Charlotte O8 minute read  We become like the God we believe in. This is something I’ve heard once or twice from leaders and it’s always stuck with me. It’s important for us to know the God we believe in, and that how we live reveals so much about what we truly think his character is. In the recent immigration debate, I saw some point out that people could avoid unnecessary suffering by simply following the rules. Rules which, are far from simple to follow, even by the best-intentioned. I’ve personally seen several friends work VERY hard to follow the process: couples who have a well-established marriage and even children together needing to be separated for a time because of bureaucracy. Those who are legally working in the country still pouring money into green card applications, renewals and extra fees for YEARS. The system itself is extremely flawed and inefficient, though that’s not an excuse to say then: let’s just burn it all down. People make the argument that getting into heaven is the same: we come to God on HIS terms, not our own. My bible-educated brain dearly understands the logic of this argument, but I still can’t help but thinking that this really reveals so much about a certain view of God who has space for the “good, worthy people” and delights in the intense suffering of those outside the fold. Our rhetoric of eschatology (end-times) and Hell are so clearly linked to the way we live here on Earth today. Jesus has done everything, sacrificed everything, to remove the barrier between us and God. He came to seek and save the lost and when people are found, and loved, and safe, then they recognize home. They see who they were created to be. I think the message of the gospel is that we were all created to be in relationship to God. When that relationship is restored, transformation occurs. Lives are changed, and the desire to do good comes not from earning a place in heaven, or making sure our good deeds outweigh the bad. It stops being a competition of whether we have been better than those around us, and becomes a family where we are all working toward the same goal. As God’s love transforms us, we are more concerned about loving our neighbor than trying to define who our neighbor should be. We don’t uphold our rules for fear of the whole system being corrupted, but instead obey out of love for the God who has given us perfect principles to live by. In our modern day, we have boiled salvation down to something very simple – pray a prayer and you’re in. Say some words and believe them in your heart. In my context, people are not considered true Christians until they have been baptized. In other circles, there are those who would doubt your salvation if you haven’t started speaking in tongues. What does it mean to be a Christian? To follow Christ? Even in the Bible itself it seems there is no direct formula.
And this leaves so many questions about people in the Bible itself, what about the thief on the cross? The wise men at Jesus’ birth? That curious story in Acts of people who were preaching Jesus but hadn’t yet received the Holy Spirit? That problematic parable of the guest who wasn’t wearing the right clothes and got kicked out of the wedding banquet? My point is, there are scriptures that, when taken alone, can be used to back up almost any point of view. However I’d like to challenge and invite us to a more robust openness to the scripture as a whole story of God’s work in the world. Look at the narrative behind the views we hold and look at the fruit it’s bearing. Is your doctrine of Grace leading to large-scale carelessness, harm and waste? Does your emphasis on holiness create robots who follow the rules without knowing the God who made them? Does the way we live out our faith create life and light in the world? Or does it create more bureaucracy for those wishing to enter into a living relationship with God? That’s the question I ask myself today.  Charlotte is on the Editorial team at boldcupofcoffee.com and currently works with a non-profit organization in Taiwan where she teaches, leads English Bible studies, writes educational materials, trains teachers, poses for pictures, and a bunch of other stuff too. She is originally from Canada, spending significant amounts of time in all three westernmost provinces and the idea of home has become quite fluid. She has learned that life overseas is not as exotic as people may think, but life with God is a daily adventure.
