Recently, in my private devotions, I was reading Proverbs 31 about the qualities of a great wife. The Proverbs 31 woman is kind, generous, godly and hard working. I was reminded that I have a great wife!
God brought Anna into my life 42 years ago. She was the cute little Italian girl singing in the church choir. I had this prayer request list of 19 things that I was praying for in a wife. She has fulfilled all of those 19 things and much more in our wonderful marriage together.
It has been great to grow together, laugh together, cry together and see the world together. She has been an amazing friend, mother and now grandmother. Or as our grandkids, Berea, Ezra and Josephine call her, ‘Nonni’!
Many Christmas’s we get to hang out with our whole immediate family for a week in our home. We all love being together. And I give a large part of that credit to Anna. She is the glue that holds the family together. She is the one who is always putting together great meals. She is the one who is always phoning the kids. She loves to look after her family. She has a great servant’s heart! Her love for me, the kids and grandkids is amazing.
So, I raise a toast to my beautiful wife and all the great wives out there. Husbands, we are blessed to have such great women in our lives! I am blessed to have my cute little Italian wife, Anna, in my life! Here is a toast to many more decades together! I am excited to see what God has next for us!
A number of years ago, I was driving to church with my family on a Sunday morning. We were zooming down our local freeway at 110 km/hr (70 mi/hr) when all of a sudden I spotted an aluminium ladder strewn across the freeway in my path. I couldn’t avoid it and within seconds I drove across it and it popped one of my tires immediately.
I quickly pulled over to the side of the freeway and spotted the pick-up truck that had dropped the ladder. I was in a hurry. I was heading to a choir rehearsal, so I quickly told my wife, Anna, to get the insurance info from the pick-up driver and I would change the tire.
Within five minutes we were back on the road and heading to church. As I pulled into the church parking lot, two more of my tires went flat. I didn’t even have time to even worry about it. My rehearsal was starting in a few minutes.
At the end of the rehearsal, before the first service began, an older man came up to me and asked if he could fix my tires for me. I was elated to get some help and quickly gave him my keys. At the end of the second service, this gentleman came up to me, returned my keys and informed me that the work had been done. All three of my tires had been fixed.
Wow! I thanked him profusely and then asked him how much I owed him. He kindly said that it was his gift. There was no charge. Double wow! What an amazing act of kindness!
The strange part of the story is that I had never met the man before that and I never saw him again after. Who was this kindly gentleman who came to my rescue? Could he have been an angel in disguise?
I was reminded of this verse in Hebrews: Angels are only servants—spirits sent to care for people who will inherit salvation. – Hebrews 1:14.
I have often felt God’s hand of protection and supply in my life. But that was the only time it was as tangible as fixing three flat tires. And whether this man was a heavenly being or earthy being, either way, he was an angel!
Question: Have you ever had an angel encounter? Have you ever felt God’s protection?
In 1992, on a Saturday afternoon, four men came into my factory with intent to rob and harm me. I was alone and they said they wanted work… highly unlikely. As they were about to go for me, a car came screeching up to the factory door. A man who I knew by the name of Mike ran into the factory shouting at these men and told them to leave…they ran off at high-speed. Mike said he was in the area and needed to pop in. With that, and me oh so grateful, off he went.
I saw Mike on the Monday and when I thanked him again for his help, he looked at me as if I’d lost my mind. He walked away with that look in his eyes, ‘This guys lost it!’
It was only this year I realized that was an angel in Mikes form that saved my life that day. Blessings…. Terry Naude
Angel story from Georgia Martin (Calgary, Canada):
In 1986 I was headed back to work, northbound along McLeod Trail. I had just passed through the intersection of McLeod Trail and Heritage Drive and I was in the left median lane. As I headed up the slight hill over the railroad tracks a car on the other side of the median lost control, hit the median, went airborne and hit the car directly in front of me, right into the windshield!!!
