Endeavoring to set forth God's purpose and grace according to 2 Timothy 1:8-11 Apr - Jun, Spring Edition, V o l u m e 61, I s s u e 1
Inside This Issue
Feature Article: Pastor Craig Apel addresses several questions asking, Why Did Jesus Have To Die?
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PUBLISHER: Frosty Hansen EDITOR: Philip Cereghino COLUMNISTS: Dr. Sam Vinton, Jr. Kenneth B. Kemper, Mark Sooy Scott Myers, Ed Jeude, Frosty Hansen
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THEOLOGICAL CONSULTANT: Dr. Sam Vinton, Jr.
Loving and Serving Community by Mat Loverin
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Off to Israel... again by Ken Kemper and Phil Long
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In Their Own Words by GMI Missionary Kids Katie Vinton and Erin Benton
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Notes on Worship by Pastor Mark Sooy
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FEATURED CARTOONIST: Bill Connolly The publishing of TRUTH, a quarterly magazine emphasizing the doctrines of the dispensation of grace, is to provide individuals and churches with Bible studies, articles of Christian concern and devotion, and news about Grace Gospel Fellowship (GGF), Grace Bible College, Grace Ministries International, Grace Publications, and other Grace organizations and activities. The views and opinions expressed in the ads and articles are those of the authors and organizations. They do not necessarily reflect the view of GGF and/or the editorial staff of TRUTH.
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Lunch in the Savannah Room by Philip Cereghino
PUBLISHED by Grace Gospel Fellowship, a nonprofit religious corporation, incorporated in the State of Michigan. Mailing Address: P.O. Box 9432, Grand Rapids, MI 49509 phone: 616-245-0100 email: info@ggfusa.org web site: www.ggfusa.org
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Pastor Scott Myers’ Rebel with a Cause
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Bill Connolly’s Leah from Berea
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Regional News
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Cover photo credit: Property of Design Pics Inc., reproduced here by license agreement with the GGF, for their end use only. TRUTH Magazine is the quarterly membership periodical of the GGF. Gift subscriptions can be purchased through the national office. Page 2
Pastors Pat McGillicuddy (Grace Bible Fellowship, Jenison, MI) and Wally Dawson (Grace Bible Church, Newaygo, MI) contributed to this article.
by Mat Loverin
The mission of the Grace In Action Committee of the GGF National Council is to inspire local churches to serve their surrounding communities by meeting the concrete, everyday needs of people, especially the poor and disadvantaged. In doing so, believers have opportunities to convey the love of Jesus Christ to others. The following story is from a local church that sought to meet such needs by partnering with a local inner-city ministry. If you have a similar story from your congregation that you would like to share in Truth Magazine, please contact Mat Loverin, the Grace In Action Committee chairman, at his email: mhloverin@gbcol.edu. He wants your story to inspire others to express the love of Christ through Christ-centered acts of service to those who need to know the love God has for them.
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For several years now, Grace Bible Fellowship (GBF) has been partnering with Servant’s Church (www.servantschurch.org), which is a church and ministry active on the west side of Grand Rapids, MI. Servant’s Church believes it is called to be “a loving and serving community in a neighborhood so deeply loved by God that we can’t help but love it ourselves…. We come from many backgrounds, many situations, but in all our diversity we find ourselves woven together by one
thread; Jesus, by all his words, by all his actions, by all the love of the cross, by all his victory over death.” One of its many ministries is offering a free meal (the “Family Feast”) to the neighborhood once a week. In the past, GBF has taken two weeks out of the year and provided the meal plus the servers. The last few years Servant’s Church added a summer ministry, essentially to offer the same meal but to hold it in a local park. Our church has taken on the month of August to provide this meal and the servers. Our hope in doing this is: 1) help Servant’s Church reach the west side neighborhood for Jesus Christ, and 2) highlight awareness among GBF attendees of the needs in our own backyard. By partnering with Servant’s Church, GBF opens the door for hands-on, face-to-face service opportunities. The relationship provides flexibility because some may be able to cover the cost of the meal, but not physically be able to prepare or serve the meal. In August, our congregation rallies to the ministry of Servant’s Church with administrative help in organizing, coordinating and planning menus. We also become more closely involved with this local ministry as the entire church body prays and is encouraged by the partnership we share. See Serving, continued on page 16
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I
If you are like me, you have always listened with interest to the stories of others who traveled to Israel, explored biblical sites and told you how much they enjoyed it. They tell of having a greater understanding of the Scriptures and a deeper faith from experiencing firsthand “what it must have been like!” I have enjoyed the excitement of others, even looked at their pictures and said, “that is very nice,” but I never thought it was something I might be able to experience someday.
cal scholar and seasoned tour guide, leading four groups to Israel since 2005. Phil will engage our minds with his insights and sense of humor during our travels. The trip will take place from December 31, 2011 through January 10, 2012. As hosts, we will travel with you from Chicago to Israel (not including an additional excursion to Petra). Kathy and I would love to take this journey together with you and see how God works in our hearts and minds as we enjoy the trip of a lifetime together. I have asked Phil to give us an idea of what a trip to Israel is all about, and the value of going on this trip with Grace Bible College.
Does that sound familiar to you? Have you “always wanted to go to Israel?” My wife Kathy and I are excited to cohost an exciting trip to Israel. Grace Bible College (GBC) is partnering with a fine organization, Blossoming Rose, which has been in Israel for more than 25 years, in It is often said that a trip to Israel is worth a year of order to provide you with an opportunity to join us in Israel. Bible classes. By walking in the very places where the stories Cohosting with us will be Coach Gary Bailey and his wife, of the Bible took place, a Christian gains a much clearer perDanette. They have been to Israel numerous times with “...as a follower of Christ normal spectiveitonistheperfectly land of the Bible. For example, I recently Blossoming Rose, and we know this will be an enjoyable taught on the story of David hiding in the caves from King time together. Our teacher and guide will be Phillip Long, to serve and abnormal not to serve!” Saul at En-Gedi (1 Sam. 24). En-gedi is a freshwater spring professor of “Bible and Biblical Languages” at GBC. Phil has taught at GBC for thirteen years and is an excellent bibli- near the Dead Sea. When we visit the site, we hike up the Page 4
A quick dip in the spring fed pools of En-gedi on the 2009 tour.
The Pool of Siloam.
canyon to the caves. After experiencing this, I can really understand why David and his men hid in this location. Compared to the desert around the spring, En-gedi provided a hiding place and water source for David’s small army. When we visit the Sea of Galilee, we can envision how Jesus could have gathered followers from surrounding villages to a “lonely place” where He fed them fish and bread.
