Bear Creek Church Disability Respite Day 10/23/10

Thanks to our wonderful Disability Ministry Team, we hosted our third Respite Day today. Respite Days allow families with members with disabilities to enjoy a short break, as we are blessed to care for their children. Watch the fun here:

"Please don’t vote" - Pastor Dale

Don’t vote until you’ve done these ten things, since they are even more important

Go ahead and vote, by all means. But be sure to do these ten things first. Important as voting is, these are even more important.

1. Humble up. Elections are often described as “battles,” and war breeds pride among both victors and the vanquished. Don’t be a casualty of this war.

Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. ... Phil. 2:3-11

2. Love your wife or respect your husband. The best thing you married folk can do for the USA is to be a grand illustration of the love of God for His people as only married people can be, by His design. Ignore your wife, or disdain your husband, and your vote is unhelpful.

“Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. Eph. 5:30-32

3. Pray for Barack Obama. Love him or not, we’re charged with this responsibility. Can that kind of power and glory not corrupt a man or woman?

First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. I Timothy 2:1-2

4. Love your enemies (candidates, lobbies, lifestyles, etc.). Jesus demands it.

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? ... Matthew 5:43-48

5. Remember that salvation comes from the Lord, not Uncle Sam, Nancy Pelosi or Mitch McConnell. Providence over politics. Evangelism over polling. Devotion before activism.

And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:12

6. Be aware that under the political battles are spiritual ones. Give your heart and soul to spiritual battles, not only the political ones. Though they can overlap, they are different battles, fought differently, with different aims.

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Ephesians 6:12

7. Spend more time in the Word, less with the talking heads. The radio and TV guys make their living by keeping you riled up. Prefer the “peace that surpasses understanding.”

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. Colossians 3:16

8. Give your time and heart and money to things that will last forever, not just the next election cycle, or for four years.

Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matthew 6:19-21

9. Pray for the candidates’ families. How can those spouses and kids survive that scrutiny? Some don’t. Is it right to sacrifice a childhood to public service? Pray that good intentions will translate into godly priorities, despite the close attention and pressure.

First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. I Timothy 2:1-2

10. Support the church. Through thick and thin, over thousands of years, it’s the people of God who prevail.

So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. Ephesians 2:19-21

11. Did I say “ten things?” Here’s a freebie: seek wisdom. Wisdom for our candidates, for elected officials, in voting. Wisdom is better than knowledge. Don’t get me wrong: knowledge is good. But some smart people are fools, while some uneducated people are very wise. Wisdom is better than knowledge.

Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. Ephesians 2:15-17

Blown away

I’m wondering: did you catch that verse on Sunday?  The one from Exodus 33:19? 

And he said, "I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name 'The LORD.' And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy.

It blows me away that, when the Lord uses just one sentence to explain the display of his glory that he is about to reveal to his servant Moses, he says “I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy.”   If that were to have been written by an image consultant or an ad man or a televangelist, I’m sure it would have sounded much different.  Instead, God gets right to the heart of his purpose in election: to demonstrate that there are no constraints – whatsoever – on Him.  We make real choices, to be sure, but they are only made possible by his.

Previously, I have avoided this clear picture of God’s sovereignty in salvation because I thought it made God seem unfair.   Paul anticipated that, and shows that’s a mistake!  Instead, I want to respond to this precious quality in God the way Paul does, as an undeserving but grateful “vessel of mercy” to whom he has made known “the riches of his glory.” 

God bless, vessel of his mercy!

-Pastor Dale

Note about last Sunday's message...

"AWESOME message yesterday. Romans 9 becoming more beautiful as God is 
magnified and it becomes clearer how impudent that the created should 
question the Creator..."

"Undeserved kindness:" the right response to foreknowledge..

I was blessed by this email that I received, and I think you will be too.  It comes from a gal who has recently begun attending our church, and who forwarded Pastor Brian’s article on foreknowledge to a loved one with cancer.  I share this with permission.  Please remember this woman’s sister in prayer, won’t you, especially that the Lord might continue to bear her along with the constant, encouraging reassurance of his “undeserving kindness.”

-Pastor Dale 

HERE IS THE EMAIL TO ME, PASTOR DALE

“Hi Pastor Dale, The following email is my sister’s response to Pastor Brian Phelps' study on predestination (which I forwarded to her in another state).  Within the past 3 weeks, it was discovered that she had cancerous tumors pressing on her spine and crushing vertebrae (3 so far).  The cancer has metastasized to her liver, but the source of the cancer is not yet known.  I had a chance to speak with her before receiving this email and I've been overcome by the beauty of God's all-encompassing love and care in the midst of ugly circumstances.”

HERE IS HER EMAIL TO THE WRITER’S SISTER:

“Hi, I'm forwarding this as food for thought and so you can get an idea of the church I've been attending recently.. At this church, I'm really enjoying the depth of the teaching and expectation that we should struggle through difficult, maybe even disturbing passages of scripture.  The main question I'm having lately is, "What about when God's sovereignty doesn't seem fair?"  Don't have a personal response to that yet, even though I'm inclined to just say that God's always right and not think further.  Then I remember He said "Come let us reason together."  Would love to know your thoughts if this of any interest to you. Love you!”

