Grace Bible Church » GraceLife

Swimming Upstream

scott — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 20:33:00 +0000

Upstream in calm, crystal pure pools, nascent salmon minnow
lurk about in bone chilling temperatures. But to the tiny aquatic
vertebrate it feels like a warm bath, the perfect equilibrium
between new formed scales and water. Alas she cannot stay here
for she must drift downstream, undergo bodily transformation,
smolt, and live most her life in the expanse of the ocean.
Although those waters are brackish, sustenance is abundant and
the boundaries are limitless.

But something inside of her eventually calls her back to her
roots. She’s instinctually drawn to her place of birth in order to
give birth. Like mass to gravity, the pull is irresistible. However
the trek home is anything but like what she initially experienced
when venturing out into that uncharted abyss. She must this
time swim upstream, perhaps hundreds of miles, in the same
watercourse she first found consoling but now present the most
death defying obstacles of life.

The journey seems absolutely impossible. There’s
acclimatization from saline to fresh H2O. There are jagged
rocks, crushing waterfalls, and swift driving rapids that must
either be herculean hurdled or prodigiously pressed through.
Starvation, exhaustion and lacerations bring the fish to the
brink of death, all the while, and unbeknownst to the salmon,
her flesh is turning from a luminous pink to a radiant snow
white. With unflinching perseverance, she amazingly reaches
her destination never to return from whence she came. Now
she satisfyingly spawns that life may continue from her sacrifice.
It cost all she had – her life. Such was her destiny, and the
seemingly impossible was somehow miraculously possible.

There’s a lot of swimming upstream for us Christians – a lot
of “impossibilities” out there. This should come as no surprise.
Jesus said that, “In the world you have tribulation” (John 16:33b).
These are life’s raging rapids and perilous fish ladders of stress,
physical suffering, broken hearts and the like. Thus is the nature
of existing in a warped world. We live in an expanse, much
like the salmon in the briny sea. Yet we are not of it, much like
those same salmon from the fresh water river. We are “those who
reside as aliens, scattered throughout…” the world, “… chosen
according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying
work of the Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His
blood” (I Peter 1:1b-2a). Hence our destiny, living the seemingly
impossible through the One who makes it possible, all the while
drawing notice to the miraculous possibility-Maker who has
overcome the world.

But He who first made life here possible is the same one who
seems to convey that life beyond is also impossible. Jesus
appears to leave little room for coasting downstream to get
there, perched in the comfort of this world. “He who loves his
life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it to life
eternal” (John 12:25), said the Master. “… sell all that you possess
and distribute it to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven;
and come, follow Me” (Luke 18:22b), He tenderly instructed the
rich, inquisitive young man. “If anyone wishes to come after Me,
he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me”
(Luke 9:23b), was Jesus’ “dead-man-walking” directive to His
best of friends.

Life here most certainly does seem impossible at times,
the travails overwhelming. And life beyond? Why utterly
unattainable. It’s the upstream struggle of swimming into
eternity, the starvation and exhaustion of wholly letting go
of our lives with resolute persistence to the very end. Jesus’
closest and most intimate friends eventually concluded with
exasperation, “Then who can be saved?” (Luke 18:26b)

If we stopped with the disciples’ question, then hopelessness is
all we’re left with. There’s no sense making the voyage, and we
might as well just float in our world out there and soak it all in
while we can. But Jesus leaves his friends, and us, with hope. In
fact, it’s extraordinary hope. Except it’s hope not found here, but
there. He makes this abundantly clear when He gazed into their
eyes and replied, “With men it is impossible, but not with God; for
with God all things are possible.” (Mark 10:27b) However it will
cost something. In fact, it will cost everything. For our Creator
the price was His prize, the Son. To the contrary for us the price
is free, for “freely you have received” (Matthew 10:8b; cf. Romans
6:23). And now, like the salmon’s skin, sin’s crimson stains are
washed whiter than snow. (Elvina M. Hall, “Jesus Paid It All”)

But does the free gift of grace set us free from the cost of even
our own lives? Can we now just roam about in this vastness
without ever treading upstream to head home? “Grace alone does
everything, they say, and so everything can remain as it was before”,
sarcastically declares Dietrich Bonhoeffer of many Christians.
(“The Cost of Discipleship”) Can this be said of us? How
so knowing that Jesus died for all in order that we no longer
live for ourselves, but for the One who died and rose on our
behalf? What love! From Him, which now controls us. (cf. II
Corinthians 5:14-15)

