Toronto, Ontario, Canada. 4 April 2012

JUDGMENT!

More than a decade ago I remember walking the streets of downtown Toronto during the time that the Molson Indy was taking place at Exhibition Place, and racing cars were burning rubber and leaving tread marks on the tarmac of our streets. During my youth I was a fan of that fraternity, and had actually attended meets at the local track in the country of my birth, far, far away. I had also watched many a Formula One Grand Prix live on television, and followed the racing drivers all around the world virtually, as they battled for supremacy and the title of the fastest man alive, driving the machines that could take them to the limit of safety, pushing the borders of the possible into previously unexplored territory, all the while leaving victims and heartbroken families in the quest for speed, supremacy and the title of world champion, and all the accompanying trappings of fame that that title brings.

Deafening, thunderous and compelling

There was the usual publicity build up and media frenzy that accompanied the event in the summer of that year, but what made it impossible to ignore for anyone living downtown within 5 kilometres of Exhibition Place, was the roar of these machines as they sped around the track for a few days, during the practise sessions, and on the day of the event itself. It was deafening, it was thunderous, it was compelling. On the day of the race, the snarl of powerful turbocharged fuel injected engines dominated the atmosphere of downtown Toronto.

Another place. The Middle East. Another city. Jerusalem. Another time. Two thousand years ago. Another event. Passover. Another people. The Hebrews. Passover was the event of the year for the Jews of Jerusalem, and many people traveled great distances, from distant corners of the known world, to be in the city for this time of celebration and remembrance. The Roman government of the day were tolerant of the Jewish religion, as long as the event remained peaceful, but they were also well prepared to deal with any riots that might ensue when myriads of people ascended to Jerusalem for this festival. It was a cosmopolitan city at the time, with many nations, cultures and languages being spoken and evident. Surrounded by a high, thick stone wall, it covered an area of roughly 12 square kilometres¹. One could only enter the city through one of its gates. This particular year, something happened, that made Passover unforgettable. An event so momentous that it changed the course of human history and the destiny of the Roman Empire forever. Two thousand years later, we are not sure of the exact location, but understand that it was somewhere just outside the city wall, on the north western side.

Shook the entire city

What made it so memorable? There were shouts, voices, confusion, and crowds of people milling about the city, firstly near the Temple that Herod had built, and then later, near the Antonia Fortress, and after that moving toward the city wall on the north western side, where a large crowd was seen moving out of the city through one of the gates. The Roman authorities appeared to have the situation under control, for there were soldiers everywhere. There were conflicting stories. People discussed, argued and debated furiously. What all saw and felt cannot be denied. There was a great earthquake that shook the entire city. The sky turned dark, very dark, for a few hours, in the middle of the day! The sun stopped shining². This was something that no one living had ever experienced. That was on the second day of Passover. Three days later there was another violent earthquake³. Everyone saw and felt that one too. The earthquakes even frightened the soldiers, hardened veterans of many wars.

This year Passover falls on Saturday 7 April. The Jews remember and celebrate their deliverance from slavery, their subsequent occupation of the Promised Land, how they became a nation and who made it all possible. This year Christian Easter and Jewish Passover coincide. Easter Friday falls on 6 April, and Easter Sunday on 8 April. The Jewish Passover prefigures and symbolizes the true significance of the Christian Easter, and reminds us that Christianity grew out of Judaism, and that its founder is a Jew, a descendant of Israel, a son of Abraham and of the kings David and Solomon. The Christian church explains to all who are interested the true meaning of Easter, at this time. Attending church will enable you to hear the message and understand its significance. Mercy triumphs over judgment!⁴

References:

1. NIV Study Bible. Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan. 2008: pps. 1552-1553; map 10 (p. 2351).
2. The Holy Bible, New Testament: Matthew 27: 51; Luke 23:44-45.
3. The Holy Bible, New Testament: Matthew 28:2.
4. The Holy Bible, New Testament: James 2:13b.

Images:

100_1258.JPG The Learning Bible, Contemporary English Version. American Bible Society, New York. 2000. map p. 2376.
100_1257.JPG The Learning Bible, Contemporary English Version. American Bible Society, New York. 2000. illustration p. 1808.

Toronto, Ontario, Canada. 8 December 2011

REVEALER OF MYSTERIES

Giving a gift is a form of communication between the giver and the recipient that conveys a message of appreciation and an affirmation of relationship. Sometimes the nature of the gift indicates an issue in the relationship that needs to be addressed; other times, it says, everything is going well, but this will make it even better. The gift should be relevant to the relationship and the times that we are living in. It should, at the least, maintain the relationship, and at the best, improve it. The gift should be appropriate to the type of relationship that exists between the giver and the recipient. The best kind of gifts are those that elicit a “This is where its at!“ response. The truth is that this happens very rarely, unless one spends considerable time, effort and expense in choosing the gift.

FAMILY MATTERS

Only the super wealthy can afford to give gifts of real estate. Gifts that convey much needed knowledge that shed light on and offer a solution to an intractable problem are highly esteemed. Gifts that warn of impending danger and so help us to avoid it are life saving. Gifts that promote family values will enhance family relationships. Gifts that remind us of the foundation of our beliefs affirm what is best about it. Gifts that remind us that many of those who have gone before us lived through more desperate times than we are experiencing, give us perspective, and validate the great hope that faith gives.

In this materialistic age of forensic science, nanotechnology and pop psychology, gifts that affirm the supernatural and mysterious nature of our Spirituality are of inestimable worth.

Why would a group of wealthy, influential and gifted men risk their lives, travel hundreds of miles through hostile terrain populated by nomads and bandits to give precious gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh to a complete stranger, and an infant, at that? Why would they kneel before him and worship him? Why would they then disappear and never be heard from again?

Relatives are people whom we have a blood relationship with, by birth, not by design. They are constants in the equation of life. Their value cannot be altered, and if they are omitted, the equation will yield the wrong result.

Musicality is a gift that binds people together and affirms a relationship between them, sometimes defined by the music itself, its composers, the musicians that play it and the singers who perform it. Eloquence is a gift that can inspire, motivate and unify disparate peoples, give them hope, and spark forward movement towards a better future, and a better faith.

The modern obsession with exhaustive, copious detail, endless analysis, massive overkill, propaganda and publicity remind us that in many cases, this results in gagging, numbness, stupor and confusion, particularly amongst the young. Great leaders attract devoted followers, and are recognised and affirmed even from a young age. History teaches us that the evidence has to be weighed and sifted objectively, with humility, and being aware of the traps that exist to test us.

History teaches us that some great leaders have risen from poverty to prominence, because their talents demanded it, because their peers promoted them, because they realized no one else was willing to take the risks, in order to reap the rewards. History teaches us that life is cheap, that the poor are neglected, shoved aside and abused, but someone changed all that.

A leader quite unlike his brothers and sisters, and yet at the same time, indistinguishable from them. A leader who trained a group of young men to continue his work after he was gone. A leader who raised the status of women. A leader whose family fled the land of their birth because of ruthless, political persecution. A leader whose early years are, for the most part, shrouded in mystery. A leader who repeated the pilgrimage of his ancestors.