AND HER SISTER’S RESPONSE:

“Oh,  I loved this - copied the whole thing over to my documents and read thru it. Started a new file for MESSAGES. Since I've been going thru days of such amazing grace - such undeserved kindness by the heavenly father, all the big questions seem easy for the moment: He is good and He is love and everything He does is faithful and true! Just reading Isaiah 55 the other day 'My thoughts and ways are not your thoughts and ways...they accomplish what I intend!"  It being all dependent on him -not my spirituality, smartness, choices..............here is peace (and a big reality check!). But check this, I am sitting in my vibrating recliner, listening to Jamie Owens great old stuff and reading wonderful theology...!”

Read Pastor Brian's article here...

Perfect, precious illustration from Africa

Sensing a perfect illustration of my sermon of a few weeks ago, touching on the privilege of our adoption by God, I asked Nichele Harp to write down what it felt like to have an Ethiopian judge declare that their little girl officially belonged to she and Nate.  Sure enough:

"At first when we visited Katelyn, I had a nagging sense that because the adoption was not "finalized," she might not actually become our daughter. Just before we had our appointment with the judge, all of us parents were talking together about why we chose Ethiopia. One dad said that he and his wife prayed that God would reveal to them where their children were (and eventually they decided it was Ethiopia). Suddenly I remembered discussing that very idea with Nate months ago, but over time I had forgotten it a little. I remembered then that Katelyn is our daughter, not because Holt assigned her to us, or because we paid a lot of money and decided to adopt someone, but because God always intended for her to be our firstborn baby. So when the judge made it official, I did not have to convince myself that I thought she was the cutest baby in the room or that she liked us because she was already my daugher. It's very comforting to know God orchestrated that. Katelyn was as happy as could be at that care center with the loving nannies and had no sense of any need for us, so I was happy to be reminded that the adoption was real (the judge), and that God arranged the adoption for her good and our good, rather than us forcing something on her.

As the author of Adopted for Life puts it, adoption isn't "legal fiction;" it's real because of Jesus! :)

Nichele"

Thanks, Nichele, for that perfect, precious illustration of God's sovereignty in our adoption.

-Pastor Dale

Tis So Sweet

From Pastor Brian ...

Recently, I was reminded of God’s tender providence. Oh, how He cares for His saints! I saw the hand of God move through the decisions of others, influencing my own, and then working to bring about an answer to an unknown request. It was no earth-shaking event, no miraculous healing, no salvation story; just a simple request for encouragement, answered by a gracious and tender God.

As wonderful as this is, it was also my own experience of a deep theological truth. What theological truth did I experience? It was the sovereign control of God over the free decisions of people to bring about His desired outcome. At the time I didn’t realize I was a participant, and I certainly didn’t feel like a robot being controlled or forced against my will. All the players did as they pleased (one affecting another), and yet God’s hand made all the moves to bring about His desired outcome in answer to a very small request for encouragement. Nothing’s too hard for God. He has power over our decisions. As Proverbs 21:1 says, “The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the LORD; he turns it wherever he will.”

So, what happened? Nothing huge … but it is huge when we see the hand of God turning hearts wherever he will. What an amazing God we worship!

Once a month I have the privilege to minister to some very dear saints at Horton Plaza Retirement Community; hosting a service of singing and sharing from God’s Word. It’s a small group, and as I lead them in a few songs from their large print, spiral-bound hymnal I’m usually thankful that I can step away from the mic … and that their hearing is not so good. My pride wishes I weren’t leading them in singing, but my soul is so blessed by the view, as I watch them sing with eyes closed, or unable to see. I realize that even though these minds don’t remember how often they’ve told me the same stories; God enables them to sing without sight for the joy of worshipping Him.

A few weeks ago, after the service, one sweet lady told me of how God had blessed her with my presence. Funny, I know, but she told me she was a little down that morning and that she asked God if I might be the one to host that Sunday’s service … and if we might sing the hymn, “Tis So Sweet To Trust in Jesus.” I can see why she wanted that particular song, but I wasn’t sure why she asked God for me. I don’t know, maybe my poor singing makes her smile; but, nevertheless, I was blessed to be there, and to know that we had sung this very song. Nobody asked to sing it, but I had planned on it because I was humming it earlier that afternoon. What dawned on me later was that I wouldn’t normally choose this song, but it was on my mind as I drove to Horton Plaza because we sang it earlier that day in our own worship service. Why did the worship leader at BCC choose a hymn we don’t normally sing? Maybe I should ask and see how far the steps go back, but what I do know is that it began with a simple request from a dear saint who needed encouragement. Actually, it goes back ever further; for God knew her request before she even asked, and now we can marvel at His sweet, providential care.

Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just to take Him at His Word;
Just to rest upon His promise,
And to know, “Thus saith the Lord!”

Refrain:
Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him!
How I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er;
Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus!
Oh, for grace to trust Him more!

Oh, how sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just to trust His cleansing blood;
And in simple faith to plunge me
’Neath the healing, cleansing flood!

Yes, ’tis sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just from sin and self to cease;
Just from Jesus simply taking
Life and rest, and joy and peace.

I’m so glad I learned to trust Thee,

Precious Jesus, Savior, Friend;

And I know that Thou art with me,

Wilt be with me to the end.

Does God merely choose those who first choose Him?

What is meant by the biblical word, "foreknowledge?"  Does God choose us first, or does he merely know - in advance - that we're going to choose Him?  Check out Pastor Brian's interesting article here.

In case you missed it, find last Sunday's bulletin at our website, here. This bulletin includes a copy of the very nice thank-you letter from Joni and Friends for all those from Bear Creek Church who served at the first-ever Oregon JAF Family Retreat. It's very encouraging. Also shown are the dates for next summer's two California retreats and the Oregon retreat...