Continuing from the section dealing with how the Holy Spirit speaks to us, the second point is…

2) The Spirit speaks through the Bible.

Hebrews 3:7 – “Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, “Today if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.””

Chris Kiiskinen is the Pastor of Student Ministries.

1 Corinthians 2:10a says, “God has revealed to us through the Spirt.” Paul had just quoted Isaiah and says that in the Bible, the Spirit speaks to or teaches us, revealing truth.

1 Timothy 4:1 is another example of the Spirit speaking directly through the Bible when it says, “Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting
themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons,”
The letters to the 7 churches in Revelation are also testimonies to the fact that the Spirit speaks in and through Scripture, as we read the phrase 7 times…“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”

So biblically we can confidently state that the new way God speaks to us in the church age (as is testified to in Scripture many times) is through Jesus, via what was revealed to the Apostles in the NT and Prophets in the OT, and through the Holy Spirit, who speaks for Jesus through the writings of the Bible, His word. This living and active word is used by the Spirit to cause people to hear the “voice” of Jesus through Scripture.

3) The Spirit leads and guides us through internal and external means.

In Acts 16:6-7 we read…”And they went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. And when they had come up to Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them.” We don’t know how this happened, but the Spirit worked to prevent them from going somewhere. So we know that the Spirit is sovereign over our lives and circumstances.

Romans 8:14 assures believers that the Holy Spirit leads us, “For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.” From the context of Romans 8 we read much about what the Spirit does and that the goal of His leading in our lives is so that we would live righteously, submitting to God and seeking to set our minds to be like His…all of which comes through the Spirit’s work in the life of the believer, through the word.

1 Corinthians 6:11 tells us that the Spirit works to sanctify us or literally, set us apart, making us more holy and Christ-like. (continued on page 3)

And we know that this work is accomplished by the word because of Jesus’ prayer in John 17 when he asked God to “Sanctify them in truth. Thy word is truth.”

In addition, the Spirit works in our minds as we grow in knowledge and understanding of the word to be conformed to Christ by “the renewal of your minds” which comes through the word. The Spirit works in and through all circumstances in our lives to lead and guide us in ways that will result in our facing trials and sufferings that he will use to mold us into greater reflections of God’s character. This work of the Spirit affects our thoughts, conscience, worldview, etc…and is an effective means by which the Spirit leads and guides our lives. All of this happens as a result of the word (especially the Gospel) being better understood and applied.

At this point, most would not disagree with any of this, but some would want to push for more ways in which the Spirit speaks…something they would say is more personal or more exciting, if you will. But what they would fail to see is that Scripture IS personal and it IS exciting. Think about it…the God of all creation has given His words to us, words of life! And for those who clamor for something more, there is no other method in the Bible for neither you nor I nor anyone else to point to and say that the Spirit will also speak through _________. We are not told to expect to hear a “still, small voice” from the Spirit, nor are we told to expect some kind of special feeling by which we will “know” that the Spirit has spoken to us in some mysterious way, other than through the clear teachings of Scripture. There are many today that teach that the Spirit will speak to us through “impressions” (a “burning in the bosom” as Mormons would call it) or through a “gut feeling” and other internal methods that rely on our mind to correctly process a feeling based on a circumstance that we find ourselves in, or a thought that comes to our mind. Indeed, many Christians long for this kind of “mystical” experience and there are those that will claim it happens to them often, maybe even multiple times each day.

But how would one know whether it is from God, or merely an emotional feeling? Truthfully, you wouldn’t. Scripture speaks to this point a bit when we read in Proverbs 16:9 that…“The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.” And James 4:13-15 helps us understand that the wise man is the one who will make plans and move forward, but understand that the Lord’s will is what will determine what actually happens.

So we are not taught in Scripture to wait on “feelings” nor “impressions” nor anything else, but instead, we make plans, based on the godly wisdom and then move forward. As we do this, the Spirit will work to direct our path, open and close
doors and ultimately work out God’s will in our lives. This is what the Bible teaches us to do and trust.

One note of warning to always remember is that Satan is a deceiver and will, as the word says, appear as an “angel of light” (2 Cor. 11:14). So no doubt, he could certainly try and use our emotions or impressions as a means by which he could fool us into thinking something that is, in fact, not true. Scripture is the ONLY sure defense against this.

Some will say that this is only my interpretation and that they simply have another interpretation. Well, if so, it ought to be clearly seen biblically, which does not simply mean quote a verse where the Spirit spoke to someone, as that may in no way be valid support for what they are saying they believe. And we know from 2 Peter 1:22 that, “…knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation.” So we can not have conflicting interpretations of what is true. We are not just to believe something because someone writes or says it, but we are supposed to test it (1 Thess. 5:21, 1 John 4:1, etc…) and how do we test it? By seeing if it matches up with what is taught in the Bible (1 Cor. 14:32-33, etc…). The Spirit does not allow for differing, personal interpretations of the word. Now, what I have written my be incorrect, but if it is, surely it would be able to be corrected from Scripture.

