God was the original recycler. Long before it became in vogue for those who care about the environment, God was setting the example. Rather than dispose of that which was not useful, Jeremiah records an amazing display of Gods's great grace! He chose not to throw away the clay, even though it refused to cooperate!! 

God, in His Grace, does not reject that which does not conform immediately to His proposes. He will endeavor over and over again to form us and make us into the man or woman of God He has called us to be!!

"I will in no wise cast you out"!! (John 6:37)

Waste not want not may be a proverbial declaration in our society, yet it is the drumbeat of the Kingdom!! If we are willing to allow the Lord to do the work, he will take our broken, unproductive and sinful lives and remake them into something beautiful and glorious!

Some things may be lost and forever changed in the process. God makes us into "another vessel". Purposes and ministries may change. Circumstances and situations may change. Even our plans and dreams may change. In spite of that God still keeps as as a vessel that He can use in His kingdom!

The church will do well to learn this lesson from the potter: don't throw away the clay. We are all vessels of clay that are the continual handiwork of God. When things go wrong, our primary guiding principle must be to keep the clay!!!

1 Peter 1:17 And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man’s work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear: KJV
(And if you call upon Him as [your] Father Who judges each one impartially according to what he does, [then] you should conduct yourselves with true reverence throughout the time of your temporary residence [on the earth, whether long or short].) AMPLIFIED

Hebrews 11:9 By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise: KJV
([Prompted] by faith he dwelt as a temporary resident in the land which was designated in the promise [of God, though he was like a stranger] in a strange country, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs with him of the same promise.) AMPLIFIED

Hebrews 11:13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. KJV
(These people all died controlled and sustained by their faith, but not having received the tangible fulfillment of [God’s] promises, only having seen it and greeted it from a great distance by faith, and all the while acknowledging and confessing that they were strangers and temporary residents and exiles upon the earth.) AMPLIFIED

A sojourner is one who dwells in a foreign country, a temporary dweller not having a settled habitation in the place where he currently resides. The Bible identifies every believer as being in that category. No matter where you find yourself today, if you are a part of the church, you are only there on a temporary basis!

After arriving in Togo, it took me forever to obtain my Carte de Séjour! Being Canadian, things were not simple like they were for my American passport holding wife and daughter. For whatever reason, Togolese law will not stamp any long term visas into the passports of Canadians. So, instead of an inexpensive and simple process of getting a one year visa, I had to undergo the lengthy, complicated and expensive process of obtaining a “Carte de Séjour”. In essence, this is the first step of becoming a permanent resident in the country.

I would have preferred simply getting a visa extension every 6 months or so, because we have no intention to reside here in Togo for the long term. We are here to teach in the Bible College which serves several nations in French West Africa, while we await our North American deputation. Let it be understood, that we are not just “putting in the time”, but truly feel that this is the will of God for our lives at this juncture. We are investing in multiple West African nations at the present time through our ministry and believe that the seeds we are sowing presently shall return to us as a great harvest in Senegal (and beyond)!

Because we knew that our stay here was never intended to be permanent, we took great caution in choosing what we would bring with us from Canada and what we would not. It has affected us in what items we purchased for our home and what we did not. We bought a good washing machine, but a cheap coffee maker. We have avoided buying anything that was not an absolute necessity ~ beyond food, soap, toothpaste and the like!! We still smell good, we still dress well, but we are not investing money into a whole lot else! 

Being a temporary resident changes your priorities!
The furnishings in our home are a part of the rent. The bed is not as comfortable as we would like, but we are just temporary residents. The dining room table is pretty worn, but we are just temporary residents. The chairs and sofa in the living room are not as plush as what we have had before, but we are just temporary residents. There are many changes we would like to make, but will not, because we are just temporary residents.

I have to wonder what would happen to many in our world today, and more specifically in the North American church, if everyone would begin to have the mindset that we sing about: “This world is not my home… !”

