You Just Can’t Throw Them in the Trash
Dec 31
Recently I rediscovered in our archives a Kindergarten songbook that Gary had received from his Sunday School at Forward Baptist Church, Toronto. He was probably 4 years old – today he is celebrating his 78th birthday. I’m not sure why we have kept it; but somehow now it seems too old to hit the trash can. Don’t you find that the books you want to get rid of you try and pass along to a family member, friend, library or second-hand store? It’s hard to throw a book away.
I have been relating to the children through the years connected with our Hillside Church. For a special holiday or birthday, I’ve presented them with a children’s Bible storybook. When I first started this practice, it was fairly easy to buy such books at Dollarama; however, these days I am noticing they are harder to find. Parents are not being as intentional in educating their children about the Bible. To help you out, particularly as grandparents, a good website I recommend is christianbook.com. Who knows what will happen with all the books given out when these children get older!
Another find was a very small New Testament Bible which was given to Gary as a teenager from Youth for Christ he attended. He said to throw it away, but I just couldn’t; so there it sits back on the bookshelf. We read in Acts 12:24, “… the word of God continued to spread and flourish.” The Bible came down to us through many centuries because it or portions thereof were never thrown away or lost completely. I remember visiting the Royal Ontario Museum with our family in 2009 when the Dead Sea Scrolls were on display. Can you imagine how excited history scholars were when fragments from Genesis, Psalms, Daniel etc were found in desert caves near the Dead Sea!
Hillside Church is still alive. It looks promising for now that we will be able to meet as a church in Swiss Chalet, Milton in the new year. Scott Lockhart is planning to take a Master’s course from Heritage College and Seminary in January. This will give him the opportunity to be on campus once a week and get to know some students who might be willing to serve in Hillside or even work for us if we get approved for the Canada Summer Jobs program.
One New Year’s resolution is to cull one’s possessions. Now is the time to pass those unwanted books along to others who may benefit from them. Anybody want some of Gary’s old Bible commentaries?
Below is a special bonus for you. Gary is my guest blogger this month. Enjoy his blog dated Dec. 12 which was produced for his weekly prayer team!
God’s best to everyone in 2023!
Wendy
Yesterday we had a stranger ring our doorbell. Out of curiosity, I looked out the window to see who it was. By the time I got to the door the man was scurrying away. Across the road, on a one-story building, an animal was caught on the roof with a foot trapped in a hole. Five people were discussing what to do together. I had no solutions to add so I just watched. The next thing I knew the animal (a squirrel or a cat or perhaps a small raccoon) was gone. I think I could see some blood on the roof. But the crisis was over. Everyone moved on.
Afterward, I got to thinking. We have a large number of squirrels, feral cats, and raccoons living around us – opossums and coyotes for that matter. They all manage on their own without human intervention. Well, I guess they all eventually die but I don’t get to watch that.
But what about the people? They all eventually die too. And after that the judgment.
In 1869 Fanny Crosby pleaded with a man at a New York rescue mission to come to Christ. He did. She went home and wrote these words.
“Rescue the perishing,
Care for the dying,
Snatch them in pity from sin and the grave;
Weep o’er the erring one,
Lift up the fallen,
Tell them of Jesus the mighty to save.”
We don’t sing that one anymore. And most Christians don’t do much rescuing, caring, snatching, weeping, lifting, or telling either.
But it still takes rescuing, caring. snatching, weeping, lifting, and telling to bring people to Jesus the mighty to save. it wasn’t easy then. It isn’t easy now. It won’t be easy tomorrow. Rescuing cats or squirrels is easy.
Fanny had it right. Rescue. Care. Snatch. Weep. Lift. Tell. And she goes on. The last verse is as follows.
“Rescue the perishing,
Duty demands it;
Strength for thy labor the Lord will provide;
Back to the narrow way,
Patiently win them;
Tell the poor wand’rer a Savior has died.”
She doesn’t mention to pray. Jesus did. Neither of them cared about trapped animals.
Please keep praying with us!
Gary