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Change

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by Brian Waple

Meanwhile, Saul was uttering threats with every breath and was eager to kill the Lord’s followers. So he went to the high priest. He requested letters addressed to the synagogues in Damascus, asking for their cooperation in the arrest of any followers of the Way he found there. He wanted to bring them—both men and women—back to Jerusalem in chains. As he was approaching Damascus on this mission, a light from heaven suddenly shone down around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting me?” “Who are you, lord?” Saul asked. And the voice replied, “I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting! Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.” The men with Saul stood speechless, for they heard the sound of someone’s voice but saw no one! Saul picked himself up off the ground, but when he opened his eyes he was blind. So his companions led him by the hand to Damascus. He remained there blind for three days and did not eat or drink. (Acts 9:1–9, NLT)

If you were to ask most people what they think of change, they would probably say they don’t care for it. Change interferes with our preconceived notions as to how we live, what we think, why we believe, etc. As a person who likes his routine, I don’t much care for change. I see it as an intrusion. I like to know what is happening. I am fairly certain about what I believe, and I have my established pattern. And part of that pattern was what I believed about God and being a Christian for many years.

Without a doubt, Saul was changed. Prior to his encounter with Jesus, he was a Pharisee through and through, firmly grounded in what he believed and completely convinced that these Jesus Christ followers were bad news—bad for the country and bad for Judaism. They were not following the Law and appeared to be encouraging others not to follow the Law. He was incensed and knew he needed to do something to stop them.

But then something happened. God stepped in uninvited on Saul’s journey to Damascus in a dramatic way. Saul had believed this Jesus Christ business was a threat that needed to be stopped. Little did he know that this “threat” would birth in him a burning desire that would completely change his view. For Saul, this change was substantial and immediate.

I, too, had an encounter with Jesus. But for me, rather than dramatic and immediate, my change has been more gradual over the years. Still, I know that God has been and continues to be at the center. Pastor Steve asked Sunday how we have changed personally since accepting Christ. For me, in spite of my desire for control, I have become more willing to give it up (although it’s still hard!). Another area of growth is thinking more of others and seeking to put them first, sitting in silence with them when they’re hurting, or trying to offer an encouraging word when asked.

Change has also come to Elim. There has been dramatic change with the departure of Pastor Martin, the retirement of Cheryl, and the departure of Pastor Brian. It’s been going on for over a year, and although the transition period continues, we know we will have a new senior pastor. But then, suddenly, we are faced with a new, dramatic, and immediate global change that has created a time of safe distancing and masks and virtual services and shuttered church buildings and much less certainty. None of us could have expected this, and no one knows what church will look like moving forward.

With all the uncertainty and questioning brought on by COVID-19, it’s made me stop and ask: Lord, why did this happen now? And what are You doing in this? Could this change be another Damascus moment for me? For the church? What will church look like going forward? What am I being asked to let go of that I hold stongly—beliefs, traditions, structures—in order to make room for God? In what ways do You desire change in me?

Without a doubt, this has been a dramatic intrusion into all of our lives. How we spend this time is important. Do we hold to the status quo like Saul, or do we reflect on different questions:

  1. What could the church look like moving forward?
  2. What things are we willing to let go of in order to make room for God?
  3. What is the change God desires in us? In Elim?

This is a great opportunity for us to draw closer to God and one another as well as prayerfully reflect on what is happening within each of us as we are becoming the people God has created us to be.

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Light of the World

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by Jeff Foerster

“Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16) The Christian stands as a representative of the Lord Jesus Christ. Attitude, displayed in actions and words, tells others of the character of Jesus.

“Wow,” you might say, “that sounds like a tall order.” Yes, indeed it is. Or, is it? I’ve read this verse from a fleshly, or earthly, perspective and I find myself moving down a path that leads to being overwhelmed: More work. More responsibility. More to do. I feel the weight of another burden atop my shoulders. Doing “good works” when I feel instead like saying, “Good grief!”

What it Means

Yet, a closer reading breathes life into my heart and yields a sigh of relief. Look with me at the first word in that verse. “Let”. Not “make.” “Let” can be defined as “giving opportunity to” or, “to free from—as if from confinement.” This is not an arduous manufacturing of good works, but a releasing of what already exists that others may benefit, and God may be glorified.

When Jesus told us that his yoke is light, and not heavy, he was not deceiving us. But this command is hard to fulfill, and it is easy to sin. So, how do we make sense of these things that seem to conflict?

If my focus begins and ends with me, I’m sunk. But, if I rightly understand, meditate upon, hold closely in my heart, and act upon the fact that as a believer the Holy Spirit resides within me and is at work in me, I will find peace growing inside me. 

How I Know

Our attitude can be described as a basketful of emotions we present to others. We have been given the wonderful gift of emotions by the Lord. These emotions act as both temperature gauge and harbinger. As a temperature gauge our feelings give us a status check, prompting a decision to be made. This takes place when a “temperature” change has occurred. When anger arises within us that temperature has clearly gone up, and it is not without reason. When frustration grips us, likewise, there is a story behind it.

