The Open Bible Bulletin - March, 2022

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

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Are you concerned about all the instability in our world? Are you finding it hard to know what direction you should go? With all the uncertainty that we face, we can be confident that God’s Word is something that is true and will never change. A believer’s greatest need is to know God and that can only happen through God’s Word. We invite you to join us on April 14-16 for our College for a Day. Visit our campus, meet our students, sit in on some classes and find out whether God is leading you to study God’s Word.

BY MATTHEW LITTLE

are constantly changing, due to COVID, we encourage you to visit our website (nbbi.ca) for any up-to-date changes to our programs.

Note: As regulations

David M. Gray

December 20, 1946 - January 20, 2022

Graduate of 1970 and former NBBI part-time faculty member, David Gray, was promoted to Glory on January 20, 2022.

David served the Lord for over 51 years and referred to this as the best life ever! Their ministry took David and Irma to France and Chad, Africa with TEAM, and included 16 years with Child Evangelism Fellowship, serving the Maritime Provinces. He pastored at many churches including Pine Glen, Parkside Baptist, Amherst Open Bible and, most recently, Nasonworth Baptist Church.

David also taught the Children’s Ministry course at New Brunswick Bible Institute for almost 20 years.

Please pray for his wife, Irma (MacTavish ’69), and the family.

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ENCOUNTER YOUTH RETREATS Due to the continued instability surrounding COVID, we feel it best to cancel our Encounter 2022 Youth Retreats. We do not know what the future holds but we are trusting God every step of the way. Thank you for the support you have shown NBBI and we look forward to the day we can begin hosting our many retreats and conferences again. If you have any questions, please contact the school.

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

Special Boiler Project Update Recently, we sent out an appeal letter seeking to raise $35,000 for a new boiler for our Kenneth M. Robins Study Centre. The response from our faithful supporters was overwhelming! We have raised approximately $100,000. Praise God for His provision! So what are we going to do with these additional funds?

The boiler was our greatest need but there were other projects that were also high on our list of priorities. Our Board of Directors is moving ahead with the new boiler and will be assessing the best way to use the remaining funds to further address the heating needs on our campus.

We want to thank you for your support of this project. We have seen God’s hand in this and will seek to use these funds in a way that will further the ministry of NBBI and bring glory God.

OPEN BIBLE VOL. 63 NO. 3 MARCH 2022

FOCUS

BY ROBERT BOOKER The Word Of God Today...

At our men’s Bible study on Saturday mornings, we are studying Psalm 119. You may think that’s a big task, and it is, but we are taking it one paragraph at a time! I am amazed at the importance, the depth, the wisdom, and blessings that are found there, and rightly so, because the Psalm is a God-given treatise about His Word.

The only worthy book that humans have is the Bible. Unlike any other written document, God’s Scriptures are holy, perfect, and can be completely trusted.

FAMILY FILE Homegoings

Duane Waite, graduate of 1966, was promoted to Glory on January 5, 2022.

He and his wife Joan served ten different churches in Maine under the leadership of Village Missions. Please pray for Joan and the family.

Marilyn (Newman) Wry, graduate of 1956, was promoted to Glory on January 17, 2022. Marilyn, with her husband, Glennie (’56), served as missionaries to Bolivia for 55 years. Please pray for the family.

PARTNER WITH US

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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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c ollege DAY

One observation from Psalm 119 would be from verse 2 which promises great blessing to those who obey His Word and seek God “with the whole heart.” Another would be the question and answer in verse 9. The Psalmist asks how a young man can become pure and stay that way. The answer is found in the next phrase, by listening to and obeying God’s Word. Verse 11 complements this by the statement, “Your Word have I hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You.” NKJV As I write this, I am reminder of the writer of the book of Hebrews and his take on the Holy Scriptures in Hebrews 4:12. He declared that the Word of God is quick, powerful, and piercing. Notice he

uses the present tense of the verb “is”.

The Bible is at all times contemporary. It is not just an ancient manuscript for ancient prophets, or not just a book filled with hard to understand sayings, but a Book of Life that is pertinent to all times, cultures and eras.

Note what the writer says in Hebrews 4:12.

1. The Word of God is “quick”. The modern word is “living” (presently alive).

It tells of life, of bringing life, of finding real life. In John 6:63, Jesus said, “the words that I speak unto you... are life.”

Once dead in sin, I now have new life and eternal life in Jesus, found in His Word (Colossians 2:13). If we study the Bible, we will find out how to live life as a Christ-follower and how to live victoriously in this world of darkness and sin.

2. He tells us that the Word of God is “powerful”. It is active, strong and effectual, suggesting great energy. God’s Word has the power to change lives, to heal the soul and to comfort the hurting. How many people are following Christ today because of that one, small powerful verse in John 3:16? How many have been comforted by reading select Psalms? How many lives have been impacted by the Great Commission verses in the Gospels and in Acts 1:8? His Word is indeed “powerful.”

BULLETIN

3. The third descriptive word he uses regarding the Scriptures is the word “piercing”. The Greek translation is very helpful here, indicating a reaching through with competence at the appropriate time.

The Word of God is not only contemporary but it searches our hearts and reveals our needs. I can always count on the fact that the Holy Spirit has something to say to me in the Word that can and must be applied to my life today.

In conclusion, may our prayer regarding the Word of God be that, in our hearts, our churches, and our fellowshipping, we experience what the Ephesians experienced through Paul’s ministry, recorded in Acts 19:20, “So mightily grew the word of God and prevailed.”