Glass, metal, tires flew into the air and went right over my car….I turned my steering wheel hard right and found myself on the right shoulder of the road, no harm to me or my vehicle….not too surprising under normal circumstances, however, it was rush hour traffic, with 3 full lanes of traffic, bumper to bumper!!!
No one was hit, my car was untouched!! I had been listening to Amy Grant’s “Angels Watching Over Me” I believe an angel lifted me over the other cars somehow without being touched! God is good and there is no predicting what He will do when He moves on behalf of His children.
The apostle Paul unveils a profound mystery in his letter to the Colossians, something that had been hidden for ages: “And this is the secret: Christ lives in you. This gives you assurance of sharing His glory” (Colossians 1:27). He goes on to say, “In Christ lie hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Colossians 2:3). The secret is out—Christ in us is the key to unlocking a life of wisdom, growth, and transformation.
But how do we allow Christ to live in us in all His fullness? How can we walk in the wisdom and knowledge that Paul says are hidden in Him? Let’s explore how to practically live out this secret and grow in the treasures of wisdom God offers through Christ.
1. Abide in Christ: The Key to Fullness
Jesus calls us to abide in Him, just as a branch abides in the vine (John 15:4-5). Abiding isn’t passive—it’s an active, ongoing relationship that involves seeking Him daily through prayer, His Word, and cultivating an awareness of His presence in your life.
When we abide in Christ:
His Word transforms us: “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly” (Colossians 3:16). Reading Scripture is not just an intellectual exercise but a way to allow God’s truth to reshape how we think and live.
Prayer keeps us connected: Through prayer, we align our hearts with God’s will, opening ourselves up to His guidance and wisdom in every situation.
Abiding in Christ positions us to receive His wisdom. The more time we spend in His presence, the more His thoughts, desires, and ways of living become our own.
2. Be Led by the Holy Spirit: Walking in Wisdom
One of the most beautiful aspects of the Christian life is that Christ doesn’t just give us instructions and leave us to figure it out on our own. Instead, He gives us His Spirit to lead and empower us. Galatians 5:16 says, “Walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.”
The Holy Spirit is our guide into all truth (John 16:13). As we learn to be sensitive to His voice, we experience Christ’s wisdom in real-time. Whether in small daily decisions or major life choices, the Spirit speaks, convicts, and guides us.
How do we walk by the Spirit?
Cultivate sensitivity: Spend time in quiet prayer, asking the Holy Spirit to speak to your heart and lead your steps.
Practice obedience: When the Spirit prompts you to act or change direction, respond in faith. Each step of obedience strengthens your ability to hear His voice and grow in Christ-like wisdom.
3. Die to Self: Let Christ Live Through You
Paul’s life-changing declaration, “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me” (Galatians 2:20), illustrates that for Christ to live in us fully, we must first die to ourselves. This means laying aside our selfish desires, ambitions, and plans to embrace God’s purposes.
Dying to self involves:
Daily surrender: Jesus tells us to take up our cross daily (Luke 9:23). This is a continual process of yielding control and allowing Christ’s will to be done in our lives.
Trusting in God’s strength: As we die to self, we discover a new strength in Christ. Where we are weak, He is strong. This is where we begin to experience the fullness of His life working through us (2 Corinthians 12:9).
Surrender is not a one-time event but a daily practice. The more we die to self, the more we make room for Christ to live fully in us, shaping us into people of wisdom and grace.
4. Renew Your Mind: Aligning with God’s Truth
To grow in wisdom, our minds must be renewed. Romans 12:2 tells us, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”
Renewing your mind means:
Filling your thoughts with Scripture: Let God’s Word reshape your perspective on life, relationships, and decisions.
Replacing worldly thinking: The world’s values often clash with God’s. We must actively choose to reject messages that glorify self, materialism, or compromise, and instead embrace God’s truth.
When we renew our minds, we begin to see life through God’s eyes, making decisions based on His wisdom rather than the world’s ever-changing opinions.
