THE SPIRIT'S WORK

From a sermon George Whitefield preached entitled “The Holy Spirit Convincing the World of Sin, Righteousness, and Judgment”: 

“We have seen how the Holy Ghost convinces the sinner of the sin of his nature, life, duties, and of the sin of unbelief; and what then must the poor creature do? He must, he must inevitably despair, if there be no hope but in himself. When therefore the Spirit has hunted the sinner out of all his false rests and hiding-places, taken off the pitiful fig-leaves of his own works, and driven him out of the trees of the garden (his outward reformations) and place him naked before the bar of a sovereign, holy, just, and sin-avenging God; then, then it is, when the soul, having the sentence of death within itself because of unbelief, has a sweet display of Christ's righteousness made to it by the Holy Spirit of God. Here it is, that he begins more immediately to act in the quality of a Comforter, and convinces the soul so powerfully of the reality and all-sufficiency of Christ's righteousness, that the soul is immediately set a hungering and thirsting after it. Now the sinner begins to see, that though he has destroyed himself, yet in Christ is his help; that, though he has no righteousness of his own to recommend him, there is a fullness of grace, a fullness of truth, a fullness of righteousness in the dear Lord Jesus, which, if once imputed to him, will make him happy forever and ever.”

ONE DAY IN UGANDA

It’s Tuesday, February 17th—our third day in Uganda.  I wake up to the sound of roosters crowing and birds chirping.  Getting a shower (cold) and coffee (hot) is my immediate concern.  Another beautiful Ugandan sunrise greets me as I make my way from the guest house.  I pray for the day as I walk through Kabaale Village—past the smelly cow stalls, the rustic outdoor school kitchen; the school, the outhouse, to the school yard—the sights and smells of the increasingly familiar village fill up my senses.

Breakfast is eggs and fruit and toast.  Then it’s time for devotions, prayer, and off to work.  Ben and Jennifer Bogle, Jennifer Fremstad, and Debbie Kennedy head off to the clinic where they will be joined by Ugandans who are receiving training in basic medical skills.  Julie Smith, Carissa, and me jump in the car and head off to Muge Village and Abundant Grace Bible Church (AGBC)—a seven mile trip on dirt roads and paths.

Enock Mujuni is pastor of AGBC and leader of Arise and Shine Christian School.  He privileged me to have a part in naming the church back when it was started.  Since then, LCBC’s been praying regularly for the church and helping financially in various ways.  The church recently moved from its too-cramped facility along the main road to its new temporary shelter on a one acre parcel. 

We bounce up and down in our seats (glad that the Toyota has handles to hold on to) as we drive down a path that’s not designed for vehicle use—but undeterred we make our way through farmland and then across a lumpy soccer field—through the goal posts—to the church.  Children run to greet us.  Enock leads me on a tour of the site as we wait for the conference to begin (Schedules are flexible and all functions begin and end on “African Time”).

The temporary church building has no walls—roofing (made up of a combination of tarps and metal sheets) is supported by a structure consisting of poles (vertical) and limbs (horizontal).  Only half the structure is covered, the rest awaits available funds.  Once the roof it finished, then the construction of the walls will proceed.  They will be made of clay. 

The conference begins with singing and prayer.  Attendees include church members and pastors from nearby churches.  Two women neighbors of the church, one Catholic and one Muslim, are also in attendance.  Our theme for the conference is “God’s Glorious Gospel.”  And I’m doing my best not to be distracted from it by either the flapping tarps or buzzing flies or hot African sun (or the breast-feeding Mom seated on the ground 10 feet in front of me).  We are in the second day and my plan is to summarize what we’ve learned by going step-by-step from the Lugandan gospel tract.  Once finished, I ask Carissa if she’d like to share using the “Wordless Book.”  At this point we’ve been sharing good news truth for a day and a half—needless to say we all rejoiced when both neighbors responded to the gospel and trusted in Jesus for salvation!

That was a special day.  I returned to the village glad-hearted for what God had done.  The work in the clinic continued on through our two week visit.  Workers were trained in the morning.  People came to the clinic in the afternoon.  Ben and the two nurses responded to some serious and difficult medical needs (including a 2 year old who drank some insecticide, a girl who stuck a bean in her ear, and several people diagnosed with HIV—one later died).  Julie and Carissa worked with the children at Arise and Shine Christian School and then at Desire Junior School.  They shared the gospel and played some games.  I finished the conference at ABGC by observing the Lord’s Supper with them (something I taught on for two sessions) and then repeated the instruction in another conference at Our God Reigns Church.  I also led a three day small group study for pastors in Bible study methods.  We visited Our God Reigns Church on our first Sunday and People of the Way Church on the second Sunday.  It was good, very good, to share from the pulpit in both settings (the people were quite attentive to the Word; at Our God Reigns seven people expressed their desire to trust in Jesus).

