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Our Hope

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By Kendrick & Janna Gilli

Lift up your eyes to the heavens, look at the earth beneath; the heavens will vanish like smoke, the earth will wear out like a garment and its inhabitants die like flies. But my salvation will last forever, my righteousness will never fail. Isaiah 51:6

Fear is a crippling thing. It can wreck our lives, destroy our minds and bodies, and take our focus off the one thing that can help us: our hope in the Lord.

Lately we have had a lot to worry about. Satan has provided us with an abundance of reasons: COVID, riots, corrupt politicians, failing businesses, illness, death, loss, our economy, jobs … the list goes on and on. And if we let ourselves focus on our world and the downward turn it has taken, well, things could look very bleak indeed. In fact, depression and suicide are on the rise. People are focusing on their circumstances and they are forgetting what is desperately important.

Elim, our world IS going to get worse; the Bible is very clear on that. However, the Bible is also very clear on what WILL last and that is our salvation, our heavenly home, and God’s plan for us. No matter how bleak things seem or how much Satan seems to have taken hold, God is on His throne and has won the war.

This week God sent me a special reminder of this. We are visiting the Sharpes in Colorado and they took us on a spectacular hike in the mountains. It was breathtaking, and as we reached the top, I stopped for a breath on a boulder, looking out over the expanse of mountains, valleys, trees, rivers, and lakes. My heart was filled with wonder and joy at such amazing creation and God’s love.

Suddenly and without warning, a huge, violent wind began blowing, and there were dark clouds where seconds before was blue sky. It began thundering ominously and I knew that we better get off that mountain. In that moment, God spoke to me and said, “See my power! I am the God that calms a storm in an instant. I am the God that shakes the mountains. I am God and I am in control!” An awe of my God took my breath away, and I had tears running down my cheeks even as the rain began to pelt me while I hurried down the trail.

Later, after we were safely back in the car, I began to contemplate what God had spoken to me. I felt that God wanted me to share this message of hope with Elim.

29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Ephesians 4: 29-32

Let’s focus not upon our circumstances, but upon our hope in Christ. Our identity is not our jobs, our economy, or our political affiliations. Our identity is in Christ and our citizenship is in heaven. We need to conduct ourselves as daughters and sons of the King, loving each other well with our words and deeds. During these days of turmoil we need to stand together, setting aside our political views and differences. We need to love and encourage each other as brothers and sisters in Christ. When we start focusing our eyes on the battle around us and are filled with fear, let’s remind each other of our future and that God is on His throne through it all. Let’s stay focused on the real mission at hand: to glorify God by helping people know Christ personally, follow Him completely, and make him known throughout Puyallup and the world.

5 May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, 6 so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 15:5-6

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Liberty & Love

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By: Kendrick & Janna Gilli

Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called. (Eph. 4:2-4 NIV)

During these weeks and months that we have been separated, Satan has snuck in with disunity and annoyance for others. We may see the light at the end of the tunnel, but we are still a long way off. It sounds like we have weeks and maybe months before coming back together as a church. It seems like a long time, but it really is short in the span of a lifetime and when compared to eternal things.

Lately, I have heard more and more annoyance with everything that is going on. I have to admit that I am guilty of this as well. I get frustrated with this government entity or that group of protesters. I even get exasperated with people within the Body of Christ.

You see, I grew up in this country and I have also seen the lack of freedom in other countries, especially while living overseas for 10 years. Liberty is alive in me as a red-blooded American. This freedom gives us the “right” to complain about anything and everything without repercussions from the government. In these interesting and unprecedented times, liberty is rearing its head. It is so very important to many of us whether we realize it or not. Liberty is beautiful, but it can be dangerous to us as believers as well. In the Church, we are seeing people on all sides right now. Staying at home has just intensified this frustration and our deep-seated American need for liberty.  But, what truly is even more important than our liberty and freedom?

The answer is simple and straightforward: our job as Believers here on earth is to advance and spread the Gospel. That is the single most important mission in our lives and what God has called us to do as believers.  As Christians, our striving to become more like Jesus and bringing people to Him should be of utmost importance—even more than our freedom.  When we are being so forceful in our opinions about whether this quarantine should go on or not, might we also be turning people away from what our message should be? Are we just adding to the negative perceptions about Christians and enforcing people’s view that Christians do not care about others?  If you are vigorously arguing with someone about lesser things, are they going to want to later hear what you have to say about Christ? Before we speak and act, we need to carefully reflect on how our words and actions will hurt or help our mission here on earth.

“I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but not everything is constructive. (1 Cor. 10:23)

It is so easy to get caught up in the infringement of our rights or the outrage of having to wear a mask to a store. However, the Bible teaches us to have a bigger view of things, to remember that everything else will fade away, but God’s Kingdom will remain. So what is truly important? What do we need to remember as we are weighing our rights against our message and mission? His mission is more important than ours!

