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Faith

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by Jeff Foerster

What is this faith thing? We can’t see faith any more than we can see the wind. But like the wind, faith is a mover. Faith bears itself out in actions (James 2). We see the results of the wind, so too do we see the results of faith.

Brian spoke Sunday of extraordinary people. He spoke of people like the wind, who moved mountains because they acted based not on the circumstances they could see, but on the God they set their gaze upon. These people were extraordinary because they refused to yield to hopelessness, despair, or doubt. They were ordinary in and of themselves, but they recognized Him who is outside of the ordinary and placed their trust, their hope on Him.

Faith filters the visible world through the invisible God. Circumstances become means to an end (becoming ever closer with God), not ends in themselves. Hope is not born of “glass-half-full” theology. It does not come with strings attached and predetermined outcomes that must be met to keep it afloat. Faith comes from embracing a vision of the victory of the cross. Jesus shouted “It is finished!” Faith is remembering this: God has secured the victory; what can man (or the world, or the devil and his demons) do to me? (Psalm 56:11, 118:6)

Be sure, dark clouds will gather. Rain will drench and winds will buffet. Storms will test our foundation and movement will come. Fix your eyes upon Jesus and cling to the promises of God laid out for us in the Holy Scriptures. Refuse to follow the ways and priorities of the world which is perishing, but set your eyes upon Him and the victory He has secured.

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In Love with Death

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By Jeff Foerster

Are you more in love with life, or with death?

An odd question. Yes, it must be odd. If not, then requiring a second look. Are you aware of all the death surrounding us?

Prime time dramas featuring corpses and gore, “reporting” shows detailing serial killers and victims of various violent crimes, and movies containing dozens of violent deaths are regularly offered up. We are fascinated by “bones” and “criminal minds” and bringing vengeance upon men named “Bill.” The public has become captivated by vampires and zombies alike. So mainstream has this become that zombies have left the horror film genre and ventured into video games, documentaries, comedies, and even romances (yes, you read that right).

For those of you feeling “safe” from my description thus far, consider the UFC sporting events, hockey games, or any sampling of the nightly “news.” We are saturated; violence is a way of life here. So what?

Before you think that I am here to claim a moral high ground and spit words toward the wanton masses below, I need say that I first write for my own instruction on this matter, then pray that you may benefit as well. I am also not presupposing I know the detail of what you should feed your mind and heart upon (other than the Bible). I do not have a list of dos and don’ts for you to follow. My desire is for your careful consideration of how we live and the consequences of doing so.

That said, I believe there is a numbing quality to acts of violence, like so much novocaine before a dental procedure. The first injection assaults the senses with a sharp pain in the flesh. The second exposure is unpleasant, but with somewhat less perceptible injury. After just a few minutes the application of any further doses can be endured or even ignored, as previous exposures have numbed most feeling away. So too does living with regular doses of violence dull any remaining sensitivity.

This frequent exposure to violence and death does more than serve to generally numb us; it can make us complacent toward evil. Another murder, another death, another blow to the head. Each subsequent violation means less and less.

What are we doing?! What does a believer in the Lord of life have in common with all this death? Is it entertaining to watch vampire lore mock the sacrificial blood of our Savior? What do I gain from watching one athlete beat another man, who bears the image of the immortal God, until he can no longer stand? Is it amusing to see “zombies”—those alive in body, yet dead in spirit (sound familiar?—Ephesians 2:1-3) slaughtered in so many creative ways?

This violence, however, is yet an accomplice to a greater crime. I fear for myself, for you and me alike. I fear that I might be blunting my passion for the things that God has a passion for. I hope and pray that this possibility causes real fear within you, fear that leads you to flee from what numbs your heart into complacency and hopelessness. Fear that drives you to the pure Word of the God who has no equal. His word has power, power to deliver from death unto life eternal.

Our God and Father, “even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ” (Ephesians 2:5). Do you have within you a strong desire to see those lost in your family, in your neighborhood, and at your workplace come to a saving relationship with Jesus? In a dying generation, we have the words of life!

Many things I don’t know, but I do know this: when nightly “news” recounts neighborhood death tolls and when viewing rotting corpses and severed appendages turns from being repugnant to mere background noise in entertainment, our acceptance of something that we as believers in the Lord of life should flee gains strength and diminishes our passion to see the lost snatched from the jaws of death and the fires of hell (Jude 23). Instead, “I want you to be wise in what is good, and innocent in what is evil” (Romans 16:19) so that you “may prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world” (Philippians 2:15).

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FINANCES: What’s Our Status?

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By Pastor Martin and Jeff Foerster

Talking (or writing) about money is usually a touchy subject with people. However, at Elim, you have asked us to keep you informed regarding the church’s financial status.

