Eric E. Wright's Blog, page 12

Celebrating The Attributes of God; God’s Love and Grace

We all enjoy a good love story. Love entrances in stories like Pride and Prejudice, Gone With the Wind, and in the story of Eowyn and Faramir in Lord of the Rings. Even when it ends in tragedy, a love story such as Romeo and Juliet touches us deeply.

February 14th, Valentine’s Day, celebrates love in memory of Saint Valentine a priest during the Roman era who secretly married Roman soldiers in contravention of Emperor Claudius decree that soldiers should be completely devoted to Rome and not marry. This was the beginning of the tradition that Valentine believed in love.

Eventually, Valentine was found out and jailed for his crimes against Claudius. While imprisoned, Valentine cared for his fellow prisoners and also his jailor’s blind daughter. Legend has it that Valentine cured the girl’s blindness and that his final act before being executed was to write her a love message signed ‘from your Valentine’. Valentine was executed on 14 February in the year 270.

All that which is unsurpassed in human love is rooted in the imago dei, the image of God in us. “Love comes from God” (1 John 4:7). God has exemplified love from the very beginning when he created Adam and Eve and walked with them in the Garden. All the best of human relationships whether between men and women, fathers and their children, between siblings, of citizens for their country, or between neighbours is rooted in the capacity and longing for love given us by God.

For God is love. The whole Bible is perfumed with divine love, the love that God maintained for Israel in spite of their rebellion and idolatry, the love he has for all his creatures, the love he demonstrated in Christ’s death for us on the cross.

“God demonstrates his own love toward us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8). “This is love not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins” (1 John 4:10). “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God” (1 John 3:1)!

God’s goodness is demonstrated in his mercy, longsuffering, faithfulness and love. Sadly, many of these central aspects of goodness are not reflected in depictions of human love. Instead of displaying jealous or impatient love, God calls us to: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind…love your neighbour as yourself” (Matt. 22:37-39). Brothers and sisters, let us love one another.

As someone whose wife God called home just three days after Valentine’s Day last year, and who has swallowed tears every day since, may I urge husbands and wives that you can’t love one another too much.

THE GRACE OF GOD

God’s goodness includes his love, mercy, longsuffering, faithfulness, and grace. But entitlement seems to be the cry of our era. Most of the media pushes this line. According to this view, as humans we are entitled to a roof over our heads, food in our freezer, money coming in every month, water, heat, health care, freedom to abort, freedom to change our gender, and freedom to choose our time to die—among other expectations. Where did we ever get these ideas?

In the kingdom of God, entitlement is not life’s principle but grace. Anyone who has knelt at the foot of the cross where Christ purchased our salvation through the shedding of his blood knows that we are not entitled people. We are sinful people who have deliberately disobeyed the principles God laid down to create a life of flourishing. We are sinful people who have been loved in spite of our lovelessness. We are rebellious people for whom God has felt compassion. We are selfish people who love to brag about our exploits without reference to the parents who bore us or the common grace environment that has showered us with riches from God’s hand.

Lord, have mercy upon us and deal with us not as we deserve but according to your grace. As Berkhof defines it, “grace is the free bestowal of kindness on one who has no claim to it.” Or “the unmerited goodness or love of God to those who have forfeited it, and are by nature under a sentence of condemnation.” (Systematic Theology, Berkhof, p. 71)

Stories and statements of God’s grace permeate Scripture from Abraham to Jacob to David to Peter and Paul. “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ…to the praise of his glorious grace. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us…” (Eph. 1:3,6-8). Paul goes on in chapter two to describe our salvation through grace “in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus” (Eph. 2:7)

Trying to describe God’s grace in this entitlement-permeated culture seems impossible. Yet every blood-Christian knows, or should know, that every minute of his or her life is a grace-minute. “At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy…but when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Christ our Savior so that having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life” (Titus 3:3-7).

Grace in spite of foolishness, malice and envy! Saved through Holy Spirit rebirth! Justified, heirs, living in hope instead of despair! Oh yes, this is the grace in which every believer lives.

Potholes Along The Road To A New Normal – A Man’s Journey Through Grief, continued, #31

I finished my supper and watched the news. I cleaned up the counters with Windex as Mary Helen taught me. The dishes were soaking. I paused and thought back over the past week. I wondered about the weeks ahead.

I’ve used various metaphors in the last year to try and describe my journey through loss. Roller Coasters, amputation, hurricanes, and the grinch of self-pity. It’s time to roll out a new one, potholes.

I can see that I’m gradually paving a new road ahead. There are many twists and turns, precipitous sections along steep, dangerous cliffs, plunges into deep valleys, muddy sections wet with tears, but others that climb to new heights. Most of the way ahead is unfinished and narrow but it looks like a way forward may be possible. But even in some of the sections that I thought were paved carefully, potholes have suddenly appeared. Where do they come from?

Pothole number one. One day I was driving home after a visit with family. The day had gone well. I’d also gathered with a couple of men for Bible study. I’d worked on a writing project. I’d purchased groceries. My supper was planned. Then suddenly I stumbled into a pothole of grief. Why? I have no idea.

Pothole number two. Another day I woke early but lost an hour. Lost? Well, I’m not sure how so much time could have been taken up wallowing around in a pothole of anguish and loneliness. But, hey, life goes on. And the day got brighter and better. Wait, did I mean brighter because I stopped thinking about Mary Helen? No, she is always here in my thoughts but I’m gradually able to have longer and longer periods without overt pain. And that’s good.

I guess what I’m saying is what those who have grieved before me have said again and again. One doesn’t suddenly get over a loss. Grief will carry on year after year and may break out at any time. A picture, a memory may suddenly trigger a pervasive sense of sadness. I need to learn to accept the unpredictability of desolation and move steadily toward the joy of the Lord which he promised.

Part of my struggle is probably due to my age and the length of time Mary Helen and I enjoyed life together. It’s just so counter-intuitive to be alone. Women usually outlive men by 5 years. We had hoped to die together. We even mused about being buried in the same coffin. Macabre? And yet here I am in reasonably good health. And I am thankful!