SADNESS TO GLADNESS

It is possible to overcome humiliation. There can be a new beginning now. Sadness can be replaced with joy. We need an annual reminder. It is a good tradition. The mass media can play a meaningful part in conveying this message of hope. They can be agents of positive change. Commercialization is also recognition. This message needs to be magnified. It needs to be emphasized. It needs to be told simply, yet also completely. Let’s celebrate it.

Let’s revere it. Its popularity endures because the Festive Season is the best part of the year.

It is the time of the birth of Yeshua Ha’Mashiach. Jesus is the reason for the season. Christ is the hope of the church.

Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Saturday 27 August 2011

MODERNISM

People who live and work in metropolitan Toronto and don't drive or own a vehicle, use the TTC buses, subway and taxis to get around. A popular recent innovation, apart from the increased use of bicycles by the health conscious, is the use of electric scooters. These are popular because they are economical, and don't require a driver's licence, or a vehicle licence and insurance. The advantage of electric scooters over bicycles is they will get you from A to B faster, and you won't arrive at B sweaty and exuding body odour. When the battery runs down on your electric scooter, you can even continue peddling by foot. Cycling however, will keep your body fitter and trimmer, and your weight down.

Presto card

For regional transit, there is the new METROLYNX system, consisting of the GO trains and buses, and the other suburban transit systems. I picked up a nine page brochure recently entitled "How to use PRESTO on GO Transit." Its about how to use the new green PRESTO card, which is a smartcard that can be loaded with funds and used for regional transit around southern Ontario. Ideally, this card system should be used in metropolitan Toronto as well. Passengers on the TTC still only use cash, tokens, and metropasses. Standardizing the payment system throughout the GTA would be a great leap forward, but at the moment it doesn't seem to be happening, and won't be in the foreseeable future.

Taxis

People who are environmentally conscious see using public transit and other forms of transport that don't emit high amounts of pollutants, are more economical and more energy efficient as the way forward. While owning and driving a vehicle is always a lot more expensive, it offers more privacy, more luxury and the ultimate in convenience. For them it is also a matter of status. The vehicle you drive is an important statement about who you are, what you are, and how much you have. Finding and paying for parking in the city is another daily challenge for these people. Taxis abound in the city as well, for those that find the thought of mixing with and sitting beside ordinary folk in a bus or train to be unstimulating.

And then there is the matter of the price of fuel, as well as the cost of maintaining and housing the vehicle. It all adds up. Having owned and driven various cars and motorcycles for some years, I now see them as luxuries. However, many people work in industries where the use of a vehicle is mandatory and indispensable. But the problems that modern megacities have with traffic congestion during peak hours, and the smog created at the same time, mean that greening the city by reducing the amount of harmful emissions into the atmosphere, as well as the traffic congestion, and the accident rate, are the way forward. This means introducing a trend of reducing the number of vehicles on our roads, and making them all more energy efficient and safer.

Solar powered vehicles

Most cities have a growth tendency, which means that as the populations grow, so does the need for more roads and better public transit, and the number of vehicles on the roads increases as well. More alternative modes of transport must be developed that emit no carbon footprint, are energy efficient and safer as well. The two wheel Segway personal vehicle was introduced a few years ago, but it didn't seem to catch on, and I haven't seen any recent versions of this vehicle being promoted. Solar powered vehicles have zero carbon footprint, and run silently as well, but a commercially viable prototype has not emerged from this sector yet.

Decentralization

Most modern auto manufacturers have seen the writing on the wall and have developed and introduced hybrids, and some have also launched electric vehicles as well. The trend seems to be moving toward increased safety, comfort and energy efficiency. Buses and subway cars have become digital, more comfortable, and less crowded, for the most part, except during peak hours. The digitalization of the workplace and improved efficiency of internet communication mean that corporations can decentralize, and communicate remotely, and people can work independently because they are connected to one another by digital networks. What this means is that in the future, cities should grow more outwardly, in the horizontal plane, by suburban sprawl, by decentralization, and less upwardly, in the vertical plane. Vertical urban growth causes overcrowding and congestion, and the need for millions of vehicles to converge on the city center every morning, and depart the city center every evening.

Toronto, Ontario, Canada: 30 July 2011

HEALING IN HIS WINGS

The news stories currently making headlines remind us that we live among sick people. Some of us work with sick people every day: its hard for us to imagine a world where there will be no more sickness, or for that matter, believe in a Healer who can heal every kind of disease and illness. Some people are born that way, with various deformities, some external and visible, others internal and unseen. It had nothing to do with anything that they themselves did. They inherited their lot. Meanwhile, Olympians are preparing themselves for the 2012 Olympic Games, to be held in London, England. These athletes, icons of youth, health, strength, vigour and athleticism, have to isolate themselves from the rest of us, and focus completely on their training, to reach the pinnacle of fitness and preparedness that will ensure a champion's performance at that time.

elite athletes

They usually withdraw from society and join a camp of other Olympians from the same nation, who follow special training and dietary routines scientifically proven to produce peaking strength, stamina, performance and motivation. Bringing these elite athletes together so that they can rub shoulders with one another, as well as be mentored by past Olympic champions produces the best results. It has been proven. Meanwhile, the rest of the world limps on, battered by wars, financial challenges, natural disasters, and tragedies of various kinds. There is tension. For athletes, tension is a good thing. It produces mental sharpness, helps them to focus, and gets the adrenalin flowing. For governments, tension has to be managed, so that stability will ensure the continuance of good government, law and order, and peace.

positive tension

But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings, And you will go out and leap like calves released from the stall."
Malachi 4:2

On the personal level, tension has both of these aspects. The positive aspect of tension is that it is a necessary part of life that reminds us that we live in an imperfect world, that we should be vigilant, focused and intentional in our response to it, and use it the way an athlete does, to sharpen and improve our performance. The interesting thing about tension is that, for example, you can use it to learn lessons from people that you do not like. You might absolutely abhor a person, for example, but if you put their life under a microscope, and examine it, you will learn a lesson or two. Try it. The lessons, instinctively, might be examples of what NOT to do (the behaviours that you find offensive, that you abhor). But then go on beyond that, and try to find some positive lesson from that person that you at first ignored, because of the more blatant offensive behaviours. Try it, it works.

negative tension

But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not be faint.
Isaiah 40:31

The negative aspect of tension on the personal level is that it is debilitative. Its source has to be identified and reduced, if it cannot be eliminated. A certain amount of tension is an integral part of life and is healthy, but too much tension causes misery, and an inability to be objective and to react appropriately to the people and circumstances of our daily lives. Elite athletes have learnt the lesson of reducing unacceptable levels of negative tension and using positive tension to enhance their performance at just the right time. Of course they have a team of handlers assisting them in this task, but when all is said and done, at the event itself, it is their own performance that counts and stands, and remains in the record books as a testimony of their prowess.

balance

Finding the right balance between two extremes is a matter of having the best teachers and coaching, and having learned to apply the lessons taught, denoting a certain high level of maturity, self-discipline and focus. Confidence comes from having grown, acquired wisdom and knowledge, and trained one's body, mind and spirit to a point approaching perfection. Athletes who have reached this level become aware of a sublime experience that is transcendental. We admire their heroic feats, and their performances inspire us and fill us with admiration, hope and joy, if only for a brief while, because we remember that they are human, just like everyone else, and it is difficult to maintain near perfect levels of performance over extended periods of time.