Our tour is a bit different than most others, because we will try to experience the whole land, not the tourist traps and traditional “holy places.” We will visit several archeological sites–which many tours skip–in order to give our tour a historical flavor. We will visit the eighth century B.C. Jewish city of Arad and see a temple which closed during the time of Hezekiah or Josiah. We will look out over the Dead Sea from Masada, Herod’s fortress palace. We will go to places alive with the history of the Bible. You cannot go on a tour like this and ever read the Bible in the same way again! A highlight of any tour of Israel is visiting the locations where Jesus taught and performed miracles. While some of the traditions are dubious, the town of Capernaum has been excavated to the first century, and the synagogue there is built on the remains of the synagogue from the time of Jesus. We will visit the traditional site of the “Sermon on the Mount” and the “Feeding of the Five Thousand.” In Jerusalem, we will walk down the Mount of Olives and visit the Garden of Gethsemane. It is quite amazing to pause and read the words of Jesus as he wept over Jerusalem while looking over the Kidron Valley at the location of the Temple (Lk. 19:4144). When we visit the Old City of Jerusalem, we will walk on the steps leading up to the Temple courts where Jesus Continued on page 6
Photo left: Temple Mount tunnels. Page 5
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taught during his final week (Mat. 21:23-22:46), and we will see the remains of the walls of the Temple after the AD 70 Roman destruction of Jerusalem. We are often able to visit the Pool of Bethesda at the Sheep Gate, where Jesus healed a lame man (Jn. 5:1-4), and the pool of Siloam where Jesus healed a blind man (Jn. 9:1-7). Both sites are active archaeological excavations, shedding light on these two important stories in John’s gospel. What really makes this tour unique is our time spent at the Tamar retreat center. The city of Tamar is mentioned as early as Genesis 14:7 as a Canaanite city located strategically along the southern edge of the tribe of Judah near the Wilderness of Zin (Jn. 15:1-4, Num. 35:3-5). Solomon later
Excavation site at Tel Tamar. fortified this city by building a defensive wall and gates (1 Ki. 9:18). These gates have been excavated and parts of the tenth century BC city have been restored. After the time of Josiah, the city fell into the hands of Edom and the remains of an Edomite temple stand just outside the Solomonic walls. During the Roman era, the city likely serviced caravans traveling the spice route from Petra to Gaza. A bathhouse and several other Roman buildings have been excavated. Just up the road from Tamar are Roman tollbooths and the Akrabbim, or Ascent of the Scorpion. This road winds up the steep hills into the central hill country and was once an important stage of the spice route. Finally, in the book of Ezekiel, Tamar is once again the southern end of the renewed Land of Israel (Ezk. 47:19; 48:28). Tamar may have been a small town during most of its history, but it has been witness to a great deal of biblical history. Page 6
During our two days at this unique archaeological site, we will have the opportunity to participate in a restoration project led by an Israeli archaeologist. After some instruction on how archaeologists work at a site like Tamar, we will work for a few hours in the Roman area of Tamar. We can expect to find Roman pottery and learn how archaeologists use this material to date a site. Most short tours to Israel do not include this sort of archaeological experience. After our time at Tamar, you will have a greater appreciation for the wilderness stories in Numbers and Deuteronomy. I believe that this tour will be a spiritual challenge as well. It is important to have a solid understanding of the history and geography of the Land, but it is more important to allow the Word of God to speak to your heart. We will have many opportunities to open the Bible and read the stories which happened in a particular place, and there will be several times of worship together. Ken Kemper will share devotions on several occasions and there will be opportunities for personal time to read and pray. I particularly enjoy visiting the Garden Tomb, meditating on the story of the crucifixion and resurrection, and sharing communion with other believers. When I talk to people about traveling to Israel, I am often asked about safety. If you are at all aware of recent events in the Middle East, you may be concerned about the safety of a trip to Israel at this time. My response is that travel to Israel is no less safe than a trip anywhere else in the world, and perhaps it is safer. Security in Israel is serious business, and the precautions taken in airline security are far beyond what we experience in America. We see security people frequently and the tourist areas are monitored closely. We do not travel to any place which could be considered a dangerous “hotspot.” In fact, people feel very safe on the road and in the hotel at night. One of the students on our 2009 tour described his experience this way: “The trip literally made me feel more at peace with what goes on in the world, knowing that Christ is still in control of what is going on, and just being able to see places that were mentioned in the Scriptures reiterated to me that my faith is not in vain.” We hope you will consider taking advantage of this opportunity and join us for what promises to be “the trip of a lifetime!”
1011 Aldon St. SW, P.O. Box 9405, Grand Rapids, MI 49509; Phone: 616-241-5666, Fax: 616-538-0599; E-mail: gmi@gracem.org
The Transition
Reverse Culture Shock
Graduating from Rift Valley Academy (Kenya) in 2009 and transitioning to Harvard University in Boston was a journey full of opposites: from a conservative Christian boarding school governed by a detailed rulebook to a secular college with few guidelines; from a place small enough to know every student’s name, to a university where I only recognize a small fraction of my own class; and from a place where right and wrong seemed cut and dried to a world full of questioning people. During senior year of high school, I was hesitant to apply, and then scared to accept, and finally nervous to attend Harvard, but it has been one of the best decisions of my life.
“When God called your family to the mission field, He didn’t just call your parents, He called you as their children as well.” I do not even remember who told me this, but it has accurately described the feelings I have had in my heart since becoming a missionary kid, otherwise known as an MK. Unlike many MKs, my family did not start the missionary journey until I was about eleven, and only a few months after my twelfth birthday, our plane was touching down in Tanzania, East Africa–the place I now call home. Most people might assume the greatest amount of culture shock happened when I left the States and moved to Tanzania. The opposite is true.
Often it’s hard for people at college to understand where I’ve come from. The other day, I was at lunch with a good friend and her boyfriend who had only recently found out that I grew up in Congo. Still processing this, he mentioned that his last sociology lecture focused on a group of people called “Third Culture Kids” who, in his words, “don’t know how to relate to normal people because they are from so many different places.” Continuing, he said, “So you’re a TCK, right?” I was caught off guard, not having heard that term since I left boarding school. It’s true; a lot of times, I
The first time we came back to the States I was fourteen, and we came back for four months. We moved in with my aunt and uncle and their five kids–thirteen people’s plans and agendas constantly needing to be worked out. It was crazy. In my mind, we were all just rushing around. It was overwhelming. One day I remember just snatching my mom away for a few minutes, crying on her shoulder and saying, “Mom, I feel like all we do here is rush to get up, so we can rush to get our day done, so we can rush to go to bed, so we can rush to get up again.” Rushing, rushing, rushing! That
See Katie, continued on page 8 Page 7
See Erin, continued on page 8
Katie, continued from page 7
Erin, continued from page 7
do feel different from those around me, but at Harvard I’ve also found a community of people with diverse backgrounds and experiences. A few of my good friends are international, others spent gap years travelling the world, and a few only moved across town to attend Harvard, but everyone has interesting, quirky aspects about themselves coupled with questioning minds making it easier for me to feel accepted, even while being different.
is what I remember. Rushing seemed to have top priority, not relationships like back home.
