ATP five years later and counting...

So as of April 27 2014, Ask The Pastor has been on the air for 5 years... and counting! Amazing how a simple idea of a call in show for anyone that originally was Mondays at 9 and then in September switched to Wednesdays at 8 pm has continued to do so well. Lots of listeners, hundreds of questions, and a few hosts with me - it started with AJ the Wonderdog, them moved to Junky Roads, there were fill-ins like Jojo McKnight and Jordan Cruze, then Evan Duran followed by JayMac, and now Terry Molinaro! Is it me? Just kidding!

But looking back on 5 years, it has been a blessing and privilege to do this ministry as a very real pastoral role with the "congregation" of listeners over these 5 years. Many means have been used to allow people to get their questions in - email to atp@lifeonline.fm, texting the keyword lifeonline to 212121, calling 866-737-LIFE, and Facebook. 

The questions have been unique and some tend to come in again and again over the years - repeated themes from different listeners. It tells me there is a lot of need and a lot who just need someone to care. I have counselled people off the air during the show, and sometimes during the week as well as a direct result of the show. There have been some who have come to Christ and some who have rededicated their lives to Christ as a result. Amazing to see the results! 5 years of pastoral ministry through LIFE 100.3.

I will continue to do the show as long as the Lord allows me to. Thank you to all who have listened over the years and have contributed to the show in their questions they submitted or comments made. Has everyone always agreed? No. There have been some who respectfully disagreed and that's okay. There have been the odd ones who have called in and said some not so pleasant things, other have just expressed their disagreements to the management here. That's okay. Why? Jesus had people who disagreed with Him, and He was killed for what He said and claimed to be. So a little criticism? That's alright. 

Some people think the show is just for teens, and for sure we have mainly teens, but we have a lot of adults too that tune in for the segment and that I have met at different things and they tell me how much they have appreciated the show. Some have asked me - are you really a pastor? The answer is yes - I have been Associate Pastor at Pinewoods Chapel in Angus responsible for youth, worship, children, and administrative things for 2 years, then Lead Pastor at Mount Pleasant EMC for a year - we couldn't get moved to the new area after a year so had to move on. Then part time Associate Pastor positions at Stayner EMC for youth which the contract ended in September, and last summer a contract with Wasaga Christian Church for worship. Currently I am not actively a pastor in a church and am searching. I have also done pulpit supply for many years and speak for LIFE when asked to, and then there is Ask The Pastor - a real pastoral role despite "being on the air" for 5 years. My "congregation" is the listeners every week for an hour. I take the role very seriously, and feel blessed to be doing this - to serve this way.

I cannot take credit for this role. Steve Jones borrowed the idea from a station in Ottawa, suggested it to AJ the Wonderdog and AJ contacted me. The rest is God's doing and history... until present day!

God bless to you all and thank you again for being part of such an amazing ministry!

In Christ,

Pastor Andrew Robertson
Dip. Bib. St., R.E.C.E., B.A. in Min.

Godzilla returns!

Just a fun BLOG today... as many know Godzilla returns this weekend! The guy looks pretty good for being 60! Some fun trivia around the original 1954 film - it was a way the Japanese explained the devastation of the bomb droppings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki at the end of the 2nd world war. 

This updated version goes back to it saying it wasn't tests that awakened the beast, but that they were trying to destroy it and didn't succeed. Cool tie into the original.

Here's a look at the big guy from 1954 to present... 

He's has many looks, as you can see, looking forward to seeing this latest installment - you'll notice they didn't include the 1998 Roland Emmerich version? 

Oh well, from creature of disaster to hero to engine of destruction, from serious to campy to serious again, this guy just keeps going! 

Welcome back Godzilla!

I saw this on the weekend and I must say - amazing! I thought it was the best Godzilla made yet, my wife disagreed saying there've been better. At any rate, there were some words that you had to close your ears to, but no uncomfortable sex scenes, and there was a great storyline. You even see an "easter egg" thrown in there if you look for it - a bug tank with a very familiar Godzilla universe name on it! MOTHRA! We'll see if that plays into anything for the sequel. 