It’s not as if I have a big why question for God to answer. I know by faith she is rejoicing with the Lord. I know it was his mercy that after a lengthy illness he took her home. But I can understand why those who lose a loved one at an early age have more “why’ questions about their loss. My questions are more, “why am I still stumbling into potholes in the path?” Why can’t I pave a consistently new normal?

I also have lots of “how” questions. How should I move on? I know the Lord doesn’t expect me to pave over the memories. He does expect me to take up the cross daily and follow him consistently.

Then yesterday, I looked back and saw that behind me on both sides of the road I was paving were unmoveable guardrails. And written on the guardrails on one side was the promise; “In All things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose…What [Nothing] shall separate us from the love of Christ?” (Romans 8:28,35) On the guardrail on the other side of the road was written; “He has guided and watched over you all along the way.” (See Psalm 32:8)

But as I looked along the road ahead, I didn’t see any guardrails. It looked dangerous with many muddy potholes. Although, no guardrails were visible, they must be there into all my tomorrows. God was reminding me that throughout my whole life to this point he has guided, protected, and blessed me! “Can you not trust me with today, and tomorrow, and next week?” he would say.

Yes, Lord, I believe. Help me to walk with you one day at a time. You will keep me even when I stumble into a muddy pothole.

(Let me know your thoughts on this subject. If you appreciate this blog, please pass it on. Further articles, books, and stories at:  Facebook: Eric E Wright Twitter: @EricEWright1 LinkedIn: Eric Wright ; Eric’s books are available at: https://www.amazon.com/Eric-E.-Wright/e/B00355HPKK%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share)

Beginning Our Lyrical Log House Life – Our Journey of Surprising Grace, #37

Our doubts are traitors,

and make us lose the good

we oft might win

by fearing to attempt.

(William Shakespeare, Measure for Measure)

In late August of 1992 we moved into our dream home. The year leading up to this move had been one that seriously tested our faith, both in our Lord and in ourselves. With a careful plan of how to proceed, I had quit my full-time job and embraced freelance writing and ministry. That plan was soon in tatters. City real estate hit the skids. Part-time jobs I had counted on fell through. Savings evaporated. With growing frustration, we had surveyed the best part of a hundred country properties until we discovered this log gem. It was three thousand square feet constructed of Quebec-style squared and chinked hemlock logs. Although beyond our reach, God had once again done the unexpected. And thus began what I like to call, “our lyrical period” of living in the Northumberland Hills.

Why lyrical? I’m not poetic, but the song of birds, the wind in the pines, and the gurgle of streams in our corner of Ontario almost made me break out in song myself. And the log house made me want to wax poetic. Ok, it was not perfect. Crickets kept us awake some nights. It was not on the shore of a lake. The road might be treacherous in winter. But we had easy access to the Ganaraska Forest on the one hand and ports along Lake Ontario on the other. We could have hardly been led to a more ideal spot, and in a part of Ontario about which we knew nothing.

During that first week, I would often stop to stare around at the honey-coloured log walls, and the massive posts and beams that supported the thick polished planks of the upper floor. I’d gaze at the wood stove in the corner and imagine the warmth of wood heat in the winter. I’d look through the windows and plan what kind of flowers to plant.

How could this be happening to us? I’d think back over our lives. There had been times of scarcity, danger, loss, failure, and discouragement. But overwhelmingly, God had given us over and above what we could ask or think in ministry opportunities, in friends, in each other, and in the surprising provision for our needs. From falling in love with each other to our three children and nine grandchildren, from missionary service in Pakistan with the beginnings of the TEE program to inheriting a house when we had no retirement fund to use for even a down payment; from pastoring a church to a sabbatical in the Smokies God had demonstrated his extravagant grace. I guess, by this time, we should not have been surprised by his gracious goodness but his gifts were so frequently beyond our imaginations. Like many saints before us we would often ask, “Why us Lord?” The answer is hidden in the unfathomable love and grace of our Triune God. “For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen” (Rom. 11:36).

Although I soon became very busy juggling teaching and pastoral ministry, country living fascinated us. Heaven seemed closer among the hills and pines of Northumberland than along the paved streets and among the concrete towers of Toronto. Out here we seemed closer to what David wrote; “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech” (Psalm 19:1,2). It reminded me of the hymn, This Is My Father’s World.

This is my Father’s world,
And to my listening ears
All nature sings, and round me rings
The music of the spheres.
This is my Father’s world:
I rest me in the thought
Of rocks and trees, of skies and seas–
His hand the wonders wrought.

What of the millions, I thought, who are deaf to the “music of the spheres”? I pondered how I could pique the interest of the irreligious in our society. To that end, I began to gather material that would later become Through A Country Window. It would become one of my first attempts at writing a volume for a general audience. From this fertile soil also germinated the idea of turning from solely writing books on Christian subjects to writing novels that would have general appeal.

But we had other concerns besides listening to birdsong and exploring the hills. We were still under orders to “seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness.” Many churches were without pastors and needed someone to fill in as interim while they searched for a new senior pastor. We had barely moved into Hemlock Meadow before Bloomfield Baptist Church asked me to serve as interim. A new term was also beginning at Toronto Baptist Seminary where I taught missions.

Bloomfield was a hundred kilometers from our home near Garden Hill. While the drive on Sunday morning required getting an early start, the scenery along the way made it relaxing. We soon became acquainted with another group of God’s people and the charm of Prince Edward County where they lived. The County, as residents call it, is also called Quinte’s Isle since it juts into Lake Ontario and has 500 kms of shoreline. In the years since our acquaintance, it has become a popular tourist destination.

In spite of my normal nervousness before preaching, I discovered considerable liberty in preaching about the wonderful character of God in the morning and the intriguing lives of OT characters in the evening. I have never found preaching easy but I have been encouraged to learn that many, including Spurgeon, dealt with depression and anxiety and yet yielded themselves to this high calling. I have concluded that God wants to ensure that we who preach put our confidence in him, not in ourselves.

We continued in Bloomfield until February of 1993, when we flew to Sahiwal, a hundred miles south of Lahore in Pakistan. Previous to accepting the interim pastoral position, we had been engaged by the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church in Pakistan to minister for four months. Mary Helen helped teach girls in various short-term Bible Schools and I taught theology in Kalam Seminary.

