The deaths of Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson both on the same day, about 48 hours after Ed McMahon died, stunned America (and other parts of the world) for more than just a moment. Shortly there- after the death of Billy Mays, Karl Malden and Steve McNair followed. These were all societal icons that many grew up with in their younger years, or they represented some level of prominence among the mainstream. Regardless of their past lifestyle or character, the recent death of these fairly well known cultural celebrities necessitates some cause for pause.
Although we might speculate on the eternal state of these men and this woman that have gone into the earth, we cannot affirm with absolute certainty, just as those who never heard the last words of the converted criminal on the cross could know that he would be with Jesus in Paradise (cf. Luke 23:43). Assuming the most dreadful of outcomes, we would be remiss to exult in their passing as the Lord GOD Himself has “no pleasure in the death of anyone who dies” (Ezekiel 18:32a). If they went to the grave without saving faith in the one and only mediator between God and man, Jesus Christ, then their judgment will lead to an everlasting separation from their Creator resulting in torment that exceeds even our worst imaginations. This is cause for pause.
For a few of these infamous people their passing came as a shocking surprise, perhaps much earlier in life than anyone might have considered, especially to themselves. One was an athlete whose fitness was formidable, but with the lightning quick sound of ignited gunpowder against a trigger-hammer his life was immediately terminated. The days of man are determined (cf. Job 14:5), and they rest in the palms of the Almighty. We “are just a vapor that appears for awhile and then vanishes away” (James 4:14b). Some may have thought they were immortal, or like most did not give much thought at all to life after death. They have now found, like we all shall, that life is eternal, and possibly even sadly to their chagrin. This is cause for pause.
There’s no question that all of these well-known people were looked up to and admired by many. It wouldn’t be too much of a stretch to state that some were revered, idolized, and even worshipped. Popularity, prestige, prominence, power, personality and prosperity were characterized in all of them, with some to greater degrees than others. When these gifts are elevated above the preeminence of God, the creation and even its corruption take a place of distinction where only the Creator belongs.  These are not the lifestyles Christians are called to emulate or put on a pedestal.  Rather, we’re to make it our ambition to lead a quiet life (cf. I Thessalonians 4:11), to flee from “desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction” (I Timothy 6:9c), and to “pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness” (I Timothy 6:11b).  This is cause for pause.
When people of notoriety die, the world often wakes up, grieves, sometimes ponders their own mortality and gives the deceased a place of legendary status. But everyday about 26,000 children die from causes related to their poverty. Those numbers are staggering, and most of these children go to their grave without a soul knowing of their existence except their mommy and daddy, if they’re alive. Every human life, every image-bearer of the Creator is of inestimable value regardless of their class or renowned place in human history. Yet the population at large will typically honor the former over the later everyday of the week because their publicized persona was newsworthy and their standard of living attractive. After all, what’s attractive about starvation, respiratory infection, malaria and HIV/AIDS? “God sees not as man sees” (I Samuel 16:7b), and o’ that our hearts would feel compassion for the things that Jesus feels compassion for. This is cause for pause.
God has a way of moving through human history to maximize His glory no matter what the cost. His means are often times inexplicable, especially when they involve pain, suffering and death, even among those who are unregenerate. When it comes to salvation, all enter into His presence under the same condition; that of being a sinner that will eventually suffer a terrible fate save the God of the universe dispenses His pardoning mercy and unmerited grace. Jesus said that “unless you repent, you will all likewise perish”. (Luke 13:5b) Maybe, just perhaps the Lord has purposed to open avenues to speak of life, death and our eternal state to others as a result of the sorrowful fatality of all these celebrities or others like them. Mankind’s hearts and minds are often softened by these blows, and more malleable than in times of idleness and order. This is cause for pause.
These pauses do have cause, for we who esteem Jesus above all else are to mourn with those who mourn (cf. Romans 12:15), “making the most of your time, because the days are evil” (Ephesians 5:16), following the example and observing those who walk according to faith (cf. Philippians 3:17), feeling compassion for the distressed and downcast (cf. Matthew 9:36), and taking advantage of these divine opportunities (cf. Colossians 4:5) to give an answer for the hope that lies within us (cf. I Peter 3:15).
Take pause, and make cause.
-Tom Kruggel

Responses of this nature are expected from outside of the church, yet they are indicative of a very real negative perception about Christians. The idea that Christians, a group of people whose inclusion in the family of God is based entirely on the merits and achievements of Jesus Christ are largely viewed by those outside the believing community as hypocrites must capture all of our attention. In Galatians chapter two we get a picture of what hypocrisy among Christians looks like when the Apostle Paul admonishes the Apostle Peter after he stopped sharing meals with the Gentile Christians after a group of men from Jerusalem came up to Antioch. In Galatians 2:14 the Apostle Paul vividly describes the hypocritical conduct of the Apostle Peter, Barnabas and the others who followed their example as “not in step with the truth of the gospel.” What drives this perception that Christians are hypocrites? What drives this perception is our failure to live in step with the gospel.

The gospel is far greater than we can imagine

The power of the Gospel transforms lives, relationships, and communities producing lives marked by joy, peace, freedom, and love as a people defined not by such things as race, social class, gender, theological system, personal standards or achievements, but only by receiving God’s grace through trust in the perfect obedience, substitutionary sacrifice, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The gospel teaches that because of Christ alone we are declared righteous, adopted, accepted, truly free, and heirs no longer to be defined by our sin, weakness, and failures and therefore no longer need to live lives marked by seeking to highlight our real or perceived strengths, gifts, achievements, or accomplishments and can cease from trying to hide the fact that none of us have our lives all together, because God, from whom we can hide nothing truly loves us and has accepted us beyond what we can imagine.