Godzilla gets down and fights tooth and nail with a couple of monster baddies and I'm glad the movie didn't shy away from the toll battles like this take on a city of Tokyo's or LA's sizes. It brought humanity to it.

My rating? 4/5 stomping stars!

Mother's Day

Most of us don't bat an eye with this day, we know it comes once a year and we get all excited about what to do for mom... What does the Bible say about mom? 

Proverbs 31:10 - 31 says, 

10 A wife of noble character who can find?
    She is worth far more than rubies.
11 Her husband has full confidence in her
    and lacks nothing of value.
12 She brings him good, not harm,
    all the days of her life.
13 She selects wool and flax
    and works with eager hands.
14 She is like the merchant ships,
    bringing her food from afar.
15 She gets up while it is still night;
    she provides food for her family
    and portions for her female servants.
16 She considers a field and buys it;
    out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.
17 She sets about her work vigorously;
    her arms are strong for her tasks.
18 She sees that her trading is profitable,
    and her lamp does not go out at night.
19 In her hand she holds the distaff
    and grasps the spindle with her fingers.
20 She opens her arms to the poor
    and extends her hands to the needy.
21 When it snows, she has no fear for her household;
    for all of them are clothed in scarlet.
22 She makes coverings for her bed;
    she is clothed in fine linen and purple.
23 Her husband is respected at the city gate,
    where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.
24 She makes linen garments and sells them,
    and supplies the merchants with sashes.
25 She is clothed with strength and dignity;
    she can laugh at the days to come.
26 She speaks with wisdom,
    and faithful instruction is on her tongue.
27 She watches over the affairs of her household
    and does not eat the bread of idleness.
28 Her children arise and call her blessed;
    her husband also, and he praises her:
29 “Many women do noble things,
    but you surpass them all.”
30 Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
    but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
31 Honor her for all that her hands have done,
    and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.

Now this sounds like SUPERMOM! 

But most moms work really hard like this everyday. To moms everywhere - including my own and my wife - Happy Mother's Day! God bless!

The road to freedom... a way to deal with the gas situation

Okay many who know me know I have my ride, my bike, as my dad once said "I didn't know I'd have a biker for a son...!" :) But what kind of bike do I have? One that was bought when we first came to Angus almost 6 years ago now as a means of transportation to and from work at Pinewoods Chapel as I had been called there as Associate Pastor that fall. So what kind of "hog" do I have? Look at this baby...!

Yep... that's it! A Volt Spyder - electric bike (e-bike). Does a whopping 40 km/h max. Great for in town. Since that time I've seen more and more of these around, and with the gas situation? This might be the answer for a lot of people until it gets cold again. it looks like a gas powered one, but it's all electric, no licence needed, no licence plate needed, no insurance needed, just a helmet and the bike pedals to show any police what the bike is. It really is freedom.

I've had reactions from the "REAL" bikers... some wave in approval, some glare like I need to get a "REAL" ride. Whatever. I like it. I'll be getting out on the road soon and just having fun! 

Easter celebrations

So here's something that many debate about... Easter. Do you partake in egg hunts and do things like maybe give a gift? Many will argue back and forth about this... here's what my family and I do...

Since I was a kid my parents had always given us kids a small gift at Easter and some chocolate to help celebrate the fact of Jesus dying on the cross and then rising from the dead. Today my wife and I do the same for our kids, we'll set up an egg or treat hunt in the house and will give a small gift to the boys. Why? The hunt is like what Jesus talked about in Scripture about how someone will search for the ultimate treasure and pursue it, and that's how it should be - how we should pursue the kingdom of God. It's also fun for the kids. Jesus gave us the ultimate gift of His sacrifice on the cross and rose again on the third day to give us eternal life if we simply believe, if we simply name Him as Lord of our lives. We give a gift to our kids in honour of that to remind them how Jesus gave to us, and so we give in honour of Him. Nothing huge, just something that represents our love to our kids just as Christ loved us and gave His life for us. 