Part of the reason that people are not satisfied with having the Holy Spirit speak to us through the Bible is that some do not believe that the Bible is sufficient! They do not truly believe that the Bible is enough for believers for the purpose of hearing God speak to us! Yet, Scripture tells us that we have already been given all that we need for life and godliness and that Scripture is sufficient for all things pertinent to following Christ ( 1 Tim 3:16-17, 2 Peter 1:3, etc…). So if that is true, we need nothing more to “hear” from God nor are we ever, in Scripture, taught to “listen” for anything more. But that’s for another article!

May God speak to you today…through His word, empowered by his Spirit, exalting His Son!

For further study for those interested, here are a couple of links that I’d encourage you to listen to/read.

John Piper – “The Morning I heard the Voice of God”

John MacArthur on hearing God’s voice, the dangers of this way of thinking, and the sufficiency of Scripture

Chris Kiiskinen is the Pastor of Student Ministries.

So what does it mean? It’s important for us to not only understand what we mean when we say something like this, but also that we would be sensitive to others in how we say things so that we avoid confusion and misunderstandings. In light of that, let’s look at what Scripture teaches us about just how God speaks to us.

1) He speaks through creation. (Psalm 19, Romans 1:20, etc…)
All that has been made testifies to God, showing all of us there is a God and He is powerful. There are other things that can be inferred by us, but these two points, Scripture states very directly.

2) He speaks with His audible voice. (Exodus 3:4, Matthew 3:17, etc…)
This did not happen to many people and was not, nor should it be, what we normally expect. This was a rare event happening to only a handful of people.

3) He speaks through miraculous/supernatural means. (Numbers 22:28, Daniel 5:5, etc…)
Dreams, visions and other types of supernatural
manifestations. This again did not happen to very many people and was not nor is it what we should normally expect. Often times it would happen to a single person only one time and was not even a “normal” or daily experience for them.

4) He speaks through the Law and the Prophets. (Psalm 119, Isaiah 28:18, etc… )
Thousands of times in the Old Testament we read phrases that communicate to us that what was being read was in fact the word of God to man.

5) He speaks through Jesus (the Gospels). (John 1:1, Hebrews 1:1-2, etc…)
As we look at the Gospel’s, John helps us the most to see that “the Word became flesh” and that as Christ came, the living Word of God came to dwell with us and further teach us what God has to say to us.

6) He speaks through Jesus’ Apostles. (John 17:20, 2 Thessalonians 3:1, etc…)
Jesus prayed that God the Father would bring about salvation through the words of the Apostles. To this day, this is being accomplished as God saves people through the reading and preaching of the Gospel as taught in the New Testament.

7) He speaks through the teaching and preaching of His word. (Romans 10:14-18, Colossians 3:19)
Scripture teaches us that God uses us as His messengers to deliver His word to people through preaching and teaching. This can occur by a variety of means including formal preaching, a Sunday School class, Bible studies, biblical counseling and even as simple as the sharing a testimony.

8 ) He speaks through the Holy Spirit. (Acts 13:2, Hebrews 3:7, etc…)
There are about a dozen times in the New Testament (depending on your translation) where we read that the Holy Spirit spoke to people. This is where the majority of confusion and disagreement lies between Christians in regards to HOW the Holy Spirit speaks to us. This is something important for Christians to understand so that we are less likely to be fooled and more likely to stand on and for truth. I don’t know if any true Christian would disagree with examples 1 through 7 above, but when it comes to number 8, there is much debate.

At this point, it is vital that we understand what the Bible actually teaches us about how the Holy Spirit speaks to us. From the examples we see in the New Testament, we see that the Spirit spoke a few times to the Apostles or leaders of the early church and that the Spirit spoke directly through the Bible (OT and NT). Beyond that, there is not much that the Spirit seems to do, in regards to speaking. To understand further we must again turn to Scripture:

Hebrews 1:1-2 says, “God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds.”
From this verse alone, we know that God has changed how He speaks to us now as opposed to how He used to. So we can not then merely say, for example, that because God spoke audibly to a few people, we should then expect Him to speak audibly to us today. There have been many times in the Bible when God used different methods to communicate with and to His people.

What is most important for us today, is to understand what the New Testament teaches us about the method by which God has chosen to speak, which is in or through His Son. And so we must seek to determine, as best as we can, how this happens. Here is what the Bible says about the HOW:

1) By the teaching of the Apostles (NT) and Prophets (OT) via the direct work of the Spirit. (John 13:20; 20:21, etc…)
Since all the apostles have died, we must biblically answer how they speak to us. Two passages that help us with this are:

Ephesians 3:3-5 , “that by revelation there was made known to me the mystery, as I wrote before in brief. And by referring to this, when you read you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit;”

Galatians 1:11-12, “For I would have you know, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.”

