to my playlist and one that I continually go back to in order to rehearse God’s great truth.
In Dane Ortlund’s book, Gentle and Lowly (I highly recommend that you read it), he addresses the theme of this song in chapter 21: “He Loved us Then; He’ll Love Us Now”. While digging deeper into Romans 5:6-11, he discusses how God did not love us after we met Him halfway, or cleaned up our lives, or because He knew we would always follow His commands. Oh no, He loved us when we were His enemies, while we were weak, while we were still sinners. That same love that He showed us in this state is the same love that continues even after we have accepted His gift of grace and yet still fall short. Dane, quoting John Flavel, puts it this way, “As God did not at first choose you because you were high, He will not now forsake you because you are low” (194). He would continue to unpack this truth by saying, “your waywardness does not threaten your place in the love of God any more than history itself can be undone” (194). He is describing the reconciliation we have received with God through Jesus.
If you think that reconciliation was only applicable at salvation, you are wrong. We are to rejoice all the more about it in our relationship with Jesus knowing that “He will hold me fast”.
The great truths that are found in Romans 5 and expounded upon in Gentle and Lowly, are then set to music in “He Will Hold Me Fast”. The song goes through a myriad of thoughts, emotions, or circumstances that have the potential of deceiving me about God’s promise in Romans 5, yet, “He will hold me fast”. It reinforces the gospel of Jesus and His ability in the face of my inability. What a great song! What a great book! What an AWESOME God!! I encourage you this week to listen to this song, learn the lyrics, play it on an instrument, sing it in the shower! Wherever you are, whatever you have done or are telling yourself this week, if you are in Christ, you can hold on to the truth that “He will hold me fast”.

All Challenge Central devotionals »