Fall 2013 Nassau Street Quarterly September brings us city folk back from our adventures in the wild outdoors. If you re like me you ve caught a glimpse of God s glory, and can say with the psalmist, The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands, (Psalm 19:1). I see how creation cries out of its Creator and I find myself wondering, if even breathless mountains and sightless skies cannot keep themselves from honouring God how could I dare to do so? What area of our lives could we possibly hide from God or keep devoted to our own pleasure over God s honour? Abilities, time, intellect, emotions, finances, thoughts? - All tools to give our awesome God the honour He deserves. As you flip through these pages may your heart be warmed to God, inspired by how others serve Him, and encouraged to honour Him with all that you are. Let s draw near to God, and as we treasure His presence our lives will increasingly bring Him honour. Jasmine Dyck
His Pleasure In Our Gifts Source: Wikimedia Commons T Nassau Street Quarterly CONTENTS His Pleasure In Our Gifts Page 2 Heaven Is for Real Page 3 With Our Gifts Page 3 Ordering Your Private World Page 4 Honour God: Page 6 Do the Right Thing Editor: Jasmine Dyck Cover Artwork: Valerie Bisson I know that God made me for a purpose, but He also made me fast and when I run I feel His pleasure. his quote by missionary/ Olympic athlete Eric Liddell continues to be a quote that for me exemplifies what it means to honour God with our gifts and our talents. Liddell was incredibly gifted as a runner, so much so that it took Him to Olympic gold in 1924. His thoughts I believe capture what it means to honour God with the gifts and talents. He has blessed us with. Liddell points out the truth that it is God who has created us, and he also points out that it is God who has created us very specifically with certain gifts. We cannot boast if we are naturally gifted in the area of athletics, music, a c a d e m i c s, a r t etc. That is the way God has created us, as Scripture points out in Psalm 139. But He also points out what it means to honour God with our talents and gifts. To enjoy His pleasure while exercising our gifts. Enjoying the pleasure of the One who has created you. Feeling the smile of God as you use the very gifts that He has blessed you with. 1st Corinthians 10:31 says that whatever we do - anything, including using the gifts that God has given us - we are to do to the glory and honour of God. I believe that Liddell s thoughts capture what it means to live out this verse, and what it means to honour God with our gifts and our talents. Doing all to the glory of God, as we experience His pleasure living out the unique way that He s created us. We enter the fall yet again. For those of us who are younger, when school begins so do athletics, music, dance, or many other activities that excite us based on the gifts that God has given us. It s a time of church ministries beginning, where many of us will once again use our gifts and our passions to disciple others within the church. What would it mean this year to honour God with your gifts and talents as you embark on the various activities that you will pursue? I believe it comes from believing the same thing about your gifts that Liddell believed about his. However God has created you, he did so that you would experience His pleasure as you exercise your gifts, doing all to the glory and honour of His name. Al Letkeman 2
T his beautiful book is one of my favourites in our church library. The author, Todd Burpo, tells the true story of his four-yearold son, Colton, who lay near death during surgery due to a severe appendectomy. Thankfully, the young boy survives and then begins to tell his parents stories of what happened to him while he was in the operating room. At first the father believes his son was dreaming. However, it isn t long before he realies that Colton has experienced something very special and very real. As he slips in and out of consciousness during surgery, Jesus, wearing white robes with a purple sash, along Heaven Is for Real: - Book Review with some angels, carry him up to Heaven. He describes a horse that Jesus rides. He sees the throne room and speaks of how big God is. He sees many people including his great-grandfather and a miscarried sister, both of whom he had no prior knowledge of. He tells his parents about Jesus having markers and points to the middle of his palms and tops of his feet. After spending time in Heaven, Jesus tells Colton that he is sending him back because he is answering his dad s prayers. Skeptics may read the book and feel that some of it seems far-fetched. However, I believe that this young boy did, in fact, see a glimpse of With Our Gifts Jesus and what Heaven is like. Most of us can only imagine how amaing Heaven must be, but Colton was there. For a few brief minutes he was blessed to be there. When I began reading this book, I honestly couldn t put it down. I forgot to eat lunch, supper was late and I didn t fall asleep til the wee hours of the morning. And then I dreamed of how wonderful Heaven must be. Wanda Bergman G od gives everyone something that they are skilled at doing: talent. For some people it's sports, for some music, and for some public speaking. It can even be something as simple as being a good friend to the people around you. The list can go on and on. God gave us all these gifts. It says in Ephesians 4:11-12 : "It was he who gave some as apostles, some as prophets, some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, that is, to build up the body of Christ". He didn't give them to us to use for personal gain. He gave them to us so that we could use them to glorify Him. Personally, I love to play music. I play in a local band with some friends. I love to play music because it is a lot to fun to play, & also because I love honouring God through it. We focus our lyrics on turning away from sin & coming to God. I think it is really important that in each of the songs my band plays that we honour God. We as a band all love to honour God through our music. In 1 Corinthians 12:27-31, it tells how we are a part of the body of Christ & how we all have gifts to use in the church. It also tells how not all have the same gifts. We are all given different gifts to use. This is good because we can honour God with our gifts through many different ways. God gave us these spiritual gifts to honour Him, so that is why I think it is very important that we honour God in what we do. Alec Richards 3
