Not by My Own Strength

July 29, 2026

Early in the morning, Jerub-Baal (that is, Gideon) and all his men camped at the spring of Harod. The camp of Midian was north of them in the valley near the hill of Moreh. 2 The Lord said to Gideon, “You have too many men. I cannot deliver Midian into their hands, or Israel would boast against me, ‘My own strength has saved me.’ 3 Now announce to the army, ‘Anyone who trembles with fear may turn back and leave Mount Gilead.’” So twenty-two thousand men left, while ten thousand remained.

4 But the Lord said to Gideon, “There are still too many men. Take them down to the water, and I will thin them out for you there. If I say, ‘This one shall go with you,’ he shall go; but if I say, ‘This one shall not go with you,’ he shall not go.”

5 So Gideon took the men down to the water. There the Lord told him, “Separate those who lap the water with their tongues as a dog laps from those who kneel down to drink.” 6 Three hundred of them drank from cupped hands, lapping like dogs. All the rest got down on their knees to drink.

7 The Lord said to Gideon, “With the three hundred men that lapped I will save you and give the Midianites into your hands. Let all the others go home.” 8 So Gideon sent the rest of the Israelites home but kept the three hundred, who took over the provisions and trumpets of the others.
-Judges 7:1-8 (NIV)

God is God isn’t he?  Then why is that many of us limit who he is?  Perhaps it’s because we live in North America where many of our needs are met.  Perhaps for some people you’ve been working the same job for many years and have the same routine and you’re stuck in a mundane pattern, and you’ve never really wrestled with the concept of God out there being the master and wielder of time and circumstances.

I’ve often heard the phrase, “…..with God all things are possible.” (Matt. 19:26).  But do you truly believe that?  Do you truly believe the same God resurrected Lazarus from the dead?  Do you truly believe Jesus resurrected from the dead and not just as head knowledge, but deep in your hearts?  Do you truly believe all things are possible with God or not?  Do you live by faith and not by sight? (2 Cor. 5:7).

To answer these questions, let’s look at what happened to Gideon.  In Judges 6, the Midianites and Amalekites invaded and plundered the Israelites.  They were feared and the Israelites were powerless against them.  The invading Midianites ruined the Israelites and so they cried to the LORD for help (Judges 6:6).  In Judges 6:7-10, God reminded the Israelites just who he really is and in Judges 6:12 God confirmed his providence to Gideon (and the Israelites) saying, “The LORD is with you, mighty warrior.”

Well, let me tell you, if God gives that kind of reminder, that should be a genuine wake-up call!  And God always keeps his word!  But let’s remember it’s God’s glory above all!  We may not understand God’s methodology at times, but we must always realize above all else, God does things for his own glory and it’s always good!  And in our text in Judges 7 Gideon starts with 32,000 men where 22,000 men left and 10,000 remained, but did you catch the reason why God cut down their numbers?  In verse 2 we learn God didn’t want the Israelites to boast saying, “My own strength has saved me.”  And that’s the point I want to make here or in other words, God is really God!  No matter what the enemy and no matter what the obstacle, God is still God and any challenge and problem in life is not too big that God can’t overcome it, but it must be for God’s glory!  God is not interested in the misplaced self-glory of man.  In our text, God makes his point even stronger by further cutting down the Israelite army’s number and eventually only to 300 men.  You’d think 300 men is still many, but not when you read Judges 8:10 numerating the Midianite army to 135,000 men!  300 men vs 135,000 men seems like impossible odds, but not for God.  God is always making the point of getting things done not by own our strength, but by God’s strength and for God’s glory.

What does that mean for you and me?  You may think you can accomplish things from your own power but know that all power comes from God.  You may also think whatever difficult challenge or circumstance you may be facing is too big, but they’re all not bigger than God!

With God all things are possible and it’s not by my own strength that anything gets accomplished.

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Come Down

July 22, 2026

Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. 3 He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.
5 When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” 6 So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.
7 All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.”
8 But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.”
9 Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
-Luke 19:1-10 (NIV)

For some people I believe there is a misnomer about approaching Jesus.  For anyone that hasn’t attended church in a while or for anyone feeling quite distant from Jesus, maybe you have thoughts of “I can’t come near Jesus because I’m too sinful and I’m too spiritually dirty.”  If you feel that way or know anyone feeling that way, then please be encouraged by the story of Zacchaeus encountering Jesus.

