Godsight
Seeing and Celebrating God’s Glorious Order in My World
by
Book Cover & Preview Text
My World I understand that, in a general and absolute sense, everything inside and outside space and everything within and beyond time is ruled by God. Everything that was, is and is to come, exists and is contained by God’s divine regime. The event of the birth of Jesus in a cattle stall in Bethlehem simply gave physical evidence of a kingdom and a rule that has been and will be in place forever. And, through his death on Calvary, his resurrection from the dead, his glorification at the right hand of the Father, and his being poured out in the form of Holy Spirit on The Day of Pentecost, he has established an order in my world that is equal to the order found inside and outside space and time. I also understand that, in a more specific and personal sense, God’s kingdom order has been and will continue to be in place in my personal world. This involves three spheres. The Sphere Within Me I do not have control over hurricanes and earthquakes, but I am in control of my response to them, as I choose to do what I can to rebuild and restore those who have been affected by them. I do not have control over being laid off because the company I work for is shutting down, but I am in control of my response to it, as I learn to rest and trust in God, and to have faith in him to lead me into new opportunities. So, when I use the phrase “my world,” I am referring to my inner world, my spirit-world, the world that I have surrendered to God’s control. As I yield daily to him, his Spirit helps drive my ambitions and influence my ambitions. Martin Luther once said, “You cannot keep birds from flying over your head, but you can keep them from building a nest in your hair.” Simply put, while I cannot control what happens around me, with God’s help I can control how I respond to it. This, to me, is my world. The Sphere Around Me I have a sphere of influence. It is the area within my reach that I have the power to shape. My sphere of influence could include who I know and influence because I am a parent, child, or friend. Or it could include who I know because I own a car that needs fixing, a cat that needs grooming, a lawn that needs mowing, or a boat that needs to be stored for the winter. It could also include who I know because I live in a certain neighborhood, shop at a certain grocery store, attend a certain religious function, belong to a certain club or work for a certain company. My world consists of the people and situations within my sphere of influence. It is where I simply live life every day, and it is where I can and in fact am making an impact every day – most naturally and unconsciously. It is where I am affecting lives for eternity and, for the most part, I do so without even being aware of it. This, to me, is my world. The Sphere Beyond Me While the inhabitants of earth live in a vast array of conditions, circumstances, or states of existence, each one of them exists within the sphere of God’s glorious order. No one is beyond him, and no one is outside his influence. In fact, the earth with its inhabitants, including all things upon the earth, are within and subject to his rule. He is the ultimate determiner of each person’s course of life, so that, as they yield to his lordship, he will lead them into their glorious calling and destiny. And, while the inhabitants of the earth are his, so are the concerns of the earth and its affairs. I often need to remind myself of this. In light of the apparent mess and chaos around me, the Lord is still Lord of all – Lord of every culture, every economy, every governance, every physical state of being, and every influence. Furthermore, even though many people and movements in my world remain secular in orientation, Jesus is still Lord of it all. He is Lord of every generation, he is Lord of every community, he is Lord of all created things, and he is Lord of the systems of all created things. I know this because his Word tells me this: “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.” (Psalm 24:1a) Every celestial body, every physical object, and every natural force has been created by him, and they continue in him. Because he exists, so do they. I know this because his Word tells me this: “He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” (Col. 1:17)
Formats
Book Details
About the Book
Laurie was born and raised in rural Newfoundland into a Pastor’s home. He moved to Toronto in 1976 and entered Eastern Pentecostal Bible College in 1978. There he met Edith, and they were married in 1981. After a year and a half in Hearst, Ontario, where their first daughter, Sarah, was born, the family moved back to the Toronto area where Laurie returned to Bible College (OBC), received his Bachelor of Religious Studies degree, and started ministering as the assistant pastor at Willowdale Pentecostal Church. It was during this time that their second daughter, Denise, was born. In 1989 the family moved to the New Hamburg, Ontario area where Laurie pastored New Hamburg Christian Centre. In 1998 they moved to Drayton, Ontario where he served as Pastor for nine years. Currently, Laurie is an active contributor to a local newspaper in a column called “Reflections.” He is also writing curriculum for, teaching and helping lead people into a deeper walk with Christ in a small group setting. Laurie has also shared excerpts from his writings via social media sites like Facebook. In addition to this, he has often sent out weekly encouraging emails called “A Good Word” to those who request it. This just about sums up Laurie’s life, except for, of course, his involvement in their local church, being a good husband to his dear wife, Edith, a father and father-in-law to his incredible kids, and a Poppa to his 5 brilliant grandkids! There is hindsight, foresight, and insight – and then there is Godsight. Being a follower of Christ and a student of God’s Word, I am becoming empowered by the reality that a) heaven is in my future, and b) while I await the fullness that will be revealed in the eternal state of heaven, the qualities that depict God’s glorious order there also exist here, now, and in my world, for God’s glorious order is eternal. As I seek and celebrate these qualities, a deep faith-in-God worldview is cultivated. The quandary of two opposing kingdoms in my world is evident: the kingdom of evil dominated by Satan, and the kingdom of good ruled by God. But “opposite” by no means mean “equal,” for the true ruler of my world always has, always is, and always will be the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, and it always has, always is, and always will be in my greatest interest to seek and see him in every season and in every place. By doing so I am enabled to live within, beyond, and above life’s crude and cruel experiences, and consequently step into the rich and dynamic life that is mine to know in Christ. Each chapter of my book begins with a reflection of what God's glorious order might look like in the eternal state of heaven. It then goes into how the qualities that depict God’s glorious order there also exist here, now, and in my world, qualities such as blessing, goodness, holiness, compassion, obedience, peace, justice, and so on. Each chapter also concludes with an affirming prayer.
About the Author
Laurie was born and raised in rural Newfoundland into a Pastor’s home. He moved to Toronto in 1976 and entered Eastern Pentecostal Bible College in 1978. There he met Edith, and they were married in 1981. After a year and a half in Hearst, Ontario, where their first daughter, Sarah, was born, the family moved back to the Toronto area where Laurie returned to Bible College (OBC), received his Bachelor of Religious Studies degree, and started ministering as the assistant pastor at Willowdale Pentecostal Church. It was during this time that their second daughter, Denise, was born. In 1989 the family moved to the New Hamburg, Ontario area where Laurie pastored New Hamburg Christian Centre. In 1998 they moved to Drayton, Ontario where he served as Pastor for nine years. Currently, Laurie is an active contributor to a local newspaper in a column called “Reflections.” He is also writing curriculum for, teaching and helping lead people into a deeper walk with Christ in a small group setting. Laurie has also shared excerpts from his writings via social media sites like Facebook. In addition to this, he has often sent out weekly encouraging emails called “A Good Word” to those who request it. This just about sums up Laurie’s life, except for, of course, his involvement in their local church, being a good husband to his dear wife, Edith, a father and father-in-law to his incredible kids, and a Poppa to his 5 brilliant grandkids!