I Could Still Go Free

If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed. John 8:36

What is true freedom? Some will say that it's the ability to do as they please without fear of repercussions. Some will say that it's the opportunity to engage in commercial activity to make money, or the chance to strive for fame.

While those things may seem like good things to strive for, I'd argue that many who have capitalized on those opportunities who were still in complete bondage. On the other side of the coin, many who have never had those chances have known the feeling of true freedom.

This is a thought that has been on my mind since last night. A young man at my church sang the song in the video above, and began that train of thought. When he wrote this song, Ronnie Hinson posed a very interesting premise: a man is in prison and has been deprived of his liberty, his necessities, his sight, and his movement, yet, he still considers himself to be a free man. That seems like a very strange thing to say, but with a look at scripture and eternity, it is proven true.

Excluding Adam, Eve, and Jesus Christ, every person in human history has come into the world as a slave -- a slave to sin. Sin has no problem allowing its victims to feel free. It has no problem aloting them a measure of enjoyment. As long as those it has a hold on don't realize that it has that hold, they won't try to seek freedom.

However, the rude awakening for those enslaved by sin is that the pleasure is only for a season. The freedom is a mirage, and those who go through life without ever being freed from the bondage have nothing to look forward to but an eternity in a lake of fire.

What sin does not want its captives to know is that there is freedom available to one and all. Jesus Christ, the "man on the cross" did indeed put us in His will. He paid the price of our liberation from sin through his sacrificial death.

Now, I know what some will say to that: serving God takes a lot of the fun out of life. God wouldn't let me do some of the things I enjoy. If that's your reaction, let me ask you a question. Would you prefer to hold on to temporal pleasures and lose your soul? The Bible makes it clear that even if you could gain the whole world, it's not worth it if you lose your soul. Honestly, that's something that any rational person can clearly see. But even if you look at things from the perspective of this life only, I'd still be forced to disagree with you. Take it from someone who has served the Lord for years. There is a peace that can be found nowhere else. There is a fulfillment that can be found nowhere else. Besides that, when the Holy Spirit moves in, He'll change your "want to."

Now, let me give you the things that top it all off. Sin has no love for you. Jesus has proven His when He took your place. Sin offers death. Jesus offers eternal life. Would you prefer to spend eternity in the lake of fire with Satan, his demons, Adolf Hitler, Pol Pot, Joseph Stalin, and so many others of their ilk that I could never list, or in Heaven with the One who loved you enough to take the just punishment for your sin? I won't even bother to list anyone else in Heaven, because the fade so much in the light of His glory.

Friend, you can be free no matter what life throws your way. Accept Jesus Christ as your Saviour today, and learn of an unmatched freedom. If you're not sure how to do so and would like more help, please contact me.

Lock me up in a prison and throw away the key, and I could still go free.

How Will You Be Remembered?

And the rest of the acts of Solomon, and all that he did, and his wisdom, are they not written in the book of the acts of Solomon? 1 Kings 11:41

The hockey world is in mourning today, following the news of the death of legendary New York Islanders head coach Al Arbour. He passed away today at the age of 82. As of the time of this writing, I have been unable to learn his exact case of death, but he was known to be suffering from dementia and Parkinson's disease.

Arbour played all or part of 14 seasons in the NHL, winning three Stanley Cups, but is most known for his coaching career, during which he compiled a 782-577-248 record with the St. Louis Blues and New York Islanders. His tenure with the Isles was legendary, and he coached the team to dynasty status winning four consecutive Cups from 1980-83. The respect he earned from those years was so great that during the 2007-08 season, when then-Islanders head coach Ted Nolan realized Arbour had coached 1,499 games with the team, he invited him to come back for one more game to make an even 1,500. Arbour's 782 wins and 1,607 games coached are second all-time in NHL history, behind only Scotty Bowman's marks.

I woudn't be one bit surprised to see a book on Arbour's life and career released soon. It almost seems inevitable considering the amount of success and respect he earned. Looking at it from the vantage point of a hockey fan, I'd say it would be a very fitting and appropriate thing.

That said, there has already been a book written on the life of Al Arbour. It was written over the course of 82 years, and it was written by none other than Al Arbour. At every point during his life, there was someone who watched him and observed the things he did. As such, he wrote a book for those people. When he played and especially when he coached, there were a large number of people who watched him. He wrote a book for those people.

I don't know if you've ever thought about it, but you're also writing a book. Now, your book may not be a best-seller, and very few of us will ever have as many readers as Al Arbour did, but we're all writing one nonetheless.

Those who are close to me know very well how passionate I am about writing. I write this blog, I write a blog on hockey history, I have written the drafts of a few novels I hope to see published one day, and I have pieces of other stories and a few hockey player biographies written. However, I feel very safe in saying that no matter how successful any of those writings may one day be, they are not as important as the book that I'm writing for those who are watching me.

Many people have written books for me. I'm very grateful for many of them, while others have deeply disappointed me. Whether I like what I've read or not, though, they have all helped shape me into the man I am today. In the same respect, I'm helping to shape those who are coming up watching me with the book I'm writing.

As our text verse says, Solomon wrote a book with the way he lived his life. It was finished thousands of years ago. Al Arbour wrote a book that finished today. You and I are both writing books that will end one day as well. Are we writing Godly books that will point others to Jesus Christ, or are we pushing people away from Him? One day, it will all be revealed. Will we have reason to be ashamed, or will we hear "Well done, thou good and faithful servant?"