The Christian life is an adventure and a challenge. One never knows what God may have for us around the next corner.

“Security is mostly superstition.

It does not exist in nature.

Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.”

(Helen Keller)

(Let me know your thoughts on this subject. If you appreciate this blog, please pass it on. Further articles, books, and stories at:  Facebook: Eric E Wright Twitter: @EricEWright1 LinkedIn: Eric Wright ; Eric’s books are available at: https://www.amazon.com/Eric-E.-Wright/e/B00355HPKK%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share)

Celebrating the Attributes of God – Essential Beliefs

At a time when professing Christians are fuzzy about their beliefs, we need to re-affirm what must be believed by all who claim to be Christians. God exists. He has revealed himself as recorded in the infallible Word of God and in Christ, the incarnate Word, the Son of God. As Christians we affirm that God is a spirit, infinite, eternal and unchangeable in his being, wisdom, holiness, justice, goodness and truth. Let me continue with these mediations.

THE JUSTICE OF GOD

Like others we lament the injustice we see all around us in the world. But Asaph, the author of the 73th Psalm, after crying out to God about the prosperity of the unjust, realizes that he missed the first step in dealing with injustice. The place to start is with our own hearts.

He cried, “when my heart was grieved and my spirit embittered, I was senseless and ignorant” (Ps. 73:21,22). He realized that he had failed to keep his heart pure and free from bitterness, anger, and self-righteousness. Jesus taught, “Blessed are the poor in spirit…the pure in heart.” Instead of being self-righteous we need to realize that “there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not” (Eccl. 7:20, KJV). That includes us.

After confessing his bitterness, Asaph remembered more of what he had forgotten. Although a victim of injustice, he forgot that “I am always with you: you hold me by my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory. Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you…God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever” (Ps 73:23-26). The only way to live in an unjust world is to walk daily in fellowship with God. And to remember that if we have found mercy at the cross, Jesus walks with us and will never leave us.

If we are to walk with God, we must also understand God’s treatment of the unjust. We must remember that justice delayed is not justice denied. Delay reveals the weeping heart of God who longs to hear the repentance of the wicked in order to offer them mercy. This was Jonah’s complaint with God. He didn’t want to go to Nineveh of offer mercy so he fled. But when he did preach in Nineveh and they repented, Jonah was angry. Why? He wanted Nineveh destroyed. He complained to God, “I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity” (Jonah 4:2).

Clearly, like Jonah, we need a heart change toward the unsaved even those especially unjust. Old Testament history tells us that every wicked people from the Canaanites through Assyria, Babylon, Rome, Greece and Medo-Persia were judged by God—in their time. In Romans 2:4-6 Paul warns people not to ignore or despise God’s patient kindness and tolerance towards those who do evil. Sigh. So many of our problems with life are due to our impatience. (Jan 13, 23)

THE GOODNESS OF GOD

We enjoy things that are good and usually avoid what is bad. Depending upon your preferences, what you view as really good might be a luscious, ripe peach, a perfectly blended coffee, or a tantalizing steak. We might enjoy the beauty of an amaryllis or a stroll along a sand beach. Where do all these good things come from? From God.

God has been doing good since he created the universe. In fact, he said of his creation, “It was good.” In our studies on essential beliefs, we come to a consideration of God’s essential goodness, a very rich attribute. His goodness includes his love, mercy, longsuffering, and faithfulness. First consider the perfection of his character that moves him to deal bountifully with all his creatures.

David writes, “The Lord is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made…The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food at the proper time” (Psalm 145:9,15). Jesus explains that God’s goodness is poured on the whole world, irrespective of men’s goodness or evil. “He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous” (Matt. 5:45). Paul explained to the idolatrous men of Lystra who worshipped Zeus and Hermes, that it was the living God “who has shown you kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; he fills your hearts with joy” (Acts. 14:17).

The God we worship has been good to the earth in making us stewards of rich ecosystems where we can flourish. We can savour diverse fruits and vegetables, enjoy beautiful flowers and plants, rest beside sparkling rivers, lakes, and oceans, and marvel at the diversity of creatures in the air, on the land, and in the sea. We can discover amazing natural medicines and utilize a multiplicity of natural elements.

We cannot deny that mankind has not treated these ecosystems with the care they deserve. And yet, God continues to deal bountifully with mankind. Why? Because he is good. Lord, help us to daily give thanks for your abundant goodness knowing that “every good and perfect gift comes down from the Father of lights.”

THE MERCY OF GOD

David Onley, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario from 2007 to 2014, died this recently. At age 3 he contracted polio and throughout his life struggled with accessibility challenges, a cause he promoted. His obituary states that the life he and his wife Ruth Ann built together for their family was a testament to their faith in God and love for one another in spite of all challenges. It was appropriate that he, as a Christian, championed the cause of those often forgotten. Christians have been and should always be at the forefront of those showing compassion and mercy.

In our meditations on the goodness of God, we note that throughout the Scriptures, God spoke of his compassion for orphans, widows, and all those who were poor or oppressed. “This is what the LORD Almighty says: ‘Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the alien or the poor’” (Zechariah 7:9,10).

God’s mercy is his goodness and love, his pity and compassion expressed to those who are in misery or distress irrespective of what they deserve. The fall in the Garden of Eden introduced chaos into the world and especially into human society. As a result, many fall victim to the consequences of those who act contrary to the ten principles (ten commandments) that define human flourishing. We need but look around us in the world to see the catastrophic effects of evil on people without number.

From the very initiation of the church, Christians have been at the forefront of demonstrating mercy. Read the Gospels and note how Christ demonstrated mercy. Read Acts 6 and note the distribution of food to widows in the early church. Read of Paul’s collection for the relief of the famine-afflicted in Palestine. It has continued thus through the ages from the care of plague victims, the founding of hospitals, the teaching of literacy, the establishment of schools, colleges and universities, the founding of the hospice movement, rescue missions in our cities, and other examples too numerous to mention.

The Western Church gets a lot of flack, and there are many causes for concern. But it isn’t condemned when it shows mercy. Lord, help us to be merciful. “Blessed are the merciful for they will be shown mercy” (Matthew 5:7).