So the course of our love is to leave the known and venture
into territory we know will not be at all what we left behind.
And to set our course in that direction, upstream if you will
and right in the face of peril, requires the impossible of man
from the possible God. Selling possessions to give to the poor,
abandoning the “American dream” by leaving homes to rent in
“undesirable” urban neighborhoods, saying goodbye to family
to love abroad, forsaking vocational success to increase margins
for benevolence, serving the incarcerated, sacrificing vacations
to give to the needy, welcoming the homeless, departing the
comfort of Grace Bible Church to plant another, and appearing
foolish all for the sake of Jesus that life eternal might proliferate,
these are but a drop from the deep of radical possibilities in an
impossible world. And when we live this way, in the opposite
direction of the world’s current, we “live a life that demands an
explanation” (Francis Chan). And Christian lives that demand
explanations can only be explained by one thing, and that
one thing is not us. It was never us, but always Jesus, for we
are those who “… are His workmanship, created in Jesus Christ
for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should
walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:10) If Jesus created us for this,
long before we ever basked in that balmy and secluded pool of
amniotic fluid, then we can remain “… confident of this very
thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until
the day of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 1:6)

The water’s cold, the shallows hazardous, the falls crushing, but
let’s go swimming anyway… upstream.

-Tom Kruggel

A Report from Haiti

scott — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 16:59:19 +0000

When the recent events in Haiti unfolded, Rainie and I dis-
cussed how this could not be something we looked at or read
about and only be content to say, “Isn’t that terrible?” If an
opportunity to serve in some capacity in Haiti came up Rainie
and I both agreed, I would go. However, I did not expect that
an opportunity to actually go would surface so quickly. What
was initially a one week trip soon became almost two weeks. My
wife was not thrilled at first, but was more than supportive (any
husband and wife thrilled at the thought of being separated for
two weeks please call me today). My oldest daughter cried sev-
eral times, but accompanied me to get most of my shots for the
trip and when it was time to leave she asked me, “Can I come
too?” My response, “You will very soon,” all the while thinking
to myself, “Are you crazy?”
Keith Flashberger and I arrived in Ft. Lauderdale Thursday
March 11th and got acquainted with our team members from
Crossroads Community Church led by Greg Barshaw. Though
I had only met Greg a couple of times in southern California,
others from the Barshaw family were a big part of my early
years as a Christian and I was eager to have the opportunity to
minister with Greg, whom I knew as a sort of ‘Indiana Jones’ of
missions trips, having traveled to over 50 countries.
We flew to Cap Haitien, Haiti’s most prominent northern city
that was mostly unaffected by earthquake damage, except for
the influx of many new residents who migrated up from Port-
au-Prince in the south. The pace of life is very, very slow-mov-
ing and even relaxed to the point of making Hawaii look like
Manhattan. The traffic, however, was intense with no traffic
signs in sight and with roads shared by trucks, 4-wheel drive
vehicles, a lot of motorcycles, and more than a few ‘swift-footed’
pedestrians.
The team settled in Friday and had the opportunity to visit the
“House of Hope Orphanage” (HoH) where we planned to build
two 12’ x 20’ sheds for 44 orphans. The orphans recognized
many from Crossroads Community Church who were just with
them the early part of January, prior to the earthquake. We
began work Saturday morning at HoH digging the foundation.
Our plan was to begin at 7:00am; God’s plan for us in Haiti was
8:30am. Our efforts and every sense of masculine fortitude were
greatly humbled as we were met that day with near 100 degree
temperatures with nearly 100% humidity.
The orphans at HoH were excited to see us and eager to receive
any and all attention and affection we could show them as the
Lord immediately seemed to melt our hearts for them. We
worked until we needed a break (“…which wasn’t long”) and
each time we came out of the sun for a much needed reprieve
the littlest ones were eager to jump into our laps. On Saturday
March 13th we worked as long as the bottled water lasted then
headed back for the wild ride back.
Sunday, March 14th, we were divided into three teams to minis-
ter at various churches on the northern part of the island. Keith
preached at the church at HoH among the orphans and their
neighbors. Veteran missionaries, Dr. Chuck Davis, Executive Director of Caribbean Vision
Ministries, a ‘wily old Southerner’ and Larry Dearmy, who has
had enough missionary adventures to humble the likes of Jason
Bourne, along with myself headed up to a “bush church” up in
the mountains in a small but densely populated town named,
“LaBolle” (…pronounced “Luh Bull”). The wild ride into the
mountains in the back of an old pick-up in our Sunday best
tops any roller coaster I have ever been on. The running line for
the day was the town bears that name, because it feels like rid-
ing a bull to get there.
We were warmly greeted by the pastor and 40-50 sweet Haitian
brothers and sisters. Though I understood little or nothing from
the worship service in Creole one thing was discernible, God
was alive among His people there. I preached from Esther 1 &
2 through my interpreter “Bobby,” who lost his daughter in the
earthquake while attending the university in Port-au-Prince. He
is such a kind brother with a gentle spirit and firm resolve to
serve the Lord in his native land.
The Lord brought light rain and cooler temperatures in answer
to prayer Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. We dug, laid brick,
and when we sat down the orphans were all over us each time.
The financial reality of life in Haiti is quite sobering. All 44
orphans are fed daily for just $4.50 US and $30/month ensures
clothing, food, shelter, and an education for a HoH orphan.
Almost all education in Haiti is private and provided by Chris-
tian organizations based outside of Haiti. There is no real public
education system.
Our team photographer Alicia Michaelsen took well over 1000