Where Could I Go?

Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me? Jeremiah 32:27

Living below in this old sinful world,
Hardly a comfort can afford,
Striving alone to face temptation sore,
Where could I go but to the Lord?

Where could I go,
Oh, where could I go,
Seeking a refuge for my soul,
Needing a friend to help me in the end,
Where could I go but to the Lord?

This particular hymn is one of my favorites, a fact which is probably not uninfluenced by the fact that it was written by the grandfather of a very dear friend of mine. Friend and family connections aside, though, this song has a wonderful message, and asks a very important question.

I heard the version of this song from the video above on the radio on my way to work yesterday, and I've been thinking about it ever since. There are so many types of difficulties that we face every day, but no matter what the difficulty is, we can take it to the Lord. No matter how big the difficulty is, we can take it to the Lord. In fact, while there are certain things that we can handle, or that others can help us with, there are some things that only the Lord can handle for us.

Where can we go when we have a broken heart? We can go to the Lord. "He healeth the broken hearted, and bindeth up their wounds." Some try to drown their sorrows in alcohol, but when they sober up, the pain is still there. Some turn to medication to turn away depression, but sometimes the medication is ineffective, or even worsens the problem. There's nothing that can compare to the treatment of the Great Physician for a broken heart.

Where can we go when the checkbook is unable to cover the expenses for our necessities? We can go to the Lord. "But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus." God will take care of His own. He will never forsake us. Now, I'm not saying that we can go to God, demand a $10,000 check and expect Him to deliver it, but I am saying that he can and will make sure we have what we need. It may not be what we want or how we want it, but He will do it in the best way possible. There's no better provision than the King of Glory.

Where can we go when met with strong temptation? Jesus met with temptation in the wilderness after 40 days with no food. It's fair to say that He was physically weakened, and that from a human perspective that he would have been more susceptible. Even then, that weakness couldn't overwhelm His deity, and He rebuffed the devil. He will do the same for us. He has promised us a way of escape. There's no better deliverance from temptaion than the sinless Saviour.

Where can we go when we've failed and fallen into sin? "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." There is nothing that the love of God will not forgive. That doesn't give us license to sin, and should make us even more eager serve Him faithfully, but it's still a blessed reminder. There's no better forgiveness than that of  loving Heavenly Father.

Where can we go when we're staring death in the face? Since the first Easter, death can't claim to be undefeated. Before that time, all that died either stayed dead, or, if they were resurrected, died again. But, when Jesus Christ arose, He did so to live forever. He is now the firstfruits of them that slept. Because of this, He has removed the sting of death, and turned it into a gain for those that have trusted in Him. Plus, because of His resurrection, we have the promise of the same. There's no better resurrection than that of the One who conquered death.

But, maybe you don't know Him. Maybe you aren't saved. Perhaps, if you died in five minutes, you would, as a former pastor of mine used to say, split Hell wide open. If that's the case, He's also the answer for your problem. He died in your place to pay for your sins, and now offers forgiveness. "There is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." If you need salvation, you can only find it in Him. There's no better salvation than that of the perfect, spotless Lamb of God.

Where could I go but to the Lord? Nowhere. No matter what the problem is, He is the answer. Thank God we can go to Him, because that means we need nothing else.

Jesus Cares

Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. 1 Peter 5:7

Have you ever found yourself wondering if anyone really cares about what you're going through? I have. I think we've all had times that we feel completely isolated and feel that no one can relate to what we're going through. I think feelings such as those probably play a large role in the levels of suicide and depression in our society. It's easy to fall into a dark despair when we feel alone. Sometimes it can make us question if life is truly worthwhile.

Truth be told, there are times that our friends and families can't grasp the turmoil in our souls. If they haven't experienced the particular grief that we feel, they may not be able to comprehend just how much it weighs on us. As such, their reactions can sometimes seem unfeeling, and often that compounds the sorrow we already feel.

Does that sound familiar? Maybe that's where you are right now. Obviously, I can't know what difficulties you face as you're reading this, since it's not a face to face conversation. Even if it were, I might fall into the category of those who can't relate to what you're through. I might not be able to offer you any help personally, but I know someone who can.

The Bible calls Jesus Christ a man of sorrows, and says that He is acquainted with grief. As remarkable as it sounds, I believe Jesus Christ suffered through more sorrows than anyone else in the history of the human race. It seems unfathomable to think that people would mistreat God to His face, but that's exactly what happened.

Tradition tells us that Joseph, Jesus's earthly father died at a relatively young age. The fact that he's not mentioned in the Bible after Jesus was 12 gives some credence to that. If so, that tells us that Jesus knows what it's like to suffer the loss of a loved one. Jesus knows what it's like to be betrayed and denied by His friends because of the actions of Judas and Peter. Jesus knows what it's like to be taken for granted. Nine of the 10 lepers he healed never even thanked Him. Jesus knows what it's like to be treated wrongly after helping someone. He was condemned for healing a man on the Sabbath. Jesus knows what it's like to be unjustly persecuted for wrongs He had not done. He suffered for our sins on the cross. I can also immediately think of one grief that He suffered that none of us ever will: He was forsaken by God Almighty as He hung on the cross.

