Wisdom Through the Ages

Today was one of my favourite days of the school year--Grandparents' Day (notice the correct use of plural possessive?  Hopefully, some of my Grade 5 students read that).  What a wonderful day to celebrate our Lord's covenant faithfulness!  Our class began the day reading from Psalm 78.

What is Grandparents' Day/this Psalm about?  "Telling to the generation to come the praises of the Lord, and His strength and His wonderful works that He has done."

Why do we tell them the praises of the Lord?  "That the generation to come might know them, the children who would be born, that they may arise and declare them to their children, that they may set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep His commandments."

As I met with many grandparents today, I was reminded again that even though we are unfaithful, God is faithful.  I was also reminded that He is a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon generations of those who hate Him, but showing lovingkindness to thousands, to those who love Him and keep His commandments. (Deuteronomy 5).  Thanks be to God that He is faithful from generation to generation. 

The Wisdom of Children

Good Friday 2012

Nolan (my 4-year old son):  "Dad, today 2 great things happened today!"

Me:  "Really, what happened today?"

Nolan:  "Jesus died on the cross AND no more training wheels!"

After a thought-provoking Good Friday sermon, my son and my wife also provoked my thinking.  While we were eating lunch that day, Julie pondered the death of Christ by asking, "I wonder how the disciples felt on Good Friday?"  Good question.  Several days later I came across at least part of the answer.  The Bible tells us how they felt in Luke 24:21.  "We were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel.  Indeed, besides all this, today is the third day since these things happened."  They evidently felt confusion, frustration, disappointment.

Nolan has a very different reaction to the death of Jesus Christ.  I love how Nolan compares the most exciting thing in his life (riding his bike without training wheels for the first time) to His Saviour dying on the cross for his sins.  Wisdom from the mouth of a child indeed!

Wisdom from the Word

April 8, 2012

Vineland, Ontario

Rev. Pieter VanderMeyden led the Vineland congregation in celebrating the resurrection of our Saviour this morning.  He read from Luke 24, focusing on verses 36-43.  The theme was Jesus Makes His Disciples Witnesses of His Resurrection. 

 

1) He made them witnesses by His repeated appearances.  The ten appearances of Jesus between His resurrection and ascension were the means Christ used to equip His disciples.  He brought them a gospel full of comfort, but the disciples did not believe it.  It sounded to them like “idle tales.”  For many in our culture, the resurrection sounds like an idle tale.  A quote:  “Chocolate brings more comfort to their bodies than the resurrection brings comfort to their souls.”

2) He made them witnesses by His confirming signs.  Jesus gave them signs for four senses:  Hearing (v. 36), sight (39), touch (39), and common sense (41).  He is further equipping the disciples to preach the resurrected Christ with power, conviction, and assurance.  There is much evidence of this preaching in the book of Acts.  Christ showed Himself convincingly to His disciples, but the question remains, “How do we become believers in this resurrection?”

3) He made them witnesses through His Word and Spirit.  This is the main way believers are brought to the conviction of the truth of the resurrection.  Jesus constantly referred to the Old Testament Scriptures, proving that they are an infallible means of faith.  He did not use visible signs on the road to Emmaus.  He simply spoke and let His Spirit work.  We have this sufficient means to make us witnesses of the resurrection.  God’s people need to come to God’s house prepared and expectant for the Holy Spirit to open their understanding.  A quote:  “Thomas, don’t miss the Lord’s Day where you are called to be.”  Each Lord’s Day, God equips His people through the power of His word and Spirit.

He is risen indeed!

Getting Started

"But where can wisdom be found?  And where is the place of understanding?  Man does not know its value, nor is it found in the land of the living...It is hidden from the eyes of all living...God understands its way and He knows its place." (Job 28)   

I have decided to call this blog, "Standing Under Wisdom."  As a Christian school teacher, I pray each day that God would give me wisdom as I lead His covenant children.  My prayer is also that the students would be educated toward a love of wisdom.  As a Christian father, I desire that my children also seek godly wisdom. 

I hope that standing under wisdom will help me to understand wisdom more clearly.  May we experience God's blessing as we seek wisdom together.