Set Apart

As you read about the sacrificial requirements of the Mosaic Law (The Old Covenant/Testament), the amount of animal sacrifices becomes daunting. They were performed by God’s people according to God’s command. So why does David write, “In sacrifice and offering you have not delighted” (Psalm 40:6)? The sacrificial system was not the ultimate remedy for the plight of humanity. Those sacrifices were merely a reminder of the sins of humanity (Hebrews 10:3). Also, no animal willfully volunteered to be sacrificed, nor did it have any righteousness to be imputed to the faithful. It was only a temporary foreshadowing of the true remedy – the greater reality of Messiah who would present his own perfect life as the sacrifice for the sins of humanity.
 

The writer of Hebrews attributes this quote to Jesus (it certainly could not apply to David), who would come to do the Father’s will. It focuses on the necessity of a body – hence Christmas.  Christ necessarily had a body not only to be sacrificed, but to live a faultless and complete life among us in the Father’s will.
 

And what was the Father’s will?
 

It was the will of the Lord to crush him; he has put him to grief;
when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring;
he shall prolong his days; the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.
Isaiah 53:10
 

Christ purposed to come into the world to do the Father’s will (Hebrews 10:7) and do it with delight (Psalm 40:8). But in the crushing moments before his betrayal, he found it necessary to confirm the Father’s will due to the unspeakable cost – separation from the Father.  When Jesus said, “yet not my will but yours be done” he was communicating love. Christ’s sacrifice was his supreme act of love – for the Father. He was fulfilling the Father’s love for us.
 

The Father’s desire and sovereign plan was to create a redeemed and new humanity by reconciling sinners to himself. That is why – the same night of Jesus’ prayer in the garden and his betrayal, he uttered very significant words to his apostles, “this cup …is the new covenant in my blood” (Luke 22:20; I Corinthians 11:25).  Jesus’ crushing sacrifice launched something new – righteous humanity. A new humanity was created in the perfect likeness of Jesus Christ (see Ephesians 4:17-24). Unlike the animals, his sacrifice was the supreme, definitive, and final one because his life was perfect, and because he is an infinite being.
 

God is creating masterpieces in his people who – now, under the new covenant – have full and complete forgiveness, newness (the nature of the parent handed down to the child), and his presence through the indwelling Holy Spirit. As the writer of Hebrews insightfully writes, “by that will” (the Father’s will and the Son’s willful, delightful obedience) “we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all” (Hebrews 10:10). We – in Christ – are set apart to God. We are set apart to him not just one day a week, but we exist (do everyday life) in a state of being devoted to him. This is not something we do – it is what Christ has done for us.
 

The best way to remember Christ’s sacrifice for you is to practice the presence of God. That is your privilege because you have been reconciled to him. That is the measure of your success. So, draw near to God, abide in Christ, walk in the Spirit, and let his word dwell in you richly.  Then live in the outflow.

Copyright © 2022 Grace Bible Church, All rights reserved.

HOPE and REST

God has made himself known to us in person.  He wants us to know him and enjoy him. He calls us to find our forgiveness and our hope in surrender and submission to his Son.
 

He has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things,
through whom also he created the world.
He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature,
 and he upholds the universe by the word of his power.
 After making purification for sins, he sat down
at the right hand of the Majesty on high.
Hebrews 1:2-3

Who is like our God? O come, let us adore him!

Christmas Day is this coming Sunday. Our one gathering as a church will be at 6:00 p.m. at the Lord’s Table. Let’s meet there to remember and give thanks in wonder and humility.

This Christmas may you find peace and delight in the marvel of God’s grace. May your hope rest in what he has done, and may you live with anticipation of what he has promised.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!
 

Copyright © 2022 Grace Bible Church, All rights reserved.

The Prince of Peace

Human history since Genesis 3, according to C. S. Lewis,  is the long terrible story of man trying to find his satisfaction and significance in something other than God. It is the story of man looking to himself for meaning or at least to determine his own meaning. For strong personalities and influencers, that meaning comes through the control and manipulation of others. To look back on the history of human government is - for the most part - an endless thread of hubris, intrigue, corruption and oppression.

So it is very good news when God announces to us that a child is born and a Son is given, and the government will be upon the shoulders of the One who is the Prince of Peace. His will be unending dominion over all the created order (Eph. 1:10). Shalom will be one of the chief characteristic of his perpetual reign, meaning, we who enjoy him will be forever in a state of completeness and soundness. We will be in his favor, his delight, and our satisfaction. It will be an eternal state of prosperity where we will know unfading security and perpetual novelty in the infinite One.

This is the longing at the core of every person because we are created in God's image. We exist for him, so it is in him that we find our highest purpose and deepest satisfaction. This ultimate reality can only be found in union with and submission to the Prince of Peace who came to us from the Father, and who did the work and paid the price necessary for our peace with God. So, in Christ, we can live a life of anticipation - even in the current, transient context of intrigue, manipulation, brokenness, and frustration.

