The church has many seen many developments in the last three years.
Our first significant big change is our move from Jackson St, Chinatown to our present Nanaimo-Broadway location. This tactical move prompts us to ask, “Why and for what is God moving us here?”
Our leaving the Evangelical Lutheran Churches in Canada (ELCiC) to become an independent congregation came about because of our conviction of the Bible’s authority on our lives. The proposed new Constitution and Ordination Policy are the residual steps to complete that vote.
As a family, we have also seen some subtractions and additions to our membership. By holding on to God’s ideal for the church and our faith in each other and by our refusal to leave this community, we have chosen to stick around and build together.
From our first church mission trip to building the Living Hope School for the Dalits in Faridkot, India, we have learnt what it means to stretch our faith. But what a blessing it has been for us! As we push forward to complete this challenge, will we see more miracles along the way?
Looking at the compressed history of BHLC for the past 3 years, my heart almost leap out as I see how closely aligned they are to the direction that God has been leading us. Are you?
A uthentic Lifelong Discipleship & Mentoring
L oving Committed Family Church
I ntentional Disciple-making Church
V ital Witness to Our Neighbours
E mpowering Mission to the Dalits & Beyond
Friday, July 1, 2011
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Our Limp and God's Grace
Read Genesis 32
Gen 32:30
And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.
I preached a sermon on “Jacob, the Limping Disciple” in my church on Sunday. For me, Jacob is a biblical character that I can easily relate to.
He is a man with complexities, great insecurities and whose life motto is, “in me I trust”. He believes in his own intelligence, his own passive-aggression and his own judgement of life, people and events. He is clearly a man with high intellect.
His greatest strength is also his greatest weakness. His greatest asset is also his greatest liability. But it will take a divine encounter for Jacob to see himself.
At the end of his life journey, Jacob is enriched with possessions but impoverished in relationships. In Genesis Chapter 32, Jacob‘s past, so called, ‘caught up with him’. A life threatening situation of meeting Esau, his brother whom he has stolen his birthright and blessing keeps him awake. His thoughts must have flashed back to all of his life events – a past that he is not proud of. However, his mind continues to churn up schemes of escape. The old cunning Jacob is working yet again.
The battled Jacob is cornered but is he humbled? Not until God breaks the hollow of his thigh. In that instant, Jacob has an epiphany – he has been wrestling with God yet his life is spared!
Our broken lives, unglamorous past, wilful sins and twisted lives; God sees it all – and God has had mercy on us.
There is a twist to the story – Jacob came face to face with Esau and his life is preserved. Esau, the sinned-against forgives the sinner, Jacob freely. Who would have thought that possible? This is yet another great manifestation of God’s grace.
Gen 32:30
And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.
I preached a sermon on “Jacob, the Limping Disciple” in my church on Sunday. For me, Jacob is a biblical character that I can easily relate to.
He is a man with complexities, great insecurities and whose life motto is, “in me I trust”. He believes in his own intelligence, his own passive-aggression and his own judgement of life, people and events. He is clearly a man with high intellect.
His greatest strength is also his greatest weakness. His greatest asset is also his greatest liability. But it will take a divine encounter for Jacob to see himself.
At the end of his life journey, Jacob is enriched with possessions but impoverished in relationships. In Genesis Chapter 32, Jacob‘s past, so called, ‘caught up with him’. A life threatening situation of meeting Esau, his brother whom he has stolen his birthright and blessing keeps him awake. His thoughts must have flashed back to all of his life events – a past that he is not proud of. However, his mind continues to churn up schemes of escape. The old cunning Jacob is working yet again.
The battled Jacob is cornered but is he humbled? Not until God breaks the hollow of his thigh. In that instant, Jacob has an epiphany – he has been wrestling with God yet his life is spared!
Our broken lives, unglamorous past, wilful sins and twisted lives; God sees it all – and God has had mercy on us.
There is a twist to the story – Jacob came face to face with Esau and his life is preserved. Esau, the sinned-against forgives the sinner, Jacob freely. Who would have thought that possible? This is yet another great manifestation of God’s grace.
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Lament and Life-storms
Read Job 16
How do you explain away pain, anguish and the wrenching of heart?
Life is not free of problems and troubles. There will be times when you feel all alone and totally abandoned. In times like these, it is okay to lament. It is okay ton lament that there is no one who understands; okay to acknowledge your feeling forsaken. Why? Because sometimes life just makes no sense at all.
In times like these, there is a sense of ambiguity and haziness as to what we should do, say and think.
Rather than keep it all bottled up, God gives us the permission to lament, to cry, to wail and to ask Him questions, to tell Him our doubts, to vent to Him our anger and to ‘pester’ Him for an answer. God is our Father, for that is what children do and behave toward their daddy when life overwhelms them.
There is space for lament and a time for crying and permission to go to our heavenly daddy.
So Job cries out “Yet if I speak, my pain is not relieved; and if I refrain, it does not go away.” All that is left in Job is a huge blotch of pain that stabs and pierces his innermost being.
During moments of darkness, the more pertinent question is “who” you have with you and who is for us instead of “why it is happening”.
Job’s friends fail in rendering him comfort so he appeals to an advocate on high, to the witness in heaven. To Job, his friend is one who prays with him and for him during his time of trial.
We have such a friend. “Christ Jesus, who died--more than that, who was raised to life--is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.” (Romans 8:34)
When you feel caught in a senseless situation where no explanation will satisfy, when your heart seems to be yanked out of you, turn to Jesus and He will be there. He promises ‘never to leave you nor forsake you.’
How do you explain away pain, anguish and the wrenching of heart?
Life is not free of problems and troubles. There will be times when you feel all alone and totally abandoned. In times like these, it is okay to lament. It is okay ton lament that there is no one who understands; okay to acknowledge your feeling forsaken. Why? Because sometimes life just makes no sense at all.
In times like these, there is a sense of ambiguity and haziness as to what we should do, say and think.
Rather than keep it all bottled up, God gives us the permission to lament, to cry, to wail and to ask Him questions, to tell Him our doubts, to vent to Him our anger and to ‘pester’ Him for an answer. God is our Father, for that is what children do and behave toward their daddy when life overwhelms them.
There is space for lament and a time for crying and permission to go to our heavenly daddy.
So Job cries out “Yet if I speak, my pain is not relieved; and if I refrain, it does not go away.” All that is left in Job is a huge blotch of pain that stabs and pierces his innermost being.
During moments of darkness, the more pertinent question is “who” you have with you and who is for us instead of “why it is happening”.
Job’s friends fail in rendering him comfort so he appeals to an advocate on high, to the witness in heaven. To Job, his friend is one who prays with him and for him during his time of trial.
We have such a friend. “Christ Jesus, who died--more than that, who was raised to life--is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.” (Romans 8:34)
When you feel caught in a senseless situation where no explanation will satisfy, when your heart seems to be yanked out of you, turn to Jesus and He will be there. He promises ‘never to leave you nor forsake you.’
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