Note how Paul talks about how we can understand what God says by what He revealed to and through them. And that the vehicle by which this happened was the Holy Spirit. The revelation was given to them for the benefit of telling us. So the Spirit speaks to us through what was revealed to the Apostles and has been passed on to us through Scripture.

In John 10:20, Jesus made it very clear that the Spirit would speak through the Apostles when he said, “For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.”

Jesus promised them in John 16:13 that, “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.” This is a promise to the Apostles, not to all believers. So we heard the voice of Jesus, via the power of the Spirit, through the teaching of the Apostles in the written word of God.

We will continue to look into this further in next month’s Newsletter as we look at what Scripture has to say about how the Spirit speaks to us through other means. Until then…may God speak to you today…through His word, empowered by His Spirit, exalting His Son!

1 Cor. 3:5-6

Too many believers are impressed by all the wrong things. It may be the size of church facilities. It may be the technological tools employed in the ministry. It may be “success” in ministry as measured by a variety of factors. But what is even more disturbing is how in many instances the church is beginning to mimic the cult of celebrity that is so prominent in the wider culture.

Tony Sanelli is our Pastor-Teacher.

In the outside world if a person wins a title in sports, or writes a hit song, or stars in a hit movie he/she is later “followed” by millions on twitter and consulted by major media outlets on matters such as global warming, the European financial crisis or political issues. Most of the time these people have little or no expertise in these fields whatsoever. But, they are celebrities so we should listen to them…and sadly many do.

Celebrity preachers are now in vogue in various corners of the evangelical world. They too, like their unbelieving counterparts, are sometimes consulted regarding matters they are often ill prepared to address biblically. They also have their undiscerning followers and this has had the unfortunate effect of confusing many and diminishing the contribution that “lesser members” of the body of Christ make to the whole (1 Cor. 12). The truth is no one is Omni-gifted.

How refreshing to learn that the church of Corinth had the same problem. But even more refreshing is the apostle Paul’s perspective. He asks, “what” is Apollos? And “what” is Paul? He doesn’t even ask “who” but “what.” By framing the question in this slightly disdainful way he defuses the whole problem of personality cult. Some followed Paul but others looked up to Apollos. But in the divine scheme of building the church and extending the kingdom of God they are both just servants (diakonoi).

If you read the entire context it is evident that while his main thrust is to diminish the importance of individual leaders and curtail the cult of personality, Paul does not teach that their individual roles are irrelevant or unnecessary. Indeed, he says that they are “servants through whom” these Corinthians believed. This was the result of the Lord giving opportunity to each as He willed.

It’s worth reflecting on a few of the details regarding the divine scheme for building the church.
1 – Both activities are essential. Planting and watering are essential elements of people converting and a church coming into existence and growing. Corinthians came to faith through both their efforts.
2 – Both activities depend on each other. If you water where you haven’t planted or plant where you will not water the entire exercise will be useless. There must be a partnership between those who plant and those who water. Sometimes that partnership is formal and planned. Often it is the providential hand of God that combines the two.
3 – Both activities are useless without God. It is God who causes the growth. That is, God alone produces divine effects in the human hearts that have been planted and watered. Consider all we have learned from the gospel of John in chapters 6, 8, 9 and now 10. No one can “come to me” says Jesus, “unless the Father draws him.”
While the power that delivers people from darkness and into the light of salvation comes from God, both planting (preaching or sharing the gospel truths) and watering (teaching & filling in the truth of the gospel) are vital to God’s “divine scheme” for building the church.

Some who plant seeds of the gospel do not often get to see the fruit of their labor. Some time after they plant God sends another servant along to water the ground and the seed may bear fruit over time. We reflected on this point in John chapter nine. People often come to faith over a period of time as God gradually illumines the truth of the gospel layer upon layer.

Parents should not grow discouraged but keep planting and watering. All of us should take the small windows of opportunity that the Lord often provides to plant a small seed of the gospel. Only our Lord knows where and how He will have it watered.

What is Paul? What is Apollos? What is Steve? What is Mary? We are all God’s servants through whom people come to believe. This is the divine scheme of the kingdom. I know the Lord is giving opportunities. Are you planting and watering? Think of the people you regularly see—co-workers, classmates, servers, neighbors, trail walkers, gym members, fellow Starbucks or Peets clients and family. We are virtually surrounded by fields for planting and harvesting on a daily basis. Believe God can and will use you.

We are all insignificant compared to God who causes the growth via the miracle of regeneration. But we are all vital in His scheme of things. He has assigned to each of us our responsibilities and opportunities. Let us move at His bidding.