photos and collected a complete profile on each of the orphans
in order to help organize providing them with sponsors. The
stories of these little ones can break your heart a thousand times
over. One in particular that stuck with me was one six year old
boy’s that read, “I woke up one morning and my father and
mother were gone. I was begging in the streets until someone
brought me to the orphanage.”
We worked as hard as we could and expended every once of
love and affection we could muster on the orphans. What was
especially memorable was hearing the littlest ones call out,
“Flash!” “Flash!” to Keith. One detail in this trip’s planning that
was a regular topic of conversation each day was, “When are we
getting the container with the sheds out of customs?” We were
eagerly anticipating its arrival as late as Wednesday (3/17) only
to find out that day, that it was still in port in Florida.
Naturally, the team was greatly crestfallen and wanted to know
how this could happen when we were told the container was in
port in Haiti, before we left for Cap Haitien. The Lord has His
own reasons not revealed to us as to why this happened. Our
team resigned to worship Christ amidst our disappointment
and seek the grace to find our identity that moment in the shed
blood of Christ on our behalf and not in the completion of a
task. Our last day with the HoH orphans was sad and sober,
yet filled with hope and anticipation. Our national host, Pastor
Elysee Joseph worked to get the container to Haiti and out of
customs as soon as possible. A couple of the men, including
“Flash” agreed to stay for another week to complete the task of
building the shelters for the HoH orphans. The last day in Cap
Haitien we provided the orphans with some much needed shade
for their open air church, as well as a water purifying system.
We did not complete all that we had hoped to do for these
kids, but we did leave them with more than they had before
they came. On Thursday we March 18th we were off to Port-
au-Prince, where we were greeted into the safety of the home of
our host Pastor Eddy Bezin. Pastor Eddy and his wife Miralande
were extraordinarily generous hosts. Their home is inside of a
walled compound that also houses their church, a school and
provides care in many ways to the local community. He was a
great encouragement to all of us and ‘choice’ man in Christ.
Pastor Eddy, Chuck, Greg, and Alicia visited another orphanage
in Port-au- Prince and took more photos and compiled profiles
on 50 more orphans. The other men on the team joined “Flash”
and I for a walk around the neighborhood. There amidst many
open air shops we saw areas left relatively unaffected by the
earthquake and others utterly devastated by it. The smell of death remains in the air as some places have not yet been ex- cavated. Yet among the locals and the homes that remained we
saw much creativity and resolve by many though they had expe-
rienced the great loss. One local shop owner whose building was
greatly damaged by the earthquake remarked, “Life is good.”
A sweet time of fellowship was enjoyed worshipping with a
group of people under Pastor Eddy’s care later that night. He
translated for me as I shared a brief meditation on the “The
Wise Purposes of the Sovereign God of the Gospel.” On Satur-
day and Sunday (3/20, 21), Pastor Eddy opened the compound
to the local community as the team assisted with a free medical
clinic (Sunday is a work day in Haiti so the Lord’s Day worship
service meets from 6:00-8:30am outdoors). It was exciting to
greet local residents and help take almost 200 people’s vital signs
before seeing the doctor.
The Lord enlarged our hearts for those in Haiti who are with-
out both Christ and life’s most basic provisions; He forced the
‘control freak’ Americans to learn patience, and revealed more
acutely to us how little control we actually possess in this life.
Throughout our time when plans changed (and they did…of-
ten!), we reminded one another, “This is not ours and it does
not belong to us to control, possess, or change according to our
will or liking.” The reality that the earth is the Lord’s took on
profound new depth as well His declaring the beginning and
end of all matters. We planned, we prepared as much as we pos-
sibly could, all the while knowing the direction and results were
the Lord’s and sought to learn contentment. If I was not aware
in the US of how little I actually could control in my life, my
time in Haiti made that abundantly clear. The words of Jesus,
“…apart from me you can do nothing” take on a profound real-
ity there.
Most of us left, Monday (3/22) from Cap Haitien, 90 minutes
after our scheduled departure, but I arrived in Ft. Lauderdale
just in time to catch my connecting flight to SFO, and arrived
home late that night. The Lord even granted a gospel oppor-
tunity at the SFO BART with a man having a difficult time
returning to the Bay Area from Denver. Keith Flashberger and
Roger Ruddick (retired LA Fire Department Captain) stayed on
for another week in hope that the container would be released
and allow for the completion of the two shelters for the HoH
orphans. Sadly for us, the container never left customs as Keith
and Roger were scheduled to return Monday (3/29). God’s
schedule for both of them was one day later.
It was difficult to feel like we joined the already long line of
people who have disappointed the kids at the House of Hope
Orphanage by not being able to complete construction of the
shelters, ensuring the boys no longer have to sleep outside. We
considered the purposes of God in Scripture that saw so many
receive promises that they would not live to see fulfilled. We
continue to pray that the Lord will in His timing provide shelter
for these orphans, that Christ will be proclaimed by Pastor
Delano, the pastor and school teacher at HoH, and that God
Himself will adopt these children into His family.
Keith and I, as well as our families, want to thank all of you
who gave to and prayed for our team and our ministry to the
people of Haiti. While it appears that our plans to build the
shelters for the HoH orphans were not His plans on this trip,
through it all we were greatly blessed, humbled, cared for and
encouraged. More than that both Keith and I pray the Lord will
allow us the opportunity to return to Haiti.
We pray some of you will personally consider joining the next
team going to Haiti as discussions for an August return are
already in the works.
Grace reigns!
(Romans 5:20, 21)
~Vince Cuomo