5. Seek Wisdom in Community: Grow with Others
Paul’s letters often emphasize the importance of the church body in helping one another grow. Wisdom is not something we gain in isolation; God designed us to grow in Christ alongside others.
In Ephesians 4:15-16, Paul speaks of how we mature and grow as each part of the body does its work, “speaking the truth in love” to one another. Church community is where:
We receive wise counsel: Others may have insights or experiences that help us understand God’s wisdom more fully.
We sharpen one another: Proverbs 27:17 says, “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” Healthy relationships with fellow believers refine us, hold us accountable, and encourage us in our walk with Christ.
Don’t underestimate the importance of being part of a church community. Surround yourself with people who seek God’s wisdom and can help you grow in your journey.
6. Embrace Humility: The Gateway to True Wisdom
James 1:5 encourages us to ask God for wisdom, “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault.” The path to wisdom begins with recognizing our need for it and humbly coming before God.
Christ Himself modeled humility (Philippians 2:5-8), and growing in wisdom means following His example. It’s not about gaining knowledge to feel superior, but about living in a way that honors God and serves others. Humility opens our hearts to receive God’s wisdom and grace.
Conclusion: Growing in Christ
The secret to wisdom and knowledge is not found in worldly philosophies or self-help techniques—it’s found in Christ, living in you. As you abide in Him, walk by the Spirit, die to self, renew your mind, live in community, and embrace humility, you will grow in the fullness of Christ’s wisdom and knowledge.
The treasures of wisdom are not locked away for only a select few to find. They are available to every believer who seeks Christ and allows Him to live through them. The more we embrace this divine mystery, the more we experience the fullness of life that Christ offers.
Christ in you—this is the secret to a life of wisdom, power, and purpose. Now, walk in it.
Leading people in worship to the Living God is an awesome privilege and really involves four major areas: music, worship, leadership (people) and your relationship with God. The more you understand and grow in each area, the stronger your worship leading should become.
I have been leading worship with congregations ranging from 70 to 7000 people for over 30 years, and I am still learning. Here are the main areas to consider for growth in your own personal worship leading journey. I’ve also put in links to help you go into more depth in each area.
This blog is part of my goal to train over 500,000 worship leaders around the world. If you would like to support this vision you can help by giving any amount via PayPal here.
When I was in my fourth year of university, I made the mistake of signing up for a course called ‘The Synoptic Gospels’. I thought it would be course on getting to know Jesus through studying His life in the New Testament. Boy, was I ever wrong!
It did not take long to realize that the Professor enjoyed trying to prove to us his theory, that the Bible was full of errors. For me, it was the worst of times and the best of times. I really do not like sitting in a class and arguing with the other students. But, I realized that the time had come for me to defend my faith in this academic setting.
My saving grace was discovering the book, “Evidence That Demands A Verdict’, by Josh McDowell. Josh had set out scholarly evidence on the voracity of the Bible and gave convincing reasoning on why we should believe the eye-witness accounts of the Gospels. I already knew from my life experiences and my personal faith in Jesus, that I could trust the Bible. But, Josh gave me the academic and rationale words to express my heartfelt faith.
I also discovered that the important ingredient that was missing for many of the students was simple faith. Faith that God was alive and still involved in the affairs of mankind. Faith that He loved them and had sent Jesus as the proof of that love. Faith that God is real.
That faith was never difficult for me. I had seen God at work in my family, in my life and in the community of believers that I grew up with and travelled with. I had already seen Jesus do miracles in my life. There was never any doubt in my heart that Jesus is alive. I have felt Jesus’ presence in my life from my youth. Jesus was and is so real to me.
Jesus is alive! If you are not sure, ask Him to reveal Himself to you! Spend time searching for Him. God says, “If you look for Me wholeheartedly, you will find Me!“
Check out my new book: “Leading Worship ~ Notes from a Grand Adventure’. It is now available in Kindle or Soft Cover Editions. This is a great gift for the musician or worshipper in your life.
