The Olive Branch Markham • Audio Podcast

One of the toughest commandments Jesus gave to us was about  how many times  we are to forgive one another. The equation He gave us was CRAZY! He told Peter not just seven times, BUT SEVENTY SEVEN times! During Easter reflection, we are brought to the place where ultimate forgiveness was granted on a cross when we didn’t deserve it at all. Now Jesus is telling us to extend that forgivene...

The death of Jesus on the cross, and subsequent resurrection and ascension is one of the most significant events on the Christian calendar, and so polarizing that it even catches the attention of those who don’t believe in Jesus at all. With such a monumental event, it’s surprisingly easy to miss the significance of it in our day-to-day lives. In other words, the event on the calendar ca...

Jesus wanted us against JUDGING OTHERS. According to Him, when we take it upon ourselves to do that, we have to be willing to be judged in the same way…by the same measuring stick. Jesus’ warning is that when we judge, we actually place ourselves above those we are judging. And that’s a dangerous place to be...  There comes a point where, to find peace, we have to say, THE DEFENSE RESTS!

After all the demands for answers, “just one more sign,” “prove yourself,” —Jesus walked out of the grave in a blaze of glory and power.  His resurrection either answered the questions people had—or inspired intentional unbelief.  People usually fall on one side or another. Bottom line?  THE DEFENSE RESTS!  And now you—and every other person must decide on J...

Even before Jesus’ trial and execution—after an  avalanche  of signs, the demand of the people and the religious leaders was,  Come on, Jesus—just one more sign!   Judas apparently wanted  one more sign.   Herod Antipas—wanted  one more sign.   When Jesus stood before the religious professionals, they demanded answers; he gave them silence.&nb...

When Jesus rode into Jerusalem on what we now call, Palm Sunday, there was a crowd traveling with Him shouting,  Save Us Son of David!   Those are clearly  Messianic  words—proclaiming Him to be the One who had been promised ever since God made the promises to Abraham that He was going to bless the nations through him.  So,  how is it that Jesus was captured...

Self-promotion has become quite the art. There is a whole new generation that has been raised with a new song for kindergarten sung to the tune of Frère Jacques: ‘I am special, I am special, look at me, look at me…”. Strange isn’t it, that on one side a group that just wants to be normal – and the other, people for whom being average is a curse. And with all this is little ‘g’ god of ME. I am...

3500 years ago, the Israelites proved that people will be willing to hammer their silver and gold into some kind of a little ‘g’ god who promises a good time. Fast forward to today, all the people who deliver a good time through sports, music, movies, and humour are paid very well. Pleasure and entertainment are high value in our world, regardless of where we are in history, and are worthy of our...

It’s safe to say that  everyone  longs to be  loved— but a lot of people settle for  LUV.  ‘LUV'  is a powerful craving. To be wanted, desired, cherished, it causes us to do things and make decisions we very much later regret. Now,  LOVE—the  real  deal— is what we give. It’s unconditional—beautiful, sacrificial—and the recipient of it is usually c...

One of the biggest signs that things had  really  changed in Markham in March of 2020 was the empty parking lot at the GO Station. Someone quoted the lines of an old Gospel song, “The marketplace is empty, no more traffic in the streets…” COVID-19 had a huge effect on one of the most worshipped gods in the GTA— work and success!  People climb ladders, step on others, shove their kid...

So,  why not start with the #1 little ‘g’ god  at the top of the org chart in North America, and most of the world?  After all, isn’t PROSPERITY the obvious sign that God is pleased with you? Well, not so fast—because Jesus, God with skin on, the God who humbled himself to become man and  save  us from worshipping and giving our lives to false gods—said, “You got...

We aren’t the first people to find ourselves in a world of upheaval, where in less than a year everything we know, and have become accustomed to, gets flipped on its back. The same thing happened 3,500 years ago when God showed up and surprised a group of slaves and slavedrivers—judged everything that seemed normal—and offered freedom to both the slaves and the slavedrivers, and He...

