The Open Bible Bulletin - March 2021

OPEN BIBLE BULLETIN

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, visit our website or call us closer to the time of each event for further updates and cancellations.

Although our College for a Day is not officially cancelled, it cannot take place as it usually does. Interprovincial restrictions and border closures would prevent many from visiting our campus without having to self-isolate. With this in mind, we want to make the following suggestions.

1. We would invite those in the province of New Brunswick to call us and plan a visit. You are able to visit our campus and room is available for you to stay overnight.

2. For those outside of New Brunswick, we want to encourage you to reach out to us and we will work with you on learning more about our school.

A. We would love to get your contact information.

B. We could connect you with one of our students.

C. We could set up a virtual tour of our campus and even have you join our classes online.

If God may be calling you to Bible School, don’t let the current challenges stop you. We believe God wants you to know Him and we think NBBI is a great place to allow that to happen.

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, events on campus for guests have not been able to be held. If you live in New Brunswick, you can still visit our campus. Please call us and we will be glad to schedule a day for you to be here, meet some of our staff and students and even sit in on some classes. It will just be in a more controlled environment.

Email us at registrar@nbbi.ca or call (506) 375-9000. We’d love to meet you!

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“The situation of the world is desperate but the saints are not.” ~ Vance Havner

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

Editor................................................. Larry Rushton Writers.............Faculty, Staff, Students & Alumni Typist................................................. Brenda Cabral Layout & design...........................................Larry Rushton Copy proof..............................................Rose Meed Printer.................................................Merritt Press

For weekly updates visit us at nbbi.ca/connect

Births

December 20, 2020 - to Dorothy (Fellows, ABM/B.Th. ’16) and David Frye, a girl, Elswyth Deborah.

VOL. 62 NO. 3 MARCH 2021

January 18, 2021 - to Scott (’99) and Heather (Dauphinee, ’02) MacKenzie, a girl, Elliana Ruth.

January 18, 2021 - to Jeff (’02) and Jodi (Robblee, Assoc. ’01) Woodcock, twins, Jenny Love and Jude Michael.

Homegoings Jayne (Brawn) Vandenberghe, who attended NBBI in ’79-’80, went home to be with her Lord on January 18, 2021.

Pray for her husband, Jim, and their extended family.

(Earl ) Linwood Smith July 14, 1032 - January 7, 2021

Linwood Smith graduated from New Brunswick Bible Institute in 1955. He and his late wife, Dorothy (Carson, attended ’52), were special friends of the school and as a former Board Member of NBBI, Linwood got to know many of our staff well. He and Doris were members of the East Hodgdon Bible Church for over 70 years. This US veteran, carpenter and dedicated Christian went home to be with his Lord on January 7, 2021. Pray for his children, Wayne (’75 & Becky) Smith, Connie (’77 & David) Bartlett, Evan Smith, and Lynette (’83) Carver, and their extended families.

PARTNER WITH US

nbbi.ca/donate

Give online: Click the Donate Now button. Make a one-time gift or choose the recurring option for automatic monthly support.

Give by mail: Send your cheque payable to: New Brunswick Bible Institute 2335 Route 103 Victoria Corner NB E7P 1C7 U.S. Donors: East Hodgdon Bible Church Attn: NBBI Fund PO Box 828 Houlton ME 04730-0828 Give by e-transfer: Send an e-Transfer via the bank of your choice to nbbibusiness@gmail.com.

For additional options: Call us toll-free at 1-800-771-NBBI (6224).

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After much prayer and careful consideration, we have decided to cancel our remaining teen retreat in March. We came to this conclusion because restrictions are still tight, our border is still closed and we are unable to have guests staying overnight.

We have been holding off making this decision in hopes that restrictions would lighten but unfortunately they have not. We love having teens on our campus and we regret that this decision needs to be made. We are trusting the Lord that this virus will soon be behind us so that our ministries can resume. Please pray with us that this will happen.

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FOCUS

BY MIKE GRANT Keys To Persevering During Trials In reading through the Apostle Paul’s letters, I’ve learned so much from his missionary experience, passion, and perseverance. Paul endured so much. Just after being sent off on their first missionary journey, Paul and Barnabas faced opposition in Salamis. Then Jews stirred up honourable women and chief men against them in Antioch in Pisidia and the people expelled Paul and Barnabas. In Iconium, unbelieving Jews stirred up the people and a plan to stone Paul and Barnabas was hatched, but they escaped to Lystra.

In Lystra, Paul preached, and was stoned and left for dead. Imagine what that would have been like! At that point, the disciples gathered around him and Paul got up and went into the city. The next day he left for Derbe as if nothing had happened the previous day, even though he would have had the physical and emotional scars of the stoning.

Over the Christmas break, I began thinking about how Paul endured all that he did. What kept him going? How did he persevere through all the opposition and suffering?

One thing that is woven through Paul’s letters is the thought that when I am weak, God is strong, that God’s grace is sufficient in weakness, and of being confident in the work that God is doing in me. One of Paul’s goals is found in Philippians 3:10, which says, “That I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings…”.