P.S. or as they say today, BTW – God is using the evangelistic gospel of John in ways we don’t all see. Please keep praying and bringing unbelieving friends. Hopefully some will testify to His grace and we will all be encouraged.

I was struck a couple of weeks ago by the above expressions of worship. But I didn’t witness them nor experience them in a church service, but while watching the 49ers defeat the Saints in dramatic fashion.

Let me describe for you the scene at my home. Eleven seconds to go in the game. The 49ers have one shot to try to win the game or to send it in to overtime. Alex Smith, the much maligned quarterback, throws the best pass of his life.

It’s caught. Game over. Victory. I stand, raise my arms and exclaim, “Did he catch it?! Did he catch it?! He caught it!!” Joy. Excitement… Worship.

Scott Denny is the Administrative Pastor at Grace Bible Church

He had. They did. Victory. Worship.

I watched as, without fear, these fans, these loyal fans, declared their allegiance to complete strangers with smiles on their faces, declaring their team to be number one to anyone who would listen. For that moment, that fleeting moment, they proudly and without fear boasted in the greatness of their team. Victory. Worship.

I smiled as I recalled my own joy, and then something weird happened. I became unusually sad. Jealousy crept into my heart. Jealousy for the people created in the image of God, to express their joy, their unabashed, unashamed joy in a fashion intended for the Creator, not the creation (Romans 1:25).

I was jealous for the worship reserved for God alone. I was jealous for the ultimate Victory to be declared without shame (Romans 1:16) and made known without reservation that true Victory, everlasting Victory, is found in Jesus Christ alone (1 Corinthians 15:57).

I ached for them. I wanted them to jump up and down and shout for joy not over a game but over a Savior, over a Hope, over a Victory that never fades and is eternal.

Then, I ached for me and for God’s church. Far too often I, we, suppress the only true joy, hope, and victory that is imperishable, incorruptible and never fades away (1 Peter 1:4).

How many times had I leapt for joy over the final out of a World Series victory? How many high-fives had I given over a Golden Bear defeat of the Stanford Cardinal? How many times had I worshiped God’s glorious creation with far greater zeal than I worshiped my Glorious Creator? How many times had I failed to honor my King as I hastily and shamefully put the lamp of the gospel under a basket (Matthew 5:15)?

I want to scream out along with the apostle Paul, “O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?” (Romans 7:24). And with the next breath, along with Paul, I can utter with all humility “I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord!”

I thank God that Salvation belongs to the Lord. I thank God that He will save people from every nation, tribe and tongue and the gates of hell (and my failures – our failures) will not prevail against the Kingdom of Heaven (Matthew 16:18).

Paul declares that is what makes the mystery of the gospel so precious. That God would use “earthen vessels” (2 Corinthians 4:7) – lowly, easily broken, clay pots – to store so great a treasure so “that the excellence of the power [of the gospel] may be of God and not of us” (2 Corinthians 4:7).

God in his great wisdom “has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, so that no man may boast before God.” (1 Corinthians 1:27-29)

In my foolishness I can desire comfort and safety, which locks my mouth shut as I seek the approval of men. In my weakness, I can sacrifice what is eternally glorious for temporary and fleeting joy as I seek a moment of glory for myself… a moment reserved for the King… a moment that will fade and never satisfy.

Yet, as I reflect on the celebrated victories of my favorite sports teams, and ponder the joys that have been fleeting, I rest in the promise that the greatness and glory of God is magnified and even more precious in spite of my failures because it amplifies and magnifies the excellence of His power to save fallen people like you and me, and then in all amazement He uses the weak and broken, like you and me, to declare the excellencies of His name.

I am confident that God uses all things together for good for those who love Him for those who are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28). I am confident that in our weakness He is made strong (2 Corinthians 12:9). I am confident that those who hear his voice will follow Him ( John 10:25). I am confident that He will not lose a single sheep ( John 10:29).

I am confident that in spite of our weaknesses (maybe even because of them) He is most glorified (2 Corinthians 4:7). I am confident that death is swallowed up in victory (1 Corinthians 15:57).
Do not grow weary. Do not lose hope. Do not despair. He is coming. “Amen. Even so come Lord Jesus!” (Revelation 20:20). Victory! Worship!

As I sat on a park bench this past week praying, a young mother walked by pushing her baby in a stroller weeping and pleading with someone on her cell phone. A man dressed in a business suit yelling obscenities and venting his frustration at someone on his cell phone just across the street jarringly interrupted this touching scene. My prayer quickly changed direction, “Lord give the church an audience with people such as these. They are everywhere. What can I say to them Lord?” They moved on still in conversation as swiftly as they appeared. What are we to do in such unprecedented times?

To the church at Philippi Paul wrote, “Do all things without grumbling or disputing; so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life…” (Phil. 2:14-16a). Several things in these verses deserve our attention.

Tony Sanelli is our Pastor-Teacher.

