Birds of the Bible - At the National Aviary

Wattled Curassow (Crax globulosa) at National Aviary

Birds of the Bible - at the National Aviary in Pittsburgh, PA seems like a logical topic. As you may be aware, Dan and I, visited the Aviary in August. What a fantastic place to see birds from all around the world. With over 800 birds, there had to be some of the birds mentioned in the Bible.

The Bible says that all birds were created by the Lord, so technically, they all qualify. For this blog, I will confine it to named types of birds. Birds mentioned below are in the same family of the named bird, at least according to the IOC list of Families and Orders.

I know all the birds of the hills, and all that moves in the field is mine. (Psalms 50:11 ESV)

And these are they which ye shall have in abomination among the fowls; they shall not be eaten, they are an abomination: the eagle, and the ossifrage, and the ospray, And the vulture, and the kite after his kind; Every raven after his kind; And the owl, and the night hawk, and the cuckow, and the hawk after his kind, And the little owl, and the cormorant, and the great owl, And the swan, and the pelican, and the gier eagle, And the stork, the heron after her kind, and the lapwing, ... (Leviticus 11:13-19 KJV)

Birds of the Bible (In parenthesis are the birds found at the Aviary)

• Bitterns (Sunbittern)
• Chicken, Hens, and Roosters (Silkie Chicken)
• Cormorant (Double-crested Cormorant)
• Cranes
• Cuckoo (Guira Cuckoo)
• Doves and Pigeons (Bartlett Bleeding Heart Dove, Black-naped Fruit Dove, Blue Ground Dove, Crested Quail Dove, Inca Dove, Pied Imperial Dove, Wompoo Fruit Dove)
• Pigeons (Blue-crowned Pigeon, Pheasant Pigeon, Nicobar Pigeon, Pied Imperial Pigeon (Nutmeg Imperial Pigeon), Scaly-naped Pigeon, Victoria Crowned Pigeon)
• Eagles (Bald Eagle and Steller's Sea Eagle)
• Falcons (Pygmy Falcon, American Kestrel)
• Glede and Kites (Black Kite)
• Hawks (Harris Hawk)
• Herons (Boat-billed Heron)
• Hoopoe (Green Wood Hoopoe)
• Lapwing (White-headed Wattled Lapwing)
• Nighthawks and Nightjars (Common Nighthawk)
• Osprey
• Ossifrage (Possibly Lammer-geier)
• Ostrich
• Owls (Spectacled Owl, Eastern Screech Owl)
• Little Owl (Pearl-spotted Owlet,
• Great Owl (Eurasian Eagle Owl-not seen)
• Partridge (Chukar Partridge (Chukar), Crested Wood Partridge)
• Peacocks (Great Argus-not seen, see Partridge above)
• Pelicans (Brown Pelican)
• Quail
• Ravens (American Crow, Blue Jay, Black-throated Magpie Jay,
• Sparrows (Sudan Golden Sparrow)
• Storks
• Swallow
• Swans
• Swift
• Vulture (Andean Condor)

Their birds change from time to time and what we saw will change. We saw many more birds, but these are only the Birds mentioned by name (kind) in Scripture.

*

Haiti: Land of Potential (A report from Jonita Barram)

One of our church members, Jonita Barram, recently returned from a missions trip to Haiti.  I asked Jonita to share some of her experiences with us.  She graciously obliged my request!

The orphans at Our Father’s House are happy and well cared for. 
Every day they learn about Jesus from His Word.   
(Photo: Jason B. LaBombard  N49TH.net)

I went to Haiti with a team of five coworkers from Regular Baptist Ministries. We were under the leadership of Chris Hindal, director of GARBC International Ministries. On our fourth day, we visited the boys’ house of Our Father’s House Haiti. The 96 boys gathered together in a large hallway on the second floor and sang to us in English and Creole.

A few of the 96 boys at the boys’ home of Our Father’s House orphanage look on as the
RBM team act out a wordless presentation of Creation and the Fall. 
(Photo: Jason B. LaBombard  N49TH.net)

 After one Creole song, Chris turned to the team and asked, “Do you know that song?”