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Troy Nevitt8 minute read  Blessed are those who keep his testimonies, who seek him with their whole heart. – Psalm 119:2 ESV The Bible is a storybook of a people who were chosen by God to deliver the message of deliverance from sin, which we had entangled ourselves. God is more than anything we could ever hope to know and he has delivered to us a book that explains what he wants us to know. Our job is to see what He wants to tell us. Our next job is to listen to what He has told us. Theology is a topic that may scare many off but if that is you: do not be alarmed. I promise that theology is nothing to be scared of; it’s simply the study of God. Only a few minutes a day will greatly improve how you interact with the world in a Christian fashion. About three years ago, I had no theological experience and could not tell you one side or the other of any view people had concerning issues like the spiritual gifts, baptism, or the way God saves. Fast forward to today, and not only can I explain the different positions, I have confidence to share my own views among other believers. I believe that you all are able to be great theologians. R.C. Sproul once said: “Everyone is a theologian” . Even though everybody is a theologian, to be a good theologian you’ll need to put in some work. May I encourage you? You can be good theologians. Learning theology helps to understand God and what he has done better. Simple steps like reading scripture or discussing concepts with friends are great places to start. If you don’t already, you can learn words like “imputation” or “justification” that help you understand what God has done better. One example I can give to show how theology helps is the concept of God’s jealousy. People often step back and proclaim things like “God can’t be jealous. Jealousy is a negative emotion.” For the most sense, they are right. What happens, however, when you run into passages that say God is jealous? “I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me” (Exodus 20:5, which is part of the Ten Commandments). This is where theology helps. Theologians will look to see in life when there are times that jealousy is a good thing. Husbands and wives should be jealous for their spouses. If they are married, no one else should experience the privileges which come from that marriage. There is a healthy level of jealousy because that is something that belongs to them and their spouse alone. Noting this, we can look at God’s relation to his people. They are a people who are set apart for Him. We belong to Him. No wonder God is a jealous God when we stray away and do things against his will. But there is also a benefit of jealousy. God keeps us for Himself. Christians often ask this question: Can I be possessed by a demon? It’s a scary thing to consider that. Fear not! The concept of jealousy is yet again a good thing that God possesses. If God is a jealous God, He will not share you with anyone. Not some false god. Not a demon. Not even Satan himself. God is a jealous God that has almighty power on his side (the doctrine of God’s omnipotence if you wish to research that further). Since God is all-powerful, and He is jealous, you can be assure that no demons can possess a child of God. Theology is making sense of God and the world he has made. It does not take degrees or special skills to be a theologian. All it takes is a desire to know God and to pursue Him with your heart, and your mind. Theology will help you see clearly and with more grandeur. Let me challenge you to take time this week to learn one concept of God better. It will be worth the time you put in.  As a Bible college student, I have a passion for people to take theology seriously. I see a trend towards apathy in the church culturally, but a deep passion growing in the lives of young believers. My desire is to help inform all believers, young, old, and in-between, to think through why they believe what they believe. I believe a faith founded on reason is a faith rarely shaken.
Though I’m going to Bible college right now, doesn’t make me a super-believer. I like playing games with friends, chatting around the table, cooking, and wasting time when I could do something more productive. If someone like me can view the world as God tells me to, so can anyone. I’m passionate, and really hope you are too. Like everyone, I have topics that get me excited. How do we navigate Christianity in this post-modern era? How do we engage gender issues both inside and outside of the church? How do the songs we sing effect how we think? I love and encourage people to get excited and talk about what they love. Conversations are much more engaging when you talk about these things rather than the weather. Kevin Seguin8 minute read  There was big news recently for both Canadian and American Christians alike. As it happens, both the Supreme Court of Canada and the United States Supreme Court released decisions recently with big implications on religious freedom in both countries. I thought it would be a good idea to comment on these things this week as both countries are celebrating independence, and we have so much else in common. First, our American brothers and sisters have heard from their highest court on the subject of bakers and wedding cakes. In a not-so-landmark ruling, the court has affirmed, 7-2, that baker, Jack Phillips, is under no legal obligation to bake a cake for an event which he deems to be in conflict with his religious beliefs. For the record, this includes things like obscene cakes and Halloween cakes etc... If you're looking to get totally caught up check out Ed Stetzer's coverage of the ruling here. Second, we come home to Canada. In late May, only a couple of days before the cake ruling, the Supreme Court of Canada issued a ruling in Wall v. Judicial Committee of the Highwood Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Canadian readers may remember the case of the Alberta Jehovah's Witnesses congregation who excommunicated one of their members who then sued the group and claimed that the JW's decision to "disfellowship" him would cause him to lose most of his business. The case eventually made its way to the Supreme Court of Canada while churches, especially those who practice some form of church discipline, looked on with great interest. When the decision came out, a unanimous rejection of the court's jurisdiction to meddle in church affairs when it comes to discipline, churches rejoiced. Not only was this the best outcome for our cause, it was unanimous. For the interested, Joshua Tong wrote a great piece for TGC Canada explaining the decision in greater detail. Though many of my fellow theological conservatives were surprised by these decisions, I have to admit I wasn't. (I was surprised the Canadian one was unanimous, but not of the result in general) I wasn't surprised because *Spoiler Alert* as much as some within evangelicalism want to believe it, we aren't being persecuted, and we aren't being oppressed. While I was writing this, the SCC also rendered judgement on Trinity Western’s case where the decision was that the BC and Ontario Law Societies indeed have the power to deny approval to Trinity Western’s law school that would have required students to follow a code of conduct which restricts, among other things, all premarital sexual behaviour. So what about now Kevin!? Are we being oppressed now? Still no. I must admit, I wasn’t tremendously surprised by any of these results. I’ve written before on how Christians ought behave when they are working in the secular sphere and encounter these situations. I believe Christians ought simply perform their duties and allow other people to live their lives while looking for opportunities to share the gospel and being ready to give an answer and Peter instructed us in his letter to believers. We are living in a post-Christian, highly polarized, post-truth culture. That's just the reality at this point. I'm not saying that many Christian truths, beliefs and convictions aren't being challenged, of course they are, Christians value things that many of our friends and neighbours see as quaint and “old fashioned” at best and bigoted and horrible at worst. The difference being found, I believe, in how we express those values. What I am saying is that while we are seeing a loss of cultural prestige and influence, none of this amounts to persecution or oppression. Rather, we are at a critical juncture and our opportunities to preach Christ crucified have only increased. Here’s why: In the Old Testament, Israel, God’s people, were “set apart”. However, this means so much more that simply acknowledging that they were God’s chosen people and other nations were not. This also means that Israel was ‘different’ than its neighbours. They had practices and followed rules that were often wildly different than their neighbours'. Israel also often found itself occupied and at the mercy of some of these neighbours who found their practices somewhere within that “quaint-horrible” spectrum I mentioned earlier. When these things happened, did the Lord tell Israel to complain that their rights were being infringed upon? Far from it! Rather, He said through the prophet Jeremiah: “Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their produce. Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease. But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.” -Jer 29:5-7 We have the same imperative. Live and do good in the place we are, be set apart, live our own lives as exiles away from home in a culture different than our own. Praying for and hoping for its good, yes, but above all, sharing the gospel with people, and see them saved, rather than wasting time trying to shape a culture into our image of Christianity.  As a Biblical conservative, a cultural Liberal, a husband, a dad, and a pastor, I want to see the church act differently in the world. My big passion in ministry is to see how believers can bring the Gospel into the world around them while pursuing the lost art of winsomeness. It is what fuels me and drives me to write. Engaging culture with the truth of the Gospel in a way that is winsome, wise, and as Colossians 4:6 directs us: “seasoned with salt.” It’s my hope that what I say here helps you not only in your own faith, but helps you share it more effectively and fruitfully.
Kevin SeguinTen minute read.  Three years ago, my family and I moved back to the Niagara Region in Ontario. Among other things, this means that I was able to go back to good coffee shops, 24-hour grocery stores, and decent pubs. It also meant my wife and I had a chance to do something that we don't get to do a lot of: Church Shop. In general, I'm not a fan of church shopping. After all, churches are not buildings or even organizations, churches are local gatherings of people. Churches are people. And so because churches are people, leaving a church simply because "my needs aren't being met" or "I'm just not being fed anymore" can be devastating, both to the community you're leaving behind AND to your own spirit. The longer you've been a part of a church, the deeper those roots run, and the more intertwined with other people you are. Ripping that those roots up does damage. I've always said that for the vast majority of cases, there are two good reasons to leave a church: Theology and Geography. Theology Leaving a church over theological differences makes a certain amount of sense. Now, of course, I'm not talking about minor issues of theology, little things that don't make a lot of difference in our day to day lives. I'm talking about the big things, infant baptism or adult baptism; complementarianism or egalitarianism; how much authority does Scripture have? If you are attending a church that doesn't line up with your core convictions, or if your core convictions change, it's important to find a church you agree with. Even if a church changes its core beliefs. That could be a good reason to church shop. I say "could" because you also need to check your own motives here. Why have your core convictions changed? Is it only a whim or have you been convinced by scripture? (Some of my own convictions are showing here.) The point is, this is a big deal. Are you giving it the consideration it deserves? Decisions like these need to be bathed in prayer and wise counsel. from people you trust and respect. Geography This one's pretty obvious, and far more common. If you move away from your church family because of work, or any other reason really, you'll want to find a church close to your new home. This is the category I found myself in. Church Shopping 101 The most important thing to realize when shopping for a new church is that it's not about you. It really isn't. When you're visiting a church, think about JFK and "Ask not what this church can do for you, ask what you can do for this church." Churches rise and fall on the gifting of their members. Maybe you're asking: "What can I do to serve a church? I have no Biblical training. I can't speak, lead or teach. I hate being around kids, and besides, I've only been a Christian since last Thursday!" I'll say this as clearly as I can: there is a place for you. God has gifted you to be a productive member of a local church. Finding your place may take time, but if you pray, meet with your pastor and be intentional about finding it, you'll find it. (And if you know anything about web design or online community management, start there; unless you're attending a mega church, the online life of your church needs the help, I guarantee it.) Look for a place to serve, to produce, don't just consume, that'll only lead to feeling "unfulfilled here too" eventually. The second most important thing to realize when shopping for a new church is that