This is what the Lord says: “Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls.”  (Jeremiah 6:16)

If it had only happened once, it would have been dismissed as a simple oversight.

But it happened twice in one week. Now it could not be ignored.

The first time was when the baker realized just before spooning muffin mix into the baking cups that he had left out the brown sugar.

Normally the brown sugar would’ve been added either to the dry flour mixture or whisked in with the butter, eggs and other wet ingredients.

At this late hour, the only option was to add the brown sugar to the prepared batter and mix it up as well as possible.

On the second occasion, the chef was preparing his signature dish: Tandoori chicken. This time the missing ingredient was the lemon juice that should’ve been added to the spice mix in the blender.

Once again, improvisation saved the day. The lemon was squeezed directly over the marinade-coated pieces of chicken. Not the best solution. But it was the only option.

Both omissions could’ve been avoided by taking one simple step.

All I had to do was to pull out the recipe and check off the ingredients one by one. But, no! That was totally unnecessary. After all, had I not baked blueberry muffins with almonds and cooked Tandoori chicken on countless other occasions?

Why bother looking up the recipe? I knew it like the back of my hand!

Obviously, I hadn’t checked the back of my hand too much lately 🙂

Apparently legendary coach Vince Lombardi would begin training camp every season by holding the pigskin in his hands and saying to the professional players assembled in front of him: “Gentlemen, this is a football.”

Yes, they had played football for many years. Yes, they were capable of memorizing and executing complex plays on the field. Yes, some of them had even been part of Super Bowl winning teams.

It did not matter one bit to the coach. He had to take them back to the “basic fundamentals” (as I heard one person describe them) at least once a year.

Over the 40 days of this Fast, we have been reading and reflecting on several passages that are quite well-known. One could even say that they contain the original recipe.

Whether it was the familiar passage from Exodus that contained the Ten Commandments, the passages from Ephesians 4 and I Corinthians 12 that describe the purpose and function of the Church or the Beatitudes from Matthew 5 that we focus on for the final five days of the Fast…

They are all familiar to us. We have heard them in church countless times. We have read them over and over again as part of our daily devotions. We have likely been treated to a number of sermons based on every one of them.

Yet, we cannot assume that we will remember them automatically and order our lives accordingly, can we?

That is why from time to time, we need to take the time to read them again, to reflect upon them one more time, to let them renew our minds and saturate our spirits.

This simple step prevents us from omitting key ingredients of the Christian faith and having to regret it later. It boosts our chances of enjoying the abundant life that Jesus promises in John 10:10, amen?

What other passages would you consider to be part of our “original recipe?”

Please share your responses with the rest of your DWOD family.

“Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven.” (Matthew 18:19)

Something totally unexpected happened during worship at a Baptist Church in Puerto Princesa, Palawan when I was visiting the Philippines.

The commotion started as soon as Pastor Julius Canoy announced that it was now Prayer Time.

In my tradition, Prayer Time and commotion do not go together. If anything, we would bring commotion to an end by announcing that it was now time for prayer!

Instinctively, every head would bow and every eye would close. Many, including the pastor, would immediately drop down on their knees. Everyone would assume the classic “Praying Hands” posture instantaneously.

That is not what happened that morning in May 1997.

Everyone in attendance sprung out of their seats, paired up with another congregant and started chattering away in Tagalog. The din was deafening.

As I stood stunned by this sudden turn of events, a young man approached me and asked if I could be his prayer partner. I nodded in agreement.

He proceeded to tell me prayer requests that were on his heart that day and asked if I would pray in agreement with him.

Next it was my turn to voice my needs, while he prayed in agreement with me.

After about 10 minutes of praying for each other, we returned to our seats along with the other 200 worshipers. The service continued with the pastor talking and the rest of us listening the rest of the way.

At the end of the service, I asked the Pastor if this was a Philippine tradition or perhaps a Baptist tradition with which I was not familiar.

He laughed and replied that it was actually a Biblical tradition.