I didn’t recognize the tune, and the others must have given the same negative head shake that I did, because Chris started quoting it:

God is still on the throne,
And He will remember His own;
Though trials may press us and burdens distress us,
He never will leave us alone;
God is still on the throne,
He never forsaketh His own;
His promise is true, He will not forget you,
God is still on the throne.

What a perfect song for Haiti. 

Pastor Predestin Herard and Chris Hindal stand before a Baptist church destroyed by the Jan. 2010 earthquake.
The congregation currently meets in its school building, up the hill from the church.
(Photo: Jason B. LaBombard  N49TH.ne

As we bumped along in our rented van to go from one place to another, as I looked out the window and marveled at the obvious poverty, piles of rubble, and never-ending trash, as I noted the natural beauty of the island and of its people, I realized that God has always been on His throne. He has reasons for allowing Haiti to become what it is today. Perhaps it’s to showcase the depravity of man—Haiti is in large part a result of man’s sin against man—and to showcase His glory and grace in contrast.

A group of pastors in Haiti believe God has started a mighty work that will result in the nation’s being turned around—what a showcase of God’s grace that would be!

But it will take time. It will take well-trained, Biblically sound pastors. It will take children who have been raised in the training and instruction of the Lord—who will grow up to make strong Christian marriages, be godly workers and leaders, raise their children in the training and instruction of the Lord, evangelize their neighbors, disciple new believers, and start the cycle again with the next generation. It will take churches that can support a pastor and reproduce themselves. It will take a lot of prayer and work and prayer and financial resources and prayer.

But “God is still on the throne / He never forsaketh His own.”

A tent city sprang up across the street from land Jason Nightingale
is purchasing for Our Father’s House Haiti.
(Photo: Jason B. LaBombard  N49TH.net)

• Since the January 2010 earthquake, the churches have increased in attendance, with many Haitians accepting Jesus Christ as their Savior.
    
• Most schools in Haiti are private schools. Christian leaders have started schools and are training and instructing the next generation of leaders.
    
• Jim Bearss of On Target Ministry is providing on-site Bible training for 20 pastors. When they finish, he’ll train 20 more, and so forth and so on. He raises the funds so the pastors can attend.
    
• Jason Nightingale, founder of Our Father’s House Haiti, is raising money to purchase property for an orphanage that will house up to 500 orphans. They will receive a Christian-school education on-site. His vision is to eventually have 10 such orphanages all over Haiti. He is also enlisting and training American couples to go to Haiti short-term to be houseparents to the nearly 200 orphans in the three current orphanages/homes.
    
• Chris Hindal has rented a guesthouse for church groups to use when they go to Haiti. He is praying for a couple to live in the guesthouse as hosts, with the husband overseeing the rebuilding of churches that were damaged or destroyed by the earthquake.
    
• Pastor Predestin Herard heads the association of churches we went to Haiti to work with. He oversees the orphanages, a Bible institute, and a Christian day school and is a full-time pastor, a husband, and the father of two young daughters. He translates all of the Bible institute’s English curriculum. And when groups such as ours come from the States, he lines up transportation, drivers, cooks, and translators and makes sure we all get safely to where we need to go, and back again.
    
• Frank Gainer of MacroMicro Enterprise Development is helping churches develop business plans. MMED provides the start-up funds. Income from a church’s business will go, in part, to support that church’s pastor. This wonderful plan enables Haitian Christians to support their families and their churches rather than depend on aid from America.

Nothing about daily life in Haiti is easy. “Trials press and burdens distress” Haitian Christians every day. But they are joyful. They are excited about what God is doing. They are excited about the potential of the gospel in Haiti.

I hope this brief report will spark some excitement in you. Please pray for the people and efforts I’ve mentioned. And if God directs you, please give generously to one of these ministries. Because God is still on the throne. Praise His name!

Sermon Archives: Esther - The Providence of God

In 2007, Pastor Osborne preached a series of 10 sermons through the book of Esther.  Today we would like to draw your attention to that first message in the series.  It was entitled Esther - The Providence of God.  In that message Pastor Osborne brought out three concluding thoughts:

1. If we understand the providence of God, and love the God of providence, we are able to worship Him with the sacrifice of praise He deserves, even when things occur that bring pain and sorrow.
2. We must realize that just as God planned Esther's life, so has God planned ours.  We must learn to ignore the loud noises of our surroundings and listen to the still small voice of providence.
3. We must learn that God, though invisible, is invincible.