we truly have an embarrassment of riches when it comes to churches. The first church I pastored was in a town of thirteen hundred; there were seven other churches in town. Seven! Be aware that when looking for a new church (or a first church) you have options, lots of them. So here are some quick guidelines if you're looking for a church in an area where there are many churches and you want to narrow down the field. Find a church that you agree with theologically. If you've been a Christian for a while, you know what to look for. If you're new, look for words like: missional, reformed, reforming, Christ (or Gospel) centred. I admit I'm biased, that's what I look for. If you're new to church, keep going to the church you're at (because chances are a friend brought you to it to begin with) until you figure out where you land theologically, and then re-evaluate if necessary. Keep in mind that unless you start your own (That's called 'church planting') you won't find a church that agrees with EVERYTHING you believe, but look for a good fit, agree on the big things, be generous on the little things. Find a church that is nearby. Within walking distance is best, but that's uncommon and a great blessing when it happens. Ideally, the church you settle on will want to serve the neighbourhood it's in. If you live in that neighbourhood, you'll find it easier to join in on initiatives that serve the neighbours you see all the time, and you're less likely to skip church services if the weather is crummy or you sleep in. Meet with the Pastor(s). Seriously. Don't just sit in the back row and leave before the closing song is over. Sit down with the pastor over coffee (They love that.) and ask them about themselves, ask them about the church, ask them where you might fit in. If they're any good at what they do, they'll know or they’ll know what questions to ask to find out. Take your time. Choosing a church to join and belong to is an important decision and a big commitment if it's done like I suggest. Take your time doing it, don't rush. Come back to a church more than once or twice before ruling them out completely, much more than once or twice if you're thinking of committing. We moved back to the city we lived in before my wife and I got married. We eventually ended up back at our old church, but it wasn’t the default. We looked around. So take your time. Finding a church is an important decision. We test-drive cars before we buy them, if we take the time, our churches will last longer than our Subarus. What about you? What do you look for in a church? Answer in the comments!  As a Biblical conservative, a cultural Liberal, a husband, a dad, and a pastor, I want to see the church act differently in the world. My big passion in ministry is to see how believers can bring the Gospel into the world around them while pursuing the lost art of winsomeness. It is what fuels me and drives me to write. Engaging culture with the truth of the Gospel in a way that is winsome, wise, and as Colossians 4:6 directs us: “seasoned with salt.” It’s my hope that what I say here helps you not only in your own faith, but helps you share it more effectively and fruitfully.
Kevin Seguin6 minute read  I had a conversation with a family member, she was talking about the difficulty she was having finding a new rental home for her Girl Guide troop. The problem she was having was that some of the churches she was approaching were asking so much money that the troop couldn't afford to rent any of them. One church even asked for a cut of the Girl Guide cookie money. That’s right, they wanted a cut of the cookie dough. I was flabbergasted by this. I mean, are you kidding me? A cut of the dough? A piece of the action? This is not the kind of language traditionally associated with churches. Now, of course, I understand that churches have operating costs when it comes to owning and managing a building, particularly a building that would be large enough to host a scout or girl guide troop. However, I really have a problem with churches who see this as an income stream for them as opposed to an opportunity to love and serve their community. My own policy is to charge some nominal fee or a donation, the amount of which can be determined by the organization. Churches: you aren't here to make money, you are here to love and serve your neighbours, even the ones you disagree with. Especially the ones you disagree with. I understand that there are considerations when a group asks to use church facilities. The Girl Guides in Canada have been linked by some within the Evangelical right to pro-choice groups and I can understand the discomfort that churches might feel in indirectly supporting a group that might, organizationally, hold to a pro-choice position. Two things about that discomfort: first, it should exist in far more than just the abortion debate. As Christians, most of what the secular world does ought to be at least a little bit discomforting. Matt Chandler uses the phrase “holy discontentment” Essentially, this is the idea that there's a base-level discontentment that we should have with the world, with the way the world is because it is not yet the way it ought to be. Sin still exists and permeates everything around us, death still exists, and people chase happiness rather than Jesus. If you really want to shelter yourself from the reality of moral issues like abortion in North America, you're going to have to find a pretty big rock and it's really hard to be salt and light to an outside world from inside a cave. Sheltering ourselves from those with whom we disagree is actually the opposite of the mission Jesus put us on. We are called to be salt, light, and good witnesses for Jesus in a world that has rejected him and his mission and values. We can't do that if we say no, if we disengage from people who hold views that are in opposition to ours. I'm not saying that we ought to open our doors and invite in groups that are in direct opposition to Christ, but really, the Girl Guides? Scouts Canada? Ultimate Frisbee leagues? Indoor Quidditch teams? This isn't about income for churches, this isn't about standing up for what we believe in, this is about the mission we are on, and how we are perceived by those we are called to love. Churches, love your neighbours; let them use your space.  As a Biblical conservative, a cultural Liberal, a husband, a dad, and a pastor, I want to see the church act differently in the world. My big passion in ministry is to see how believers can bring the Gospel into the world around them while pursuing the lost art of winsomeness. It is what fuels me and drives me to write. Engaging culture with the truth of the Gospel in a way that is winsome, wise, and as Colossians 4:6 directs us: “seasoned with salt.” It’s my hope that what I say here helps you not only in your own faith, but helps you share it more effectively and fruitfully.
