Saturday, November 29, 2008
Monday, November 24, 2008
Embrace AIDS Shines with New Website
It’s here, it’s live and it’s shining. iEmbraceAIDS.com is a new website created by the Christian Reformed World Relief Committee to provide young adults with a way to get involved in the rally to embrace people living with AIDS. AIDS is a disease that’s been ravaging the world for over 25 years – and it affects everything. In many developing countries AIDS is the main reason people aren’t getting enough food to eat, enough money to live, or the education they need. To make matters worse, a family affected by AIDS is pushed further into poverty causing members of that family to make decisions that put them at greater risk of getting this disease. In 2007 alone, 3 million people contracted HIV, 33 million people were living with it, and over 2 million people died of AIDS-related causes – three quarters of these deaths happened in Sub-Saharan Africa.
miEbraceAIDS.com was created to help a new generation be a light at the end of the tunnel that is the AIDS crisis, and shine the light of Christ around the world. The site includes a variety of options for young people to do their part to learn about the disease, raise awareness with their friends, and be part of the solution.
The site will launch on December 1, 2008 (World AIDS Day). Visit http://www.iembraceaids.com/ to find out how we can “all shine together, all over the world, to bring AIDS out of the darkness.”
(Newsletter article from http://www.crcna.org/site_uploads/uploads/crwrc/ea/shine/SHINE%20newsletter%20article.doc)
Monday, November 17, 2008
The Story of Melchizedek
This past week I decided to check out a friends Bible Study after having met a few of those in the group last month when 11 of us went to the Heaven's Rehearsal concert in Toronto. (It was really good by the way).
They usually meet for 6pm to have dinner together (each one taking their turn preparing) and then at 7pm one of them leads the study. Well, what a wonderful, special surprise I had when I realized what section in the Bible we were going to be discussing. The story of Melchizedek.
Many of you might be thinking, okay, so who's that? What's so great about that story?
Well back on the tour I had the priviledge of hearing many stories from Pastor Len while riding together. One of the stories that Len was excited to share was the story of Melchizedek. In fact, he had decided that it would be his mission during the summer to tell each new rider he rode with the significance of this story.
Sadly, I had forgotten about this story (as many events have boggled my mind since) so imagine my excitement when Shawn (who was leading) began having us read the chapters related to Mechizedek. As weird as this might sound, I was excited that I had had the priveledge of already learning the significance and was excited to watch as others started to put the pieces together the further we read and discussed about Melchizedek and the High Priest of that time.
As Pastor Len, notes it is not a story that is spoken of much which is unfortunate because it really is interesting. Len has kindly forwarded on his notes to me for my files and so that I may share it with you. It is a bit overwhelming in some ways so if you have any questions or thoughts PLEASE leave me a comment. I hope you enjoy!
The Story of Melchizedek
(Genesis 14, Psalms 110, Hebrews 4:14 - 5:10, Hebrews 7 and Hebrews 8)
This unfamiliar account of this is sadly neglected in Christian circles everywhere because so few take the time to explore its inner meaning.
(Genesis 14) A long time ago when Abram was slowly establishing himself in his new land there was a skirmish between rival lords. 5 of them had been subjugated to an alliance of 4. The 5 decided to go on strike and refused to pay tribute to the 4. After all, they had been under their control for 12 years. The 4 led by Kedorlaomer weren't going to give in so easily so on their warring expedition they decided to do battle. The 5 were easily conquered and led as captives as far north as Damascus which could be as far as 100 miles away.
Abram got wind of the battle and decided to take action because his nephew Lot was among those taken away (v. 13-17). Abram gathers his own army which consisted only of his family and servants and marched in pursuit. He catches up to the enemy, defeats him, and begins his return home. As Abram makes his way he nears a small village named Salem.
Here he encounters two prominent figures. The first is the king of Sodom (one of the 5 defeated kings) and the second is the King of Salem - Melchizedek. Seemingly Abram stands between these two dignitaries and is compelled to make a decision. The first king, Sodom, offers Abram all the goods or booty of the victory (v. 21). Mechizedek on the other hand only brought out bread and wine to offer some nourishment (v. 18). It was a very natural and neighborly thing to do. What Abram does is truly remarkable. Instead of accepting King Sodom's offer which could have been quite lucrative, he bows down to Melchizedek and offers him 1/10 of everything he had (v. 19-20). And then even rebukes the King of Sodom (v. 22-23).
The question is why? Anyone in their right mind would have been glad to accept Sodom's generous offer - it would have made Abram rich. It was especially significant because just prior to this God had promised all the land to Abram. God even said he would be great and the land would all be his as far as his eyes could see. It would be very logical to assume that God's hand was in this whole rescue and now the rewards of the covenant promises were coming to pass. Except the one making the offer was the king of Sodom and there is no way he could be part of God's plan. Instead Sodom represented the lure and trap of the world. It was exactly opposite of what God wanted of Abram. The other choice was Melchizedek. And for reasons only hinted at in the story, Abram surmised that since this was a High Priest of the Most High God, he had better give credit and honor and recognition to him rather than take it for himself. It was the perfect choice.
