Behold your King

“Behold, your king is coming to you.”

Are you afraid? - Behold, your king is coming to you. 

Are you anxious? - Behold, your king is coming to you.

Are you sick? - Behold, your king is coming to you.

Are you unemployed? - Behold, your king is coming to you.

Are you lost? - Behold, your king is coming to you.

The Bible from beginning to end declares one key message. Behold, your king is coming to you. When we are far away. When we are rebellious. When we are complacent. When we are afraid. When we are confused. When we are angry. When we are in need. When we are sick. When we are heart-broken. When we are overwhelmed. While we were still sinners - Christ the king who is coming to us died FOR US.

And oh how we need to hear and trust in this truth today.  

As deaths from COVID-19 increase, as jobs are lost, as healthcare workers are short supplies, as the world is changing before our very eyes - Behold, your king is coming to you.

Church - this is our hope. This is our firm foundation. Behold, your king is coming to you.  And when He comes again - every wrong will be made right, every sickness will be healed, every broken heart will be made whole. He will be our God and we will be His people and He will dwell in our midst. And until that Day comes - our king is coming to us.  

He comes in the here and now to quiet us with His love and to rejoice over us with singing. He is mighty to save (Zeph. 3:17). He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds (Psalm 147:3). He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak (Isaiah 40:29).

May God give us eyes to see - behold, our King! He is coming!

Looking for the King,

Steven

From Fear to Function

Hey all! I miss gathering with our church family and seeing each of you in person.  I’m sure we all look forward to when that day returns!  I know it’s a scary time right now as sickness and death lurk in the news, as livelihoods and lifestyles have been thrown into question.  We will be tempted to hide and look only to selfish interests, but God is calling His church to hope in Him and serve His interests.  I admit that I’ve been afraid at times as days have gone by and things have progressed with this deadly virus.  But thanks be to God that He does not leave me in my fear! As He reminds me of His presence and promises, I’m compelled to trust Him more and make the welfare of others a high priority. How does God work to renew and activate my faith in a time like this?  By the blessing of His Holy and Enduring Word through Scripture, by His Holy Spirit guiding me in prayer and action, by spiritual brothers and sisters that witness Jesus and spur me on to the same, and by overwhelming circumstances that reveal and refine what I really believe and trust about Jesus.  May none of these things be wasted in our lives today for He is faithful forever! 

Last week’s passage showed us Saul in hiding when he should’ve been standing tall.  This week we see king Saul lead God’s people to an unexpected victory over a territorial enemy.  Our God and King, Yahweh is mighty to save and redeem His people.  Between those two moments, the LORD works out so many details for Saul that bolster his confidence and faith.  He takes a man afraid and makes him a man of valor and victory.  What a word for us today!  If the LORD can do that for Saul then how much more does He do that now for His adopted children and royal priesthood!  We are no longer bound to be slaves to fear!  We are no longer under the curse and condemnation of sin!  Death has lost its sting because of the promise we have in Jesus and His resurrection!  The enemy is overcome by the testimony of the saints! While others walk afraid for what can be lost in the moment, we are called to live in light of eternity, sharing the hope that we have in Jesus as God’s Son and setting our mind on things above while not settling for anything less than satisfaction in Christ alone!

There is so much we can glean from God’s Word, and it’s crucial at all times, but especially when we are doubting and vulnerable to the schemes of our spiritual enemy.  Satan masquerades as an angel of light and seeks to shut us down from sharing a witness about our Gracious Heavenly Father and Almighty King.  We must remember - Jesus is the light of the world and in His presence the darkness flees!  Now is not the time to be silent but to share and live as followers of the Way – Jesus’ Way.  Fear paralyzes, but faith in Jesus sets us free to function as God has destined for His church.  Fear haunts, but we can find respite in the promises of God fulfilled through Christ. Fear comes when we feel alone, but Jesus promised His presence and makes His followers a part of a spiritual family that will prevail in His name.  Let us draw close to God through His Word and ask His Spirit to rush upon us as it did for Saul in those moments that led him and the people to salvation from the Ammonites.  Let us also find ways to rejoice together in what we’ve seen the LORD doing.

Today, especially, we need His Word and Spirit to save us from our own sin and the despair that comes from it. We need to pray with and hear from spiritual family so that our hopes and passions can be continually renewed and refreshed in the ministry of the gospel.  It looks different in how we deal but it’s the same in how the LORD helps and reigns supreme. The Enemy comes to steal, kill, and destroy, but Jesus came that we could have life that is abundant in the hope and blessing of His covenant with us through Christ Jesus.  May we as a church body look to Jesus as our KING in this time and may we follow along with Him and obey His promptings to love people as He has loved us. I pray for you.  Please pray for me that the world will know the love of Jesus by what they witness from Christ-followers at this moment.

Grateful and hopeful in Christ,

Jon

Hide and Seek

Our family has a fun New Year's Eve tradition - Hide and Seek in the dark.  Our home is pretty small so finding new places to hide is challenging, but the point of hide and seek isn't really hiding, is it?  It's knowing someone is looking for you and the anticipation of being found.  Can you imagine how devastating it would be to tell a child "go hide" and to leave the child in hiding without any intention of looking for him?

In 1 Samuel 10:17-27 Samuel calls the people of Israel together and reminds them that Yahweh delivered them from all the kingdoms that were oppressing them, but instead of seeking Yahweh they reject Him.  They go searching for a different king, but Yahweh is still present directing them to the king they want by casting lots.  The lot falls on Saul, but Saul can't be found because he is hiding.  I love God's sense of humor.  The people need the King they reject to tell them where the king is they want.  And God always knows where everyone is hiding.  He tells the Israelites Saul is hiding "among the baggage."