On the other hand, those who live for themselves and demand life without the Prince of Peace will, in the end, get what they want. But here is what they don't know - because God is infinite, there is nowhere that he is not (Ps. 139:7-12). Those who deny or ignore the Prince of Peace will be eternally separated from his loving and satisfying presence, but his holy presence will be a perpetual consuming fire.

Surrendering to the Prince of Peace is the only life that can make sense of the journey. The brokenness and frustration of this present world is too much to bear without suppression of truth and denial of reality. Were it not for the One who is the anchor of our reality - the Prince of Peace -  there would be no prospect of inner peace. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts (Col. 3:15).

Copyright © 2022 Grace Bible Church, All rights reserved.

Comfort and Joy

Did you know that your brother is a king? Congratulations! That makes you royalty. Jesus, your sovereign Redeemer, is not ashamed to be called your brother (Hebrews 2:11). 

We all love a pauper-to-prince story. The Bible has the most significant one because it has to do specifically with you. Joseph’s rags-to-riches saga is one of the most well-known narratives of the Scriptures. But it may not be as well-known that in it, we see foreshadowings of the greatest story of redemption and forgiveness. For example, when Joseph revealed his true identity to his brothers in Egypt, and while their jaws were still gaping in stunned silence, Joseph reported, “God sent me before you to preserve life” (Genesis 45:5). A brother, sent to endure suffering, then rise to prominence in order that his brothers might live. Sound familiar? 

There is another foreshadowing in the story where Judah, the forefather of Messiah, offered himself as a substitute for his brother, Benjamin. “For your servant became a pledge of safety for the boy to my father, saying, ‘If I do not bring him back to you, then I shall bear the blame before my father all my life’” (Genesis 44:32).  Jesus was our substitute in payment of a debt so that we could be brought back to the Father.

“For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory,
should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering.”
Hebrews 2:10

”For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God.”
1 Peter 3:18 

That is why, writes the author of Hebrews, Jesus “had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people” (Hebrews 2:17). There is a necessity to the Christmas story – he had to be made like his brothers. Without Christ coming to us in human form there is no redemption or forgiveness – we are doomed in hopeless despair. But…

“God rest ye merry gentlemen
Let nothing you dismay
Remember Christ our Savior
Was born on Christmas Day
To save us all from Satan's pow'r
When we were gone astray
Oh tidings of comfort and joy!”

Contemplate the sovereign grace of your Creator/Redeemer this Christmas season.

Copyright © 2022 Grace Bible Church, All rights reserved.

The Nearness of God

The Genesis record has love stories that far outdo Hallmark romances. Isaac and Rebekah getting together is one of them. In Genesis 24, banking on God’s promises, Abraham delegated his chief servant to go to the land of Abraham’s heritage to find a wife for Isaac – the son through whom God would fulfill his promises. Without clarity as to how he would recognize “the right one”, nor the certainty that she would agree to come back with him, the servant sets out to the land of Mesopotamia in search of a bride for his master’s son.

Having arrived at his destination, the servant was gripped by the enormity of his task. So, he prayed that God would “show steadfast love” to his master, Abraham, and lead him to the right woman for the success of his mission. Trusting the promise that God made to his master, the servant requested a specific sign – when I ask a young woman for water, she will offer to water my camels, too. Camels drink a LOT of water!

As the servant pulled up to a well at evening watering time, the “amen” to his prayer was, “By this I shall know that you have shown steadfast love to my master” (Genesis 24:14). Before he finished his prayer, the young and beautiful Rebekah approached the well. He asked her for water; she gladly refreshed him… then she offered to water his camels!

Upon discovering Rebekah’s heritage, the servant was once again gripped – but no longer by the magnitude of the task. When God answered his request with specific detail, he became intensely aware that God was near – he heard, he provided, his love was steadfast. The servant bowed down and worshiped.

The word translated “steadfast love” is the Hebrew word hesed, which Michael Card defines as, “When the person from whom I have a right to expect nothing gives me everything.”* It is the LORD our God who purposes and brings to pass through his loving providence. He comes near to grace us with his goodness in unmistakable ways. God has spoken to us in his Son (Hebrews 1:2; Philippians 2:6-7). He is the God who comes near. Bow and worship him.

_____________________* Michael Card, Inexpressible: Hesed and the Mystery of God’s lovingkindness, (IVP Books, 2018) p.5

Copyright © 2022 Grace Bible Church, All rights reserved.

Gratitude: Taking God at His Word

We learn by observing people. I can name numerous people off the top of my head that have left lasting impressions on me either by interaction or through reading about them. This is one of the great values of the Old Testament. Paul said, “whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction” (Romans 15:4). Indeed, we have a “great cloud of witnesses” that lived long ago but left valuable life lessons about living by faith. Not one of them was perfect; they all had flaws and blind spots, yet they are in the canon of Scripture as exemplars of faith.

Genesis 12 introduces us to Abram and Sarai. From this point on, the record of Scripture is about their family through which all nations will be blessed (Genesis 12:3). God had promised Abram protection and posterity, but Abram was still learning what trusting God’s promises looked like in the everyday.