But that is only half of the story. Now we need to know who is this Melchizedek, where does he come from, and what does he represent?
Uncharacteristically, Melchizedek is introduced with no biography or background (Hebrews 7:3). Every major OT person has a lineage and place of origin, yet Melchizedek is presented without these important details. The significance of this is explained in Hebrews. Melchizedek, whose name means "king of Righteousness", is High Priest of the Most High God. He is the king of Salem which is the Hebrew word for Peace. Salem is a small village which later becomes the city of God – Jerusalem. All of these details along with his sudden appearance and then sudden disappearance are all part of the scene now presented with Abram and the king of Sodom.
Abram who had won a substantial victory is now presented with a choice. Either he is made ruler of the land by the world (Sodom) or he humbles himself before the High Priest of the Most High God. The first is attractive and luring but would reject giving credit to God. Abram was supposed to receive all the covenant promises from God and not through his own personal victories and conquests. Sodom tempted Abram to claim kingship, but Melchizedek blessed Him after Abram presented him with an offering.
The key to all of this is the phrase “after the order of Melchizedek”. In this world we have two orders – man and God-man. The first is God’s creation through Adam and Eve the parents of humanity, sadly, this order fell into sin. In order to save this order God introduces another order, another man who is above and beyond the confines of human falleness. This second order has to be connected to the first man (human) yet beyond man by being sinless. We all know that this second order is completed in Jesus Christ who is both man and God. A man who is not affected by the fall and thus is qualified to save the order of things.
What we need to see is that the introduction of this second order is not Christmas but actually foreshadowed in this amazing story of Abram and the battle of the kings. The sinful order (Sodom) is on one side of Abram, and the other is Melchizedek the High Priest of the Most High God. Melchizedek who miraculously, supernaturally, appears on the scene is the entrance of the new order. Some will even say he was Jesus himself. Whether he was actually Jesus or a type of Jesus is supported in the Psalms (110:4), where it says “you are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek”. This means Jesus followed the unexpected order of priesthood. All the priests of the Bible were from the line of Levi. But Jesus didn’t follow that line, rather received his qualification from a different order namely Melchizedek.
So what we have is Abram standing between man and God-man and providentially he recognizes is only course of action. He chooses to give his allegiance to the God-man and thus receives the blessing. He is now qualified to represent the father of God’s people and enter into the covenant relationship. Later when Jesus came on the scene he fulfilled the promise and now offers to all of us the privilege of being part of this new order. We are no longer just human but we are adopted into a new order – a royal priesthood after the order of Melchizedek.
Now how cool is that!
They usually meet for 6pm to have dinner together (each one taking their turn preparing) and then at 7pm one of them leads the study. Well, what a wonderful, special surprise I had when I realized what section in the Bible we were going to be discussing. The story of Melchizedek.
Many of you might be thinking, okay, so who's that? What's so great about that story?
Well back on the tour I had the priviledge of hearing many stories from Pastor Len while riding together. One of the stories that Len was excited to share was the story of Melchizedek. In fact, he had decided that it would be his mission during the summer to tell each new rider he rode with the significance of this story.
Sadly, I had forgotten about this story (as many events have boggled my mind since) so imagine my excitement when Shawn (who was leading) began having us read the chapters related to Mechizedek. As weird as this might sound, I was excited that I had had the priveledge of already learning the significance and was excited to watch as others started to put the pieces together the further we read and discussed about Melchizedek and the High Priest of that time.
As Pastor Len, notes it is not a story that is spoken of much which is unfortunate because it really is interesting. Len has kindly forwarded on his notes to me for my files and so that I may share it with you. It is a bit overwhelming in some ways so if you have any questions or thoughts PLEASE leave me a comment. I hope you enjoy!
The Story of Melchizedek
(Genesis 14, Psalms 110, Hebrews 4:14 - 5:10, Hebrews 7 and Hebrews 8)
This unfamiliar account of this is sadly neglected in Christian circles everywhere because so few take the time to explore its inner meaning.
(Genesis 14) A long time ago when Abram was slowly establishing himself in his new land there was a skirmish between rival lords. 5 of them had been subjugated to an alliance of 4. The 5 decided to go on strike and refused to pay tribute to the 4. After all, they had been under their control for 12 years. The 4 led by Kedorlaomer weren't going to give in so easily so on their warring expedition they decided to do battle. The 5 were easily conquered and led as captives as far north as Damascus which could be as far as 100 miles away.
Abram got wind of the battle and decided to take action because his nephew Lot was among those taken away (v. 13-17). Abram gathers his own army which consisted only of his family and servants and marched in pursuit. He catches up to the enemy, defeats him, and begins his return home. As Abram makes his way he nears a small village named Salem.
