THE OWNER CARES

I came upon a heartbreaking scene this morning on my way home from town. Just after I passed a dump truck towing a trailer I saw an animal in the road flopping from side to side, obviously severely injured. From a distance I couldn't tell what it was, but as I got closer I could see that it was a dog. The dog was severely injured, and as I drew near I saw the owner of the dog walking out to retrieve his beloved dog. He gathered the dog up in his arms and cradled it to his breast. It was obvious that the dog wasn't going to make it. I pulled off the road and expressed to the man how sorry I was that his dog had been hurt. I could see the obvious love that he had for his dog and the sadness in his heart--he knew that his dog was about to die. I felt so sad for him.

I thought about that scene and thought about our Owner and how He cares for us. Sin leads us out into the road where hazards abound. Time after time we are struck with its tragic consequences and the unbearable pain that results. But there is Someone who cares. Someone who is able to forgive. Someone who can comfort us in all our affliction (2 Cor. 1:4). Time after time He gathers us up into our arms to comfort and console us in our time of need. We are reminded to cast all our cares upon Him, because He cares for us (1 Peter 5:7). And He is also able over time to train us--to stay out of the road--its dangerous.

My heart goes out to the owner of the dog. Please pray for him in his loss.

Pastor Jerry

DESPITE APPEARANCES--GOD IS AT WORK

Our church building is not much to look at. There is no siding on the front or back of the church. The roof is covered with tarps. The church steeple has been decapitated to its roots. A passer by might wonder about its condition. Has God abandoned Lewis & Clark Bible Church? Don't the people care?

If someone would have told me last year that we were to completely remodel our sanctuary in 2008, I would have thought him to be crazy. Under what scenario would our small congregation come up with such funds! And yet here we are--a building permit in hand, a contractor on the job, and the approval of the insurance company to do the repairs.

In many respects we can all relate to the present condition of our building--in our present state there are still many flaws. Though forgiven, sin is still apparent. We are not yet conformed to the image of Christ, but the work has begun, and all the provisions have been made for its completion. "He who began a good work in (us) will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus" (Phil. 1:6).

It is to this reality that Paul praised God. God intends to fill every believer up "to all the fulness of God" (Eph. 19). And we can be confident that He will because, "He is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or think" (Eph. 3:20). Our building might not be much to look at now, but God is at work to change that. As believers there is still much work to be done in us, but God has a plan: one day "He will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the gody of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself" (Phil. 3:21). Praise God for His ability to save to the uttermost those who place their faith and trust in Him!

Pastor Jerry

A NEW CROSS

Check out this A.W. Tozer quote regarding the cross: http://outofthemiryclay.com/2008/07/30/a-new-cross/. Thanks Ryan.

Pastor Jerry

CHURCH WORKDAY PICTURES

These are pictures taken at our July 19th church workday.

CHURCH REPAIR PICTURES

We have been continually updating a sister blog with pictures of the repair effort. You can see them at www.lcbcrepairs.blogspot.com.

Pastor Jerry

50th ANNIVERSARY DATE

We have decided to change the date of our 50th Anniversary Celebration. Now that we have final approval for the building project, and thus have a better idea of what the schedule looks like, it has become apparent that we probably won't be done with the work by Oct. 12th. We have decided to change the date of the Celebration to Sunday, Nov. 2nd. Please pray with us that the work will continue uninterrupted in a safe and timely manner. We look forward to the opportunity to gather with many of you on that day to praise God for what He has done and is doing.

Pastor Jerry

STATEMENT OF VALUE LOSS AND CLAIM

I just received the statement of value loss and claim from the insurance adjuster. Praise the Lord! Everything is covered. The church will receive some added funds to take care of some non-insurance related repairs. We've been praying that things would work out favorably for us--what a blessing!

Pastor Jerry

BUILDING REPAIR UPDATE - 7/21/08

I had a meeting today with the Insurance Adjuster and Ryan Helligso of Helligso Construction. The insurance adjuster gave Ryan the verbal approval to go ahead with the remaining work according to the plans and the estimate. We hope to have a loss summary report this week which will give us a better idea of what our financial situation is going to look like. But at this point it all looks real positive. Praise the Lord!

Pastor Jerry

LCBC REPAIRS BLOG

Check out our new blog: www.lcbcrepairs.blogspot.com for some pictures of the ongoing repairs to the church building. Ellen has added some new pictures both of the original storm damage and the ongoing repairs.

Pastor Jerry

BUILDING REPAIR UPDATE - 7/20/08

We now have a building permit. Work on the sanctuary walls and floors is ongoing. Blocking is being added between framing members to add strength to the building. Please pray for us regarding a meeting with the Insurance adjuster and the Contractor on Monday morning (7/21/08) at 9 AM. The meeting will determine to some extent the financial responsibility of the church regarding the repairs. Depending on what happens the church could have some funds for other (non insurance related) repairs. Pray that the insurance company will respond favorably to our needs and that we would have the funds to take care of these items. Thanks.

