GREG ENGEBRETSON'S BLOG

Greg Engebretson has published several great items for this blog. He has now created his own blog which can be reached at: http://pondertheword.blogspot.com. You can also reach Greg's blog from the links section of this blog.

Pastor Jerry

THIS LITTLE CHURCH STAYED HOME

I'm reading Gary Gilley's book, "This Little Church Stayed Home." This quote is from the preface:"

"Whatever else the church of God does, it must excel at undergirding and proclaiming the truth. I believe a local church can fail at many things, but it must not fail at holding forth the truth of the living God. To fail at this is to fail at the primary mission given to the church. The church is not free to create truth, to supplement truth, to alter truth, or to selectively obey truth. The church is "to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict" (Titus 1:9). The church is to "contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints" (Jude 1:3). The church is "to preach the word; be ready, in season, and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction" (2 Tim. 4:2). To not accept these commands as a sacred trust is to totally miss the most important reason for the church's existence. But as we will see in the chapters that follow, the twenty-first century, engulfed as it is in postmodernism, is not an environment in which truth can easily flourish."

Pastor Jerry

PRAYER, WILL, & EMOTIONS

We had a great discussion on prayer in our Men's prayer time last Saturday. This excerpt, a quote from J. Sidlow Baxter from "Disciplines of a Godly Man," by R. Kent Hughes, is relevant to our discussion.

"As never before, my will and I stood face to face. I asked my will the straight question, "Will, are you ready for an hour of prayer?" Will answered, "Here I am, and I'm quite ready, if you are." So Will and I linked arms and turned to go for our time of prayer. At once all the emotions began pulling the other way and protesting, "We're not coming." I saw Will stagger just a bit, so I asked, "Can you stick it out Will?" and Will replied, "Yes, if you can." So Will went, and we got down to prayer, dragging those wriggling, obstreperous emotions with us. It was a stuggle all the way through. At one point, when Will and I were in the middle of an earnest intercession, I suddenly found one of those traitorous emotions had snared my imagination and had run off to the golf course; and it was all I could do to drag the wicked rascal back. A bit later I found another of the emotions had sneaked away with some off-guard thoughts and was in the pulpit, two days ahead of schedule, preaching a sermon that I had not yet finished preparing!

"At the end of that hour, if you had asked me, "Have you had a 'good time'?" I would have had to reply, "No, it has been a wearying wrestle with contrary emotions and a truant imagination from beginning to end." What is more, that battle with the emotions continued for between two and three weeks, and if you had asked me at the end of that period, "Have you had a 'good time' in your daily praying?" I would have had to confess, "No, at times it has seemed as though the heavens were brass, and God too distant to hear, and the Lord Jesus strangely aloof, and prayer accomplishing nothing."

"Yet something was happening. For one thing, Will and I really taught the emotions that we were completely independent of them. Also, one morning, about two weeks after the contest began, just when Will and I were going for another time of prayer, I overheard one of the emotions whisper to the other, "Come on, you guys, it's no use wasting any more time resisting: they'll go just the same." That morning, for the first time, even though the emotions were still suddenly uncooperative, they were at least quiescent, which allowed Will and me to get on with prayer undistractedly.

"Then, another couple of weeks later, what do you think happened? During one of our prayer times, when Will and I were no more thinking of the emotions than of the man in the moon, one of the most vigourous of the emotions unexpectedly sprang up and shouted, "Hallelujah!" at which all the other emotions exclaimed, "Amen!" And for the first time the whole of my being--intellect, will, and emotions--was united in one coordinated prayer-operation."

OUR INADEQUACY- GOD'S SUFFICIENCY

I was encouraged by this from Charles Bridges in "The Christian Ministry: With an Inquiry into the Causes of its Inefficiency." I would highly recommend this book for all Pastors and Elders!

"Who is sufficient for these things?" (2 Cor. 2:16). Who, whether man or angel "is sufficient" to open "the wisdom of God in a mystery"--to speak what in its full extent is "unspeakable"--to make known that which "passeth knowledge"--to bear the fearful weight of the care of souls? Who hath skill and strength proportionate? Who has a mind and temper to direct and sustain so vast a work? If our Great Master had not himself answered these appalling questions by a promise--"My grace is sufficient for thee" (2 Cor. 12:9): and if the experience of faith did not demonstratably prove, that "our sufficiency is of God" (2 Cor. 3:5); who, with an enlightened apprehension, could enter upon such an awful service, or, if entered, continue in it?"

EMAIL FROM THE RASMUSSENS

Dear Pastor Jerry and Laura

Your letter was such a blessing to us – to see how God is repairing the church, building your church family, and seeing God meet your every need – including the blessing of your children – we rejoice and praise God with you – we know all of these things have been such a tremendous blessing to your hearts. Thanks for sharing these blessings with us. Ahead of time we say, HAPPY 25th; so glad you can make that Alaska cruise – we pray it will be a time of refreshment for you.

Joyfully, Monty and Kathie Rasmussen

EMAIL FROM DAVID & SYLVIA DE JONG

Dear Pastor Jerry;

Thanks for your informative letter, giving us an update on your family, your ministry, and the church property.

You are in our prayers regularly. We are glad to hear that you will finally be able to do the repairs needed to correct the damage done on the church building. We trust God will use it to be a testimony in your community. It is so good the hear that your insurance is taking care of the parsonage roof and the demolition of the old building. We will pray with you that God will provide the $10,000 needed to cover the additional expenses you have. Our God is able.

It is so good to see your children responding to spiritual things. It does a parent's heart good. Our children and grandchildren continue to be a blessing to us as we see them responding to God's work in their lives. It is so encouraging to see our grandchildren teaching our great grandchildren the things of Christ in the home.

We trust God will bless the outreach ministries the church has planned for the summer. Congratulations on your 25th wedding anniversary. I am sure you will enjoy your cruise to Alaska. Although we have not experienced it, we have heard it is a beautiful cruise.

We are currently being blessed with the presence of Joseph Kavuli, the CEF director from Kenya, who is in charge of 11 countries in Central and Eastern Africa. We have been able to arrange several meetings for him while he has been in the states. Last year, he shared his burden for starting CEF in Djibouti. Now, he sharing how God opened the door for him to go to Djibouti in October, and made contact with a person whom he will train to start the work there. Also, he is praying that God will open doors for him to go to Eritrea and Somalia, which are totally Muslim, to start CEF chapters in those countries.

Because of Calvary;
David and Sylvia De Jong

EMAIL FROM DAVID MUCHMORE

Jerry,

Wow, you all really got clobbered! I'm excited to see how God is providing for you!

Thanks too for your loving care for the Bogles. I had a very good visit with them earlier this spring. I'm encouraged with the growth I see in both Ben and Jennifer. I believe they are poised for a much more productive ministry in the years ahead -- but there certainly are no end of challenges!!

Thanks again for your partnership!! If I can answer any questions you might have, please feel free to drop me a line.

Blessings. . .

David Muchmore
Crossworld International Director for Asia