The Bible tells us that our High Priest can be touched with the feelings of our infirmities. I don't think He had to live on Earth to know what it's like; I think He already knew, simply because He's God. However, His life on Earth proves to us that He knows. If you can relate to anything mentioned in the paragraph above, you know that Jesus can as well, because He has experienced it just as you have. There are more things mentioned in the Bible that He went through than I could ever put into a single post, and that doesn't include all the experiences that aren't recorded for us.

Oh yes, He cares. I know He cares. His heart is touched with my grief. When the days are weary, the long nights dreary, I know my Saviour cares.

How Great Thou Art

Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created. Revelation 4:11

O Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder,
Consider all the worlds Thy hands have made,
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,
Thy power throughout the universe displayed.

Then sings my soul, my Saviour God to Thee,
How great Thou art! How great Thou art!
Then sings my soul, my Saviour God to Thee,
How great Thou art! How great Thou art!

Controversy arose in Brandon, Mississippi Friday night when the Brandon High School band was barred from playing at halftime of their season opener. The reason was the inclusion of the hymn "How Great Thou Art" in their program. The ban traces its roots back to a 2013 decision by a federal judge which stated that the school district had violated the First Amendment rights of students by allowing religious activities to take place on school grounds.

At halftime, however, something happened that no judge can silence. It began with a single voice: "Then sings my soul...," and grew until a chorus of fans finished the chorus of the beautiful hymn: "How great Thou art, how great Thou art!" In defiance of a judge who overstepped his boundaries and violated their First Amendment rights, the fans and students of the Jackson Metro Area high school let their voice be heard.

Despite the fact that I call myself a political junkie, I have no intention of wading into the political weeds, as I do not consider this blog the place for that. I would, however, like to reflect on the founding of our nation and the reverence that we once held for God Almighty. In what now seems like the ultimate irony, those who came to America from Europe in the Colonial days did so because they wished to preserve their religious freedom. In fact, when public schools first began to dot the American landscape, one of their primary goals was to educate children in the Scriptures. Read the writings of many of the Founding Fathers, and it becomes clear that they recognized that the source of the freedom they fought to protect was God Himself.

Fast forward to 2015, and God is shunned on every hand. Those who choose to stand up for the truths of the Bible are mocked and shunned. Is this what the Founding Fathers of our nation intended? An extensive knowledge of the background of the revolution and the Constitution is not needed to answer with a resounding "No!"

America was built on the principles of God's word, but she has since turned away from them in about as sharp a turn as is possible. Whether our society wants to acknowledge Him or not, however, the greatness of God has not subsided. He is as great today as He was at the founding of the United States. He is as great today as He was at the time of creation. He never changes, and He will always be great.

Men can turn away from God, they can shun Him, they can try to stamp Him out of society, but they cannot eliminate Him. He is eternal. He is omnipotent. He will always be. One day, all who have ever lived will fall before Him to honor Him. Those who are alive today have a choice: they can choose to do so now, while He stands before them as Saviour, or they can wait until the day that He stands before them as judge, jury, and executioner.

That last comment is not popular today, but it is true. If you don't have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ today, He longs to begin one. Today, He deals with men in mercy, and He would love to extend that mercy to you. However, if you reject His gift of salvation -- that He paid for with His own blood -- doom awaits. Please don't wait. Acknowledge His greatness today. Accept the gift and the Giver, and you'll understand why His children sing, "How great Thou Art! How great Thou Art!"

Do You Truly Want Revival?

If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14

Tomorrow morning, my church will begin a revival meeting, and I must say, I'm very excited about it. Such meetings are very refreshing and can certainly give us a spiritual recharge. But when we go to such meetings, is that all we look for? Do we hope to be simply refreshed and recharged, only to go about business as usual afterwards?

We all need to be refreshed and recharged from time to time. Quite simply, the cares and difficulties of life can easily wear us down, making such a time of renewal necessary. The sad thing is that we so often are willing to settle for that instead of looking for all God wants from us.

Think back to the day you were saved. You no doubt remember the feeling of being on fire for God and wanting the world to know about it. I was only five years old when I was saved, and while some of the details of that night are now a little fuzzy because of my young age, I remember that part of it very well. I wanted everyone to have what I had just gotten.

When you think about that time, I have no doubt that it brings back fond memories. Unfortunately, we have a tendency to cool off after a time. In just the reverse of what the hymn speaks of, we become focused too much on the world, and the things of God grow strangely dim. In goes without saying that that is not God's desire for us. He has given us the Holy Spirit, and if we remain filled with Him, we can keep that burning in our souls. God wants us to be on fire for Him at all times, but in order for that to be so, we have to remain focused on Him.

That's what revival is. We take our eyes off of the inconsequential, and focus on the supremely worthy God of the universe. We dedicate ourselves to His service and once again feel the same passion for Him that we did when we were first saved. We're brought back to life at the same level we had when we were born again.

The concept is a great one, and we often speak of wanting to see it. We say that we want to have revival in our churches and in our nation. Those things are needed. Too many churches have gone cold (or worse, lukewarm), and our nation has turned its back on the Godly principles on which she was built. Our churches and our nation have left their first love.

How badly do we truly want said revivals, though? If we really want them, we must be willing to act. The verse at the beginning of today's post gives the recipe for revival, and it is based on the actions of God's people. This is a conditional promise. God promises to do something if  we will do something. If we want revival, we must be willing to humble ourselves before Almighty God and repent of sins in our own lives. If we are willing to do so, we can have revival in our own lives. If enough people in a church does so, that church can experience revival. That can spread to a community. A springing out such as that is the only chance for revival in our nation.

