Adorning The Gospel

Merriam-Webster’s word of the year for 2023 is “authentic.”  More and more people have been looking up the definition because the line between “real” and “fake” has become increasingly blurred. This fog is driven by the impact of artificial intelligence on deepfake videos, politicians’ resumes, actors’ contracts, and academic honesty among other topics.  Celebrity culture and social media tend to intensify the confusion. “Real” is a helpful synonym of this word that means “not false or imitation.”

Image is a powerful force in today’s culture because, for many, perception is reality. But Jesus confronted this in his day by challenging the poster boys of righteousness (Pharisees) calling them whitewashed tombs – attractive on the outside but full of rottenness on the inside (Matt. 23:27). Their outward image of being good was not just unimpressive to God – it was repulsive.

Today “authentic” is used in the context of being “true to one’s own personality, spirit, or character.” “You be you” is the mantra of this generation. Often a defiant casting off of expectation from others or assumed standard or norm, it is the rule of hyper individualism. Increasingly, there are those who find it to be a lonely  existence.

I want to redeem “You be you” in the context of the gospel of grace. When Jesus’ history becomes yours, when your identity and righteousness are found in him, when you can say “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me,” then you be you. In other words, bring to outward expression the reality that exists within. Peter put is this way, “Be… diligent to confirm  your calling and election” (2 Peter 1:10).  This is not a mandate to keep up appearances like pinning golden delicious apples on a crabapple tree. It is an invitation to live in the outflow of your walk with God and your delight in him because you are fully loved and accepted by him. You are “holy and beloved!” So, you be you – who you are in Christ.

Let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ

Philippians 1:27

Copyright © 2024 Grace Bible Church, All rights reserved.

A Wise and Understanding People

It was in Arabah, a desolate place east of the Dead Sea, hostile to life – a place that reminded the people of their dependence on the Sustainer, that Moses spoke to the people of Israel, “Your eyes have seen what the Lord did” (Deut. 4:3).  The redeemed people were reminded that Jehovah’s purpose and precepts were their wisdom and understanding (v.6).  The reputation of God’s people was that neighboring peoples would say of them, “Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.” But why? Is it because they were such shrewd people of higher intellect? No. Moses answers with a question, “What great nation is there that has a god so near to it as the Lord our God is to us, whenever we call upon him?”
 

The nearness of God makes the difference in how we perceive and engage life
– the challenges and the pleasures.
 

John informed us that “The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world” (John 1:9). Light is information that leads to wisdom and understanding. This “Word (information) become flesh and dwelt among us” (v.14). In history, God has made himself known to us – in word and in person – so that we can know him, walk with him and delight in him (“grace and truth”). In Jesus, our eyes have seen what the Lord did. John summarized it well in the prologue of his first letter, “that our joy may be complete” (1 John 1:4).

This calls for our contemplation and our resolve as Moses exhorted the people, “Only take care and keep your soul diligently” (Deut. 4:9). We are prone to wander as we are inundated with distractions to find our security and satisfaction in lesser, created things instead of the benevolent Sustainer who is our soul’s reward.  The proverb says it well, “Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life” (Prov. 4:23).

The diligence of keeping your soul is in drawing near to God; the benefit is that he will draw near to you (James 4:8). He invites you to draw near as he made it possible through Christ’s reconciling work. So, walk with Jesus following close in his steps toward the Father who has implanted his nature and his Spirit in you so that your inner person is strengthened and renewed day-by-day. This is a life-cleansing discipline for your good and your joy.

God longs to commune with us. “Gather the people to me,” he directs, “that I may let them hear my words” (Deut. 4:10). “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly,” Paul writes, (Col. 3:16) as life-giving nourishment to your soul. It is the Lord who gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding (Prov. 2:6). As this is incarnated “in the sight of the peoples” (Deut. 4:6), it points them to him. He is the point.

Copyright © 2023 Grace Bible Church, All rights reserved.

Christmas Prayers

Joy and peace are themes that resonate during the Christmas season. I am thinking of many in our church family that are going through significant struggle right now, so I am also contemplating how we pray for and support each other in the spirit of the season.  God came to us so that joy and peace could be ours. The reality of joy looks like a settled satisfaction in the goodness of God. That joy is possible only if we are at peace with God and ruled by his peace.  This is possible because of the advent of the Son of God.
 

Christ entered our brokenness so that we could have his eternal newness. As we experience the frustrations and sorrows of frail humanity, let us prayerfully commend each other to the One who makes all things new.  Follow the pattern of the apostle who was called to suffer many things for Christ’s sake.
 

Pray for each other to experience Ephesians 3:16-19
 

…that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being,  so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
 

Pray in the reality of 2 Corinthians 4:16-18
 

So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.
 

Pray with the disposition of Romans 15:13
 

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing,
so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.
 

If Christmas is about anything, it is about hope. The God of hope came to us, and that is our means for joy and peace. So, pray for each other in the Christmas Spirit, and be that joy and peace for each other with presence, because God came to us.
 

