How Good is Good Enough?
Submitted by Chaplain Mike Foisy

Do you consider yourself to be a good person? Most people do. However, most of us differ as to the definition of "good." The Bible says that God is good, and the Ten Commandments are His standard of goodness. So, we will look at God's Law . With a tender conscience; ask yourself if you have obeyed the following:

1. You shall have no other gods before Me. (Have you always loved God above all else?)

2. You shall not make yourself an idol. (Have you made a god in your mind that you're more comfortable with, a god to suit yourself?)

3. You shall not take God's name in vain. (Have you ever used God's holy Name as a cuss word?)

4. Remember the Sabbath Day, to keep it holy.

5. Honour your father and mother.

6. You shall not murder. (God considers hatred to be as murder).

7. You shall not commit adultery. ("Whoever looks upon a woman to lust after her has committed adultery with her already in his heart" — Matthew 5:27-28;).

8. You shall not steal. (Have you ever stolen anything? — the value of the item is irrelevant).

9. You shall not lie. (Have you lied even once? Including answering these questions).

10. You shall not covet. (Have you ever jealously desired what belongs to others?)

Do you know the ultimate purpose of God's law? Jesus Christ defined the purpose of God's law as teaching us how to apply the two great principles of loving God and loving each other. He made this clear when someone asked Him, "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the law?" How did Jesus respond? "'You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbour as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets." (Matthew 22:35-40).

God Himself made a way where His justice and His goodness could meet. We broke the Law, but He became a man to pay the fine. Jesus suffered and died on the cross to satisfy the Law. God can forgive us and grant us the gift of everlasting life! But you may still think that you can (from now on) keep the Ten Commandments. But isn't it true that the best of us have lied, stolen, lusted, hated, failed to love God above all else, and failed to love our neighbour as ourselves?

Jesus Christ offers a cure for us. Forgiveness of sins and eternal life. But if we don't know we are sinners, we can't appreciate or accept the cure. In the Bible, in the book of Romans Paul tells us, "There is none righteous, not even one: there is no one that understands, no one who seeks God" (3: 10-11 ).

The only thing we can do is humble ourselves, repent of our sins, and receive the gift of salvation by trusting Jesus Christ alone. Almighty God demonstrated how much He loves you when Jesus suffered for you on the cross. If you want to trust in your own goodness, then you are saying His agonizing death on the cross was in vain. The Bible says, "For by grace are you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God." You cannot earn a gift.

That brings us to a decision about what to do with the good news?  "God commended His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners Christ died for us." Jesus Christ took your punishment, then He rose from the dead and defeated the grave. That’s good news because if you repent and trust Him, God will forgive you and grant you everlasting life. What better news could there be!!

If you would like to accept the invitation to receive Jesus Christ as your Saviour, Pray this pray: "I repent Lord Jesus I know that I am a sinner. I believe that You died on the cross and shed Your blood to pay the penalty for my sins. Please forgive me and come into my life. I confess that you are my Saviour and Lord."

            
                        Messages by Chaplain Len Reimer, Woodstock, Ontario.
                                                       Reverence

Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh.
Hebrews 10:19 – 20

Our generation lacks a sense of wonder and reverence toward God. We want to bring God down to our level, to the commonplace. He is God! Though we have direct access to Him as His children, we ought never to forget that this access was purchased with the precious blood of His only Son. No one who truly understands this ever enters God's presence without a sense of holy awe. No one who comprehends the incredible price paid at Calvary ever takes his relationship with God for granted.

We will never truly understand God and the way He relates to us unless we first comprehend a true sense of His holiness and His demand for holiness among His people. If we are in God's presence, we are on holy ground! We must never act as if it were God's purpose to make us successful. It would be preposterous for us to become impatient when God does not answer our payers when and how we think He should! He is God; we are not!

As you meditate on the price Jesus paid to give you access to the Father, you will come to treasure your prayer times with Him. Worship will become a privilege you seize with gratitude. Scripture will be dear to you as you strive to be holy in all that you do (2 Cor. 7:1; I Pet. 1:15).

 If you have lost your wonder at the incredible gift of salvation that has been given to you, you need to revisit the cross and witness your Savior suffering for you. How priceless God`s gift of salvation is.

                               
                         Controlling Anger – Before It Controls You
                        By Chaplain Len Reimer, Woodstock, Ontario.  

We all know what anger is, and we've all felt it: whether as a fleeting annoyance or as full-fledged rage.
Anger is a completely normal, usually healthy, human emotion. But when it gets out of control and turns destructive, it can lead to problems-problems at work, in your personal relationships, and in the overall quality of your life. And it can make you feel as though you're at the mercy of an unpredictable and powerful emotion.

According to Charles Spielberger, PhD, anger is “an emotional state that varies in intensity from mild irritation to intense fury and rage.” When you get angry, your heart rate and blood pressure go up, as do the levels of your energy hormones, adrenaline.

The instinctive, natural way to express anger is to respond aggressively. Anger is a natural, adaptive response to threats; it inspires powerful, often aggressive, feelings and behaviors, which allow us to fight and defend ourselves when we are attached. A certain amount of anger, is necessary to our survival.
On the other hand, we can't physically lash out at every person or object that irritates or annoys us; laws, social norms, and common sense place limits on how far our anger can take us.

Expressing your angry feelings in an assertive-not aggressive-manner is the healthiest way to express anger. To do this, you have to learn how to make clear what your needs are, and how to get them met, without hurting others. Being assertive doesn't mean being pushy or demanding; it means being respectful of yourself and others.
You can't get rid of, or avoid, the things or the people that enrage you, nor can you change them, but you can learn to control your reactions.

“He who is slow to wrath has great understanding, but he who is impulsive exalts folly.
A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.”