Do you truly want revival? How much are you willing to pay for it? Are you willing to cut things out of your life to achieve it, even if doing so is painful? If so, let your actions say so, and God will bless, if only in your own life. But that's worth it, isn't it?

What Are You Living For?

Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. Matthew 6:19-21

Howie Morenz loved to play hockey. It doesn't feel unfair to say that he lived to play hockey. He was one of the NHL's first superstars, and with three Hart Trophy wins (1928, 1931, and 1932), he was arguably the best player in the world from the late 20s through the early 30s. He led the NHL in goals, assists, and points in the 1927-28 season, and in points again in the 1930-31 season. Yes, Howie Morenz loved to play hockey, and he played it very well.

Morenz spent his glory years with the Montreal Canadiens, and loved playing in Montreal so much that he once said, speaking of the Canadiens, "When I can't play for them, I'll never put on a skate again." In reality, everyone knew that wasn't true, because Howie Morenz's love for hockey would overwhelm that sentiment if he were ever to be traded.

Such a trade came in 1934, when he, goaltender Lorne Chabot and defenseman Marty Burke were traded to the Chicago Black Hawks for Leroy Goldsworthy, Lionel Conacher, and Roger Jenkins. Unsurprisingly, Morenz did put on skates for Chicago and spent a season and a half there before being traded again, this time to the New York Rangers for Glen Brydson.

Morenz's stay in New York would be brief. In 1936, the Canadiens brought back their former head coach, Cecil Hart. One of Hart's conditions for returning to coach the team was that Morenz be brought back, which the team did. Morenz's return to his beloved Canadiens seemed to jump start his play, as his stats were noticeably improved from the previous season, but he wouldn't make it through the end of the campaign.

On January 28, 1937, in a game against the Black Hawks, Morenz was checked by Earl Seibert, while rushing into the offensive zone. His left skate was caught in the ice as he went down, leading to a severe leg injury in which his leg was broken in four places. He spent weeks in the hopsital, and convinced the injury had ended his career, he slipped into a depression and suffered a nervous breakdown.

On March 8, Morenz complained of chest pains, and his wife Mary and Hart were summoned to the hospital. Before they arrived, he got out of bed to go to the washroom, and collapsed and died, minutes before their arrival.

The official cause of his death was a coronary embolism, but fellow Canadien Aurel Joliat offered another very likely suggestion. "Howie loved to play hockey more than anyone ever loved anything, and when he realized he would never play again, he couldn't live with it. I think Howie died of a broken heart."

What do you live for? If every worldly possession and talent you had were taken away from you, would you have any reason to continue in life? If you live for the world, the answer is no. The fact of the matter is, that one day, whether through loss or death, all of it will one day be gone. This world is temporary, and the things it offers can't last.

There is nothing wrong with having hobbies and interests, but life is meaningless if it's lived only for this world and what it can offer. Most people live such a sad, meaningless life. They fail to keep the things of this world in their proper place. Those who don't know Jesus Christ are doomed to a life like that as long as they don't know Him. Christians aren't destined to such an existence, but sadly, many choose to live life like that.

If our lives are to have any meaning whatsoever, we must live for the Saviour and for Heaven. Deeds done with God as the focus will last for all eternity. They can't burn up, they can't decay, and they can't be stolen. If our treasures are in Heaven, we have something to live for even if everything in the world were taken away from us. 

What Heaven Means to Me

 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. John 14:2-3

If you ask 20 people what the first thing they think of when Heaven is mentioned or what they look forward to the most in Heaven, you could easily get 20 different answers. Some would mention friends and family who have passed over, while others would talk about the sights of Heaven that the Bible speaks of, while others would speak about it as a place of peace and rest from the struggles of Earth. It's true that Heaven will have all of that, but is that what Heaven is really about?

I'd like to ask you a question. If you knew that there were no mansions, no street of gold, no walls of jasper, no gates of pearl, and no loved ones or saints of old waiting, would you still want to go to Heaven? I would, and I'd like to tell you why.

Please don't think that I have no love for those who have crossed into Heaven before me, but I don't believe they're going to be on my mind when I arrive there. I would never say that I don't think that Heaven will be a spectacular sight, but I don't believe I'll notice any of the sights of the city when I arrive. There will be only one thing on my mind, and Jesus told us what it is in John 14:3. The only real point of Heaven and the only real attraction it holds is Him.

"That's a bold statement," I imagine someone is thinking after reading that. Yes, it is, but I believe it's a Biblical statement. Yes, Jesus has gone to prepare a place for me, and I believe there's a mansion there with my name on it. But why did Jesus go to prepare such a place for me? "That where I am, there ye may be also."

That's what the Apostle Paul believed Heaven was about. He said, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. He said that he was willing to go to Heaven so that he could be present with the Lord. He said that he had a desire to depart and be with Christ and said that it was far better.

Why would anyone feel that way? True, we all have struggles in life, sometimes more than we bargained for, but not many people seem to be interested in dying and leaving. For the Christian, there's a great reason to want to go to Heaven. When we finally arrive, we will forever be with the One who has showered His love upon us, and whom we now love because of that. We will be with the One who was willing to give His all to rescue us from the penalty of the wrath of God on our sins.