Pastor Jerry

WHAT ABOUT JESUS?

We're are currently doing a study in Adult Sunday School on the marks of a healthy church. Our second lesson was on the importance of having a biblical theology. By way of introduction to that lesson I shared this statistic from a recent survey of believers in America. According to the survey results 57% of evangelical church attenders said that they believe many religions can lead to eternal life. This is a startling statistic!

There can be no doubt that many of these respondents are not truly born again. There are many who profess but who do not possess faith in the Lord Jesus Christ (Matt. 7:21; Tit. 1:16; 2 Tim. 3:5, etc.).

But the fact that there are so many attending churches today holding such an opinion should alarm us! And one of things that I would argue is that this statistic amounts to a devaluing of our Lord Jesus Christ. If it supposed that many religions can lead to eternal life, that Jesus is not the only way. He is but one of several options. One of many equally viable routes.

But Jesus did not leave room for such thinking. He declared Himself to be the one way of salvation: John 14:6, "Jesus said to him, "I am THE way, and THE truth, and THE life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me."

After His great miracle-the feeding of the 5000-the people were pretty excited about Jesus. They liked what He did. They thought it might be prudent to make a King out of Him. He would be their great provider. But Jesus demanded more. He spoke exclusively of what was required of them: John 6:53, "Jesus therefore said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in yourselves." His message was not well received. The multitudes abandoned him (6:66). Jesus asked the twelve if they were going to leave Him too. Peter replied, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life?"

Later Peter would heal a man. He then preached a sermon and 5000 people were saved (Acts 4:4). The religious leaders had Peter and John arrested. They were brought before the Council and interrogated. Just before the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus, Peter had denied Jesus three times, but now, filled with the Spirit, Peter declared, "And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men, by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12).

Most of us are familiar with these verses. And they all speak to the exclusive message of the Gospel--salvation is by faith alone in Christ alone. But consider again that statistic. What does it say to a person's understanding of the nature of the person of Christ? All things exist by Him, through Him, and for Him (Col. 1:16). He alone is the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29). He alone is the Alpha and Omega (Rev. 22:13). He alone has been crucifed once for all for sin and raised from the dead proving God's acceptance of His sacrifice (Heb. 10:10; Rom. 5:25). It is to Him alone--not Bhudda, Mohammed, Joseph Smith, etc.--that every knee will bow and every tongue confess His Lordship (Phil. 2:10).

The fact that 57% of so-called evangelical church attenders believe that many religions can lead to eternal life speaks volumes to what has been taught and what is being taught in our churches today. Paul said, "But we preach Christ crucified" (1 Cor. 1:23). How important it is that we ongoingly stress the supremacy and sufficiency of our Lord Jesus Christ. The Apostle Paul was gravely concerned lest the believers in Corinth be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ (2 Cor. 11:3). He chided them inasmuch as they would readily receive a another Jesus, a different spirit, or a different gospel (2 Cor. 11:4). Apparently the church today has far too much "Corinthian" in it.

The Apostle John gives the ultimate test for discerning not only false teaching but false professing. 1 John 4:2, "By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God; and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God." Can you believe that many religions lead to eternal life and be saved? Not hardly. The Spirit of God indwells every believer (Rom. 8:9). He imparts truth (1 John 2:27). Where there is no understanding of the person and work of Christ, there can be no salvation. Salvation involves the Spirit-led confession of Jesus as Lord (Rom. 10:9; 1 Cor. 12:3).

Perhaps a good thing to come out of these negative surveys is the understanding of the need for a renewed commitment to Christ-centered teaching and preaching in our churches. It is His church. He alone is Savior and Lord. Heaven is all about Him. Why should we preach about anything else?

Pastor Jerry

BUILDING REPAIR UPDATE - 7/11/08

1. The chimney and fireplace have been removed.
2. The repairs to the north and south walls are complete.
3. Sheer walls have been put in place in the north and south ends of the Fellowship Hall.
4. Blocking is being added to all of the sanctuary perimeter walls.
5. Pending projects include:

• Adding blocking between the top plate and the roof so that a positive connection can be made and the roof can be secured to the top plate.
• Installing the ridge beam inside the sanctuary at the peak of the ceiling.
• Removal of additional siding.
• Install blocking in the sanctuary floor system.

REALLY?

Check out Greg's post "Really" about "Living for Jesus" and the value of hymns at: http://pondertheword.blogspot.com/

THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST

Bob Nyberg sent this to me. All too true...