The Trellis and the Vine

scott — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 16:55:55 +0000

Our pastoral and ministry staff recently began ingesting a book
by this title and discussing it’s basic principles during our weekly
staff meetings. Colin Marshall and Tony Payne co-authored
the book. I have long appreciated some of their material from
Mathias Media in Australia and it came highly recommended.
Much of what they propose is not new and is simply a fresh
way of describing a biblical ecclesiology (the doctrine of the
church). What we have found helpful thus far is the imagery
of the distinction between the trellis and the vine. Vine work is
the ministry of the Word of God on various levels. This takes
place in both public and private settings. Vine work “requires us
to depend upon God and to open our mouths and speak God’s
word in some way to another person.” Thus, the central work
of any Christian ministry is planting, watering, fertilizing and
tending the vine.
Trellis work is the infrastructure that provides a context for
vine work. It consists of administration, committees, programs,
activities, organization and management. Every church has
a mixture of both. The vine grows on the trellis. At the very
least we need to meet somewhere and utilize various tools to
help facilitate the ministry of the Word. For us this includes
a wonderful worship center, public address system, fellowship
hall, kitchen, offices, a van, website, classrooms and all the kind
believers that administrate, manage and give attention to all
these material things and the people that serve with them.
The challenge directed to our pastoral staff has been to
recognize where trellis work is taking over vine work.
There are several reasons it is very easy for this to happen.
First, in some ways trellis work is easier. Vine work can be very
personal and requires much prayer and expending spiritual
energy within interpersonal relationships. It’s easy to shy away
from this. The authors put it this way, “Which is easier: to
have a business meeting about the state of the carpet, or to
have a difficult personal meeting where you need to rebuke
a friend about his sinful behavior?” Granted, some church
carpet meetings would be more difficult but that’s generally not
the case here! Trellis work is also often more visible than vine
work. It’s easier to point to a finished building than a healed
relationship or spiritual walk.
But how many are truly embracing the gospel? How many are
hearing the Word of God and being illumined by the power
of the Holy Spirit? The pastoral staff must be judicious with
their time because, as the authors state, “structures don’t grow
ministry any more than trellises grow vines.”
The challenge directed to our ministry staff has been to
recognize where trellis work is not supporting vine work.
Sometimes a church can have structures that were established
but no longer serve a vital purpose. They are there simply
because they’ve always been there and no one can imagine not
doing it that way. Meanwhile, other Word based ministries
that God is blessing with growth have emerged that lack the
necessary administrative support.
The challenge to the congregation (you knew that was coming
didn’t you?) is simple yet multifaceted. Do you recognize the
difference between the trellis and the vine? Do you recognize
that all believers belong to the vine? Do you recognize that
pastors must give the majority of their time to vine work (Acts
6:4; Eph. 4:11-13)? Do you recognize how God has gifted
you to serve His body within the vine or on the trellis? Let me
explain why each of these is important.
If you don’t readily recognize the difference between the trellis
and the vine you will find it difficult to accept change where
the trellis is no longer necessary or where it simply is not
accomplishing much. You might confuse offering programs and
having meetings with real spiritual growth. You might confuse
numerical growth with spiritual reality. You might see a meeting
time, bulletin layout or favorite chair as being inexpendable.
If you don’t recognize that EVERY believer belongs to the vine
you might think that vine work is strictly the role of pastors.
But we are all to speak the Word of God to each other (Rom.
15:14). This might be a word of encouragement, instruction,
correction, rebuke or love (think of all the “one anothers” in the
NT). Because of this you might avoid deep personal fellowship
such as a community group because you think the vine work
only comes through the professionals on Sundays. You might
also see evangelism as the job of the pastoral staff instead of
seeing yourself as salt and light.
If you don’t recognize that pastors must give the majority of
their time to vine work you might take offense when they
don’t run everything or offer everything you think ought to be
offered. You might also fail to involve yourself in trellis work
thinking it is only for the trained and paid few.
If you don’t recognize where God has gifted you, you might
become a vine that bears no fruit. Frankly, every Christian
must and will bear some fruit by virtue of the new birth and the
indwelling Spirit. So, you will bear little fruit and maybe suffer
from doubts regarding your justification because of it. The
problem is, not only will you suffer but the entire vine also will
suffer because of a shortage of workers attending to the trellis
and the vine.
As a staff we are prayerfully considering our own roles and use
of time. Frankly, the pastoral staff needs to do less trellis work.
We need to give more of our time to speaking the word and
caring for souls in both public an private settings.
How about you? Where do you speak the word to one another?
Are you close enough with any Christians to do this? Where do
you shine as a light in darkness? Are you confusing a shortage
of programs you would like to see with the absence of spiritual
vitality? Are you struggling with change? Are you more of a
trellis person or a vinedresser?
Pray with us and labor with us. We want to see an even
healthier vine because it honors Jesus. He is the true and only
life of the vine (John 15:4-5). As we abide in Him He will give
us greater life and fruit.
~Tony Sanelli