Drake de long-farmer8 minute read  When it came to naming our firstborn son, it wasn’t easy. We had been talking about names for years and so we had plenty of time to refine the process and come to something we both agreed on and loved! Actually, we had two names picked out. One for a boy and one for a girl. We were set! When my wife was pregnant for the second time, we were not as prepared. We had a girl named picked out and so 50% of the work was done. I think secretly we hoped that we would have a girl this time and wouldn’t need to worry about picking another name that we both loved and could settle on. So, this time around we decided we wanted to find out in advance and when we found out we were having another boy we realized we needed to get back to work. Life with our first baby made things much more chaotic and being able to find time to refine a name was a bit more complicated. Also, we had spent so much time on our firstborn son's name that we had actually vetoed a lot of the original options already crossed out. So the pool of options was a lot more limited this time around. Why is picking names so hard? Why do we spend so much time toiling over it? Because there is something about a name, isn’t there? It is so much more than a declaration to get someone’s attention. It is part of our identity, who we are, how people see us and how we see ourselves. It is a huge part of how people identify us through our IDs and our lives are attached to our names. You can’t buy a house without a name or get a driver's license for that matter. You are attached to a particular family and heritage, and ultimately our names are intimate parts of who we are. We may not spend a lot of time thinking about it, but our names are so much more than random letters put together to form a declarative word. Let’s take this a step further. Names have specific meanings too. When we named our children, we didn’t simply chose names that sounded nice to us, but we looked into the meaning of each name we were considering. Each name had a meaning and each meaning had weight. Besides, our children would carry these names for the rest of their lives. As you can suspect, we did settle on a name for our second born. Elijah LaJoie. Elijah is a hebrew derivative, אֱלִיָּהוּ (Eliyyahu). It is actually two words put together Elohim (Eli) and Jehovah (Jah), which means: My God is YAHWEH (LORD). LaJoie is actually the maiden name of my grandmother which is a French derivative which means: The Joy. So, combined, my sons name means: ‘My God is YAHWEH the Joy’ or ‘My God is YAHWEH my Joy’. I even have a nickname for my little man, JAHJOIE, which would read, in short, God-Joy. Our little man bears the name that reminds us that our heavenly Father is both our God and our joy! Now, isn’t that an amazing name and an amazing reminder? God had the amazing habit, in the Bible, to give people new names. It not only signified a moment of change and transformation in someone's life but the new name gave them a new identity. The new name meant something! God changed Abram's "high father" name to “Abraham,” "father of a multitude" (Genesis 17:5) and his wife's name from “Sarai,” “my princess,” to “Sarah,” “mother of nations” (Genesis 17:15–16). God also changed Jacob's "He grasps the heel. Supplanter" name to “Israel,” "God-wrestler" (Genesis 32:28). As well, Jesus changed Simon's "Hear, Listen" name to “Peter,” "Stone, Rock" (John 1:42) The bible calls us new creations (2 Corinthians 5:17) and with this state comes a new identity and with this new identity comes a new name! No longer are we guilty but forgiven (Hebrews 8:12; Romans 8:1-39). No longer are we slaves to sin but free in Christ (Romans 6). No longer dead but alive in Jesus (Colossians 2:13). No longer a mess but God’s great masterpiece (Ephesians 2:1-10). The real question is, how do you identify yourself? Or better yet, whom defines you?  Drake is the Founder of boldcupofcoffee.com and serves as Executive Pastor at gateway.ac as well as being an avid speaker, writer and leadership coach/consultant.