I am not sure about you, but I have felt like this period of lockdown will just never end! It seems like one long road that winds, twists, turns, yet never reaches its conclusion. Sometimes, our walk with Jesus can feel like this, too. We might feel like a promise he has given us has yet to come to pass, or the path he has put us on is just getting boring, we are tired of it, and just pl...

The final message of our "Cold, Hard Cash and Contentment" series. Our struggle with giving or with tithing is one of unbelief. We don't really believe that when we let go and release our grip that not only does what we have in our hands get transformed, but that God then is able to fill our hands once again. If we could see the immensity of giving—and what it means for eternity—we wouldn’t hesita...

There’s certainly plenty of teaching, and phenomenal illustrations, of how destructive money can be. But when money gets harnessed and used properly, it’s amazing what God can do!

We all have a major problem: our culture not only promotes discontentment, it PRODUCES an entangling, deceptive solution: CREDIT / DEBT. Lending institutions know the truth of Proverbs, that the borrower becomes the slave of the lender. We need to wise up and use it AGAINST them and FOR us!

This message is part of our message series, "Cold Hard Cash and Contentment".  You may be surprised to know that your problem is NOT about having enough money. We live in a culture where debt is not only rampant, it is the monster that stalks the majority of those who live in this crazy 2020 world. We GO into debt – because our system knows exactly how to lure us into discontent. See, we don’...

2020 has felt like ONE BIG LOSS for many of us. Amidst the normal challenges of life, Covid-19 barged into our lives and threw the entire world into chaos. As we look back on this year, our hearts initially see how disappointing it was. Our challenge today is to remember where God has worked - and how He brought good out of the darkness. Paul, in his letter to the Phi...

This message is part of our message series, "The Invasion of Peace".  The drama and difficult stuff didn’t end at the stable—or with the financial struggle of living as poor people in a strange town—or paying taxes. Mary and Joseph and Jesus then faced danger—from a crazy, evil king. Then, they had to escape to the foreign country where their ancestors had been slaves. And even then, though t...

This message is part of our series, "The Invasion of Peace". As you know, from Jesus’ biography, there were some “wisemen” who appear in the Christmas story. The problem is, we don’t know their names, where they came from, or what happened to them after they met and worshipped Jesus. Interestingly, these Magi didn’t even worship the God of Israel, and yet they were the ones open to hearing about t...

This message is part of our series, "The Invasion of Peace".  The Roman Empire. Jesus was born at a time in history dominated by the Romans. The politicians mentioned in the narratives about Jesus' birth were, in many ways, accomplished leaders. They built great buildings, conquered many lands, had great wealth and prestige – but they became arrogant, evil leaders. They ruled cruelly, they ma...

This message is part of our series, "The Invasion of Peace".  So, here’s the question: is it only possible to have peace at the core of your life when there’s peace on the  outside— more specifically in your home… where you live…with the people who surround you. You know, the people you eat supper with, clean up after, share living space with?  Having tension  where you li...

God, since the beginning of time, has sought to create peace with His people. More often than not, God’s people refused to accept these peace offerings, and turned to something else more flashy and desirable. These offers of peace made from God to His people ultimately become realized in the story of baby Jesus and the manger. So, the question for us this Christmas season is the same as it was to...

This is the final message of our series, "Fear and Peace – God is where He is supposed to be, even when life isn't" There is a law in the universe that is every bit as predictable and real as the law of gravity. It’s the Law of Exposure. Whether or not you believe in it, you need to know that cancer research believes in it, that social media experts believe in it, and that the entire marketin...

This message is part of our series, "Fear & Peace - God is where He is supposed to be even when life isn't".  Anxiety - the taskmaster, the slavedriver… that will CRUSH you and suck the joy and happiness right out of your soul. But, you already know that. Paul, who lived in a pressure-cooker learned how to find peace when life was bleak. And he was just an ordinary person like us! Let’s t...