Toronto, Ontario, Canada: 11 June 2011

FROM GUTENBERG TO THE NET

Gutenberg, that amazing craftsman, inventor and innovator built the first workable printing press in the fifteen century. This heralded the beginning of the printed word, which most of us take for granted nowadays without giving it much thought. Before the era of printing, scrolls, manuscripts, books, etc, had to be produced by hand, by scribes, a laborious, slow process that required expert calligraphy and artistry to produce even the most elementary document. The earliest documents were inscribed on rock surfaces, animal skins, clay tablets, wood boards, metal plates, papyrus scrolls, cloth books, parchments and then finally on paper. The Gutenberg press speeded up the production and distribution of documents, and thus was instrumental in causing an explosion of knowledge amongst the people of Germany, Europe, and later on the rest of the world. The knowledge thus gained was significant in the social transformation and improvement of the societies it permeated.

Today the digital document, which is stored in a different form than it is displayed, is fast becoming the standard. Producing such documents is in itself a field of endeavour that requires innate talent, considerable training and some experience. Such a document is invisible its stored form. It is a nanotechnology that cannot be observed with the naked eye. However, just add a device and a power source, and your digital document springs to life in all its glory, on an electronic reader in the palm of your hand, or on a jumbotron in a stadium seating 100 000 people.

The free flow and exchange of information and ideas in the age of the Net has caused another explosion of knowledge, particularly with the advent of social networking. Governments throughout the world are struggling to contain the economic, political and social ripples that have resulted from this new wave of freedom of information. Like any other freedom, there have to be limits, for our own good, to protect ourselves, to protect each other, to protect legal rights of intellectual property and to maintain the peace. But digital documents, be they text, images, video, audio, animation, or a combination of all of the above, once they are published, have a life of their own, irrespective of copyright laws, people's rights, or their fears.

Laws and statutes are continually being updated and enforced at the local level and national level, but this becomes much more difficult internationally because of the elusive nature of digital documents in their stored form. The truth about any matter will eventually come out, as will various distorted versions of it. Here discernment is the ability to assimilate the contents of what is being presented, to rate it according to one's present knowledge base, and then treat it according to one's predetermined process. The Net, because it consists of networks, has taught people to network, and brought them together in community, which is good, because we are not meant to live alone, in isolation.

There is an ongoing battle between those who believe that all knowledge and information should be freely available to and shared by everyone, those that make money by selling knowledge and information at a price, and also others who believe that knowledge and information should be controlled, as should who gets access to that knowledge and information. We have resolved this dilemma by categorizing data on the Net, and using different channels to control it, and who gets access to it. Some data is freely available to all, expert advice is available at a fee, and some information is controlled, so that people who wish to access it have to submit to a screening process, and may be refused if they are deemed unworthy.

Both the Gutenberg press in the fifteen century and the Net in this, the early twenty first century have resulted in an explosion of knowledge and information. Both of these marvelous inventions have improved the quality of life of vast numbers of people all over the planet. At the end of the day, however, you yourself have to realize that the knowledge and information that has been made available has included much sagacity, but also at the same time, much foolishness. You have the liberty, that is, adults have the freedom of access to both, and I hope and pray that you would learn to distinguish between the two, to learn to seek wisdom and to avoid folly, because, by so doing, you will improve your quality of life and that of those nearest to you, and you will live a lot longer as well. If Gutenberg were still among us today, he would probably have said: "I started a good thing."

Toronto, Ontario, Canada: 19 May 2011

YOUR GIFTS

This is a somewhat generic Canadian Calendar that reflects my mixed heritage. My heritage is of Christianity, but it has been a mixed journey that began in evangelicalism, included patriotism in my early teens, and then militarism was mixed in my late teens, reflecting the changing social, political and geographical factors and the rites of passage that a male goes through as he grows up. All through this has run a strand of God's grace, reaching out to me, touching me, changing me, correcting me, disciplining me, filling me and transforming me into his image. Christ led me into the Pentecostal experience of the baptism in the Holy Spirit in my early twenties. That was three decades ago, and he is not finished with me yet!

Open the gifts link in a separate tab. The image above shows what will appear on your screen. Select what month's calendar you want on the screen form, and then click on 'Show Calendar.' The file that appears on your screen is a java graphics file. The image below shows what it should look like on your screen. Now select "Print preview", adjust to “Landscape” mode, set the margins to 10mm all around, erase headers and footers, and then print out the calendar on A4 paper on your printer. Some other adjustments may be required on your particular printer.

The resulting calendar should look like what you see in the photo below. Someone at work asked me: "Where is the title that tells you what month and year the calendar is showing?" The month and year appear in light gray as a background in the middle of the calendar. What you see is what you get! June 2011 promises to be an interesting month. I'll resist the temptation to make exact predictions of any sort, but instead I'll just narrate and play it by ear. Thursday June 2 is Ascension Day on the Christian calendar. On this day Christians throughout the world remember that forty days after Jesus was raised from the dead, after he had appeared to his disciples on a few occasions, spoken with them, eaten with them, and taught them about the Kingdom of God, he was then taken up to heaven before their very eyes (Acts 1:9-11)!

What many Canadians will also be looking forward to on June 2 is the reopening of the federal parliament, after the recent elections won by the Conservative Party of Canada with a comfortable majority. The political landscape has changed, the economy needs more stimulus, and Parliament is charged with the challenging task of leading us into a brighter, better, more prosperous and peaceful future, in Canada and abroad. Ladies and gentlemen, destiny awaits you...

On the 8 June our Jewish friends and neighbours throughout the world celebrate Shavuot, the Festival of First Fruits, marking the beginning of the harvest season, as required by Torah. Sunday June 19 is Father's Day. Happy Father's Day, Dad! Thanks for being such a great father. Then Tuesday June 21 marks the beginning of Summer. Wow! it has been a long hard winter, and we have had a lot of rain in the Spring, so the harvest should be good in southern Ontario. What I like about Toronto, Ontario in the summer is the deep, blue skies, the happy people, the many events, the hot weather, the efficient air conditioning, the long days, and yeah, I could go on forever...

A date not found on most Canadian calendars is Pentecost, known to some Christians as Whitsun. The word Pentecost means "fiftieth day," and signifies the fiftieth day after the Lord Jesus Christ rose from the dead. It is celebrated this 2011 year on Sunday 12 June. On this day Christians throughout the world celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the first disciples, and the resulting birth of the universal church, with some 3000 conversions and baptisms on that first day, two thousand years ago. You can read all about it in the New Testament, in Acts chapter 2. Now that was some powerful apostolic preaching, praise God!

Our fellow Canadian Quebecois celebrate Quebec National Day on Friday June 24. Their language and culture enriches and enlivens the Canadian experience, and helps make Canadian federal politics a fascinating spectacle. Canadian multiculturalism is a model for the rest of the world, and an excellent example of how people of different tribes, nations, languages and ethnicity can come together, live together in peace, and work together in our communities for the greater good of all. In a world racked by wars and natural disasters, we have much to be thankful and grateful for. Amen.

Toronto, Ontario, Canada: 8 May 2011

SEEING THINGS THROUGH A GLASS DARKLY

"Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity (face to face)."