When meeting new people here, the hardest question for me to answer has been the simplest, most common one: “Where are you from?” Sometimes, I tell people I am from Congo which leads to surprised, even shocked looks and a barrage of questions. Part way through freshman year, I often gave people an easier answer: “My family is from California,” which I’d say to avoid the follow-up questions. But inevitably, high school would come up and I would have to say that actually, I went to boarding school in Kenya. While the questions got old, I eventually realized that when I opened up and took time to share my story, people were actually more accepting and genuinely curious than I ever gave them credit for. And as a fringe benefit, saying “I’m African” is always a good excuse for why I take off my shoes and walk barefoot when it rains, or why, at my dorm’s annual nineties dance, I know hardly any ’90s songs. It’s been very different, going from a boarding school– where Sunday morning church and three chapels a week were required–to a place where religion had to be entirely my choice. I’m involved with a Christian community here and attend a local church, but only because I personally choose to get up on Sunday mornings. It hasn’t been easy, and this place has shaken and then strengthened my faith multiple times, but I have also found greater acceptance from people of different beliefs than I thought would be possible. I have some great Christian friends, and an equal number of friends who are atheists. College threw me into a big world with more ideas and viewpoints than I had ever been exposed to before, but at the same time it’s taught me to be open to questions and new ideas, and that same concept is what has allowed me to transition successfully to Harvard. There is a lot I don’t know and a lot Harvard can’t teach me, but I’m working my way through the transition... one question at a time.
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Culture shock happened again when I was sixteen. Since middle school, my shopping had been done in open air markets. I do remember the day a three-aisle grocery store went up in the town I was living in at the time. I walked in and sat in wonder and slid around on the fancy tiles with my brother. But that was nothing compared to a few years later when I walked into my first Walmart after coming back to the U.S. All I wanted was a bottle of shampoo. I saw the correctly labeled aisle ahead of me, I turned into it, and there before me was an entire aisle of different shampoos. I didn’t even know where to begin to make my choice. That phase of culture shock was choices. Americans crave comfort so very much and because comfort is different for everyone and our culture tells us that it’s “all about me,” that there must be a choice for everyone, and even then I hear people complain. America is blessed with abundance, but when coming from a country not as fortunate, it is completely overwhelming. When I came back to the States at age eighteen, that time culture shock was the shallowness of relationships that got me. As an MK it is difficult to know when or how long relationships will last, so the importance of truly knowing someone is very real. But back here in the States, I felt as though I had to be shallow with everyone I met. No one wanted to truly be known until they had known me for a long time. It has even now been an incredible learning process for me as I build relationships with people, and as I attend Grace Bible College. And, of course, there are the small things too, about culture shock–like church and songs in English; actually being able to drink the water out of the sinks and hoses; snow, popular music, people; and movies that mean nothing to me; some jokes; the constant need of electricity and internet. The list could truly go on for a long time. Culture shock is inevitable. But I truly believe God uses it and has used it in my life to teach me incredible lessons, to grow me, and to stretch me in ways only those experiences can. He is an incredible God, working in the most awesome ways. I give Him the praise for giving me the opportunity to experience what I have experienced, even the “reverse culture shock.”
The View from Here worthwhile. The principle is clear: good thinking must come before–and leads to–good action (see Rom. 12:1-2). One of the best ways a pastor and a church can address this issue is to simply ask, “Why?” Why do we order our worship in this way? Why do we limit the use of instruments? Why do we think we are, or need to be, contemporary? Why do we think hymns are the best choice for worship? Why do we have announcements during the service, or why have we eliminated them? The list of questions could go on and on. My point is that once you raise the questions, and find it difficult to articulate good answers, then what is happening has become habitual rather than purposeful. Use these questions to launch studies of particular topics, which will help you to think more clearly about various aspects of worship.
After twelve years of faithfully writing the Worship column for Truth, GGF bids a fond farewell to Mark as he leaves our pages to begin a new ministry. Thank you Mark, for your insight and labor of love.
Trained Leaders
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As I’ve considered this final “Notes on Worship” column, I’ve run through my mind a number of possibilities on what to write about. I have enjoyed the opportunity to share my thoughts with readers over these few years, and have appreciated Phil Cereghino’s work as Editor, as well as the GGF’s leaders in the National office. There have been many topics covered in these articles, and for this final writing I would like to look ahead to what lies around the bend; to give you some of my thoughts on what the future might hold for Worship and the Arts, based upon the view from here.
Good Thinking Overall, talking with pastors and musicians and teaching on this subject regularly, I find that for Worship and the Arts the primary critical need is for good thinking. “Worship wars” in congregations and a lack-luster spirit of worship are more often a matter of poor thinking (theologically and practically), than they are of the abilities of those planning and leading the worship. Only after laying a foundation consisting of solid biblical thinking can we expect our activity to be Page 9
Another important aspect is in the area of Worship Leadership. Our Western church made and acted upon an assumption that worship equates to music. In so doing, we have sought to fill the Worship Leader position primarily with musicians. I have made the case before that biblically the Worship Leader positions fall under the general category of the pastoral role–and that individuals serving in these positions should be trained as pastors, as well as be good musicians. Of course, many musicians serve in these roles effectively, and for that we can be grateful. My main goal in pointing this out is that much of the training done for Worship Leaders is musical–yet they often have as much time or more than many pastors in front of their congregations each Sunday. This means their understanding of how to craft worship services that will teach and admonish (see Col. 3:16) is vital to the corporate worship of the church. Beyond that is their need to “shepherd” those under their leadership in an effective way. Pastoral training must become much more integral to their training to build a solid foundation for the worship ministry of the church. Pastors can be proactive about this by spending time mentoring music leaders whether they are paid staff or a volunteer. An effective way to do this is by reading books together on matters of pastoral care or related topics, and See View, continued on page 19
by Philip Cereghino
