OPEN BIBLE BULLETIN
VOL.55 NO.03 MARCH 2014
New Brunswick
Bible institute GOD’S PURPOSE
OUR PASSION
FOCUS
- STEVE WAGSTAFF
WORSHIP. Ronald Allen spoke rightly in answering his own question, “What, then, is the essence of worship? It is the celebration of God! As a thoughtful gift is a celebration of a birthday, as a special evening out is a celebration of an anniversary, as a warm eulogy is a celebration of a life, as a sexual embrace is a celebration of a marriage--so a worship service is a celebration of God.” Scripture tells us that man’s chief purpose is to worship and bring glory to God (1 Corinthians 10:31, “...whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.”) In fact, John 4:23 tells us that God is “seeking” worshippers. However, what God intended worship to be has declined to a ritualistic practice, arranged within a time frame, among many evangelical churches today. When we come to the book of Malachi we see that this problem is not confined to our present day, but was a problem that displeased the Lord in regards to Israel’s worship as well. Lack of Love (1:2-5) “I have loved you,” says the Lord. The Israelites complained, disobeyed, committed idolatry, lied, and schemed. However, God protected them, fed them, revealed Himself to them, performed miracles, promised land, and met the needs of His people. Their response was, “Wherein hast thou loved us?” We live in a world today that looks
at circumstances and says, “How can you say God loves us? Look what I’m going through.” Oh how the message of the cross is the only answer to their dilemma. When is the last time you counted your blessings? Lack of Respect (1:6a) “A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master:...” Believe it or not, there was a time when children honoured (respected, spoke well of, paid tribute to, acted properly towards) their parents. God asked the question, If this level of respect and honour is paid to men why are you not paying proper respect to your Creator? Worship was being done, but it was sloppy, half-hearted, done with a poor attitude, showing little respect, and they were okay with that! Lack of Leadership (1:6b) “... Where is My fear (reverence)? saith the Lord of hosts unto you, O priests, that despise My name...” Not only was there a lack of respect, but this message was directed to the priests, those responsible for the spiritual well-being of the people. The priests were turning a blind eye to the offerings being sacrificed. It appears that the worship of God was no longer from heartfelt adoration; instead, it was simply a burdensome job. That should serve as a great reminder to anyone who participates in any facet of leadership today. There needs to be a preparedness of
heart and mind in order for acceptable worship to be pleasing to God which will be carried out in the presence of others. Lifeless Worship (1:10) “Who is there even among you that would shut the doors...?” Plainly said, God would rather have had the operations of the temple cease and the fires go out on the altar than have insincere worship offered to Him. God flat-out rejects and despises worship that is not from a sincere heart. It’s a sobering subject when you stop to think about it isn’t it? It’s so much more than just a “Sunday goin’ to meetin’” thing.
VacationVision with a
June 29-July 4 & July 6-11, 2014
ROUND 2 COLLEGE FOR A DAY
Register at nbbi.ca/cfad March 27 - 29
Spring Bible Conference 2014 WITH DR. WENDELL CALDER May 1-4, See page 2
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FEILD TRIP
TO TEXAS - KEITH MCMAHON
During our March break a group of nine students, along with staff members, Keith and Beth McMahon will be traveling to Pharr, Texas to share in the ministry of Grace Community Church. Each spring for the past 40 years this little community church has hosted a week of camp for inner-city kids. The camp is held at Leakey, Texas alongside the beautiful Rio Frio river. The camp property is loaned by the H.E. Butt Foundation for the church’s use. For many of these kids this will be a life-changing week as they come under the sound teaching of the Word of God and experience the loving care of His people. Over the years we have seen hundreds make a profession of faith in Christ. Our team will be coming alongside many others who have been planning
and preparing for months to conduct this camp. Last year we had about 400 in attendance and are expecting great things again for this year. Our students will be involved in such things as counselling, teaching, music, games and sports, and will be playing a supporting role in much of the routine activities of camp. This year, when we arrive in Texas, we will be joined by one of our own students, Ryan Farrell, who has been completing his Advanced Biblical Ministries internship at Grace Community Church. It has been our joy and privilege to partner with Pastor Wally Morillo, evangelist Freddie Coile, and the many others who make up this ministry team each year. We praise the Lord for such faithful men and women of God and for their help in training our students to serve Him with glad hearts and willing hands. Please be in prayer for us, that we might be profitable servants, pleasing to our Lord.
SPRING BIBLE CONFERENCE
WITH DR. WENDELL CALDER, MAY 1-4
As the end of our school year approaches, staff begin to plan for our Spring Bible Conference and students start to get excited as they anticipate graduation. Our Bible teacher for conference this year is Dr. Wendell Calder, a grad of NBBI and long-time friend. Various missionaries and mission representatives will also be on campus, sharing their vision and ministry experiences from the field. Students and guests will be challenged to take up the torch and reach our world for Christ. Our Keynote Speaker, Dr. Wendell Calder was born again at an early age in his home church, North Road Baptist Church, on Campobello Island, New Brunswick. He is a 1959 graduate of New Brunswick Bible Institute and began his
Top: Jesse Myers, Joe Thibault, Andrew Paterson Bottom: Beth & Keith McMahon, Nate Doran, Breanne Long, Ashley Coughlan, Caleb Wentzell, Abbie Sproul, Jessica Smith.