That's pretty normal, isn't it?  Our "baggage" causes us to hide, too.  

We've been wounded and we wound others.  

We've been sinned against and we sin against others.  

We've got "issues" and our baggage speaks to us.

Our "baggage" says, "You're worthless."

                                    "You're a failure."

                                    "You will never change."

Our "baggage" keeps us in hiding.

The True King frees us from our baggage.

The King says:

"You are fearfully and wonderfully made." (Psalm 139:14)

"You are more than conquerors through him who loves you." (Romans 8:37) 

"You are being transformed into the image of the LORD from one degree of glory to another." (2 Corinthians 3:18)

What king are you seeking?  What "baggage" has you hiding?

Lift your heads...lift your eyes.  Your King comes to you.  He has sought you out.  He is freeing you from your "baggage."  He is seeking us.  Will we seek Him?

10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1

READY OR NOT...HERE I COME!

Join me in searching for the True King, Church.  All of our hope is in Him.

Love in Christ,

Steven

Being the Church

Dear Church Family,

My normal Saturday evening is filled with excitement (and a few nerves) as I pray about what God will do when we worship on Sunday. This Saturday evening feels different for obvious reasons.  Sports have shut down. Schools have closed. Flights are canceled. And our elders made the difficult decision to cancel our large Sunday morning gatherings through the end of the month.

Sunday mornings are that special time of the week when we encourage each other, worship our Savior, hear and respond to the Word.  And for the next three Sundays that won’t happen...at least that won’t happen in the way it usually does.

We may “miss” some “church services” but we never cease from “being the church.”  During this present pandemic, what does it look like for the church to be the church?

People are afraid.  That’s normal.  

Check on your family, your friends, your neighbors.  Consider sharing some of that toilet paper you may or may not have stockpiled.  

Pray.  Not just prayer before meals, but set aside time to ask God for promptings.  

God...what do you want to teach me or show me during this time?

God...who might you want me to reach out to and encourage?

God...help doctors and nurses and first responders during this time.

God...heal the sick, comfort the hurting, give strength and grace to us all.

Bond with your family.  If you have school-aged children and grandchildren - what an opportunity to hear their hearts and make memories without the hustle and bustle of school and extracurricular activities.

Even though we are not gathering in large groups for the remainder of the month, here are some ways you can still connect with your church family during the next few weeks:

1. We will still maintain office hours Monday-Thursday from 10 AM - 2 PM and we are available at other times via appointment.  Please do not hesitate to reach out to us.

2. You will be receiving information regarding Community Groups from your Community Group Leaders in the near future.

3. All Youth Group gatherings are canceled for the month of March.

4. We plan on sending video teachings/mini sermons to you this coming week.

5. We plan on sharing sermons from other gifted Bible teachers.

My prayer for all of us is that God would open our ears to be able to hear His Words to us:

“Fear not, for I have redeemed you;

I have called you by name, you are mine.

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;

And through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;

When you walk through fire you shall not be burned,

And the flame shall not consume you.

For I am the LORD your God,

The Holy One of Israel, your Savior.”   

                                                           Isaiah 43:1b-3a

I love you all,

Steven

Lost Donkeys Bring on Israel's First King

The scripture portion for this week is 1 Samuel 9 - 1 Samuel 10:16. It reads as one of those stories where truth is stranger than fiction. The people want a king. God wants them to see Him as their King, but they are crying out for a person they can see and touch, like the other nations have. I can’t help but get the feeling that God is giving in to the people’s cries, all the while knowing they will live to regret it. Sometimes that’s what we do with our children. We know they have to experience some of life’s greatest lessons for themselves even if it is less than ideal.

The chapter starts out with a handsome guy named Saul, who happens to be out looking for his lost donkeys. OK, that’s a strange way to introduce us to Israel’s first king, but that is literally what he is doing. He is struggling so hard to find the lost donkeys, that he actually seeks out Samuel, the man of God, to help him know where they are.

In the meantime, God has told Samuel exactly what to be on the lookout for when Saul comes. So, we shift rather quickly from looking for donkeys to suddenly being at a prepared meal with guests where Saul becomes the honored guest with the choice cut of meat and ends up being anointed king of Israel!

Can you even imagine what is going through Saul’s head?! To say this whole thing came out of left field is quite an understatement! Samuel goes on and tells him detail by detail what is going to happen in the next 24 hours, and it all goes exactly as Samuel says. Saul returns home, the donkeys have been found, and Saul is a changed man.

Saul didn’t ask to be king. He wasn’t looking for it, expecting it, or even wanting it. It just happened while he was out looking for his father’s donkeys. This story is written totally by God and Samuel...Saul just happens to be the guy chosen in this moment of history.

It’s easy to remember Saul as the bad guy in the whole David story that is to come, but in this chapter, we see a guy who we can all relate to, a guy who is likable, a guy we would even want to root for. But this Saul is different, he is humble and open to following directions. Sadly, that will change.

Can you imagine what this whole experience must have felt like to Saul? I encourage you to put yourself in his shoes and try to feel and think what he must have felt and thought.

How important is humility and the willingness to follow God’s directions? 

What might I miss out on when I would rather stay focused on looking for the lost donkeys in my life than seeking God and His plans?