When we love someone, we desire to be with that person. When we're separated from them, our heart longs for them. As it is said, absence makes the heart grow fonder. Each day that you live on Earth, does your heart long more for Jesus? Do you desire to be with Him? If not, I would plead with you to examine your heart. Salvation is more than fire insurance, and it's more than a "Mansion Over the Hilltop," as great as those things are. Salvation is a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

If you're reading this, and the thought of seeing Jesus Christ in Heaven doesn't stir your heart and you're concerned about your soul, please contact me. I would love nothing more on Earth than to introduce you to the Heaven of Heaven, Jesus Christ, the lover of your soul.

Yes, if nothing else were in Heaven, I'd still want to go. I want to see Jesus.

Caution and Comfort

The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good. Proverbs 15:3

This verse is one of the most probing in all of scripture. We frequently speak of how God sees and knows all, but how often do we truly think about it? Right now, at this very moment, as you're reading this blog post, the Lord God Almighty knows what you're doing and what you're thinking about. When truly grasped, this is a thought that will, as Vance Havner used to say "comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable.

There is a two-sided lesson to be learned from this verse. The first is a word of caution. The Lord beholds the evil. When we do something we shouldn't, He knows. When we don't do something we should, He knows. When we have a wicked thought or intention, He knows. He sees it all.

A child may do something wrong and not get punished for it because his parents aren't aware of what happens, but that doesn't happen with God. I remember once trying to teach this concept to a class of six, seven, and eight-year-olds, and having a little girl proudly announce to me, "I did that yesterday!" The fact of the matter is, although she avoided punishment from her parents because they didn't know what she had done, God still knew.

We can't hide from God, no matter how hard we may try, or what lengths we may go to. We need look no further than the Book of Jonah to learn this. Jonah was willing to run to the opposite side of the world to escape God, but to no avail. If Jesus Christ were standing next to you, would you do the things you do? If all of your thoughts were vocalized to Him, would you think the things you think? If not, understand that He is standing next to you, and all of your thoughts are vocalized to Him. He is ever present, and knows all.

The word of caution in our verse for the day is very sharp, but there is also a satisfying comfort in it. The Lord beholds the good. Every time we do a good deed, He knows. It may be that no other human being on the face of the planet knows, but God does. When our service goes ignored by our fellow man, it doesn't go unnoticed by the Saviour. When we steal away to our quiet place for a private time of worship and reflection, God knows.

I know what it is like to be discouraged. In the last 16 months, I have personally faced more discouragement than I did in the first 30 years and some months of my life combined. I know what it is like to feel the temptation to quit, and to wonder if service is worthwhile. At the times I have felt the lowest, and that I was the closest to giving up, the Holy Spirit has reminded me that He knows about all of it. He knows about the suffering, but that He is still present. It is in times like those that the knowledge that God sees all is the most comforting.

God doesn't always pay off on Friday night, but He will always pay off, and He will be a debtor to no man. One day, we all as Christians will stand before God at the Judgment Seat of Christ to be judged for our service. On that day, our the evil and the good -- our successes and our failures -- will all be brought to life. I fully believe that it is God's desire to there reward us for faithful service, but in order for Him to do that, we must provide Him something to reward.

Dear Christian, if this thought brings grief to your heart because you know that what God observes in your life is not want He desires to see, all hope isn't lost. God is our loving Heavenly Father, and is more than willing to forgive all if we bring it to Him and confess. If, on the other hand, you feel overlooked and hopeless, feeling that your service to God is in vain, I pray that this will be an encouragement to you. You are not unnoticed, and you are not unappreciated. Continue with God, and He will one day make it worth your while in a manner far better than anything you can possibly imagine.

'Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus

Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. Proverbs 3:5

’Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just to take Him at His Word;
Just to rest upon His promise,
And to know, "Thus says the Lord!"

Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him!
How I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er
Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus!
O for grace to trust Him more!

Those are the familiar words of the first verse and chorus of the hymn, "'Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus." It has been said that familiarity breeds contempt, and I believe that can be very true of many of the most familiar hymns. We've sung them so many times that they're committed to memory, and we mindlessly recite what feels like hollow lyrics. This is one of those songs, but a closer examination of the lyrics and a look at its background will prove just how dear it is.

The song was written by a woman named Louisa M. Stead in 1882. Details on her early life are somewhat sketchy, but Louisa was born in Dover, England in 1850, and felt a call to the mission field as a teenager, but her poor health prevented her from doing so. At age 21, she moved to America and married, and she and her husband had a daughter, Lily.

In 1875, the Stead family went for a picnic on Long Island Sound. While there, they heard cries from help coming from the direction of the water. The desperate screams were those of a young boy who had been caught by the waves and was unable to reach the shore. Mr. Stead threw himself in the water and swam to the boy in hopes of a rescue, but instead, Mrs. Stead and Lily watched in horror as both Mr. Stead and the boy drowned.

After the death of her husband, Mrs. Stead soon became destitute. Yet, with all of the financial struggles she faced, she found that God was ever faithful. She found that even in her state of poverty, God always provided, and she and her daughter never went without what they needed. "'Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus" was written in response to her experiences with the faithfulness of the Saviour.

Despite her poor health, God paved the way for her to fulfill her missionary calling in 1880. She served on the African field and remarried while there. In 1895 when her health forced her to return to America, but in 1901, she returned to Africa, where she remained until her death in 1917. Over the course of those years, she served the Lord in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Rhodesia. Lily followed in her mother's footsteps by marrying a missionary and also serving God in that capacity.

