Kevin Dibbley

                   I just happen to be in the Los Angeles area as the huge scandal erupted around comments made by Donald Sterling. It has been the dominant story now for days, not only here, but across the nation. In a nutshell, Sterling, the owner of the NBA Clippers, was recorded privately telling his "girlfriend" that he preferred that she not be seen publicly associating with "black people".  The reaction has been swift, widespread, and unequivocal. Yesterday, NBA commissioner Adam Silver banned Sterling for life, fined him a few million dollars, and declared that steps would be taken to force Sterling to relinquish his ownership of the LA Clipper franchise.             From a Christian perspective, there is much to applaud in the unwavering and immediate response to such blatant racism. In fact, there is so much that we a...

"On the glorious splendour of your majesty, and on your wondrous works, I will meditate." Psalm 145:5             Jonathon Edwards once observed a remarkable spiritual transformation in the life of his wife. She had become so affected with the things of God that he asked her to write down what had happened. She tells of a particular occasion when she had become disappointed and convicted over particular sins in her life and had lost a sense of the peace of the presence of God. However, after seeking God's face, she came to a happy awareness that God was indeed her Father on account of the forgiveness offered to her through the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. Here is a bit of her joyous testimony:    "I cannot find language to express, how certain this appeared—the everlasting mountains and hills were but shadows to it. My safety, and happiness, and eternal enjoyment of God’s immutable love, seemed as dur...

       "Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world."   John 17:24           The cross has opened the gate into a world which Jesus Himself desires to share with us. He fully knows the glory that awaits those who follow Him. Jesus has tasted the delights of this "heaven" for all of eternity. We ourselves encounter it briefly and find ourselves trying to cling to elements of it that are yet beautifully reflected in this realm. We reminisce of moments when we have caught a glimpse of it but find that we can not hold it or even recapture it. We create idols that we vainly hope will continually convey to us the pleasures of which our souls have once tasted and for which we now long. Yet, these are fading shadows indicating the reality of that ultimate pleasure that ...

                    Over the past several days, I have been reflecting upon two proverbs. The first reads this way: " Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life ." [1] The second is a few verses down in Proverbs 13 and the wise writer puts it this way: " A desire fulfilled is sweet to the soul but to turn away from evil is an abomination to fools ." [2]             What I have been attempting to do is to put these two verses together in my mind and build them into my philosophy of life. Let me explain why. All of us have hopes, ambitions, and desires. The question, of course, is this: what stands in the way of many of them being realized?             No doubt, there are numerous answers to that question. There are a wide range of factors tha...

            We all have ideas at the core that shape how we view life and the world, how we process information and ideas, and how we react, respond, and engage with others day by day. What we truly believe sets the stage for how we live.             I want to share with you a thought that has held me for several decades now. It is a foundational key to my entire perspective on life. Simply stated, it is this: God is who He is.             What this means to me is very simple and yet, it is all encompassing. Again to put is as plainly as possible, if God truly exists, then He is who He actually is . He is not who we imagine Him to be, or want Him to be. He is not the creation of  a thousand different religions. He is not a man-made carving or a philosophical concept. If God exists, then He is who He i...

              The recent World Vision decision and then its remarkably quick reversal on the matter of supporting gay monogamous spouses as employees provides a good moment for all of us who are Christians to reflect. Particularly, those of us who are in leadership roles in Christian ministries ought to pause for a moment. Without speaking directly to that particular issue, it is helpful to think about the challenges and temptations that we all face in seeking to be part of an expanding influence for Christ in a world which is increasingly non-Christian or even, anti-Christian.             Specifically, it may be helpful for us to return to passages of Scripture that may lie neglected in the back pages of our Bibles. I commend to you the letter of Jude. In that epistle, the author reveals that his original intent what to write "about our common salvation ....

When I was a kid, I had a model of a classic Indian motorcycle on my shelf.            This past Friday evening, my wife, MariAnne and I were meeting friends for dinner. The location was near Trabuco Hills , California and when you get out that way the roads begin to wind up and down through the hills and valleys. Coming around a bend, we were suddenly stopped by the police who were blocking the road and rerouting drivers. There had been an accident. We couldn't see what had happened from there but the detour eventually put us closer to it than we would   have liked. At a nearby intersection, there was a car with a motorcycle smashed into its windshield.             The scene took me immediately back to my high school years. I was driving home from a part time job on a Saturday afternoon and there on the road ahead was a guy that I knew from my childhood. Roger was com...

           In 2012, the Guinness beer company produced a clever advertisement. In it, a border collie is competing in a sheep dog competition in which the objective is to herd a group of men into the pub on St. Patrick's Day (see Guinness Ad ). The commercial has stuck in my mind for reasons quite different than the Guinness company intended, I am sure. It serves as a light-hearted reminder of what is a not so light-hearted reality for those of us who are pastors or parents. Shepherding is tough work. Our goal is to do all that we can to guide the people whom God has entrusted to our care to reach the place of true rest and refreshment. The stewardship that has been given to us is to lead God's people progressively forward into Christ-like maturity against the unrelenting enticements designed to draw Christians away from God and down into darkness.             One of the gr...

" For my thoughts are not your thoughts ..." Isaiah 55:8               Isaiah 55 is a widely known and quoted Bible passage. Most often, it is remembered and repeated because it contains a strong affirmation that God never allows His Word to fail. Verse 5 reads " So shall my word be that goes out of my mouth; it shall not return to me empty but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it."             What makes this a standout passage is not simply that it declares that God's Word will successfully effect whatever purpose that He intends. It is what God intends that makes it glorious. God purposes to extend forgiveness freely, and generously, beyond any of our wildest expectations.             It should be noted that Isaiah 55 is an invitation to wand...

My Dad with my new nephew, Liam             I have a new nephew. Liam Steven Clayton Dibbley was born a few days ago. I am looking forward to being able to meet Liam and if he is anything like his two sisters, he will be a good looking and bright addition to our family.                One of the things that inevitably happens when a child is born is that people begin to look for family resemblances. "He has got his mom's nose" or "he's got that dimple in his chin just like his brother or sister." Even when people experience the blessing of adoption, it isn't long before you start to recognize phrases and behaviours that definitely reflect the parents.             In this blog post, I want to consider the biblical teaching   on the "new birth". In particular, I want to look at observable characteri...