And what about the Church?  Are we so divided that we cannot give grace to our fellow brothers and sisters? We do not have to agree on everything. However, in the end, we are family and God wants us to love and respect each other. Satan wants us to argue and to break apart our relationships. However, we need to remember what is most important: Let’s be united in the Lord. 

I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought. (1 Cor. 1:10)

What is your message? Are you turning people away from the faith with your actions and words? If so, I challenge you to change that message:

  • You matter more to me than my rights.
  • You matter more to me than my perspective, preferences and politics.
  • Jesus matters more to me than my freedom and liberty.
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The Heart of Sin

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By Kendrick & Janna Gilli

“Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin condemns any people.” Proverbs 14:34 (NIV)

 Pastor Steve was right when he said that Americans hate the word sin. We are fiercely independent and do not like being told what to do or what we are, and so when it comes to being called sinful, Americans bristle at it. Americans also like to believe that people are basically good—maybe a few bad mistakes in life, maybe a few bad apples in the bunch. This, of course, starts as a baby and a toddler, because they are so cute and angelic.

And we wonder why so many people feel hurt by Christians! We tell people that they are sinful from birth. Often the familiar response is, “What! My cute little angelic baby is sinful?” We tell people that only the Holy Spirit can help us realize our sin and work on it and we get, “I don’t need no stinkin’ help; you can’t tell me what to do!” We tell people that only Jesus can wash away our sin so that we can be with Him in heaven. The response is often, “What do you mean? What are talking about? I am a good person and those anger issues are because it is overcast here so much. It is not really my fault.”Job said it best: “I have concealed my sin as people do, by hiding my guilt in my heart” (Job 31:33).

People equate the idea of sin as gigantic and associated with the likes of Hitler, Stalin, and Mao. No, that baby is not Hitler. No, just because you get mad doesn’t mean that you are Stalin. Why can’t people realize that we don’t have to be Stalin to be sinful? People tell others all the time that they do not have to be perfect. If this is true, then they must recognize on some level that everybody has faults (i.e., sins).

 A favorite story in my family goes back to when I was a few months old and my sister was one year older. She liked to pick up a doll and hit me with it. What was in her heart that made her want to hit her baby brother? What about when my daughter would throw temper tantrums when she was two to four years old? Sin is in our hearts even as children, and we need help from our parents to recognize it and deal with it. Even the world agrees that parents need to teach their children right from wrong. However, the world also believes that once we have grown up, we magically stop doing things wrong. In fact, the “wrong things” as an adult are just considered “choices,” that we are just being whom we choose to be. Sin has become a bad word or politically incorrect.

It is also interesting how, as Americans, we persist in thinking we do not need any help. We love to help others but are too proud to ask for any help ourselves. What would you do if your car broke down in the middle of the intersection and four guys came to help you push it out of the way? Would you refuse? Of course not! Then why do we refuse help with correcting mistakes we make? Why are we not willing to accept help from God? He just wants to help us be better and when we do things wrong, He wants to forgive us. Yet, we believe that we can solve our problems ourselves or we are too proud to ask God to help us change.

 As a nation, we seem to have gone to the extreme with our pride and denial. In fact, Satan is doing a darn good job pulling the wool over everyone’s eyes. So as Christians, how do we deal with this? The first part of this answer is recognizing the truth and asking God to convict us and to show us our sin; then, we must be willing to ask Him to change us from the inside out. The second part of this answer is LOVE. Being Christ to the world and living with love will open up doorways to conversations about sin and God’s solution for it. And finally, the last part of the answer is prayer; we need to be prayer warriors and to ask God for grace and opportunities to share the gospel with unbelievers. We need to fight against the lies that Satan is spreading, lies that make us complacent and okay with our sin. An unseen war is raging all around us, and we need to put on our armor daily and pray that God opens our eyes to it.

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. (Ephesians 6:10–12)

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God’s Perfect Plan Can Be Stressful

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by Kendrick and Janna Gilli

Change is hard, and goodbyes can be even harder. Over the past six months, we grieved as we said goodbye to the Schlomers, then Cheryl retired . . . and now Brian and Tomina are moving to Colorado. To an outsider or a non-Christian, it might seem as if our church is in trouble. However, for those of us left at Elim, we can be assured of something very different, because our God is in the business of change. In fact, he is right in the middle of it.  In Jeremiah 29:11, God promises us that He has a good plan for our future, a plan to prosper us. He uses change, grief, hardship, and sorrow to refine and mold us into the people He wants us to be. And He is definitely working at Elim.

As I reflect on a certain loud-mouthed, rather brash New Yorker who came into Janna’s and my life over 20 years ago, I am reminded of that. In fact, as Brian’s brother-in-law, I have had a front-row seat to witness the astounding ways God has changed Brian through Elim and Elim through Brian. When Brian came to Elim, he was little more than 20, young and inexperienced and often immature. He often said things before thinking and rubbed some people the wrong way. However, we watched God begin to change Brian, to give him wisdom and to humble him. Over the years, he learned to listen more before speaking, to forgive more, and to judge less. He has become a man whom I respect and admire and one who has had an incredible impact on our congregation, particularly our youth.