It was a good trip, a wonderful trip.  The people there are so welcoming, so loving, and so incredibly thankful.  We were blessed to be privileged to serve in various ways and left behind some tools that should prove helpful (Cf. Acts 20:35).  Thank you for your gifts that helped us to go and your prayers through which we were equipped and enabled to serve!  Praise God for all that was accomplished!

Pastor Jerry

GOSPEL

By D. L. Moody
 

I do not think there is a word in the English language so little understood as the word gospel. We hear it every day. We have heard it from our earliest childhood. Yet there are many people–and even many Christians–who do not really know what it means.

The word gospel means "God’s spell," or "good spell," or, in other words, "good news." The gospel is good tidings of great joy!

No better news ever came down out of heaven than the gospel. No better news ever fell upon the ears of the family of man than the gospel. When the angels came down to proclaim the tidings, what did they say to those shepherds on the plains of Bethlehem? "Behold, I bring you sad tidings"? No! "Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour" (Luke 2:10-11).

If a man received an urgent dispatch couldn’t you tell by his looks what kind of message it contained? If it brought good news, you would see it in his face in a moment. If it told him that his boy, away in a foreign land, a prodigal son, had come to himself as did the one in Luke 15, don’t you think his face would light up with joy? And if his wife were with him, he would not wait until they got home, or until she asked for the letter. He would pass it to her, and her face would also brighten as she shared his joy.

But the tidings that the gospel brings are more glorious than that. We are dead in trespasses and sins–and the gospel offers life. We are enemies of God–and the gospel offers reconciliation. The world is in darkness–and the gospel offers light. Because men will not believe the gospel that Christ is the light of the world, the world is dark today. But the moment a man believes, the light from Calvary shines on his path and he walks in an endless day of unclouded sun.

It was my privilege to go into Richmond with General Grant’s army, where I heard that the Negroes were going to have a jubilee meeting. These people were just coming into liberty; their chains were falling off, and they were just awakening to the fact that they were free. I have heard many eloquent men, but I do not think I have ever heard eloquence such as I heard that day in that black church from a chaplain of a northern regiment:

"Mothers!" he cried. "You rejoice today. Your children have been torn from your embrace and sold off to some distant state for the last time–you are forever free!"

"Young men!" he called. "You rejoice today. You have heard the crack of the slave driver’s whip for the last time–you are forever free!"

"Young maidens!" he exclaimed. "You rejoice today. You have been put on the auction block and sold for the last time–you are forever free!"

I was never in such a meeting. Men and women, boys and girls, everyone shouted, "Glory to God!" They believed that it was good news.

But my friends, I bring you better tidings than that. No slave ever had such a mean, wicked, cruel master as those who are serving Satan. And to the poor sinner who has been so rebellious and wayward the gospel brings a message of forgiveness: "Be ye reconciled to God" (2 Cor. 5:20). It is His message of friendship. He died that we might be reconciled to Him. Is not this gospel of reconciliation a glad gospel?

God offers a pardon to every sinner on earth if he will take it. I do not care who he is or what he is like. He may be the greatest libertine that ever walked the streets, or the greatest blackguard who ever lived, or the greatest drunkard or thief or vagabond; but I come with glad tidings for him..

"Whosoever will, let him take of the water of life freely" (Rev. 22:17). I know that the word whosoever means every man, woman, and child in this world. It means a growing lad, a gray-haired man, a maiden in the blush of youth, a young man breaking his mother’s heart, a drunkard steeped in misery and sin. My friends, will you not believe this good news? Will you not believe that it means you?

[taken from Select Sermons, Moody Press]

CHRIST IS THE SOLE MEANS OF CLEANSING FROM SIN

William Borden was from the wealthy Borden family.  For his eighteen birthday he was given a trip around the world.  That trip changed his life.   There is a tragic story in the book about a Hindu woman in India, whom William Borden came across in his travels.  Having means of her own, she had visited all the most important temples in India to try to escape the burden of sin.  She carried awful guilt over her husband’s death at a young age, when she was only a child of thirteen.  She attributed it to some wickedness on her part in a previous life.  To atone for this unknown sin and to obtain relief for heart and conscience she spend seven long years traveling on foot from shrine to shrine, facing untold hardship and danger; but the burden grew only heavier as time went on.

She then determined to become a fakir (a Hindu ascetic). Deciding that she had not suffered enough, she gave three years to self-inflicted torture, honoring the formulas in the sacred books for pleasing the gods.  She carried out her plan, though the sufferings she endured seemed incredible.