To know in Greek is ginosko, which means to come to know, to recognize, or to perceive. The usage of the word is taking knowledge of, come to know, learn. As Paul was taking in knowledge of God, he knew he had so much more to learn. Paul realized that God was using his suffering to take him to a deeper level of his understanding of God. Paul’s growing understanding of the power of Christ’s resurrection also enabled him to endure. Albert Barnes says, “There is no one truth that will have greater power over us, when properly believed, than the truth that Christ has risen from the dead.” Understanding Christ’s resurrection enabled Paul to stay focused on the Gospel in times of opposition and not be “tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men and cunning

craftiness...”. Ephesians 4:14. Paul was also able to withstand suffering by drawing on the same power that raised Christ from the dead.

It is obvious in studying Paul’s life that he desired to be with the Lord. His focus was not on a comfortable life, but on pleasing and glorifying the Lord.

Therefore, while he was on earth he was not afraid to suffer for Christ. And one of Continued on Page 2...

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PRESIDENT’S CHALLENGE

BY MATTHEW LITTLE

Paul! Your Preaching Is Killing Me! Acts 20:7-12 lays out for us a fascinating event that would leave a young man named Eutychus with an exciting story to retell at family get-togethers for years to come. The location is Troas, a Greek city in Paul’s day. It was located in Asia Minor. Paul holds a last minute Sunday evening meeting with the believers before he sails to Assos. As Paul was preaching in an upper chamber, a young man was sitting in an open window listening to the message. Paul was apparently a little long-winded that night and Eutychus fell fast asleep. As he was sleeping, he inadvertently fell backwards from the third story loft and killed himself.

How is that for an unexpected twist of events on a Sunday evening? Paul calmly went down, embraced the young man as he lay dead on the ground and brought him back to life. Wow! If this didn’t make the front page of the newspaper nothing would.

So what does this story teach us?

Many think that truth should have us on the edge of our seat at all times, begging for more. Although this would be the ideal, it fails to be the experience of most Christians. In fact, it would be fair to say that truth is what we need, but it is often sin that we desire. Romans 7:7-25 outlines this brutal battle that wages between the flesh and the spirit. The writer says, “I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.” Mark it down. It is easier to slide down the path of sin than it is to climb the mountain of holiness. We do not pursue truth because we feel like it, we pursue it because that is what God has commanded of us. The delicacies of the world will constantly be dangled in front of us and come across

as thrilling and appealing and sometimes the truth feels like the meat and potatoes when you know there is chocolate cake waiting for you at dessert. Could it be that your pursuit of truth has become stagnant? The yawns of apathy and indifference can be heard from countless churches across North America.

So what are we to do? The Psalmist gives us the answer in Psalm 119:30. He says, “I have chosen the way of truth: thy judgments have I laid before me.” Pursuing truth is not based upon feeling; it is a choice and a daily one at that. Truth is what every Christian needs. There are seasons of life when we desperately desire it and then others where it is like that pill that is so hard to swallow. But either way, our feelings towards truth do not change the validity or necessity of truth itself. Choose to follow God’s truth today.

You will never regret it.

...FOCUS Continued his missions was to exhort others to persevere through trials. After Paul’s stoning, he went to Derbe, Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch. Acts 14:22 states that his goal was “Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.” Paul had suffered physically and emotionally. Who could be better qualified to give that challenge than someone

Our Spring Conference will look much different this year. Due to the uncertainty associated with COVID-19, we are opting for a Celebration Saturday followed by our graduation on Sunday afternoon. A special day will be planned (details still to come) for our students with guests invited to attend. We will make accommodations available but space will be very limited. We will provide further information as the date approaches.

Like the Apostle Paul, we face challenges. They may be different than his, but trials do come. If we’re going to persevere as Paul did, we also need to grow in our understanding of who God is and in the power of Christ’s resurrection.

VacationVision 2021

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SPRING CONFERENCE

who had suffered and endured? Paul was willing to suffer and endure persecution because his focus was on pleasing Christ.

with a

Are you looking for a way to serve the Lord this summer? Plan on being a part of our Vacation with a Vision program.

Every year, we are blessed by many of our supporters who come and get involved in helping us with various projects around campus. It is a great time of fellowship, we enjoy good food, and much work is accomplished for God’s glory. Come be a part of what God is doing at NBBI.

CHRISTMAS BANQUET & PROGRAM 2020

Dates: Week 1 ~ June 27-July 2, 2021

Week 2 ~ July 4- July 9, 2021

by the end of 2021? You can help us make that happen.

Projects: Our main project will be the renovation of the top floor of Liberty Hall (Ladies’ Dormitory). The middle floor has been completed and looks amazing.

We want to keep the momentum going and complete the renovation of all the rooms. Wouldn’t it be great to have the inside of that building completely done

Financial Goal: Our goal is to raise $60,000 to complete the work. We have come so far in providing a new space for our female students at a fraction of what a new dorm would have cost. Help us get one step closer to bringing this project to a conclusion.

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