Worth pondering…

Ruth Spencer

Needs and Wants

Way back in 6th grade, I really wanted a black felt hat like Debbie Gibson. That was my most awkward year. I had braces on my teeth and hair that was frizzy. I could never tightroll my jeans well, and my Mom wouldn’t buy me Guess jeans so I saved my money and got a pair of acid washed, pleated, tapered leg Z Cavaricci jeans on clearance at Merry Go Round which I wore entirely too often in my quest to fit in. My best friend wanted to be friends with the popular kids and ditched me, and I felt like a super unattractive, uncool, lonely dork. I was fairly confident that a black felt hat was the solution to my problems, so I asked for one for Christmas.

I didn’t get one.

What I did receive in sixth grade was a framed copy of 1 Chronicles 28:9. Solomon’s name had been replaced with my own, and the print read "And you, my daughter Natalie, acknowledge the God of your father, and serve him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the LORD searches every heart and understands every desire and every thought. If you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will reject you forever.”

That hat, while not what I needed, was what I wanted, and I was angry that I did not receive it. That framed scripture, while not what I wanted, was what I needed, yet for the next seven years of my life I would resist serving, seeking and even acknowledging the God of my father.

In 1 Samuel 8, Samuel delivers a prophetic word to the people of Israel. They have determined, according to the wisdom of their age, that what will make their lives and nation better is a King. After all, the other nations had Kings. And Samuel’s sons whom he had appointed to replace him weren’t honest. Yes, the people knew what was best! A King!

The Lord tells Samuel that the people are not rejecting Samuel, but God. So, Samuel warns the people of all that a King will cost them: their freedom, the best of their fields, vineyards and orchards given away, a tenth of their grain and flocks, even their sons and daughters. Israel would be enslaved. “But the people refused to listen to Samuel. “No!” they said. “We want a king over us. Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles.”

The Ebenezer Stone has been forgotten. The holy thunder of the Lord that routed the Philistines, the land that He restored to them, the safety He provided them...all disregarded in one generation by people who thought they knew what they needed more than God did.

Wise words are seldom the ones we want to hear.

-You are playing with fire.

-Repent!

-Your gossip is destructive.

-Your spending is out of control.

-You are sinning against God.

-Be reconciled.

We much prefer the advice of our culture:

-You only live once!

-You aren’t to blame.

-People need to know what’s happening.

-Self-care is important. You deserve this.

-God wants you to be happy!

Church, we are being led astray by the wisdom of our age! And at what cost? Is it worth our sons and daughters? Will we give them a black felt hat when what they need is God’s word in plain view during the most challenging years of their lives? Will we give them sports when what they need is to be sitting under the preaching of God’s Word? Will they see us embrace moral relativism or therapeutic deism rather than the true Word who calls us to count the cost and take up our cross? Will they see us consistently embrace our sin rather than repent and turn away from that which is an affront to a holy God?

For seven years, 1 Chronicles 28:9 hung on my wall, directly across from my bed. Every time I sinned, it was a reminder that I had a choice to make. If there truly was a God who knew the depths of my heart, a Sovereign King who created me and ultimately should have authority over my life, I must bend my knee to Him. Because of His pursuing love, one day I did.

Child of God, which king are you serving- the god of this age or the only true King? “For the Lord is the great God, the great King above all gods...today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts”. 

-Natalie Runyon

First Call

A few weeks ago, I suffered a personal injury and reached out to several people for help.  Later in the day I realized that I’d forgotten to reach out to my own dear mom.  It struck me funny that someone who’d been a first call for so much of my life had been so easily left out of the loop in that moment.  It had nothing to do with any lack on her part but was due to my absent mindedness.  For so long, she’s been a steady nurturing figure to me but my attention and focus was elsewhere. 

In this week’s passage, we read of Samuel calling the people to return to the LORD and rid themselves of their idols.  Soon after, they do return to the LORD but are tried by an enemy Philistine army.  Their first response is to cry out to the LORD for help.  He does help them in thunderous ways, restoring their securities and peace as Samuel makes a burnt offering of a nursing lamb.  The LORD’s help was so obvious that Samuel set up a stone at Mizpah and Shen where the people had gathered and witnessed His salvation.  The stone was called, Ebenezer (which means stone of help), for Samuel said, “Till now the LORD has helped us.”  The question would come again in their hearts, “Where do we turn for help?” Repentance means to turn from one thing back toward another.  The people will be tempted by their idols again but they will need something to turn their hearts toward God alone. The Ebenezer stone serves as a great reminder of how the Lord saves His people. 

The Lord still wants single minded devotion from His people.  Our LORD God knows that He is and will always be the HELP that we need.  As I began the process of writing this reflection, I prayed “God help me!”  And in so many other moments of my life, I have prayed the same, sincerely hoping and focused on His power and ability alone because He has a perfect resume and I’ve witnessed His saving work firsthand.  Even before I consulted others for my injury, I was praying “God help me!”  As His follower, Jesus calls me to pray in His name and for His glory.  May God help me should it not be so.  Our heavenly Father wants us to trust in Him with childlike faith – simply reacting as a child to a nurturing parent to cry out trusting Him for help anytime and for anything. 

All of us still struggle with trusting in other things than the Maker of our souls.  But our Maker calls out to us with a miraculous provision in the perfect sacrifice of His dear Son.  He does not want anything to come between so He calls us to repent of our idols and trust in Him alone.  Like the people of Samuel’s day, we also have a stone to look toward as a reminder of God’s ever present help.  Our stone is better!  We have THE Cornerstone in Jesus as the risen Christ, King of kings and LORD of lords.  If by God’s grace, we turn to Jesus, the idols fade away in comparison.  Jesus alone is our hope and help!  While this passage ends with Samuel building an altar to the LORD, we must ask ourselves – What am I building an altar to right now?  There is only One who is worthy of our worship.  May we know till now it is the LORD that has helped us to the praise of His glory through Jesus, the perfect Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world!  May the LORD be our first call as our Everything!