Copyright © 2023 Grace Bible Church, All rights reserved.

Man in History

History is a record of what has been which has brought us to where we are. It is a story about the past that is significant and true. God’s self-disclosure is embedded in history; it describes history, and by it we understand, learn, and have reference. But more than just a record, it contains propositional truth – attitudes and behaviors that are prescribed; truths to be believed and followed.

Lamentably, these days it is trendy to shun history. The term C.S. Lewis used for such an attitude was “chronological snobbery”, which is defined well by historian, David Crabtree:
 

We live in a time of rapid change, a time of progress. We prefer to define ourselves in terms of where we are going, not where we come from. Our ancestors hold no importance for us. They lived in times so different from our own that they are incapable of shedding light on our experience. Man is so much smarter now than he was even ten years ago that anything from the past is outdated and irrelevant to us.

If we refuse to listen to history, we will find ourselves fabricating a past that reinforces our understanding of current problems. Professor Penelope J. Corfield at the University of London asserted, “People who feel themselves to be rootless live rootless lives often causing damage to themselves and others in the process.”

It is, in fact, necessary for us to study history. By it we understand the present (how did we get here), offering contextual insight into current realities. By it we also understand ourselves, providing a sense of identity. Each one of us is a living history.

Don Ivey at the Center for the History of Family Medicine wrote,
 

History is… something very real and alive and meaningful to all of us. It is, in fact, one of the key things that helps to define us…as individuals and as human beings – for what ultimately separates us from the animals is our sense of self and our collective sense of the past.

Through understanding history, we also glean answers to existing problems. In history we find remedy for today because it sheds light on the question of reality and shapes our worldview. What is truly real? What does it mean to be human? What is wrong with us? Is there a solution? Where are we in the flow of history?

No worldview can satisfactorily answer these questions like biblical Christianity – specifically, the Person of Jesus Christ. When it comes to Christianity you must deal with history.

God is like what God has done. It is on record; “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life” (1 John 1:1). Jesus Christ, a man in history, was God with us - tangibly. The record continues to shed light on us today providing context, understanding, identity and remedy.

Copyright © 2023 Grace Bible Church, All rights reserved.

"Still"

Many of us may remember (and will never forget) the message of the Energizer Bunny.  With ostensibly more energy packed into it, the Energizer battery claimed to outlast all others brands.  Nuanced behind this commercial burned on our brains is the idea of scientific observation:  load the mobile bunnies with batteries – one with an Energizer, the others with competitor brands – and watch them move until they wear out. The  observer will find that after others have stopped moving, the bunny with the Energizer battery continues. During that period in which the Energizer has outlasted the others comes the all-too-familiar phrase:  “Still going!”

The word “still” assumes an ending point in action or condition, as in: “drink it while it is still hot.” Implied in this sentence is that the drink will at some point cease to be hot just as the bunny will eventually cease to go.
 

What, then, could we mean when in times of distress we hear ourselves saying “God is still there,” or “God is still in control?”  Will God ever cease to be “there?” Is God’s power exhaustible?  Is there anything over which God is not sovereign? At the national memorial service in the aftermath of September 11, 2001 a prayer was worded: “God, please show us that you are still there.”  At the root of such a request is a perception of God that judges him by our circumstances - as if he is like us.  Only created life in a fallen world gets fatigued and wears out. God does not.  We are contingent (we must have something to keep us going) God is not.  He is the infinite, self-existent One. God is, and he is the supreme absolute.  The word “still” imposes human limitations on his infinitude.
 

God has made known to us that the only ones who must fear the absence of God are those who pass into eternity having rejected their Creator and his redeeming love. For them, he will be inaccessible, but his presence will be a consuming fire.

We must perceive and understand all of life’s circumstances in the light of the nature and character of God. That is what he revealed to Job. That is what he has revealed to us. Count on it. Sometimes God seems to be silent, but that does not mean that he is not there or does not care.  It only means he is calling us to trust him for who he is and what he has already said.
 

Have you not known? Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable.
He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength.

Isaiah 40:28-29

Copyright © 2023 Grace Bible Church, All rights reserved.

3 Outlooks for Perseverance with Joy (Part 3)

Struggles, stresses, and brokenness pull on our persistence to persevere.  While we heed the call to joy and peace, we may become myopically focused on the right now, right here. So, we need fresh reminders and daily grace for genuine gratitude, joy, and peace in the face of daily struggles.

Peter writes to careworn Christians to alleviate their privation by reminding them of the long view (1 Peter 1:3-9). The displaced and disdained followers of Jesus needed fresh understanding and assurance of their belonging and hope.  Paul puts the scope of our outlook in perspective by writing, “this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory” (2 Corinthians 4:17), and “the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that will be revealed in us” (Roman 8:18). These are not platitudes of mere positive thinking but promises from the benevolent Sovereign in whom we rest and find our strength.