• We sing about heaven being our eternal home, but stockpile earthly goods like there will not be anything in the stores tomorrow.
• We dream about a mansion on golden streets, but invest heavily in mansions that won’t last beyond the life span of our grandkids, should the Lord tarry.
• We preach about investing in eternal matters, yet our balance sheet leans heavily toward temporary returns.

I am certainly not railing against owning a home, a car and comfortable clothes. I am saying that our perspective on these matters must be constructed through the lens of being a temporary resident. Should our lives be so consumed with filling our houses, and then our storage houses with more “stuff”? Should we pursue the buying the biggest and the best of everything, rather than meeting our needs in the manner of a good steward of God’s blessings?

Live life to the fullest. Be a witness and do the work of an evangelist. Count your blessings, and give thanks to the One who provides from his riches in glory. But in all that you do, always remember, you are just a temporary resident!

The younger of the twins approaches his elderly father. Deception is in the air, as he does his best impression of his older brother’s voice, hairy hands and cooking. With his mother’s help, they are endeavouring to ensure that the father’s blessing does not fall into the hands of the “wild son”, whom we know as Esau.

We can delve into the debate about the deceptiveness of Jacob and Rebecca’s scheme, but the reality is, God loved Jacob and hated Esau. Furthermore, Rebecca had received a direct word from God that the elder would serve the younger! The objective of the plan was not to bring about evil, but to ensure that Isaac did the right thing; that he accomplished God’s will. 

This is one of those moments in Bible history where the entire plan of God hangs in the balance. If Esau gets there first, or if Jacob does not succeed, the blessing will altar the flow of the Messiah’s bloodline. The redemption of humanity, both Jew and Gentile, hangs on this one moment of time.

Jacob approaches his father having done his best to fool his father’s senses. I am sure that he did his best to change his voice, but his father’s keen hearing, undiminished with time, detects the voice of Jacob. Jacob’s taste buds affirm that this was indeed the meal he had requested and longed for. His nose, attuned to the familiar scents of those around him, detected the odour of a man familiar with the fields, hard work and tending to livestock. His touch testified that this was indeed his “hairy” son, Esau.

However, age had weakened his most important sense, his eyesight. In fact, he could no longer see at all. Like many blind people, he was more dependant on his other senses. In this critical hour, he no doubt lamented, “if I could only see”. Yet it was his blindness that ensured that God’s plan for humanity would not be derailed. From that time forward, when one spoke of the patriarchs, it would be “Abraham, Isaac and JACOB”. 

In this critical moment, Isaac’s blindness was his greatest blessings. Not seeing ensured that the blessing would be given to Jacob and that God’s plan and Word would move forward. Isaac’s blindness ensured that the will of God would be accomplished. What a miracle - BLESSED BLINDNESS!!

Joseph saw his brothers bowing down to him in dreams and visions. What he did NOT see was their hatred, their betrayal, being stripped of his precious coat, being sold as a slave, being lied about in Potiphar’s house, being thrown into an Egyptian prison and then forgotten by the man he helped! BLESSED BLINDNESS!!

Looking over the course of time, I am convinced that Jesus only could accomplish the will of God without being smitten by a case of Blessed Blindness! He saw everything that there was to be seen pertaining to the cross, and yet willingly partook of the cup!

In your life, don’t always thank the lord for what you CAN see, but also for the things you CAN’T! Many times I can only see the promises and not the problems. Many times I can only see the blessings and not the bitter trials. BLESSED BLINDNESS! We are still a people who “see through a glass darkly!”

“But now we see not yet all things put under him.  But we see Jesus…” (Hebrews 2:8,9)

Recently, a great author passed from this life. Perhaps you have never heard of Chinua Achebe, but he is considered a patriarch of modern African literature. His ground-breaking book, «Things Fall Apart», published in 1958, created a worldwide sensation that elevated Mr. Achebe to superstar status. He received many awards over the course of his life that acknowledged him as a literary giant! His life and death marked him as one of Nigeria's great contributions to the world!

Life was good to Chinua in many ways. Yet in 1990, while traveling to Lagos, he was involved in a car accident that left him paralyzed from the waist down. He would spend the remaining years of his life confined to a wheel chair.