Grateful and hopeful in Christ,

Jon

The Fear of God

Chapter 6 of 1 Samuel seems to be all about the fear of God.

The Philistines have experienced the wrath of God and are desperate to give the Chest back. They even make expensive (but odd) gifts of golden rats and tumors for the Israelites to try and appease the whole situation.

Seventy of the men of Beth Shemesh, who look into the Chest out of curiosity, die! The whole town is put into mourning and is questioning, “who can stand before God, this holy God?” “And who can we get to take this Chest off our hands?”

For the next twenty years the Chest came to rest in Kiriath Jearim and there was a widespread, fearful movement toward God. I can only imagine the stories that were told from parents to children during that time!

And then, finally, Samuel comes on the scene and says… “If you are truly serious about coming back to God, clean house. Get rid of the foreign gods and fertility goddesses, ground yourselves firmly in God, worship him and him alone, and he’ll save you from Philistine oppression.” And the people did it! They gave their exclusive attention and service to God.

Blessed relief...finally. It’s so good to hear wise counsel from Samuel, to hear the word of the Lord, which brings life to the people. Why did it take this long? And why did such foolishness have to occur to bring the people to this realization?

And how different are we today? I wonder.

The people end up fasting and praying and declaring, “We have sinned against God.” That’s where it must start. We must acknowledge our sin and feel grief about it, enough to want to make a change. And then...Samuel prepares the Israelites for holy war.

In reading about the fear of God, and what it means, I came across this paragraph and feel like it’s something I want to pass on to you to think about, talk about, and ponder.

So how does fear of God, who is perfect love, take away fear? William D. Eisenhower puts it this way in his article “Fearing God" in Christianity Today: 

“Unfortunately, many of us presume that the world is the ultimate threat and that God's function is to offset it. How different this is from the biblical position that God is far scarier than the world. When we assume that the world is the ultimate threat, we give it unwarranted power, for in truth, the world's threats are temporary. When we expect God to balance the stress of the world, we reduce him to the world's equal… As I walk with the Lord, I discover that God poses an ominous threat to my ego, but not to me. He rescues me from my delusions, so he may reveal the truth that sets me free. He casts me down, only to lift me up again. He sits in judgment of my sin, but forgives me nevertheless. Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, but love from the Lord is its completion.”

-Ruth Spencer

The Presence of God

This week’s scripture portion from 1 Samuel 5 is all about the presence of God, as visualized in the Ark of the Covenant. The Ark was a source of direction for the Israelites in the wilderness, a literal way for them to know when to stop and when to go. It was a chest that held the Ten Commandments, a jar of manna and the budded staff of Aaron, all symbolizing God’s law, His presence and care for His people. God spoke to Moses from the ‘Mercy Seat’ on top of the Ark, between the angels, and there is often a cloud or fire involved. The Ark took the lead with the priests, when they came to the Jordan River and crossed on dry ground in Joshua 3. And the ark led the way when the Israelites walked around Jericho and the walls fell down. (Joshua 6) The Ark was sent to the battlefield when the Israelites took on their enemies and was seen as a means of obtaining the help of God and therefore victory over their enemies. 

But, suddenly, in chapter 5 the Ark is in the enemies’ hands. The enemy doesn’t destroy it though, they have enough respect for it to place it next to their god, Dagon. That was a pretty common practice back then...it was no problem to add other gods to the gods you were already worshipping. But that’s not how it is with our God. He demands to be the One and Only. Throughout this chapter we see the results and the havoc that the Presence of God reeks on the enemy. So much so, that finally, after 7 months of carting the Ark from one city to another, they bring the Ark back to the Israelites with expensive gifts, almost begging them to take it off of their hands!

Meanwhile, the Israelites are going through a pretty low point. They suffered a big defeat and ‘the glory has departed’. There is no sense of any plan to go back to the enemy’s territory and get the Ark back. God has to 'take up His own sword' to return to His people, figuratively speaking.

How do we experience the presence of God today? It’s hard for me to connect really well with the whole idea of God being in an Ark, a small man-made box, even if it is entirely gold covered. Is it possible that the same presence of God that was in the Ark is in each one of us today through the power of the Holy Spirit? If we believe that is the case...what should that look like? I wonder. 

I’ve been reading through the Chronicles of Narnia in 2020. When the children, Peter, Edmund, Susan and Lucy first encounter Aslan, they have no idea what they are about to experience or that he’s a lion! But even at the name of Aslan, each one of the children feels something jump in their insides. Edmund feels a sensation of mysterious horror. Peter feels suddenly brave and adventurous. Susan feels as if some delicious smell or some delightful strain of music has just floated by her. And Lucy gets the feeling you have when you wake up in the morning and realize that it is the beginning of the holidays or the beginning of summer.

As we think about the presence of God this week, in our lives...how do we experience hearing the name of Aslan, or feel at the mention of Jesus? What might that tell us about our soul and heart condition? It didn’t take long for the people in chapter 5 to know they wanted no part of this Israelite God! The presence of God will either draw you closer or it will repel you. There doesn't seem to be much of any middle ground.

I encourage you to share your story...your awareness of God's presence in your life.

-Ruth Spencer

The Glory Has Departed

We’ve just come out of chapter 3 in 1 Samuel, which is a beautiful story of the boy, Samuel, and how God was with Him. Everyone recognized this to be true even though Samuel is just a young man. Then we are immediately thrust into chapter 4, where “Israel went to war against the Philistines.”