As I wondered how my denomination could have somehow missed it, he pointed out these words of our Lord from Matthew 18:19:

“Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven.”

Strangely enough, I had not paid attention to these words that closely before. We were famous for quoting the next verse: “For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” Especially at prayer meetings where the attendance was in single digits 🙂

But somehow we had skipped verse 19 in our haste to get to verse 20…or so it seemed.

It dawned on me that although we may not have quoted this verse, we had actually experienced the power of agreement in prayer over and over again in our lives.

It made me realize why prayer trees, prayer chains, prayer meetings, prayer groups, etc. had such a great track record of answered prayer.

The Lord also impressed upon my spirit the need to pray together with Sulojana, so that we could harness the power of agreement in our marriage.

These days, we quote this verse rather copiously, as we claim the promise of Jesus when we pray corporately in unity with one another.

How about you? Do you pray in agreement with another person? With several others?

If you do, praise God! Keep it up! If not, perhaps it is time to get started, amen?

I pray that you will continue to experience the power of agreement in prayer as you advance toward your destiny.

Please read Matthew 18:21-35 in preparation for this DWOD.

At a Pastors and Leaders Conference in 2005, the Lord used a seasoned minister named R. T. Kendall to touch my heart and shake me to the core.

“R. T.”, as he is affectionately known, delivered the most powerful message on forgiveness that I have ever heard in my life.

He shared story after story from his personal life and corporate ministry spanning more than four decades that resonated with me.

The story of Joseph forgiving his brothers (Genesis 45) was at the core of his teaching that night.

At the end of the evening, one of the prayer ministers laid hands on me and asked the Holy Spirit to minister to me. He promptly obliged!

A flood of emotions came bursting out of me. I found it difficult to stand as the Father’s love started washing over me to the point of being overwhelmed.

I lay on the carpet for at least 45 minutes, as the Great Physician performed radical heart surgery.

With every incision, every poke, every prod, I recalled many from my life whom I had not fully forgiven.

Slowly, but surely, I began to follow the process that R.T. taught that day.

As I released each person from the debts they owed me, I also released myself from the shackles that held me imprisoned in the depth of my being.

It was one of the most liberating nights of my life.

But it was only the beginning of a journey of forgiving, which continues to this day.

The revelations that R.T. shared that night are contained in his book “Total Forgiveness” which I would highly recommend to you.

The very first chapter of this book contains a summary of all that touched my heart that night in 2005.

You will be delighted to hear that Charisma House, the publisher, has made this entire chapter available for you to read for free. Just click here.

I look forward to hearing how the Lord used R.T’s message to touch your heart and perhaps even shake you to the core!

“If another believer sins against you, go privately and point out the offense. If the other person listens and confesses it, you have won that person back. But if you are unsuccessful, take one or two others with you and go back again, so that everything you say may be confirmed by two or three witnesses. If the person still refuses to listen, take your case to the church. Then if he or she won’t accept the church’s decision, treat that person as a pagan or a corrupt tax collector.” (Matthew 18:15-17)

The wisdom of Jesus in helping us deal with conflict in the church is simply amazing.
It is simple.

Step One: Meet one on one. If that doesn’t settle it, take
Step Two: Take one or two others with you. If you’re still not able to resolve it, take
Step Three: Share it with the church community. When this fails, then finally take
Step Four: Shut the door.

It is amazing.

Keep it simply between the two of you. If that works, then no one else ever needs to know that there was an issue between you. Only God and you both know.

When Step One fails, take no more than two others with you. Once again, keep it as hush-hush as possible. Use gentle persuasion, not force or pressure.

If there is still no way to settle the conflict, take it to a larger group. As a last resort.

After all three steps are exhausted, now you can treat them as an outsider.

Sad to say, but in thirty plus years of ministry, I have witnessed more violations of this process than not.

Even sadder to say, in those three decades, I myself have violated this process on more occasions than I’d like to admit.

Needless to say the folly of not following Jesus’ words has always led to needless pain.

