In the midst of the Civil War, on October 3, 1863, Abraham Lincoln called for Americans “to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens.” So it has been for the last 145 years.

Ironically (at least it’s ironic now in light of our Thanksgiving celebrations), in March of the same year, Lincoln had declared a National Fast Day. I’d like for us to consider part of that much lesser-known speech:

We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of heaven; we have been preserved these many years in peace and prosperity; we have grown in numbers, wealth and power as no other nation has grown.
But we have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us, and we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own.
Intoxicated with unbroken success we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us!

And we think times have changed! Friends, let’s not forget from whom our bountiful blessings have come; let’s not forget the gracious hand that has preserved us; let’s not, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, imagine that our own superior wisdom and virtue has attained for us anything of value.

Last week, our small group spent our monthly fellowship time praying for each other’s families, especially those who are without the Lord. May we continue this week to lift up not only our families but also our nation. Many of our family members, neighbors, and leaders have indeed become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace. In great humility, may we both bless the name of our gracious and merciful Lord, and may we also speak of the glory of His kingdom, to make known to the sons of men His mighty acts (Psalm 145).

Happy Thanksgiving and Praise Day!!!

~adam graig for the Mission’s Team

This week’s “Wednesday Word” is a summary of an exposition of II Samuel 7 from Dr. Wellum given on Sunday, November 16, 2008.
To this point throughout the book of Samuel we have seen an escalation of a messianic expectation in seeing the institution of Israel’s monarchy. II Samuel, in particular, has highlighted Saul’s rejection and David’s rise to prominence. II Samuel 7 proves to be a chapter of the utmost importance. The author begins by presenting the theme of rest. David receives rest from his enemies as he has expanded Israel’s borders and defeated the enemies that Joshua failed to remove from the land. And not only does David find rest as he defeats his enemies, but the Lord promises a future rest from enemies in verse 11. The Lord then instructs Nathan that He will make an everlasting covenant with the house of David. He draws a connection between David and Moses by describing David as his servant and shepherd. Here the Lord presents David to be the mediator and intercessor for the people of Israel just as Moses was in Numbers 12. This continues as the Lord creates a connection between Abraham and David as he passes on the blessings of the Abrahamic covenant to David. David is given the promise of a great name and land mirroring the covenant seen in Genesis 12. However, this covenant proves greater than previous covenants in that the Lord promises his unconditional faithful regardless of the obedience of David’s line.

Another important element found within this chapter comes with David’s desire build a temple where the ark can dwell. In II Samuel 6 we see that David has brought the ark to Jerusalem and he know desires to build a house for the presence of the Lord. God rejects David’s intentions passing this blessing onto the son of David, which will be Solomon. This will signify the pinnacle of the kingdom of Israel although this success is short lived due to the disobedience of David and Solomon. However, Hebrews 3 shows us that this blessing to the son reaches its fulfillment in Christ. In line with Exodus 4 and Psalm 2, we see the true son of the Lord is Jesus, who embodies the fulfillment of the promises made to the house of David.

As II Samuel 7 concludes David speaks his prayer that affirms the will of the Lord. As a faithful servant David basically responds by saying, “your kingdom come, your will be done.” And following this faithful prayer of David, II Samuel 8-10 shows how this blessing to the house of David and a progression towards finding rest is continued as David has constant success in seeking to expand the kingdom and defeat the enemies of the Lord. God gives prosperity to whatever David’s hand touches and gives him victory over his enemies to show the Lord is the true king of Israel.

MES

Have you ever discussed a case in your college ethics class where 5 people are tied to the railroad tracks with a runaway train fast approaching? You are in charge of the switch at a fork in the tracks that changes the tracks and thus the path of the train. If you don’t change the path, the people will die. If you do change them, there is one person tied to the second track who will die. It usually comes down to how you justify saving the 5 people on the first track by rerouting its path and thereby killing the one person on the second track.

Well, in a challenging chapter from Let the Nations Be Glad, John Piper uses an interesting ethical case of his own to show that the gospel turns worldly notions of love and greater good on their heads. The challenging part of the message is that many believers today operate with false notions of God’s love and are astonished to learn that his purposes to glorify himself in missions might not include saving the five for the one either.