In our text Zacchaeus is described as a tax collector and in biblical times they were despised by the general public.  In biblical times they were Jews working for the Roman Empire and in that way were seen as traitors to fellow Jews.  It was also well known that tax collectors wrongfully took more money from people than the taxes required and they personally profited from it.

Now by this time Jesus was fairly well known by local groups and at least known as a great rabbi (teacher).  We know this because verse 3 tells us a crowd surrounded Jesus.  In other words, several people wanted to hear what this great teacher had to say.  Naturally Zacchaeus was curious about this Jesus.  And here’s where the story gets interesting.  In verse 5 we can determine that it wasn’t Zacchaeus who approached Jesus first because it was Jesus that did the first move.  Sure, Zacchaeus was somewhat curious like others in the crowd and wanted a better look at Jesus, but it was Jesus that called out to Zacchaeus first!  Jesus not only knew him by name, but he made the first move and called out to him.  Not only that, Jesus wanted to spend quality time at Zacchaeus’ home (verse 5).  Jesus felt it imperative to invite himself and so it wasn’t a mere request.  Normally “inviting yourself” to someone’s house is awkward to say the least, but it wasn’t with Zacchaeus in this story.

And even though others falsely assumed Jesus was in the wrong by saying, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner”, Jesus did not pay attention to this false narrative and focused on Zacchaeus.  Amazingly and even before any event at Zacchaeus’ house, Zacchaeus heart already changed.  In verse 8 he felt so stirred and remorseful by Jesus that he decided to give half his possessions to the poor and paying back four times anyone he cheated.  This is evidence of a regenerated and changed heart and Jesus confirmed it by pronouncing salvation upon Zacchaeus in verse 9.

Now if you haven’t figured it out yet and I’ve mentioned this to several people already – You don’t become holy to meet Jesus.  You meet Jesus to become holy.  The truth of the matter is, we are all lost and dead to our sin on our own.  The late Voddie Baucham (American pastor and author) once said, “Dead men don’t grab!”  In other words, it’s impossible for anyone dead in their sin to reach out and grab onto Jesus and thus, God (through Jesus) has to reach out and grab onto us first!  This is precisely what Jesus did to Zacchaeus out of his grace and mercy.  God (through Jesus) chose Zacchaeus and salvation came upon him.  As a result of the salvation given through Jesus, he became holy, evidenced by his willingness to undo the wrongs he committed.

It doesn’t matter how far you think you are from God.  The fact of the matter is it’s impossible to please God on our own and God has to intervene and come to us.  This means you are not so far away from God that you are further than his reach.  Verse 10 says Jesus (Son of Man) came to seek and to save the lost and he will not lose anyone God the Father has given to him (Jn. 6:39).

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Be Strong and Courageous

July 15, 2026

After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ aide: 2 “Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them—to the Israelites. 3 I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses. 4 Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates—all the Hittite country—to the Mediterranean Sea in the west. 5 No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. 6 Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them.
-Joshua 1:1-6 (NIV)

It seems that a lot of us are very busy and for some, it’s hard to clear up some time and take a few moments to reflect on where we are in life now. 

Perhaps you haven’t done so in a while and if that is the case, I encourage you to pause here to do so.

If we’re honest with ourselves in self-reflection, maybe at this point in your life you thought life would be different.  Maybe there are certain goals or milestones you had planned and for some reason you haven’t accomplished them or reached a certain point of satisfaction.  If you have children or grandchildren, maybe you thought they’d be in a different life stage by now too.  To this I say God has a greater plan and purpose to any setbacks and whatever the case, now is not the time to shrivel up in defeat and I have these words to offer you….

BE STRONG AND COURAGEOUS.

These are the instructions given to Joshua from the LORD.  Scattered throughout the book of Joshua these commands are mentioned five times!  You would think once is enough.  Keep in mind that Joshua was there by Moses’ side since his youth (Num. 11:28).  Therefore, we must remember Joshua was there for almost all the miracles associated with Moses and the Israelites and Joshua helped to fight the fearsome Amalekites (Ex. 17:10).  Amongst the miracles Joshua was there when the LORD parted the Red Sea and drowned the ferocious Egyptian army (Ex. 14:26-28).