1 Corinthians 13:12 NLT

If you have ever studied Media Studies or Cultural Studies, you will have learned of the concept known as hegemony. This describes total domination of all the available media channels with a particular version of reality, a particular depiction of reality, an explanation of current events and their significance that you are obliged to accept as the prevailing truth.

If you have learned to be a media critic, you would try to find alternative channels that present other viewpoints that you may not have been exposed to as yet, to find a balance, or a synthesis, if there are still unresolved conflicts in your mind. Loyalty to a cause obliges you to accept and propagate the prevailing ethos of your group, irrespective of your own thoughts on the subject.

This becomes much more pronounced in times of war, when propaganda is used to demoralize the enemy and motivate your foot soldiers and inspire them to loyalty and obedience to the cause. Treason is punishable by death at such times. To a lesser extent, during election times, loyalty to the party's election platform becomes the rule, and any marked deviations from this norm by candidates representing the party can result in expulsion from the party.

We know that whatever is happening in the physical world, whatever can be observed, recorded and analysed, has its counterpart in the spiritual world that we cannot see. Believers know that we must turn to the Holy Bible to understand the spiritual realities hidden, that alone can place the physical world in an eternal perspective, not merely a temporal one. Let us consider perfection and completeness.

On the immediate, physical level, we know that there are certain spiritual experiences that open up the door to the invisible realm of the Spirit, and the understanding of eternal things. Just as marriage opens the door to adulthood, to sexual intimacy, to child bearing, to parenthood and to maturity, so in the realm of the Spirit, there is a frontier to be explored, to be subdued and to be conquered. This is what makes life an exciting adventure.

The many digital games available today to children explore this realm from a mythological perspective, a sensual perspective and as escapist entertainment. Unbelievers explore this realm from a humanistic or occultic perspective. The people producing and marketing these games however, take themselves and their art very seriously, while making a lot of money. Incidentally, they are conditioning the mind to a future wartime scenario, where the war will be fought with "Star Wars" weapons, possibly in space, as well as on the ground. The games have also spawned movies and books as by products.

Before time in eternity God existed together with a vast host of angels. This is fact. This is truth. There was perfection, and there was completeness. God was the eternal, almighty Ruler of the Universe, and the myriads of angels worshipped him as such. When the archangel Lucifer rebelled against God, there was war in the heavenly realms, and God and his angels fought against Lucifer and all the angels who had wrongfully sided with him. God won this war, and Lucifer (the devil) and his angels were cast out of heaven and thrown down to earth, the created, physical, world in which we live out our lives.

Formerly, there was perfection and completeness in the realm of the Spirit, and the reason that "God created the heavens and the earth," (Genesis 1:1) was to restore that perfection and completeness. Heaven had been depleted when Lucifer (Satan) was cast out of it together with his legions of angels. God's heart was torn, he was devastated, he was troubled. He grieved. Because he is the perfect God, because he is perfection, this wholeness had to be restored. That is why this world and everything in it was created. It is the means through which God will restore perfection to the heavens, the realm of the Spirit.

In the future, the realm of the Spirit and the physical world will be fused together and will become one. When the full number of saints has been saved, the number that restores perfection to the realm of the Spirit, the saints will replace all the fallen angels, and God, the heavens and the earth will be restored to perfection and completeness and peace, and the saints together with the angels will worship God for ever and ever. For he alone is worthy of such adoration.

Toronto, Ontario, Canada: 9 April 2011

GRACE MEANS THAT...

"He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification."

The Holy Bible, Romans 4:25 NIV

Grace means that God initiated a plan of salvation that would reach all people everywhere, to the ends of the earth. Easter is an annual Christian observance where we remember that the world crucified the Lord Jesus Christ. The cross is the symbol of Christianity. The cross reminds us that it was upon such a 'tree' that Jesus Christ, our Lamb of God, was hung and died. We also remember that Jesus, the son of Joseph, so it was thought, and Mary, overcame the world. We observe that the church, its people, are persecuted. We are mocked, scoffed at and often reviled. These are timeless, eternal, historical, spiritual truths. Christ Jesus teaches that love overcomes hate. He tells us that mercy is better than judgment. He instructs us to forgive and we will be forgiven. Die and you will live it is written. Believe and you will be saved it was said. Jesus Christ, our Advocate, has cancelled all our debts. He calls on us to live a life of faith in God. He offers the gift of eternal life and wellness. The paradox that we must embrace is that suffering is part of the Christian life. We must remember his suffering on our behalf. In reverence we must repent of our sins, turn away from them, cut them off, renounce them and forsake them. We must remove the dirty, old, sin-stained, stinky clothes that formerly covered our flesh, and clothe ourselves with the shining, clean clothing of righteousness and holiness. The resurrection is a powerful miracle, the life changing, death-defying life beyond the grave. Grace means that we receive mercy, kindness and compassion instead of judgment, condemnation and banishment. It is not through our own deeds, effort, pedigree, rewards, wealth, titles, recognition or fame. We receive the free gift of eternal life instead of everlasting torment in hell. We must be convinced that God raises the dead to life. We must believe that his mighty power saves and heals us. Be sure that King Jesus' resurrection proved that he was God incarnate. He is the eternal "I AM." Acknowledge that the blood of Jesus cleanses us from all our sins. Proclaim that the blood of Jesus makes us right with God. This is our faith in the finished work of Messiah Jesus. It is because of Easter we can have our sins forgiven. And because of Easter we can have peace with God. Also, because of Easter we can have eternal life. This means that we can have a faith relationship with the Saviour Jesus. To do this: allow Jesus, the Great Physician, to heal you today. Allow Jesus to save you, spirit soul and body. This is necessary because in the future the King over all other kings and the Lord over all other lords, Jesus Christ, will return. In the Scriptures it is written that he will raise the dead to life again. He will also receive the church, all the born again Christians, the saints, to himself. And he will judge the world, everyone else who rejected and ignored the Good News: are you ready for him? Grace means that God will bring this master plan of salvation to culmination and completion, suddenly, and finally. Yes. Amen. So be it. Come, Lord Jesus! Maranatha!

Toronto, Ontario, Canada: 5 December 2009

WHAT CHILD IS THIS?

Usually one considers the Nativity from a theological and doctrinal perspective, with a passage from one of the Gospels as an interpretive filter, and asks oneself the question: What is God saying to me at this time? But that is not who and where and what you are. You are pop culture. So, let’s apply a pop culture interpretive framework to the Christmas Story, because we must understand each other and embrace his Wisdom. First up, we have some romance, to satisfy the romantics: the engagement of Joseph and Mary. There are teen pregnancies. Fascinating!

FAMILY VALUES

Then, for the mature politicians, you have a housing crisis: there's no room at the inn. From the governor, you have a census. For the goths, there is a murder plot: Herod is killing all the babies in the region two years old and younger. So you are into family values. This is the pre-eminent family, its genesis. Talk about humble beginnings! But let’s not forget to talk about Spirituality.

There are dreams, spirits who bring messages and Jewish wizards from the other side of the River. They bring gifts: gold, perfume and oil. They worship the Anointed One. There are relatives who have also just begun a family: Zechariah the priest, his wife Elizabeth and their son John, who later becomes a very important man, respected by many, loathed by others.