Piper points to two sinking ocean liners with hundreds of people on there who cannot swim. You are the head of a rescue team that comes upon the first boat to find all of its passengers hopelessly scrambling to save their lives . You engage your rescue boat’s crew to save as many as possible. Then you are confronted with the fact that there is another ship some distance away and that the passengers there are in the same situation as these people except no one to rescue them. What do you do? What is the most loving thing to do? Piper argues that in the end it is very likely that you would keep the team where it was in order to maximize the time and energy you would lose in getting over there because in the end saved lives are saved lives. Therefore you would not save any from the second boat.

Piper argues that what we discover from Scripture is that God in fact does leave the first ship to save some from the second. This difficult truth reflects what is at the heart of God’s call upon the life of every missionary, to go to “all the nations.” A missionary is essentially sent out to leave the place of great harvest and easier labor (a reached people) to go and reap a harvest from a place with more difficult ground and with likely fewer results (an unreached people). God’s heart for his people to be ransomed from every tongue, tribe and nation (Rev 7:9) means that his priority is on the spread of his gospel to all the peoples (or people groups) of the world and not on the most individuals saved. I found this to be tough to understand at first but essential in our understanding of God and his call on our lives to go to “all nations” (Mat 28:19).

I want to finish this post by setting a challenge:

To those who are wrestling with the call to missions in their lives - will you consider that the Lord might be calling you to minister in another place around the world where faithful ministry means 50 converts in your lifetime versus the potentially greater impact that you would have as a minister here

OR

To those who are confident with the call to missions in their lives - will you consider that the Lord might be calling you to minister to a people who have never heard the gospel before and do not have the gospel or the Bible even in their heart language though you might have a greater harvest in a different place overseas?

This is a challenge indeed. ….all for the glory of God in the face of Christ to be displayed through the power of the Spirit among all the peoples of the earth!!! “Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples!” Ps 96:3

-Nick Miersma for the Missions Team
(Excerpts taken from Let the Nations Be Glad, the chapter entitled, “Supremacy of God among ‘All the Nations’”)

This week’s “Wednesday Word” is a summary of Dr. Wellum’s exposition of 2 Samuel 1- 6 given on Sunday, November 9, 2008.

This week we caught a glimpse of a kingdom with a less than democratic transition of power. 2 Samuel continues with the ascension and rule of David after the deaths of Saul and Jonathan. Chapter 1 begins as David dialogues with an enigmatic Amalekite in Zikglag who claims to have assisted Saul’s suicide. The Amalekite, hoping for a king’s bounty, is instead seized and put to death. Though doubtful as to the truth of his claims, David condemns the killing of his adversary saying, “How is it that you were not afraid to put out your hand to destroy the Lord’s anointed?” (2 Sam 1:14). David continues his lament in chapter 1: “Your glory, O Israel, is slain on your high places! How the mighty have fallen!” (1:19). Though Saul had been a threat to David’s life and rule, David loved Saul at his death even by honoring the men who buried him (2:4-7).

Chapter 2 is marked by David’s second anointing, followed by bloodshed in civil war. Emerging from the house of David and the house of Saul are two rival generals, Joab and Abner (2:12). The two begin by having their men fight, 12 each, representing the twelve tribes and an allusion to true Israel. This soon leads to the death of Asahel, Joab’s brother, as Abner flees from Joab. 360 of Benjamin are struck down that day by David’s men (2:31). Saul’s house, ruled by his son Ish-bosheth, diminishes as David’s house grows in strength (3:1). Thereafter, Abner makes a covenant with David on the condition that he procures his wife Michal (3:13). The covenant, however, carries no lasting promise; Joab exacts revenge on Abner by killing him privately. When David hears the news, he mourns Abner’s death.

As he received word of his general’s death, Ish-bosheth knew he was finished. With no formidable strength or power, Ish-bosheth was assassinated in his sleep by two captains, Baanah and Rechab. The two young captains quickly brought Ish-bosheth’s head to David hoping to receive a reward, but David charged them with a crime worse than the Amalekite saying: “shall I not now require his blood at your hand and destroy you from the earth?” (4:11b). The young men were put to death and their hands and feet were hung beside the pool at Hebron. With no remaining successors in Saul’s house, David was anointed king of Israel, thus, consolidating power and unifying the kingdom. He then defeated the Phillistines at Rephaim (5:17-25).