You would think after all of this, Joshua would have an indomitable spirit and unshakeable faith, so then why do we keep reading the LORD telling him and the Israelites to be strong and courageous?  Because the LORD foreknew they would face tremendous obstacles, hardship and even danger – and this happened many times while going through the promised land and facing various enemies of the Israelites. And that does not mean God spares us from tremendous hostility and seemingly unsurmountable odds, but time and time again the LORD guides his followers through such harsh conditions!  Some people may think, “Why would a God of love allow us and even wants us to go through absolutely brutal situations in our lives?”  Because out of great love, Romans 5:4 tells us that suffering eventually produces hope!  And Paul figured out the relationship between suffering and hope in Phil 3:10-11 when he says, “I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.”  Thus, it’s through our sufferings that produce hope in Christ and it’s through sufferings we know Christ more and the power of the resurrection.  Typically, in times of distress, we are propelled to turn to Christ more and seek the goodness of his presence, mercy, love and grace!  And because our hearts are so timid and naturally unwilling to obey God at any given turn, then of course Joshua needed to be reminded time and time again to be strong and courageous.

Look!  By earthly vision it’s easy to crumble and fall apart at any unwanted matter.  But I encourage you to be strong and courageous and to know the LORD is with you, guiding you through this process.

BE STRONG AND COURAGEOUS.

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O Canada

July 1, 2026

4 This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: 5 “Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. 6 Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease. 7 Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.”
-Jer. 29:4-7 (NIV)

On July 1, 2026 Canada celebrates 159 years!  Happy Canada Day everyone!  Maybe this is a place I took for granted (being born and raised in Toronto) and being a somewhat recent Moncton transplant.  Maybe I never stopped to think too deeply on the rich Christian roots of our country.  Maybe I’ve never really reflected on the fact that our nation and national anthem “O Canada” was founded primarily by Catholic and Protestant, in other words, Christian leaders!  In fact, our Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms was also founded by Christians as well.

And for those in attendance during last Sunday’s worship service, I really appreciated hearing about our Parliament building having biblical passages etched, carved and inscribed in it.  For those that don’t know, here’s the video clip from the Canadian Bible Society:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adU6F6-YL5Q

Of course, being a Raptors fan that video got me more excited because it was narrated by the Toronto Raptors announcer, chaplain and pastor, Herbie Kuhn.

Now have I seen changes to our nation that I’m not happy about?  Sure!.....”But our citizenship is in heaven.  And we eagerly await a Saviour from there, the Lord Jesus Christ..” (Phil. 3:20).  This world is not our home and we’re not there yet, and until we get called there we have a mission to spread the gospel and bring people to Jesus Christ.  For that reason as Christians, we can all say we’re just sojourners, visitors and temporary residents wherever we may find ourselves on earth.  None of us know how long our stay here is (God holds the duration of our lives), but if that is the case, then how can we live well wherever we may find ourselves on earth?

Let’s look at Jeremiah 29:4-7.  In this text the Israelites were exiled into Babylon and they thought it was going to be a short stay.  Many of them probably felt feelings of loneliness, isolation, depression, losing a sense of identity, losing a sense of fulfilment and belonging, etc., and probably most if not all of them felt an intense longing to be home.

Can anyone relate?  Have you experienced dramatic changes to your city, town or the place you grew up in?  Maybe for any reason you were forced to move.  Whatever the case may be, there are great insights to learn these verses. The LORD instructed the Israelites (sojourners) to build houses, settle down, plant gardens, eat what the locals produce, build marriages, build families, and increase in number.  From this we know the LORD didn’t tell them how long they’d be there for until verse 10 when the LORD said they’d be there for seventy years!  That’s a very long time and chances are most of them (if not all of them) probably felt very gloomy hearing this from the LORD.  But the LORD didn’t give up on them, even though their exile was punishment for being disobedient and idolatrous.  Furthermore, the LORD basically instructed the Israelites to settle down in this foreign and hostile land and live out their lives.  How could that be?  Didn’t God care for them enough?  Didn’t God want better plans for them?  Of course he did for both questions.

And look what verse 7 says.  The LORD wanted them to experience the peace and prosperity of the city.  See that? The LORD doesn’t give up on his people!  And of course, when we get to verse 11 (which many people know), he flat out tells his people the long-term plans for them to prosper regardless of the conditions.

And as it turns out for us here and now, finding ourselves in a modern Canada that we haven’t known before where many things have changed, let’s continue to seek the LORD and pray for the peace and prosperity of the city we find ourselves in, and that more than anything we experience God’s grace through Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour! – Not because we can earn it, but because our LORD is so merciful and good!

Happy Canada Day!  God is with you and he loves you!

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