More often than not, the mistake that I have made is to skip Step One and talk to others first before meeting with the offending (offended) party.

In a way, our employment systems encourage this process, don’t they?

If you are part of a union, you are asked to file a grievance and involve others right away so you are not forced to do the confronting yourself.

Even in the church, in our denomination, for example, we have a Ministry & Personnel Committee that both staff and members can contact when there is conflict.

As valuable as this process can be, the issues do not usually get resolved without the parties meeting face to face, even if it is in the presence of two or three others. So, eventually it is one-to-one communication that settles the matter.

Now, do you see how wise Jesus was to suggest that we do this first in the process laid out in Matthew 18?

The reason why we are tempted to skip Step One is because it is the most difficult one to take.

None of us likes confrontation. We dread the prospect of talking face to face. We are tempted to believe that going through a third party right off the bat is better.

Yet Jesus makes it very clear that we cannot bypass this first step.

In this passage, he is asking the offended party to take the initiative.

Elsewhere, in these words from the Sermon on the Mount, he is asking the perceived offender to make the first move.

“So if you are presenting a sacrifice at the altar in the Temple and you suddenly remember that someone has something against you, leave your sacrifice there at the altar. Go and be reconciled to that person. Then come and offer your sacrifice to God.” (Matthew 5:23-24)

Either way, the message is clear, isn’t it?

Whether you are the offender or the offended, you go first!

Will you?

Annie Pain was a saintly woman in her late 80’s, a member of Aneroid United Church, where a newly-minted minister named Jeeva Sam had just begun his ministry.

Raised in the Baptist Church, she along with her family became part of the United Church when it came into being in 1925.

One day circa 1982/83 she overheard a conversation in which I talked about going to the local bar to meet some of our “members” who were not usually present in church.

Her radar went on red alert instantly. She took me aside and said: “You know I can’t stop you from doing anything. But I don’t think you should be going to the bar.”

“But, Annie!” I protested. “I’m only going to have a Sprite when I’m there. Don’t worry. I’ll set a good example for all our members who are regular patrons.”

“That’s not the point!” she shot right back. “What if some of our young people see you just go in there or even see your car parked right in front of the bar? They don’t know what you’re doing inside or what you’re drinking. It sends them the wrong message–if it’s OK for the minister to go to the bar, it’s OK for us too!”

No matter how hard I tried to justify my position with persuasive appeals to Scripture, human reason and the example of Jesus, Annie would not back down.

This incident came to mind when I read these verses from Matthew 18: “If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to stumble! Such things must come, but woe to the person through whom they come!” (vs. 6-7)

As much as Jesus hung around tax collectors, prostitutes and other so-called “sinners” of his day, he was still careful not to let his example result in someone stumbling into sin (even though it did raise some issues for the religious establishment of his day!).

His words are rather harsh, wouldn’t you say? Obviously Jesus wants to underscore the seriousness of causing someone to stumble.

The apostle Paul addresses the same issue in these words from Romans 14: “Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister…If your brother or sister is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by your eating destroy someone for whom Christ died. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a person to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble. It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother or sister to fall.” (vs. 13, 15, 20, 21)

Would it surprise you to know that to this day I have no idea what the inside of the Aneroid Bar looks like?

All glory goes to God. All thanks to Annie Pain.

By means of his one Spirit, we all said good-bye to our partial and piecemeal lives. We each used to independently call our own shots, but then we entered into a large and integrated life in which he has the final say in everything. (This is what we proclaimed in word and action when we were baptized.)  (I Corinthians 12:13, The Message)

The apostle Paul received a revelation that has revolutionized the Church ever since then.

It is so simple, yet so profound.

The Church is “the Body of Christ.”

That’s it. Period.

Please note, Paul does not say that the Church is LIKE a body. He says that the Church IS the Body of Christ.

He is not offering an analogy. He is stating a reality.

It is a reality into which we entered when we chose to be baptized.

Sometimes we describe baptism as a rite of initiation.

Actually it is an act of incorporation.