First, Paul encourages the church to pursue a harmonious existence within the body. The world is in disarray and people have forgotten how to disagree with respect and courteousness. Self-love and discontent is the order of the day. But Christian contentment (a theme Paul takes up later in this epistle) is a breath of fresh air in a selfish, whining and complaining world. We have so much to be thankful for even in our disagreements.

Our world is divided into ever-smaller tribes due to the concept of “personal preference” as a most important defining principle wrongly derived from “individual rights.” Like the many warring tribes struggling for power in Egypt, Iraq and now Libya, our society is collapsing into special interest groups each advocating for their interest. The church’s ability to unite people of diverse backgrounds, socio-economic status, color, race and language in a single loving and harmonious community is starkly different. This is just ONE simple area of the church’s life in Christ that is contrasted to the world. Think of how many other aspects of our life together can potentially stand out against the darkness.

Second, it is this sort of practical Christ-like, Spirit-produced behavior that proves or demonstrates that Christians are “children of God.” Jesus said, “By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (Jn. 13:35). Elsewhere, Jesus also said that when we love our enemies then we are “sons of our Father in heaven” (Mt. 5:45). The grumbling people of the wilderness generation, by contrast, were repudiated as “no longer his children (Dt. 32:5). Love, said Francis Schaeffer, is the “final apologetic” and it is the believer’s “badge.” It is one thing to confess the faith and be listed on the roster of a local church; it is another to display love—the fruit of the Spirit.

Third, though this Christian community is contrasted to the world, it is “in the midst” of a “crooked and perverse” generation that this excellent life is lived out. The church cannot be so separate as to not be “in the midst.” This is a reflection of the old adage to live “in the world but not of it.” The church family and the individual believers that comprise it are to be distinguished by its behavior yet there can be no distinction without proximity. This may take place in the work place, neighborhood associations, schools and other normal intersections of life. The church is distinctive in its handling of things such as money, sexuality, opportunity, difficulties, family, power and influence and this distinctiveness is noticed in our interactions with the lost.

Fourth, the result of being “in but not of ” is that “you appear as lights in the world.” The word Paul uses means “luminaries” (Greek phosteres). The term is used in the Greek version of the Old Testament in Genesis 1:14-19 of the sun, moon, and stars. As F. F. Bruce notes, “these luminaries do not shine for their own sake; they shine to provide light for all the world.” You and I possess what the frustrated masses need – the light of the truth. God’s truth informs and shapes all of life. Hence, His light can be seen in all aspects of our behavior and speech. It is recognized as HIS light when we verbalize the fact that the source of our insight or reason for living the way we do is the Lord Jesus. If we leave people to supply their own explanation they might reason that we live the way we do because we are “religious” or “moral” or perhaps we are Mormons or practice yoga and are very “centered.” What gives glory to God is our verbalizing the reason for our behavior as rooted in the gospel and our relationship with Jesus Christ. This is “confessing” Him before men.

How are some believers doing this? How are some encouraging others to do this? What does this look like in my field? These are good and helpful questions. My own pastoral suggestion is to live in community with other believers in order to discuss these matters and pray together. This is one of the benefits of our small groups. The testimonies of God’s grace in other people who face similar circumstances can be tremendously encouraging and challenging. This can take shape along the lines of our existing community groups or I can imagine forming small groups based upon similar challenges for a limited duration of time.

For example, I have read of churches in city centers forming “vocation groups” in order to meet other Christians in their profession and talk about the challenges and opportunities they share and how they are building bridges for the gospel in their specific field. This might provide not only examples and insight but prayer partners that really “get” what you face. To this end I can imagine student groups, public servants, teachers, homemakers and others meeting for a handful of times. These are but a few suggestions.

We live in a time of unprecedented opportunity for the gospel. The world is listening and watching. Sit for just a few hours on a park bench or a BART station or a town center and you will see the pain, confusion and turmoil of those “wandering in the darkness” as Jesus spoke in John 8. This is a great time to appear as lights in the world. Let’s find ways to do this together and individually by the grace of God.

Numbers, that’s all they are. But, you add a few zeros behind them and they suddenly take on a different perspective:

2,600,000,000
10,000,000
15,000

The perspective is a much larger one but, still, they’re just numbers. Add some nouns behind them and they now come alive with a spirit of being:

2,600,000,000 image bearers of God…
10,000,000 little boys and girls…
15,000 Africans…

And while that spirit suddenly has flesh and blood, it’s a bit benign. However with the insertion of a context the words abruptly take on meaning with implications:

2,600,000,000 image bearers of God living on less than $2.00/day.
10,000,000 little boys and girls without mommies and daddies
15,000 Africans dying each day of preventable, treatable diseases.

Tom Kruggel is a pastor at Grace Bible Church.