Last year was an amazing year. In its first quarter (January-March) we experienced an average weekly giving of $7,352 and our average weekly budget was $6,505. We celebrated God’s goodness and this congregation’s generosity and faithfulness.

During its second quarter (April-June) we saw a decline –which is always expected as we head into summer – but the average weekly giving was $6,606, which was still above budget.

Fast-forward to the fourth quarter (October-December) and average weekly giving bounced back to $6,903. However, this amount was buoyed significantly by the last three weeks of December, when we experienced extraordinary year-end giving, due in part to our Give Away Sunday.

When looking at the big picture for 2013, the 2014 budget, which requires an average weekly giving of $6,909, seemed reasonable and well within our financial capacity.

However, giving for 2014 has started out a lot like the stock market: Down! Our average weekly giving through February 2nd has been $4,964. As you can tell, this is $1,945 per week short of our budget. While giving will fluctuate month to month, it doesn’t normally dip this far below budget for more than a week or two at this time of the year.

As the Elders and Stewardship Team pray through this issue and seek God’s wisdom we ask the inevitable question: “Why?” Is the decline due to the mortgage being paid off, and therefore people don’t feel the need to give? Is the decline due to higher healthcare costs related to the Affordable Care Act? Ultimately, we don’t know the answers to these questions.

The Elders are informing the Elim Body of this need and then calling us to pray for discernment for the Elder board and Stewardship Team. Pray also for a renewed faith and willingness to honor the Lord with our finances. We are fond of the truth that God owns the cattle on a thousand hills but He expects us to be responsible stewards of the beef He has given to us.

In addition, we are freezing the following spending until giving meets budget.

  • Pastoral Staff expense accounts.
  • All non-essential property spending.
  • All non-essential ministry program spending.
  • Pastoral Staff H.S.A. (Health Savings Account) distributions

While we may not understand the decline in giving, I realize that many people already give sacrificially. You have said “no” to many things so you can say “yes” to honoring our Lord. Thank you! Your sacrificial gifts are sacred to God, and Elim’s leadership feels the weight of responsibility to use them wisely to further Christ’s mission for His church.

I also realize that many people may not be giving sacrificially, or some not at all. I would encourage you, like the Macedonians in 2 Corinthians 8:5, to present yourselves first to our Lord and then to the work of Elim. Stewardship begins as a matter of the heart: A heart first for the Lord and then for His work.

Now that the mortgage is paid off, (a savings of $304 per week or $1,320 per month) what’s next? The Elders are praying through options. In the near future, we will present some options for Elim to prayerfully consider. So far, we have briefly discussed the much-needed repair and expansion of the Youth House (aka MOPs house, Children’s Ministries House …) to partnering with a church plant in the Puyallup area. I’m certain that as we continue to pray and wait on our Lord, more ideas will come to the table as well as much-needed clarity. Until then, we have established the Freedom Fund. This is a fund where we make monthly deposits out of our budget that would have gone to make the mortgage payment.

Given how God has blessed us in the past, we trust that even during this present shortfall God has great things in store as we dedicate ourselves to following Him! Therefore we will praise Him and seek Him. We worship because of how He has delivered in the past, and how He will deliver in the future. Whatever He has planned, we rush toward it expectantly, excited to see how His greatness will be demonstrated in the face of these circumstances.

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New Life’s Resolution

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By Jeff Foerster

Ick. I feel like I need to wash my soul. There’s so much sin being exalted everywhere I look and listen. The stench is almost palpable. My eyes are assaulted and my ears bombarded with tales from this mad, mad world. Evil is celebrated and good is denigrated. For the unrighteous there are parades and guest appearances and accolades heralding courage. The righteous receive scorn and abuse.

I could sit with you and spout example after example of our wayward culture and the broken people we champion. I could explain how shame has been banished to a foreign land while new ways of doing evil are eagerly pursued and found greatly amusing by the many. I could and you could as well, but to what end? It’s easy to get lost in the fog of it all. But find our way out we must.

We grieve over the state of our country. We want our culture to repent. But do we recognize our own sin? Do we grieve over our sin? Is there mourning in the house of God? What I speak of is our need for repentance. We began this way. Every believer in the Lord Jesus Christ began their journey with it. Far from being a one-time event, repentance is a daily need for every Christian. It’s a way of life. When I repent I am agreeing with God that the sin in my life stinks. I am calling it what it is: not a “mistake” I have made, but evil I have chosen. I declare that it hurts the God who died for me and mars the relationship between us.

Repentance begins when each of us takes an honest look inside our own heart. Paul encourages us to pursue this evaluation of self; as he writes in 1 Corinthians 11:31, “But if we judged ourselves rightly, we would not be judged” (by God). I write this to you knowing that just as Scripture says judgment begins with the house of God (1 Peter 4:17), judgment falls on my own heart with the pouring out of these words. How can I help those drowning in our culture if I have sin unresolved within me (Matthew 7:3-5)?