Drake is passionate about seeing people thrive and come alive. To BELONG, wrestle with what they BELIEVE and BECOME people FULL OF LOVE, FUELLED BY FAITH, and ADDICTED TO HOPE. Drake is also a life learner and loves being challenged to think deeper and grow further. One of his favorite things to do is spend a good amount of time in a good café or coffee shop with a good book or engaging conversation. To be able to share in someone else's journey and experience is always a pleasure and honor. You can also connect with him at your personal page at drakedelongfarmer.com. To read more articles by Drake, simply click here. Charlotte O8 minute read  Do you think in centimeters or inches? Celsius or Fahrenheit? Why? Because that’s how you were raised. I think my generation is kind of at an intersection between the two in Canada, as I remember my parents referring to the imperial system growing up, but learning the metric system in school. Currently I live in a country where it’s all metric, but work with a lot of Americans, who, well, have a hard time converting despite being in the minority. It’s quite amazing how certain things stick in our brains simply through environment and repetition. As humans, we are resistant to change. Take something as insignificant as a store name for example. Maybe a local shop changes ownership. However most people in the neighborhood will still stubbornly or subconsciously continue referring to the old name, much to the confusion of newcomers. I’ve often wondered if it will take an entire generation for that new shop to be called by the name on its current sign, only to be continued onto the next even when that sign changes again. These small examples are a microcosm of our faith and worldview. In North America we might refer to denominations. For example if someone was raised United or Episcopalian, they may have very different views of God, church and society than someone who was raised Baptist or Pentecostal. Now let’s expand that even further. Someone growing up in a primarily Buddhist country will have radically different views not only of society or worship, but the very nature of God and humanity. So how and why does ‘conversion’ take place? And what does it look like? In reality it’s very likely that most people will remain in a faith tradition similar to what they were raised with, or if they change religions, will still interpret or practice much of their faith in ways that somehow connect or resonate with those deeply ingrained traditional values. And yet, we have a God who surpasses tradition, culture and even the language in our brains. We have a God who meets us where we’re at, and transforms lives. Let’s go back to the temperature illustration for minute. As a good Canadian kid, I remember the rule for whether or not I could wear shorts to school was if it was 10 degrees Celsius by 8am. This is shocking to my Taiwanese counterparts who are bundling in their thickest down coats if the temperature dips below 20. And now that I’ve been here for over a decade, I do feel 10 degrees as cold. Climate differences aside, I find this concept fascinating. The number on the thermometer is absolute. It doesn’t change. It is the truth. It is 10 degrees outside in Canada and in Taiwan and in New Zealand and in Michigan. However, our experience of that is very different depending on our context. We all see the world through lenses we may not even be aware of. And I absolutely believe some things are true and unchanging, like God. And yet. Experiences of the divine are different. Interpretations of how to live out one’s faith are different. Theories of what exactly Jesus did on the cross are different. But one thing never changes: He did it for us as a great act of divine power, love, mercy and redemption. It can be hard for us to discern what is tradition and what is truth. But it is so worth it to hold space for other views and look for the reality, the truth, the principle behind and through all experiences of the divine. Lending validity to the story of others is a starting point for communication, and maybe even conversion. We may even find ourselves inspired by the richness of other traditions while still living out of the truth of who we are and what we believe about God.  Charlotte is on the Editorial team at boldcupofcoffee.com and currently works with a non-profit organization in Taiwan where she teaches, leads English Bible studies, writes educational materials, trains teachers, poses for pictures, and a bunch of other stuff too. She is originally from Canada, spending significant amounts of time in all three westernmost provinces and the idea of home has become quite fluid. She has learned that life overseas is not as exotic as people may think, but life with God is a daily adventure.
