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As an Indigenous person who's also a follower of the Jesus Way, I have found people who always have reasons for not wanting this way of living for themselves. Some also have an interest to some degree but have had an experience of some kind that has hindered them from exploring this way of living further. And then some people have no interest at all in following Jesus. I reflect on my own life journey. I was raised in a non-Indigenous family going to church at least two days...
Have you ever been stuck? Stuck on a school paper, or stuck in traffic, or maybe so emotionally involved with someone that you are stuck in terms of your feelings for them, even though these feelings may not be healthy for you? When we are stuck, it is very easy to do or say something drastic out of desperation. After our actions, we may end up facing consequences that are far more difficult than being stuck! I love the example of our Lord Jesus; He of course never had the...
I'm at the age where I think about the hereafter more than ever. I arrive at the fridge and wonder what I'm hereafter. Seriously, heaven is looking sweeter all the time, partly because so many family and friends are there sooner than we thought they'd be. But maybe you have questions about heaven or you believe it is a myth, the creation of delusional wishful thinkers. I'm well acquainted with myths. I grew up on them. Here are five of them, the first two my mother used on...
Mashpee Wampanoag of Massachusetts tribal member Sherry Pocknett was recently honored as one of over 20 other semifinalists from the six New England states. And Pocknett would go on to win the coveted James Beard award for Best Chef of the northeastern U.S.-the first Native American woman ever to win the honor. Nicknamed the "Academy Awards of the food world," the James Beard award is the highest honor in the U.S. food industry. It is also considered to be among the country's...
The odor makes my eyes water. The walls are covered with dried clumps of hair and soap scum. The ¼" of scum lies silently at the bottom of the broken sink. To label it filthy and unsanitary is an understatement. Ad Seg (the Hole) doesn't have inmate workers. There are no inmates assigned to keep the common areas of this ancient building clean. In a regular facility inmates are assigned to clean the hallways, tiers, benches and showers. If left neglected, the showers...
Life is so simple when you are a child. I remember when my three year old son thought his four year old brother knew everything in the world-after all, his brother was a year older and more experienced. "Adam and Eve were the first people," my four year old said. "And then Jesus was born, and then you and I were born." "Was anyone born between when Jesus was born and when we were born?" my three year old asked his brother. My four year old thought about it a second and then...
Q: Recently I was hurt by a person in a position of leadership and authority. Although this person has apologized to me, he has not had to face any other consequences for his behavior. I'm finding it difficult to accept his apology and just forgive him. I still hurt, and it doesn't seem fair for this person not to be punished in some way for his actions. I'm a Christian, and I know that the Bible says I am to forgive and forget. How do I forgive when I feel that justice has...
Q: After reading The Grieving Indian, I saw a prayer at the back of the book: "Dear Jesus, I realize I am a sinner. I long for peace in my heart. I believe you are the Holy Son of God-that you came down and died on the cross for my sins. Thank you for doing this for me. I am sorry for my sins. Please forgive me. With your help, I will turn my back on them. By faith, I receive you into my life as my personal Savior and Lord. From now on, I want to please you." I prayed the...
If you were to look up the definition of joy, the Oxford dictionary says that joy is "a feeling of great pleasure and happiness." In the Merriam-Webster dictionary, joy (when used as a noun), is defined as "an emotion evoked by well-being, success, or good fortune or by the prospect of possessing what one desires." Joy (when used as a verb) is defined as "experiencing great pleasure or delight." But look at how the Bible defines joy. The biblical definition of joy says that...
I'm a Native from the Navaho Tribe. I have been incarcerated since 1999. When I came to prison, I was a religious person who only believed in God when I was in trouble. I was a backslider and read the Bible but had no understanding of it. About 2005, I wept in tears and asked God to forgive me of my sins. I felt ashamed because I was the only Native at the altar weeping in tears, but something happened there at the altar. I felt an arm around me and heard a voice that said, "I...
Here's the thing about dreams. I think that some people need to learn to dream. Especially after they have been taught not to. For six years, our family lived under the assumption that we would be leaving the country and moving to a developing one, literally around the world. Our children were young when we started the process to move. But when one year turned into two and then three, we saw them starting to withdraw. We saw them change. Though once they were free, fun loving...
Now and then you run across some lines in an old song that just kind of hit you. As a songwriter, I hear a good one and tend to take notice of the way words are put together. I stumbled on an old 1972 Tom T. Hall song the other day that just kept cycling through my head and I couldn't get it out of my mind! So, I googled it and saved the words. It was a song about a person's relationship with God, aptly titled "Me and Jesus." In the third verse, the musician talks about Jesus...
