Jesus, food, community.

One thing we all have in common is food.
In North America, we usually all eat 21 meals a week. Couldn't we share more of these meals together in a way that builds friendships and community? We've been inviting people over for meals several times per week and it's been a great experience.

Last night we had 16 people over for Thanksgiving dinner. We had students from India, UAE, Africa, China, and Germany at the table with us (not to mention many Canadians)! We talked about why God exhorts us to give thanks, we read the first part of Psalm 103, and took turns sharing about what we're thankful for.
Some students at the table were not Christians and we had the pleasure of talking a little about faith with them.

Pray for those we meet and invite for dinners. Pray for our students to be hospitable to their peers and to shine the light of Christ in word and deed.

Fullness of Life: a reflection and a devotional

In John 10:10, Jesus says "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full."

Well I've been experiencing a very full week, yet it's been a mix between the thief's burglary and Christ's fullness of life. The thief has tried to steal life from me by causing me to worry, or to live independently from God's strength, but Jesus has been gracious and patient in bringing me back to his Gospel rest. You may be wondering why I'm writing all of this at 4 in the morning, but don't worry, it's not that I'm worried or overworked, but I just feel so rested that I'm awake and want to express Christ' life in me. 

Tonight (or last night) we had a worship night with all of the campus ministries at UVic and it was AWESOME! We met some new students, got them connected, praise Jesus to the top of our lungs, and prayed for God's glory to fill the campus.

May you be blessed this week. May your thoughts revolve around Christ's victory and what that means for you. May you abound in his grace, coming to know the dimensions of his love in greater ways.

Here's a devotional I wrote tonight:

(for more devos, click here)

But when you’re preoccupied studying for all your exams in life, never let this one truth be forgotten. Never let this crucial concept fade from the confines of your mind.

---

v2 For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.

If you forgot everything you knew but one thing, what would you want that one thing to be?

If you were to know one thing going into heaven, what would you want that one thing to be?

If you were to disciple a student in the gospel and could only teach them one thing, what would it be?

Paul’s answer was “Jesus Christ and him crucified”.

Was that your answer?

Maybe you thought it should be.

But maybe it wasn’t really your answer. If not, why?

Paul decided to know nothing among the Corinthian Christians except Jesus and His finished work on the cross because this is the one truth that gives us hope in this life and the next.

“It doesn’t just mean that I’ve got a clean slate but it means that I can walk in a living hope.”

“And him crucified” is used by Paul as a synecdoche, which isn’t a biblical term, but rather a literary term. Synecdoche is a figure of speech when part of something represents the whole thing. So in this case, “and him crucified” doesn’t just refer to Jesus’ death, but also refers to Jesus’ payment of sin for us, Jesus’ forgiving us, Jesus’ demonstrated sacrificial love for us, Jesus exchange of his righteousness for our sin (2 Cor 5:21).

“And him crucified” doesn’t just refer to “my Saviour died”, but the greater truth “my Saviour lives!”. It doesn’t just mean that I’ve got a clean slate but it means that I can walk in a living hope. It means that Jesus is not only the author of my faith, He’s also the finisher of my faith (Heb 12:2).

When you study hard for a test, or when you cram for the exam, you often forget the content from the last course you studied. But when you’re preoccupied studying for all your exams in life, never let this one truth be forgotten. Never let this crucial concept fade from the confines of your mind. Let it not flicker and dim. Let it be a bright lamp of hope for you in all of life. Let it not become a sticky-note covered up by all your note-cards and papers. Let it be that daily reminder on your mirror in the morning, as you look at your reflection, may this realization stay with you (James 1:24). Always remember Jesus Christ and him crucified. May that be the one truth you keep with you in preparing for life’s little exams, and more so, for life’s big exam.

Jesus,

Help me to remember you and your crucifixion, your love for me, your death for me, your resurrection life in me. Help me to keep this at the forefront of my mind. Keep me from the temptation of crowding out this thought with various lesser thoughts. May this be the core truth in my discipleship of myself and with others. Let this be the one truth that stays with me in life and death. In your precious name I pray. Amen.