But, for all the amazing experiences that I have had in my life, following God with total trust and abandon has been my greatest adventure. God has always had great surprises and adventures for me.
I remember the summer that God opened up the opportunity for me to travel around the world. My first stop was with my band in Uganda and Kenya. We had an awesome time. We did numerous great concerts in Kampala, Uganda and then headed to Nairobi, Kenya to work with a large African choir. I remember one great evening where there were over five thousand people packed into a church. We had two hours of dancing, singing and praising God. A room full of Africans praising God is the best crowd in the world to do music for! The place rocked!
After that, we went on safari to the Masai Mara game reserve in Kenya. Masai Mara is probably the premier game reserve in all of Africa. My young family joined me at this point. Together we saw elephants, lion, cheetah, leopards, rhino, hippo and a host of other great African wildlife in their natural habitat. It was a trip of a life time. But, it did not end there.
My next stop on this God adventure was India. I was named after a famous missionary, Mark Buntain from Calcutta, India. By this time, Mark had passed away but his widow, Huldah, was still carrying on his work there. I contacted her and told her I would love to visit their work. She replied, “your grandmother used to teach me Sunday School. Please come as my guest and stay in my home.” Wow!
I got to spend two glorious days visiting and working with Calcutta Mercy Ministries‘ five thousand employees. They run schools, churches, feeding programs and a hospital there in northern India. What an inspiring visit. To this day, I marvel at the impact that one couple, totally dedicated to God, can have!
When I finished my short stay in India, I headed off to Taiwan to work on three worship CD’s that I was producing in Mandarin Chinese. For a solid week, I recorded all the Chinese vocals to add to the instrumental tracks that I had already recorded in Canada. The recordings would later be smuggled into Red China for distribution to the underground church. What a totally cool and amazing experience! God adventures are the best! Here is a link to some of the maps from my adventures.
I do not know what God has planned for your life. But frankly, I can not think of anyone better to trust! I have trusted God to direct my paths since I was a teenager and it has been an amazing adventure!
Let me share my life’s verse with you: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and don’t lean on your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths!“…. Frankly, God is the best adventure guide that I know!
Check out my new book: “Leading Worship ~ Notes from a Grand Adventure’. It is now available in Kindle or Soft Cover Editions. This is a great gift for the musician or worshipper in your life.
I remember sitting in a conference many years ago and hearing a preacher talk about a verse from II Chronicles 16:9..
‘The eyes of the LORD search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him.’
It was a fascinating sermon. It is so cool that God is looking for men and women that are totally committed to Him. God is looking for people to support and strengthen.
I have always been aware that God watches over me. I have always had a sense of God awareness. When I was a young boy I was helping my father build church pews for our new church when I accidentally put my right arm down on a running wood planer. It could have easily severed my tendons but the sweater I was wearing jammed the machine and I didn’t get a scratch… God’s angels were watching over me.
A few years later when I was twelve years old, my father was killed in an industrial accident. I remember the utter shock when my Grandma Cole came to the house and told us he was gone. I remember the days of tears and bewilderment. Yet I always knew that God was watching over me.
That did not mean that I was always perfect. God has always been so patient with me. When I did stupid things, God would find a way to correct me and bring me back into line.
When I was going through hard times, my piano was my place to spend time with God. I would sit there late into the evening in the basement of my parents home and play for hours. I guess in some ways, it was like David playing his harp to the Lord. I have noticed lately that many of David’s best psalms were written when he was going through a terrible time. I have also found that some of my best songs have come when I am going through a rough patch.