The Pacific Northwest According to Jeff Foxworthy

1. You know the state flower (Mildew)
2. You feel guilty throwing aluminum cans or paper in the trash.
3. Use the statement “sun break” and know what it means.
4. You know more than 10 ways to order coffee.
5. You know more people who own boats than air conditioners.
6. You feel overdressed wearing a suit to a nice restaurant.
7. You stand on a deserted corner in the rain waiting for the “Walk” Signal.
8. You consider that if it has no snow or has not recently erupted, it is not a real mountain.
9. You can taste the difference between Starbucks, Seattle’s Best, and Veneto’s.
10. You know the difference between Chinook, Coho and Sockeye salmon.
11. You know how to pronounce Sequim, Puyallup, Issaquah, Oregon,Yakima and Willamette.
12. You consider swimming an indoor sport.
13. You can tell the difference between Japanese, Chinese and Thai food.
14. In winter, you go to work in the dark and come home in the dark- while only working eight-hour days.
15. You never go camping without waterproof matches and a poncho.
16. You are not fazed by “Today’s forecast: showers followed by rain,”and “Tomorrow’s forecast: rain followed by showers.”
17. You have no concept of humidity without precipitation
18. You know that Boring is a town in Oregon and not just a state of mind.
19. You can point to at least two volcanoes, even if you cannot seethrough the cloud cover.
20. You notice, “The mountain is out” when it is a pretty day and you can actually see it.
21. You put on your shorts when the temperature gets above 50, butstill wear your hiking boots and parka.
22. You switch to your sandals when it gets about 60, but keep the socks on.
23. You have actually used your mountain bike on a mountain.
24. You think people who use umbrellas are either wimps or tourists.
25. You buy new sunglasses every year, because you cannot find the oldones after such a long time.
26. You measure distance in hours.
27. You often switch from “heat” to “a/c” in the same day. (Actually, if you live on the coast you think that “a/c” stands for alternating current!)
28. You design your kid’s Halloween costume to fit under a raincoat.
29. You know all the important seasons: Almost Winter, Winter,Still Raining (Spring), Road Construction (Summer), Deer &Elk season(Fall).

RELEVANT OR IRRELEVANT?

I came across this quote as I was preparing for my Sunday School class on the Marks of a Healthy Church, and how a Biblical theology contributes to the health of the church.

David Wells, "Unless the evangelical church can recover the knowledge of what it means to live before a holy God, unless in its worship it can relearn humility, wonder, love, and praise, unless it can find again a moral purpose in the world that resonates with the holiness of God and that is accordingly deep and unyielding--unless the evangelical church can do all of these things, theology will have no place in its life...Those who are most relevant to the modern world are those most irrelevant to the moral purpose of God, but those who are irrelevant in the world by virture of their relevance to God actually have the most to say to the world. They are, in fact, the only ones who have anything to say to it. That is what Jesus declared, what the Church in its best moments has known, and what we, by the grace of God, can yet discover."

Pastor Jerry

ONE TENTH OF ONE PERCENT

Greg Engebretson posted this on his website. I copied it here--it is a great blessing...

Due to a tragic incident that involved a member of my family, I was not able to compose an article these past two weeks as I had hoped. I have been working on several ideas and pray that I will be able to post those articles as the Lord leads.

Instead, I would like to make some observations regarding our church service this past Sunday. We had a guest speaker and some guest visitors. I won't be long, but just wanted to share a few thoughts about these two.

First, the speaker. He sat in his wheel chair with his disfigured appearance, blind, limbs missing; all evidence of the horrific 3rd degree burns he suffered approximately 10 years ago. The speaker, Brian, a man in his late 20's, had been involved in an accident that resulted in more than 90 percent of his body being burned. Why was he sitting there with a microphone positioned in front of him to amplify the words he would speak? When he was finished, there was no doubt that he was being obedient to what the Lord had spoken through the Apostle Peter in 1 Peter 3:15, where Peter wrote, "but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence;" For approximately 45 minutes, Brian praised the Father and attributed all glory and honor to His Son, Jesus, as he spoke with power from the Holy Spirit. Truly, with gentleness and reverence, he had made his defense as he gave an account of the hope that was in him!

The visiting guests. They sat in their chairs listening intently. Hearts heavy with a burden they had been bearing for more than a week; a burden like none they had ever experienced before. Their fallen countenance and their red and swollen eyes were evidence of the cares that needed to be cast at the feet of One who could bear them. Why were they there? Sure, they had been invited, but why were they there? It became clear that the reason was simply that they needed to hear Brian's defense and his account of the hope that is in him. They needed to hear about the Lord Jesus Christ, the source of this hope. They had heard it from others but they needed to hear it from Brian as the Lord spoke to their hearts through him.