THE LONG SUFFERING OF GOD

Good parents look back over their child-rearing years and wonder why they didn’t have more patience with the minor faults of their children. Sure, they wanted them to grow up perfect. But in most cases, they now view them with pride. They turned out well.

We may look back over the way our heavenly Father has been patient with us. Haven’t we often disappointed him? Haven’t we often made the same mistakes, committed the same sins again and again? God shows his love for us in being longsuffering.

Longsuffering is a facet of God’s goodness in which he shows patience and forbearance with the continued disobedience of his creatures. The whole of Old Testament history testifies to God’s goodness moving him to delay judgement on rebellious Israel. In spite of repeated warnings from prophets his people were slow to repent.

When Moses came down from the mountain with the tablets of the ten commandments, he saw Israel dancing around a golden image and committing immorality. In anger, Moses threw down the tablets. God felt great wrath towards them but relented of the judgement he was going to rain down them. Instead he had Moses prepare two new tablets. The LORD came down in a cloud proclaiming “The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin” (Exodus 34:6,7). And so Moses prayed; “Although this is a stiff-necked people, forgive our wickedness and our sin” (vs.8).

Paul urges us not to be stubborn and judgmental towards others thinking we are so much better than them. “Do you think you will escape God’s judgement? Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness leads you towards repentance?” (Romans 2:3,4) Peter writes, “Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation” (2 Peter 3:15). Without God’s forbearance, we would have no hope of being saved from our sins.

Let us celebrate God’s longsuffering and forbearance.  And if we have unconfessed sins let us hasten to the mercy seat in confession and repentance. I’ll continue this series on God’s attributes in subsequent posts.

(Let me know your thoughts on this subject. If you appreciate this blog, please pass it on. Further articles, books, and stories at:  Facebook: Eric E Wright Twitter: @EricEWright1 LinkedIn: Eric Wright ; Eric’s books are available at: https://www.amazon.com/Eric-E.-Wright/e/B00355HPKK%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share)

Living a Daily Life – Enduring through Hope

Only months ago, pandemic updates dominated the news. Remember when worry about the future availability of toilet paper governed shopping? At the time shelves were empty in many grocery stores. And just recently the news was about empty shelves of cough and pain medicine for children. Now it’s about the chaos in air travel. The news moves on but worry about having enough stuff or the ability to travel continues. With war in the Ukraine, our confidence in a dependable future is seriously shaken.

Someone has said that hope springs eternal in the human breast. But hope for an end to this European war or hope for the supply chain to be repaired; these are not what Christian hope is. This “hope-so” hope merely exposes the fragile nature of human life, international trade, the limitations of science, the vagaries of the stock market, and governments’ limited abilities to cope with crises.

Christian hope is an assurance about the future that is based on the rock-solid promises of the infinite, all-powerful God. And those promises are the heritage of every single person who responds to the gospel. All who confess their sins, turn from them, embrace Jesus as their sin-bearer have a secure future. That security and the hope it produces is a product of salvation.


The apostle Paul reminds us that the gospel he proclaimed produced concrete results among the Thessalonians. It led to “your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thess. 1:3).

Gospel salvation generates faith and love which promote godly labour, kindness, gentleness, and compassion. Christian hope provides the endurance needed to keep on carrying on. We’re tired. We’re discouraged. We see so little happening. But we keep on. Why? “Because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain” (1 Cor. 15:58). Not one act of compassion will be wasted. Not one prayer fall to the ground. Not one witness be wasted. Not one drop of water given to the thirsty evaporate. Not one visit to the lonely be in vain.

Why hope? Because Jesus said, “I give them [my sheep] eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand” (John 10:28). Believers will be saved from the wrath of God that is to be poured out on a sinful world for “there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 8:1). All genuine believers stand robed in the perfect righteousness of Christ. They are justified!

Why hope? Whatever crisis we face, Christ is there with us. “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matt. 28:20). “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38,39).


Why do we have hope? Because dying is going home; it is embracing Christ in heaven. Although Paul wanted to stay with his disciples to help them, he longed to be in the presence of Christ. “We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, … and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord” (Corinthians 5:6-8). “To live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21). Absent from the body is present with the Lord!

Why does hope keep us persevering? Because no matter how many times we stumble or fail Christ will pick us up. He will sanctify us through delivering us from the corrupting power of evil in this world and helping us overcome the temptations that may lay us low. The end result is glorification. “For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son…and those he predestined, he also called, those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified” (Rom. 8:29,30). The result of this amazing process of sanctification will be Christ-likeness. That will be glory.


Why have hope? Because, “in my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you” (John 14:2). Just think, a place prepared not by an architect or a builder, but by the creator!

Why hope? Because, “God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away” (Rev. 21:3-4).

Why? Because Jesus is coming again. “The Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call God” (1 Thess. 4:16).

These are of a few of the reasons for the Christian hope, a hope that does not disappoint! (Rom.5:5). That hope stiffens our resolve and arms our expectations with confidence. The hope we have in a present, resurrected Savior, the indwelling Holy Spirit, and the sovereign Father arms us with the perseverance we need to press on. So led us continue on to glory. Nothing, not even, a pandemic or a war can hinder that journey!

(Let me know your thoughts on this subject. Further articles, books, and stories at: http://www.countrywindow.ca Facebook: Eric E Wright Twitter: @EricEWright1 LinkedIn: Eric Wright ––)

Legitimate Dream or Wild Fancy? – Our Story of Surprising Grace continued, #36

In June of 1991, we stepped out into a new unknown. While we had seen the amazing ways God can provide; both during our time as missionaries in Pakistan and during our sabbatical from pastoral service, this time we had no organizational backup. By that I mean, we had no connection with an international mission organization nor a church body as a backup. We were confident he would care for us as he had in the past, this time without any visible means of support.

From the perspective of years, I ask myself whether our faith was presumption or genuine. After all, we did have one visible source of support—our house. The main platform of our plan was to sell our house and move to a more reasonable small town or country location. The difference between the income from the sale of a city home and what we would need to purchase a modest country place, would finance us for a number of years. Or so we thought.