What is more, we can take comfort in the reality that everything we have in this world is his. We are but stewards entrusted with his good gifts to employ and manage for his purpose. We trust him to define, affirm, and protect what is his. When you become possessive, you only add stress to your life.
 
The third outlook for our perseverance with joy is, as Proverbs puts it, “Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand” (19:21), and “The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps” (16:9).  As his creations with the imago Dei, we are entrusted with creativity, reason, and volition, to employ them within the loving parameters of his revealed character and purpose. But our capacity is not perfect, our understanding is limited, our nature is broken; we will not live in perfection. We can rest in the fact that our Father knows this, and welcomes us as instruments in his hands to accomplish his purpose according to his will.
 
He knows the end from the beginning - his purpose will stand. So, you can rest your head on the soft pillow of his sovereignty (Spurgeon). You, a faithful steward – he, a good and loving Father; you are in good hands as you work daily and press on with the end in view. "When the race is won, you will run into his arms” (Twila Paris). In Christ, you are the object of God's loving concern from eternity to eternity. God is good, and his steadfast love endures forever.
 
I challenge you to not just trust him in theory, but in the day to day – little and big things, easy and hard things. Our Father is infinite - nothing is big or hard for him; he is also the God who came near, who numbers the hairs of your head (Matthew 10:30) - nothing is small to him. So, with a settled satisfaction (joy) in him, find your rest in him as you persevere, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.
 

Gracious is the Lord, and righteous; our God is merciful.
The Lord preserves the simple; when I was brought low, he saved me.
Return, O my soul, to your rest; for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you.
Ps. 116:5-7

Copyright © 2023 Grace Bible Church, All rights reserved.

3 Outlooks for Perseverance with Joy (Part 2)

Life is often difficult and frustrating. Struggles and brokenness tug on our tenacity to keep on keeping on.  These realities at times seem to collide with biblical blessings like “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing” (Rom. 15:13). We know this is what we are called to believe and do, but where do we  find genuine deep gratitude, joy, and peace in the face of daily struggles?

Peter writes to beleaguered believers to mitigate their misery by keeping the big picture in front of them. Uprooted and uncared for, the followers of Jesus needed fresh understanding and assurance of their belonging and hope.  Our confident expectation of this satisfaction is anchored in – not mere platitudes or positive ponderings – but the historical reality of Jesus walking out of the grave (1 Peter 1:3-9). 

I will introduce the second outlook with an illustration.  In the aftermath of September 11, 2001, when terrorists flew airplanes into the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York City, and the Pentagon in Washington D.C., there were many interviews of those who had lost loved ones on those doomed flights. In one interview on a major network morning show, the host was questioning the parents of an 11-year-old who was on the ill-fated flight with her whole class of fifth graders.  The host asked the parents what it felt like to lose a child – it must be unimaginably difficult!? I will never forget their answer. “We are thankful to God for the eleven years he entrusted her to us.”

Understanding life as a stewardship is understanding that you do not own what you have. If you think what you have is yours, then you will strive to control it (or them), and you will feel that the protection of those things (or people) is ultimately up to  you.  But that is not the case.  A steward is not an owner, but an administrator of that which belongs to another for the purposes determined by the owner. It is important to remember that the most important things in life are not things.  What our Father in his steadfast love has entrusted to us, we hold with open hands entrusting them back to his purpose and protection.

What is yours most personally is your own identity and sense of purpose. From the perspective of stewardship, you did not determine your identity or purpose. That being true, you do not have to strive to protect and maintain them – they are under the Owner’s care as one who is “chosen and beloved” (Col. 3:12); “you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God” (Col. 3:3).  In his most difficult moments Jesus acknowledged that he was in his Father’s care, so he entrusted himself into his Father’s hands of steadfast love; “when he suffered…he continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly” (1 Peter 2:23).
 

I know whom I have believed,
and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that day
what has been entrusted to me.
2 Timothy 1:12

Copyright © 2023 Grace Bible Church, All rights reserved.

3 Outlooks for Perseverance with Joy (Part 1)

Life is often difficult and frustrating. Needs and struggles are aplenty from the routine chaos of training young, self-preeminent rebels, managing difficult relationships at work, being a caregiver, enduring  chronic illness, or having to switch careers or add a job for income to make ends meet. Struggles and brokenness tug on our tenacity to keep on keeping on. 

These realities of life may seem to collide with biblical precepts like “In everything give thanks” (1 Thess. 5:18), and blessings like “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing” (Rom. 15:13). We know this is what we are called to believe and do, but where do we  find genuine deep gratitude, joy, and peace instead of displaying them as platitudes or façades in the face of daily – seemingly unending – struggles?

Peter writes his letters to Christians displaced from their homes and disdained by their neighbors (possibly because the great fire of Rome in A.D. 64 was blamed on Christians).  Uprooted and uncared for, the followers of Jesus needed fresh understanding and assurance of their belonging and hope.  This is why Peter began his letter with a big-picture declaration (read 1 Peter 1:3-9 again), an avowal that God’s plan is beautiful and certain; an affirmation of two things: first, this is not where we belong,  second, our current circumstances are temporary – “for a little while.” The inheritance that God has prepared for us, on the other hand, is “imperishable, undefiled, and unfading,” and we are “kept by God’s power” for the unending and full satisfaction he has in store for us.