I have also learned that it is not only God who watches us but other people also. I remember after one very busy Easter season, when I had put in long hours producing an Easter musical, I was sitting on an airplane going to a conference and just catching up on my Bible reading. I was trying to get back on track with my ‘Read Thru The Bible In A Year’ plan. Little did I know that there was a pastor sitting a few rows behind me on the airplane. He had recognized me, but Pastor Johnson had decided not to let me know he and his wife were there. He had decided to just watch what I was doing. Fortunately, all I did was read my Bible. He later told my pastor, Don Cantelon, what he had observed. I got some undeserved brownie points that day.
During all my travels (over 72 countries at this point), I have always been aware that God has been watching over me, that God was there to strengthen me. Through all the weird twists and turns of my life, I have always had an abiding sense that God was there. That I should not worry. That God was with me.
Question: Are you aware that God watches over you? What behaviour would you change if you became more aware of God’s watchful oversight?
Check out my new book: “Leading Worship ~ Notes from a Grand Adventure’. It is now available in Kindle or Soft Cover Editions. This is a great gift for the musician or worshipper in your life.
I love the audacity of the three guys who are faced with a fiery death if they do not bow down and worship the golden idol!
“O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty. But even if He doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.” (from Daniel 3 NLT)
I love that.. “God will rescue us, but even if He doesn’t rescue us… we are still going to do the right thing! We are still going to worship the one living God!”
They knew God was real. They knew God was able. They were willing to die for what they believed. No wonder, when God saw their faith, He personally sent His angel to rescue them!
Nebuchadnezzar jumped up in amazement and exclaimed to his advisers, “Didn’t we tie up three men and throw them into the furnace?” “Yes, Your Majesty, we certainly did,” they replied. “Look!” Nebuchadnezzar shouted. “I see four men, unbound, walking around in the fire unharmed! And the fourth looks like a god!” Then Nebuchadnezzar came as close as he could to the door of the flaming furnace and shouted: “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!”
When they came out of the furnace, the same furnace that was so hot that it had even killed the guards that threw them in, they didn’t even smell of smoke. God had personally intervened in their terrible situation by sending heavenly help!
And that’s not even the end of the story. God used that terrible situation to have them promoted!
Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to even higher positions in the province of Babylon.
I am thankful that I serve the same God as those three men. He is the same God today! He is still able to do amazing miracles. If you are going through a terrible trial, God is still able to deliver you! God is still able to do the impossible!
I love what a wise man of God once said:
Anything God has even done, He can do now. Anything God has ever done anywhere, He can do here. Anything that God has ever done for anyone, He can do for you. ~ A.W. Tozer
Question: What situation have you personally gone through where God has intervened in a miraculous way? What situation are you still praying about?
I while back, I saw a Facebook post from a fellow music pastor that mentioned that he was doing a concert with Don Moen. Don and I travelled together for eighteen months in a group called Living Sound. He was the music director for the team and a very hard-working guy.
Don drove our bus, and wrote and arranged most of our music. On top of that, he played trombone, electric guitar, harmonica and violin for the band. In fact, Don taught me to play harmonica. It is such a cool instrument. I remember buying a Honer Blues Harp and asking Don for lessons. To this day, I always bring the harmonica on my hiking trips and it’s always a big hit when I bring it out for the country music time during the Calgary Stampede… In fact, I have a recording of it on one of my CD’s playing ‘The Happy Song’ while touring in Denmark.
Mentors are great. Sometimes they do not even realize they are mentors. Another one of my Living Sound mentors was Larry Dalton. I remember him joining our tour in South Africa. I would stand behind him in the band and watch while he did amazing stuff on the piano. When he needed a music copyist, I volunteered. Not only because it paid a bit of money but because I was hungry to learn how to write music and orchestrations. It is great to learn from the best.
Larry was an incredible piano player. I remember attending a huge Music Pastor’s Conference in San Diego (Music California) and seeing Larry play as a guest soloist. One of his favourite audience pleaser was to take requests from the audience (Movie themes, TV themes, hymns, songs.. anything… think.. ‘Theme from the Flintstones’ to ‘What A Friend We Have In Jesus’) and make a 7-10 minute medley that would leave the audience cheering and standing on their feet! He was amazing.