All kinds of questions enter my mind. Why are they at war now? Who led this and for what purpose? What kind of thought went into this? I know for us today, no one wants any part of going into a war with another group of people unless there are an awful lot of reasons to do so. We aren’t given those details. But we do learn, two sentences later, that the Israelites were badly beaten, about 4,000 soldiers died in that battle.

The elders respond by asking “Why has God given us such a beating today by the Philistines?” But it’s as if there is no pause to actually hear an answer from God, instead action is taken almost immediately, and the Chest of God is taken onto the battlefield. Surely, if we have the Chest here that will mean victory! That’s how it was before, right?

When did Israel’s mindset become, if we just carry the chest into a battle that is all we need to have victory? What other steps are they completely forgetting or ignoring? Is anybody really listening to God and His directions? Ironically enough, the previous chapter was all about Samuel and Him listening to God’s voice, who spoke very clearly to him, even as a boy!

After we’ve just heard how much Samuel is a man of God and the people respect him and his connection to God...Samuel is mentioned nowhere in this chapter, throughout this whole process!

The Israelites seem impulsive and foolish in chapter 4. God will not be mocked. The very next battle, 30,000 more soldiers die, along with Eli’s sons and eventually Eli as he hears the news. Even Eli’s daughter-in-law will die, while giving birth to a son, whom she names Ichabod (The glory has departed).

Wow. Have you ever felt this kind of darkness and hopelessness? You don’t have to look far to experience it.

“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear.” 2 Chronicles 7:14

-Ruth Spencer

Young and Old

You’re never too old for the Lord to use. It is your experience of walking with Him that He wants to use to encourage the next generation. God uses blind, imperfect, old, tired people to further His kingdom.

You’re never too young for the Lord to use. It is your childlike faith that all believers are called to emulate. God uses immature, inexperienced, energetic children to further His kingdom.

In 1 Samuel 3 we read of an old, tired, blind man who has served as a priest to the Lord, God Almighty, and a young, obedient boy who serves alongside him, even while having never experienced the Lord’s presence for Himself.

God calls that young boy in the night. Three times he calls him, and Samuel doesn’t know it is the Lord. How could he? He’s never heard the Lord call him before. Three times Samuel presents himself to Eli, until Eli discerns it is the Lord Himself calling Samuel.

Samuel needed someone who had known the Lord and experienced Him in a way that he never had, to tell him when the Lord was speaking.

Eli needed to see the obedience of another child, so unlike the rebellion of his own sons, to show him his great sin and the mercy of an even greater God.

God used Eli’s experience and wisdom, despite his sin and the coming consequences, to point Samuel to the One who called.

The church needs older people to testify to God’s Word and power and mercy and faithfulness in the lives of younger believers. The church needs young people to serve and remind us of the joy and enthusiasm that we can find in Him. We need each other. We need one another to point us to the One who calls.

-Natalie Runyon

Just to know Him more.

A few years before God brought my family to be a part of The Bridge, Kim and I spent a great deal of time with a particular couple that had supported us in our church planting efforts.  Those dear friends brought steady encouragement by introducing us to the concept of the gospel cycle.  It all begins with knowing Jesus.  Then, as we truly know Jesus, we can’t help but love Him.  Then, as we love Him, we can’t help but respond by following Him.  In following Jesus, we continue to know and love Him and the cycle repeats itself.  The concept was revolutionary for my walk with Christ.  So much of my life had been driven by religious rituals and obligations in an attempt to be Christian.  But being Christian has everything to do with our relationship with Christ and so little to do with our own performance.  Even now, when I try to live for Jesus on my own volition, so much beside Christ Jesus can become my focus.  From personal experience, I’ve witnessed the amazing resolution and wonder of walking with and abiding in the presence of Jesus.  Oh that I would know Him still more!

As we look in on the characters of this chapter and what is to come soon after, each of their individual fates rests on one thing.  And that one thing is how they respond to a relationship with their Heavenly Father.  Some in this story will ignore Him and seek the desires of their flesh while others receive Him at His word and respond by seeking more of His will and way for their lives.   This passage does serve as a warning about the consequences of sin but even more as an invitation to experience the goodness of God through Jesus Messiah. 

How will you respond to God’s steadfast love in your life?  He invites us to receive it so that we will know Him in a way that will change us for our good and His glory.  Let us pray that God will crush our idols and make us quick to repent of our pride and self-righteousness.  May He turn our heart toward Jesus so that we will know, love, and follow Him with hearts set afire and minds made anew by His transforming presence and power. May the love of Christ overflow from us toward others.  And may our church family grow in favor with God and humanity for the glory and fame of our Rescuer & King Jesus!

Grateful and hopeful in Christ,

Jon

Bursting with GOD-news!

Hannah prayed:

        I'm bursting with GOD-news!

        I'm walking on air.

        I'm laughing at my rivals.

        I'm dancing my salvation.                               

1 Samuel 2:1 - The Message

Have you ever "prayed" like this?  My image of prayer and often my practice of prayer is "fold your hands, bow your heads, close your eyes."  I'm not saying that's necessarily wrong BUT it would be pretty tough to stay seated with hands folded and eyes closed when you are "bursting with GOD-news" and "walking on air" and "laughing at rivals" and "dancing salvation."  This prayer is full of joy and full of confidence.  It's almost like Hannah can't wait to pray and praise God.

Hannah looks to the LORD -

"There is none holy like the Lord:
  for there is none besides you;
  there is no rock like our God."    1 Samuel 2:2 (ESV)

Hannah looks to the LORD.  Hmmm.  Stop for a moment.  Where are you looking?  Where is your focus?  Where do you look when things are going well?  Where do you look when things are really bad?  Where do you look when you are stressed?