For one period of six months she sat without shelter in the sun all day with five fires burning around her, perspiration streaming from every pore.  Even wealthy men brought wood and kept the fires burning as an act of merit.  With no clothing but a loin-cloth, her body smeared with ashes, and her long hair dubbed with cow-dung, she was an object of veneration to the pilgrims, many of whom worshiped her as they fed the fires.  At night she took her place in the temple, standing before the idol on one foot from midnight until daylight, her hands pressed together in the attitude of prayer, imploring the god to reveal himself to her.

Then, to increase her sufferings, when the cold season came with chilly nights, she went down at dark to the sacred pond and sat with water up to her neck, counting her beads hour after hour till dawn appeared.  And so she called upon Ram day and night with no response.

“If thou art God,” she used to plead, “reveal thyself to me.  Reach forth and take the offering I bring.  Let me see, hear, or feel something by which I may know that I have pleased thee, and that my sin is pardoned”--but there was no sign, no rest, no peace.

When the years of her long struggles were finished, she went to Calcutta, cut off her once-beautiful hair, and threw it into the Ganges as an offering, exclaiming, “There--I have done and suffered all that can be required of mortal man, yet without avail!”

She lost her faith in the idols and ceased to worship them.  “There is nothing in Hinduism,” was the conclusion forced upon her, “or I would have found it.”

There is no record of what became of her, but the experience was a part of what God used to change William Borden’s life.  He returned home with the desire to become a missionary.  He went off to Yale and as a student gave himself to sharing the gospel with his fellow students.  He formed Bible studies, started prayer meetings, and shared the gospel with the homeless and in the rescue missions.  He gave himself to the preaching of the gospel.  Why?  Because the gospel, the good news of salvation through faith in Christ’s finished work on the cross, provides the sole means of cleansing from sins.  The person who is born-again through faith in Christ is forgiven, transformed, and given assurance of a future home in heaven.

THE VISITOR

A man came to visit me one day some months ago.  He shared with me about his past.  He told me that he was a disabled veteran and that he was homeless.  Life’s wanderings had brought him back to his home town.  He wasn’t sure where God was leading him, but expressed to me his desire to head in that direction wherever it might take him.  A believer in Christ, he asked some questions about the beliefs of our church.  He had been disappointed by the shallowness that was his experience in a previous situation.  We engaged in some great conversation about theological matters and personal concerns pertaining to his difficult circumstances.  He promised to visit the church.  He kept his promise and started to attend.  “How would our church respond?” I wondered, though deep down I had little doubt.  Spirit-led people know what to do.

I thought of a previous event in our church’s history that shaped the direction of our church for many years to come.  Years ago, in the early 70s, some teens from the church went out knocking on doors in a local community.  They happened upon a house where, unbeknownst to them, there was a drinking party going on.  The man at the door invited them in, but only to make fun of them in their endeavor.  They spoke of Jesus and invited him to church.  He gave no indication that he would.  They returned to the church and asked for prayer for the man.  Surprisingly, he decided to visit, but his intentions were not good.  He wore the dirtiest and smelliest clothes that he could find.  He drove his pickup truck and brought his dog along, knowing that the dog in the back of his pickup would bark incessantly throughout the service.  His plan was to prove the young people wrong.  They (God) would show no interest in him.  Surely, they would refuse him at the door and send him on his way.  But that’s not what happened.  The people warmly greeted him.  At the end of the service he saw a stern looking older man approaching.  Undoubtedly that man would respond as he had assumed.  But instead he approached and said to our friend, “So glad that you are visiting us today, this is exactly where you need to be!”  You know what happened?  He came back.  What’s even more exciting is that he kept coming.  He heard the gospel.  He was saved.  He started sharing the gospel with others.  His brother was saved.  He prayed for me.  I was saved.  He wanted to be a missionary, but God led him to be a pastor.  He’s served faithfully in ministry ever since.  That man is my uncle Bob and that’s what happened when he visited LCBC.

Our more recent homeless friend was warmly greeted as well.  He was invited over to homes and for meals by various members of our congregation.  Members of the church famiy offered assistance for gasoline and food supplies.  One family invited him along on family outings.  He began to attend various church functions including the men’s Bible study.  He built relationships within the church.  One of the elders reached out to him and offered him a place to stay in his home.  He lived there for several months.  A plan was in place to replace our church sign.  He did most of the carpentry work.  All this time our friend has been looking for work.  Jobs are hard to come by in this area.  He had one for a little while, but medical problems forced him to quit. 

