Blog: August 2020

As Jesus traveled and taught, people were trying to figure Him out. Who was this man? Was He a prophet? Was He crazy? Where did He come from? Some people thought He was John the Baptist who had been raised from the dead; others thought He was Elijah or another ancient prophet. Peter recognized Jesus as God’s Messiah. (See Luke 9:19-20.) One of the ways Jesus revealed His identity was through His miracles. Jesus performed miracles to glorify God, to show He is the Son of God, and to care for people. For three of Jesus’ disciples—Peter, ...

Last Monday I began hearing from Goshen people who’d received an email claiming to be from me.  The subject line said, “Peace Unto You.”  Recipients were asked to email back promptly because “I need a favor.”  It ended with, “God Bless, Peter Nelson, Pastor.” Trouble is, this email did not come from me.  It seems that someone “out there” had hacked into some email message containing several GBC people’s addresses.  They’d also looked up our church online, found my name, and used it to try to draw people in. If anyone replied, a response ...

Jesus had just fed more than five thousand people on the shores of the Sea of Galilee. After sending away the people and directing His disciples to go back across the sea, Jesus went to a mountain to pray. It was late, and He sought to be alone with His Father. Jesus was preparing to fulfill His Father’s plan. Before long, He would die on the cross and rescue people from sin. While Jesus prayed, the disciples struggled to cross the sea. A storm came and tossed their boat up and down. They didn’t make any progress against the waves. Then, in ...

Last Sunday we began a trek into the high peaks of Mark’s Gospel—with steep trails, thin air, and spectacular views of the Son of God!  Mark’s story of Jesus is fast-paced; the Messiah comes on the scene and takes charge!  This Jesus is the God-Man who’s come to do no less than transform your life and this world.  Here are a few key state­ments from and about Jesus in Mark’s Gospel: “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel” (1:15). “Rising very early in the morning, while it was still ...

Do you have a used phone, tablet and even laptop that you could donate to help spread the Gospel?  Missionaries are being trained in the Middle East, but they need devices to help them communicate and use the tools provided in training.  Specifically, they need unlocked GSM (AT&T or T-Mobile) phones and their accessories (chargers, case, etc.). If you can donate, there are a few things to do to prepare the phone or tablet or laptop. Phone or tablet. The detailed steps differ for Android vs. iOS (Apple).  For some simple steps, see ...

Jesus’ disciples had been working hard, teaching people and healing them. Jesus called them to go away with Him to a desolate place so they could rest. By now, Jesus’ popularity was so great that finding a place to be alone was difficult. When Jesus and His disciples crossed the Sea of Galilee, the crowd of people were already waiting for them on the other side. Jesus saw the crowds, but He wasn’t frustrated or angry. He didn’t tell them to go away. Instead, He had compassion on them because they were lost—like sheep without a shepherd....

Our family spent last week at a cottage on the south shore of Lake Ontario.  The majesty of the Great Lakes has always grabbed my attention—they command respect the way a run-of-the-mill lake can’t match.  This time it was especially the range of moods that got to me:  dark, ominous waters under heavy thunderclouds; horizon glowing with sunset rays; calm and quiet; wavy and roaring; bright blue; and a faded gray sea merging into clouds with no separation. How is it the same vista can morph so dramatically?  Could it be that the Master ...

Ever said the phrase, “I need a vacation from my vacation”? Going on vacation can be hard work, especially with young kids, so when I started at GBC, I tried something new-  a two week vacation! As we all know, 2020 has been a trying year to say the least, so come July, I was more than ready for a break and needed to rest. We decided as a family to do a two week “quarantine-cation” to “keep it simple”, but as you could guess, that had it’s challenges too. It didn’t take long for me to grow frustrated and very self-centered as my ...