Compared To What?

scott — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 21:16:50 +0000

I, probably much like most of us, have pretty much lived my
whole life comparing myself to others. I’ve often wondered what
life would be like “If only I…” or “Sure wish I…”. Compared to
others, I have asked myself, “Why don’t I have that personality, the
one over there that’s always so effervescent and fun to be around?”
Or I’ve said to myself, “Sure wish I had their ability to orate and
write so fluently, weaving just the right amount of humor in here
and there, thinking so quickly on their feet.” Or, “Gee whiz, if only
I had their brains, then I’d probably have a different vocation that
would free me up with a lot more margin and a lot more disposable
income.” Perhaps, if you’re like me, you have similar questions
or say comparable things to yourself about yourself against a
self. “If only I _______…”, “Sure wish I _______…”, “Why don’t
I ______..?”, you fill in the blank(s). So what’s wrong with this
kind of thinking, if anything? And if it’s wrong, then why do
I, why do we do it? And if we knew why, what would we, what
could we do differently and then how should we be thinking?
First, let’s differentiate between healthy and unhealthy
comparisons of one another. Jesus said to His disciples after
washing their feet, “I gave you an example that you should also
do as I did to you.” (John 13:15) How could they (we) do as
He did, if they did not compare what they were doing (or not
doing for that matter) against what Jesus was doing? They
saw, He instructed and then said, “… do as I did to you”. We
look at Jesus and those emulating Jesus, we take account and
compare ourselves and then, by the grace of God compelled by
love, do as He and those like Jesus are doing. That’s healthy!
That’s transformative! That’s the Gospel! And when it comes
to salvation, we would hope, like Paul did with King Agrippa
that all would see, hear, compare, desire and become “as I am”
(except for those chains). (Acts 26:29)
But, when we match ourselves up to another at the expense
of our God-created nature, that splendid design that makes
you and me uniquely different from me and you, respectively,
then that’s unhealthy. Why actually it’s sinful (many unhealthy
things are sinful, and all sinful things are unhealthy). When
Paul said that, “… He (God) gave some as apostles, and some
as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and
teachers…” (Ephesians 4:11, with emphasis added), he didn’t say
God gave all such capacities. And when Paul also said that, “…
God… appointed… gifts of healings, helps, administrations…”
(I Corinthians 12:28), and then asked, “All do not have gifts of
healings, do they?” (I Corinthians 12:30), he was making the
point (among many) that I/we cannot possess it all, because
God did not appoint it all for me/us. In fact, forget the “all”!
We cannot possess most of it (you define what the “it” is)
because He did not appoint most of “it” unto us, nor that part
we wish we had but do not. Therefore, to want it all or any
portion thereof that wasn’t allotted for you and for me is to
question God’s artistry. And it’s then in our questioning we hear
God question us, just as Job did, “Where were you when I laid
the foundation of the earth?” (Job 38:4) That’s not a query I want
to hear the Lord challenge me with, and I’m sure it wasn’t too
fun for Job to hear either. But that’s precisely what He’s saying
to us when we say or ask, “If only I…”, “Sure wish I…”, or “Why
don’t I…?” Can you hear Him? It’s deafening for me.
Now when these unhealthy, sinful musings swirl through
our heads, they’re usually symptoms of something much
deeper, generated from the heart. And the Christian heart,
that regenerated heart which pushes the lifeblood of our
being throughout our souls, it has an irregular beat when we
detrimentally question and compare ourselves against others.
That heart is now resonating with the cadence of a sinner,
because sinners are wired to compare, compare, compare.
We frequently stack ourselves up against others, wondering,
wishing, desiring that constitution, that giftedness, or that
make-up that was just never intended for you. And for us to
despise what we think God forgot to fashion in us is to fall
back into the same ole patterns that brought us to the cross in
the first place…, putting ourselves on the throne of authority
rather than The Authority on the throne of authority. And
this, yes this is what the Gospel came to liberate us from and to
defibrillate our hearts into a regular beat that resonates with the
cadence of holiness.
So here’s the blow away. Are you ready? “I am (You are)
fearfully and wonderfully made.” (Psalm 139:14b) That’s what
GOD says, and He says it about you. I know you’ve heard
and read that before, just like me a thousand times, but quote
Scripture about yourself and say it out loud and slowly, right
now, “I-am-fearfully-and-wonderfully-made.” What part? Every
part! Yes, every molecule and atom in every sinew of your being
is miraculously woven and held together by the Master Designer
and we, even the unregenerate, marvel at that. But what about
the part you feel is missing? You know, the blanks you filled
in above. That soft spoken temperament you wish were more
animated, or that behind-the-scenes and completely unnoticed-
by-anyone gift that seems so insignificant by comparison, or
that disposition that’s perfectly suited for your vocation but
doesn’t seem to have any everlasting “spiritual” or ministerial
effect, or that constitution that’s always on-the-go but never
seems to find respite like other more calming people. These
are the things that make image-bearers of the Most High God
complete, not in the one but in the whole. And the beauty and
the wonder of God are visualized in the tapestry of community
when we see what’s lacking in us lived out in another, just as
community always was from before the foundation of the earth
between God the Son, God the Spirit, and God the Father.
Now I can hear those haunting questions and comments about
and to myself shifting my paradigm, because someone much
greater than me or that person I’m comparing myself against
has thoughts about me that are precious. And not only are they
precious, they’re innumerably precious. (cf. Psalm 139:17)
So now when I find myself ruminating on what’s absent in
me by way of comparative blueprint, I can rather ruminate on
what’s complete in me by way of divine construct. And not only
me, but you, for you make me complete, and I’m confident
I make you complete, and together we make Jesus’ church
complete.
Putting unhealthy (sinful) comparisons aside as one fearfully
and wonderfully made,
~Tom Kruggel

