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I took one of those “self-examination” tests recently.

Reason?  Now that I’m retired you’d think I knew myself well.  No, this “self-examination” was for a class I am teaching and I figured if the class was to take the test, so should I. 

I was reminded that I am good at inspiring people, empowering leadership and generally being a somewhat balanced guy.  At the same time, I need to watch that I don’t become prideful and that I pass on work to others.  Of course, there were other gems I need to examine, but those stood out at first glance.

Sometimes I’d just like to sit in my rocking chair and not care. 

Not my style!  I like to be active.  Even more so, I like to be active in areas that count.

And I thought this Lenten season was going to be easy!

So, I’m reading about benefits (on demand video) that I have available as an Alumnus of University of Alberta.

The range of videos is wide, and the topics are on such things as the future of AI at the UofA, legacy planning for estates and decolonization.  From which description I found the following words. 

I have increased my vocabulary immensely in these past few years.  Here are two more (and yes, I do know what the definitions are – one is an old word with a new life, and one is a new word with not much life to date):

cisheteropatriarchal

colonized society

I’m not sure why this new year is different.

But I am seeing some hints. 

I am past my 50 years release from high school.  What happened back then is on my mind.  There was a youth group revival, an Asbury Revival, a Canadian revival.  There was solid bible teaching, good fellowship and opportunity for outreach. 

This morning I was listening to John Ruttkay describe Lonnie Frisbee – a major actor in the Jesus People movement.  Here was a charismatic evangelist/prophet who had more than their share of issues.  His homosexual encounters are documented by himself in his autobiography.  And yet . . . God rescues.  To such a point that Lonnie says he could love those he had encountered over the years.  But love does not mean approval.

Last night I listened to an interview with Chuck Smith in an interview with Chuck (Greg) Laurie, who has been instrumental in the production of a film just coming out – Jesus Revolution.  Again, I was transported back to my teens where Jesus was the focus and our hearts burned after him.  50 years later . . . my heart stills burns!  May God use movements in this day and age – within our North American context – to turn our hearts back to God.

The first time I read this, I read it wrongly!  I figured McIntyre was against direct talk with God and guidance by Scripture.  I had to remember that decades ago “but” could also be a continuation of a sentence, not an interruption,  perhaps even creating a greater emphasis.  (BTW: Muller was exactly my age when he wrote this!)

See what you think.

David MacIntyre (1859-1938) writes in his book The Hidden Life of Prayer

In his Autobiography George Müller gives a striking testimony:

“I never remember, in all my Christian course, a period now (in March, 1895) of sixty-nine years and four months, that I ever SINCERELY and PATIENTLY sought to know the will of God by the teaching of the Holy Ghost, through the instrumentality of the Word of God, but I have been ALWAYS directed rightly.

But if honesty of heart and uprightness before God were lacking, or if I did not patiently wait before God for instruction, or if I preferred the counsel of my fellow-men to the declarations of the Word of the Living God, I made great mistakes.”