Mary and Zechariah sing inspirational songs that later become chart toppers. Simeon and Anna, senior citizens, speak great words of hope and a better future in the temple courts. The genealogists are pondering the question: is this Immanuel? The King of the Jews was born in an enclosure for animals. His crib was a feeding trough.

He was visited on the night of his birth by herdsmen. Although there are paranormal signs and confirmations, this is hardly the birth of a ruler. It begins as the story of a slave. How cheap life was, and is. No allowances are made for a pregnant woman. Where is the compassion?

Other sons and daughters are later born to this couple, but none like this one. His parents, obeying the warning of a spirit who appears to his father in a dream, flee from an evil situation to the Land of the Pyramids. What follows is more intrigue and years of mystery. They were refugees there, acquiring dual citizenship.

HUMILIATION

It is a story of humiliation. It is a story of a new beginning. It is a story of joy. It is told every year. It is a tradition. It is depicted in film, on the stage, on television, radio, the internet and in print. It is used to trigger a marketing frenzy. It is commercialized. It is trivialized. It is ignored in favour of myths. It is mixed together with myths and legends to make it more palatable to the masses. It is celebrated. It is revered. It continues to fascinate, two thousand years later. It is the story of the birth of the Christ child.

LITURGY

I must have learned the Lord's Prayer somewhere between the ages of five and seven. I don't recall whether I learned to read first, and then learned the Lord's Prayer, or otherwise. I think I learned to read first, and then I learned the Lord's Prayer. This is the logical sequence. At that age, one does what one is told without thinking about the consequences. I was attending school and attending Sunday school. At school we used to recite the Lord's Prayer every day, Monday to Friday. At Sunday school, we were taught to pray spontaneously.

Learning to walk

Most of us know that we learned to walk instinctively before the beginning of our conscious memory. That is to say we cannot remember having learnt to walk, because our conscious memories only date from the age of about five onwards. We learned to walk a few years earlier. I remember the names of friends that I had when I was five years old. I was allowed an astonishing amount of freedom for a kid of that age, and I took advantage of it. My parents were not the hovering sort. At that age, most of my friends were pretty girls.

Responsible

Upon reflection, I come to the conclusion that I was a trustworthy individual, and responsible. I had an older sister and two older brothers to learn from. I did not follow them around like a lap dog. They had their friends and I had mine. At that age, age differences are like class distinctions among adults. You just don't associate with anyone else except your peers. We all attended the same school and church until the end of primary school. We all learned the same liturgies. At school we all wore uniforms; at church, we dressed smart casual.

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For yours is the kingdom, the power and the glory, for ever and ever, Amen.

Father, I confess that I am a sinner and I am sorry for my sins. Please forgive me. Jesus, take control of my life now. I believe you are God's Son and my Saviour and that you died on the cross and rose again from the dead. Help me to turn away from sin, and to live a righteous life by obeying your Word. Thank you for saving my soul. Amen.

We are talking about the sixties in segregated South Africa, as it was then. South Africa has evolved a lot since the sixties. It has grown up. Nkosi sikilele Afrika. God save Africa. When I was introduced to this anthem years later, it was by students at university. Their paradigm was politics. Politics and Spirituality embrace all of life. Whether we like it or not, our social interactions reflect this. At university, my spirituality was suppressed in favour of politics, or my spirituality was expressed through politics. I fed my spirit with politics, but somehow the diet didn't satisfy.

Freedom of expression

There are various forms of spirituality whether universal, or narrow, and various liturgies that are associated with all of these. Some forms of spirituality encourage freedom of expression, others suppress it in favour of orthodoxy and conformity. Wisdom becomes the ability to discern what is good and what is not. In this view, eternity is kept in mind, and the OT book of Job could be used as a filter. While suffering is the theme of this narrative, joy is its conclusion. One can also conclude from this narrative that immense wealth results in terrible suffering as well.

Great comfort

The best liturgies are the orthodox ones that have stood the test of time. They have lasted through centuries, wars, famines, epidemics, earthquakes, twisters and the like. They have stood the test of time and they teach us enduring truths. They are worth repeating, and remembering. I can recite Psalm 23. I can sing it as well. It is a source of great comfort to me, and it reminds me of the foundation of my faith. It was written by a boy who became a king, and who lived by this creed: "Touch not the Lord's anointed, and do his prophets no harm." (Psalm 105:15)

Toronto, Ontario, Canada. 09/11/09

Toronto, Ontario, Canada: 27 September 2009

HEAL OUR LAND

Life is good in Canada. It could be better, and it could be worse. I think we all want a better life. We know where we have come from, we know where we have been, and we all hope for a better future, a future that we can all be a part of, a future where we can all live together freely, without fear, and in acceptance of our neighbours. However, there is always the threat of chaos lurking at our doorstep, the unknown factors that threaten to overwhelm us and take us back to places and situations that we have escaped from previously.

Heal our land, our economy and our people, we plead. Unite us; give us a vision of a better future. Help us to understand the cost. Help us to move forward into the future with confidence, to take hold of new opportunities, to throw off whatever hinders us from growing and maturing, to be governable, to live in peace with our fellow citizens and to learn from each other. Culture. Wellness. Spirituality (Psalm 67; John 4:23-24).

Empower us with life and hope and the ability to participate in the arena of opportunity, to interact in these spheres of endeavour, to contribute to the betterment of our city, our region and our nation. Teach us to become builders, and not destroyers. Teach us to work for what is good. Teach us to build up our own lives. Teach us to build up the lives of our families, our organizations, our communities and Canada.

Teach us to build up our relationships in ways that will unite us so that we will enjoy the times and moments that we share with one another under the sun. Teach us to value life and to value one another. In Canada there is an abundance of wealth, land and natural resources. Teach us to exploit all of what has been given to us and all of what we have worked for, so that our days will be filled with building, and enjoying and doing.

Look up 1 Peter 5:7

Help us to focus on what will be best for us as individuals, as families, as churches, as communities and as a nation. Help us to be thankful for what we have, and to appreciate it. Help us to organize our lives so that we will maximise our productivity and enjoy performing to the best of our abilities. Help us to realize that competing is just as important as winning.

Teach us that participating is just as important as being the best. Motivate us to try again. Inspire us to set realistic, achievable goals. Remind us to live in the present, to let go of the past, and to take hold of the future. Remind to us look up more often, to be more vigilant, to be more alert, to be more ready to help out, and to be a part of the solution, not part of the problem. Give us the words that will set us free from the hindrances of life and release the blessings.

Toronto, Ontario, Canada: 9 September 2009

HISTORY

Today while researching whether my skype andrew.graeme.fuller reflects in cyberspace, I found this instead: 1820 Settler's site. Here you see the names of my father and mother, sister and brothers. There is no information in the genealogical fields because we are all still alive (Praise God!)! Although this information has been omitted, I must state for the record that my father and mother are still happily married.

My oldest brother John, constructed a genealogy of our family's heritage and placed it on a web site a few years ago, and I journalized a report ( click on Friday 1 April 2005) about that on this site. The South African Fullers emigrated from Great Britain to the Cape Colony as it was known then in 1820. I have not investigated this personally, but I believe that the Canadian and American Fullers also emigrated from Great Britain to North America centuries ago.