Here he encounters two prominent figures. The first is the king of Sodom (one of the 5 defeated kings) and the second is the King of Salem - Melchizedek. Seemingly Abram stands between these two dignitaries and is compelled to make a decision. The first king, Sodom, offers Abram all the goods or booty of the victory (v. 21). Mechizedek on the other hand only brought out bread and wine to offer some nourishment (v. 18). It was a very natural and neighborly thing to do. What Abram does is truly remarkable. Instead of accepting King Sodom's offer which could have been quite lucrative, he bows down to Melchizedek and offers him 1/10 of everything he had (v. 19-20). And then even rebukes the King of Sodom (v. 22-23).
The question is why? Anyone in their right mind would have been glad to accept Sodom's generous offer - it would have made Abram rich. It was especially significant because just prior to this God had promised all the land to Abram. God even said he would be great and the land would all be his as far as his eyes could see. It would be very logical to assume that God's hand was in this whole rescue and now the rewards of the covenant promises were coming to pass. Except the one making the offer was the king of Sodom and there is no way he could be part of God's plan. Instead Sodom represented the lure and trap of the world. It was exactly opposite of what God wanted of Abram. The other choice was Melchizedek. And for reasons only hinted at in the story, Abram surmised that since this was a High Priest of the Most High God, he had better give credit and honor and recognition to him rather than take it for himself. It was the perfect choice.
But that is only half of the story. Now we need to know who is this Melchizedek, where does he come from, and what does he represent?
Uncharacteristically, Melchizedek is introduced with no biography or background (Hebrews 7:3). Every major OT person has a lineage and place of origin, yet Melchizedek is presented without these important details. The significance of this is explained in Hebrews. Melchizedek, whose name means "king of Righteousness", is High Priest of the Most High God. He is the king of Salem which is the Hebrew word for Peace. Salem is a small village which later becomes the city of God – Jerusalem. All of these details along with his sudden appearance and then sudden disappearance are all part of the scene now presented with Abram and the king of Sodom.
Abram who had won a substantial victory is now presented with a choice. Either he is made ruler of the land by the world (Sodom) or he humbles himself before the High Priest of the Most High God. The first is attractive and luring but would reject giving credit to God. Abram was supposed to receive all the covenant promises from God and not through his own personal victories and conquests. Sodom tempted Abram to claim kingship, but Melchizedek blessed Him after Abram presented him with an offering.
The key to all of this is the phrase “after the order of Melchizedek”. In this world we have two orders – man and God-man. The first is God’s creation through Adam and Eve the parents of humanity, sadly, this order fell into sin. In order to save this order God introduces another order, another man who is above and beyond the confines of human falleness. This second order has to be connected to the first man (human) yet beyond man by being sinless. We all know that this second order is completed in Jesus Christ who is both man and God. A man who is not affected by the fall and thus is qualified to save the order of things.
What we need to see is that the introduction of this second order is not Christmas but actually foreshadowed in this amazing story of Abram and the battle of the kings. The sinful order (Sodom) is on one side of Abram, and the other is Melchizedek the High Priest of the Most High God. Melchizedek who miraculously, supernaturally, appears on the scene is the entrance of the new order. Some will even say he was Jesus himself. Whether he was actually Jesus or a type of Jesus is supported in the Psalms (110:4), where it says “you are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek”. This means Jesus followed the unexpected order of priesthood. All the priests of the Bible were from the line of Levi. But Jesus didn’t follow that line, rather received his qualification from a different order namely Melchizedek.
So what we have is Abram standing between man and God-man and providentially he recognizes is only course of action. He chooses to give his allegiance to the God-man and thus receives the blessing. He is now qualified to represent the father of God’s people and enter into the covenant relationship. Later when Jesus came on the scene he fulfilled the promise and now offers to all of us the privilege of being part of this new order. We are no longer just human but we are adopted into a new order – a royal priesthood after the order of Melchizedek.
Now how cool is that!
Friday, November 14, 2008
Starting Over
So after 2 months of just plain, boring rest, I began Physio this week for my knee(s). I went to see the same Doctor as Art Smit a couple of weeks previous who gave me a prescription for several sessions.
On the whole it seems a lot of what was agitated in my right knee has healed but there are still a few areas and muscles that are still tight causing mild discomfort. There is still very minor swelling (I didn’t even notice :P).
My physiotherapist started me up on a few exercises to strengthen my hip flexor and rotators and the glutes, plus another muscle that I cannot remember the name of.
Well, let me say it’s official. I have lost every bit of strength in my leg muscles from this summer. I cannot believe how tired (and sore) I am getting from these simple exercises. It’s so sad, lol. But I know it’s the beginning to preparing my body for next years season and well to just be able to bike in general.
It’s been extremely hard to put aside my athletic activities while I let my body rest and heal over the last couple of months so even though I know how tough it is going to be to get back into working out I’m also extremely excited for it.
But I’ll admit it’s no wonder why so many people give up all the time. It’s amazing how quickly your body loses shape once you stop (only 2 weeks!!). It seems like you are always starting over.
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