The word “incorporation” literally means “to be united into one body.” (The Latin word for body is “corpus”).

In I Corinthians 12, Paul lists a number of consequences of being part of Christ’s body.

All of them are meant to hammer home one unmistakeable fact.

We are no longer independent. We are interdependent.

No body part can function on its own. Every body part needs every other part to do its part!

What one part does affects every other part in one way or another. For good or for bad.

What one Christian does affects every other Christian. For better or for worse.

We usually become aware of this when something extraordinary happens somewhere in the Church.

We hear about someone like a Mother Teresa who lays down her life to serve the poor, the destitute and the dying.

The rest of the Body of Christ is inspired by her infectious example to serve Jesus in the face of the “least of these” as well.

At the other end of the spectrum, a scandal comes to light. Whether it involves sex, money or abuse, the rest of the Body feels the pain, doesn’t it?

You may be familiar with The Butterfly Effect, an idea used in chaos theory, that a very small difference in the initial state of a physical system can make a significant difference to the state at some later time

So, for example, a butterfly flapping its wings in Brazil could set off currents that might ultimately cause a hurricane in Texas!

In other words, a seemingly insignificant action can have significant repercussions to those who are not part of the immediate surroundings.

Whenever the Church is rocked by yet another scandal, I often wonder whether the individual(s) involved ever stopped to consider their interconnectedness in the Body.

If we were to simply pause to consider how our actions trigger a Butterfly Effect of sorts within the Body, would we not reconsider anything that might have a negative impact?

By the same token, would we not also be motivated to know that a simple gesture of love offered to a homeless person in downtown Toronto has a positive effect on the Body of Christ in Tokyo?

Paul’s revelation in I Corinthians 12 reminds us that we need to live with a heightened awareness of the incorporation that took place at our baptism.

We do not live our lives in isolation. We are connected with one another. Even our destinies are intertwined.

For we are now part of the Body of Christ.

During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them. (Acts 16:9-10)

Did you celebrate St. Patrick’s Day today?

Sulojana and I did, even though we are not Irish (not even close…lol!) or have any fondness for corned beef, cabbage or green beer!

No, we did not go to church dressed as shamrocks either! Sulojana did wear an outfit that had shades of green. I wore black pants and a red shirt with no hint of green whatsoever.

Soooo, how then did we celebrate?

Actually, we took some time to study the life of St. Patrick and how he came to be the patron saint of Ireland.

Here is what we discovered.

Patrick was born in Britain to a relatively wealthy family. He was not religious as a youth and, in fact, claims to have practically renounced the faith of his family.

While in his teens, Patrick was kidnapped in a raid and transported to Ireland, where he was enslaved to a local warlord and worked as a shepherd.

It was while he was a slave that he started praying to God and received a revelation of God as He truly is—Father, Son & Holy Spirit. According to some sources, he would later teach this revelation of the Trinity using the three leaves of the shamrock.

After six years of slavery in Ireland, Patrick had a dream in which he heard a mysterious voice: “Your hungers are rewarded: You are going home. Look, your ship is ready.” He escaped, but had to walk for 200 miles to eventually get on board!

A few years after he’d returned home, he had another dream. Victoricus, a man Patrick knew in Ireland, appeared to him in this dream, holding countless letters, one of which he handed to Patrick.

The letter was entitled “The Voice of the Irish.” Upon reading just the title, he heard a multitude of voices crying out to him: “Holy boy, we beg you to come and walk among us once more.”

He was so moved by this that he was unable to read further and woke up. He tried to ignore the dream, but it kept on recurring over and over again.

Eventually Patrick told his dismayed family of his plans to return to evangelize Ireland and soon began his preparations for the priesthood.

When he finally returned to Ireland, he went about preaching the Gospel, baptizing converts, confirming them and appointing clergy to disciple them.

He personally baptized over 120,000 people and planted 300 churches during the 29 years he spent in Ireland.

Wow! No wonder he is considered the patron saint of Ireland.