Altogether we now perceive and feel life, albeit sobering. But it’s only in the visible, written word that we read here. This is merely ink on a piece of paper. We can’t taste the hunger, see the small faces, or smell the death. Nonetheless, through the wonder of words, even and only written words, we capture a vision in our minds and it captures a piece of our hearts. We emote. In this case, feelings of sympathy, shock and staggering unbelief are racing through our veins. They’re people, and there are a lot of them. They’re like us, but they’re not us. We identify, but only in part.

The sheer numbers and magnitude of the human plight are overwhelming, so much so that it’s numbing. On a mere cognitive level we become anesthetized, which leads to hopelessness. Hopelessness leads to passivity. And passivity leads to nothing. In just a few moments we’ll have to put this newsletter down, move on to our next thing and quickly forget the sparked emotion and unconscionable horror.

On the other hand, rather than only read, if we were to sleep next to the penniless, unkempt homeless in their shelter for a night, meander around dozens of chain-linked orphanage cribs and see the longing, damp eyes of dozens of love-starved children, or hold the feeble hand of a weak, suffering and emaciated HIV/AIDS victim, our sedated hearts would begin to bleed a crimson tide, and it’s a tide that never secedes. The odor becomes embedded into our senses, the sights are burned into our eyes, the sensation forever brushing up against our skin. These are scary exposures; they’re frightening encounters. Our world is inoculated with toxins. We’re now tainted, infected if you will, by our flesh pressing flesh. We’re not quite the same. In a sense, we’re marred for life.

The purest of all pure, the cleanest of all clean, and the brightest of all bright, dirtied Himself with the soiled of this place. The prostitutes, the lepers, the poor, the thieves, the sick, the lame, the crazy, the dead were lures for Jesus – the bright morning star (cf. Revelation 22:16). Reading, hearing and talking about them weren’t enough for the One we despised and refused to esteem (cf. Isaiah 53:3). Rather, by the outstretched touch of His love, the blind received sight, the lame walked, the lepers were cleansed, the deaf heard, the dead were raised up, and the poor had the gospel preached to them (cf. Matthew 11:5). And while He could have done all that from afar, without ever making a move from the heavenly places or traversing our mountains or crossing our seas, Jesus felt that He must, He simply “… must stay at y(our) house” (Luke 19:5b), even if you were the most vile known unto man. This is the kind of religion that Jesus embodies – a religion that breathes beauty into the hideous by stroking their faces, cleanliness into the filthy by touching their skin, and love into the unlovely by dining with them at their table. It’s a religion of proximity, a religion of duty, and a religion of action. It’s a religion that refuses to regard “The Ugly Duckling” as an ugly duckling simply because the splendor of the Swan is obscured. And this religion is a religion unearthed out of a gripping passion for and from the One who is our Prince of life (cf. Acts 3:15), a religion where guilt has no place and love has everyplace. He’s shown us what is good, “To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” (Micah 6:8b) And “He has told you, O man, what the Lord require(s) of you…” (Micah 6:8a).

That’s why James can write that “Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.” (James 1:27, emphasis added) It’s pure and it’s undefiled to visit and be with the needy, the fatherless, the homeless, the hungry, the poor, the widow, the lonely, and the destitute – those we keep at a distance and those we let make us feel so uncomfortable. Why… doing so is the religion of Jesus and, in fact, in so doing it helps keep us unstained by, what has the appearance of purity but only offers impurity, the world. Yes, our mere presence brings Jesus in the flesh, and with it comes our spirit and our gospel, bringing Jesus in the divine, Jesus the everlasting, Jesus the hope of all hope.

But our proclivity, and the adversary’s desire, is to keep the brokenhearted at bay. It’s neater and tidier to view them as “just a number” and let the “others” care for them. It’s much more comfortable to give money, as important as that is, and not allow them to deform the shape of our world. So we need countermeasures – aids aimed at helping us walk where Jesus walked (cf. I John 2:6). There’s a lot of superfluous noise in our lives, and it must be jammed if we’re to tune into the sound of the broken. Let us come face to face with Jesus and to do for the “least of these” (cf. Matthew 25:45) what Jesus did for the least of us, returning grace as if it reverberated back to Jesus Himself:

“If You were hungry, would we give You food? If You were thirsty, would we give You drink? If You were a stranger, would we let You in? What would be the song we’d sing to You when You’re in need? Would it be an empty alleluia to the King?
And if You were naked, would we give You clothes? If You were an orphan, would we give our home? And if You were in prison, would we visit You? What would be the song we’d sing to You when You’re in need? Would it be an empty alleluia to the king?
Turn down the music Turn down the noise Turn up Your voice, oh God, And let us hear the sound Of people broken Willing to love Give us Your heart, oh God, A new song rising up
Let it be our worship Let it be our true religion In this world but not unwavering Holding on to our confession”
~ Shane & Shane (“Turn Down the Music”)

Pure and undefiled religion, that’s what we yearn for. And so… our Orphan Care Ministry, an antidote to sensitize our senses, will now be called P U R E (Pure & Undefiled Religion Expressed). This is our call to action. Its mission is to bring “the least of these” to us, or at least take us to them. It’ll be our new song, a song with lyrics and a melody still to be composed. Join us and listen, listen and sing, “making melody with your heart(s) to the Lord ” (Ephesians 5:19c) for all the world to hear and all the heavens to praise.