Emotions are a harbinger because, if they are not respected and investigated, they act as a foreshadowing—signaling our future reactions. But, “time heals all wounds” —right? Nope. Time makes one grow older, but does not ensure maturity. Maturity develops with proper use of the gift of emotions.

What To Do

Emotions we experience are an invitation. The Holy Spirit has invited us into greater union. He is the one who knows us most. He is the one who knows us best. From the number of hairs on our head, to our length of days, to our innermost thoughts, He is our teacher and transformer to be shaping us into the image of the Lord Jesus Christ. I know of no other way to heed my emotional temperature, and make good use of it, than to go to God and ask Him to explain it to me.  I need time spent with God—time spent listening.

I was going to end right there, and it would be easy to do so, but a quiet time spent with God is not the end, merely the beginning. So, after God reveals to you why you feel the way you do, ask this question of God: “What must I do with what I now know?”

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The End Times and the Heart of the Believer

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By Jason Comerford

What do you think of when you imagine the end of the world? Many of us draw on pop culture images of cities burning or zombies. We may even consider biblical mentions of things such as earthquakes and wars. I could give you an impressive list of all the postapocalyptic, zombie-driven movies, video games, and novels that inundated the world while I was in high school and college in the early 2000s. Our culture’s been obsessed with Armageddon for a while now.

What would you think if I told you that the Bible’s end-times warnings are not primarily about those big, earth-shattering events?

As I write this, we’re amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Businesses have shut down, religious services are being restricted, hospitals are both overwhelmed and laying off medical staff, and the world as we know it has gone utterly, terribly sideways. Unemployment claims are at staggering levels not seen for nearly 100 years, and the foundations are still being built for a kind of financial hardship that will likely be felt for a long, long time.

As bleak as all that sounds, those still aren’t the primary things the Bible warns about when it comes to the end times. In fact, on the topic of turmoil and war, Jesus simply says don’t worry about it.

Here’s what we’re really warned about, courtesy of Matthew 24:

10And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. 11And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. 12And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. 13But the one who endures to the end will be saved.

We can drill down into the specifics a bit more in in 2 Timothy 3:

But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. 2For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, 4treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.

The real danger of the end times is not war and disease. It’s a cold-hearted, loveless humanity. COVID is not the real danger here—we are.

If you’ve spent any time at all online in the last month and a half, you’ve surely noticed the rift forming in our world as we see (essentially) two camps rise up on how to respond to the coronavirus.

And let’s be honest—this is a momentous issue. We can’t pretend that there aren’t very significant consequences to how we handle it. Whether you’re mainly concerned about government overreach, or economic devastation, or implementing steps to practically limit the infection rate, everyone can agree that the stakes are high. But as real and as important as these issues are in this moment, we Christians have a responsibility to recognize, call attention to, and preserve something that few others seem to be noticing: the state of our hearts.

I offer my own heart for dissection here. I make a great, guilty specimen.

Over the last six weeks, my main emotion has been anger, followed closely by grief. I’ve felt betrayed by some and found myself wondering how I’ll ever manage to return the familial affection of the church I was so comfortable in a mere three months ago. I’ve condemned—and hated—the responses and behaviors of many of my closest friends. In private messages with like-minded people, I’ve called those others fools and lamented their inability to see things the way I do. Anger almost feels like too soft a word to use—violent fury might be closer to the truth.

All the while, Matthew 24 echoed in my mind: “The love of many will grow cold.”

And like a pick, that single verse began to chip away at my anger. Anger turned to fear as a I realized what “faction” I found myself in. It wasn’t those who wanted effective quarantine or those who worried about government overreach. I was finding myself in the company of the “many” whose love was growing cold.

And I would wager most of us find ourselves there now.

So, what do we do?

I would exhort us to embrace and commit to doing three things. These are not new concepts to us as Christians, but I suspect our behavior here in America is exposing our need for a newer and deeper embrace of our old beliefs.

  • We must forgive what now feels unforgiveable.

Many of us feel betrayed by our brothers and sisters in Christ. They’ve hurt us with words and actions, and they may not even recognize it. But how much has Christ forgiven us? Can’t we also forgive others?

  • We must love those who now feel unlovable.

When our friends choose sides that seem unthinkable to us, can we still pray for their blessing? Can we seek ways to serve them? If God calls us to love our enemies, can’t we also love those with whom we share the faith, our family in Christ?

  • We must endure what now feels unendurable.

Regardless of how you view our current situation, it’s not easy. I doubt any of us are enjoying being physically separated from friends and family. For those in our community who are in high-risk categories, the isolation may look unending. But if Christ suffered isolation and betrayal from friends and family—and even His Father—can’t we endure this season? 

None of this is new to the Christian experience. Our history is filled with lavish forgiveness, impossible grace and the noisy joy of men and women who died singing God’s praises. This is because our ancestors knew the God who loved His enemies. Now it’s our turn to learn, once again, to do the same.

This is our only option as believers. If we don’t choose the hard way of love and forgiveness and endurance, we will grow bitter and hardhearted. Our love will grow cold. We will lose our witness to the world as well as the sweetness of community in Christ.

Friends, there is hard work ahead of us. But if we forgive freely, love unconditionally, and endure this season patiently, trusting that our God’s designs are good even now,then like the Galatians, “At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.”

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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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