Very quickly our plan unravelled. The house didn’t sell. Every time we’d clean and tidy it for a showing, we’d think, “This is it. They’ll love the place and immediately give us an offer.” And we’d pray. But no, nada. Weeks became months. Any savings we had disappeared.

It was not as if we weren’t finding lots to do. I began teaching two courses on missions at Toronto Baptist Seminary; the history of missions and a practical theology of missions. Interaction with students was immensely enjoyable. With the manuscript for Church-No Spectator Sport finished, I sent it off to Evangelical Press in the UK. Ontario Bible College asked me to teach a course on spiritual gifts based on the book. The leaflets developed for each of the spiritual gifts would be useful in the years ahead. And I was already working on a new book.

Mary Helen’s basket business, Baskets With A Flair, began to flourish. The baskets were beautiful and innovative. She sold a good number from her booth at the Etobicoke Olympium and during a three-day craft show in Erindale Community Centre. People loved them and continued to order them leading up to Christmas. Income from those sales helped meet our financial obligations.

SIM media in Toronto engaged me to write stories for their magazine. They also commissioned me to take an Indian story and turn it into a children’s book. Preaching opportunities in churches like Thistletown Baptist and Kenmuir Baptist kept me sharp. Asian ministry also came my way where I could use Urdu and keep up my facility in reading the Urdu Bible.

We missed Stephen and Catherine who had moved back to New Zealand. It was a very challenging time, but throughout the rest of 1991 and the first half of 1992, the family kept us encouraged. There were also wonderful friends from our time at Long Branch Baptist who called and visited.

Money was tight. In early 1992 Mary Helen wrote in her diary, “We’ve paid the bills for February. Money is running extremely low. These last two weeks have been very difficult as we’re conscious of our need to pay bills and anxious to see the house sell. We are generally discouraged, I guess. But even so we know that the Lord has some things to teach us; perhaps we need to grow in the areas of empathy and compassion. There are times where words are not enough. We need to help others in need.” Demand for Mary Helen’s baskets continued.

God was testing us. Could we trust him? Throughout our lives we had been committed to carrying no debt, paying credit cards fully when due. But we were often tempted to pay a portion. Looking back, I can see how providentially God showed his care. A friend from Long Branch sent us a cheque for $100 and later another for $150. SIM paid for the writing of the children’s book and several articles. Money came from OBC for the course on gifts. One day in January a letter arrived from the US with a cheque for $200. We were astounded to be remembered by a couple in Chicago who were members of one of the churches that had supported us in Pakistan.

We took road trips west of Toronto to try and find a reasonable location for a move. We wanted be prepared when the house sold. But costs in that direction seemed very high. We turned our sights to Northumberland County to the east of Toronto. Debbie and Brian had already moved there.

During our wandering we came upon a log house for sale. It’s price was well above what we could afford even if we sold our house in Toronto for above asking. Was it a dream too far? The log houses we’d seen in the Smokey Mountains of North Carolina had charmed us. Ever since that sabbatical we enjoyed looking through magazines devoted to log houses. “Wouldn’t it be wonderful,” we thought “to live in a house in a country setting built of carefully crafted logs?” Added to that was my own dream. Ever since I took forestry as my undergrad degree, I had hoped that someday I could live in place with proximity to forests and lakes. “Just dreams,” we thought. “Surely God doesn’t cater to our wild fancies. Well, maybe. Occasionally he does give special things just because he loves to give good gifts to his children?”

Reality banished those dreams. There were bills to pay. We had to cash in a savings bond to cover our visa bill. Our house in Toronto still would not sell in spite of multiple real estate agents and private citizens pestering us. Our plan? So far little was going according to plan. Wasn’t it that great Scottish philosopher Robbie Burns who wrote; “the best laid schemes o’ mice an’ men, gang aft agley.”

God has a lot to say about plans. On the one hand he expects us to exercise foresight. We’re to learn from the ant and not be a sluggard with no thought of the future. He wants us to use our grey matter. He doesn’t want us to slouch through life with a “whatever will be, will be” attitude. He reminds us, “In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps” (Prov.16:9). And yet, earlier in the chapter we read, “commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed” (Prov. 16:3). As far as we knew our hearts, that was what we had done.

During the period leading up to Easter 1992 Mary Helen wrote in her diary about how meaningful the cross had become as she meditated on “Christ’s suffering and atonement.” She was enjoying a women’s Bible study led by Betty Tansley, a neighbour we had got to know when we lived in Islington. She noted how amazed we were at the opportunities “Eric had to do teaching, writing, and preaching.” Earlier she had also written, “Eric has a new liberty in writing and preaching.” With so many opportunities, we had to exercise discernment about which to accept.

In her diary, she noted that we had to come up with $6000 to buy out our leased car or try to find a reasonable clunker. “We are really struggling financially.…But the freedom to work and serve according to our gifts outweighs all [the financial challenges].…We do want to try this for two years and see if it will work. We need patience, perseverance, discernment and faith to know that God will not let us make the wrong decisions.”

I probably had the fanciful idea that I could make a living from freelance writing supplemented by book sales. I dreamed of becoming a hot commodity for various magazines and even newspapers. I’d become the next Yancey. Well, a year had gone by in which we’d gone from fancy to reality.

Then suddenly the house sold. With the closing two months away, we had to get serious about house hunting. We combed the real estate papers for the Cobourg and Port Hope area and made flying visits. We visited again the log house we’d seen and fell in love with it. But the price was out of sight. We must have toured a hundred homes that summer. Nothing. Then out of the blue the agent for the log house called us with a new price. The owner had already bought a house much farther east and had to sell. After further dickering it was ours at a price we could manage. What? Could this be true? Was it really ours?

Once again God had astounded us with the richness of his grace and kindness.

(Let me know your thoughts on this subject. If you appreciate this blog, please pass it on. Further articles, books, and stories at:  Facebook: Eric E Wright Twitter: @EricEWright1 LinkedIn: Eric Wright ; Eric’s books are available at: https://www.amazon.com/Eric-E.-Wright/e/B00355HPKK%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share)

Forging A New Normal – A Man’s Journey Through Grief, continued, #30

In another three weeks, it will have been one year since God called Mary Helen home. How can it be that long? I’m sure I shouldn’t be counting the days and weeks, and yet the date is indelibly seared into my brain. In some ways, I seem to have made so little progress. But I have made some; I know I have.