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Dr. Steve McVey has broad popular appeal. He’s the first to tell you, however, that his message of God’s grace also causes controversy and inspires a legion of critics who libel and misrepresent his ministry. In spite of such opposition, McVey’s seminars and conferences can attract audiences ranging in number from a couple hundred all the way up to twelve thousand, and those engagements have taken him to six continents. In between trips abroad, he prepares sermons for his successful, weekly, web-based “Sunday Preaching” series, currently in Romans by Pastor Scott Myers chapter five highlighting, “This Grace.” He is also an active internet blogger, both webcast and written, and an ardent Facebook poster. He is the president of Grace Walk Ministries and a well-known author. His latest release is 52 Lies Heard in Church Every Sunday; and Why the Truth Is So Much Better (Harvest House, 2011). The man is so busy these days it’s difficult even for him to keep track of what country or city he’s off to, or what church or group he’s addressing next weekend–nevermind a month from now. Fortunately, to keep track of the details
McVey has highly dedicated administrative and logistic support from a small band of staff and volunteers. Imagine my surprise and excitement upon learning that I might get a shot at an interview with Dr. McVey. I caught up with him in Atlanta, GA, a few weeks ago when he was there for a two-day weekend conference at the AtlantaBuckhead Hilton Doubletree Hotel. The conference theme was “Radical Joy,” based upon Paul’s epistle to the Philippians. This was my first opportunity to see McVey in a live conference setting, and so I may have had a sneak preview of what we’ll be seeing at our very own GGF Family Bible Conference, “Christ Our Life,” this July in Grand Rapids (July 20-23, Rush Creek Bible Church, Byron Center, MI). Saturday, over lunch in the hotel’s Savannah Room, we talked about his ministry, as well as other things. The implications from the title for the weekend’s conference had me guessing. “Radical Joy,” I remark and jokingly suggest he must be turning militant. But then, terms need to
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“My desire is that all of us would embrace and express the pure grace of God. Pure grace points to Him, not us.” be defined. “Isn’t it a shame,” Dr. McVey begins, “that the word radical, the connotation of the word today means to be more bizarre, extreme, over the line, when really, the word radical means to go back to the root, to the basic truth. Radical points back to orthodoxy. It comes from the Latin word, radix, and the root is r-a-d, rad, like radish. It means root. So radical is not bizarre, radical is the historic orthodox view.” The weekend conference’s emphasis then would be on rediscovering the original intent of Paul’s message of joy, which he wanted to convey to his Philippian fellow workers in the gospel. On the subject of words, we both shared how a single word in Galatians 2:20 greatly alters our understanding of the Christian life (we both learned it in the King James Version and McVey says the translators got it right). Do we live our lives today from the faith of Christ, or by faith in Christ? “Until you see the importance of understanding that it is the faith of Christ that we live from,” McVey draws out of for emphasis, “it’s just semantics to you. People don’t see the ‘big deal,’ the faith in Christ or the faith of Christ. What’s the ‘big deal?’ “It’s only semantics,” McVey continues, “if you don’t understand what I’m trying to say to you. Because it’s more than semantics; words mean something. So it’s important to choose our words wisely, because our words will either reinforce faulty views that we already hold or they’ll introduce false views.” It is appropriate to challenge the usage of otherwise innocent appearing words or phrases. “Too much is at stake,” he writes in 52 Lies, “to risk faulty communication about the truth” (pg.8). His entire ministry has a well-defined endgame. “The ultimate goal?” quoting again from his new book, “My desire is that all of us would embrace and express the pure grace of God. Pure grace points to Him, not us. It declares that whatever good may come to us is all because of His goodness, not because of anything we do or don’t do. It gives Him all the credit, and us none” (ibid.). McVey has a knack for coining phrases, by the way. Two favorites, “It’s not a grace sit, it’s a grace walk” and, “We’re Page 11
not human doings, we’re human beings,” turn our conversation towards leadership styles or intentions. Is there a right way to motivate? When a pastor or church leadership becomes overly concerned about results or programs or attendance or participation, is there a blurring of the line between legalism and grace, well intentioned or not? “Any time you feel a need to impose on people a responsibility to do what will come naturally, if they understand who they are in Christ and who He is in them, you’re missing the main focus,” McVey stresses. “Because our main focus ought not be to get people to behave in any specific way. Our main focus should be on pointing people toward Jesus so that they understand that He is their life, and when they understand that, the behavior will then just…” he grins as he catches himself, “I started to say naturally, but it’s actually supernaturally– flow out of them, without having to try to manipulate or needing to shame or scold them into doing something. “Also,” McVey adds, referring to the Apostle Paul’s motivation for service towards others, “the love of Christ, constrains [Paul]…. It’s not his love for Christ, [Paul] says.” In the same way, McVey continues, “It’s not my love for [Christ.] It’s the love of Christ in me that constrains and motivates me” to perform service for others. Completing the word picture of who we are as human beings vs. human doings, Dr. McVey goes back to the garden, where the first sin was an attempt to become more like God. “It’s important to remember,” he says, “that when Adam and Eve ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, they didn’t think they were doing a bad thing. They thought they were doing a good thing, because eating from that tree would make them more Godlike. “But God had already created them in His image…. So the first lie told then, is that there is something you can do to be more like God. When the reality is, you and I have been created in the image of God. The Bible says about us in Ephesians 4 we’ve been created in righteousness and holiness in Jesus Christ. And so, it is who we are. We don’t gain our identity by what we do; our identity comes from our union with Him. He’s who we are. It’s about being, not doing. See Lunch, continued on page 17
by Pastor Craig Apel, Berean Church, Muskegon, MI
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The questions above are just some that people have asked concerning the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Maybe you’ve wondered about some of these things as well or you have friends who do. With Good Friday and Easter Sunday fast approaching you can’t truly celebrate Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection if you don’t know why he had to die.
The Scriptures are clear that, before coming into the world, Jesus had a full understanding and agreement with God his Father and with the Holy Spirit concerning what was required for him to provide salvation. He knew:
Groundwork To answer the questions posed at the beginning of this article, we first need to understand Christ’s relationship with God the Father. Jesus was and is the second person of the Triune God. As God the Son, his identity is distinct from that of God the Father and God the Holy Spirit, yet at the same time the three are essentially and inseparably one. This mystery must be remembered in any discussion of God’s plan and provision for our redemption from sin. That Jesus should die in our place was not the will of any one person of the Godhead, but the will of all.
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· He would give his life in payment for man’s sin. It was his will to do so (Isa. 53:4-9; Mat. 20:28; Acts 2:23; 1 Pet. 1:19-20; Rev. 13:8). · His greatest suffering in death would take place at his own Father’s hand. And it was his will to endure it (Isa. 53:10-11; 2 Cor. 5:21). · He would live and die with complete autonomy (Jn. 5:26, 10:17-18; Mat. 26:53-54). However, he would not permit himself to die until his suffering reached its zenith. At which point, sin being fully paid for, he would then release his spirit into his Father’s hands, (Jn. 10:17-18, 19:28-30; Mat. 27:45-50; Lk. 23:44-46).