Were you aware of his story?

When we discovered how Patrick was obedient to God’s promptings in dreams, we couldn’t help but think of how the apostle Paul responded to the vision featuring “a man of Macedonia.”

Like St. Paul, St. Patrick chose to obey the call of God…and the rest is history.

Now you know why celebrated St. Patrick’s Day today by discovering his story, sharing it with others in church and giving thanks to God for his life and witness.

Whether you are Irish or not, whether you celebrated St. Patrick’s Day the traditional way or not, you too can still praise God for St. Patrick, amen?

In the DWOD for Feb. 27, 2013 we shared how we realized the need to “do away with the pointing finger and malicious talk” (Isaiah 58:9) when we started fasting during Lent a year ago.

During this year’s Fast, as we have been reflecting on Ephesians 4 for five days now, the Lord reminds us once again to pay special attention to the words we speak.

“Let no corrupt speech proceed out of your mouth, but only what is good for building others up as the need may be, that it may give grace to those who hear.” (Ephesians 4:29)

Let’s do a study of some of the key words in this passage, shall we?

The Greek word “sapros” which is translated “corrupt” in this passage is used in three primary ways in Scripture and elsewhere to describe that which is:

• rotten, putrefied
• corrupted by one and no longer fit for use, worn out
• of poor quality, bad, unfit for use, worthless

No matter which meaning you choose, it is clear that there is nothing good about the impact of speech that is “sapros” upon the recipient.

Now we know why Paul urges us not to use any word that falls into one or more of these three categories.

He then goes on to describe the kind of words that the Lord wants us to use.

“Only what is good for building others up as the need may be.”

The Greek word “oikodomen” translated “building” literally refers to the act of erecting a building.

Metaphorically, it refers to words that edify, build another up, promote another’s growth.

This, of course, is in stark contrast to words that tear someone down.

Paul does not stop there though. He goes on to describe the effect our words need to have on the listeners.

“That it may give grace to those who hear.”

“Charis”, the Greek word for grace appears over 150 times in the New Testament, in one form or another. It is the same root from which we get words such as “charismatic” which simply means one who is gifted.

Theologically we often define grace as unmerited favour, a gift we do not deserve.

At a very basic level though, grace is defined as “that which affords joy, pleasure, delight, sweetness, charm, loveliness.”

Perhaps this is what Solomon meant in Proverbs 16:24: “Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.”

Notice how the word “gracious” comes out of the same word “grace!”

Would you like to try an experiment?

Using your phone or other portable device, record every word you use to talk to others or describe others in your conversation for an hour, a few hours or an entire day…

Now go back and classify them using the three criteria from Ephesians 4:29:

• “Rotten” words
• “Edifying” words
• “Grace-imparting” words

Would there be some pleasant surprises? Nasty shocks?

Is the new Pope named Francis?

Better still, what if we would pause for a few seconds and watch our mouth before we speak into the lives of others?

“Sapros” words would never see the light of day.

Only words that build others up will make it past the door of our lips.

Those who hear them will respond as though they had just tasted honey.

Wow!

The Lord will smile upon us as we fulfill his command: “Let no corrupt speech proceed out of your mouth, but only what is good for building others up as the need may be, that it may give grace to those who hear.”

Amen?

Look at these three translations of Ephesians 4:27:

“Do not give the devil a foothold.” (New International)
“Nor give place to the devil.” (New King James)
“Do not give the devil an opportunity.” (New American Standard)

They all agree on two key words: “give” and “the devil.”

It is the third key word on which there seems to be considerable variance.

Checking a Greek lexicon provides some clues.

The Greek word that has been translated in these three different ways is: “Topos.”

You may recognize “topos” as the root of such English words as “topography” and “topology.”

The literal meaning of “topos” is geographical space or place.

In other words, Paul is warning against giving the devil room to enter a space that is rightfully ours.

Don’t give him any ground.

Hence the translation “nor give place” to the devil.

You can see how “foothold” is also related to physical space.