No longer does my week feel like I’m about to tumble off edge of a precipice. Most of my weeks follow a pattern. Sunday, I look forward to gathering with the Lord’s people and possibly popping in to see family. I might even splurge at a favourite restaurant or take someone out to dinner.

Monday and Tuesday I look forward to working on writing projects. I might ask someone to go out for coffee. One of my granddaughters and her dad in Atlanta, have even given me a Monday challenge through Storyworth to write a short segment of memoir.

Early Wednesday I meet with two guys for an early coffee and discussion of a Psalm. After months of Covid-19 lockdown, it is wonderful to gather on Wednesday evening for a real prayer meeting. Thursday morning is a stimulating discussion of Mark’s Gospel with some more guys. On Friday I get back to my writing and blog posts. One Saturday a month I join the Northumberland writers’ group. Another Saturday I have a group zoom with former Pakistan missionaries and their kids. Once a month I have a book club. When the weather gets better, I’ll plan some road trips.

As a writer, I have a personality that used to be able to handle long periods alone. Quietness and solitude were my most creative times. Of course, I always had Mary Helen nearby. We might not talk much during the day, but we were there for each other. Her absence shattered life as I knew it. Half of my life just disappeared…and my heart with it. Suddenly I was adrift on life’s ocean in an aging, leaky boat without a paddle or compass.

Now I need connection with people more than before. In stores, I even try to go through lines with real cashiers not some beeping machine. It’s strange, my enjoyment of solitude battles with my need for human contact. I haven’t worked out the balance yet.

What I am missing most is Mary Helen’s companionship. Someone to talk to. To share my life with. What I am writing down now I would have discussed with her. She would have looked at my schedule and said that my life was too busy. But honey, I’d say, it’s the way I’ve been able to deal with the emptiness left by your home-going. Am I using the present tense here…or the past?

That brings up a question from a discussion with another who lost a spouse. Do I talk to Mary Helen as if she is here? In a real sense she is here. She is in my heart. I see her everywhere. Her touch is in every room, in the placement of every knickknack, the throw I use to ward off the chill when I sit to read a book, the pots and pans, even the frig magnets. I often turn to my favourite picture of her on the wall and smile or tell her that I’ll see her later. Is this weird and mystical? I don’t know. But I do know that one can’t just wield some psychological eraser to create a new life without one’s loved one.

Mention of talking brings up another change I see in my habits. I go around the condo from one task to another—talking to myself—out loud! Is there a name for this condition? Or is it that I still find the silence so unnatural. Or is it aging? Music often provides a welcome background; classical tapes or CD’s of some of the great hymns of the faith. And yet, even with the music I keep giving myself instructions—out loud. “OK, Eric, time to check the dryer.” “Did I turn off the tap?” “I should tidy up the counter.” My vocal self-talk makes no sense. Of course, who ever said that grief makes sense.

I do find myself also talking to the Lord as I walk around. I seem to be thanking him more often for the things I see around me. The common grace gifts he has given. Water in the tap. Food in the frig. A phone call from a family member. The way he helped us find this condo. The new car I lease. The friends in Bible study. The amazing fact that I am redeemed and have been kept by his grace. I wonder if I used to take a lot of this for granted.

It has become more natural to talk over my concerns with my heavenly Father. The grandkids. The neighbours. I even ask him about the simplest things. “Help me find my phone.” “Lord, what was the name of that guy I met the other day?” “Please help me to be careful as I drive…and would you have your angels watch over me?” Paul’s exhortation to “pray without ceasing” seems more possible.

If Mary Helen’s homegoing leads me to draw closer to God, which it has, that is very good. I am finding myself focusing more on my life in Christ. He is often leading me to praise him for the cross he bore that I might be forgiven, regenerated, justified, adopted and sanctified. I am seeing more clearly the hope we have in him now and forever. Sometimes I realize that my grasp of these glorious truths is more intellectual than heart-felt. But any thought of Mary Helen’s present joy in the presence of Christ does lead me to ponder the wonders to be discovered in heaven—and then the new heaven and the new earth. What a future we have in Christ!

I admit that without warning I still break out in tears. I can be doing something and a memory of her there with me suddenly surfaces. I might be driving and wish she was beside me. I might be choosing a shirt to wear and I can hear her say, “No, not that one.” The other day I had to deal with correcting my marital status with a Canadian government department and all the grief came back with a vengeance.

As I look back, I can see that much of what I have written in these posts has been sad and negative. I’ve tried to be honest about my struggles. But I ought to be more often celebrating the gift God gave us over the last six decades. What a wonderful life! What an adventure! How privileged to have served God in various capacities.

In the books I’ve read, the TV programs I’ve watched, and even in many of the people I meet there are so few happy endings. Divorce seems almost inevitable. Unhappy separations abound. Everywhere we find kids growing up in broken homes. Single mothers struggle to provide for their kids. One of those scenarios would have been ours but for the overwhelming mercy and grace of God. Looking back over our lives together, I ought to be jumping up and down in celebration. God blessed us more than we could ask or think! Isn’t God’s love and care amazing?

I’m a slow learner, but God is helping me to forge a new path.

[Let me remind anyone reading this that no situation is beyond God’s redeeming power. See 1 Peter 5:7] (Let me know your thoughts on this subject. If you appreciate this blog, please pass it on. Further articles, books, and stories at:  Facebook: Eric E Wright Twitter: @EricEWright1 LinkedIn: Eric Wright ; Eric’s books are available at: https://www.amazon.com/Eric-E.-Wright/e/B00355HPKK%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share)

Are We Talking Or Conversing?

Without conversation we cannot know another person. When it is absent our interaction with others is superficial. It is true that acts of generosity demonstrate our character, but we must also develop other virtues. We need to go beyond acts to engage in the vital Christian virtue of good conversation. It was a primary tool in Jesus’ and the apostle’s ministries. And yet in the world in general, and sadly, even in our churches, talking is abundant but conversation is rare.