Some people say Christmas is not about giving gifts. But it is! Christmas celebrates the day God gave us the best gift ever-when He sent His Son to the world. "For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16, ESV). When the magi (also called wise men) learned that Jesus had been born, they travelled far to see Him (Matthew 2). They wanted to worship the young King. They brought with them...
It is difficult for Christians to follow Christ because we are in a spiritual warfare daily with the devil, who is the ruler of this world. We live in a permissive society today and the Christian life is difficult for many because it is a life of self-denial. The world says to do your own thing. As a result, we have many worldly Christians. James 4:4 (ESV) says, "You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore, whoever...
Question: My husband and I became Christians two years ago. We are glad that we know the Savior, but we struggle with some things. Our families follow the traditional ways, and they are angry because we don't participate in feasts and ceremonies anymore. My cousin told me that if I really loved my grandparents, I would live the way they taught me to live. That really hurts me. How can I show my family I love them without turning my back on the Lord? Answers: You have not told...
He will cover thee with his pinions, And under his wings shalt thou take refuge: His truth is a shield and a buckler. Psalm 91:4 Devotion: The psalms are often songs of comfort. When we are attacked and tormented in our life, we can take comfort in the fact that God has promised to protect and shield us much like this drawing demonstrates, showing up to protect the man under its large wings. God is our refuge, He is faithful. We must learn to trust Him and His Word....
Q: Our Indigenous church has a problem between those with low incomes and those who have a good paying jobs. Most of our leaders are the ones with good incomes, but the low-income people don't want their leadership. They tell the ones with good jobs they aren't Indians anymore. How should we deal with this? I don't want our church to break up. A: I am glad we have a book to rely on for answers. Many problems like this one would not have to be if the Bible was taken to be the...
Christianity is not a religion but it is a personal relationship with Christ. When a person becomes a Christian, he or she will tell you that he or she has accepted Jesus Christ as his or her personal Savior. At the moment of conversion, when a person calls upon the Lord Jesus Christ that person is instantaneously saved from the wrath of God. A person has to be saved before he or she can have a personal relationship with God. Adam and Eve the first human beings on earth were...
Dear Friends, A few weeks ago, my wife Krystal and I took a short camping trip to the small town of Nordegg, Alberta. Our two children have been serving at Camp Chestermere as Camp Counsellors for the summer, and as such during the week, it has just been Krystal and I. To answer your question, yes, we have been enjoying our time alone together. The weather was beautiful, and we had never really gone away by ourselves since we became a family of four. I thought it would be...
Question: When I was four years old I was left by my parents and put in a foster home. My foster family cared for my physical needs but they never loved me. I felt like I didn't belong anywhere. I've been drinking since I was 17, trying to fit in with others, but it doesn't work for long. My drinking buddies are only friends when I've got money. A few months ago someone at work started talking to me about God and inviting me to church. I would like to believe what he says but...
Question: Jesus said, "I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won't have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life." John 8:12 What does this mean? And why should it matter to me? Answer: In the Bible we see where the Lord Jesus Christ, God's Beloved Son, has been given more than 300 names and titles. Each name gives us a word picture or description of who God is. It is God's way of revealing Himself to His creation. I love the book...
Change. Change is constant. Here at ILM, a lot of change has been happening. In the last two months we have welcomed a new general director, and we have also set up a satellite office in Chestermere, Alberta. We have experienced a ton of training, packing, moving, looking for misplaced boxes and building new relationships. In fact, I think that has been our favorite part: meeting new people and building new relationships. We relish hearing from you and learning of the ways...
The birth of our son Joseph Seth was truly an extraordinary answer to prayer, and we call him our "miracle baby." He was born 25 years after Sheila and I married, and his birth has been one of the greatest blessings in our marriage. When he was a baby, Joseph was dedicated to the Lord by Associate Pastor Randy Jost at the Metropolitan Bible Church in Ottawa. Sheila and I were so thankful to God for giving us a son, and we made a commitment to raise him up in the fear of the...
Learn about this ministry through our interview with Dan DeGaris-Director of Development, Indigenous Ministry What are the top two challenges marriages face today across the board? Couples face so many challenges these days and Covid-19 has certainly added to them. However couples will always have to deal with two common issues. One is our differences. As couples we have different interests, life experiences, personalities, desires and expectations and they all can impact our...
When I was five years old, my twelve-year-old cousin, who was a bully and who teased and tormented me without mercy, pushed me into the river. I couldn't swim and would have drowned but a man who was fishing nearby saw what happened, jumped into the river and saved me. This left me with a life long fear of water. When I was eight-years-old, I was in a car with three uncles and two aunts. We were on a country road, and as we crossed an old wooden bridge, the bridge collapsed...