Finally, it was time for David to return the ark of God back to Israel. While moving the ark from the house of Abinadab, Uzzah grabbed the ark as it was slipping from the cart. This occasion of celebration quickly turned to mourning as Uzzah was instantly struck dead. The ark was not carried by a Levite (1 Chr 15:2). David was angry that the Lord killed Uzzah and left the ark at Obed-edom’s house. Later David received word: “The Lord has blessed the house of Obed-edom…” (6:12). Once again David had the ark moved, this time to Jerusalem and celebrated by dancing before the ark of God.

Throughout these early chapters we see that David’s moments of greatness were not without evidences of weakness. David resorts to polygamy by taking several wives, thus, he buffers his strength through illegitimate means (2:2; 5:13). We also see failure on the part of David to rebuke and punish his nephew Joab for the murder of Abner. This is reminiscent of Samuel and Eli’s similar failures as fathers. Furthermore, Chapter 6 reveals that there is derision in his own house; Michal despised David (6:16). The transfer of power from Saul to David meant that Israel finally had the perfect king, right? Was David the real change agent Israel had hoped for? As we will soon see the Davidic promise and hope of Israel was not based on the character or leadership of one man but firmly secured in the faithfulness and mercies of Israel’s true Sovereign. Their future, as well as, our future is in his hands.

~Ryan Helfenbein

~ds

A recent publication of The Commission magazine had this as its front page headliner. The area in question: South America. (You can view the article and a nice slideshow here.)

The Amazon Basin is home to more than 400 distinct people groups, and 270 of them have no missionaries living among them. One of our own couples, though, is working to shrink that number. The Gilpin family – Matthew, Tara, Lydia, Samuel, and one on the way! – are working among the Eastern Amazonian peoples as lay leadership trainers. As we have committed to send some peanut butter and taco sauce their way, may we commit all the more to pray for them. Friends, I can assure you that the Gilpin family can receive no greater Christmas gift from our class than the sustained prayer of faithful brothers and sisters. Let’s commit together to lift them up to our Father – there is no shipping fee or weight limit!

Colossians 4:2-3 “Devote yourselves to prayer…praying…that God will open up to [them] a door for the word, so that [they] may speak forth the mystery of Christ.”

Ephesians 6:19 pray that the Gilpin’s would “make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel.”

~adam graig for the Missions Team

Class,

It has been some time since the birth of Alivia Gaines back on August 12th. Here is an update from the fam!

Melisa and I are doing well. She is doing a great job taking care of Alivia and doing all the mom things that go along with that. I’m staying busy with the internship at church and starting to prepare for classes in the Fall. The internship is looking good. I’ve been able to familiarize myself with many of the ministries at Bellevue, spending the majority of my time assisting in counseling sessions, visiting hospitals and shut-ins, observing a variety of administrative meetings, and reading some good books on the local church. We’re not sure if our first real batch of interns will be able to start in the Spring or if we’ll have to wait a semester or two–the weak economy has affected our church somewhat, just as it has the rest of the world.

Looking forward to seeing our Ninth and O family!

In Christ,

Grant and Melisa

This week’s “Wednesday Word” is a summary of Dr. Wellum’s exposition of Samuel 16-23 given on Sunday, October 27, 2008.

Hannah’s song from the beginning of I Samuel has set the tone of the book – the mighty and arrogant will be brought down, but the Lord will exalt the poor and his chosen anointed. In chapters 24-31 of I Samuel, we observe God’s judgment of Saul and the continued ascension of David as the true representative and anointed of God. The contrast between David and Saul is highlighted, for David refuses to take matters into his own hands, refusing to take revenge on Saul and Nabal, but Saul plummets further into spiritual darkness as he pursues David’s life and completely rebels against God by consulting with the witch of En-dor.

