The Christian Embassy of Canada exists for one reason: to inspire leaders with the person and values of Jesus.

Since 1984 the Christian Embassy of Canada in Ottawa has been serving diplomats and their spouses, parliamentarians and business leaders of varied religious backgrounds.  Their mission is to, “Inspire diplomatic, political and business leaders, giving them an opportunity to discover Jesus, to experience His life-changing power and to inspire others similarly.”

Until recently I had never heard of the concept of a Christian Embassy.  The Canadian Christian Embassy is part of a network of 7 other Christian Embassies around the world in New York, Washington DC, London, Geneva, Pretoria, Dublin, and Manila.

What a fabulous work.  These embassies are staffed with passionate followers of Jesus who want to make Him known at the highest levels of the federal government and in the international diplomatic community.

In late November I had the great pleasure and privilege to speak in Ottawa at the Christmas Gala of the Christian Embassy of Canada.  With hundreds of people in attendance and over 50 countries represented it was an exhilarating occasion.  I met scores of Ambassadors and High Commissioners.

I spoke on the HEART of a leader: humility, empathy, authenticity, risk and tenacity.  I used this as a segue into explaining that Christmas is really the announcement of the world’s greatest free trade agreement.  Through Jesus, God is offering mankind a free heart exchange.  We can trade our broken heart for a healed heart, a hard heart for a soft heart, a heart of stone for a heart of flesh, a dark heart for one filled with light, a hateful heart for a loving heart, an imprisoned heart for a free heart.

I was enormously encouraged to hear from one of the Christian Embassy staff that during a follow up meeting with an ambassador, the ambassador had indicated a desire to make this heart trade.  So, the staff member was able to introduce the ambassador to Christ, and a heart exchange was made.

This experience got me thinking more about the diplomatic community.  There is a common mission that unites all diplomats in Canada:

To create good relations between their own country and Canada.

Christmas is the time of year when we celebrate the birth of Jesus.  Jesus came to demonstrate and to preach the good news of the Kingdom of God.  Jesus came to make a way for mankind to live differently – to make a heart exchange so we can become citizens of the Kingdom of Light, set free from the Kingdom of Darkness.

In other words, Jesus came to establish the Government of God on earth.  He taught us to pray for God’s Kingdom (government) to come and His will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.  And now that He has launched the Government of God on earth He has recruited His people to become the Divine Diplomats of His Government.

You and I are Ambassadors of the Government of God on earth.  We are here to establish good relations between Jesus and all those around us.  We are Divine Diplomats of God’s Kingdom – this is our full time mission.  Yes, there is work we do each and every day, and this work is an opportunity to be Divine Diplomats of the Government of God in the lives of other people.

Like Jesus, we are called to demonstrate the nature of God’s Government, and to share with people how the Government of God can change their lives.  As people learn about the culture of God’s Government, the heart exchange He offers us, and the freedom He has purchased for us from the evil dictatorship of the enemy of mankind, we can also have the eternal privilege of praying with people to change their citizenship and be born again into the Government of God.

We are governmental representatives.  We are ambassadors of the Kingdom of God.  As diplomats we are charged by God Himself to demonstrate and share the nature of His Government on earth as it is in Heaven.

Divine Diplomats – let’s live in the authority of that.

2 Corinthians 5:20

“We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.”

Colossians 1:13, 14

“For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”

Ezekiel 36:26

“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.”

Matthew 4:23 (The Message)

“From there he went all over Galilee. He used synagogues for meeting places and taught people the truth of God. God’s kingdom was his theme—that beginning right now they were under God’s government, a good government! He also healed people of their diseases and of the bad effects of their bad lives.”

Between September 1940 and May 1941 the Nazis dropped 100s of tonnes of bombs on Britain.