People migrate from one continent to another for a variety of reasons, but I guess everyone is seeking to live and enjoy life to the fullest, and so, if you have been struggling on a particular continent, and a door of opportunity opens to another continent, you walk through it. Centuries ago, the reasons for migration were as diverse as wars, plagues, and persecutions. These hardships caused mass migration of whole groups of people. Nowadays people might migrate for personal reasons such as bankruptcies, divorces or personal situations that became untenable.

Canada is a very popular emigration destination. Because my mother is Canadian by birth, I learned a bit about this wonderful country from her and my grandmother in my youth. The funny thing is, until I immigrated, I had never been to Canada. Also, the Canadians I met while still in South Africa were such interesting and friendly people. Some of them were distant relatives, others not. Canada receives refugees from war and disaster torn regions throughout the world, and helps these people regain a life and dignity. This nation has immense wealth and a big heart, and it shares that with these people.

Although there is also homelessness and poverty in Canada, generally speaking, even poor Canadians enjoy a higher standard of living when compared with other nations. It is said that there are many regions in the world where people would kill for the opportunity to emigrate to Canada. Incidentally, for you people in such regions who happen upon this web site, if you do that, and it is only discovered later, you would, in all probability, be deported and repatriated to your culture of origin. Alternatively, you would become a stateless person. And you would probably be imprisoned. At least.

Toronto, Ontario, Canada: 10 August 2009

POWER FROM HEAVEN

The conventional wisdom about wellness is that it includes a proper diet, regular exercise, eight hours of sleeping every night and Spirituality. Throughout our lives we accumulate knowledge about each of these aspects and how they differ according to age and gender. It is assumed that every adult does some kind of remunerative work, is seeking some kind of work or aspires to some kind of work, if they are younger. Viewed from the perspective of wellness, working frees the individual from annoying existential angst, allowing one to focus on the immediate task and derive pleasure from its successful completion.

Success involves achieving one's life goals. The young adult sits down with a pencil and a piece of paper and asks themselves the question: "What are you going to do with this life of yours?" Plan on living into your nineties. Some people achieve this goal. Set other life goals. Be realistic. Ask for advice. Do research. Assess your aptitudes, skills, and intelligence appropriately. What do you want to do? What kind of work do you enjoy doing most? What do you see yourself doing five years from now? What do you see yourself doing ten years from now?

Spirituality should help us achieve our life goals. This does not mean that we will never experience hard times, bad times and setbacks. Athletes are fouled. They get injured. Sometimes they are disciplined. Crucial decisions go against them. They fail to perform according to expectations and current form. They disappoint themselves and us. But they persevere, recovering from their injuries, pressing on, continuing to compete, to win and to enjoy life. Likewise, faith in God gives victory in life: he is the source of our spiritual power, inspiring us and giving us strength and hope sufficient for each day.

Review your goals from time to time and adjust them according to your present reality and the knowledge, experiences and wisdom that you have accumulated since your last review. Be advised that for some people this is a daily event, occurring early each morning. Be advised that some people live life one day at a time, seizing the moments and opportunities as they come and squeezing as much as they can out of each one, pressing on, reaching higher, going further. Whatever pattern you adopt, make sure you feel comfortable with it, and most importantly, that it works for you.

Toronto, Ontario, Canada: 21 June 2009

FATHER'S DAY

An Ode To Arthur
 
Oh, Arthur... ? Arthur!
I remember the days of old,
Looking across the decades
Of the times that span our lives.
You are approaching the ninth,
I have just about reached the fifth.
 
There was joy in my youth, Arthur!
It was your fourth decade.
You laboured and strived mightily
To feed, clothe and sustain 
Seven hungry souls. Wow!
I salute you. I respect you.
 
It was that city, Arthur, and the
Country that you served
That should honour you.
But the truth is that
The aged are forgotten and ignored 
While they are yet living.
 
From this distant land, Arthur,
Your sons remember, and
Your daughter too, where they are...
A father who loved,
A father who provided,
A friend who cared.

Toronto, Ontario, Canada: 9 April 2009

JERUSALEM, O JERUSALEM

He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.
The Holy Bible, Romans 4:25, NIV

- Easter is an annual Christian observance
- We remember that the world crucified Christ
- We remember that Jesus overcame the world
- We observe that the church is persecuted
- Timeless eternal historical spiritual truths
- He teaches that love overcomes hate
- He tells us that mercy is better than judgment
- He instructs us to forgive and we will be forgiven
- Die and you will live it is written
- Believe and you will be saved it was said
- Christ has cancelled all our debts
- He calls on us to live a life of faith in God
- He offers the gift of eternal life and wellness
- Suffering is part of the Christian life
- We remember his suffering on our behalf
- In reverence we repent of our sins
- The resurrection is a powerful miracle
- God raises the dead to life
- His mighty power saves and heals us
- Jesus' resurrection proved that he was God incarnate
- The blood of Jesus cleanses us from all our sins
- The blood of Jesus makes us right with God
- Because of Easter we can have our sins forgiven
- Because of Easter we can have peace with God
- Because of Easter we can have eternal life
- We can have a faith relationship with Jesus
- Allow Jesus to heal you today
- Allow Jesus to save you, spirit soul and body
- In the future Jesus Christ will return
- He will raise the dead to life again
- He will receive the church to himself
- He will judge the world: are you ready for him?

Toronto, Ontario, Canada: Saturday 4 April 2009

GESUNDHEIT! IN PRAISE OF THE WORKER

The recent restructuring of the economic landscape has given the worker unparalleled opportunity to exhibit resourcefulness, flexibility and versatility. A worker is worth their wages because labour produces value. Generally speaking, all work creates something, and the end product has more value than the raw materials it was made from. Not only is this so, but the worker increases in skill, and with the passage of time, the product produced improves in quality. Their compensation should thus increase, reflecting this added value. The worker's labour contributes to and stimulates the economy. Collective work produces a surge in the economy.

As good workers, you can take pride in your work because you are producing economic value. You can take pride in your position, occupying the middle ground between the poor and the wealthy. You provide the goods that keep the wheels of the economy turning and moving forward. The good worker has better prospects than the economically inactive, whether from the poor class or from the wealthy class. The good worker is a loyal team member. The good worker is a pillar in the community. The good worker is a solid citizen. Labour has dignity and it produces character and builds confident wholeness.

Regular work trains the worker, and builds an impressive resume, keeping you sharp and competitive. It turns you into a better person, because you have a deeper well of life experiences to draw from. Regular work matures you and keeps you strong and healthy. Regular work produces wealth, and wealth can make you happier. It increases your life options and gives you more freedoms. It attracts people to you. Regular work delivers you from your worst self, and turns you into a producer, a useful member of society and the body politic. Last, but not least, regular work satisfies and resolves most existential crises. Labour delivers and produces happiness.

In this dynamic economy, there are many options: take on additional responsibilities (this can make you indispensable); shed unwanted responsibilities (allowing you to focus on the essentials); retrain and change your job description; work fewer (or more) hours (the former improves your performance, the latter earns you more money); try hard to stay with your current employer and be willing to relocate if recently unemployed and employment becomes available elsewhere. So, with all of these options available to you, what is the best way to move forward from here? The guiding principle: do not contribute to the problem, participate in its resolution.