When Abram ventured to Egypt, he was sure that his beautiful wife would be noticed. He assumed that he would be killed so Sarai could be taken for Pharoah’s harem. Abram was scared for his life and God’s promise was obscured. So, he lied to Pharoah and engineered a narrative to prioritize his own safety to the jeopardy of Sarai, placing her in a precarious situation in Pharoah’s house.

After God intervened to rescue Sarai, we find her having an Egyptian servant who – she thought – would be useful in helping God keep his promise of a progeny since she was now old and beyond childbearing (Genesis 16). So, she and Abram arranged for her servant, Hagar, to be the mother of Abram’s son. When Hagar became pregnant, however, she demonstrated such contempt for her that Sarai could not abide so, she required that Hagar be sent away.

From those who line heaven’s hall of faith, albeit as imperfect humans (Hebrews 11), we learn what we tend to do when we do not take God at his word:1) We deceive because the truth becomes less important, 2) we manipulate circumstances to fit our priorities, 3) we marginalize moral boundaries and put others in jeopardy, 4) we compare ourselves, leading to jealousy and entitlement, 5) we create division and hostility.

God’s precious and very great promises, however, form in us the nature and character of Jesus (“partaker of the divine nature”) and free us from the corruption that is the product of sinful desire (2 Peter 1:4). This calls for our gratitude – not just a spoken “thank you” – but a life of taking God at his word that manifests trust instead of manipulation, rest instead of anxiety, stewardship instead of control, confidence instead of comparisons, and harmony instead of division. Taking God at his word produces a life marked by gratitude, which is the fountainhead of happiness and harmony.

Copyright © 2022 Grace Bible Church, All rights reserved.

Let There Be Light

With you is the fountain of life; in your light do we see light – Ps. 36:9.

God has turned his light on in our darkness by his self-disclosure. “God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ has shown in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Cor. 4:6). Jesus said, “I am the light of the world” (Jn. 8:12), and the writer of Hebrews speaks of him as the radiance of God’s glory (Heb. 1:1-3). “In him was life, and the life was the light of men” (Jn 1:4).

So, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge” (Prov. 1:7) and “the knowledge of the Holy One is insight” (Prov. 9:10); “the Lord gives wisdom, from his mouth come knowledge and understanding” (Prov. 2:6).

“Light” is the information that God gives us to understand the reality of life, beginning with God himself as the greatest and most important reality. Thereby we understand ourselves, and our world, in the light of God’s character and purpose. Conversely, darkness is ignorance and unbelief – “the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ” (2 Cor. 4:4). Jesus said, “he who follows me will not walk in darkness but will have the light of life” (Jn. 8:12).

All this leads up to the understanding of Ps. 36:9, “in your light do we see light”. Only through God’s self-disclosure (“your light”) do we grow in our understanding of the reality of what is (“do we see light”), leading us toward not just knowledge (science) but wisdom – the skill of doing life well according to God’s design and desire.

Your commandment makes me wiser than my enemies, for it is ever with me.
I have more understanding than all my teachers, for your testimonies are my meditation.
I understand more than the aged, for I keep your precepts.
Psalm 119:98–100

It is like C.S. Lewis explained, “I believe in Christianity like I believe in the sun, not just because I see it, but by it I see everything else” (emphasis mine). Therefore, the Psalmist proclaimed how much he loved God’s self-disclosure, and it was his constant meditation (Ps. 119:97).

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
but his delight is in the law of the Lord,
and on his law he meditates day and night.
He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither.
In all that he does, he prospers.
Psalm 1:1–3

Copyright © 2022 Grace Bible Church, All rights reserved.

4 Hallelujahs!

John records an awesome praise and worship event that climaxes in a feast for the ages (Rev. 19:1-10). As Handel’s Messiah peaks in the Hallelujah Chorus and – traditionally – listeners have found it difficult to remain in their seats, this occasion crests four times with a collective shout of “Hallelujah!” – the universal word for “Praise God!” The multitude gives thanks and credit to God for four things:

First, truth (v1-2). The beauty and power of truth rightly orders and reflects God’s character and purpose. Deceit and lies will always fail, truth triumphs in the end. Second, justice (v3). All corrupt human systems, from the individual to empires that manipulate fellow man through deceit and oppression, will burn on the ash heap of history forever. The Spirit informs us that the Father anoints the Son with the oil of gladness because he hates wickedness and rules with uprightness (Heb 1:8-9). Third, purpose (v4-5). “Praise our God, all you his servants, you who fear him small and great.” Paul states it plainly, “We make it our aim to be pleasing to him” (2 Cor. 5:10). Those who serve the benevolent sovereign are free and successful people. Finally, relationship (v6-8). This grand praise and worship event leads to a magnificent banquet and the fourth “Hallelujah!” The volume of this expression could be compared to being right at the Niagara Falls in the middle of the loudest thunderstorm you can imagine! Why the celebration? Because we are standing in the presence of the One who is absolutely good. We are reconciled to the One who is our deepest satisfaction – forever!