It truly is sweet to trust in Jesus. I have found -- as have many others -- that some that I have believed to be trustworthy were not. Those that are trustworthy are still bound by human frailties, and eventually, death takes the most willing and able to aid us. Jesus Christ, however, will never fail us. He is always trustworthy, has no weaknesses, and has already conquered death. He is a God who cares, knows what's best, and is able to provide our needs. 'Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus.

The Death of Bill Masterton

Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth. Proverbs 27:1

Before 1967, the NHL was a highly exclusive club. With only six teams in the league roster slots were few, and that left many skilled players without a job at the highest level of their sport. That began to change when the league doubled from six to 12 teams for the 1967-68 season. When the number of teams doubled, so did the number of players, giving a lot of guys that had previously had little to no opportunity in the NHL to permanently make the jump.

One player who got his big break with the expansion was Bill Masterton. The native of Winnipeg, Manitoba played college hockey at the University of Denver, and signed with the Montreal Canadiens in 1961 after receiving his degree, but with future hall-of-famers Jean Beliveau and Henri Richard and all-stars Ralph Backstrom and Don Marshall all playing his center position, there was little chance that Masterton would make the Canadiens team.

Masterton played a season with the Hull-Ottawa Canadiens of the Eastern Professional Hockey League and a season with the Cleveland Barons of the American Hockey League before leaving professional hockey to settle in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He acquired American citizenship, allowing him to play for the United States national team, which he captained in 1966-67.

When the NHL expanded into his adopted home in the Twin Cities in the form of the Minnesota North Stars, Masterton jumped at the opportunity to play for the new franchise. He was the first player to sign with the North Stars, and scored the first goal in the team's history in an opening night 2-2 tie with the St. Louis Blues.

While not a superstar, Masterton was a solid member of the North Stars. In 38 games with the team, he scored four goals and 12 points. However, his career -- and his life -- abruptly ended after a game against the Oakland Seals on January 13, 1968.

In the first period of the match, Masterton was checked simultaneously by two Seals defenders. He fell backwards onto the ice, and because hit his head on the ice. Like most players of the time, Masterton wasn't wearing a helmet, and the force of the impact caused him to lose consciousness and bleed from his ears, mouth, and nose. Some said that he momentarily regained consciousness and muttered "Never again, never again," before passing out again.

Those words proved to be prophetic. Doctors who examined him at the hospital quickly determined that surgery wasn't an option, and on January 15, a mere 30 hours after his injury, Bill Masterton died, with his wife, children, parents, and brother at his side.

Bill Masterton lived the dream of every hockey player when he ascended to the NHL level. In doing so, he had reached the pinnacle of his sport. But, he had no way of knowing when he awoke on the morning of January 13, that it would be the last time he would do so. None of us can guarantee that this morning wasn't the last time we will do so either.

We don't know when death will come, but we can count on the fact that it is coming. There are many appointments that we can postpone or break, but our appointment with death is not one of them. Death is no respecter of persons. It takes the old; it takes the young. It takes the rich; it takes the poor. It takes those on top of life; it takes those in the gutter. Eventually, it takes all.

My friend, death is coming for you and me, just as sure as it came for Bill Masterton. If it were to come for you today, would you be ready? Would Heaven be your home? Would you meet your Saviour ashamed because you didn't serve him faithfully? We need to be ready. We only have one chance.

What Does God See in Me?

For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. 2 Corinthians 5:21

"What could anyone possibly see in him?" No doubt, you've heard someone ask that question, or some variation of it many times in the past. You may even be guilty of asking it yourself. Far too often, we ask a question like that before we really know a person or without giving him a fair shake. It's something we all have to be careful about.

That said, in one sense, it's a question that could be asked about anyone of us. We can all ask what God could ever see in us. In one respect, I do not, nor will I ever know the answer, but in another, I know exactly what He sees.

In my natural state, I don't understand what God ever saw in me that made Him conclude that I was worth His time. I don't understand His love for mankind. On my own, I'm a sinner that has done nothing but break His law time after time. That's all that any of us are. Many people reject God's offer of salvation after being presented with the gospel. They might as well spit in God's face. Yet, the offer still stands.

How many of us would display grace to someone that offended us -- sometimes intentionally -- time after time? If we did, how many of us would leave the offer on the table after having it rejected? Few, if any of us, would do so. Compound that with the fact that, unlike God, we are not owed anything by anyone, and that our offenses against Him are much greater than what anyone could ever do to us, and God's grace, forgiveness, and love becomes all the more unfathomable. Quite honestly, there's nothing about us that gives us any merit before God.

Even so, He still loves us. That's the part I don't understand, but let's move on to the part I do understand. In God's eyes, there is a complete transformation of one who accepts His salvation. God no longer sees the sin of that person. He only sees the results of a marvelous change that He has wrought.

The Bible teaches that on the cross, Jesus Christ literally became our sin. When we accept Him as Saviour, we can reckon our sins to be nailed to the cross. They are dead. But that's not all that happens. With the debt paid and the sin gone, something else takes its place. The removal of our sin makes us righteous. Another way to phrase it is to say that Jesus Christ became what we are so that we could become what He is. He became sin. He took the wrath of God upon said sin. I became righteous. I became accepted in the beloved.

When God looks at me now, he doesn't see any sin whatsoever. Rather, he sees the blood of His darling Son. When He looks at me, He doesn't see an outcast or a stranger. Rather, He sees one of His own children. What does God see in me? He sees His own righteousness. It's only because of what He has done, but when God looks at me, He sees a very impressive sight.