Head for the Hills!

Calvin — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 00:32:02 +0000

He went up to the mountain by Himself to pray; and when it was evening, He was there alone.”
(Matthew 14:23b)
Where are the mountains to which we run to find solitude with God? Perchance they’re difficult to unearth in the arid plains of ear-buds, iPods/iPhones, telephones, text messages, radios, televisions, computers, the internet, e-mails, Facebook, Blackberries, and Twittering. Perhaps they’re all but leveled from the dust storm aftermath of soccer games, business meetings, grocery buying, music lessons, doctor’s appointments, homework, commuting, paying bills, grooming, sleeping and even ministry. The technological and hectic pace of our culture and just life itself has not only flattened our divine landscape, but also compressed some of us into a crevasse where we’re sandwiched into a perceptible position of intercessory immobility.
But need we be paralyzed by our by our environs as if we were powerless to pursue intimacy with God? Maybe the first place to begin is whether we long to break free and solo the mountain ascent to commune with Him at all. Some of us have become desensitized to the high-tech and frenzied pace of American life to such a degree that we no longer sense the need for seclusion with Him. Jesus’ three years of persistent public ministry made Him one of the busiest to ever live, yet He saw the necessity and sought it out, even if it meant leaving others behind. Yearning for the Preeminent at the expense of the paramount has got to captivate our desires over our demands. This happens when we see the beauty of our Savior as more appealing than the immediacy of our tasks. And just how beautiful is this Christ that overshadows everything placed within our eyes’ view? So breathtaking that we simply cannot help but remember the blindness of our former darkness against the radiance of His marvelous light (cf. I Peter 2:9). So captivating that we cannot wait for the next moment to dine alone at the feast of His banqueting table rather than eat among the throngs of aliens and from their corruptible crumbs that fall to the ground. So magnificent that we allow the lightning speed of our hyper-connective and loaded lives easily pass us by in exchange for a solemn roadside rest stop that’s coupled to endless supplies of living water (John 4:10).
While “… the Christian… belongs not in the seclusion of a cloistered life but in the thick of foes”, (Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Life Together), so too the Christian belongs not in the sociality of a margin-less life but in segregation with God. These are not mutually exclusive, but inclusive, meaning that we need not seek to always run away from the industriousness of our humanity, and yet at the same time we need to routinely run to, or head for the hills of insular and peaceful moments with God in the midst of our humanity. Why? Because man cannot “live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God”. (Matthew 4:4b)
So just where might we find those hills of detachment? They’re sought after in the boundless sea of busyness and, when discovered on the still horizon, they’re fought for just like the WWII American offensive “Battle of Iwo Jima” (ironically codified “Operation Detachment”). For some of us that will mean a disciplined early morning rise to contemplate the Lord while smelling and feeling the fresh, cool air as the early dawn of light peeks over the treetops. For others it will mean a regimented lunch hour away from the office or studies where a leisurely walk even among the masses clears the cluttered mind and ruminates upon God. And for even others it will mean an hour behind closed doors after the evening meal, sheltered from all distractions, to read and pray about and to the One who sustained us throughout the day. Whenever the time and whatever the occasion, a faithful walk in the Spirit all day long requires quiet communion with God lingering moments long. It’s a fool’s errand to merely attempt to squeeze Him into the cracks of our days as if He were simply another casual acquaintance, then off to the next thing.
Remember that it was unto the hills to which the Psalmist lifted his eyes from whence his help came (cf. Psalm 121:1). And why would he look there for aid and not somewhere else? Yes, Zion sits upon a hill and provides a vantage point that overlooks the surrounding countryside which freely permits the populace to see much further than what’s visible from the valley floor. But also when in danger it was there from the hills which the liberation forces would ride, come and arrive to release the captives. The hills were conspicuous from the encampment and supplied a sense of hope when no other escape seemed evident. And it is there on those same hills that our hope also resides when we’re burdened by the heavy yoke of an impacted and compressed schedule. It’s there that we once more find the gospel of Jesus and the liberating truth that looses the shackles and sets the prisoner free (cf. Nahum 1:13; Psalm 146:7). And it was there that the Psalmist said his help came from the Lord (cf. Psalm 121:2). Only let us not just look, but run to those hills and meet our Rescuer there that He might surround us with an armor of protection against the perilous pitfall of obligation and duty. Then after basking in the safety of His embrace may we again delight in duty, rejuvenated by a transfusion of love that carries us in a peaceful estate even among the most pressing of demands. Sometimes the comfort of the familiar and busy routine will hinder our gait, but let that be a bellwether that we need all the more to pick up our pace and press through the slumber. As aptly stated by Charles Spurgeon with such eloquence as penned by none other, “Dwellers in valleys are subject to disorders for which there is no cure but a sojourn in the uplands, and it is well when they shake off their lethargy and resolve upon a climb.” (The Treasury of David, Volume 3)
So let us look up and when we survey the golden hills of our terrain, head for those hills unaccompanied and then rest with our Creator at the crest’s edge. After savoring at the summit, may we descend and venture through the flatlands with vigor and in victory.
-Tom Kruggel

