Wilderness Wanderings

  A special, extended Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings!  The text is Revelation 12-14 from the New International Version of the Bible.  Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection! To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it  here on YouTube .  Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC:  imma...

Then Levi held a great banquet for Jesus at his house, and a large crowd of tax collectors and others were eating with them. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law who belonged to their sect complained to his disciples, "Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?" Jesus answered them, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteou...

"…keep away from everything impure…Your camp must be holy, so that [the Lord] will not see among you anything indecent and turn away from you" (Deuteronomy 23:9, 14). In the Old Testament, keeping things pure was a big deal. It was not just the people of Israel, but their possessions and the camp (and later the cities) had to be kept pure. This meant that neither people nor possessions could touch...

I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith.  I want to know Christ—yes, to kn...

"If you see your fellow Israelite's ox or sheep straying, do not ignore it but be sure to take it back to its owner. If they do not live near you or if you do not know who owns it, take it home with you and keep it until they come looking for it. Then give it back" (Deuteronomy 22:1-2). We are back in Deuteronomy. Some time ago, I started working through this book, reflecting on a small portion of...

I was given a reed like a measuring rod and was told, "Go and measure the temple of God and the altar, with its worshipers. … Then God's temple in heaven was opened, and within his temple was seen the ark of his covenant. And there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake and a severe hailstorm. (Revelation 11:1, 19)   This is an odd set of bookends to the 11th chapter...

An extended Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings!  The text is Revelation 10-11 from the New International Version of the Bible.  Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection! To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it  here on YouTube .  Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC:  immanuelminist...

"May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine upon us, that your ways may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations" (Psalm 67:1-2). Probably one of the most common Christian prayers is the request for God's blessing. Sometimes we might have the fleeting thought that such prayers are selfish. Its good to know then, that the Bible encourages us to pray this way. After al...

I took the little scroll from the angel's hand and ate it. (Revelation 10:10a)   What are you eating these days?  What does your diet consist of? We've talked the past couple days in these devotions about the prevalent trend of deconstructing one's faith.  I wonder sometimes if part of the reason this has caught on is because we have access to such a smorgasbord of information and impressions thes...

Jesus replied, "And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it" (Matthew 16:18). Before we return to Deuteronomy, I want to follow up on Pastor Anthony's reflection on Deconstruction .  It truly is all the buzz today. In fact, a daily email I subscribe to began yesterday's reflection with the phrase 'deconstructing faith'. I...

By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to li...

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God" (Phil. 4:6). Some spiritual work needs to be done to get over the first phrase this text, "Don't be anxious about anything." It may take a lot of spiritual work. It is helpful to note that Paul is locked in prison and the Philippians are facing stiff persecution. Neither a...

An extended Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! Today we welcome guest, Renita Reed-Thomson.  The text is Genesis 1:26-31, 2:15 from the New International Version of the Bible.   To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it  here on YouTube .  Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC:  immanuelministries.ca  

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9)   So: what does it mean to be saved?  I mean, we say it all the time, but what does it mean?  If we're going to be thankful for our salvation in Christ, this seems like an important question. So what does it mean to be saved?  Well:...

"…you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ" (1 Peter 2:5). We continue with the theme of Thanksgiving. The Heidelberg Catechism can be helpful in this reflection. The question which sets the stage for the whole catechism is, "How can we live in the comfort of the gospel?" There...

And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. (Colossians 3:17)   Why is the Christian life a life of Thanksgiving?  Because it's not a life based on our circumstances, abilities, personal identity, or resources.  It's a life lived because of, for, and in the name of Jesus.  We may live in plenty or in want, in s...

Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations. Some of you were not expecting me on Wilderness Wanderings since I'm on vacation. Unfortunately, for me (and maybe you) I neglected to recruit someone to fill in for me. So, last week, I put toge...

Our Thanksgiving 2021 edition of Wilderness Wanderings!  The text is Psalm 65 from the New International Version of the Bible. To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it  here on YouTube .  Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC:  immanuelministries.ca

An extended Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings!  The text is Revelation 8-9 from the New International Version of the Bible.  Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection! To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it  here on YouTube .  Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC:  immanuelministri...

And they sang a new song, saying: "You are worthy to take the scroll     and to open its seals, because you were slain,     and with your blood you purchased for God     persons from every tribe and language and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God,     and they will reign on the earth."   This is the familiar song of the faith: saved and forgiven thro...

"Our hands did not shed this blood, nor did our eyes see it done. Accept this atonement for your people Israel, whom you have redeemed, Lord, and do not hold your people guilty of the blood of an innocent person" (Deuteronomy 21:7-8). The first part of Deuteronomy 21 deals with unsolved murders; it is concerned with justice for innocent victims. Rooted as we are in cinematic enactments of bloodshe...

…among the lampstands was someone like a son of man… In his right hand he held seven stars, and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword.  (Bits of Revelation 1:13, 16) "…See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals." Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing at the center of the throne… (...

"When you go to war against your enemies and see horses and chariots and an army greater than yours, do not be afraid of them, because the Lord your God, who brought you up out of Egypt, will be with you" (Deuteronomy 20:1). Our text introduces a chapter that is difficult to read. It is offensive to our modern sensibilities. We should rightly wrestle with the questions of Israel at war. Why did it...

"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel." (Matthew 23:23-4)   Last week, Canada marked the first Na...

A special, extended Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings!  The text is Revelation 6-7 from the New International Version of the Bible.  Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection! To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it  here on YouTube .  Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC:  immanuel...