It Is Well with My Soul

Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. Philippians 4:11

When peace like a river attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,
It is well, it is well with my soul.

"It Is Well with My Soul" is one of the most well-known and well-loved songs found in our hymnals. Its beautiful lyrics have served to comfort more people than we could ever dream of counting. However, this beautiful composition sprang up from the darkest times in the life of its author.

The hymn was written in 1873 by an American lawyer, Horatio Spafford. Spafford lived in Chicago, and invested heavily in real estate on the north side of the city. When the Great Fire of Chicago swept through the city in 1871, much of his investment literally went up in smoke. His troubles deepened when he suffered sever losses during the Panic of 1873, then known as the Great Depression.

Following those disasters, Spafford decided that it was in his and his family's best interests to go to Europe for a holiday. He selected England as the location for the vacation because evangelist D. L. Moody, with whom Spafford and his wife Anna were good friends, was scheduled to preach there in the fall of 1873. On the day of their planned departure, Spafford was detained by business affairs related to the Great Fire, and was forced to send his wife and four daughters ahead with the intentions of catching up to them later. Little did he know, he would never see his daughters again.

Mrs. Spafford and her daughters boarded the French steamship, the SS Ville du Havre, on November 15. A week into the journey, at about 2 AM on the 22nd, the steamer collided with a Scottish Clipper, the Loch Earn. The force of the impact was nearly powerful enough to tear the French ship in two. Panicked passengers that raced to the deck of the ship were assured that the situation wasn't serious, but the ship was sinking so fast that the truth couldn't be concealed. The captain of the Loch Earn -- which was damaged severely enough that it was eventually abandoned itself -- did everything he could to rescue the passengers and crew of the Ville du Havre, but there was little time. The ship sank in less than 12 minutes, only giving the crew of the Loch Earn enough time to save 61 passengers and 26 crew. Two hundred twenty-six souls on board the Ville du Havre drowned.

Anna Spafford was among the 87 rescued, but 11-year-old Tonetta, nine-year-old Bessie, five-year-old Margaret Lee, and two-year-old Annie all drowned. Upon her arrival in England, a heartbroken Anna Spafford sent a now famous telegram to her husband that read simply, "Saved alone...."

Upon receiving word of the disaster, Spafford went to England to join his grieving wife. The work for which he is now most famous was inspired as his ship passed near the spot that his four children lost their lives. In a moment during which "sorrows like sea billows rolled" over his spirit, the all-sufficient grace of God brought about a reminder that comforted not only not only its author but many since.

Even in the times of deepest sorrow, all that we face falls within the will of God. Nothing that comes into the life of a child of His without His approval, and nothing will meet approval unless it is for the good of His children Whether in wealth or want, sorrow or solace, we can be content because we are in His hand. No matter what we go through, it can be well with our souls.

A Good Bad Week

This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:24

We've all had bad days. Sometimes they even stretch into bad weeks. I had one of those last week. It seemed that everywhere I went and every time I turned around there was something there to discourage me, or bad news of some sort waiting for me. I'll spare you the details, but suffice it to say that at times, it was enough that I felt like screaming.

I became discouraged early in the week, and as the week progressed, the discouragement deepened. By the end of the week, I was absolutely down in the dumps, and I felt like I was slipping into a depression. I hate to admit that I was there, but it's the truth. None of us wants to be there, and it's not what God wants for us, but when we get too focused on the problems that surround us, it's so easy to end up there.

To be honest, that's exactly what I was doing. The natural thing for the flesh was to focus on the bad things, because they were everywhere. As much as I hate to admit it, I put up little to no fight against that fleshly inclination, and the discouragement was the natural result. The longer I remained focused on those things, the worse it got.

Thankfully, God has a way of making us "snap out of it," if we'll allow Him to do so. I'm glad to say that God brought me to that point over the weekend. The process began Saturday night when I wrote my prior blog post. Writing something that reminded me of the forgiveness of God, and that would hopefully be an encouragement to someone else gave me something of a shot in the arm.

This morning's church service continued the process. My Sunday school teacher taught a wonderful lesson about Joseph's spirit during his Egyptian imprisonment. Even though he was being punished for something he was he was not guilty of, he kept a right spirit and attitude and served those around him. Joseph served the Lord faithfully and joyfully in the darkest days of his life.

During the song service, our choir sang a song called, "His Robes for Mine," which speaks about Jesus Christ's substitutionary death. It was a reminder that He became what I am (sin) so that I could become what He is (righteous). At the end of the song, I was in tears. I had to take a moment to regain my composure before I was able to lead the congregation in the final hymn of the service. Finally, just before the sermon, a friend of mine sang the song "Didn't I Walk on the Water," which is a reminder of the faithfulness and provision of God.

My pastor then stood up to preach and spoke on assurance of salvation from First John 5. It was a blessed reminder that God not only extends salvation to us, but also allows us to have assurance of it. If that isn't proof that He desires us to be joyful, I don't know what is.

All of that made me think about my week more deeply. Yes, a lot of things went wrong for me, and yes, it was a very difficult week, but is my life really that bad? No, it's not. I have friends and family who love me. I have the greatest church and pastor in the world (yes, I'm biased), and I get to direct the greatest choir in the world (yes, I'm biased again). To top it all off, I have a wonderful God and Saviour who loves me very much and gave His all for me. He has always been there for me, and I know He will never leave me nor forsake me. The more that I think about it, I had a good bad week.