Peter writes to beleaguered believers to mitigate their misery by keeping the big picture in front of them. Our confident expectation of this satisfaction is anchored in – not mere platitudes or positive ponderings – but the historical reality of Jesus walking out of the grave (1 Peter 1:3).  He willingly experienced our suffering and death so that we could join in his resurrection and life.

Despite his massive portfolio of suffering (2 Cor. 11:23-29) Paul declared “we do not lose heart” (2 Cor. 4:1), but “we are always of good courage” (2 Cor. 5:6 & 8).  He summed it up this way:
 

Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day.
For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison,
as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen.
For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.
2 Corinthians 4:16–18
 

The “outer self wasting away” is recognition of the frustrating brokenness of our current, temporary situation. We groan and lament, and that is okay. Be like the Psalmists and pray your emotions; God invites you to (Rom. 8:26-27). But brokenness does not have the last word; it is not our end; it does not define us. We know that things are not the way they ought to be, but we know the One who can and will restore all creation in newness (2 Peter 3:13).

What we believe about our future shapes how we experience the present.  This is why the writer of Hebrews appeals to  us to “run with endurance the race that is set before us,  looking to Jesus, …who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, (Hebrews 12:1–2, emphasis added). To endure this temporary groaning for the joy that is set before us, is the point of the Scriptures, the Spirit, and the saints – the fellowship of God’s family. So pursue the inner self being renewed day by day in the refreshment of God’s abundant grace; and keep the big picture in view.
 

Copyright © 2023 Grace Bible Church, All rights reserved.

Structuring The Vine

As we look ahead toward leadership succession, here is a closer look at some of the details.  After serving passionately and skillfully as Pastor of Ministries for 12+ years, Dwight Ball will retire from vocational pastoral ministry at the end of 2023. Though this seems like the end of an era, we can be sure (the Lord providing) that Dwight will still have a strong presence among us and will continue to be deeply involved in the ministry of Grace.  Dwight is an amazing package of talents exceeded only by his passion and heart for God’s people and his energy in the task of shepherding. With his technological skills, he will remain on the staff at GBC to administrate all things IT and audio/visual.

Furthermore, the proposed restructuring of the leadership at Grace (subject to congregational approval at our next annual business meeting) is as follows: 

• Dwight Ball will step into the role of elder along with others elected by the congregation, for the expanded task of shepherding the flock primarily through the care group ministry.

• Bobby Locklear will have the title Pastor of Congregational Care.

• Adam King is proposed to step into the role of a pastoral intern, funded for two years through the Ministry Expansion Fund.

For a visual understanding of the leadership structure of GBC proposed for 2024, you can click here.  The deacons and the elders will serve as one board, but with varying functions. This hybrid model of leadership has served the church well and we believe it will only enhance the effectiveness of the leadership and ministry as every member/attendee of Grace will feel shepherded – equipped, challenged, and cared for with godly oversight.

Copyright © 2023 Grace Bible Church, All rights reserved.

Building Expansion Activity

At the direction of the board, Dwight and I have met with an architect on the prospect of building expansion. We resumed the conversation that started back in January as a result of our leadership summit and input from the congregation.
 
Our three main needs of space are:

1. The size of our auditorium

2. The size and proximity of our fellowship hall to the kitchen

3. The size and proximity of our nursery to the auditorium

We discussed the prospects of building while maintaining the priorities of simplicity and affordability.  The good news is that in the past seven months many building material costs have fallen.
 
The architect will connect with a civil engineer to take a high view look at our property, then he will draft a proposal for a sight assessment. The proposal will be submitted by the week of October 23rd , and the board will consider the proposal at our October 30 meeting.
 
Church Leadership
We are coming up on the time of year that we think about the succession of leadership. We are praying for at least three elders as well as men who would serve as deacons in the administration of the church.  Statement of Desire forms are available at the church office, or you can access them online for deacon and elder. To serve as an elder, a man must have served first as a deacon.  To serve as a deacon, one must have been a member for at least one year. If you anticipate filling out a form, please have it submitted before October 30 so the board can consider them at our next meeting.

Sunday Night Seminary
The new course on the Gospel of John has experienced strong and enthusiastic participation. We are memorizing the prologue of John’s Gospel; by October 15th we should have 1:1-8 committed to memory. Also, your task this week is to complete a comparative exegetical study of John 1:13. If you did not pick one up last Sunday, 3-ring binders are available for your note packets. If you need an additional copy of the notes, please contact Ella Billman at the church office. 