Toronto, Ontario, Canada: Tuesday 17 March 2009

LOVE AND FAITHFULNESS

The immigrant Canadian experience is often employed as a metaphor for Christianity and spiritual growth. Did you know that every Canadian citizen is given a copy of the Holy Bible when they are sworn in as citizens? The Canadian Bible Society is doing great missionary work in Canada and in other places. An immigrant faces many challenges in achieving assimilation: wellness, acceptance, success and prosperity. There is a meeting of cultures: the culture of origin and the culture of destination. The external manifestations of this phenomenon are cultural artefacts that change, clothing being the most obvious example. The great Canadian state, ordained of God, impacts and makes our lives better.

So, I must put off the old clothing of my culture of origin, and I must put on the new clothing of Canadiana. Of course this does not mean that men wear suits and women wear dresses. Perish the thought! We celebrate cultural diversity. It is also about becoming more personable, reflecting a change within us. There is more freedom here than in my culture of origin, and more opportunity. This has something to do with why I immigrated. A door of opportunity opened, and I walked through it. There was pain and suffering there. There is pain and suffering here. However, life has improved, and it is still improving and getting better.

I am a member of a relationally based mission family. Some years ago, I picked up a hitch hiker wearing traditional garb, and carrying a big stick. This was in my culture of origin. Barely had we continued driving when he suddenly turned to me and began scolding me in his native tongue, unknown to me. I was astonished. I stopped the car. I was in my thirties. "Get out!" I said. He got out. Today I find myself wondering who he was. I think I know why he did that. He knew who I was and what I should be standing for. It was a wake up call. He was a man of the people.

Toronto, Ontario, Canada: Tuesday 10 March 2009

WELLNESS

Today I want to draw your mind to an important date in the Hebrew calendar. This day in history, our eminent neighbours celebrate Purim, a feast, a "bash". They remember that in approximately 460 BC, their people were delivered from annihilation through the heroic intervention of the beautiful Queen Esther (formerly known as Hadassah) and her cousin Mordecai, the great Jew, the wise man, who was also appointed governor in Persia. The thirteenth to the fifteenth of Adar in their calendar. A fast followed by a feast, and the giving and receiving of gifts of food to one another and to the poor.

A celebration of life. A celebration of wellness. A time when they can say: "It is well with our souls." In Toronto, I live and work near a community of Jewish people. I move among them and some of them are business colleagues at work. The story of Purim is found in the OT book of Esther, a book which has achieved celebrity in the literary world, a masterpiece of literature which employs a certain literary technique that makes it accessible to everyone. Who really delivered them? "He was perfect in every way, and yet he had to be made perfect through suffering."

Christianity has its roots in Judaism. Our Spirituality emanates from the same source. I have always been drawn to them, and they to me. We have differences and similarities: the mystery of life and the riddles we have to penetrate, the suffering, the mourning, the celebration, the mutual understanding we can share. They are a persecuted people with traditional enemies, historic enemies, and this ongoing struggle must be traced to the continuing battle between light and darkness. The solution that is offered, the hope, the wellness, the joy is what bridges the gap between us and unifies us.

Toronto, Ontario, Canada: Sunday 4 January 2009

A NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTION: SHINE IN 2009

What should be done in 2009? I'm not that hot on New Year's resolutions. To tell you the truth, I haven't made any in years. I don't remember when last I made a resolution, or what it was. I don't keep records of that. I would say that moving forward, growing and maturing are processes involving reflection, decision and then action. But this is something that we do on a daily basis, not just once a year. I think steps, not leaps.

If you are thinking leaps then your resolution becomes a major event, a significant milestone in your life. One that you can look back on and boast about. And then of course there is the dealing with the guilt when you fail to keep it, the embarrassment and the humiliation. As you grow older, you may begin to realize that some of the resolutions that you made were too ambitious (you set yourself up for failure). Not to worry.

My belief is that we are all co-sojourners in the journey of life, carrying a yoke and a burden, and I'm keeping my yoke easy and my burden light. Some of you have a clue what I'm referring to here. The journey is meant to be pleasant. If it isn't, there is something you can do about it. For many people, 2008 was a bad year, and 2009 threatens to be more of the same. I am taking heed of the forecasts for 2009, and I remain optimistic. I've closed the door on 2008. There is no going back to it. Its finished. Its over. Yet within me there is this irrepressible joy, and this well of hope, and this sure foundation:

"Do not be overrighteous, neither be overwise- why destroy yourself? Do not be overwicked, and do not be a fool- why die before your time? It is good to grasp the one and not let go of the other. The man who fears God will avoid all extremes." The Holy Bible, Ecclesiastes 7:16-18, NIV

Watch yourself in 2009. Take care of yourself in 2009. Live sensibly, Live within your means and abilities, and allow yourself to succeed, one step at a time. I dare you to.

Toronto, Ontario, Canada: 22 December 2008

I gratefully acknowledge the grace of God in my life, that he has answered my prayers in 2008, sustaining me through trying times, changing circumstances and tests of faith. The Holy Spirit has encouraged me to look to Jesus continually for inspiration, strength and wisdom. He reminds me often to look deep into the past to find solutions and hope for the future, in the words that he has recorded for posterity: The Holy Bible. It is because my heavenly Father is still at work in my life that I built this web site, and have achieved something and grown in these last two years. To God be the glory - he is the Revealer of Mysteries.

Click on the 'Calendars' link above and check out the 2009 Calendars. There are black and white calendars and colour calendars with the ArtWorks JavaScript adding character. If you have a great colour printer, the effect produced is startling. I must add that these products have not been tested on browsers other than the more recent versions of Internet Explorer and Mozilla. They were produced on a limited budget, in a restricted time span, and at the interface between cultures, creeds and traditions, and they are still free.

16 December 2008

Dear Friends,

The immigrant Canadian experience holds hope of further improvements ahead, despite negative economic forecasts (the explosion of knowledge and networking ushered in by the Computer Age of the last fifty years means the economy and our governments will recover much faster than was the case in the first half of the twentieth century). I am asked occasionally whether and when I will visit the land of my birth. North America is such a vast continent, with so much more to see, and so much more to experience, I think. During the Festive Season, I encourage you to attend a church and consider the true reason for the Season.

Merry Christmas!

"But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus."

The Holy Bible, Matthew 1:25, New International Version

God caused a miracle to occur in the womb of the virgin, and a child was conceived and was born. Mary's soon to be husband, Joseph, named their son Jesus. His name means "God is salvation", or "the Lord saves" or "the Lord gives victory." The Hebrew pronunciation of his name is Yeshua. The Greek version of his name is Jesus.

27 April 2008

"Lord, I have heard of your fame;
I stand in awe of your deeds, O Lord.
Renew them in our day,
in our time make them known;
in wrath remember mercy."

Habakkuk 3:2
The Holy Bible

In this prayer, the prophet Habakkuk expresses his zeal for God, a plea for God to establish justice as he had done in days of old. He struggled to accept God's method of disciplining his people, his mind pondered God's mysterious ways, and his conscience troubled him. Yet, he had a strong faith in God, expressing it in this profound prayer. The Lord reminded Habakkuk that he exposes and judges arrogance. Only people who live by faith are acceptable to God (2:4). Though there be desperate times, we can rejoice because God continues to save, strengthen and enable his people (3:17-19).