I got an email from our friend today.  He had long been praying about what God would have him to do.  The prospect of a job, in the Lord’s leading, has taken him to the Tacoma area.  He emailed me to thank me (and us) for the ministry of our church.  He was especially thankful for the “men in the Saturday Men’s study.”  He earnestly desires to serve the Lord and is very glad for the spiritual benefit and physical assistance he received from the Lord through the ministry of our church family.

I’m so glad—I praise God—that I can write of such a thing.  What is supposed to happen if a person in need visits a church?  I’d like to think that God’s love would be expressed to them by God’s people.  Sometimes we might doubt whether that can truly happen.  It does happen—praise the Lord—and when it does it reminds us of the greater love from which all true Christian love flows—the love of Christ!

Pastor Jerry

UNITY VS. TRUTH

Charles Spurgeon, “To remain divided is sinful! Did not our Lord pray, that they may be one, even as we are one”? (John 17:22). A chorus of ecumenical voices keep harping the unity tune. What they are saying is, “Christians of all doctrinal shades and beliefs must come together in one visible organization, regardless… Unite, unite!” Such teaching is false, reckless and dangerous. Truth alone must determine our alignments. Truth comes before unity. Unity without truth is hazardous. Our Lord’s prayer in John 17 must be read in its full context. Look at verse 17: “Sanctify them through thy truth; thy word is truth.” Only those sanctified through the Word can be one in Christ. To teach otherwise is to betray the Gospel."

EYEWITNESS TESTIMONY

1 John 1:2, “And we have seen and bear witness and proclaim to you the eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us.”

That a man named Jesus once lived is an undeniable truth. Secular historians spoke of Him. Even the numbering of years on our calendars testifies to the reality of His existence. The question is: “Who was (is) He?” (Cf. 1 John 4:2; Matt. 16:15). A corresponding question is equally important: “Why did He come?”

The Apostle John wrote his first epistle in part to refute some heretical teaching. False teachers were distorting the truth concerning Christ’s person and work. They claimed to have an exclusive understanding of the truth. They believed in Jesus, but denied that He had actually come in the flesh (1 John 2:22, 4:2). They likewise denied the reality of His sufferings. These heresies reflected perversions of the gospel that undermined the spiritual health of the church.

The Apostle John was an eyewitness of Jesus. He saw Him, heard Him, and touched Him (1 John 1:1). What did he see, hear, and feel? John 1:14, “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.” John saw Jesus. He saw Him as He truly was (and is), the Divine Son of God who came in human flesh (Cf. 1 John 4:2). The Christmas we will soon celebrate is a celebration of these very truths. “Thou didst leave Thy throne and Thy kingly crown when Thou camest to earth for me.”

A common theme runs through both John’s gospel and epistles. That theme is “life.” In seeing, hearing, and touching Jesus, John was a witness to life, specifically “eternal life.” We…”proclaim to you the eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us” (1 John 1:2). Jesus = “eternal life.” Amongst the many definitions provided by Webster’s dictionary for life, you will find this: “spiritual existence transcending physical death.” As a song says, “There is more to this life than living and dying.” This is true. True life is bound up in Jesus--eternal life, meaningful life, abundant life, satisfying life, the life we were created to experience in fellowship with God. John repeatedly testified to this:

• John 1:4, “In Him was life.”
• John 5:26, “He gave to the Son also to have life in Himself.”
• John 6:35, “I am the bread of life.” (The terms “life” or “living” are used some 18 times in this chapter).
• John 7:38, “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being shall flow rivers of living water.’”
• John 10:10, “I came that they might have life, and might have it abundantly.”
• John 11:25, “I am the resurrection and the life.”
• John 14:6, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life.”
• John 17:3, “And this eternal life, that they may know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom Thou hast sent.”
• John 20:30-31, “Many other signs therefore Jesus also performed…but these have been written that you may believe that Jesus Christ is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.”
• 1 John 5:11-12, “And the witness is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life.”

The Apostle John was an eyewitness to the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. He devoted his life to proclaiming the truth that he himself had witnessed. He willingly suffered persecution to defend and proclaim these truths (Rev. 1:9). He yearned for others to experience the true life that is bound up in Jesus. He testifies to us this day through God’s inspired and inerrant word that eternal life is found in Him. He who died on the cross and rose from the dead is able to impart life to sin-dead souls (Cf. Eph. 2:1). That very same Jesus who called a rotting Lazarus from the grave, is able this very day to revive any man and bring him into an eternal fellowship with the Father and the Son (1 John 1:3). Life is in the Son. Do you have the Son? If so, you have the life—it is yours by His gracious provision! If not, don’t delay in calling on Him. He came that you might have life (John 10:10).

Pastor Jerry