2024
Our theme for ministry and teaching in the coming year will be Engaging Unbelief.  Our resolve as pastors is to equip the church for a gracious presence in our culture while being faithful to the Scriptures. Instead of striving to dominate, isolate, or capitulate, we are called to participate with grace and truth.  We will explore what that means and what it looks like as we follow in the steps of Jesus.  If you would like to prepare for this focus, I recommend a short book by Timothy Keller, How to Reach the West Again. Live as people who remember that we walk with and are ambassadors for the God of all hope. We are on mission, headed for home. Let us persevere with joy for the hope that is set before us.

Copyright © 2023 Grace Bible Church, All rights reserved.

The Trellis And The Vine -- Part 2

Not only is the trellis concerned with the physical structure upon which the vine (the church) grows, but there is the matter of the administrative structure as well. The functional systems of the church as an organization are important to its health.  Such systems must be subject to regular evaluation in terms of biblical faithfulness and whether they are meeting the needs of the congregation. Again, the sixth chapter of Acts where the apostles delegated the task of directing the care for those in need is a leading example.

The needs of the church body are a combination of physical and spiritual. We care for, serve, help, and provide for each other while at the same time, we walk with each other and follow Jesus in a Godward direction. The constitutional structure of Grace Bible Church has, serving with the pastoral staff, a board comprised of deacons and elders. 

As we move forward leading the growing church, we purpose to reactivate functioning elders in the ministry of Grace in 2024. The elders – primarily through the care group ministry – will focus on the shared task of shepherding the flock so that every person in the body effectively feels shepherded. The deacons will focus more on administration of the physical, financial, legal, and logistical tasks according to the abilities of the individual and the needs of the organization.

We are coming up on the time of year that we think about the succession of leadership. We are praying for at least three elders (besides the pastoral staff) and men who would serve as deacons in the administration of the church.  Statement of Desire forms are available at the church office, or you can access them online for deacons or elders. To serve as an elder, a man must have served first as a deacon at Grace.  To serve as a deacon, one must have been a member for at least one year.

As the body of Christ, we must be in prayer on this matter because the biblical qualifications of men for these positions of ministry are paramount. We must ask the Spirit to guide us and move the hearts of those who will rise to the task with servant hearts.

 

Copyright © 2023 Grace Bible Church, All rights reserved.

The Trellis And The Vine

So much of growth and development is measured by physical attributes, but when it comes to the church our focus needs to be different. Christlikeness is not primarily measured by things that can be – well – measured. The growth that God is looking for is the growth of people who better reflect the character of his Son, Jesus.  Paul stated in Ephesian 4:13 and Colossians 1:28 that Jesus Christ is the measure of success for the gospel of grace ministry in the believer.

The church is likened to a vine – living, growing, and fruit-bearing. That is the focus of the ministry.  But a healthy vine has a trellis upon which to grow. The trellis represents the structure, system, and schedule of the organization. The apostles, for example, delegated logistical administration in Acts 6. Paul left Titus in Crete to “put what remained in order” (Titus 1:5).

As Grace Bible Church (the vine) grows, there are some “trellis” matters that need to be addressed – matters of adequate space and helpful proximity.  Let me explain. First, our auditorium is too small. We constantly use two overflow sections, the aisles in the auditorium are inordinately narrow, and a foyer is nearly non-existent. Second, the nursery – besides being too small – is about as far away from the auditorium as it can get. This is a bit discouraging for young families.  Third, our “fellowship hall” (a.k.a. “Room 5”) is woefully inadequate AND the kitchen is about as far away from Room 5 as it can get – upstairs.   One might think the design was a cruel joke. But, alas, it was not. Our auditorium was originally designed as a fellowship hall with the kitchen next to it.

Just so you know, the board is acting on these “trellis” issues. We are currently in communication with an architect – in fact, we have resurrected the conversation from back in January, before the merger conversation started. Our goal is to address the three issues above that have been clearly and repeatedly communicated to us, but to do so simply and affordably.  We learned from the building exploration four years ago that the church is supportive of building when we have the funds to do so.

That, however, may not be our only option. There are becoming more church buildings (and others) available that could potentially be repurposed for our use. Of course, location and condition are key factors in this option, but it is not outside the realm of possibility. We welcome the opportunity to consider recommendations.

This is a matter for the church to keep before the Father’s throne of grace. Let us not presume that we can figure this out on our own without the Spirit’s aid.  Remember the Lord’s admonition, “You do not have because you do not ask” (James 4:2). Let us seek the Lord together as we purpose to steward the trellis to support a healthy, growing vine.

Copyright © 2023 Grace Bible Church, All rights reserved.

Personal Encoutners -- 1 John 1:1-3

For many today the concept of “Christ” means little more than an ideal or a utopian reality. This is not new; it developed in the second century. Instead of speaking of “Jesus Christ”, some Gnostics would speak of Jesus the person and the “Christ” who came upon him. John, however, portrayed Christ as the prophesied person – the One from eternity. All he had to do was testify of his and others’ personal encounters with the historic Jesus Christ: we have heard him, we have visually discerned and viewed with fascination, we have verified by touch. John makes a clear presentation of the empirical adequacy of historic Christianity. He and many others had personal encounters with the Word of life that was with the Father and was made manifest to them.