May we be those who look to the LORD.  And as we look to HIM may we "burst with GOD-news."

LORD, help us.

Perform this miracle in our hearts.

Lift our heads and open our eyes so we can see you.

See you Sunday,

Steven

Hannah's Pain

This week we are starting a new sermon series. We’ll be taking a look at the book of First Samuel. I enjoy these kinds of books in the bible because they read more like a story rather than a sermon, lecture or some other type of instruction. We will go to unique settings, meet a variety of characters, hear words spoken and sometimes even get to read what’s thought but not spoken. There will be obstacles to overcome, climaxes and crescendos reached, victory and defeat, love and loss, basically all of the good storyline kind of stuff that we so enjoy watching or reading about.

This first week is all about a woman named Hannah. The side characters are Eli, the priest, Penninah, the other wife, Elkanah, who is Hannah’s husband, and eventually towards the end of the chapter, a miracle child named Samuel, who as you can guess, is going to become one of the main characters in this series.

The book starts with Hannah’s pain on full display. She and the rest of the family are going to the sanctuary for their yearly visit. Every year they go and every year it’s the same deal. We have no idea how long this has been going on, but year after year she is without a child. Her husband loves her dearly and tries to help her get over her pain by pointing out what she does have - his love. But it’s not enough for Hannah. The other wife, Penninah, has her own pain. Penninah has the children, but not the love of her husband. To make herself feel better, she taunts Hannah about not having children. I imagine this does little to ease Penninah’s heartbreak, but it’s definitely a common way to deal with pain. Then there is Eli, the priest. He sees Hannah in the sanctuary. Since she comes every year, I wonder if he remembers her or knows anything about her. (Probably not, since so many people come through, perhaps names and faces are hard to remember.) Regardless, when he is witness to Hannah’s deepest pain, he jumps to the conclusion that she is drunk and he even makes a public statement to her about this!

If you are human...than you know pain. I don’t think you can walk this earth without experiencing it sooner or later. Clearly, there are different degrees of pain. Pain that we know will pass or that has a reward is easier to handle than pain that we think might never end or have any reward. Just ask any woman who has given birth. Pain is involved, but most sign up willingly. On the other hand, there is pain that none of us want any part of, in fact, if we’re honest, we probably have fears that cause us great anxiety when we think about the possibilities that could happen at any moment to us or those we love.

In our church on any given Sunday, I think we would be surprised at how much pain is sitting in the pews. A few might give voice to the struggle. Some people’s pain is outwardly visible. But for many, the pain, the desperate kind of pain that Hannah is feeling in this chapter, is hidden within and is so deep, it’s hard to even put it into words.

Hannah prays with her lips moving, but no words coming out. The Holy Spirit intercedes for us when we have no words to pray. There exists a pain that is beyond expression. You know it. Maybe you’re in it right now.

Why in the previous years did God not answer her prayer? We have no idea. Why was He stirred to action at this precise time? It’s not because Hannah’s faith was so great. Honestly, she expresses quite a bit of doubt in her desperate prayer...some pretty major “ifs” about God. God seems to be able to look over her lack of faith.

Why is your pain still going on? Why is mine? I have no idea. What will be the precise time when God will intervene and take care of the situation? Hard to tell. Some things don’t seem to really see a miracle till the other side.

Hannah gets her miracle. Samuel arrives, she keeps her word to God by dedicating and literally giving him back to God as a young child. Chapter 2 has Hannah singing a God song of worship. Her heart is full and she has experienced God in a powerful way.

What if the miracle hadn’t come? I can’t help but wonder. Can we still sing a God song of worship even then? I don’t mean smooth over pain and deny it, or act like it doesn’t exist. What I do mean is - is Jesus enough? I think He is. I know He is. That’s the kind of thing that anchors our souls when the storms rage and pretty much needs to be decided upon before all hell breaks loose.

Let your desperate pain draw you to your knees. Talk honestly to God about it. You don’t have to conjure up anything religious. Cry...move your mouth without words coming out or whatever else you need to do to lay it down. Don’t concern yourself with those who want to make light of your pain, or those who are cruel to try to make themselves feel better. Don’t worry about judgement. People can think what they want. Just be real...lay it down and see what God will do. I think that’s the story of Hannah.

In her case...Samuel came along pretty quickly after, and even several more children! It’s hard to tell what that will look for you or me, but I do know we can trust God. He sees, He cares, and He is acting on our behalf...all the time.

Much love,

Ruth

Knowing and Honoring People

What do you say at the end of a long letter?  I don't know how long Paul thought before he wrapped up his letter to the Corinthian believers, but our final words are powerful.  I'm sitting in my office at church knowing in about eleven hours we say goodbye to 2019 and hello to 2020.  We are closing out a year.  Paul is closing a letter.  What does Paul focus on?  He focuses on PEOPLE.  He knows their names and he calls them by name:

Apollos, Stephanas, Fortunatus, Achaicus, Aquilla, Priscilla.

He exhorts the Corinthians to "give recognition to such people."

He tells the Corinthians that Aquilla and Priscilla send "hearty greetings in the Lord."

And then he instructs all of the Corinthians to "Greet one another with a holy kiss."

So...be prepared to kiss some people this coming Sunday!   (Just kidding.)

Paul has deep affection for these brothers and sisters, and he knows when we express outwardly what we feel inwardly, it blesses others. 