~Tom Kruggel

Tom Kruggel is a pastor at Grace Bible Church.

I grew up reading the San Francisco Chronicle’s Sporting Green, while discarding the rest of the day’s news as unimportant. I followed my teams faithfully and read about every individual stat of every team with great attention to detail. My dad would often comment that he wished that I knew my schoolwork as well as I knew my sports. I was (am to a lesser degree) a fan (short for ‘fanatic”) of sports.

Scott Denny is the Administrative Pastor at Grace Bible Church

We wear our favorite player’s jersey. We hang his picture on our wall and we dream of being THAT guy who makes THE play on the last play of the game to win the game.

In our country, we have a “Hall of Fame” for every major team sport in America which recognizes the great achievement not of great teams but the achievement of an individual as superior to the other players in that same sport.

We are a nation, a people, who loves the greatness of the individual.

Ad agencies market their products to appeal to the sense of individual- ism… “Have it your way.” “Be all that you can be.” “You deserve a break today.”

The great Frank Sinatra sang, “I did it my way”.

So what’s all this have to do with God’s church? Nothing and yet everything.

Unlike our culture, we are called to a higher calling, a higher purpose. We are called to live life not in a world of isolation where our actions have no bearing on anyone else; where our actions give glory to individual effort and achievement. Rather we are called to live our lives with a view to love (John 13:34), serve (Galatians 5:13), comfort (1Thesalonians 4:18), exhort (Hebrews 3:13), edify (1Thesalonians 5:11), greet (John 16:16), admonish (Romans 15:14), forgive (Ephesians 4:32), be kind (Romans 12:10), compassionate (1Peter 3:8), hospitable (1Peter 4:9), speaking no evil of and to one another (James 4:11).

In many ways, Grace Bible Church is characterized by our Lord’s call to be involved intimately with one another. We are a people who visit the sick, care for the widow and orphan, pray for those in need, serve wherever there is a call to do so, demonstrate hospitality regularly, speak the truth in love to one another, minister to one another and on it goes.

As a people of God, we are characterized not only by what we do, but also for whom we do what we do and the manner in which we do what we do. We are a people called to do all things as ‘unto the Lord’ (Colossians 3:23) without ‘grumbling and complaining’ (Philippians 2:14) and ‘in love for one another’ (John 13:34). No doubt, the people of Grace regularly and joyfully serve the people of Grace out of love for their Savior and His people.

Sadly, though, we fracture God’s church and taint the witness of God’s church when our purpose shifts from the fame of Jesus to the praise of men. When we serve not for the sake and glory of the one who redeemed us and delivered us from bondage and adopted us into the family of God, we veer off course and find that serving God’s church is drudgery rather than delight.

When ministry and serving become drudgery, we grumble and complain about each other, about those in leadership, about the use of the facility, about the direction of certain ministries, about the colors of rooms, about the kind of coffee being served, about who is serving, where they serve and the manner in which they serve. Serving and ministry then turns into an ‘us’ verses ‘them’ mentality.
The Apostle Paul wrote, “Do all things without complaining and disputing that you may become blameless without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world.” (Philippians 2:14,15). The witness of our Lord Jesus is at stake brothers and sisters. The church of the living God is THE light of the glory of the gospel of Jesus Christ. That light is dulled when we grumble and complain about God’s people, about God’s church.

When we grumble and complain we fail to live as family (Ephesians 2:19), as ones seeking the interest of others (Philippians 2:4), as ones who are the pillar and support of truth (1Timothy 3:15). When we grumble and complain we ultimately are more concerned about our individual stats than we are about the purpose for even being in the game. Beloved, our purpose is the glory, fame and reputation of Jesus, not individual glory nor the ease of ministry.

When we live as individuals who put our needs, wants, and desires ahead of the very ones we are called to love, that purpose affects the very core of our witness. Christ said that all will know that we are His disciples, if we have love for one another. (John 13:34,35).

We fail in our love for each other, when we seek after what’s most comfortable for us rather than what’s most honoring to the Lord God, our Savior, Jesus Christ. We fail in our love for each other when we serve one another only when it’s comfortable for us to do so, rather than because it fulfills the law of Christ (Romans 13:10; cf Galatians 6:2). We fail in our love for each other when we simply seek after our own interests rather than also the interest of others (Philippians 2:4). We fail in our love for each other when we believe the worst of one another rather than the best (1 Corinthians 13:7).