The gospel teaches us we are worse than we think

What so often destroys and devastates our families and communities within the body of Christ are our lives of pretense – pretending that we do not wrestle with a myriad of sins such as attitudes of self-righteousness, a bad temper, anxiousness, lustful glances, seeking to control everyone and everything around us, a critical spirit toward the real or perceived failures of others (all while trying to keep our own failures as far under the radar as possible), and the general belief that we are better than others. You don’t think so – observe the discrepancy between your own reaction and attitude toward the struggles of those around compared to the reaction and attitude you would like others to have toward your own struggles. Have you yourself ever been critical of someone else’s failure to respond toward you graciously?…me too.

The beauty of the gospel is that it not only delivers us from our sin, but also delivers us from our self-salvation projects, our feeble attempts to justify ourselves through performing for and pleasing others, spiritualizing self-centered desires, looking good, and being in control as if our salvation depends upon it. Even worse we seek to make the ones we love perform for us as conditions upon which they will be accepted by us, even though we know God doesn’t respond to us in this fashion. Do you pray Psalm 139:23-24: Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting! Do you invite others into your life and encourage them to speak gospel truths into your life to help you turn from unbelief and trusting “pseudo-Saviors” and point you toward a life marked by repentance and faith. This kind of community is what the home fellowship group ministry exists to provide.

The Holy Spirit works in your weaknesses

Among the many glorious gifts of the gospel is the Holy Spirit Who is more than sufficient to illuminate the myriad of implications in the gospel revealed in the Bible to grant us wisdom, lead, guide, and empower this new life. The Holy Spirit is more than sufficient to change and transform our lives working in us the same power that raised Jesus Christ from the dead (Eph 1:19-20). This power does not work automatically, but only on behalf of us who live by faith. The Spirit-filled life is the life marked by repentance and faith, and He is the one who produces the obedience of faith in our lives. More than that power is made manifest in our weaknesses (2 Cor 12:9; 13:4). We embrace a life of weakness when abandon our own sense of righteousness, strength, power, achievement, and all other expressions of lordship over our own lives. Those whose faith is in reality faith in themselves and their own abilities find little spiritual power for they have traded the power of the Spirit through faith in Jesus alone for faith in their own ability to run their lives. The good news is God delights to use what is weak, insufficient, and inadequate in the eyes of the world to accomplish His glorious plans. Great freedom comes from glorying in our weaknesses, knowing that we do not have the power to affect anything, but God uses and empowers us in our weakness.

Is it either true or fair to say that the church is filled with hypocrites? That depends. If the Church is a body of people whose only avenue for boasting is the gospel of Jesus Christ, then, ‘no,’ absolutely not! On the other hand is the life we most frequently live a reflection of a people resting in and living from the achievements of Jesus Christ, or do we engage life and the live of one another as if our hope is built upon something we have or can do? Do we respond to another in the same way that Christ responds to us and respond to one another’s struggles as those who do not know the same struggles on a very real level? When that is the case, by all means, then the church is filled with hypocrites.

(*the term “unchurched” refers to a person who is both not a Christian and has either never attended a church or grew up with no church background at all, distinguishing this group of people from non-Christians who have a background of having attended church or even attend a church now and have some familiarity with the Bible and the message of Jesus Christ)

-Vince Cuomo

Other trips are proceeding as planned.  Taylor Smith will be leaving for the Philippines in mid-July. There is a fund raising BBQ after church on Sunday, July 12. Hope you can participate. If you have yard work, painting, childcare, or other work you need done, hiring Taylor is another way to provide funds for this trip. The Honduras team, consisting of Keith Telle, Dave and Julie Hicks, and Gary and Sue Rickman, will be leaving August 21st for ten days to work with MEDA missionaries, Carlos Montoya and Adrian Donato. Continue to pray for the preparation needed by both of these trips.

A few summer missions plans have been cancelled. The Cottonwood VBS won’t be happening. The San Quintin ministry trip was cancelled because school sessions there have extended into the summer to adjust for flu closures earlier in the year.  We understand that the San Quintin church will be running those ministry activities themselves at a later date, so pray for them. The Pleasant Hill CEF children’s clubs will not happen this year because of teacher availability. We are confident that this is all in God’s providence, and we remain enthused to see some new ministry efforts being successful. Praise God!

~The Missions Ministry

The picnics serve as a wonderful venue to live out the gospel of Christ in our community.

1. We will need people to help buy food, prepare food, set up the picnic, clean-up the after the picnic and barbeque the food. Please contact the church office if you can serve in any number of these ways.

2. There is also an opportunity for you to contribute to the meal. Please bring a dessert if your last name begins with the letters A-G, or bring a salad if your last name begins with the letters H-Z.

3. This is a great opportunity to minister to your family and friends by inviting them to the picnic. It is here that they can see the gospel in action as we interact with one another.

On Sunday, July 5, we will have a baptism service following the 11:00 a.m. worship service. Please plan to stay around on that day to rejoice with those who rejoice.

Members’ Meeting

Be sure to set the evening of August 9 aside for our second quarter members’ meeting. We will meet at 5:00 p.m. for a time of worship, prayer, and updating the church family on various aspects of the ministry here at Grace Bible Church.

The Office is Moving

On July 25, the church office is moving across the parking lot back to the church’s education building. We will need as many people as possible on that day to help with the move. If you’re available to help, please contact either Andy Senft or the church office. Thank you!