Monday, June 27, 2005

The 3rd installment of the Cuthill baby pool contest!!

Well folks, today was our ultrsound for Baby 3!!

Which means the onset of another legendary Cuthill baby pool!! The last winner, Melissa Cuthill successfully fended off 30 contenders by predicting Silas' stats.

Let's give her a run for her money this time! Here's how to play:

1. Click on the link below to go to the topic on the discussion forum

2. Post a reply, 1 post/entry per person

3. Type in your predictions for the 5 categories below:

a) Date of arrival (we have been given several different due date's ranging from November 13th - 23rd)
b) Weight in pounds (lbs)
c) Gender (only boy or girl)
d) Time of day of arrival of child
e) Suggest a name for the child

4. You will be allowed to edit your entry up until September 30th

What are you waiting for!?!?! Click here to place your entry today!!?!?! :) :)

Friday, June 24, 2005

What's your definition of adultery?

Well folks I apologize for my tardiness in the blogdom. It seems my first attempt at overhauling the laptop didn't cut it, so now I have to go back and do it all over again. At the same time the monitor on the desktop started flickering and smoking yesterday so we are PC-less. Those of you who are Mac users stop laughing! Also, Hayley's brother Matt, Leah and Josh Poole are staying over, Matt_the_cook will arrive with his crew of 8 on Monday and then the legendary Joan and Joe from Italy after that! Needless to say you can appreciate the joy and chaos in the Cuthill household.

Before I do reformat again, I wanted to post something on here that occured on the discussion forum. Drew Costen, the infamous instigator of innerancy, had some interesting thoughts on the meaning of adultery - here.
sarah_s wrote:
Drew, are you trying to say that you think that it may not be adultery for a married person to have sexual intercourse with someone other than their spouse, as long as the SPOUSE consents (obviously the sex would also have to be consensual between both parties involved)?

Drew: Yes. Ultimately, adultery is just a word that can be defined any way you want, and has been defined in different ways throughout the ages.
Do you have a definition of adultery that you would like to share? - click here to reply

Monday, June 20, 2005

Backup, Format, Re-install, Repeat

OK, how many of us have seen that little video of the guy in his cubicle at work, who gets up and starts smashing his computer until it's right off the desk? Most of us have felt like that from time to time and so now this is my moment of PC rage! However God taught me an important lesson through it all, one I wasn't expecting.

The wireless has been acting up, there's been difficulty connecting, I've been suspicious of a virus, rundll32.exe has been running at 100% in task manager. Too many problems, time to start over. I figured it was time for a good old formatting and re-installing.

As I was going through the recovery process a few thoughts dawned on me in relation to how God works, similar to the way I interact with my laptop.

First I back up important data. Any important documents, programs, files, etc. I burn them on CD and keep them safe, saving them for future use.

When God wants to start over, he chooses a remnant from his people: Examples from the Bible are many. God saved Noah and his family from the flood so he could start over again. God called Abraham out of idolatry to start the nation of Israel. God saved Joshua & Caleb from dying in the wilderness so they could help lead the people into the promised land. God takes a remnant from within his people and "saves them". Similar to Israel's baking techniques. When making bread, Israelites would take a little piece of the dough to get the yeast and save it, wait till the next day, then nead (sp?) that little piece of the dough with the yeast in it to make the new loaf, and so on and so on. That's where the biblical phrase comes from: "A little leaven leavens the whole lump". We've seen God do it in the past, but let's think about how he is doing that today.

Second: I format. Wipe everything out. Start all over with a blank slate.
After God has saved his remnant he wipes out a generation : He wiped out the world with a flood, everyone died in the wilderness except Joshua & Caleb, Israel was destroyed by Babylon, except for Daniel. Jesus was the first-born from among the dead. etc. How is God doing this today? What old thing is he "wiping out" in order to establish the new thing?

Third - I re-install.
God's next step is to repopulate with people from this remnant: Noah and his family, Joshua/Caleb, Nehemiah/Ezra, Jesus & his disciples, etc. New things spring to life.

Fourth - Repeat - after a while, the data gets corrupt again and I start all over.

God has been following this pattern for centuries: Therefore it should come as no surprise to us. Those of us who have ears to hear, listen to what God is doing. Jesus scolded the people in his day because they couldn't understand the times. God may be doing something new in our day, and that is absolutely biblical and historically inevitable. Our choice then is simply wether we will stick with the old wineskin/lump and be wiped out, or be counted with the remnant and be part of God starting over. The question I have is how do we know when God is finished with a work/movement and ready to move on? Is there a level of corruption? Stagnation? Any hints in Revelation in the address to the churches?