There is a mix of things that keeps me going back to the BASICS Conference in Chagrin Falls, Ohio every year at the beginning of May. Besides the rich teaching from God’s word by men who faithfully love and serve him, there is nothing like the experience of 1,200 men singing sweet biblical truth with enthusiasm. To top it all off is the spread of food provided for conference attendees. Every year I have attended I have left full of joy with a renewed vigor for ministry. But this is a tiny taste test compared to the worship banquet we will experience in God’s presence when we are done being under the sun.

While we remain in this earthly tent, let us pursue these for certainties in the light of God’s self-disclosure – truth, justice, purpose, and relationship – because we know that when all is said and done, these four triumph with great celebration and pleasure.

Copyright © 2022 Grace Bible Church, All rights reserved.

Christ Preeminent

When Jesus’ disciples asked him to teach them how to pray, he began with acknowledging God, “Our Father,” for who he is. Our understanding of what is will be deficient to the degree that we do not know God as he has revealed himself because all things were made by him and for him. For this reason, Jesus taught his followers the primary request in prayer is that God’s will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

What’s going on in heaven? Worship. John’s vision gives us a glimpse (Revelation 4 and 5); the scene is one of spectacular order and beauty. All that happens is focused on the majestic being and gracious activities of the triune God. The endeavor of every created being is adoringly toward the One who is in focus because he alone has made this possible through his creative will and redemptive sacrifice.

Every creature in the heavenly scene enters into the resounding chorus, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!” In this scene Christ is preeminent in everything. This is what is going on in heaven, so we are to ask that the same happens where we are now. All my activity, intellect, wealth, and ability are directed toward the One who is worthy of my unrivaled devotion. Everything that is weighty, beautiful, and praiseworthy is anchored in the One who is my deepest satisfaction and highest good.

This may not be happening around me, but I can seek the Spirit’s presence and power to see that it is happening in me and through me. Now is a good time to engage in this as dress rehearsal for our ultimate reality. We are told that every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of the Father (Philippians 2:10-11). To do this now is to worship God through the preeminence of Christ in all our endeavors.

Copyright © 2022 Grace Bible Church, All rights reserved.

In the Love of God

Your life is a continual building process and God has promised to complete the work. Even though the outer self may be wasting away, the inner self is being renewed day by day (2 Cor. 4:16). In contrast to those who live according to their passions progressing toward destruction, Jude encourages you to be “building yourselves up in your most holy faith” (Jude 20). The gospel of grace in Jesus Christ that God has revealed is that “most holy faith” – there is nothing else even close to it. Peter’s final words to his readers was to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18). To know the grace of Christ and to grow in it is to know his love for you. His boundless, endless, unconditional love is manifested most clearly on the cross where God’s love and holiness collided – his grace lavished upon you.

For this reason, Jude instructs you to “keep yourselves in the love of God” (Jude 21). At first glance it sounds like staying in God’s love is up to you, but it is not. God’s love is not like a room that you can walk in and out of, or a coat that you can take off and put on again a la “He loves me, he loves me not.” That would be oppressive and contrary to his steadfast love. Keeping yourself is the task of custody like the stewardship of exercising, managing, and guarding your heart and mind. The love of God is the element in which you do this – that does not change.

Dear chosen and beloved, God’s love is not dependent on your actions. You cannot make him love you any more or any less! Your actions, however, can flow out of experiencing God’s love encasing your life. Your life is built up and nurtured as you are occupied with God’s love in your walk with him. Jesus said the same thing using himself as an example; “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love” (John 15:9–10). Do you see the reciprocity? You are in his love. If you keep your attitudes and affections occupied by his love, you will love what he loves and do what he loves.

Copyright © 2022 Grace Bible Church, All rights reserved.

A Lamp Shining In A Dark Place

Have you ever been in a place that was completely dark – no light at all? It can be unnerving and disorienting. After you have taken time to settle your thoughts, you must feel your way to where you think there will be some light. Paul described humanity this way as he presented the gospel to Athenian philosophers, “that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us (Acts 17:27). Henri Nouwen said, “Without the radiant beam of light shining into the darkness there is little to be seen. But everything changes with the light.” In that, we recognize the profound blessing of the advent of Jesus Christ; “In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:4–5). God’s self-disclosure is his light shining into the darkness of our human experience. His light rescues us from our self-oriented delusions, the distractions of immediate gratification, the despair of meaninglessness, and the death that results, “For with you is the fountain of life; in your light do we see light” (Psalm 36:9).

Acknowledging God’s self-disclosure is the beginning point of being able to recognize reality. Jesus said “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12). Light proceeds from God because God is light. In him is no darkness at all (1 John 1:5). Paul affirmed to the Corinthians, “For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:6). Let’s be clear that light is not just that which is scientifically defined as electromagnetic radiation from charged particles; light has a name.