Community Groups

Calvin — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 00:40:42 +0000

Throughout the fifteen year history of Grace Bible Church our home Bible studies/ small groups, the Home Fellowship Group ministry has been a rewarding avenue used by the Lord to study the Bible together, form friendships, and pray for one another. As GBC has grown to nearly 600 worshipers each week that ministry has developed into our front line for shepherding, nurture, and the relational life of the church. This Fall there will be 14 groups meeting throughout the East Bay, led by trained and supported leaders with the goal of seeing each group leader assist in raising up, training, and sending out new group leaders. Currently there are four men “in the queue”, in training to become future group leaders. These smaller “gospel communities” meet in homes throughout the week around Bible study, prayer, fellowship, and the sharing of life’s joy’s and burdens are much more than a mid-week small group meeting, but a network of relationships where our people care for one another, practicing the NT “one anothers.” The meetings are not an end in and of themselves, but a means to further deeper relational life and personal ministry. With that in mind effective this fall the elders have decided to change the name of this ministry. From now on our Home Fellowship Groups will go by the name “Community Groups.” While we have always loved the previous name, the vision for this ministry has always meant to go beyond the mid-week meeting and provide a network of ongoing relational care rooted in the gospel that highlights in Christ, God has made us a new community.

Personal Substitute Jesus

Calvin — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:42:34 +0000

As people seeking change, all believers live somewhere on the continuum between slavery and freedom. Our culture in every age presents its own views of freedom as well as its own solutions for change, and these alternate ideas seem appealing. What do they offer? Avoid chaos. Live in control. Keep your own plans and dignity intact. We have always had to sift through false ideas of change (Colossians 2:6-8). Christians must continually contend against hollow and deceptive diagnoses and solutions to problems presented as superior to Jesus Christ. These false ideas frequently masquerade themselves as biblical wisdom, borrowing some aspect of biblical truth. False wisdom allows us to live independent of Christ as opposed to dependent upon Him, which thereby circumvents the deep transformation of the heart only the grace of God in the gospel can produce. Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. Colossians 2:6-8 What are some examples of what can rightly be called plausible lies or hollow and deceptive philosophies rooted in human tradition that, often pass for true Christian change? The finger-pointing strategy of changing my circumstances is both deceptive and hollow, because it misses our need for Christ’s redeeming grace and places the blame for our problems ultimately on God. “If only I made more money; could change my appearance; had a better boss; had a more understanding husband/wife; had children who respected me.” Real change lies in changing everyone around me. Circumstances and a demand for them to change always hits the “sweet spot” of what the heart truly worships. Merely seeking circumstances to change bypasses the need for grace in the heart to worship God alone in the midst of difficulty. I need to change my behavior – “I should be nicer at home; more involved at church; reach out to the neighbors; not get so upset about other people’s opinions.” Merely addressing our external actions fails to address the inward driving issues of worship that are the overflow of the heart explaining why we do what we do. Rather than doing the painful and time consuming work of addressing motives and worship we can seek skills and techniques that will help us to navigate through life more smoothly. You can even memorize Bible verses exercising your own self-effort to change yourself as opposed to trusting in the grace of God to change you through embracing biblical truth on the level of heart desires. Even a commitment to obey, read, and memorize scripture will not result in change if it is merely faith in faith; (i.e. faith in your own ability to believe and obey) and not a trust in the resources of the grace of God that He has given you freely as a gift because you are unable to truly obey these commands on your own. This often results in asking such questions as, “I’m doing everything I’m supposed to, why isn’t my life better or more fulfilling?” or “Why am I still having trials?” In this case the steps or principles become the means to getting what we want more than Christ. The hollowness of mere behavior change is it does not deal with the need for the grace of God to transform the heart, by the Spirit. There is the pursuit of change that goes beyond just behavior to changing our thinking so that our behavior will reflect appropriate thoughts about our circumstances. Our thinking needs to be adjusted so that our behavior with respect to our circumstances will change. However, people