I see this at The Bridge on a daily basis.  I see people learning each other's names and stories and I am an eyewitness of strangers becoming friends and friends becoming family.  Thank you for the number of ways you are committed to "greeting one another with a holy kiss."  It "refreshes" my spirit and the spirit of many others.  But there are many others in our city/community who are still strangers.  What if 2020 is a year when our friendship circles expand?

I don't know if you are the kind of person who makes New Year's Resolutions, but what if in 2020 we focus even more on PEOPLE?  Let us resolve to know names and stories of others and celebrate them.  Our Lord Jesus made time for PEOPLE.  May it be so with us as well.

See you Sunday,

Steven Helfrich

The Dark Days

“The Dark Days”- that’s how we refer to a period of time in our family history. Our adopted kids had been home a short time and we were dealing with trauma and adjustment, the economy had tanked, Michael was unemployed, and we were both depressed.

We paid our mortgage with credit cards, humbly received food from local pantries, and had one barely functioning vehicle. The day of reckoning always comes, and it did for us as well. The credit cards were maxed, the vehicle broke down, and no job prospects were on the horizon. We had exhausted our resources.

One kind family at our church drove from Edwardsville to Roxana to take us to church in Edwardsville, and they brought two cars because we couldn’t all fit in one. This went on for a couple of months until the church fixed our vehicle. They also provided Christmas gifts for our kids that year.

Eventually the van broke down again, and a few days later another church- a church we didn’t attend- loaned us their passenger van. Within a few weeks, they voted to give us the van, and paid for the taxes and title transfer as well! Ultimately those dark days came to a close for us, but the compassion God gave me for others who are walking through poverty has not left me.

There is a stigma we experienced when we endured material poverty. It was a feeling of being powerless over our circumstances and ashamed that we could not provide for our own family. We assumed others thought poorly of us, and we were dehumanized by the process of receiving welfare benefits from the state. We battled feelings of worthlessness, as though our value was measured solely by what we were not able to contribute.

So, the way we were loved by the family of God during that season of life impacted our entire family. We will not forget the ways in which the Church showed up for us over and over, whether it was diapers on our porch or cash in the mailbox, gifts for our kids, help with transportation, help with employment, or simply encouragement and love. We were not forgotten.

“Now about the collection for the Lord’s people: Do what I told the Galatian churches to do. On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with your income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made.” 1 Corinthians 16:1-2

These two verses tucked away at the end of 1 Corinthians remind us that God does not forget the poor, despite how they may feel. He instructed Paul to tell the Corinthians to do the same thing He had told the church in Galatia to do- give, and specifically, give to help the impoverished members of the church in Jerusalem.

The holiday season has many calls for generosity and giving, for both the believer in Christ, and the world at large. God’s people, however, are called to live open handed all year long. On this coming Lord’s Day, and on those to follow, we should all be participating in giving according to the measure in which God has blessed us. If we have much or little, it is all from His hand. And as He has cared for us, He uses us to care for one another! May we give generously so that others may have their needs met, and may God be glorified in both our giving and in our receiving. 

-Natalie Runyon

Behold! I tell you a mystery.

“Behold! I tell you a mystery.  We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet.  For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.”

1 Corinthians 15:51-52

 The Apostle Paul calls his audience to attention with these words as he details the miraculous mystery, resolution, and hope that the world can have in the resurrection of the dead.  This mystery had transformed Paul’s life and he believed it would do the same for his Corinthian church family.   

This mystery that Paul describes is truly an awe-inspiring transaction as we are reminded that our Heavenly Father has gifted us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ, and He will raise us to an imperishable body.  This gift is good news of great joy that transforms us to the core of our being when we receive it as fact and believe on it. 

This mystery has changed my life and so many more over the centuries.  This mystery that ends in victory for God’s people is still a gift that our Heavenly Father invites us to receive.  Part of the mystery is the power of the Gospel to free us from the curse and penalty of sin while empowering us to desire the things that our Heavenly Father desires for us and His world.  There is also mystery as to how the resurrection will happen. 

This mystery entails a radical change to come.  As Christians we’ve witnessed radical changes throughout our spiritual lives.  Change is part of our experience now, and there are greater changes to come regarding our mortal and immortal bodies.  Changes we have seen before should help us trust in those to come and allow us to rest in the work of our Heavenly Father to finish what He has started in us.

As I think about change during the Christmas time of year, A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens often comes to mind.  That story is a favorite of mine because I so strongly identify with his character, Ebenezer Scrooge.  At times, I can be worse than Mr. Scrooge as I live callous with little regard for others.  To my despair, I’ve found no matter how hard I try to resolve my hard heart, I cannot produce the lasting change I need to overcome that sin in me.  But I rejoice in Jesus and the steadfast love shown through his life, death, resurrection and faithful presence.  By His life and work, I am transformed to love what God loves.  In the story, A Christmas Carol, there is a mysterious change that occurs in the life of Ebenezer Scrooge that inspires hope and joy that people can change. 

That kind of mysterious change is for you and me still today as we stare into this mystery of a risen Savior and the eternal life He gives.  Jesus was and is the guarantee of promises fulfilled by our Heavenly Father.  The same One who gave us life in this world will most assuredly lead us into everlasting life to come, to the praise of His glory! 

Over the coming weeks, as we reflect on the virgin birth of Emmanuel, may the mystery of this gift from God transform us for His glory.  May we be mystified by how great a benefactor we have in our Heavenly Father and worship Him with our devotion.  May we be moved to our core with a love for our world that reflects the love our dear Savior Jesus has for us.  And may we respond to this mystery that ends in a victory for us by loving each other and by being “…steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.”