God knew that Elim needed Brian when he came to us almost 18 years ago. We needed someone who would change the youth program and train up leaders. And Brian is so, so good at that. He has raised youth into leaders who in time became adult leaders and continue to pour into the youth at Elim. In fact, Brian has passed on his heart for the Lord so well, that we know that the youth program will be fine when he leaves. The legacy that he is leaving is incredible and will not soon be forgotten.

Just as God has a perfect plan for Elim, he has a perfect plan for all of his people. As Brian was changed and molded during his time with us, he was being prepared for a certain church in Colorado Springs. It is so hard to see him go, but I am also so joyful and proud of Brian. It is so good to see God working and carrying out his plan and it gives me such hope for the changes coming to Elim.

And change IS coming to Elim—but it doesn’t have to be scary or overwhelming. If we remember that God is in the business of change and that He has a good and perfect plan for us, change can actually be quite exciting. What is God going to do at Elim next?

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Worship: The Best Medicine for Life’s Little Troubles

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by Kendrick Gilli

Therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that confess his name. (Hebrews 13:15)

I have come to take this very seriously over the past few years. I have seen firsthand how God has taken care of my family and made my business thrive. Of course, I have worked hard, but I am always amazed by those people who show up out of nowhere to get a mortgage. Obviously, this is not my doing, but a gift from God.

But let me go back to the beginning of my journey in this line of work. I stopped teaching a few years ago, after many years in that field. But what was I supposed to do? Then one day, I heard the Lord tell me to help people with their mortgage needs. This may sound strange, for why would God put me in this line of work? How can I work for Him by writing mortgages? However, He stood by me and my family during this transition, and from the beginning, I wanted to stand with Him as well. I began by praising Him.

Every morning, I listen to praise music and sing along in the car on the way to work. Now this is a prime time for loan officers to be on the phone, but I would rather sing to the Lord. It is probably a good thing that other people are not in the car, because my voice is a lot like a screeching cat. But there I am singing along, people in other cars looking at me, but I do not care. Once I get to the office, all the people know that I am there, because I come in singing. All morning, in between calls, I have the music on as well.

With all the selfish desires, foul mouths, stress, etc. that I see around me, I stay calm, knowing that the Lord is leading my life. Several have asked me how I can stay calm when things don’t go right, and I have a chance to tell them about the joy of the Lord and how I trust in Him. This is my missionary field. I am unafraid to talk to people about the Lord, because the Lord put me there. However, day in and day out, He speaks to me through the songs, and He always has the right songs for that day, even if things do get stressful.

Now, your worship may look totally different from mine, but no matter what, it is an integral part of our relationship with our heavenly father, as Pastor Steve told us last Sunday. David often worshipped through his Psalms—his love, his frustration, his passion, his remorse and on and on. Yeah, I know, many of us do not have the ability to write psalms or songs or even sing. But God loves to hear our heart as we worship.

Don’t be afraid to worship the Lord. You might be surprised how it changes your day-to-day life, which will be infused with the Joy of the Lord. Figure out which way you want to worship Him and build that into your daily living.

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Enduring Patiently

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By Kendrick Gilli

“Since you have kept my command to endure patiently . . .” (Rev. 3:10)

                Do you remember these words from Pastor Brian’s message this last week? They really seemed to resound with me.

So how do we endure patiently? This life that we live here on earth is full of trials and tribulations, most of our own making, but how do we endure these things patiently? It is an ever-present struggle for us, and I am no exception. Some are small and happen to us and then fade away, but the larger trials may take days or months or even years, and they are ever present in our memories.

                Janna and I are just coming out of one of those long periods—almost two years. I have to admit that at times, I did become depressed for a little bit, but always Jesus was with us. He reminded me of all the times in my past when He had used trials to teach me something (there were a lot of those times) and showed me how I came out of them stronger than when I went in. It was these memories that helped me endure and helped me lead Janna and the rest of the family to endure, very patiently, and eventually turned this endurance to complete joy.

“See, I have placed before you an open door, that no one can shut.” (Rev. 3:8)

                No matter what happens in our lives, God has the door open. He is ready for us to walk through, but we are too often wallowing in the lies that Satan tells us. How often have you been depressed about your circumstances? Why? The Lord is always there, waiting for you to walk through that door that He has opened. Look back on your life! He has always brought you out of the valleys. Remove the veil of lies from Satan and see clearly the door that is open.

                This is not to say that trials will automatically disappear. Instead, when you see that light from the open door, you are able to endure those other trials and learn what God is trying to teach you. At this point, you are ready to be joyful, even while going through your trials. It is in these times that other people marvel at how you are handling the situation and how joyful you are, when, to the world, you should be sad and wallowing in self-pity. Blah!

                This is not Heaven. We will have trials and tribulations! The question is, How are we going to deal with these? Remember, “What He opens no one can shut” (Rev. 3:7).

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