Blog: October 2019

Halloween gets a lot of attention, but don’t forget about Reformation Day.  On October 31, 1517, Martin Luther nailed his famous “95 Theses” to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany, to declare his faith and to plead for reform within a wayward Roman Catholic church that had degenerated even to the point of promising spiritual favors in return for money (i.e., the sale of indulgences). The Reformation was all about returning to Scripture and redis­cover­ing the beautiful gift of justification by faith alone.  All merit-based ...

Our Fall Focus on Missions has us asking, “How big is your world?”  We do this to make sure we’re seeing the immense, diverse, made-in-God’s-image global community of souls the way God sees it.  Always remember John 3:16:  “For God so loved the world…” In our frantic and distracted times, it’s tempting to zoom in on our own personal, private concerns—to look inward and live for our­selves.  But Jesus is always calling us to look upward and outward:  Lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest (John 4:35). Goshen has ...

King Uzziah’s death marked the end of an era. His reign had been long and prosperous. Uzziah became king when he was 16, and he reigned over Judah for 52 years. Then Uzziah died. Under Uzziah’s leadership, God’s people had turned away from the promises of God and trusted in the promises of the world around them. God had promised to bless the entire world through Abraham’s family, but God’s people were rebellious. Instead of blessing, they set themselves up to receive God’s judgment. But God’s plans and promises were not thwarted. God sent ...

On November 24 it will be our privilege to gather for worship and witness followers of Jesus stepping into the waters of baptism. Why practice baptism?  That’s easy:  Jesus told us to do so.  “Go and make disciples among all people groups, baptizing them…” in God’s name (Matthew 28:19).  We’re under orders—as church leaders, to provide baptism opportunities; and as Christ-followers, to give a public demonstration of our faith in Jesus by being baptized.  This commission is in force “until the end of the age” (28:20). Let’s step back:  the ...

God’s people had a history of disobeying God. Sin separated them from God. But man was created to know and love God, and God was working out a plan to bring His children back to Himself. Like any good father, God knows that disobedience needs to be punished. “For the LORD disciplines the one he loves, just as a father disciplines the son in whom he delights” (Prov. 3:12). After the tribes of Israel split into the Northern Kingdom and Southern Kingdom, God sent prophets to both kingdoms to warn the people to turn from their sins and obey ...

As we gather to discuss the proposal of changing our church name (join us for the Elders’ town hall meeting this Sunday at 5:30 p.m.), it strikes me that 1 Corinthians 9:19-23 is very relevant.  Paul talks about adjusting his approach and becoming “all things to all people.” He goes on to say that his others-oriented, self-giving lifestyle of love is an example for Christians to follow (11:1).  So we can’t just brush off becoming “all things to all people” as a charge unique to Paul or unrealistic for us.  It’s our calling. But what does ...

Hosea was a prophet to the Northern Kingdom of Israel for at least forty years. God sent Hosea to tell Israel of God’s hatred toward sin and of His coming judgment. (See Hos. 4:1,6.) God also sent Hosea to bring a message of love—a love that never gives up. (See Hos. 11:7-9.) To get the message across to the Israelites, God used Hosea’s own life to show Israel what a never-gives-up kind of love looks like. Hosea obeyed God’s instructions to marry a prostitute. Hosea loved Gomer as his wife, even though he knew she would not be faithful to ...

The Letter to the Galatians addresses one of the most crucial issues in life—and it’s some­thing we all struggle with:  our conduct and pleasing God. What is the proper motivation for good deeds, and when does our effort to act rightly become nothing more than an exercise in self-righteousness?  Or differently yet:  How can we walk with Jesus daily and lead grace-driven rather than performance-based lives? Much is at stake here.  In Galatians 2:14 Paul points out that works of the law that elevate self above others are “not in step with the ...