H Ordering Your Private World ave you ever read a book and had it change your life? It s happened to me on more than one occasion, but most recently it was when I was reading the book, Ordering Your Private World by Gordon Mac- Donald. It talks about how ordering your inner world is often neglected in a world where we are so focused on living an externally pleasing life to those around us. It is so easy to conform to the world around us, so how to do we not conform to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of our mind like Romans 12:2 tells us to do? The following are some practical tips for developing your inner world that I got from reading the above-mentioned book. I hope you find them as useful as I did! 1. If my private world is in order it will be because, having faced up to what drives me, I listen to the call of Christ. In other words, having a drive in anything can be harmful if it takes first preference over my walk with God. Application: Search your heart is there anything in your life that is coming before God? If so, take a minute to confess it to Him and ask Him for help in changing that area of your life. 2. If my private world is in order, it is because I have responded to Christ s call to be a servant and form my life purposes, my community roles and my personal identity around His fondest wishes for me. Application: Ask God to shed light on your own life Are you following what he has called you to do? 3. If my private world in is order, it will be because I have made a daily determination to see time as God s gift and worthy of careful investment. Application: A great way to see if you are using your time in a God honouring way is to keep track of everything you do for a day in your journal. At the end of the day, pray over it and ask God to reveal any areas in which you may not be honouring him with the way you are using your time. 4. If my private world is in order, it will be because I have determined that everyday will be a day of growth and wisdom. Application: Ask yourself, how have you grown intellectually lately? Are you reading books that challenge you in your walk with God, your knowledge of the world, in your growth in your relationships, etc.? 5. If my private world is in order, it will be because I seek to use all I learn in service to others as Christ did. Application: How are you mentoring others and pouring into the lives of those around you with what you ve learned? 6. If my private world is in order, it will be because I regularly choose to enlarge the spiritual center of my life. 4
Application: What are some practical steps you are taking to grow in your faith? Are you studying the Bible, learning more about prayer, talking with those you look up to in the faith and growing from their knowledge? 7. If my private world is in order, it will be because I have chosen to press Sabbath peace into the rush and routine of my daily life in order to find the rest that God prescribes for himself and for all humanity. Application: Are you taking time to rest and have a Sabbath? It s important not only for spiritual renewal, but physical renewal as well! 8. If my private world is in order, it will be because I have begun to pursue the discipline of seeing events and people through the eyes of Christ so that my prayers reflect my desire to be in alignment with His purposes and promises for them. Application: How are you making time to pour into the lives of those around you? As you take time to consider these questions, I pray that God will enrich your life and you will start to see the many blessings of making time to get your private world in order. God bless! Johanna Jorgensen 5
Honour God: Do the Right Thing Written by Mrs. Darlene Wall Illustrated by Julie Knott & Jasmine Dyck Suddenly there was a shout behind her. Two large boys from school were teasing a little boy by holding his toy truck above his head so he couldn t reach it. Lucy sat on the swing in the park. The fall leaves were bright with many colours and the air was cool. She was waiting for her best friend, Brenda, to come. Hi Lucy. Sorry I m late! Lucy felt really bad for the little fellow but she didn t move. Have you been waiting? What should we do? The Bible says we should Do unto others as you would like them to do to you. But I m afraid of those guys. Me, too. Maybe we should just leave and find the boy s mom or something. 6
Lucy started to smile at her friend as she remembered something. I think I know what we should do. We should STAND STRONG like we learned about this summer. Remember the story of Queen Esther? God wants us to do the right thing and bring honour to Him even when it s hard to do. Brenda nodded, Yes, you are right! Let s think about what would be the best thing to do here to help that little boy. She looked around as she spoke. Suddenly she smiled. Hey, look over there. There is a park patrol officer. Let s get him to help us with the bullies. Come on, Lucy, let s go rescue a little friend. So the girls ran to the officer, explained what was going on, and together they confronted the bullies. It felt good to give the little boy his truck back. I m so glad we did the right thing, Lucy said. I know that God was honoured today by what we did. Just then the little boy s mom came running up. She had run to catch their little puppy which had run away. She was so grateful to the girls that she gave them each a twoonie to buy ice-cream. Brenda beamed with joy as she listened to her friend Lucy talk about Jesus. She was so glad she had helped Lucy a year ago with her bully problem. God loves it when we honour Him! Philippians 4:13 says, I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength. Let s honour God in all we do even when it s hard. Let s stand strong and do the right thing! 7