ROUND 2 Mark your calendar for March 27-29 For more information or to register, visit nbbi.ca/cfad
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Most of us want to leave a legacy behind us; we want to live a life that counts. Even though our world lacks direction, there is something in all of us that seeks direction and purpose. What the world fails to realize is that there can be no purpose and no significance apart from God and His Word. At NBBI we seek to give believers a solid foundation in the Word of God. We want to provide you with a firm footing upon which a life of significance can be built. Commit one year of your life to training at NBBI; we will help you make your faith your own. Want to find out more? Come to our second college for a day weekend where you will have an opportunity to have some fun, sit in on some classes, meet our staff and students and see our facilities. Come to College for a Day, Round 2!
pastoral ministry the week following graduation. Wendell pastored a total of 16 years. During this time, he also founded and directed Living Waters Bible Conference in 1970, a ministry which continues to reach all ages with the gospel of Christ. He founded their present ministry of Local Church Evangelism in 1975. This ministry has taken him to six continents sharing the gospel message. In May, 1982, Tennessee Temple University in Chattanooga, TN conferred on him an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree. Wendell and Joan reside in Newport, Maine. This conference will end with our graduation exercises which will be held on Sunday afternoon at 2:00. Accommodations and meals on campus are free-of-charge for the entire conference. Plan to join us!
PRESIDENT’S CHALLENGE
STUDENT TESTIMONY
- MATTHEW LITTLE
- KIM CUMMINGS, Senior Class Secretary
LOOKING UPWARD; MOVING ONWARD.
I am from Edmonton, Alberta so you are probably wondering how I heard about NBBI. Well, I will get to that! I was not raised in a Christian home but I was raised in a wonderful and loving home. I came to know the Lord Jesus Christ as my personal Saviour when I was 16 years old. My family was going through a hard time when I was in junior high and high school. Three of my grandparents died of cancer within two years and then when I was 15, my cousin committed suicide. At that time, I was really questioning a lot of things about life and death. I was hurting and I had no hope. Well, God is faithful and He brought a young man into my family’s life at that time who was a strong believer and he became good friends with my sister and I. He brought us to church and he shared with us the hope and the comfort of the Gospel. My sister got saved shortly after and then, in September 2007, I trusted Christ as my Saviour. God used Revelation 21:4 to bring me to Himself. That man is now my
One of the most suspenseful stories in the Bible is the story of Esther. The Jews are on the brink of extinction and Mordecai issues his heroic challenge to Esther, “who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as
this?” Esther 4:14b. The phrase “such a time as this” reminds us that timing is very crucial to God and there are always moments in our lives when we sense that God may be calling us to act. The dilemma almost always lies in making certain that God is in it and we are not simply moving ahead without Him. Some decisions we make may seem mild and insignificant while others are grand and cause us to move forward soberly, purposefully and carefully. A Scottish classical guitarist, David Russell, once said, “The hardest thing in life to learn is which bridges to cross and which ones to burn.” The Board of Directors at NBBI have come to one of those crucial points of decision. First, we have known for some time that our Waste Treatment System is in dire need of attention. We have prayed and discussed for some time as to God’s proper timing and we feel the moment is now. We are moving forward by faith with plans to address this important issue this summer. We are trusting God to provide the $150,000 that we will need to complete this project. Second, Faith Hall (our ladies’ dorm in the middle of our campus) is nearing the end of its life. God provided this facility for us through the faithful sacrifice of His people and it has been home to many students and guests over the years. Unfortunately, the building is old, deteriorating and needs to be either permanently removed or have thousands of dollars invested in it. We do not feel that putting money into it is the answer. As we balanced the thousands of dollars it would take to renovate with the reality that, at the end, we still have an old building, it became apparent the time has come to act. Faith Hall was put up through the generous sacrifice of many supporters of our school and I
President’s Challenge Continued
believe we have been good stewards of it and it has been well used for many years. These two projects are but necessary steps in our overall plan and vision for NBBI. The Waste Treatment System needs to be in place before any expansion can ever happen on our campus and Faith Hall will need to be removed to clear the way for a new ladies’ dorm. Sometimes you need to tear down in order to build up. To complete these projects, it will cost money and will require labour. We would love for you to consider coming to our Vacation with a Vision and helping us this summer or possibly giving to help cover the cost of completing these projects. Our goal is to be always looking upward and moving onward.