I’m thankful for all the amazing mentors in my life… Doug Moody (my first piano teacher, music pastor and big band director)… Mrs Robinson (my high school band teacher)…. Glen Geary (my incredible piano teacher from UBC.. I was scared to go into a lesson without having practiced 3 hours per day)… Dan Burr (the leader of the first music group that I was in at Glad Tidings ~ New Dimensions and Liberty Brass)… Jim Gilbert (my Living Sound Director on the Asian Tour.. I remember him singing lead while playing pump organ in a Korean garment factory.. I also remember him writing ‘I Love You With The Love of The Lord’)..
Mentors help you see the possibilities of who you could become. They become role models for the dreams that God has put in your heart. God uses mentors to show us the way forward!
Question: What mentors have influenced your life? Is there someone who you are mentoring?
I am blessed! I have Christian grandfathers and grandmothers on both sides of my family! My mother’s father, Grampa Julius Rachinski, was a German pastor who pioneered a number of churches across Canada. He was a carpenter by trade who loved to teach people about Jesus. As a result, on the Rachinski side of the family, there are a number of pastors and music pastors.
It is so great to have a Christian heritage. It was wonderful to have been brought up by parents who had Christian principles and morals. Parents who knew the importance of regular church attendance and prayer. Christians are not always perfect but they do understand God’s love and grace.
Grampa Rachinski was also a builder. He built churches and houses. When he was ninety years old, he built the house that his wife still lives in. When he was in his eighties he was still teaching Bible classes at the church he pioneered in East Vancouver. My only regret with Grampa Rachinski is that I never heard him preach. He only preached in German and I only understood English. I recently discovered that Grampa Rachinski knew five languages: Russian, Ukraine, Polish, German and English.
I also recently had a long conversation with my mother about Grandma Rachinski. I found out that she was a very hard working woman who had survived work camps in Siberia. She was a very innovative with the little she had. She would get used clothing and undo the seams and remake the clothes for her children. My favourite memories of her include her tasty German Sunday lunches with her great cabbage roles and salads.
I also have many fond memories of my Grampa Cole. Grampa Cole was the head butcher at Woodwards (an old Canadian Department Store). I remember many great Sunday lunches after church. Grampa (David Levi) Cole knew how to do a roast dinner. He had been a cook in the Canadian army and we were blessed to have great meals whenever we visited his house. He also had a great garden at the back of his Richmond house. I can still remember the fresh peas, carrots and corn on the cob. So, so.. good!!
All my grandparents were great people but I was closest to my Grandma Cole. I love what my cousin Velma Taylor said about her: “We had the best Grandma in the world. Some people ask “what would Jesus do?” and I find myself asking “what would Grandma do?”….cause she loved Jesus.”
Another cousin, David Ferencz, has an awesome story about Grandma’s last day on earth: “A few hours before Grandma passed away, she called me. She said she was feeling a little more tired lately. I said I would probably be out to see her Sunday afternoon and said something to the effect ‘don’t be sad or lonely.’ But Grandma replied, “Oh I am so happy and blessed I can hear the angels singing right now” I said good bye and “I love you Grandma’ one last time…. David later said, “I wouldn’t have made it this far without her.”
Here is Grandma Cole with some of her great-grandkids!
There are now five generations on both sides of the family. It’s great to see pastors, musicians, missionaries, TV hosts, successful Christian business men and other godly men and woman on both sides. We were not a perfect family but we are a family that loves God and His love for us always seems to bring us back to the centre.
Psalms 112:1-3 “Blessed are those who fear the Lord, who find great delight in His commands. Their children will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed. Wealth and riches are in their houses, and their righteousness endures forever.”
I thank the Lord for my Christian heritage.
Question: Are you a first generation Christian or from a long line of Christians? What has been your experience with your family?