Some will say we should avoid doing any Easter things like that, in fact some will say we shouldn't celebrate it at all because it wasn't commanded to, and that all the symbols derive from pagan rituals. Fine. We don't decorate with bunnies and chicks and eggs, but with crosses and empty tombs. Scripture says in Romans 14:5 that, One person considers one day more sacred than another; another considers every day alike. Each of them should be fully convinced in their own mind. So in my mind I am convinced that we still honour Jesus in what we do, from the attending of the services, to watching Christian Easter specials, to a treasure hunt, to gifts. 

The point is, are you convinced in your own mid about what you do?

Preparing for Easter my way...

I know there are a lot of ways people prepare for Easter. Some take part in Lent - giving up something for that 40 day period until Easter, some read only passages related to Easter in the Bible. For em I may focus a bit more on the passages around Easter, but I do a few things...

1) Start listening to the audio drama CD of the Easter Story...

2) NEW this year... watching The Gospel of John with the family...

3) Having the kids watch Easter movies like...

 The Easter Carol from Veggie Tales, The Story Keepers Easter Story, Lion of Judah...

                                       4) For me... (and my wife if she is wanting to) watching The Passion of the Christ...

Now that last one, I watch on a yearly basis. For me. Why? you ask... it's so brutal! How can you watch it more than once? Simple, I am a visual person, artistic minded and so on. So something I can visualize like this is huge for me. Yes it is a harsh film, but it's a yearly visual reminder for me what it took for us to be saved - Jesus being falsely accused, judged, beaten, whipped, spat on, hit with a stick over the head of the crown of thorns, and then made to drag His own cross to his death until He collapsed from exhaustion, then nailed to the cross and being separated from God the Father and the Holy Spirit for a brief moment in time as He became sin for us and died on the cross. But I love the last scene - Jesus opens His eyes, gets up, the music pounds and He marches off to victory! The movie gives me chills each time. I cry yes from the brutal nature of it - I am waiting to show it to my boys until they are ready for it... - but to me it sets the tone for Easter. This is my tradition. 

One other... we do Communion as a family...

Would love to hear yours - andrew@lifeonline.fm 

To swear or not to swear...

It's funny how years ago, people in Christian circles made sure not to swear, today it seems like there is a lessening of that because of statements like "Well those swear words we use aren't in the Bible so who's to say they're inappropriate for a Christian to use?" Here's the thing, our modern words are not in the Bible yes, but neither is anything about about illicit drug use or the internet or TV or movies or rock music, so does anything go then for those too?

Philippians 4:8 of course has that wonderful filter for us, but here's something to consider for our talk... Ephesians 4:29 says, Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.

Hmmm... okay what about this too... Ephesians 5:4 (AMPLIFIED) says, 4 Let there be no filthiness (obscenity, indecency) nor foolish and sinful (silly and corrupt) talk, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting or becoming; but instead voice your thankfulness [to God].

So when we hear people swearing - does it lift us up? Even in school there are rules against it because it is considered inappropriate, when does it become okay to do then? If even society considers swearing obscene or indecent to do (just ask Sponge Bob even 0 they had an episode dealing with this...) then why is it okay for Christians to do? I can't picture Jesus walking down the street with His disciples and cussing like the next person on the street. He is our example, so if Jesus wouldn't do it... I think it's safe to say we shouldn't be. Now what words are considered obscene then? Some are the obvious ones... the F---, S---, B----, A-- (unless you're talking about an actual donkey as used in Scripture), etc... but there are other words that we instinctively makre sure our kids don't say that aren't "swear words" per se, but they are inappropriate still right? This needs to be made up in all our minds - if Christ would be embarrassed to hear it in front of Him and we know it, then delete the word from our vocabulary. We are called to higher living as believers - we are ambassadors of Christ. Let's live like it.