Drake De Long-Farmer10 minute read  No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. (Rom 8:37) Have you ever read these verses and thought “man I wish that was true in my life!” If so, you are not alone. There seems to be a disconnect between what we believe is true and actually seeing that truth become a reality in our lives. There are many factors of why this divide exists but I want to simply touch on one: We need to actually want to change and believe that change is possible! Now bear with me. I know I will only be scratching the surface of this topic in a blog post but if this article gives you but a glimmer of hope that change is possible, then I think that would be something worth celebrating. Maybe you are thinking “Who wouldn’t want to see change and victory in their lives?” But as with most things, it isn’t that simple. My friend Charlotte posted this online and I think it hits the nail on the head:  Change is never an easy thing because change involves killing old things, making sacrifice, healing old wounds, and involves the unknown. Change is hard work, it is scary, it involves facing the people and things that victimized us as well as the demons of our own making. Or maybe for some of you, you have this insatiable desire for change but all the efforts in the world have failed, and you are tired of trying any longer and have lost all hope. No matter the situation you are facing, in the end, it has to be you that wants to change. I suspect you don’t actually wants to live in a state of hopelessness. The questions is: Are you willing to be the change needed to see that breakthrough, no matter what? This is what I call being sick and tired of being sick and tired. For many of us it isn’t when we get to the point of being sick and tired of the hopelessness but it is when we are sick and tired of being sick and tired of the hopelessness that we actually start moving towards living the life of being Addicted To Hope. One of the biggest hurdles in this is actually believing such a change is possible. One of the most basic steps for addicts to move towards freedom and victory is simply believing that change is possible. Please track with me on this. I know this sounds a bit too simple but it is true. While studying the impact of groups like Alcoholics Anonymous, researchers were intrigued by the success rate that such a program had. Many factors played into why. But a hinge step in seeing a start towards movement forward was the idea that if a person could simply believe that change was even possible it could become a sort of domino effect in actually realizing that change. The simple phrase “If Joe can do it, maybe I can” has such a simple power to it that it creates a chain reaction in the person's mind and ability to actually take the risk to try. Add the momentum of things like one’s higher power, easy wins for continued motivation, support networks of meetings and mentors, changing and rewiring of habit loops, and the inner spirit of the personal will and the person who was previously controlled by their addiction has the some of the beginning building blocks to finding a new found freedom and power to see real change and success in their life. But it all started with the anchoring truth that change is possible and believing that something new and different could be accomplished. This is reality of faith being hope in the things unseen. To be clear, I am not saying it will be easy, it takes hard work but all the hard work in the world will fail if you have already resolved in your mind that it will fail. But if we are able to cling to the desperate idea that change could be possible, it could be just enough to spark the small flame needed to get the fire started in your mind, soul, and spirit. Take a second to pray and ask God to help you see this. And better yet, have him reveal to you the things that may be blocking you from believing that change could be possible. Don’t rush this, it could be the difference between seeing the change you so desperate want and continuing to be stuck in the cycle of hopelessness you so desperately want to be free of. If you are unsure of where to start, I would recommend picking up the book Soul Care by Dr. Rob Reimer. It is not only chock full of truth and principles to help in this journey but real practical steps in actually getting there. I can’t recommend this book enough!  Drake is the Founder of boldcupofcoffee.com and serves as Executive Pastor at gateway.ac as well as being an avid speaker, writer and leadership coach/consultant.
Drake is passionate about seeing people thrive and come alive. To BELONG, wrestle with what they BELIEVE and BECOME people FULL OF LOVE, FUELLED BY FAITH, and ADDICTED TO HOPE. Drake is also a life learner and loves being challenged to think deeper and grow further. One of his favorite things to do is spend a good amount of time in a good café or coffee shop with a good book or engaging conversation. To be able to share in someone else's journey and experience is always a pleasure and honor. You can also connect with him at your personal page at drakedelongfarmer.com. To read more articles by Drake, simply click here. David CotroneSix minute read.  After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), “I thirst.” A jar full of sour wine stood there, so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to his mouth. When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” (τετέλεσται) and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. We usually like to connect a blog post with the release or the highlight of a new design. But with this design in particular, we wanted to write a blog post not because we felt like we should but we honestly couldn't help it. This word τετέλεσται, Tetelestai, "It is finished" is so exhilarating, so overwhelming, such sweet, sweet honey for the tired soul that we couldn't help it. We are bursting at the seems to write about this word. “an ocean of meaning in a drop of language, a mere drop. It would need all the other words that ever were spoken, or ever can be spoken, to explain this one word. It is altogether immeasurable. It is high; I cannot attain to it. It is deep; I cannot fathom it. IT IS FINISHED is the most charming note in all of Calvary’s music. The fire has passed upon the Lamb. He has borne the whole of the wrath that was due to His people. This is the royal dish of the feast of love.” So what is finished? First & foremost, the wrath of God towards his people. No one likes that word. But it