In John 16:7, Jesus said, "But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you." The Helper had spoken through Brian and I believe He had not only brought the visiting guests to hear him, but that He was working in the hearts and minds of the visiting guests as well. The Helper had brought together one who was ready to give an account of the hope (Jesus) that was in him with those who were desperately needing to hear about the surpassing hope that is found in Christ. The meeting of these two could not have been better scripted by a master choreographer. A man could have studied and prepared for months to preach to this group of guests and never have spoken the message that the Helper used Brian to speak.

Why was I there? I know I am there each Sunday, but why was I there that Sunday? I also needed to hear Brian's defense and the account of the hope that is in him. I needed to see God using His people to speak and minister to others.

When Brian spoke of the great scripture verse regarding God causing all things to work together for good, to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose; this truth was sitting before us in a wheel chair. The great truth that God is able to do exceedingly abundantly, beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, was seen in this child of His as he ministered to us.

If you haven't forgotten it, you may be wondering about the title of this post. One of things that Brian shared, was that when he was taken to the hospital after being burnt and after assessing the severity of his burns, his doctors had given him a one tenth of one percent chance of survival. Praise God that the Lord Jesus Christ was that one tenth of one percent!

Father, I thank you for your servant Brian. I thank you that you intervened against all human odds and not only kept him alive but you gave him abundant life where it shouldn't have been. Thank you for the Helper. Help each of us to be reminded of the hope of our faith, and with gentleness and reverence, be ready to give an account of that hope to others who need it. Continue to work in the lives of my family members who so desperately need you and in the lives of those who may already know you but need to get right with you. Thank you for how you work in people's lives.

posted by Greg Engebretson at 12:15 PM on Jul 2, 2008

HOW TO GROW A GREAT BIG CHURCH REAL FAST

How to grow a great big church real fast (According to the church growth experts):

1. Play the music that the people want to hear.
2. Make sure you have an espresso bar.
3. Encourage your members to proselityze members from other churches.
4. Spy on other churches to find out how big a threat they are to your future domination.
5. Don’t teach or preach on controversial doctrines.
6. Don’t have a doctrinal statement, or, if you must, make sure it is very small.
7. Preach according to the plan that has been laid out for you by others.
8. Don’t practice church discipline or teach that believers should admonish one another.
9. Don’t expect people to use their spiritual gifts or serve in any way.
10. Don’t use the word “Bible” or “Baptist” or "Church" in your church name.

A SCALPEL OR A FEATHER?

I think that it is safe to say that most people would prefer a visit to a movie theatre to a visit to the hospital. Going to a theatre is fun and entertaining. Going to a hospital is anything but that. Of the two, the hospital serves as a far better analogy of the church. The church is to be like a hospital. The church is a place for soul surgery. The Great Physician, the Chief Surgeon, knows our true condition. He is healthy. We are not. He knows what it takes to restore our health. And what it takes is major surgery. The sin condition we are all born with is terminal. It is a malignant, chronic, debilitating disease that man has no answer for. The Great Physical alone has a cure.

The church is to be a place where people can hear the truth about their lost condition. It does no good to avoid the diagnosis. No one wants to hear that they have cancer, but better to hear and receive treatment than to let the deadly disease run its course. The Word of God has some bad news in it. The Great Physician tells us the bad news about ourselves because He cares (John 16:8). He wants us to receive the cure—the cure is the salvation that is found in Jesus Christ.

The tool of a surgeon is a scalpel. And the tool the Great Physician uses is the Word of God. It pierces as far as the division of soul and spirit (Heb. 4:12). When the Word of God is taught in a church, soul surgery takes place. Unbelievers are convicted of sin and instructed in the Gospel. Believers are taught, reproved, corrected, and trained (2 Tim. 3:16).

But too many churches are more like theatres. And instead of a surgeon’s scalpel they operate with the feather of a bird. Wanting to have their ears tickled (2 Tim. 4:3), such churches accumulate teachers that tell them what they want to hear. No bad news about sin. No warning about judgment. No demand to trust in Christ. Happy ears. Sick hearts. Judgment to come.

Most would rather go to a movie theatre than a hospital. Most of us would prefer a feather to a scapel. But when the Holy Spirit opens the eyes of a person to the Holiness of God; when they are convicted of sin; and when they see their desperate need for salvation—they are driven to the place where they can find healing—and that place is Jesus Christ (John 6:68).

Church might not be fun and entertaining—though there is much joy in the fellowship of believers. You may not hear what you think you want to hear. But if the church is teaching the Word as it ought, then there should be some soul-surgery going on week-by-week. And members will grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. Entertainment is overrated. Spiritual health is far more important. The depth of joy and assurance of hope unleashed through God’s healing hand is far more appealing than any tickle of a feather.

Pastor Jerry