Fyodor Dostoevsky said, “We have never truly breathed air nor seen light until we have breathed in the God-inspired Bible and see the world in the Bible's light.” To this Peter says, “…you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place…” (2 Peter 1:19). The word he used for “pay attention” means to consider carefully and devote yourself to it (see 1 Timothy 4:13). To what end do we devote ourselves to the light of God’s word? “…Until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.” It leads us to focus on the glory of Christ to where we are captivated by him in our attitudes and affections, overtaking the darkness within. Peter echoes eschatological terms to remind us that this process will only be complete when we see Jesus face to face. John reminds us “everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure” (1 John 3:3). To walk in the light, fix your gaze on Jesus Christ through his self-disclosure.

Copyright © 2022 Grace Bible Church, All rights reserved.

Endurance

Having just returned from teaching an eight-day module in Haiti, I can say that I have witnessed unusual endurance. With two-hour classes scheduled from 6:30 a.m. to 9:40 p.m. this cohort of fifteen men crossed the finish line with a sense of accomplishment and joy. Sadly, in our culture endurance is a virtue that is fading. A commitment is kept only until something more pleasurable presents itself. We like to keep our options open. But David asserts that the one who dwells in God’s presence is one who will keep a promise even if it hurts (Ps. 15:1-4). The biblical virtue of steadfastness is a growing resolve in the face of difficulty, but the resolve is not based on personal grit, it is based on hope – an expected outcome. Such hope is not the product of wishful thinking, but of a trustworthy promise.

James teaches us that true endurance is directly related to wisdom and faith (James 1:2-6). It is the Lord who gives wisdom, from his mouth come knowledge and understanding (Prov. 2:6). This wisdom is the knowledge of God’s plans and purposes – knowing the direction and meaning of life. Faith, then, is taking God at his word and entrusting yourself to him – especially during difficult times. James promises us that constant trust in the wisdom of God is what produces steadfastness in us. Such steadfastness makes us complete and mature individuals showing integrity and focus instead of being tossed by the distracting waves of ideas or circumstances.

This is the intent of discipline – the discipline necessary to be a world-class athlete, or a fine musician. Why do some musicians or athletes excel while others remain mediocre? In his book The Social Animal, David Brooks points to research revealing that the common denominator in attaining excellence in a field is a long-term commitment to discipline and practice.* For the child of the loving, benevolent Sovereign, “discipline and practice” is the endurance in the rigors of daily struggle and hardship by entrusting yourself to the promises and purposes of God. In high school, I never came away from basketball practice without feeling some level of pain. I did not set out to find ways to avoid that pain, instead I cherished it as a means of development toward a desired end.

Move toward a life of integrity and excellence in a culture bent on image and comfort. Here is the promise in which you can anchor your hope for your daily endurance: this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison (2 Cor. 4:17).

_______________
*David Brooks, The Social Animal (Random House, 2011), pp. 134-135

Copyright © 2022 Grace Bible Church, All rights reserved.

Conduits of Outreach

The people of Grace

We are all in ministry – part of following Jesus is helping others follow Jesus. Living the gospel in front of friends, relatives, associates, and neighbors (FRAN) is the way each one of us points people to God. Let it be the outflow of your confidence in the One who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light, and satisfaction from feasting at the banquet table of his goodness, grace and steadfast love. May you follow the Spirit’s promptings to pour into relationships, conversations, and acts of service.

Care Groups

A care group is a community – a natural means of hospitality. While some care groups are outreach-focused (W-S Rescue Mission, Grace to Go), inviting FRAN to your care group would be a welcoming way to show the love of Christ between brothers and sisters in Christ, and to those who are not in the family (yet). It is a gracious way to be a bridge into the community of faith.

Grace Counseling Ministry

From the beginning the counseling ministry was envisioned not only as a ministry of helping people in the church to address the matters of life through the lens of godly, biblical counsel, but as a means of outreach into the community. Over 60 percent of those receiving counsel from GCM are from outside the church. The fruit and the harvest are already there. Make known to FRAN that this ministry is available.

Delight in Grace Radio Ministry

Starting October 3rd, the teaching ministry of Grace Bible Church will air on WTRU (97.7) at 10:00 a.m. There are about 200,000 people in the Triad who listen to Christian radio, and approximately 40 percent of them are unchurched. Our message presents a regular theme of not only being saved by grace but living by grace. God has graciously provided for this ministry to be fully funded through 2023. Prayerfully think of FRAN you may invite to listen the message of grace – this could be great fodder for conversation.

Published Book

My book, 7 WORDS that can CHANGE YOUR LIFE (Xulon Press), practically mines the depths of God’s saving and life-transforming grace. This book is on track to be published and available by the end of October. When it comes off the press, I encourage you to use it for outreach – hand out copies, encourage people on social media to read it, or invite FRAN to an outreach Bible study with it.

Copyright © 2022 Grace Bible Church, All rights reserved.

The Joys and Challenges of Ministry in Haiti

Haiti Bible Institute (HBI) was founded in 2009 and is directed by Jim Bearss. Jim and his wife, Anna, are serving through On Target Ministry equipping national pastors, a work supported by Grace Bible Church.