London was attacked 71 times and bombarded for 57 consecutive nights. Over 1,000,000 homes were destroyed with tens of thousands of civilian casualties. This bombardment was known as the London Blitz. The destruction was overwhelming.
Bomb shelters deep beneath the ground provided the most protection against a direct hit. The British government began allowing the public to find shelter in the underground Tube stations as well. Each day orderly masses of people lined up in the afternoon to be allowed to enter the stations for the evening during the ongoing Nazi bombing raids. At the height of the bombing over 100,000 people were sleeping in the Tube stations.
Air raid sirens would warn residents of an impending attack. At the sound of the sirens residents would move as quickly as possible to the nearest air raid/bomb shelter to wait out the bombings in relative safety.
We toured a London air raid shelter as a family when the boys were younger. It was a moving experience to sit there in the cool, dimly lit corridors imagining what it would be like to fearfully wait through a long night of seemingly ceaseless bombing wondering what you would find when you emerged in the morning.
When a bombing attack was signaled by the air raid siren, there was no room for hesitation, you would run to the nearest bomb shelter whenever possible.
I thought of this recently during a time of particularly bad news. I received news from a number of people about all manner of calamity that was befalling them: sickness, disease, near death incidents, life-altering medical issues, relationship breakdowns, lost opportunities, broken dreams, and financial stresses, strains and collapse.
Life can sometimes feel like a bombardment can’t it? Oftentimes without any warning calamity can hit.
So where do you run to when the bombing starts?
Proverbs 18:10 tells us that “The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.”
When difficulty or crisis hits do you run to the Lord? Do you find your refuge in Him? Is He your shelter?
We can have a tendency to run to the Lord only after we have exhausted other means available to us. Our first response is to put our heads down and push through things. We can often try to gut it out alone without the help or encouragement of others, and without seeking God in the midst of the difficulty.
However, the Lord is our strong tower; He is our refuge and our strength. The righteous run to him first. We would be wise to run to the Lord in prayer when difficulties befall us. When we find ourselves in the midst of a destructive bombardment we need to find our shelter in the Lord and in His truth.
And, oftentimes, it is God’s people who help us find encouragement in God. Trying to ride out difficulty alone simply prolongs and deepens the difficulty. Running to the Lord and seeking the encouragement of trusted Godly friends and family will sustain you amidst the bombardments of life.
Psalm 91 is a beautiful promise and encouragement to run to God – to find our shelter in Him:
“Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.’ Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.”

“You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked.”

“If you say, ‘The Lord is my refuge,’ and you make the Most High your dwelling, no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent. For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. You will tread on the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent.”

“‘Because he loves me,’ says the Lord, ‘I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.’”

So where do you run to? Or should I say, “Who do you run to?”

I have a confession:  I entertain thoughts of escaping reality and fleeing to the Discovery Islands or Sunshine Coast.

I imagine how wonderful it would be to live in a beautiful home on an isolated stretch of ocean; surrounded by temperate rainforest, hidden away from the rest of the world and oblivious to the craziness of life.  I would divide my time between our oceanfront hideaway and my yacht in which I would cruise the idyllic waters of the Salish Sea.

I would be content in being blissfully unaware of the reality of everyday life.

I’ve always thought there was something wrong with me to have to battle thoughts of escaping reality on a regular basis.  I recently asked a close friend of mine, who tirelessly serves and loves people and builds God’s Kingdom, if he ever battles similar thoughts of escaping reality.

I was preparing myself for him to say, “no”, and then be left to try to figure out why I alone have this problem.  Much to my surprise, and I must say delight, he indicated that he did indeed regularly battle thoughts of escaping reality.

Yes!  I’m not the only one!

If you find yourself often battling the desire to escape reality into some blissful state of unreality then you’re not alone – there are at least 2 more of us who do as well.

So, is there something deeply wrong with us?  Well, yes and no.  We long for heaven, we long for peace, we long for a world without evil and, therefore, strife, fear, discouragement, anxiety, stress, despair, pain, etc.  That desire is good.  However, we will not find the fulfillment of that this side of heaven.  For now, we live in a broken world as broken people.

Can we experience more and more of God’s government of righteousness, peace and joy this side of heaven?  Absolutely.  But the Kingdom is now and not yet.  It will one day come in its fullness with Jesus’ return, but not yet.  For now we have work to do.

Do we need to get away from reality on occasion to breathe in the rest, restoration, recreation, and renewal of God?  Absolutely.  That’s what great holidays are for.  However, we need to come down from the mountain and plug back into the reality of everyday life to be ambassadors of God’s government in the lives of those people in our sphere of influence and authority.

We stay faithful to the work God has put in our hands because He is faithful to us.  We carry the responsibilities He has entrusted to us because we have surrendered our lives to Him.   He has offered us His life here and now, and for eternity.  He has called us to serve Him and serve others as our act of worship in response to the love He has poured out on us.

Not to earn His love, but in response to it.

Has He promised life will be easy?  No.  Has he promised we won’t have any problems in this life?  No.  Has he promised all the resources of heaven are at our disposal to make us happy and comfortable?  No.

