Slideshow image

Dearly Beloved,
 

TOMATO DRAMA. There's been a lot of it at our place this year. Especially just the other day. 

As you may know, Laura and I have been competing in growing tomatoes. 

Mine got off to a very strong start. 

Then came my blossom end rot, and Laura's tomatoes took over. (sad face, for me) 

As a last-ditch effort, I decided to transplant mine to a new location. Risky. 

Meanwhile, some of Laura's tomatoes began to develop skin problems of their own. (trying to hide a small smile, for me) 

Then, my tomatoes began taking off. Healthy, big, beautiful, and no more blossom end rot! 

FINALLY, one of my tomatoes was blushing, and this past Saturday I realized that the next day I could finally enjoy my long-awaited first tomato sandwich from the garden of the year. 

After our services and wrapping up my work on Sunday, I returned home to harvest my dearly beloved tomato. 

And… 

Gone. 

It was gone. 

No one in the home had taken it. 

RACCOONS HAD STOLEN IT IN THE NIGHT. 

While this is just a tomato (and you better believe I've since caged up my plants, and no raccoon formed against me will prosper against me again), it does illustrate, in a silly and little way, some of the ways in which the enemy can seek to interfere with us and our world. 

As we looked at on Sunday, Jesus says in John 10.10, "The thief comes only to steal, and kill, and destroy; I have come that you may have life, and have it abundantly." 

The story of John chapter 11 vividly illustrates the tension between life and death, God's response to death, and His overwhelming, overcoming LIFE.

To recap:

  1. God has big feelings about death. Jesus was outraged and shaking with agitation. 

  2. Lazarus was dead dead. He wasn't just a little dead, he was 4-days dead, and that was no match for Jesus. 

  3. Jesus really does have the power over death. Jesus really is the resurrection and the life. Will you trust this? Will you trust Him? 

  4. The message and ministry of Jesus (our church's mission statement) is all about LIFE. Our job is to bring words and actions of truth and love that usher the LIFE of Jesus into the Comox Valley. 

If you're in a space of feeling strengthened, edified, and alive in Jesus, then I want to encourage you to continue to bring His message and ministry—His life—into your neighbourhood, workplace, school, or wherever you connect with people. There are so many stories of people and groups in CPC who are active in this right now and seeing Jesus at work here. Praise God! 

While we celebrate this, we also realize that for some of you this may feel more like a time of bewilderment as you consider some of the chaos, violence, and fear in our world. It can seem like there's a lot of 'deathiness' out there these days. There's no question that our world desperately needs the LIFE of Jesus. So, what are some things we can do when we feel that WE might need the LIFE of Jesus to help us? Here are a few thoughts:

  • As Pastor Clay said prophetically on Sunday, "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you." James 4.8

  • Reach out to others for prayer. 

  • Keep friends who love and follow Jesus close. Keep coming to church on Sundays—you need it. 

  • Consider your social media & news consumption versus how much time you spend reading the Bible. Can I challenge you to try to read the Bible for 2-3 more times the amount of time you are on social media/YouTube/news per day? Try it for one week. Read in the gospels and the New Testament letters. God wants to encourage you! Orient yourself around the greatest reality and truth. (Not sure how much you consume online? Check your screen time in settings on your phone.)

  • Go outside and take a walk. Go to the marina, the beach, or for a walk in nature. As you do, remind yourself that this is the reality you truly live in (not just the social media/news you feel yourself in).

  • Consider picking up a copy of "Hope in Times of Fear" by Tim Keller. It is in our resource centre. It is an excellent read and has been very encouraging to my own life and faith. 

I want to conclude my note to you this week with a passage of scripture from Hebrews 10.22-25 that I think is so timely and helps to release the LIFE of Jesus to us right now:

(please 

do 

read 

this...) 

"Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance and faith ... Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up gathering together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—all the more as you see the day approaching." 

Let's bring His LIFE. 

You are loved. 

I'll let you know once I've finally had that tomato sandwich. 

Pastor Mike