From September 27 to October 6, I will return to Haiti to teach at HBI. This is the fourth cohort of students taught through this school since 2009. This group of fifteen students has been vetted as men who are faithful and active in ministry. They are eager and committed to learning rich doctrinal truth from Scripture, as well as developing the skill of “rightly handling the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15). I will be teaching two courses – the doctrine of the Holy Spirit, and the book of First Corinthians.

The good news is this time that I am in Haiti, two of the teachers will be HBI graduates! Several HBI students have now achieved advanced degrees and are recognized as qualified men to teach other Haitian students. This is a fulfillment of the HBI vision as prescribed in 2 Timothy 2:2 “What you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also.” HBI is now accredited by the Haitian Ministry of Education which is an important recognition for the pastor-teachers who have received degrees from the institute and are ministering to the Haitian community.

In each module the students receive sixteen hours of instruction and must pass an exam for each course. After the module the students are required to teach twelve hours in their churches from what they have learned in the HBI module in order to receive credit for the courses. Each module consists of six courses, so this is a rigorous eight days for these students – they spend twelve hours per day in class. But this very poor island nation is greatly benefiting from the commitment of these student/ministers. Light is dawning.

Please pray for them,
1) that they will have safe passage to and from the module
2) that they will have the strength and presence of mind to persevere the rigors of the module
3) that the Spirit will develop in each of them a deep delight and an accurate grasp of His Word
4) that these men will faithfully communicate the riches of God’s grace to the people of Haiti.

Key to getting Jim Bearss to Haiti to train pastors, and the founding of HBI was our friend Predestin Herard who just visited us this past weekend at Grace. Predesitn is a pastor-teacher and educator/administrator of My Father’s House – also supported by Grace Bible Church. At our church picnic gathering last weekend he gave an account of the status and challenges of operating My Father’s House I & II which encompass an orphanage housing and educating 200 children, a school teaching 250 students, and a trade school for 70-100 students. The monthly expense for this work is approximately $20,000 for food and a thirteen-member staff. Lately, because of the civil unrest in Haiti (Predestin moved his wife and daughter to the Dominican Republic for threat of kidnapping), and diminished support, My Father’s House operates with a monthly deficit averaging $11,000 – their financial resources of late have been less than half of their monthly needs. Obviously, they have had to cut back on school days and food rations for the orphanage.

Over the next two weekends we are collecting a love offering for My Father’s House in Haiti. Would you please prayerfully consider how you might give to help the needs of this impactful ministry? When you give, please make your check out to Grace Bible Church, and write “Haiti” in the memo line. May we “excel in this act of grace,” as our “abundance at the present time should supply their need” (2Cor. 8:7-14).

Thank you for your prayer support and caring generosity.

Copyright © 2022 Grace Bible Church, All rights reserved.

Patrem Invocatis

When Andrea and I visited the Cove in Black Mountain for a pastor’s renewal retreat, Jim Cymbala, pastor of the Brooklyn Tabernacle, made a statement that has not left me. “When I don’t pray, what I’m saying is I don’t need God.” As if the wound wasn’t enough – he rubbed salt in it, “Proud people don’t pray.” Ouch! It’s not that I don’t pray, but I must admit, it is far too easy to get caught up in the busyness of ministry and count on schedule, meetings, study, planning and (choke) savvy, so that prayer is easily relegated to a checked box of Christian walk and ministry.

Do I acknowledge my utter dependence on God? Do I understand that this is HIS work – I am but an instrument in his hands and anything I have or can do is a trust – I am only a steward? Have I been captivated by his perfections in contrast to my limitations? When I consider that even Jesus – the very Son of God – invested serious time in personal communion with the Father, I am embarrassed at my hubris that I could employ prayer as a perfunctory or peripheral element of the Christian walk.

God is at work! You and I have the high calling and privilege to be instruments of his choice. The first question we must ask is, what is he doing? The second question is, how am I part of that? My calling in ministry as a steward of his reconciling mission requires me to call on him for his power to do his work. We are all in ministry. What is God accomplishing in the people of Grace? How is he working through us to touch lives? How can we pray for the people we know and love to be converted and transformed, to walk Godward?

We have set aside a time to call upon our Father – to invoke the arm of omnipotence – to do things that only he can do through his transforming grace. Our first Prayer Gathering is Wednesday, August 31st, 6:30 p.m. A necessary clarification is warranted here – there may be other scheduled meetings and get-togethers on Wednesdays. There is no expectation that they should be cancelled, or that Wednesday night is now officially set aside and nothing else can be scheduled. This is another gathering opportunity for those who want to focus on prayer. Starting September 21st, a Prayer Gathering will be scheduled every 1st and 3rd Wednesday of each month.

Call on him as Father.

Copyright © 2022 Grace Bible Church, All rights reserved.

The Law Of Christ

One of the effects of our increasingly technologized society is the burden of having to form ourselves because of the loss of meaning and the deficit of a genuine sense of community. There are so many ways to “connect” but people today are lonelier than ever because technology has allowed the individual to survive. But how much meaning can there be in mere survival? Presenting an image of success and pleasure is not what generates a flourishing soul.