Chapters 24-26 present David in a positive light generally, for he commits himself to the ways and timing of the Lord by not killing Saul even though he is granted ample opportunities. David rejects the counsel of his men to kill Saul in the cave, resisting the temptation to treat Saul as Saul has treated David, and so David spares the Lord’s anointed (I Sam 24:10). In this episode, even Saul confesses that David is more righteous than he and that the kingdom of Israel will be established through David (24:17-21). In chapter 25, the writer inserts another episode where David’s patience and refusal to take matters into his own hands is displayed. In his dealings with wicked Nabal, David would have destroyed Nabal and his household, but Abigail intercedes and David receives her discernment and is persuaded to not take revenge on Nabal. After God strikes down Nabal, we do see that David is not completely obedient to God, for he takes Abigail and Ahinoam as wives and thereby multiplies wives even though forbidden (see Deuteronomy 17:17). In chapter 26, we see again that David refuses to strike down the Lord’s anointed as he entrusts himself to the Lord and his timing in removing Saul.

The contrasts between David and Saul are brought into greater focus in chapters 27-31. David is going about doing the Lord’s work, killing off the Amalekites and other foreign inhabitants from the land (I Sam 27), but Saul, when faced with the Philistines, does not trust in the Lord as he consults a medium to conjure up the spirit of Samuel. First Samuel comes to a close with David winning victory and plunder over his enemies, abiding in the Lord even though his men consider stoning following the captivity of their families (I Sam 30:3-20), but Saul and his sons are defeated in battle with Saul coming to a dishonorable end – he commits suicide.

From I Samuel 24-31 we learn that we must emulate David and by extension, Jesus. Jesus always entrusted himself to God, devoting himself to doing everything according to the will of God. David, like Jesus, refuses to take revenge on his enemies in these accounts, for he is confident that the Lord will accomplish his purposes. We too must not seek revenge but leave such matters to the Lord. Finally, the exchange between David and Abigail suggests that we heed the righteous counsel of others, even when it comes from an unlikely source.

~Brent Parker

~ds

Elections are coming very soon. One of the abiding issues on the table is the war and its effects on the country and people of Iraq and on our troops and our country.

The ironic thing about it is that the cares and concerns, even the priorities and pursuits, which shape my daily routine (and I think, the routine of many of the people throughout the US) resemble more and more the mentality of a time of peace and prosperity rather than a mindset in the midst of war. In fact, I think that unless you have a family member or a close connection with someone in the war, the prospects of the election have roused more people to attention than the actual war has.

I do not wish to overstate my point. And the point that I make is this: There is an uncanny parallel between our nation’s mentality about war and the mentality of missions held by numerous Christians today. Unless we know someone who is a missionary or have been to the frontlines ourselves (though some of the short-term trips could hardly be called such), we are almost completely oblivious to the work of our brothers and sisters in places all over the world to spread the news of the gospel against the wishes of those who are presently enemies of Christ.

Knowing that I speak as one who himself does not often think from a wartime perspective, I still want to persuade us to think about and evaluate the kinds of cares, concerns, priorities and pursuits we have now and how they would be affected by a more constant awareness of the continuous battle that rages for the gospel all over the world.

I suggest as a first step shifting our focus in prayer. Now, I speak as one who struggles greatly to do anything consistently, let alone pray, so do not consider brushing off the proposal. Therefore, it is my prayer that we as believers would grow not only into greater conformity with our Savior Jesus Christ, who alone is the King of kings and the Lord of lords, but also to grow in our desire to see the work of reconciliation and rescue, to which Christ has called us, be furthered all over the world by lifting up in intercession the cares, concerns, priorities, and pursuits of our Triune God and his ambassadors, as they battle what is not of flesh and blood to proclaim the excellencies of him who called us out of darkness into his marvelous light.

To this end, we hope, as the missions team, to begin putting in front of you all lists of prayers and requests from those we know who are serving as missionaries to better enable us to pray for the work and unassailable plans of our Almighty God.

In the meantime, pray:

that God would be glorified among the nations,

that it would proceed through the faithful proclamation of the gospel,

and that the proclamation would go forth in power that stems from the earnest prayers of his children!

Inspiration and some thoughts taken from Let The Nations Be Glad and its chapter on prayer and missions.

~Nick for the Missions Team