are much than just the sum total of their thoughts; they are worshippers with hearts filled with expectations, desires, and aspirations that profoundly influence how they respond to life. In other words we can change the way we think about a matter, how we understand something, we can engage new ideas, and acquire new information, but leave Jesus out of the picture. We can do all of the above without introducing the person and work of Jesus Christ or trusting Him to change our thinking as well as our affections, desires, aspirations, motives. Even memorizing verses pertaining to an area of struggle so that we can be prepared when the temptation arises can be performed through the mere exercise of the will, instead of being done with trust in Jesus Christ. Instead of trusting Christ while pursuing obedience one can, independently of Christ, put their trust in oneself to do and think what the verses teach. It reduces the Christian life to, “think these thoughts,” and, “act this way,” and does not involve Christ as Savior. He came to transform not just the intellect, but also our entire person. We need to change our self-concept/view of self . This view manifests itself in these type of sentiments: “Believe in yourself;” “You’re a good gifted person;” and “Don’t be so hard on yourself.” Looking within for the power of change appears deeper since it addresses our innermost feelings and seems more real. It begins with our own goodness and the better we feel about ourselves; the more highly we view ourselves and our gifts and abilities the more we are able to help ourselves change and help others (“If I feel good about myself then I’ll feel good about helping you;” or “I like to ___________ because it makes me feel good about myself”). The alternative to leaning on our own abilities, gifts, and confidence is leaning on Christ and what He has already done on our behalf (Christ exalting faith as opposed to mere self-confidence). For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh— Philippians 3:3 The assumption being made is that our hearts are empty and need to be filled. This is just not true. Instead, we are an overflowing cauldron of desires that longs for everything else in creation to fill us rather than the uncreated living God. Hollowness and emptiness does not come from longing for nothing, but longing for something other than what we were created to enjoy, God Himself. We are not passive and innocent, but rather defectors and rebels rejecting God for what He has created. On the other hand a life spent crippled by guilt and its effects as well as despondency over failure does hinder change. However, seeking resources for change by creating artificial saviors does not offer hope or produce change. The good news of Jesus Christ is that He grants forgiveness of sin, declares us righteous, and promises His presence and a new track record (Christ’s) with a new potential (conformity to Christ-likeness). Making too much of yourself or perpetually belittling yourself are two different sides of the same coin. Trusting in the gifts you think you have or even might actually possess, or placing your trust in the gifts you wish you had but do not, are both cases of deferring to self rather than trusting in Christ alone. Just trust Jesus more – Who is this Jesus? Is He the Jesus who meets my needs as I define them or a Savior and a Redeemer who both defines and addresses my true need in ways far more glorious than I could ever ask or think? Is this Jesus my Savior or my ticket to getting the things in life I really want more than Him? Is this Jesus the One I worship as the ultimate end or is He the One who gives me what I want more than Him: a good name, respect among peers, professional success, a good marriage, happy, obedient, and “saved” kids? Is He the Jesus you worship or the Jesus you have an unspoken deal with: “I go to church, read the Bible, take my kids to church, see to it that they’re involved and learning, live an upright moral life and in exchange I expect a trouble-free life and fun life, answered prayers, a husband who loves me, a wife who respects me, kids who obey, home in a nice, safe suburban neighborhood.” Do we have a deal? Defining Jesus and my needs for myself rather than looking to the Bible to define these for me produces a Jesus who is the “means to an end” rather than the end Himself. In the gospel, Jesus Christ loves me with a love that exposes my rebellion and idolatry and leads me to repent of what I desire more than Him. All God-replacements must be demolished through real, honest, thorough, and thoughtful repentance of what has supplanted Christ and a pursuit of a thorough trust and dependence in Christ’s righteousness alone. For many the answer to just trust Jesus more leads us to ask the question, “What Jesus are we trusting?” Is He the Jesus who meets all of our needs as we define them or is He Jesus the Savior and Redeemer who calls us to repentance and trust in Him that He might make us holy? The above has been adapted from chapter two of How People Change, by Drs. Paul Tripp and Tim Lane. “Dynamics of Biblical Change” currently meets during 2nd service in the Fellowship Hall. -Vince Cuomo