We are designed for community and connection, and we are called by God into communion with himself and his people. Jesus summarized this in his statement, “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35). That is the law of Christ that we are called to fulfill – to realize and exemplify genuine community – love relationships that are not self-seeking, but mutually investing. How is this practically realized?

Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
Galatians 6:2

Various senses to the word “bear” include the idea of carrying an object for another, removing or carrying something away, to endure or bear up under, or to provide or support.1 This is what community does. No one ought to be alone in their experience or isolated in their understanding of themselves.

After thirty years of marriage, British novelist Julian Barnes’ wife died from a brain tumor. He was struck by how many of his closest friends didn't know how to talk honestly about his grief. Barnes said, "Some friends are as scared of grief as they are of death; they avoid you as if they fear infection."2 The point to bearing one another’s burdens is to share the weight of the load – not just to ease the pain or difficulty, but to be mutually bonded and formed in the grace of God. “The distinctive feature in this view of suffering is that the present burden is conceived to be productive [with the end in view]. From the burden of suffering comes the fulness of glory.”3

The context shows us that the primary reference in this text to “bear one another’s burdens” is moral lapses, temptations, and guilt. Each of us in the family of God – the community of grace – is in ministry because part of following Jesus is helping others follow Jesus, and sometimes this entails messy grace. We are all flawed. If we are on the path to becoming like Christ it is a joy-producing mutual benefit to walk together.

1 Swanson, J., Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains: Greek (New Testament)
2 Julian Barnes, Levels of Life (Jonathan Cape, 2013)
3 Theological dictionary of the New Testament (Vol. 1, p. 555).

Copyright © 2022 Grace Bible Church, All rights reserved.

Swallowed Up

A lot of time in life is spent in preparation – preparing for the day, for a trip, for a task, for a major event like a wedding, a concert, or a sermon. Preparation assumes thought, prioritization, action, and discipline. The preparation, though in itself can seem like a journey, is not an end; it leads toward something ultimately. A couple weeks ago Andrea spent two days preparing to travel with our daughter-in-law and our grandchildren from Buffalo, NY to Maine. With much anticipation she exuded discipline and diligence with pleasure. Then the trip was cancelled due to a medical emergency. It was a letdown that could not have been helped, but her disappointment was evident. Although the preparation was for nothing, that wasn’t the source of her disappointment; that for which she had prepared and enthusiastically anticipated would not be realized.

The Scriptures teach us that God has prepared us for something grand and full of delight. Not only has he prepared us, but he has given a guarantee – the first installment of that grand delight. The initial deposit (guarantee) given is his Holy Spirit – his very presence – to encourage and empower us during this preparation phase that has its challenges and frustrations, but “this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison” (2 Cor. 4:17). That contrast is echoed by the apostle in the next chapter when he writes “that what is mortal may be swallowed up in life!” (2 Cor. 5:4). Our current state of “mortality” is a temporary dwelling that is predisposed to corruption – to die. But I love the imagery that Paul uses in the phrase “swallowed up!” The idea is to overwhelm and bring to an end, like a frog ejecting its tongue to capture a fly and immediately the fly is gone - swallowed up. You see that, and you think, “Well, so much for that fly!” When our mortality is swallowed up by life, this momentary disorder and pain will seem rather insignificant. It was here, then it’s gone! Now, it is just the grand delight of life – fullness of joy and pleasures evermore! That is the presence of God when we see his face. Paul, who suffered beyond anything you or I ever will, could say, “So we are always of good courage” (2 Cor. 5:6).

So be of good courage in this time of preparation. God has prepared us and guaranteed it. Prepare to be swallowed up by life!

Copyright © 2022 Grace Bible Church, All rights reserved.

Imitating Christ

Empathy has become a widely used term in recent times. As our society advances the authority of “lived experience” it is important that we practice empathy – especially if we are to speak meaningfully into another’s life.

The word empathy is a transliteration of the Greek term empatheia  (“in-passion”) that meant physical affection. The term does not appear in Scripture.  The first appearance of the word in English was in 1908. It began as a translation of einfühlung ("in-feeling"), a German psychological term that described how spectators projected their own feelings and movements into objects of art and nature. This early conception of empathy transformed into its opposite over the following decades. Social scientists and clinical psychologists refashioned empathy to require the deliberate putting aside of one's feelings to understand more accurately the feelings of another.[1] Psychologist Paul Bloom defines empathy as “the process of experiencing the world as others do, or at least as you think they do. To empathize with someone is to put yourself in [their] shoes, to feel [their] pain.”[2]

Putting yourself in someone else’s shoes to understand their experience and perspective is especially challenging in a self-determined, self-focused world. Psychologist, Frank M. Lachmann, states that our typical responses to people's pain—lines ranging from "It could be worse" to "Let's talk about something else"—"appear to be kind and aimed at soothing," but are really nothing more than code for "Don't confront me with things that are unpleasant," or "Don't bother me with your pain."[3]

Today’s meaning of empathy is what is meant by the biblical term sympathy or sympathize which means to suffer with.  Consider the God/man, the incarnate Creator, the second person of the triune Godhead,  “He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not” (Isaiah 53:3). He can “sympathize with our weaknesses” because he was “in every respect tempted as we are” (Hebrews 4:14). He entered our humanity and endured our suffering as described in the Gospel records and theologically affirmed in Philippians 2:6-8 and Hebrews 2:17-18.