However, in the midst of our daily reality God has promised to provide for all of our needs.  He has promised to make us willing and able to work according to His purposes.  He has promised to never leave us or forsake us.  He has promised to lead us and guide us, to counsel and watch over us.  He has promised to make all grace abound to us so that all the time we will have what we need to do the work He has called us to do.

We need to soak in God’s presence like a shower.  Strip off everything you hide behind, rest in God’s presence and ask Him to refresh and renew you.  Linger in His presence like a renewing hot shower.  Let His Truth, love and peace soak deep into your heart.

We also need to walk authentically with allies who remind us why we live the way we live.  We need to encourage each other in the Truth.

Let’s escape reality only in God’s presence, so we can face it in His peace and power.

Matthew 11:28, 29

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”

Isaiah 41:10

“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

John 16:33

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

Philippians 2:12, 13

“Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.”

A good, firm handshake was very important to my father.

“You have to look a man in the eye, grip his hand, and give it a firm shake.  Give him a taste of your character.”

He came from a generation where a man would be judged by his handshake.  A firm handshake with good eye contact, according to my father, said a lot about a man.  It said he was confident, secure, strong, assertive and bold.

In light of this, I was taught how to shake hands.  I was taught that shaking hands with a woman was different than shaking hands with a man.  A handshake with a woman was supposed to be gently and kinder, though not weak.  Your objective with a woman was not to assert dominance, but to communicate care and connection.

However, the objective when shaking the hand of another man was to let him know you weren’t a pushover.  You had to give him a little sense of your strength – of character and physical strength.  But don’t try to crush his hand.  If you do this you’ll come across as someone trying too hard.  No, a simple, casual, strong, intentional grip with a little shake and 3 seconds of eye contact gets the message across.

I was taught to despise a weak handshake.  You know the kind, when a man’s handshake is like shaking a dead fish.  It’s limp and devoid of life.

“Seriously, is that the best you can do?”

I wonder if this philosophy of handshakes is where the phrase, “Get a grip!” comes from.

I’m sure you’ve heard someone say to you at some point in time, “Get a grip.”  It typically means that you need to get your facts straight, or calm down and “get a hold of yourself”.   Basically it can mean 2 things: get your emotions under control, or to understand how to deal with something.

We can get a grip on things, and things can get a grip on us.

We can be gripped by fear, or anxiety, or jealousy, or greed, or lust, or any manner of negative emotions and influences.   Or, we can be gripped by any number of positive emotions and influences:  in the grip of grace, gripped by compassion, or love, or righteous indignation, or conviction, or the like.

I believe what we get a grip on determines what gets a grip on us.

I was visiting a church in Ottawa recently.  This is their mission:

“To make disciples of Jesus, gripped by the Gospel, living for God’s glory.”

That particular phrase, “Gripped by the Gospel” leapt out at me…

Hmmm, what am I gripped by?  What do I have a grip on?

The only way we can be gripped by the Gospel is if we have a grip on the Gospel.  We need to have a grip on Jesus and His Word if we are to have any hope of having the Gospel get a grip on us.

So what do you have a grip on?  Do you have a grip on the things of this world?  Do you have a grip on self-preservation?  Do you have a grip on yourself and your own self-interests and desires?

What we have a grip on has a grip on us.

Are you willing to let go of everything except Jesus and His “Gospel” – His Good News, His Truth?  Or are there things you want to hold onto, things you’re unwilling to surrender to God?  Whatever we hold onto has a hold on us.

Let’s get a grip on Jesus.

But may that grip not be like a handshake.  No, the kind of grip I think we need on Jesus is more like that of someone who is falling over a cliff and in a desperate, wholehearted, last ditch attempt to avoid falling to our death, we have reached out and gripped the hand of someone of the strength and stature to not only stop us from falling, but who can also pull us up to safety.

Let’s grip Jesus and His Word like our life depended upon it.  Because in reality, it does.

When we grip Him, He grips us.

Get a grip!

Philippians 3:12

“Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.”

2 Thessalonians 2:15 (The Message)

“So, friends, take a firm stand, feet on the ground and head high. Keep a tight grip on what you were taught, whether in personal conversation or by our letter.”

1 Timothy 1:19 (The Message)

“There are some, you know, who by relaxing their grip and thinking anything goes have made a thorough mess of their faith.”

Hebrews 10:23 (The Message)

“Let’s keep a firm grip on the promises that keep us going. He always keeps his word.”