Let’s Begin These things being true, there is no validity to the statements made by some questioning God’s goodness, His love for Jesus, or charging Him with “cosmic child abuse.” If God had caused someone else to pay for our sins, that would have been a gross injustice. But God took the payment for our sins fully upon Himself, through the willing agency of His Son who was and is also God (Jn. 10:30, 14:7-11; Col. 1:19-20). And while the Scriptures describe only the sufferings of Jesus forsaken upon the cross, we must believe the Father and Spirit suffered as well and equally in forsaking him (Mat. 27:46). But why did sin have to be paid for at all? Why couldn’t God “just forgive” us? Isn’t that what the Bible tells us to do when we’ve been wronged, to “just forgive” people? But forgiveness is more demanding than that. When serious evil has been done, of necessity someone always pays for it. If someone steals and sells your watch and you know who it is, you have essentially two choices as to how you will respond. But either way, someone pays. You can rightly make the thief pay for his crime by having him arrested for theft or by him purchasing you a new watch or both... or, you can forgive him. But if you choose to forgive him, then you must pay for the loss yourself–either by replacing your watch at your own expense or going without. Forgiveness always costs something in terms of the wounded party absorbing the wrong that’s been done. Most often the price we pay to forgive isn’t monetary. Forgiving someone may require us to absorb the loss of joy they’ve caused us; the damage they’ve done to our reputation; a lost friendship; or a vanished opportunity. But whenever and whatever it is we forgive, we choose to suffer ourselves instead of requiring it of the person responsible. Timothy Keller writes: Forgiveness means bearing the cost instead of making the wrongdoer do it, so you can reach out in love to seek your enemy’s renewal and change. Forgiveness means absorbing the debt of the sin yourself. Every-
one who forgives great evil goes through a death into resurrection, and experiences nails, blood, sweat and tears.* And so God could not “just forgive” our sins. To forgive us he needed to take upon himself through Christ, our sin’s full penalty of physical and spiritual death. So that, when our sins had been atoned for, we might be offered “the righteousness of God” and “eternal life” (2 Cor. 5:21; 1 Jn. 5:11-12). As Christ hung upon the cross, compressed into the three hours of darkness during which his Father forsook him, he experienced the equivalent of an eternity in hell for every man, woman and child. He successfully paid for all the sins of all time, because–as the innocent Son of God–his was an even greater sacrifice than such a weight of sin demanded (Rom. 5:15). But why was such a great sacrifice required? Our sins are crimes against God Himself, so could He not have set a lesser penalty than hell for the unforgiven, and a lesser sacrifice than His own Son for our salvation? We might think so. But justice is only served when, as the old saying goes, “the punishment fits the crime.” As sinners we have an inability to comprehend the enormity and severity of our sins. God is infinitely holy and righteous (Rev. 4:8), and His laws and commandments are a reflection of His character–“holy, righteous and good” (Rom. 7:12). And so breaking a commandment of God is nothing less than a rejection of God Himself, something we’ve all done countless times. What worse sin can possibly be imagined? When David sinned by committing adultery with Bathsheba, his confession to God was “Against you, you only, have I sinned” (Psa. 51:4). Certainly he had sinned also against Bathsheba and her husband Uriah, and the entire nation of Israel. But by comparison to his disobedience to the Word of God, those other sins didn’t even exist, so severe was David’s guilt. If we could see clearly how vile our sins against God really are, we would not question why it was necessary that His own innocent Son had to die, or why he had to suffer so severely for us to be saved. See Why, continued on page 16
“As Christ hung upon the cross, compressed into the three hours of darkness during which his Father forsook him, he experienced the equivalent of an eternity in hell for every man, woman and child.” Page 13
is Jesus, hungry beyond imagining… the devil tempts him to take things into his own hands. He doesn’t yield but responds curiously: “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God” (v.4). He quotes Deuteronomy 8:3 to rebuke the enemy, and says essentially there is something about life more fulfilling than meeting physical needs... obedience to God. Our Lord, out of sight from anybody, rejects the temptation to take things into his own hands and satisfy his own needs.
O
One of the more intriguing events in the life of our Lord transpires very early in the gospel record. He is only thirty years old, hasn’t called his disciples yet. He has been baptized by John according to Mosaic tradition, and at the same time God the Father acknowledges Jesus publicly to be His beloved Son (Mat. 3:17), pronouncing His approval. Right after Jesus steps onto dry ground the Spirit ushers him off to a wilderness! There alone, he fasts forty days… then out of the blue comes the tempter, the Devil himself!
And So It Begins So here is Jesus of Nazareth, no experience in ministry, fresh off his baptism, alone in the wilderness, hungry, and the enemy hits him with not one, not two, but three unique tests. The record in Matthew 4:1-11 groups these “temptations,” but let’s not overlook that each one tests Jesus in a particular way.
The second test is public: “Since you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written: ‘He will command His angels concerning you’, and ‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone’” (v. 6). Now do not misunderstand… Jesus will not die until he gives himself up at the Cross. He’s not dying if he jumps–that is the whole point–but what an opportunity to make an impact (no pun intended). He would have had people from all over following him because of the event’s sensationalism. “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test’” (v. 7). Jesus would have lived through the leap… but the test was to see if he would rely on sensationalism (the devil’s distraction) rather than the way of the Cross! The third test is all about power: “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me” (v. 9). God’s plan is for all the nations of the world to worship His Son… but it is not through a crown of power given by the enemy. It is through the Cross of suffering! But he’s weak from hunger; his trek to the Cross is only beginning. Oh, to come to power the easy way… “Be gone, Satan! For it is written: ‘You shall worship the Lord your God and Him only shall you serve’” (v. 10). Without hesitation, boldly and deliberately, the Lord Jesus rejects the enemy’s third and final temptation.
Here’s What It Means for Us The first test is personal: “If you are the Son of God command these stones to become loaves of bread” (v. 3). At the feet of both of them are small smooth stones. Here
Now let’s think through this critically for a few moments. Being tempted is not sinning! That is a truth we must em-
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“There is no sin in being tempted! That is a truth we must embrace, otherwise the enemy will defeat us with his lies even before we might succumb.” brace, otherwise the enemy defeats us with his lies even before we might succumb. We know this because our Lord was without sin (2 Cor. 5:21) and yet, the enemy tempted him (Lk. 4:1). So first, we must realize that temptation is part of each of our journeys, and–in and of itself–it is not sinful. Our Lord’s half-brother gives us a brilliant explanation of the process of temptation: Let no one say when he is tempted, I am tempted from God; for God is incapable of being tempted by [what is] evil and He Himself tempts no one. But every person is tempted when he is drawn away, enticed and baited by his own evil desire (lust, passions). Then the evil desire, when it has conceived, gives birth to sin, and sin, when it is fully matured, brings forth death. Do not be misled, my beloved brethren. James 1:13-16, Amplified Now this text presents us with a few problems: 1) Could Jesus have been tempted by what is evil? 2) Did Satan’s temptation really entice and bait Jesus? 3) Could he have given in to any of these temptations? Within these three temptations, Satan is pushing Jesus to think only about himself. But God the Son addressed that potential snare long before his exposure to temptation. Paul gives us insight into that: Who, although being essentially one with God and in the form of God [possessing the fullness of the attributes which make God God], did not think this equality with God was a thing to be eagerly grasped or retained, but stripped Himself [of all privileges and rightful dignity], so as to assume the guise of a servant [slave], in that He became like men and was born a human being.” Philippians 2:6-7, Amplified It seems that Satan made a similar error in calculation that many make today–thinking of Jesus in only human terms. While Jesus was fully human, he was without a sin nature… that is why the virgin birth is so critical. Satan tempts based on human needs apart from Jesus’ connection Page 15