In his classic, The Imitation of Christ, Thomas a Kempis wrote, "We must imitate Christ's life and his ways if we are to be truly enlightened and set free from the darkness of our own hearts. Let it be the most important thing we do, then, to reflect on the life of Jesus Christ.”

[1] https://books.google.com/books/about/Empathy.html?id=7TdsDwAAQBAJ&source=kp_book_description

[2] https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2022/april-web-only/imagining-neighbors-ourselves-good-samaritan-story-empathy.html

[3] Amanda Robb, "Empathy deficit disorder—do you suffer from it?" The O Magazine (April 2008)

Copyright © 2022 Grace Bible Church, All rights reserved.

Extended Grace

Because of “this grace in which we stand” (Romans 5:2) grace is the element in which we live. Grace is not just the diving board that launches us into the swimming pool, grace is also the pool into which we dive. As you live in grace, communing and walking with your Creator/Redeemer, his truth, power, and presence transform you at the level of affection and attitude.  That is why striking statements in Scripture that, under the sun seem rather idealistic, can be practically true.

“Whoever abides in him does not sin” (1 John 3:6) – by grace abide in Christ;
continually be at home in his presence.

“Walk in the Spirit and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh” (Gal. 5:16) – by grace let the Holy Spirit transform your life as you are sensitive to his illumination and direction.

“You will know the truth and the truth will set you free” – by grace abide in his word; let his word
dwell in you richly (Col. 3:16); hide it in your heart (Ps.119:11).

Because we have been lavished with grace in order to live in grace, we can be dispensers of grace, “so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God” (2 Corinthians 4:15). Grace is like the mustard seed that grows and multiplies.  The idea that it “extends to more and more people” assumes human activity. By God’s grace we can live the gospel in the tenor of the beatitudes (Matthew 5:3-12) so that grace spreads in the human community. This is the only way to make sense of and find purpose in the difficult life of a broken creation.

With a challenging colleague, in God’s grace anchor your attitude and relationship in the character and purpose of Christ. In your neighbor’s physical suffering, through God’s grace, come alongside to lament with perspective; help maintain a view of the big picture and embrace the brokenness as an opportunity for joy. For the friend in emotional distress and weakness, lean with them into God’s gracious embrace. For those experiencing loss and hardship, through your settled satisfaction and freedom point them to the riches of God’s grace lavished on us.  Living in grace means that with the eye of faith you can see beyond immediate trials to a higher purpose and ultimate good.

Such grace extended will “increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.” Gratitude is the antidote for self-preoccupation. We need more of it in the human community, and if we want to see it, we need to extend grace to more and more people.
 

Copyright © 2022 Grace Bible Church, All rights reserved.

Live Joyfully

Joy is the result of the mind and heart focused on what God has done, is doing, and what he has promised. In his goodness and mercy, he has redeemed and reconciled us through Jesus. In his steadfast love and providential care, he graciously fashions us for glory and pleasure that it beyond what we can fully comprehend in our momentary journey. His transcendent power keeps us for the inheritance prepared for us when we are finally home in his presence enjoying him in full satisfaction and delight. “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock” (Isaiah 26:3–4).

Christian joy is a settled satisfaction in God’s goodness, love, and sovereignty. Such serenity implies a confidence in a greater authority and resource than anything found in the created order. That confidence frees the one who trusts to not be preoccupied with his or her own security and satisfaction, but to look to the interests of others for their benefit and thereby point people to the benevolent Sovereign. Paul, for example, was in a violent storm on a ship driven across the Mediterranean Sea for fourteen days. I am sure he was feeling green, hungry and exhausted. But because he trusted the promise of God, he did not despair like the others. Rather, he provided focus and direction to a group gripped in suspense and weakness. His care for their need resulted in the encouragement of all (Acts 27:33-36). His confidence in God’s promise freed him from self-preoccupation, so he could care for the needs of others.

Phyllis Hall, in Springfield, Mo., is a widow of three years.  “When you’re a widow…you feel very alone – just like a new neighbor can feel.” So, in her settled satisfaction, she purposefully reaches out to her neighbors. “Your neighbor is anyone you come in contact with,” she said. “The main objective is to show them that someone cares.”[1]  The gospel rescues us from self-focus and frees us to incarnate a vision of peace and hope in a context of decay and despair.

Joy comes from a focused mind on the truth of God’s self-disclosure.  “The truth will set you free,” Jesus promised. So, live as people who are free. Live joyfully.

______________________
[1] Lauren Dunn, The Simple Art of Neighboring, WORLD Magazine, July 30, 2022, p.68

Copyright © 2022 Grace Bible Church, All rights reserved.