“But you have not so learned Christ,” (Ephesians 4:20). Brothers and sisters, as a people of God we are called, “to walk worthy of the calling with which [we are] called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love,” (Ephesians 4:1,2). This life as believers is to be characterized by our humility, patience and love for one another.

Brothers and sisters, may we never forget that our aim and purpose as a people of God is not individual glory and achievement. It is not individual comfort and ease within ministry. Rather, as the people of God, we proclaim the excellencies of the living God when we live out our faith together, loving one another, serving one another, in all meekness and humility as the church of the living God.

Scott Denny is our Administrative Pastor.

First it will be good to know what the Bible means when it uses the term “strive.” In the Old Testament, the main word used to describe this type of striving is “r`uwth” and is defined as feeding upon or grasping after. In the New Testament, the main word used meaning to strive for something is the Greek word, “agonizomai” which is where we get the word “agony” and has meanings of contending or working hard for something. So biblically, to strive after something basically means to really go after it pretty strongly. It’s not just a weak hope or desire that produces no activity in the person seeking it, but rather it is a strong desire that produces much effort by the person seeking it. The Bible both warns us about striving for wrong things or in wrong ways as well as encourages us to strive for right things or in right ways. As believers, it should be important to us to know what our Lord desires us to strive after and then put our efforts out strongly to that end.

Before we get to what Scripture says, think for a moment about the things that you find yourself striving after. What consumes your thoughts and energy? Where does your extra money go to? How do you plan to use your extra time? All things, and others, are reflective of the things that we are striving after and are effective ways to measure or reveal to us the desires of our hearts. Our old, sinful nature will push us to strive after selfish things. Some of those things are not even sinful things in and of themselves, but they can easily become idols and thus can consume us in various ways.

Consider also that as Christ is our example in all things, then we ought to seek to “strive” in the same ways that He did. By reading through the Gospels it is fairly easy to conclude that what Jesus sought after the most was to please and glorify the Father in all that He did! So that then becomes our goal as well. None of us will meet that goal here in this life due to our ongoing struggle with sin, but we must remember that the Lord is sanctifying us to this end. We should also be striving for this same goal, in all that we think, say and do. A daunting task, but one that we all ought to seek and help each other with.

So what does Scripture say? Well, Solomon has much to say about all forms of striving in Ecclesiastes. Basically he said that everything under the sun is vanity and striving after the wind (1:14). He then spoke of some specifics in the same way. Wisdom and foolishness. Hard work and enjoyment. Our words and even life itself. (2:11, 17, 26; 4:4, 6, 15-16; 6:7-9 and others). He basically addresses any and every pursuit that is not done to please God, nor for His glory. Sadly, these are things that can be true of us, often times in a number of ways. Some obvious, some subtle. Part of our striving then must be to be centered on, focused on, Christ. As we look to the New Testament, there are, on the positive side, some very clear things that we are to be striving after.
Romans 15:30-32…teaches us that we ought to “strive together” in prayer for other believers for a number of things.
1 Corinthians 14:12…tells us that we are to “strive to excel in building up the church.”
Philippians 1:27…commands us to “[strive] side by side” for the Gospel.
Colossians 1:29…shows us that Paul’s example in striving was to do so with all the energy that the Lord gave him.
Colossians 2:1…helps us to know that our striving is to be great and for others, even those whom we may not have even met.
1 Timothy 4:1-10…teaches us the importance of striving for truth and right doctrine.
Hebrews 4:1-16…reminds us to strive after obedience to Christ, via his mercy and grace.
Hebrews 12:14…commands us to “strive for peace with all men…”.

And again, looking back to Christ’s example, all of this striving is for the ultimate goal of pleasing the Father and honoring Him with our very lives. Notice all of the things that are absent from this list…things like financial security, the perfect job, travel/vacations, all kinds of material possessions, sports/athletics, all forms of entertainment…so many things that we tend to strive after! All of us struggle with this. No exceptions. Of course there is nothing wrong with having a good job, nor going on a vacation, nor owning things. The question we ought to ask, though, is are we content to strive after things that are potentially vain things? Remember, these do not need to be (and often times are not) sinful things…just vain, if done for selfish motives and not done to be pleasing and honoring to God.

Brothers and sisters…examine yourselves. See what things may be in your life that keep you striving after vanity and keep you from striving after the things listed above. Think about these things, don’t just read an article. Take stock in your life and see if you are striving with all the energy the Lord provides you, as Paul did. As you look at the teachings of Scripture, does your “striving” line up with what it should? If not, ask the Lord to strengthen you to seek more and more after things that He desires and less for what you desire. Then watch as His desires become yours!
Pray for us to strive together for His glory! In this together…by His grace!

Chris Kiiskinen is our Pastor of Student Ministries.