Paul writes to the Colossians to: “Let your conversation be always seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone” (Col. 4:6). He exhorts Timothy to “set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith, and in purity” (1 Timothy 4:12).

Loving one another is foundational to Christian living. But Christian love is not throwing a few drops of love at others from a distance. Love involves wanting to understand others. That means we will take time to sit down with them and show our sincere interest in them. “Stephen Miller observes in his book ‘Conversation: A History of a Declining Art’ that wit and patience are essential ingredients of a successful conversation. ‘One cannot be a good conversationalist if one lacks a sense of humor…equally important is being a good listener.’”

Conversation will involve much listening combined with the asking of gentle questions that show a real interest in learning about the other person’s story and thoughts about issues.  

As Facebook has demonstrated not all discussions are healthy. Paul warns us to be kind and thoughtful in our speech. Avoid “foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels” (2 Tim. 2:23). I find that hard because I love a good argument, what I would, tongue-in-cheek, call, a discussion. Paul goes on to point out to Timothy, “The Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful” ( 2 Tim. 2:24).

Even crises need patient discussion of issues rather than dogmatic bromides thrown like hand grenades into a group. The church’s first major crisis, the care of Greek widows, was only resolved after “much discussion” (Acts. 15:7).

We may have passionate views about issues that we want to express. But we are told that “those who disagree successfully have five positive interactions for every negative one, even while they are arguing.” (Quotations and the background for this post has been drawn from an article, “Truth, Love & Social Media” by John Koessler in the Nov. 22, 2023, Cty Today magazine.)

Lord, please help us to revive the Christian art of godly conversation!

(Let me know your thoughts on this subject. If you appreciate this blog, please pass it on. Further articles, books, and stories at:  Facebook: Eric E Wright Twitter: @EricEWright1 LinkedIn: Eric Wright ; check out his web site: www.countrywindow.ca –– Eric’s books are available at: https://www.amazon.com/Eric-E.-Wright/e/B00355HPKK%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share)

Pursuing My Divine Lover – A Man’s Journey Through Grief, #29

It was a Saturday, almost eleven months since God called Mary Helen home. It has been a good week, better than many. My soul was uplifted as I gathered with my church family and then spent a comforting afternoon and evening with Debbie and some from her family. I’ve since navigated three days alone in my condo working on writing projects. Two Bible studies ministered to my soul and helped with my need for companionship. I even survived a dental appointment.

This morning I read Isaiah 25. It reminded me that the Lord is my refuge—although he uses others to encourage me—no one else comes close to understanding my tumult of emotions. He is “a refuge for the needy in his distress, a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat” (Isaiah 25:4).

That reading immediately twigged memory of a hymn fragment, “other refuge have I none, hangs my helpless soul on thee.” I looked it up, identified it as “Jesus Lover of My Soul,” by Charles Wesley, a favourite of both Mary Helen and myself. What amazing insight God gave Wesley! Lover of my soul!

The hymn reminded me about a recurring theme during this period. My wife and lover has gone home. But I still have a lover; Jesus has not left me. And like everything that happens in the Christian life, I might have thought of her loss as evil, but “God meant it for good.” (See Genesis 50:20 and Romans 8:28.) And yet I’ve often thought, how can there be good come from this loneliness? Clearly, I need to ask the Holy Spirit to wash away my weak faith and replace it with the firm affirmations of the Word of God. Lord, help me see beyond what I see.

Joni Eareckson Tada, who knows about suffering, has written; “Suffering is meant to press us up against Jesus. It’s not so much about us…it’s about how I can hear His heartbeat and identify with Him in His sufferings.” And, “My paralysis is about knowing Jesus better.” (From an accompanying video to her new book, Songs of Suffering: 25 Hymns and Devotions for Weary Souls.) C. S. Lewis has said: “God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world.”

God is shouting to me that I need to grieve less and focus on Jesus’ heartbeat. He is my refuge. He is the lover of my soul.

Recently, in order to become more conscious of God’s place in my life, I’ve been looking at some of the familiar things around me and considering how they point me to the Lord Jesus. Perhaps, looking at them in a new way as gifts from God will help me to see beyond what I see, to really see Jesus, lover of my soul.

Let me explain. During his teaching ministry Jesus often used familiar things in the lives of his hearers to try and get them to look beyond themselves to himself as the creator and sustainer of all things. “For in him we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28). Using metaphors, he compared himself to water, bread, a door, a shepherd, the gate to a sheepfold, and a vine. He is fairer than the lilies. If we consider how God communicated what he is like through the Old Testament, we find many more metaphors. He is a rock, tower, shield, refuge, sun, and sweeter than honey; to name a few.

I am a lamb under the care of the Good Shepherd

Here’s where I may seem crazy. And I welcome your comments and corrections. My Lord is like my recliner. As I lean back in it, I can relax in him knowing that underneath are his everlasting arms. I can let the heart-pain go, the anxiety about the future, and just rest him. And I can feel he is near.

He is my condo’s window through which I can see the world. He is the door that lets me in and out.

Jesus is my San Francisco Sourdough Bread; he sustains me in this loneliness. I ought to feast on him and his loving presence, even without Mary Helen here. Only then can I be emotionally filled.

God is my chocolate, that which sweetens my life like honey. So, while my sweetheart has gone to heaven, he is here sweetening the bitter elements of a life, making them palatable.

He is the bed on which I rest at night so I can relax in his care and find warmth from his Comforter. I am enveloped by the Spirit and the Father and the Son. I can sleep because God is the sovereign who has my life under control.

He is my cell phone which I can use at any time to confide my fears, my anxiety, my loneliness, and my prayers of intercession. I can speak to him honestly, just tell him like it is. He will not condemn. He listens and comforts through his Spirit. And so, I can wander around the condo talking to him, go for a walk and talk to him. (And I must admit to often talking out loud!)

He is my medicine, the one who heals the afflictions of my soul.

He is the roof over my head protecting me from the storms of life.