Don’t give the devil an opening to get his foot in the door, so to speak.

The metaphorical meaning of “topos” is opportunity.

Don’t give the devil any opportunity to get a foothold in your life.

Please notice also that he cannot invade your personal space without your consent.

This is clear from Paul’s choice of the word “didomi” which is translated “give.”

This word literally means “to give of one’s own accord.”

We are not forced or coerced into it.

We give it to him voluntarily.

How do we make such a voluntary contribution?

Paul’s list in verses 25-31 includes a number of possibilities:
•    Lying
•    Staying Angry
•    Stealing
•    Laziness
•    Unwholesome talk
•    Bitterness
•    Rage
•    Brawling
•    Slander and
•    Malice.

Every time we commit these and similar offences, we give the devil grounds to enter our sacred space.

Needless to say he takes full advantage of every opportunity that we offer him.

What begins as a foothold can soon end up as a stronghold.

Footholds can be kicked out easily. Strongholds need to be demolished with difficulty.

Clearly, it is preferable to close off every possible access point, such as those on Paul’s list.

As we continue our journey through this season of Lent and the 40 Day Fast, perhaps now is the time to examine ways in which we may be allowing the devil access into our lives.

Would you ask the Holy Spirit to show you how you may have unwittingly provided grounds for him to gain a foothold?

Repent. And then “get rid of” whatever he shows you.

Then replace it with some new behaviour.

“And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.” (v. 32)

You have just removed all grounds for him to gain any ground.

Hallelujah!

“Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.” (Ephesians 4:3)

Consider a family where there are six people who share the same last name—say a father, mother and four children.

The six of them already have a unity that comes from being part of the same clan. Their bloodlines, genes, history have already created a unity that is indisputable.

However, since no two people in that family are alike, there are times when conflict is bound to arise.

These differences of opinion can result in disputes that disrupt the unity that they have.

As a matter of fact, they can downright destroy the unity, not to mention the family…

Unless someone makes an attempt to work through the issues, and keep the family unit  intact.

Sharing the same last name, gene pool, etc. is not an automatic guarantee of unity.

It takes time, effort and energy to maintain that unity, especially when disagreements arise.

Something similar happens within the family we call the Church too, doesn’t it?

The Voice Translation puts it this way: “Make every effort to preserve the unity the Spirit has already created, with peace binding you together.”

Yes, we are united by the spiritual DNA of Jesus. We share, as Paul reminds us in verses 4-6: “one body and one Spirit…one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all.”

Regardless of all that holds us together in unity, there are also times when conflict arises and threatens to pull us apart.

On the one hand, unity is a given, a fact of life, a created reality.

Yet, on the other hand, unity cannot be taken for granted. It needs to be re-created so to speak…over and over again.

It takes work to make this happen, doesn’t it?

The Amplified Version stresses this: “Be eager and strive earnestly to guard and keep the harmony and oneness of [and produced by] the Spirit in the binding power of peace.”

Conflict has arisen on many an occasion in my life over the past 55 years of being a son and a brother in a biological family as well as a husband and father in the family that formed when Sulojana and I got married nearly 30 years ago.

Ditto for the 30 plus years of service as an ordained minister in the United Church of Canada.

While we have worked our way through most of that conflict constructively, we must also admit that not all of it led to happy endings.

Although conflict is inevitable in any family where there is honest and open communication, how we deal with it can make all the difference.

That is why, even before getting to the part about “making every effort to preserve the unity”, Paul says:

“Be humble and gentle in every way. Be patient with each other and lovingly accept each other.” (v. 2)

Before we get into conflict resolution or seek mediation, Paul calls for a character evaluation.

• “Am I humble and gentle in every way?”

• “Am I patient with my brothers and sisters and lovingly accept everyone of them?”

If the answer is “Yes” to both questions, rejoice!

If not, it’s time to repent, amen?

Shall we make a conscious attempt to turn around and change by the power of the Holy Spirit?

That would be taking the first step in making an “effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.”