with the Godhead, and that is a futile line of attack because the Son of God never did anything independently from God the Father. “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of himself, unless it is something he sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner” (Jn. 5:19, NASB). “I can do nothing on my own initiative. As I hear, I judge; and my judgment is just, because I do not seek my own will, but the will of Him who sent me” (Jn. 5:30, NASB). So the first temptation is rebuffed quickly and effectively because Jesus willingly walks the agreed upon path that the Godhead planned. The Spirit led him into the wilderness to fast. And certainly it was God’s plan for Jesus to be hungry. Likewise, it was in God’s plan that food would be provided at the appropriate time, just as it had been for Israel in the wilderness (the reason for quoting Dt. 8:3). The second temptation is equally ineffective as Satan requests Jesus to do something miraculous, something to wow the crowds, to draw attention to himself. This fell flat as well because of what we learn from another confession of Jesus: “I do nothing on my own authority, but I say only what the Father has instructed me to say. And He who sent me is with me; He has not left me alone, because I always do what pleases Him” (Jn. 8:28-29, TEV). The third temptation falls on deaf ears as well because Jesus is the God who is to be worshipped! While Jesus is fully human, he is also fully God. God already threw Lucifer out of heaven for attempting to hijack worship away from Himself, why would God be tempted by this deception? Certainly Lucifer deceived many of the angelic hosts… but deceive the second member of the Trinity? Ludicrous! Jesus thundered an immediate response: “Worship the Lord your God and serve Him only” (Dt. 6:13). Now back to the questions raised earlier. 1) Could Jesus have been tempted by what is evil? No, “God cannot be tempted by evil” (Ja. 1:13). 2) Did Satan’s temptation really entice and bait Jesus? No, because he has no sin nature from which to lure him to do evil. 3) Could he have fallen to any See Victory, continued on page 18
“God is not just the God of middle class white people of a certain denomination or doctrinal stance. Rather, He is the God of ALL people and we can experience that by making an effort to experience other cultures.” Serving, continued from page 3
Servant’s Church is located in an under-resourced area of Grand Rapids, Pastor Wally Dawson observes, very different economically, ethnically and culturally than GBF’s neighborhood. This ministry partnership has been and continues to be a great joy and great challenge for his church to work through. Says Dawson, “Cross-cultural ministry and integration within the church is essential for spiritual growth. Rubbing shoulders with other people who are ‘different’ from you helps a person understand God on a higher level. God is not just the God of middle class white people of a certain denomination or doctrinal stance. Rather, He is the God of ALL people and we can experience that by making an effort to experience other cultures. Uncomfortable? Yes! Spiritually enriching? You better believe it! And what better country to do it in than the U.S.; the melting pot of the world where most all cultures collide (typically in the cities).” The partnership between Servant’s Church and GBF has grown into a lasting relationship that continues to impact
many people for Christ, both the ones being served and the ones serving. In most cases, the ones going to serve end up being the ones receiving, which in turn helped them grow in their walk with Christ through meaningful service to the local community. In this way GBF provides a great example of what a local, suburban church can do to reach out to those beyond its walls. By partnering with a local inner-city ministry, GBF gives its own members opportunities to serve which they might not otherwise have. The arrangement supports and encourages believers in a local church to go beyond their own circle, and gain a greater sense of God’s love for all people. Grace Bible Fellowship wants to live out Paul’s words to Titus: “And let our people learn to devote themselves to good works, so as to help cases of urgent need, and not be unfruitful” (Titus 3:14, ESV). We hope this story is an encouragement to you and your local congregation to think about what you can do to serve Christ beyond the walls of the local church.
Why, continued from page 13
In Romans chapter 3 verses 23-26, Paul writes, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by God’s grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented Him as a sacrifice of atonement through faith in His blood.” And then he explains why this sacrifice was necessary. “He did it to demonstrate his justice because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished–he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies the man who has faith in Jesus.” We may not know, we cannot tell, What pains He had to bear; But we believe it was for us He hung and suffered there. He died that we might be forgiven He died to make us good, That we might go at last to heaven, Saved by His precious blood.
There was no other good enough To pay the price of sin; He only could unlock the gate Of heaven and let us in. Cecil F. Alexander
Jesus died so God could be both “just,” i.e. the One who fully punishes sin, and also “the One who justifies,” the One who forgives and declares sinners to be righteous. Apart from Calvary’s cross there was no other way He could be both.
* Timothy Keller, The Reason for God, Belief in an Age of Skepticism, p. 192, Dutton, 2008. All Scripture quotations are from the NIV.
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“I see myself as a missionary to the person who is still sincerely hungry for Christ and for truth, but their head is in the wrong place.” Lunch, continued from page 11
“Now that doesn’t mean,” McVey is quick to interject, “there’s not doing. But doing is the natural [supernatural] by-product of being who we are in Christ. We think in the modern church world that we have to do things to become something. I’ll become a godly person if I’ll just do certain things. I’ll be righteous if I’ll just do certain things. No, no, no. That’s totally backwards from what the Bible says. The Bible teaches we are righteous. Paul talks about the gift of righteousness through the abundance of His grace, in Romans 5:17. And it’s because of who we are that we do, not the other way around, like we’re told most often in church.” This idea of motivating by way of a believer more fully understanding his union with Christ is captured in the mission statement of Grace Walk Ministries, “To share the life and love of Jesus Christ.” I sense Dr. McVey is accomplishing his ministry by reaching out to teachable people who are hungry for spiritual growth but haven’t experienced it in the establishment church and they have become frustrated and misdirected into joyless, unfruitful, spirit-dulling stuff. McVey’s opinion is that, “There are two extremes out there. There are those that are anti-institutional church, and they’ve written off not only the structure but they pretty much have written off everybody in there, and the only answer they have to offer those who are still inside the institutional church is ‘get out.’ And then the other extreme are those who think that the church doesn’t exist unless it meets behind stained glass windows under a steeple. “I don’t think it’s either/or,” McVey says about the options for Christians seeking growth. “The Church of Jesus Christ consists of believers in both of those places and more. And so, I see myself as a missionary to the Christian in the church, whether that means institutional or organic or small groups or whatever. I see myself as a missionary to the person who is still sincerely hungry for Christ and for truth, but their head is in the wrong place. And the reason that that’s important to me is because I spent most of my Christian life with my heart in the right place but my head in the wrong place–until the Lord began to show me these truths... and I teach them–which was in 1990.”
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And here is where it gets personal for him. Dr. McVey writes about discovering the message of grace in his first book, Grace Walk (Harvest House, 1995), which chronicles the moment in his Christian life he calls his “Damascus road experience,” when the Lord “knocked him off of his theological horse.” He began to realize that the perception he had of the Christian walk was totally backwards. “And that was the starting point,” McVey recalls, “and that’s been almost twenty-one years ago, and I’m still growing…” [in the knowledge of grace]. “There’s a continuum in grace.” That growing in grace is evident in his writings–in comparing his earlier books with his newest–and in recent insight from the Scriptures he now is comfortable teaching (the last five or six years). “We don’t ever arrive,” he adds, giving the journey its endless aspect and quality. During a conference session he stated that coming to an end of one’s personal growth in truth and grace “would be a disappointment.” For McVey, or any serious student of the Bible intent upon more fully knowing their great God, the body of God’s truth concerning grace is infinite and cannot be exhausted by mere mortals, not in this earthly life nor in the fullness of times to come. How often do we as grace believers think we have a lock on the gospel of grace? There is an element of human pride bundled up with any systematic approach to Bible truth… even dispensationalism (the shortcoming of an ism). Aren’t we going to be amazed for all of eternity by the wisdom, love, power... the grace, the immensity of our triune God? I’m fairly certain Dr. Steve McVey will inspire and motivate our Family Bible Conference attendees to grow in their own understanding of grace. For those that want to delve more deeply into Dr. McVey’s understanding of grace, the question and answer session should be an exciting venue… be prepared to support positions from Scripture, as I know that Dr. McVey enjoys a good roundtable discussion. This Atlanta conference was my first “live” encounter and I have to say that I found his candor and sense of humor enjoyable and refreshing. By the way, Steve had the baked chicken and I had the lasagna.