Grateful and hopeful in Christ,

Jon

You Talking To Me?

“You foolish person!  What you sow does not come to life unless it dies.”   1 Corinthians 15:36 (ESV)

When I read a passage like this I typically find myself thinking, “Those poor ignorant, selfish, evil people, thank God I’m not” ... but this week I am.  Paul tells me I’m foolish not to recognize what is right in front of me.   Bodily resurrection is not the reanimation of dead corpses but rather the transformation of perishable bodies.  I don’t deny the bodily resurrection, but I often fail to recognize and appreciate the evidence of transformation and resurrection around me.  

The God that transforms seeds into plants and brings life to all creation certainly has the power to resurrect a body.  All who have accepted Christ as Lord show evidence of and have a desire to pursue this transformation.   God resurrected the life of a persecutor of Christians transforming him into an apostle and a prolific writer of much of the New Testament.  God chose a teenage girl and an infant born in a stable as the seeds for His redemptive plan to save the world.  

As I reflect on the inconceivable creativity and awesome glory of the works of the Lord, the evidence overwhelms.  Hallelujah! 

Merry Christmas Bridge Family!  

-Todd Plummer

Awakening

“Our culture understands heroism. But we don’t understand martyrs.” Taken from the book titled Jesus Freaks by dc Talk and The Voice of the Martyrs

When my two girls were in their middle school years somehow the idea came into my head that I wanted them to read the book ‘Jesus Freaks’. I wanted them to have a sense of what cost there can be in following Christ and how even unto death, even horrific death, staying with Christ is the most important thing in life.

Recently, my sister shared a video with me about the church in Iran. (It’s called ‘Sheep among Wolves’.) I had no idea what is going on there these days. I’m not a big news watcher. It just seems like continuous fighting and problems in the middle east, but the video I watched and the information I’ve read since then has given me cause to get excited and has also challenged me to rise to greater commitment to Jesus myself, here in America!

“Persecution threatened to wipe out Iran’s tiny church. Instead, the church in Iran has become the fastest growing in the world and it is influencing the region for Christ.” You won’t see that on the news!

“Despite continued hostility from the late 1970’s until now, Iranians have become the Muslim people most open to the gospel in the Middle East.”

“How did this happen? First, violence in the name of Islam has caused widespread disillusionment with the regime and led many Iranians to question their beliefs. Second, many Iranian Christians have continued to boldly and faithfully tell others about Christ, in the face of persecution. As a result, more Iranians have become Christians in the last 20 years than in the previous 13 centuries put together since Islam came to Iran! In 1979, there were an estimated 500 Christians from a Muslim background in Iran. Today, there are hundreds of thousands-some say more than 1 million.”

And get this… “the second fastest growing church today is in Afghanistan and Afghans are being reached in part by Iranians, since their languages are similar.”

So how does this apply to 1 Corinthians 15? Paul is talking to the church about the resurrection. He makes it clear that if the resurrection isn’t true than there is no point to even living out a Christian life. If it all ends at the cemetery...what’s the point?! He talks about the suffering he and others have gone through for the faith. Friends, there have been so many martyrs over the years for Jesus. People who could’ve simply denied the faith and lived, but chose not to, and died horrific deaths. Why would people do this if not for the hope of the resurrection?

We can either live for this world or for the next. We can’t do both. In America, it’s easy to forget this reality as we live for the most part in comfort. People who are being persecuted have no confusion on the issue. They’ve banked everything on the next. 

For the most part...the Iranian church of today is being led by women! Women who often have been raped and have seen and experienced horrific things and great loss. There is no central church leadership/denomination or even any church buildings to go to. It’s an underground thing, based solely on people sharing their testimony of what Jesus has done in their life. The women are gentle, filled with love and are experiencing healing through the power of forgiveness. They are risking everything, every day and have decided to be literally living sacrifices if necessary. Wow!

Christians from the Middle East see the United States as being under Satan’s lullaby. Look around and you’ll see it. Where is the urgency? Where is the power of Jesus on display? It’s worth pondering and examining our lives to see...is the power of Jesus, the hope of resurrection, changing anything in my day to day life? If not...why? It might be time to reexamine our world view. We need an awakening.

(The information that I have quoted is from the article “The Story of Iran’s Church in Two Sentences” by Mark Howard)

-Ruth Spencer

Effect

“But by the grace of God, I am who I am and His grace to me was not without effect”.

 1 Corinthians 15:10a

She said it was her life verse, and that without His grace she would be dead. Like countless others she had been ensnared by alcohol and drugs while numbing the pain of abuse. When you are lost in the deepest pit with no hope at all, and God finds you there with His love, it changes everything.

God’s grace is demonstrated to all of us the same way. Our hearts are set against the Creator of the universe and we rebel against the One to whom all things are in submission. Yet He did not pour His wrath out on us, but while we were still sinners, He sent His sinless Son to become sin for us and to surrender His life as a ransom for our own.

By the grace of God, we are who we are. We are a new creation, seen by our Father through the righteousness of Jesus. No longer are we enslaved to the prince of the power of the air, rather we are co-heirs with Christ. We are loved more than we can fathom. We are not alone, but adopted into His family. We have purpose, good works He has set us apart for. We have a hope and a future. Yes, He died, but He also rose and conquered death!

My friend knows in the deepest part of her being that every breath she breathes is a gift from God. It changes how she loves people and gives her a deep compassion for others.  It even enables her to forgive those who have wounded her. His grace to her was not without effect.

Has His great love pursued you? May your life forever reflect the effect of His grace given to you.

-Natalie Runyon