I believe in prayer. I believe in praying the words of Scripture because therein is the power to reveal the wisdom of God for our situation, to make it known, to shine light in darkness, to spread it abroad to deliver spiritual blindness. The wisdom of God. Give sight to the blind, and blind those who claim that they can see. He is sovereign. I carry this burden that he has given me, eternity in our hearts, yet it is not unpleasant. To see him who is invisible, who is spirit, working out his purposes day by day, moment by moment.

I kneel down, I raise my hands to heaven and ask God to fulfill his word and his promises. I remind him that I am walking in obedience to his Spirit, and that I want to serve as I have served, bringing his kingdom and building his church. I ask him not to parade the sins of my youth before me, but to remember the blood of Jesus, my Saviour. I have no debt, but the continuing debt to serve him. Perhaps he has something else in mind. There have been dreams; there is a Pentecostal vision; there are anointings.

December 2007

Dear Friends,

Seasons Greetings! I hope that during this Festive Break, you have occasion to pause and reflect on the reason for the season. Some are fortunate enough to celebrate this time with family and/or friends, others travel the world, some visit the Holy Land and still others are tapped out in loneliness. We all need to find some comfort and hope to sustain us, we all need encouragement, we all need affirmation of our worth and wisdom to guide us into the future.

Sometimes we become acutely aware of this need, other times we bury it in our business. Most times in fact. All of the above is available on a daily basis, and its no secret, and I am not referring to Buddhism Hinduism. A sense of humour can assist us through good times and bad. Consider our common humanity, and chide our vanities.

May 2008 be a better year for you than 2007 was, if only so that you may learn a lesson about his kindness.

Finally brothers, Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable, if anything is excellent or praiseworthy, think about such things." The Holy Bible, Philippians 4:8

The north view through the patio door of my rental lodgings shows a snow bound garden, a fence and beyond that a park with a children's playground, now deserted. It is a bleak outlook. I sweeten it with music. I am enjoying some deluxe quality chocolates, a gift from a neighbour, generosity befitting the occasion. The white blanket of the coldest season of the year arrived a month earlier this year, and then I was reminded that 2008 will be a leap year. Where will you be on Friday 29 February 2008?

When you are stressed beyond natural limits, pushed beyond your comfort zone, worked to exhaustion, challenged to excel, driven to succeed, you need ongoing revelations that make it all worthwhile and give you positive perspective in the midst of a lot of negativity. You need to come to a place and be open to an experience that is undeniably supernatural in origin and thrilling in character, where empowerment and healing happen.

Church is the door to heaven, the place of revelation.

Be wise, be true.

Tap into the Higher Power - Plug into Hyperspace.

And let us consider how we may spur one another on to love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another- and all the more as you see the day approaching. The Holy Bible, Hebrews 10:24-25

20 September 2007

Dear Friends,

Recently I changed my pager number. It is now: 416 382 7705. It is a numeric pager with voicemail messaging, allowing you a message of one minute duration.

Call me with your greetings, messages of encouragement and good news, and give your name and contact number, including country code and area code. My email address remains unchanged:

Andrew Graeme Fuller
email: xxxxxx@xxxxxx.com
pager: 416-382-7705

With the pattern that Internet, cellular and telephone companies use to maximise their revenues, pagers remain a popular, economic option for screening out unwanted calls while still being able to respond immediately to important calls and emergencies.

In the modern megacity, people are connected to each other through digital networks. This means that their families, friends, churches, organizations and governments can monitor and participate in all their personal communications. This makes face to face communication more complex, challenging and taxing.

In His name,

Andrew G. Fuller

"I hope to see you soon, and we will talk face to face. Peace to you. The friends here send their greetings. Greet the friends there by name."
The Holy Bible, 3 John 14

10 June 2007

To my father:

I'm remembering you on Father's Day, this June 17, and the good lessons you taught me.

You fought in a war against tyranny in your youth, on a distant continent, and you were a military hero.

You met and married a woman who bore you children, and to whom you have remained faithful all your adult years.

You provided a home where Christian faith was nurtured, and you taught your children freedom, vigour and responsibility (and hard work)!

In your final few years, remembering what matters and passing your wisdom on to the next generation is what it is about.

Happy Father's Day!

From your son.

Ephesians 6:4

25 May 2007

To my niece:

What could I hope for you on your twenty first birthday?

A great celebration with all your friends!
Gifts that will satisfy the material instincts!
An unexpected surprise!

A door opens, and when you step through it in faith, you can choose what kind of life you will live. You can choose the road that you will travel, and on this journey you will experience traps, trials and tests: some desert experiences and some Eden experiences.

Try to avoid the former and embrace the latter, remembering that all the events in our lives teach us some lesson, and perhaps the most important is to live a life of love, and to accept suffering as a necessary ingredient in the mix, because it moulds our characters and enables us to better appreciate the blessings that are showered on us from above.

Give kindness when it is least expected, and you will reap a sure reward.

Happy 21st Birthday!

From your uncle

1 Cor 9:24

30 January 2007

Dear Friends,

It's the end of January, and it's snowing outside. It's been a busy month for me. I've had no time to work on web site content, other than on some routine maintenance. "Hello! How are you?" I will be adding some more content in February, so remember to return to my site to see my latest offerings.

Writing is like any other skill, you have to practice it as often as possible to keep it up to your usual good standards, and also to improve it. "Be all that you can be!" A good editor can improve what to may seem to be your best effort. Most established publishing houses have an editing process that involves a few people and their editing software packages. "How is she?" The final result is well polished, and meets the exacting standards that your readers expect.

The process of turning a manuscript into a book, the finished product, involves considerable time, energy, people and resources to produce an acceptable work that will find its niche in the market place. "Read his book? Never!" Writing the manuscript is only the first step. The second step is getting others to read it.

In the publishing world there is also surveillance. We are spies in the sense that we can covertly survey the literary landscape without admitting to others what we are reading. "They dare you..." The Internet is not a book that you carry around with you, that others can see the title of. If you read privately in your office or room, no one will know. "Hah! He saw you doing that-" All they know is that you are an Internet user. So then, what you read is, like your clothing, a reflection of what you are.

Publishing a literary work, or chapters thereof, on the Internet places it in the public domain, where web surfers can view it and decide on its merits. "Your writing is original!" It also makes it accessible to publishers, who have many people competing for their attention. "It's a printer's devil, I tell you." There is a view that a writer who consistently produces literary works of excellence must eventually capture the attention of a publisher, if that person's works are being published somewhere. It used to be in magazines, journals or newspapers. Nowadays it can be on the Internet as well.

In His name,

Andrew G. Fuller

Dear Friends,

Merry Christmas! Happy New Year! Christmas in Toronto, Ontario, Canada means different things to different people. There is diversity. What are all these people celebrating? The Festive Season! Holidays! Time Off! Friends! Family! Gifts! Giving! Receiving! Peace on earth! The birth of Christ!!

The JavaScript program 'ArtWorks' that I wrote recently will feature on this page in 2007. Each time someone visits this site the program generates an unique, one of a kind, never to be repeated work of art. Artworks also features in some of the 2007 Calendars. Check them out!

I hope that 2007 will be a good year for you! I also hope that during this time we will have the opportunity to meet again in person face to face and to share something of eternal significance.

Blessings,

Andrew G. Fuller

God is love.

Friday 22 December 2006