Because of this, John states that he and others bear record and announce to us this Jesus Christ so that we who have not seen him first-hand can have a shared and common interaction. We too can personally encounter the Word of life by entrusting ourselves to the report (the gospel) of those who physically met and entrusted themselves to incarnate God. This shared personal interaction (“fellowship”) with the Father and Son – the Creator/Redeemer is what John called “eternal life.” The idea of “eternal”, as used in John’s report, is not just quantitative (amount of time) but is also qualitative; it is the life of divine character.

John stated that he and others like him had personally, physically encountered the divine Person. He announced it to us with the aim that it would revolutionize our day-to-day experiences through this thing we call “fellowship.” The more we engage and commit to his truth, the more we develop and experience the life of divine quality. What John gained vertically (in a horizontal way) he shared horizontally. That becomes the definition of “fellowship” for us too. Our relation to the Father and Son through His Spirit becomes the spring of our mutual interaction. Our encounter with the eternal Person becomes the fountain head of our personal encounters with each other. This is more than an ideal; this is Christian fellowship – the relationship of brothers and sisters in Christ as God designed it.

Two Things To Ask

God is sending more people our way, and we are “back to the drawing board” on the issue of space and expansion for the ministry of Grace. At this point all options are on the table, and it will take wisdom, forbearance, and the Spirit’s guidance to meet the needs of our congregation and the many guests coming into our fellowship.

First, let me say thank you for your welcoming spirit.  It is not uncommon for me to hear comments about the inviting family atmosphere in the worship at Grace. But…it is getting tight – in the parking lot, downstairs in the nursery and children’s ministry, and in the auditorium during the worship service.

There are two things I want to ask of you so that we can maximize with good stewardship what we have, what God provides, and who he sends our way. First, for a heart of hospitality. Hospitality is a biblical virtue of the church (Hebrews 13:2). A hospitable person will help others feel welcome, help them find their way around, and make space for them to fit in. The hospitable person also takes the initiative to connect. This could get messy, but people will recognize when they enter among us that the culture of grace says, “Come as you are, just don’t stay that way (like, overwhelmed and confused). I will walk with you.”

About making space, here are three subpoints under the first ask:

1. If you drive an all-wheel drive or a four-wheel drive vehicle, please consider parking in the lower grassy parking lot.

2. In the auditorium, please fill the rows up by moving toward the center.

3. We need brave volunteers to sit in the front row. I have established the policy of “no spitting” from the platform.

My second ask is for a spirit of forbearance.   Being able to forbear is a mark of God’s people (Colossians 3:13). The situation may be uncomfortable for a season, and the remedy may not come as quickly as we all might like, but working together will lighten the load. If you have insights, we’d love to hear from you.  If you feel you are in the dark, please ask. But please remember, communication is never perfect this side of eternity, and we could not possibly pursue all the recommendations we receive. Thank you for your understanding.

As we walk with each other in the mind of Christ, may these challenges grow us together into a more beautiful church.
 

Copyright © 2023 Grace Bible Church, All rights reserved.

All In | 7/25/2023

When God speaks to comfort his people, he reminds them of who he is, what he has done, and what he is doing. In other words, he directs their focus back to the big picture of himself to rescue them from the distractions of the immediate that lure people into a rut. Those distractions might be adversity, or they might be prosperity. In both cases we of mortal flesh tend to have our gaze pried away from the One who is our highest good and deepest satisfaction. We find it too easy to get settled in a rut of fleeting comfort or ill-perceived security.

God is constantly at work weaving together all aspects of time, space, circumstance, and human choice to draw people to himself.  Through the prophet Isaiah, Jehovah, the Holy One of Israel, said, “I work, and who can turn it back?” (Isaiah 43:13).

When his Son, the God-man, walked the earth, there were those who pushed against his good and mighty deeds because what he did and how he did it did not fit their parameters.  To them Jesus responded, “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working” (John 5:17 NIV).
 

Is it possible that we could be distracted from what God is doing by being too preoccupied with what we are doing and precisely how we are doing it? Here is my resolve: whatever God is manifestly doing, I want to be all in. In this resolve we follow Jesus,

“Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord,
but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does,
that the Son does likewise. For the Father loves the Son and shows him all
that he himself is doing. And greater works than these will he show him,
so that you may marvel.
John 5:19–20
 

Sunday’s worship was just a glimpse of what God is up to! He is at work in people’s lives, and he is working through his people. Sunday was a delightfully uncommon time, but God loves doing the uncommon so that you may marvel. What God does through a people submitted to him arrests the attention of the unbelieving, and he is glorified.

Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.
The wild beasts will honor me, the jackals and the ostriches,
for I give water in the wilderness, rivers in the desert, to give drink to my chosen people,
the people whom I formed for myself that they might declare my praise.
Isaiah 43:19–21
 

It is my prayer that we will have a united desire and resolve to be all in with what God is doing, “so that as grace extends to more and more people, it may increase thanksgiving to the glory of God” (2 Corinthians 4:15).

Copyright © 2023 Grace Bible Church, All rights reserved.

Contemplating God’s Promise (A thread of self-talk) | 7/18/2023

The effect of righteousness will be peace, and the result of righteousness,
quietness and trust forever. My people will abide in a peaceful habitation,
in secure dwellings, and in quiet resting places. Isaiah 32:17–18

• These are the things I long for at the core of my being.

• What do I look to for my peace, quietness, and security? Are they trustworthy or transient?

• False ease and security are the effects of unrighteousness.

• Only that which cannot be taken away is worthy of trust for my peace and satisfaction.

For the Lord is righteous; he loves righteous deeds;
the upright shall behold his face. Psalm 11:7

• What defines righteousness?  Only the infinite, transcendent, unchanging One can.

• I must be righteous. How can I be righteous?

• To behold his face is to be in his presence with full acceptance and love – my ultimate good and satisfaction.

For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin,
so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Corinthians 5:21

• I can rest from attempting to redeem myself – from making myself acceptable – to God or to others. Christ has given himself to accomplish that for me.

• I must surrender to the righteous One who makes his righteousness available to me.

• Through my surrendered trust I find liberty, peace, and quiet confidence.

• Every attempt to find security and satisfaction in created things will lead me to false or fleeting ease and security.

• The disciples were terrorized by the storm even though the sovereign One was in the boat with them.

• “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” (Matt. 8:26)

• I must look to him – my righteousness – for quiet confidence amidst turbulence.

• Though the storm rages outside, inwardly I have quietness and peace.

Copyright © 2023 Grace Bible Church, All rights reserved.

Productive and Useful | 6/13/2023

Atrophy of the muscles is no fun – though one can unwittingly glide right into it through a sedentary lifestyle. Then, come the time that one’s muscles are stretched by engaging prolonged or strenuous activity, there is pain involved because the muscles are depleted. We all know that the antidote for such a painful experience is regular exercise.

When one drifts into a sedentary spiritual lifestyle, he becomes near-sighted, practically blind, and forgetful. He will lose sight of God’s goodness and start living for the “dot” (preoccupied with the immediate) instead of living for the “line” (the big picture of God’s character and purpose). Unless  you are purposeful about physical exercise you will experience muscular atrophy. Unless you are persevering in spiritual disciplines, you will drift into spiritual atrophy.

So let’s review the homework of honing your spiritual workout from Sunday morning’s sermon:

1. Exercise your memory of the grace that has been lavished on you – 2 Peter 1:2-4, 13

2. Train your vision with the grace laid up for you – 1 Peter 1:13

3. Walk with Jesus by studying him and keeping in step with his Spirit – 2 Peter 2:21

4. Climb the steps of spiritual growth to Christ-likeness – 2 Peter 1:5-7

Please understand, this is not done in the power of the flesh (just trying harder to be better) but by God’s grace – remember, surrender, and delight.

On another note, Grace has been gracious in the wake of last Sunday’s Q&A on the merger conversation. Thank you for your kind spirit. Also, helpful critiques of the May 21 combined service proved beneficial for the June 11 combined service. I am profoundly grateful to those who have invested much time, skill, and effort into the administration of the combined services. Your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

Mark your calendars – July 2nd is back on for a combined service with Vienna.  If you have observations and recommendations for what needs a little more attention, we will be glad to hear from you.

I urge you to pray that through the power of remembering we will be productive and useful in our walk of faith as the people of God.
 

Copyright © 2023 Grace Bible Church, All rights reserved.

God Wants Your Heart | 6/6/2023

Nothing is more blah than routine duty. Just going through the motions of completing a checklist without passion or meaning is as exciting as eating a bowl of sand. It becomes wearisome fast. This is a uniquely human problem because we are designed to pursue a higher purpose and desire ultimate good. In other words, we were created by God –  for him. He is our higher purpose and our ultimate good.

When we disconnect our daily lives from our worship – as if there is the spiritual part of life, then there is the unrelated secular part – not only will the routines of life become wearisome, but our worship becomes wearisome to God.  The first half of Isaiah’s prophecy paints a poignant picture of this problem. His chosen people, Israel, were living compartmentalized lives. They would dutifully perform their rites of worship, but their worship had nothing to do with the rest of their lives.
 

When you come to appear before me, who has required of you this trampling of my courts?
Bring no more vain offerings; incense is an abomination to me.
New moon and Sabbath and the calling of convocations — I cannot endure iniquity and solemn assembly.  
Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hates;
they have become a burden to me; I am weary of bearing them.
Isaiah 1:12–14

This was the issue that Jesus addressed with the outwardly religious people of his day, “This people honors me with their lips but their heart is far from me” (Matt. 15:8 quoting Isa. 29:13). Outwardly they worshipped, but inwardly there was self-preeminence, greed, and hostility. They were committed to the form of worship, but there was no substance in their worship, it was empty – even to the point of not recognizing the object of their worship when he stood in their presence.