Is this kind of thinking crazy? Or is it another way of saying, “He is all I need.” “He is with me.” “I am determined to know nothing among you but Jesus Christ and Him crucified” (1 Cor. 2:2). Because, clearly, he was sovereign in taking Mary Helen home, in leaving me here to suffer this loneliness, and in leading me deeper into His love. And He is with me from morning to night to morning. And everything I have is his, a gift from him who gives richly. Would I not then be wise to look around me and ponder how everything good that I have is a parable of his love and presence?

“Christ Jesus who has become for us wisdom from God—that is our righteousness, holiness and redemption” (1 Cor. 1:30). I think back to one of our professors in Bible College who loved to get us to sing this little chorus. Maybe after sixty years, I’m beginning to understand his enthusiasm.

Jesus Christ is made to me,

All I need,

He alone is all my plea,

He is all I need.

Wisdom, righteousness and pow’r,

Holiness forevermore,

My redemption full and sure,

He is all I need.

(Let me know your thoughts on this subject. If you appreciate this blog, please pass it on. Further articles, books, and stories at:  Facebook: Eric E Wright Twitter: @EricEWright1 LinkedIn: Eric Wright ; check out his web site: www.countrywindow.ca –– Eric’s books are available at: https://www.amazon.com/Eric-E.-Wright/e/B00355HPKK%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share)

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The One Behind Christmas: Prophet, Priest & King

Who is this one who came at Christmas? A great teacher? So much more. Like David we should cry, “One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple” (Psalm 27:4). But we don’t need to go to a temple. God has come near in Jesus. We can contemplate his beauty for the rest of our days and never do more than touch the edges of his glory. Sunsets and flowers and mountains and the rising moon and rivers and the ocean; all their beauty is derivative coming from to the one who “created all things.” If these created things are beautiful, how much more the source of all beauty.

Heaven will never exhaust this contemplation of the beauty of the Lord. As Sam Storms wrote; “Our experience of God will never be stale. It will deepen and develop, intensify and amplify, unfold and increase, broaden and balloon.”

We can be sure about one thing about Him. Christmas celebrates the birth of one who came into the world to fulfill a specific, predetermined mission. “For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 2:5). Jesus was born to be the mediator between God and mankind. As the one mediator, He is a prophet, priest and king.

Jesus is a prophetic mediator

Jesus was born to be the ultimate prophet, the one who would explain the need for his intervention to save us from God’s righteous wrath. Throughout history prophets such as Abraham, Noah, Isaac, and Moses served as spokesmen for God. In Deuteronomy 18:15-20 Moses predicted the coming of a prophet like him whose words would have final authority.

Jesus is that final prophet. He revealed to us the way God, in love, would provide for his wrath to be appeased and our sins forgiven without extinguishing his justice and righteousness. Read of his life and teaching in the gospels. Join the people who “were all filled with awe and praised God. ‘A great prophet has appeared among us’, they said. ‘God has come to help his people’” (Luke 7:16). Marvel with the people who were stirred at his entrance into Jerusalem, saying, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee” (Matt. 21:11). Be astounded at his parables. Join Peter and the martyr Stephen who declared him to be the prophet predicted by Moses. (Acts 3:22; 7:37) But he was not only a speaking prophet but also a priest and king. 

Jesus is the Mediator-Priest

Scripture reveals that He is the eternal one, creator of time who came among us to live in time for 33 years. He is the infinite God who took up a finite body. He is the unapproachable thrice holy Son of God who came near to walk among unholy men and women. He is the incorporeal Son of God who took on human flesh. He was born of Mary on a mission to be the mediator between God, angry at our sins, and fallen, rebellious mankind. He came to show us what love is. He came as the one and only mediator; prophet, priest, and king. As that final prophet he came to teach us how to live and to seal a new covenant between God and man; a covenant—not of works but of grace.

Our eternal destiny depends upon his role as mediator priest of a new covenant between God and man. From mankind’s fall in the Garden of Eden, blood sacrifice has been essential to approach God. Jesus has come as the final and the only perfect priest fulfilling the fallible role of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Aaron. The book of Hebrews explains; “There have been many of those priests, [who died] … but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. Therefore, he is able to save completely those who come to God through him because he always lives to intercede for them. Such a high priest meets our need—one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens…He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself” (Hebrews 7:23-27).

His death upon the cross is our only hope. In heaven he intercedes for us, pleading for our salvation based upon the blood he shed for us so that God might be just and yet the justifier of all those who believe in Him. Do we believe? Have we asked Jesus Christ to be your Saviour? Do we expect God to be inconsistent, denying his own standards and forgive us without accepting the atonement of Christ? Without embracing God’s elaborate plan of salvation centred in the blood of Christ shed for us, we will face the wrath of God. Look to Jesus now and live!

Jesus sits on heaven’s throne as king

As a new year begins to unravel before us, apparent chaos reigns. Ukraine, what was the peaceful breadbasket of Europe, continues to endure darkness and cold as it fends off Russian aggression. China continues to harass its citizens and seeks to extend its influence into all of Asia and Africa, while even meddling in Canadian elections. Haiti is in chaos as is Myanmar, Iran and innumerable other countries. Why so much chaos? Because the prince of darkness goes about sowing chaos, seeking to harm God’s creation and destroy his image-bearers. “He is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short” (Revelation 12:12, ESV).

Into this darkness, 2000 years ago, light shone in the form of Jesus who came to be prophet, priest, and king. As the final prophet he introduced and taught us how to live in the new covenant. As priest he interceded for us by offering his own blood to atone for our sins.

As King, he sits on his father’s right hand conquer evil and to spread light and truth and love. Paul prayed that we may be enlightened to see God’s “incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realm…and God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church” (Eph. 1:18-22).  

He is the king and because of his power he ensures that “all things work together for good to those who love God and are called according to his purpose” (Rom. 8:28). Nothing can hinder the outworking of his purposes as he slowly moves us toward the day when he will descend with power and glory to raise the death and wreak judgment on the earth.

In the meantime, we have a task to fulfill. Jesus said, “All authority is heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations” (Matt. 28:18).

Because he is king, we have certainty of success. History is moving toward its culmination. Justice will prevail. There will be a new heaven and a new earth in which dwells righteousness. In the midst of chaos and all the things that seem so bad, we have peace. He is on his throne. We can rest upon his promises and sleep gently with his kingly arms around us.