NBBI

God’s Purpose Our Passion Established 1944 2 Timothy 2:15

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PRESIDENT’S CHALLENGE

BY MATTHEW LITTLE

There is immense freedom that comes when your life can be laid open for all to examine. Samuel was a man of power. He was respected and influential and that position could have been used to take advantage of others. Yet, he never compromised who he was, as a man of God, to better bolster his position before others. So confident was Samuel, in his

this and look forward to continuing to do so as the Lord Leads us.

BY JERRY STEARNS

One of the things I have learned is that God does not only have “a” perfect plan for our lives but He has “the” perfect plan. His plan is perfect because He is perfect. One week after I retired, I was asked to consider and pray about being the ASSIST Canada Representative in Nova Scotia with emphasis on CUBA. In 2015, I and four others from Maranatha Bible Church joined veteran missionary, Don Pickel, (Latin American Director, ASSIST Canada) on a short-term mission trip to Cuba. During this trip, God really worked in my heart and gave me a great burden for Cuban churches. He especially showed me the need to come alongside, assist and help provide for the the poverty-stricken and persecuted pastors, people and their families in practical and monetary ways.

Appointment to ASSIST Canada

“Open Book” Living In 1 Samuel 12 we are confronted with an “old and grayheaded” (12:2a) prophet who had been the mouthpiece for God to a rebellious nation for most of his life. In 1 Samuel 12:3-4 we read, “Behold, here I am: witness against me before the LORD, and before his anointed: whose ox have I taken? or whose ass have I taken? or whom have I defrauded? whom have oppressed? or of whose hand have I received any bribe to blind mine eyes therewith? and I will restore it you.

And they said, Thou hast not defrauded us, nor oppressed us, neither hast thou taken ought of any man’s hand. And he said unto them, The LORD is witness against you, and his anointed is witness this day, that ye have not found ought in my hand. And they answered, He is witness.”

FIELD TRIP

assessment of his life, that he stood before the nation and challenged them to witness against him if he had not lived for the Lord but instead for himself.

In considering this text, I draw your attention to two thoughts. First, your integrity will not be established by boldly declaring your own innocence. You are not blameless because you say you’re blameless, any more than a criminal is exonerated because he tells the judge, “I didn’t do it.” Integrity and character are established by God but often confirmed by others. This is not to say that people’s assessment of your life is perfect but it is valuable nonetheless. Even Jesus said, “If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true.” John 5:31. Certainly the testimony of Jesus is true but He was showing His submission to what are respected and reasonable practices in society mainly, that how people assess you has more value than how you assess yourself.

Second, it takes courage and thick skin to open your life up to the scrutiny of others. In John 8:46a, Jesus said to the religious leaders, “Which of you convinceth me of sin?” When you live righ-

teously, you can always face others free of guilt or the need to hide. There is a level of confidence that comes from knowing you have lived the right way and done the right things. What if you have tarnished your reputation and stained your character? Realize that you cannot change the past but you can ask for God’s forgiveness (1 John. 1:9). Do that today and then make a choice to live boldly and righteously from this day forward. Finally, find a trusted believer and ask him/her to honestly assess your life.

If obvious faults are presented, be brave enough to confront them and make the changes that are necessary.

None of this is possible without the working of God within us. As Oswald Chambers suggested, “The expression of Christian character is not good-doing, but God-likeness. If the Spirit of God has transformed you within, you will exhibit divine characteristics in your life, not good human characteristics. God’s life in us expresses itself as God’s life, not as human life trying to be godly.” Oswald Chambers (2011), My Utmost for His Highest Classic Edition, p.538, Discovery House.

It was my eternal blessing to have put my faith and trust in the Lord Jesusin 1975, and for my wife Pat, it was in 1976. We married in 1978 and, through a church growth conference at Devon Park Baptist Church, I surrendered to God’s call to preach God’s Word and pastor God’s people. Together, we went to NBBI, graduating in 1983. We had the privilege of pastoring several churches in New Brunswick, Ontario and Nova Scotia.

In October 2020, we retired from pastoral ministry and moved into the ministry of sharing God’s Word and showing God’s love wherever and whenever God gives us opportunity. We certainly have done

After praying and considering the invitation, and God arranging meetings with the mission’s leadership in Winnipeg, I accepted the invitation to become part of ASSIST Canada. The vision we have is to continue to share God’s Word and show God’s love here at home by being available for speaking, pulpit supply,

VacationVision

Are you looking for a ministry opportunity this summer? NBBI has a program for you. Vacation with a Vision gives you and your family an opportunity to come to the campus of NBBI, be involved in various work projects, enjoy great food, and fellowship and serve the Lord in a practical, hands-on way. We feed you, house you and even provide a program for kids ages 5-12.

with a

Dates: June 26 - July 1

2022

2021 Christmas

“And David said, What have I now done? Is there not a cause?” 1 Samuel 17:29. The great, future king of Israel wrote these pointed and personal questions. They have not only been the Biblical-based foundation of our ministry for over 40 years, but also now for the future vision for our involvement in missions.

interim pastoring and mission presentations about the work in Cuba. We alsohave a vision, as God provides, to establish an outreach center in the Antigonish, NS area, to meet the needs spiritually and practically of people in Cuba and in the local area - Acts 1:8. Carrying out the Great Commission is our cause. With the Lord’s help, “we will not sit down till he (the King) comes” 1 Samuel 16:11.

If we are able to serve anyone in any way, please contact us at: j_pstearns@hotmail.com.

days. There is no cost to you but your labour will have great eternal reward.

Please contact us with any questions or to register.

Here are the projects to be completed this summer.

1. New siding on Liberty Hall (the newly renovated girls’ dorm).

2. Renovate the bathrooms in Liberty Hall.

3. Build an addition for storage on the Kenneth M. Robins Study Centre 4. Various other smaller projects.

Consider joining us on June 26 - July 1 for the whole week or even for a few

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