“There is nothing you will ever face in the form of a temptation that will overtake you! Period!” Victory, continued from page 15
of these temptations? NO! Although he was fully human, Paul makes it very clear that he has no sin (2 Cor. 5:21) because he was fully divine (Col. 1:15-20). Now I know this is different than most people will write, but I am convinced that we struggle with testing and temptation far too much because we do not grasp the significance of our being united with Christ Jesus, who is God! Was he tested? Yes! Did Satan try to tempt him? Absolutely! Was Jesus ever really tempted by what Satan offered? Absolutely not! And that is where our victory lies! Sin has no power over us because we are new creations in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17). If you’ve never realized that, read these verses slowly: Since we have been united with him in his death, we will also be raised as he was. Our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin. And since we died with Christ, we know we will also share his new life. We are sure of this because Christ rose from the dead, and he will never die again. Death no longer has any power over him. He died once to defeat sin, and now he lives for the glory of God. So you should consider yourselves dead to sin and able to live for the glory of God through Christ Jesus. Romans 6:5-11, NLT As a result of being united with Christ Jesus, sharing his new life, we now are able to live victoriously to the glory of God! It is not simply that God will provide a way of escape for you when you are tempted because He knows the sins that you cannot stand; He has empowered you to live beyond the enticement of sin as you continually submit your will to His. You died with Christ; now you are to live as he lives! You can do that because Christ lives within you!
A Strategy for Temptation What should we do when temptation next crosses our paths? Let me offer three practical suggestions:
First, don’t be alarmed… expect it! As long as you live on this side of eternity you will be tempted! Only when you pass into the presence of our Lord will you be forever freed from the pull of temptation. We also need to realize that temptation is internalized and fought on the battlefield of the mind, in the deep recesses where your thought life takes place. So prepare for it and expect attacks! Second, don’t be blind… detect them! Call it what it is! Our enemy has innumerable methods of attack, and because they are seldom overt, but insidious and brilliant and clever, and he knows exactly the place where he can get and win your attention, be vigilant to detect them! Ask the Lord to make you sensitive to His voice and to the alluring deceptive voice of your enemy. Yes this might be a little mysterious, but don’t turn a deaf spiritual ear to the reality of the spiritual battle that is all around you. Third, don’t be clever… reject them! Unfortunately some Christians think they can stand toe-to-toe with Satan and win! There’s a name for people like that… victim! You will lose if you try to play clever games with the enemy in your own strength. You can only deal with him in the power of Christ Jesus, depending completely on the power and presence of the Holy Spirit!
Be Victorious! And by the way, just in case you were wondering… the truth of God’s Word for you is simply this: “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and He will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation He will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it” (1 Cor. 10:13). There is nothing you will ever face in the form of a temptation that will overtake you! Period! End of story! If you are in Christ Jesus, and you choose to submit your life to his control, you have the promise that temptation will not rule you! Jesus Christ will provide you with all the power needed to endure victoriously, because he already did… and you are in him… so live fearlessly not fearfully!
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View, continued from page 9
discussing them informally once or twice a month. This can also be done in a small group setting if there is a group of leaders that participate in the worship and music ministry of the church.
Balanced Song Selection Beyond these things there remains the importance of balance in song selection. Many churches have gone full steam ahead into the “contemporary” worship that seems to use primarily the latest-and-greatest songs the Christian Music Industry is producing. In doing so, they leave behind the legacy and heritage of great thinkers who were able to communicate the truth of the gospel and Christian doctrine through song lyrics. I am not saying that modern worship music completely lacks sound doctrine (although much of it does). Nor am I suggesting that traditional hymns are always on target theologically (because some are not). We are well served to include the breadth of musical styles in our worship.
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To be clear, there needs to be a balance. To jettison the relevant historical expression of worship in favor of exclusively modern conceptions is to disconnect the modern church from its roots. Progress is inevitable, and necessary, especially as we seek to communicate God’s truth to our generation, yet we must be careful to manage that change in a redemptive manner. Our connection with the Church throughout the centuries is something that crosses cultural and national boundaries unlike anything else. The Church (its doctrine and its worship) remains steadfast even while nations come and go. Retaining that connection in our worship will remind us of those who have come before, as well as the reality of the presence of Christ in the Church from century to century. The items I mentioned float to the top of my thinking as matters of importance for our churches in the area of worship. I have appreciated sharing with TRUTH readers over the years, as well as your comments from time to time. Thank you. I will continue to write regularly on worship and the arts for the Colson Center for Christian Worldview on their site called “The Worldview Church.” Visit my blog there at www.worldviewchurch.org.
PO Box 2300 Port Orchard, WA 98366 Phone: 1-360-876-0918 E-mail: pma@pmabcf.org www.pmabcf.org Pictured left: Arnie Selfors
This report comes from Arnie and Sally Selfors who direct the Spanish speaking ministry of Prison Mission Association. They live in Largo, Florida, and Arnie ministers weekly at the Pinellas County Jail to around 50 inmates. Each week as we retrieve the mail from the post office, we not only receive many lessons returned to correct, but we spend hours reading and answering many letters that come to us weekly. Let me give you some examples: “I just learned from a fellow prisoner about your ministry, and I would love to be included in the lessons you send out. Would it be possible for you to send them to me? I don’t have a Bible, how could I get one? I am a Christian, but have failed my Lord, and now I need to get back into the study of His Word, and some of my fellow prisoners have told me about your lessons.”
“I thank you for the lesson you sent me, which I am now returning. I am amazed that after my kind of behavior, the Lord would still hear my prayers and want me to be His child. I was thrilled with this lesson, and have a deep desire to renew my relationship with the Lord. Thank you for sending these lessons to me.” “Dear brothers in Christ. I am alone in this country, I have no one here who will even listen to me. Is there anyone there who would write a letter to me? I have made many foolish mistakes, and now am suffering for it. I know you people have Bible lessons that you send out. May I be put on your list? I would really appreciate it, but most of all, can someone write to me?” (Thankfully, we
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were able to write to this man and encourage him.) “Dear friends at EBB...(Spanish name for Bible Correspondence Fellowship), I have a definite prayer request, and know of no one to share it with. Will you pray for my family in Mexico? I have 3 children, and a wonderful wife, and they are now alone. I know they are suffering, for my wife is unable to work, and I have no parents, nor does she, to help in her physical needs. Will you please pray for my family?” These are continual requests, and by God’s grace, we are not only able to pray for these dear souls, but share God’s Word with them, in addition to writing them a short letter of encouragement. Will you not also pray with us for these many needs?
any are willing to talk about Jesus Christ and Him crucified.