is a word that we have to come face to face with. And when we do, we can really see the beauty of what Jesus did. In the Old Testament, God's future wrath towards sin & wickedness is often referred to as the cup of wrath. Jesus when he is praying in the garden before the cross he asks God to let this cup pass from him. This cup is the cup of wrath that Jesus drank down like a rowdy twenty something and slammed the cup on the table and exclaimed "It is finished." I finished it. I drank it down. I drank it in. It is finished. When Jesus went to the cross, he went to drink down the cup that the sin of the world had been pouring since Adam & Eve. The cup is empty now. This is what Tetelestai means. It means that it is finished. The cup of God's wrath has been finished. But do we really believe this? I know I struggle to remember and believe this, like really believe it. Like believe it deep in my bones. Here is the reality -- The wrath of God towards his people, towards you, those who trust in Christ, has been finished. THERE IS NO MORE WRATH LEFT. Yeah but, you don't realize what I did... No, THE CUP HAS BEEN FINISHED. There is no wrath left. God has spent all of his wrath on Jesus. He poured every ounce of it out onto Jesus' shoulders. What wrath could he come after you with? What could separate you from the Father? Christian brother, sister - Look to Jesus. He is a good saviour. He didn't kind of save you. He didn't potentially save you if you are good enough. He fully, completely, ultimately saved his people. It is totally finished. Not 99% finished. Not almost saved. Fully saved. Not almost finished. Fully finished. There is nothing left for you to do but rest in the Cross.  David Cotrone Jr is the Owner of ODG Apparel, a Christian brand looking to break the stigma that Christian stuff has to be lame. With fun Tees, Stickers and more meant to create gospel conversations. He is father to Hudson James & Elijah David and husband to Courtney. Kevin Seguin5 minute read  As I write this, I have just read a story about a group of young Syrian women who had come over on a scholarship program who were now applying for refugee status and asylum to remain in Canada. I was steeling myself for the vitriol in the comments section when I remembered that the CBC doesn't have comments on news stories. You can imagine, though, what those comments might look like. The anonymity of the Internet, plus controversial issues don't usually lead to what we call productive conversation. But I don't want to talk about that. I don't want to talk about politics, refugees, and how the government ought to treat these claimants. What I do want to talk about is the church. I have written before on how Christians ought to react to refugees, specifically Syrian, and what we should be doing to break out of the pigeonhole the world has (perhaps rightly) put the church into. There was a line in the article that really grabbed my attention. Ayaat Labbad, one of the scholarship students, who went on to get a scholarship from Ryerson University, called the program a "Gift from God." She's right, and wrong at the same time. Let me explain. Yes, since every good gift is a gift from God (James 1:17), the gift of this scholarship was, in fact, from God ultimately. If you're concerned that perhaps this girl wasn't Christian and I'm still claiming this to be a gift from God, read James 1 again and take careful note of what James is calling a gift in that chapter. James is referring to the Lord "bringing us forth by the word of truth", about our becoming believers. That's a gift that happens pre-conversion obviously. So in a surface sense, Labbad is right. The scholarship is a gift from God. The scholarship isn't the real gift though, it's just a trinket. A small token of the Lord's affection for this young lady. Something that costs the Lord nothing, but has great meaning to this woman. It is only a shadow, though, of the real gift the Lord has given her; something that was terribly costly indeed. The real gift is something that, sadly, Labbad and many like her may never have received at all. And that may be our fault. Much of the discussion around refugees and the church, seems to surround the politics of refugees, Canada and what we, as a country, should or should not be doing. "Should we be allowing refugees? How many? Should the government be spending tax dollars to help them once they're here? How much?" Allow me to submit that these are not discussions the church, at an organizational level, should be having at all. Rather, the only discussions churches should be having here is: "How can we leverage our position to serve these people and give them the gift of the Gospel (if they're not believers) or Christian community (if they are). The Church's job (as a whole) is to bring the gift of the Gospel to people. Period. I'm one of those weird people who wants to see a gospel-purpose in everything a local church does. I don't think that's a lot to ask, frankly. When it comes to these girls, now that they are applying for refugee status our role as the church, ought not to be to complain and ask why they aren't going home, rather, we ought to be asking how can we help? How can we minister to them? For goodness sake, it really is as simple as "What would Jesus do?" here. Jesus wouldn't complain about their immigration status, He wouldn't write His MP asking they be sent home because they are costing too many tax dollars. He'd feed them, he'd clothe them, and He'd tell them about Himself. Why can't we do that, as the Church, and as churches? Why can't we start feeding, and clothing people as Jesus would? Many of these people, from nations like Syria, don't know Jesus and we have been given the gift of having them at our doorsteps. Let's make them question why we are giving them these gifts, and then let's show them the difference between a gift and a trinket.  As a Biblical conservative, a cultural Liberal, a husband, a dad, and a pastor, I want to see the church act differently in the world. My big passion in ministry is to see how believers can bring the Gospel into the world around them while pursuing the lost art of winsomeness. It is what fuels me and drives me to write. Engaging culture with the truth of the Gospel in a way that is winsome, wise, and as Colossians 4:6 directs us: “seasoned with salt.” It’s my hope that what I say here helps you not only in your own faith, but helps you share it more effectively and fruitfully.
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