The point is this: you pursue what you desire. God wants your heart because he is your highest good and deepest satisfaction – you were made for him. Loving him is your ultimate good and the definition of your success. But there is a battle for your affections. Israel lost that battle and became dysfunctional and desolate. But if you “delight yourself in the LORD… he will give you the desires of your heart” (Psalm 37:4).  In other words, you will find yourself satisfied when God has your heart.
 

Whom have I in heaven but you?
 And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.
My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
Psalm 73:25–26

Copyright © 2023 Grace Bible Church, All rights reserved.

Evidence and Faith | 5/16/2023

I would like to share with you a question that I was asked.  Following the question is my answer.
 
Why does it appear that some men require less evidence of God or appear to have a deeper faith in God?  Do those that have a better understanding or deeper faith in God work harder at understanding the evidence that God makes available?
 
The writer of Ecclesiastes  says, See, this alone I found, that God made man upright, but they have sought out many schemes (Ecc.7:29).  God made man with the capacity to know and relate to Him – it is what sets us apart from the animal kingdom. 
 
For every person there is a unique mix of personal experiences (intellectual, physical, emotional) and habits of thought.  But there is an issue below the surface of the evidential.  Consider the Pharisees who witnessed the resurrection of Lazarus – an indisputable miracle –  but they immediately set out to destroy Jesus.  There was an agenda in their hearts and minds that did not even allow them to factor in the evidence.   Human pride (self-preeminence) is at the core of unbelief. God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble (James 4:6; 1 Peter 5:5).
 
 Below the surface of the evidential is the relational – “You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart” (Jer. 29:13).  But as Paul tells the Romans, humans have become masters at suppressing truth – For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened (Romans 1:18, 21, 25). 
 
Here’s a statement from a converted Harvard atheist:  “If I wanted to continue forward in this investigation, I couldn’t let it be just an intellectual journey. Jesus said, ‘If you hold to my teachings, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free’ (John 8:31-32). I could know the truth only if I pursued obedience first.”  This is why I like to use the word “surrender” when defining “faith.”  This is far below the surface of working harder to understand the evidence.

_________________ 
P.S.  Remember that this Sunday, May 21st, is our first combined worship service with Vienna Baptist Church, 1831 Chickasha Dr, Pfafftown, 10:30 a.m.

• No Sunday School or ABFs

• There will be nursery and children’s church during worship.

• Please take every opportunity to consolidate rides as parking space is limited.

Copyright © 2023 Grace Bible Church, All rights reserved.

A Place of God’s Dwelling | 5/2/2023

Solomon built a temple for Jehovah because his father, David, was bent on making much of God. So when the temple was finally completed King Solomon dedicated it with great sacrifice and public prayer. 1 Kings 8 is the apex of the history of Israel.
But will God indeed dwell on the earth?
 

Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you;
how much less this house that I have built!
1 Kings 8:27

Knowing who God is – the living, infinite, sovereign Creator – should humble us that he would want to dwell among us. The temple is the place where he makes his presence known, “My name shall be there” (1 Kings 8:29). It is also the place where God would interact with his people by accepting their offerings of worship and hearing their prayers.
 

…then hear in heaven your dwelling place and forgive and act
and render to each whose heart you know, according to all his ways
(for you, you only, know the hearts of all the children of mankind)
1 Kings 8:39

The temple of Jehovah, the God of Israel, was also intended to be a place that would draw people from far and wide because they had heard what God is like because of what he has done.
 

Likewise, when a foreigner, who is not of your people Israel, comes from a far country
for your name’s sake  (for they shall hear of your great name and your mighty hand,
and of your outstretched arm), when he comes and prays toward this house…
1 Kings 8:41–42

All the elements of worship in the Old Testament were but a foreshadowing of the good things to come in Jesus Christ (Hebrews 10). Now we who are in Christ – we are the temple of the Holy Spirit!
 

Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you,
whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price.
So glorify God in your body.
1 Corinthians 6:19–20

We are the ones who make God’s presence known and make much of him. We commune with him humbly (he knows our hearts) offering the sacrifice of praise and interacting with him through prayer and preaching. We make him known in a way that draws people in, “that all peoples of the earth may know your name” (1 Kings 8:43).

Jesus prayed to the Father specifically that the unity of his people would be the chief witness to the gospel of grace in Jesus Christ.
 

I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word,
 that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you,
that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.
John 17:20–21

The temple of God was an edifice of stunning beauty.  Today also, when the church is being the church, she is beautiful and makes Christ attractive.  Let’s be the church, and let’s come together tomorrow night (Wednesday, May 3rd at 6:30) for a prayer gathering to seek the heart and desire of God with his people at Vienna Baptist Church.

Copyright © 2023 Grace Bible Church, All rights reserved.