Region I: Pacific Northwest Scott Myers Region IV: Upper Midwest Mark Matychuk & Les Takkinen
None reported
Region II: Southwest Rob Warmouth & Chuck Williams
None reported
Region III: West Steve Blackwell
Pastor Les Takkinen of Grace Bible Church in West Allis, WI, writes that the smell of spring is in the air in Wisconsin. We are looking for new and fresh ways to share the gospel with others. As we are ready to launch a new effort to reach our community for Jesus Christ, Pastor Randy Brown will be spearheading a group to go into our community to seek out those who are lost and in need of the Savior. It is with much prayer and anticipation that we want to reach out to West Allis and New Berlin with the gospel this spring. We want to have a small army of believers who are willing to spend time many Saturdays walking from house to house with Bibles, tracts and door hangers to see if
Like most communities, people are reluctant to interact about biblical things. We shall be categorized by some with other religions, but we expect it. Some will shun us, some will ignore us and others will avoid us, but we shall leave a door knob hanger inviting them to Grace Bible Church of West Allis. We are praying for those few who may be thinking about a church that preaches the Bible and believes that it is true. Pray for us as we launch this new outreach for Jesus Christ. Pray that God will bring a good number of believers to touch our world of unbelievers and non-church goers and invite them to God’s House. May many be touched with a gospel tract, a short conversation about God and His Word or come to check out our church service on Sunday. It is God who has an intense desire to reach our world with the Lamb of God and His sacrifice for our sins. May God bear much fruit as the gospel goes out and lives are touched by caring Christians. Thank you for your prayers!
None reported
Region V: Lower Midwest Ed Jeude Region VII: East Cal Lowder
St Louis Bible Fellowship is preparing to celebrate the cornerstone centennial of their stone, brick and stained glass church building this October. It is the only Protestant voice in the area known as “Dogtown,” adjacent to the 1904 World’s Fair site.
None reported
Trent Boedicker Region VIII: Ohio None reported
Neil and Diana Schnaath recently purchased a 54 acre Christian campground, which is now their home, near Livonia in northwestern Missouri. Founded 40 years ago, the facility needs some serious updatPage 21
ing but is functional. The possibilities are great and the first use this year is 2 weeks starting June 19 with Cowboy Lee from Bible Doctrines to Live By. The Schnaaths and Cowboy Lee have a good working relationship from previous Cowboy camps and Family camps. Neil is an ordained minister and is working to establish a Grace church. The new name will include the word “Victory.”
St Louis Theological Seminary is graduating three more students this spring at a cap and gown service, which will be held in conjunction with a luncheon and the annual congregational meeting of St Louis Bible Fellowship.
Region VI: Southeast Phil Cereghino
Grace Bible Church, Fairhope, AL, began 2011 with several special services planned. The Grace Singers from Grace Bible College performed at the church in January. In February, the VanHoutens joined the congregation for a ladies seminar and a worship service. Thirty-five ladies attended from several area churches as Sharon (VanHouten) shared her study, “On Eagles’ Wings.” For Sunday’s worship service the VanHoutens presented the gospel in their upbeat musical style.
The weekend of March 19-20, Joel Fink, author of The Mystery, which the congregation is studying on Sunday evenings, joined Grace Bible for a Bible conference. The sessions concluded with a fellowship dinner and a concert by Joel’s family for the final service. Pastor Dan Lippicott’s wife, Cindy, coordinator for OATH ministries, reported that OATH has helped families to adopt ten children during the first three months
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of this year. These children came from China, Korea, Ethiopia and Columbia. To date, the OATH ministries fund has been able to play a significant part in the adoption of over 70 children since its inception in 2003.
Region IX: Western Michigan Kathy Molenkamp
Region X: Central Michigan John Lowder
by Leslie Brookhouse
Robinson Grace Church in Grand Haven, MI, will soon be wrapping up one of their best years of WOW, their Wednesday Night version of Coached By Christ or Awana–with almost 30 children registered for the year. A highlight of the year was when the kids put on a Christmas program to a packed house of over 120 (which is more than the church can really hold). It was a “standing room only” crowd. VBS plans are already well underway as this year the VBS Team is leading the “PandaMania VBS,” from Group Publishing. The men’s ministry which meets monthly on Saturday mornings for breakfast, Bible study and prayer, also is doing really well. Attendance and involvement have never been higher in the five-plus years they have been meeting. Robinson has also undertaken several projects around the church. Last November they removed their 100-year old stain glass window in the front of the church. It was severely deteriorating and the cost of restoring it was too great to justify. It is presently in storage, possibly looking for a good home. Blueprints are done for a new building, and they are looking at ways to break the project down into stages that will allow them financially to begin to move forward raising funds. They recently added a new guitarist to their praise team. One of their young peole is becoming quite talented on the guitar and that has been a nice addition. As always Robinson continues to sing a new song to the Lord! A couple of new songs they really have embraced lately are, “What A Savior,” by Laura Story and “Open My Eyes,” from Hillsong.
What a tremendous winter it has been at
Parkside Bible Church, Holland, MI! Over the last few months they have seen a lot of new families establishing themselves into the church community. In February, Parkside hosted its annual Super Bowl Bash Youth Outreach with nearly 100 in attendance. It was such an encouragement to see so many “new faces.” Cameron Myers, a student at Grace Bible College, shared the gospel and challenged the students to live out their faith in all aspects of life. In March they had the privilege of hosting the 2011 Faith at Work Mission Conference. They were so challenged by the “heart” that each of these missionaries has for Jesus Christ! Also in March, Pioneer Clubs held a “coin war” between the boys and girls to raise support for Beacon of Hope, a local ministry. It is such a blessing to watch the kids get excited to reach out in the community. In April, Pastor Matt will be leading a small group of young men to Costa Rica as part of a leadership cooperative with the churches in Belen and Alajuela. In the adult ministries it has been encouraging to see people involved in small groups. They have recently begun a second season of small groups, which has fostered a stronger sense of community within the congregation. Looking ahead to the summer, they have made plans for VBS in June and the Junior High youth will be ministering in Niagara Falls, NY, in partnership with Youthworks and 2 other churches, in August.
Rush Creek Bible Church is thankful to God for many things. Most recently we thank the Lord for some 70 students from the Byron Center area who are part of the after school ministry called “Drop Zone.” On Tuesday and Thursday afternoons the students are here on campus for a safe place to be; a place where people care for them; a place to play games, or do homework; a place where they hear the gospel and come to faith in Him. In recent weeks we have seen 16 people come to faith through Drop Zone and through the Junior High and Senior High students who are trained and energized for evangelism. We are also thankful for a trio of women who head up our Worship Arts Department: Patti Wanrooy, Becky Ball, and Andrea Ott are each now employed part-time and do a super job together! At Frontline Bible Church we are getting ready to take the follow-up survey for the REVEAL Spiritual Life Survey May 1-15. We took the survey the first time in January of 2010 and it showed some things we were doing well and things we needed to change. After making numerous changes over the last year, we are very excited to see what impact they have had on the health of the church. We continue to be blessed by the church-wide and community-wide Bible reading endeavor we are doing entitled One Book One Body (www.onebookonebody.com). People who have struggled for years to be consistent in their Bible reading keep saying how doing this as a whole church has been such a help for them. Region 10 looks forward to hosting the GGF Family Bible Conference again this year. Hope to see you all July 20-23!
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Cindy Carmichael
. . . founded in 1943 by nine pastors to coordinate the ministries of their churches. The Grace Gospel Fellowship is an association of churches and organizations united by a mutual commitment to serve our Lord Jesus Christ, proclaim the Good News of salvation through His grace to all, and faithfully proclaim the eternal Word of God. We are dedicated to cooperate with one another in ministry and fellowship as we make clear to everyone the unsearchable riches of Christ in this age of grace.