Blog: May 2021

As the Apostle Paul winds up the Letter to the Romans, he says: “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope” (15:13).  “The God of hope” wants believers to “abound in hope.” But today hope is in short supply.  Our weary world, worn down by pandemic and politics (etc.!), is desperate for hope.  And yet, let’s be careful—and be clear on what Christian hope hopes FOR. Christian hope is bigger than mere optimism.  We don’t hope merely for good health, happy ...

Wisdom is more than knowledge.  It involves knowledge, but wis­dom also requires patience, discernment, perspective, humility, and application (that is, putting the truth into practice). Unfortunately, in today’s digital age, in this world of social media chatter and endless online distraction, wisdom swims against the current.  As Erik Raymond points out in a recent article, “If Satan can’t destroy you he is content to simply divert you.”  In The Screwtape Letters, C. S. Lewis notes that the more a believer gives in to distraction, the ...

A few years ago I raised the question:  What are the gains and losses that come with using a digital Bible?  It's not a simple situation; there are pros and cons.  After exploring the range of issues, I concluded with this recommendation:  "Use the digital tools to supplement a primary and focused practice of reading Scripture in print."  Have your own bound-book Bible, pages and all, make yourself at home in it, and use it for personal study and small group discussion and church worship services.  I'd say the same today. Just recently ...

On Saturday, May 15, Goshen Baptist Preschool hosted a Women's Breakfast themed "Resting in the truth of God's Protection." Seventy-six women attended and were treated to a scrumptious homemade breakfast,  beautiful songs of worship, and a Peanut Auction! Our speaker was Pauline Williams, GBP's Bookkeeper and Office Assistant.  Pauline spoke about God's hand of protection throughout her life.  You can hear Pauline's amazing story here. The Preschool staff wants to extend a THANK YOU to all who helped and participated in the Morning of ...

A blunt reality of life is that “the prince of the power of the air” (Eph 2:2), Satan, still rages against all who are in Christ.  To be sure, at the cross the Son of God struck a lethal blow against the Evil One, and we know how things will end (see Rev 20:10).  But for now, between Jesus’ first and second comings, the devil is still ominous—a roaring lion “seeking someone to devour” (1 Pet 5:8). One of the his chief strategies is deception:  “Satan disguises him­self as an angel of light” (2 Cor 11:14), but in fact he is a liar (John ...

Words are powerful—for good or ill.  “Death and life are in the power of the tongue” (Proverbs 18:21).  And further, “No one can tame the tongue” (James 3:8).  We need help. So in our digital age, we do well to pause and pray before blurting out words of attack or self-defense.  “Be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger” (James 1:19).  Let’s extrapolate and say:  “Be quick to get the whole story,” and “Be slow to tweet.” In A Way with Words:  Using Our Online Conversations for Good, Daniel Darling challenges Christians about ...

As the early church expanded outside Jerusalem, new churches were planted in various cities. Each church needed godly leaders to help it grow and stay true to the gospel. Paul understood this need, which is why he wrote letters to some of the leaders in the church. Two of these leaders were Timothy and Titus. Timothy was Paul’s friend. He had traveled with Paul and helped him. Now Timothy was a leader at the church in Ephesus. Titus was a Gentile believer. He had traveled with Paul too. Now Titus was on the island of Crete to help train ...

Our Goshen Lay Care Team is sponsoring this important event on Friday, May 14, from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. Scott Edwards from the Peacemaker Center will speak, and GBC family members will share stories of God’s care thru grief. Grief affects us all--whether you yourself are "in it" or others around you are grieving (or will be in the future), it's crucial to be aware of the ways of grief and know how to respond. The Lord calls us to be ready to "Comfort one another" (2 Corinthians 13:11). Plan to come--and spread the word! This event is for ...