The Forgiveness of Ace Bailey

And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you. Ephesians 4:32

On December 12, 1933, the Toronto Maple Leafs visited the Boston Garden for an NHL game against the home-standing Boston Bruins. What no doubt seemed like a typical night to the players involved and fans in attendance would prove to be anything but. It would be a life-changing night for some involved, and the beginning of a chain of events that reveal one of the greatest human examples of forgiveness I have ever heard of.

In my opinion, Bruins defenseman Eddie Shore was the best player of the 1930s, and his four Hart trophies from that decade support that. As great a player as he was, he had a temper as big as his talent, and today he is as well known for that temper as anything else. It was that temper that would lead to the near tragedy that took place on that December night.

Shore's anger was triggered after he was checked by Toronto's top defenseman, King Clancy, as the former charged up the ice. The hit dazed Shore and threw him into a rage. Immediately, he decided to get his revenge. Setting his sights on a man he believed to be Clancy, Shore charged at the player and hit him from behind. His target fell to the ice and struck his head. Little did he know, he had not hit King Clancy, but rather star right winger Ace Bailey.

Upon witnessing the incident, Maple Leafs defenseman Red Horner, who had a temper to match Shore's, raced over to Shore demanding to know what he was thinking. Saying nothing, and feeling satisfied with his actions, still thinking he had hit Clancy, Shore said nothing and simply smiled. Needless to say, the response infuriated Horner who knocked Shore out cold with a single punch.

Shore's injury required a few stitches, but was nowhere near as severe as Bailey's, whose skull was fractured by the force of the impact when he hit the ice. When he woke up, Shore was informed about what had happened, and hearing that he had hurt Bailey, and that his victim might die, he asked for permission to go to the Maple Leafs' locker room to apologize.

When Shore arrived in the locker room, he found that Bailey had regained consciousness. Upon receiving Shore's apology, Bailey, who was lying in the locker room, expecting to die responded with an amazing level of grace and forgiveness by saying, "It's all part of the game," before losing consciousness again.

Bailey was rushed to a hospital where doctors began surgery to try to save his life. Even with the surgery, his injuries were so severe that doctors gave him only hours to live. Since Shore's deliberate actions had sent Shore to the edge of death, Boston homicide detectives announced that they intended to charge Shore with manslaughter in the event of Bailey's death. Bailey survived beyond the hours that his doctors expected him to live, but even after that, his life hung in the balance. Shore, meanwhile was suspended indefinitely by league president Frank Calder, and would eventually miss 16 games as a result.

In fact, Bailey would teeter between life and death for a month. During that time, Shore was forbidden to visit Bailey in the hospital, though Bruins manager Art Ross was able to do so. When Ross visited, Bailey reiterated that he did not hold Shore responsible for the incident and did not believe that Shore had intentionally injured him.

Against all odds, Bailey survived, but it was clear that his hockey career was over. Since a hockey career wasn't a high paying career in the 1930s by any stretch of the imagination, Bailey was far from being set for life. As a result, Calder decided to put on an all-star game which would serve as a benefit for Bailey and his family. Bailey's Maple Leafs teammates would face off against a collection of all-stars -- two from each of the other teams -- on Valentine's Day, 1934 in Toronto's Maple Leaf Gardens. Unsurprisingly, one of the selections from the Bruins was none other than Eddie Shore. Lester Patrick, head coach of the New York Rangers was chosen to coach the all-star team.

Before the game, there was a ceremony in which the all-stars received their jerseys for the game from Calder, Patrick, and Bailey. The players came forward in numerical order. Number one was Chicago Black Hawks goaltender Charlie Gardiner. Number two was Eddie Shore. Over 14,000 fans in attendance became dead silent when they saw Shore skating toward Bailey. Shore was also nervous about the meeting. When Shore arrived, Bailey extended his arm and shook hands with Shore, and the pair received a roar of approval from the crowd. So far from being booed as he expected, Shore found that he was cheered when he would rush the puck following Bailey's gesture.

Not one of us is capable of the level of forgiveness that we receive from God, but Ace Bailey came about as close as anyone could in his exchanges with Eddie Shore. I believe his willingness to forgive can bring the forgiveness of God to life as well as demonstrate the kind of forgiveness that we should show to others.

I don't believe that most people live their lives intending to offend God, and yet that's just what each and every one of us do with our sin. The consequences for our sin are so great that they sent Jesus Christ to a cross. Yet, while He was dying for crimes He did not commit, he prayed, "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do." Beyond that, if we will but turn to Him and accept His grace, He will receive us with opened arms and restore the fellowship that we lost in the fall.

With that in mind, how can we withhold forgiveness from others? The text verse teaches us that we are to forgive others because Jesus Christ has forgiven us. Our salvation can come from nothing other than the blood that He shed in our stead, for our crimes, on a cross that should have been ours. Because of that, we owe Him all. The least we can do is be willing to give our forgiveness to others after He did the same for us.

True forgiveness does not hold offenses from the past over the head of the guilty party. Just as God's forgiveness doesn't remember our sins, we should also be willing to let the wounds of the past remain in the past. We can learn a lot from Ace Bailey. The forgiveness he showed Eddie Shore is a beautiful picture of God's forgiveness for us, and a great example of the forgiveness that we should show to others.