The sayings of Lukas v4

Lukas: Daddy, can we make a list of vegetables?
Daddy: OK, which ones.
Lukas: Tomatoes...carrotts....
Daddy: What about apples?
Lukas: No they are fruits :)
Daddy (proud of his son's ability to tell the difference between fruits & vegetables): Good Lukas, what's another vegetable?!?
Lukas: Chicken nuggets

Friday, June 17, 2005

Roy Hill's prophecy....death by 2025

Let me just ask a simple question. How is your assembly doing? Honestly. Let's forget about all the silly arguments about wether or not your assembly is doing things the "right" way (and by who's standard?). Wouldn't you agree that growth is a New Testament principle? If so, then what in the world is going on? I have just recently finished reading one of the most hard-hitting evaluations of the brethren assemblies by one of it's biggest proponents, Roy Hill!

The full text of the report is on the discussion forum - here - , but let me just quote the most startling prediction of Hill's:
in the last few years assemblies have been 'closing' at the rate of about one per week, and the numbers in some of those remaining are very few indeed...

..should this current trend continue unchecked assembly testimony in some parts of the British Isles could disappear altogether by 2025 about 200 years after it begun!
Let us now face this problem head on, and not be naive in thinking that we are in a better situation in Canada. What are we going to do? Let us also not recoil into smugness by thinking that we are doing things "God's way". Can we at least begin to revisit our convictions, simply to see if they have real biblical backing? Will we stubbornly take the assebmlies to their death because we were unwilling to be flexible and biblical? If this report by Roy Hill will not shake us, then what will? Perhaps the lampstand has already been taken away in many places.

I will finish with Hill's closing remarks:
Let us not stand accused that in our day and generation we lost, through carelessness, that which was passed on to us through our refusal to recognize and address a problem that is now staring us in the face...There is yet time, but perhaps not much for the recovery and progress of assembly work
Do you think it's too late? Is there still hope? The discussion forum is open

Thursday, June 16, 2005

Sanhed-rerun?

Check this article from the Temple Institute - a place I visited while in Israel. Any insight from you prophecy junkies out there?:

Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz new head of 'Sanhedrin'

reprinted from The Jerusalem Post
21:55 Jun 06, '05 / 28 Iyar 5765
by Mati Wagner

Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz was elected the temporary president of a rabbinical body Monday that aspires to renew the Sanhedrin, Judaism's highest-ranking legal-religious tribunal.

The group of rabbis involved with reestablishing the Sanhedrin, a 71-man assembly of rabbis that convened adjacent to the Holy Temple before its destruction in 70 CE and outside Jerusalem until about 400 CE, also decided to take steps toward the rebuilding of the Holy Temple.

Historically, the Sanhedrin was the final arbiter on all halachic matters. Reestablishing the tribunal is aimed at ending religious in-fighting and facilitating unity.

No more sick bowl

Today was a bit of a milestone for us. Hayley was changing Lukas' bed and putting on the summer sheets when she realized that Lukas hadn't used his sick bowl, which he keeps next to his pillow, for at least 3 months! Thanks to everyone who prayed for this situation. We still don't know what is wrong, but today we put the sick bowl away. Hopefully for good :)

Tuesday, June 14, 2005

Catch the Catechumen!

Ever heard of a Catechumen? Neither had I until last night:



I've been reading over Augustine's "Confessions" lately and came across some interesting details about how the early church functioned:

Originally from the discussion forum
"At birth, Augustine was excercised against demons by his Christian mother. At age 5 he was extremely ill with a stomach ache and begged his mother to be baptised. It was not in fact unusual to vow a sick child to virginity for life before God in return for the childs restoration to health...

Augustine's mother instead made him a catechumens, or "christian hearer".

Catechumens were a well recognized group that would attend church services although they had to leave before the Eucharist. They could call themselves "Christians", not "seekers" or "the faithful". It was expected in due course they would put their names down for further instruction to become "seekers" and be baptised. Baptised Christians were then called "the faithful".
Upon reading this I looked up the term "Catechumen" and found this entry:

New Advent Encyclopedia
By the end of the second century we find the catechumenate in force in all its main lines. Tertullian reproaches the heretics with disregarding it; among them, he says "one does not know which is the catechumen and which the faithful, all alike come [to the mysteries], all hear the same discourses and say the same prayers" (quis catechumenus, quis fidelis incertum est; pariter adeunt, pariter audiunt, pariter orant),
I'll be reading more on this, but it seems there was a "layered" approach to discipleship. First someone became a "hearer" (catechumen), then they became a "seeker", then a "faithful". Perhaps we could learn from this and implement a similar system in our churches? Anyone have any further insight into this early church "system"? Post comments below, or on the discussion forum

Monday, June 13, 2005

Best Ringbearer ever!


Here's Lukas walking down the aisle, with flowergirl Daniella, at Uncle Ryan's wedding...and yes he did have his eyes closed the entire way Posted by Hello

Sunday, June 12, 2005

36 @ 1:36!