brother in-law! He married my sister 3 years later! After high school, I started taking Environmental Biology at the University of Alberta. Even though I loved biology, I couldn’t escape the feeling that I was supposed to be doing something else. I didn’t know my Bible very well, being a young Christian, so God started laying Bible school on my heart. I had a friend from Ontario who went to NBBI so I asked her about it and I checked it out online. As soon as I looked at the website, I had this incredible peace wash over me like I just had to go there. God had other wonderful plans for my life! So in September 2011, I began my first year of Bible school at NBBI! Then in October of my freshman year, my mom gave her life to God! I am amazed how God has transformed my life since starting out as a freshman. I want to give my life to the Lord in service to Him. I am getting married this summer and my fiancé and I will be living in Montreal, Quebec hoping to be in ministry there. I cannot wait to see what God has planned! I give all the glory to Him for what He has done in my life!
WHAT’S UP?
SPRING TOURS, MAY 6-18
Dare I say, “Spring is in the air?” Well, whether the weather agrees with me or not, the calendar certainly does. It won’t be long now and our music groups and Manifest team will be hitting the road to launch our 2014 Spring Tour! We are busy putting together our itineraries and may be in an area near you. If you are interested in having one of our teams visit your church or event, please call and let us know how we can accommodate you. Our tour dates this year are May 6-18. Call 506-375-9000 for further information.
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OUR NBBI FAMILY
- MITCH ROSS, Chairman of the Board
Over the next few months we will be introducing you to those who serve the Lord at NBBI. Our governing board pours hours into this ministry, giving direction and praying faithfully. They receive no remuneration for their services except an occasional meal with our students on the days of our meetings. We are honoured to have men that love the Lord and our school serve with us in this capacity. Let us first introduce you to Pastor Mitch Ross, Chairman of the Board. Mitch joined our Board of Directors on June 8, 1993, and was appointed vicechairman on January 6, 2009 and then chairman on June 2, 2011. He resides in Mars Hill, Maine where he pastors the Mars Hill United Baptist Church. He is married to Tammy and has two grown children, Kristin and Adam, who are both married. Pastor Ross shares his testimony: “I was saved under the ministry of Pastor
John Boyd at State Street Baptist Church in Presque Isle, Maine at the age of 26. I was employed as manager of LaVerdiere’s Drug Store at the time and it was in the next ten years that the Lord drew Tammy and I deeper and deeper into ministry. I served as a Sunday school teacher, deacon and usher. God called me to ministry on February 4, 1991 at the funeral of a friend and it was there that God let me know that He had other plans for my life. I resigned from my job in June of 1995 and was called to be the pastor of Spruce Head Community Church in February of 1996. I served as pastor there until February of 2009 when the Lord called us to our current ministry in Mars Hill, Maine.” Mitch enjoys woodworking, reading, baseball and outdoor activities. He is a volunteer firefighter, is on the nursing home board and helps coach Jr. High baseball at the Central Aroostock High School. Pray for Mitch as he carries on a busy load as a pastor and brings leadership to our board of directors.
staff itineraries
JOHN HOAG
MARCH 6,13,20,27 Dumfries Community Bible Study Dumfries, NB MARCH 10,17,24,31 Chapel of the Living Water Upper Tracy, NB Extension Classes
JACK CARON
MARCH 10,17,24,31 Chapel of the Living Water Upper Tracy, NB Extension Classes
DAVID DOHERTY
MARCH 20,27 Open Bible Campus Church Victoria Corner, NB Prayer Meetings MARCH 23 Open Bible Campus Church Victoria Corner, NB Worship Service
FAMILY FILE
KEEP UP WITH OUR GRADS
BIRTH December 16,2013 - to Andrew (Assoc. ’07) and Sarah (Paterson, ABM ’11) Gordon, a daughter, Melody Joy. HOMEGOING Essie Wry, graduate of 1947 (NBBI’s first graduating class), went home to be with her Lord on December 15, 2013. Essie was the husband of the late Medley Wry, also a graduate of 1947. This couple served the Lord faithfully and were well known and loved by our NBBI family and friends.
CHAPEL SPEAKER MARCH 18-19
Jon Mahar FIM International
ALUMNEWS
WITH JERRY & TRISH MOSTERT
Jerry Mostert graduated from NBBI in 1986 and his wife, Trish graduated in 1985. Jerry and Trish are now both on staff at Pensacola
New Brunswick Bible Institute 2335 Route 103 Victoria Corner NB Canada E7P 1C7 Phone: (506)375-9000 Fax: (506)375-1800 Website: nbbi.ca Email: nbbi@nbbi.ca
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Christian College. Trish is a secretary in the Student Care Offices and Jerry is a foreman in the Maintenance Department. They live in Pensacola, Florida and have four children and two grandchildren.
editor........................................Larry Rushton writers........NBBI Faculty, Staff & Students typist.........................................Brenda Cabral layout & design................................James Goode copy proof..................................... Rose Meed printer....................................... Merritt Press
NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE! issuu.com/nbbi