While recapping Chinua's life, in a BBC presentation the day after his death on May 21, 2013,  an interview was broadcast that had been recorded a few years earlier with a BBC reporter. The subject of the accident came up and the interviewer asked the pointed question,

"Do you ever ask, WHY ME?"

Chinua Achebe's response was one I will never forget,

"Why NOT ME! Is there someone else that I would wish this wheelchair upon?"

Not only did his response reflect an unselfish and humble attitude, it equally provoked me to thought.

While there are many ways in which we can interpret the teachings of Jesus Christ concerning "turning the other cheek" and "walking the second mile", we should consider a simple truth. Perhaps we turn the other cheek to save someone else from receiving that second blow. Perhaps we walk the second mile to keep a weaker brother or sister from having to bear that duty and burden.

Far too often we do ask he question, "Why Me Lord?". Perhaps He chose you because He equipped you with a measure of grace sufficient for the task, all the while sparing a weaker brother or sister. The essence of Christ's love was of sacrificing self, in order to keep others from suffering the same fate!! He died so that we might live.

The next time you are tempted with the question, "Why Me Lord"?, perhaps you could rephrase your prayer by saying "Thank-you Lord"! "You gave me the grace to go through this trial, rather than allowing to go into the life of a brother or sister who did not have the grace that I have been granted!"

One week from today, Lord willing, we will be boarding a plane to return to French West Africa once again. Miracle after miracle, blessings after blessing, the Lord continues to direct our ways!!

It is hard to believe that a short time ago we faced some uncertainties with fear and question, only to see the Lord answer every single prayer and bless in ways that only a loving and caring God could possibly do!!

I can recall a moment when I served on the Atlantic District Board and we were preparing to move forward on the construction of a brand new campus. The financial stress would be taxing and the risks we were taking were daunting. Would the Lord come through? Will the anticipated miracles materialize? How was God going to work this all out?

In Acts 18, there is a snapshot of Paul's stopover in Ephesus that is personally impacting to my pursuit of the will of God. While I would never make a direct comparison between myself and the Apostle Paul pertaining to his experiences, I find some common ground in this regard. 

Paul's stopover in Ephesus is a part of his journey toward Jerusalem and ultimately his death ~ things that were clearly understood by Paul and communicated to him by various means.  Just prior to his arrival in Ephesus he had a brief visit to Cenchrea where he had his hair cut off in obedience to a personal vow he had made. Arriving in Ephesus he is confronted with a group of people who wish that he would stay with them. Paul's reply is straightforward and simple. "I must by all means keep this coming feast in Jerusalem; but I will return again to you,  God willing.” (Acts 18:21 NKJV)

This snippet is deeply impacting to me as I pursue the will of God via Mission Senegal. Over the past 8 years I have been profoundly blessed to have been able to pastor an amazing church. While there have been highs and lows, joys and sorrows, it has been an amazing journey that sadly has come to closure. It is a step that did not come easy and is a faith response to the will of God in reaching souls with the Gospel who otherwise would not be reached.

From Paul's encounter in Cenchrea and Ephesus there are a number of important things that reverberate in my spirit and that must be an active part of our pursuit of God's will and plan for our life.

Paul had a vow. Paul had made a commitment that was to be kept at all cost. If one is not absolutely committed to the will of God, other things will slow you down and even stop you from achieving it in your life. Keeping our vows toward God can make us outsiders to the masses, as Paul's haircut no doubt made him stand out in the crowd. Yet one thing was capital, and that was the will of God!

Paul knew when to say "no" to certain requests. While it is never easy to step away from the things that others may desire for you and your life, there is a precedence that the Will of God must assume in our life. It will force us at times to make unpopular decisions but will lead us deeper into and closer to the plan of God.

Lastly, Paul knew how to say “Good-bye”. Sadly the pursuit of the will of God will often cause us to leave one locale to take up residence in another. No one likes change. No one likes moving. No likes saying or even hearing good-byes. Yet they are an inevitable and demand of us the greatest grace possible. In those moments, our weakness is made strength as we discover, once again, that His grace is sufficient for us!