This life of repentance requires a knowledge of sin. Instead of looking to my neighbor to determine right and wrong, I must turn toward God and His instruction, written for us in the Bible. Regular reading, listening, and studying provides a foundation of truth. “The law of the LORD is perfect, restoring the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple” (Psalm 19:7).

What if I still don’t know, or can’t put a name to, my sin? Ask of God and He will help. It is His joy for you to be purged of sin, being conformed to the image of His Son (Romans 8:29). Furthermore, David prays, “Also keep back Your servant from presumptuous sins; let them not rule over me; then I shall be blameless, and I shall be acquitted of great transgression” (Psalm 19:13).

It’s true one needn’t be a Pharisee to find fault in our generation, but our first order of business must be to face our own lives with a sense of humility before our Righteous Judge. If you care about our country, if you care about our culture, if you care about the lost ones whom Jesus loves, start off this year with a bang! I invite you to join me in making a resolution for 2014. Better than exercising more or eating healthier, this resolution will truly change your life and the lives of others, forever:

“I resolve to spend 2014 in daily repentance of my sin before our holy God.”

—Who’s with me?

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All Things Considered … ?

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By Jeff Foerster

Brian asked the question one Sunday, “How is culture staining you?” One of the dangers in my experience here is believing the cultural lie that things are generally supposed to work well or to my liking. If I experience some dissatisfaction, the lie goes, this requires a remedy which is readily available for purchase somewhere, in some form. Either that, or I can journey inward because of my perceived lack in comparison to what I believe I am owed for my efforts.

In order to avoid the pain that life brings, I find myself considering many things: How is my lawn looking?  How much work must I do before morning?  What shape are my finances in?  Do others respect me?  Do others like me?  Do others need me?  What does my car say about me?  Does the way I keep my home give others the right message?  What am I putting in my body?  What am I putting on my body?

Martin suggested we examine the thoughts which visit our minds and carefully evaluate those which take residence therein. Do you spend time entertaining the voice of evil?  Do you let linger hurt or malice or lust or mistrust?  Do you spend “brain time” on acquiring things to make your life better, or on bettering yourself for … ?

How do you spend the resources of your mind? I myself would like to consider all things. There simply is not time to do so. There are many things which we might consider. Here’s one that God has provided:

“Consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself so that you may not grow weary and lose heart.”  (Hebrews 12:3)

In this weary-laden world I am in danger of losing heart. I will not, because Jesus, the Way, has shown me a way to live here in the shadow lands where all is not well. I will choose to linger on Him who died for me. I will choose to linger on His suffering born of perfect patience and great love. I will linger on His majesty, to be revealed when we meet Him in the air.

We do not battle with physical things, but with powers yet unseen. The war that is waged is for the mind and spirit. Because of Jesus we can be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. (Ephesians 6:10)

Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence, and if anything worthy of praise, let your mind dwell on these things. (Philippians 4:8)

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Do You Mind?

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By Jeff Foerster

We purchase milk for our families devoid of bovine growth hormones. We stock up on organic produce that contains neither pesticide nor chemical fertilizer residue. We suck down vitamins and supplements like water. We look for whole grains, and seek out fresh fruits and vegetables from local farmers’ markets. We avoid high-fructose corn syrup, refined sugars, MSG, trans fats, and high-caloric foods.

We give such high regard to the care and maintenance of our physical bodies. Do we place an equal emphasis upon the care and maintenance of our minds?

Do we drink of the pure milk of Scripture? Do we labor to build up our minds with the nutritious word of God? What weight do you give to the feeding of your heart and mind?  The Scripture guides us to, “Set your minds on the things above, not on the things that are on earth” (Colossians 3:2). It urges, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind …” (Romans 12:2).

Does it really matter what I watch? Does it matter what I listen to? Does it matter what I read? Does it matter what I say to others? Does it matter what I say to myself? Does it really matter?

God says it does. “Do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God?” (James 4:4). What is the measuring stick you use? How do you evaluate your choices pertaining to entertainment, information, and conversation? Do you stay just one step outside the cultural norms, thinking, “At least I’m not __________,” or, “Compared to most people…”?

What is on your grocery list for your mind? What are on the nutrition labels of the conversations, diversions, and entertainments you consume? Do you take into account the long-term effect of the language you hear, the words you say, and the quiet thoughts you harbor? Does it matter what stirs my heart with emotion?

If I may, let me offer a few questions through which we can filter our choices:

  • Does this choice honor God and align with His character in some way?
  • Am I considering the good of someone other than me first?
  • What is the purpose of my involvement in this activity?

God has promised to draw near to us as we draw near to Him (James 4:8). May He bless you as you do just that.

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