Ok, I know my blog is not the place for whining and complaining about every little problem in my life, but tonight is a different story. It's 1:40AM and it is 36 degrees (97F)!!! Come on!!!
<--Click for temp
How is a person supposed to sleep! I'd love to crawl into the basement, but at the moment it is rented out! I know the Lord is laughing right now saying "This is good preperation son. How hot do you think it will be in the middle east? What is that verse in Jeremiah again...if you can't run with horses...." Grrrrr me

Saturday, June 11, 2005

Hymns vs. praise

Quick do a google search for "Hymns vs. Praise songs" and see what is #1......

Ok if you're too lazy, you can just - click here -

Thanks to Andrew Lawson, a newbie on the - discussion forum - , for the tip.

Sunday, June 05, 2005

Mark P --> bear tracker by day, youth speaker by night!

It was quite the eventful weekend for our man Mark P!

1. Friday - 7:30PM - He spoke to the B-unit youth group, showing a police video about drugs. Hopefully he'll give us his take on how the evening went on the discussion forum
2. Saturday - 7:30AM - Woke up to a bear on his street!

Here are some links from CTV & Toronto Sun
If you would have gone to a Markham, Ont. park today (Mark P's backyard), you would have been in for a big surprise. A two-year-old, 150-pound black bear showed up, leading to an entertaining afternoon for spectators and a stressful one for officials.

Friday, June 03, 2005

Livin on a prayer



A yes, Bon Jovi! The epitome of the 80's rock band! They dominated my musical tastes, along with Van Halen, during my elementary school years in the mid 80's. Back then in my unbelieving days I was more interested in figuring out crude new ways to twist the lyrics to their songs ("shot to the heart" anyone?) than meditating on the message therein. When "Livin on a prayer" came out, I didn't give the idea of prayer a second thought.

Now that I have been a Christian long enough to be perhaps an "elementary school believer" (about 10 years) I'd say I'm in the same "Bon Jovi" years spiritually. I'm only "half-way there", if that.

Bon Jovi's wa-wa pedal-pushin song now brings a new reality to my ears as I consider it again. Am I livin on prayer? Is prayer my life-line? Do I think I have arrived, or do I want to "Take HIS hand and we'll make it I swear". Where does my dependence lie for daily power, for ministry, for life.

This is all coming into focus because at the end of June there is an all-night prayer meeting that I have been invited to. It got me thinking...Why haven't I done this before? How come I have met with Christians for "fellowship" about a million times more than I have met with believers for prayer?

Hopefully this oldy-but-goody by Bon Jovi will take on new meaning in my life and yours. Hopefully this time around the words of the song will finally sink in. "We've got to hold on to what we've got, it doesn't make a difference if we make it or not. We've got each other and that's a lot for love - We'll give it a shot". Perhaps we should all give an all night prayer meeting a shot! Has anyone out there been to one before? What's the longest prayer meeting you've been to? Any experiences or answers to prayer you'd like to share? Any tips for staying awake :)

Thursday, June 02, 2005

June loggin in....

30June05-Thurs-Speak at daycamp chapel. Matt,Ruth & gang fly out. Joan & Joe arrive, AA conference
29June05-Wed - Daycamp, Team to prayer meeting
28June05-Tues - Team to D.S. in Thorncliffe
27June05-Mon - Hayley ultrasound; Matt, Ruth (joseph), Ben, Todd, Melissa, Bethany, Hilary stay over
26June05-Sun - BofB, FBH, Matt, Leah, Josh, Bethany stay over
25June05-Sat - Prayer meeting at leaside
24June05-Fri - Dave & Gail wedding, dinner with Day's
23June05-Thurs-Matt, Leah, Josh to PTBO. Jamoy grade 8 grad
22June05-Wed - Prayer day, prayer meeting, stop in to see Anila & Kamran
21June05-Tues- Matt, Leah, Josh Poole arrive, CN tower, jays game
20June05-Mon - paperwork, format & reinstall windows
19June05-Sun - BofB, FBH, Dave & Gail party in Markham
18June05-Sat - BBC picnic with Katherine, Clayon, Jamoy. Andrew Masuello bachelor party
17June05-Fri - office, clayon over, judy, joanna, rachel, josh over
16June05-Thurs-Lunch with Clayon, Kevin, Novella, youth rally planning, gym show
15June05-Wed - prayer with elders, prayer, study, prayer meeting
14June05-Tues- air conditioner fixed
13June06-Mon- phone, paperwork,
12June05-Sun - BofB, FBH (Josh & Quentin over for lunch)
11June05-Sat - GTA youth leaders meeting at house (7 over - Quist, Nigel, Phil, Dave, Jason, Joy, Ted)
10June05-Fri - 30 @ youth (+ 9 from Greenwood)
09June05-Thurs-Read to daycare, lunch with Sabbah
08June05-Wed - prayer
07June05-Tues-
06June05-Mon- paperwork, phone, Ron hughes, KLBC
05June05-Sun - BofB, FBH (Katherine)
04June05-Sat-
03June05-Fri-34 @ youth (8 new) Mark shows video/speaks
02June05-Thurs-2 over (Mag & Der) 1 home bible study
01June05-Wed- 2 over (Tien & mom)