You can listen to Esther - The Providence of God at our website or you can download  it to your ipod or mp3 player.  There you will also find all of the messages in the Esther series.  They are listed below:

• Esther - The Providence of God
• Two Beauty Queens
• Strength & Dignity on Display
• Responding to Pain
• The Impact of One Person
• Benefits of Waiting on God
• Things Are Not Always As They Seem
• Being Sensitive to God's Interventions
• Breaking Down Walls
• Out of the Rubble of Regret

A Random Introduction - Pastor Peter Brock

As I begin a series on blog entries over the next months, I wanted to begin by providing a relatively brief entry with a brief and somewhat random autobiographical sketch.

I was born in Petaluma, CA in October of 1961. Some memories of my early years in CA include going to Petaluma High School football games where my father was a teacher and coach. I remember sliding down the dried grass covering the hill behind our house on large pieces of cardboard being sure to stop before the barbed wire fence at the bottom of the hill. I recall learning to ride my bike on our street that had just enough of a slope to it that I could coast down and push the bike back up. Pedaling the bike while riding came a bit later in my skill set.

Our family moved from CA to PA in the summer of 1970 when my father accepted a position as science professor at Baptist Bible College in Clarks Summit, PA. In Clarks Summit I grew up, learned about church, got my own room, learned to drive (a manual on those hills!), earned money by shoveling snow, graduated high school, went to BBC for college and seminary, met my wife (Lisa), established our family (Nathan, Matthew, Lauren, and Megan) and was called to ministry.

In March of 1993 our family headed to the suburbs of Turin, Italy (Avigliana and Giaveno) to begin a church-planting ministry. Our years in Italy were fruitful and precious. Our hearts grew to love the Italians and we learned to walk alongside new believers as they found their way in their relationship with Jesus Christ.

The Lord directed us to Faith Baptist in July of 2003 after 10 years in Italy. We have enjoyed our years of ministry here more than we could have imagined. For the first few years we ministered to the youth and found it to be greatly rewarding. An unexpected joy has been being able to watch the youth mature to college and career men and women who love God and seek to minister for Him. My present responsibilities, include missions, Faith’s 100, Awana, Upward Sports outreach, and Sunday School.

Looking forward to more blogging in the days ahead.

Why are We Conformed to Christ? (Matthew DelValle)

Whenever the Bible speaks of the finality of our salvation, it always references our full and final conformity to the image of Jesus Christ. The apostle Paul says God “predestined [us] to be conformed to the image of his Son” (Rom. 8:29). That’s the goal of our salvation: to look like Jesus. To be sure, we “are being transformed from one degree of glory to another” even now in our lives here on earth, as the Holy Spirit works in our hearts and lives and makes us more like Jesus little by little (cf. 2 Cor. 3:18). But we will not be perfectly conformed to Christ’s image until Christ returns. Only then will our salvation be completed. The apostle John confirms this in 1 John 3:2: “Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.”

Why Conformity To Christ?

As believers we love and affirm this great truth concerning our future hope. But we should ask a question: Why has God the Father chosen conformity to Christ’s image as the goal of our salvation? Why not conformity to the Father, or conformity to the Holy Spirit? Why specifically Christ? Why has God chosen to make us like His Son?

I find it helpful to consider who exactly Christ is. Jesus Christ—the Son of God—is, according to Colossians 1:15, “The image of the invisible God.” Hebrews 1:3 says, “He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature.” Christ, therefore, is the perfect image of God.

What exactly does this mean? It means that from all eternity God the Father has looked upon God the Son and seen the exact representation of Himself. The Son perfectly represents to the Father the image of the Father’s own glory. We are in the mountaintops of theology here, but this is absolutely crucial. From all eternity, God has looked upon His own glory—that is, the Father has looked upon his Son—and has always enjoyed what He’s seen—and infinitely so. What God has always seen in Himself is the greatest, most supreme thing in the universe, and that is His own glory, perfectly displayed back to Him by the Son. How has God seen and enjoyed the glory of God? By Christ reflecting back to the Father the exact, perfect image of God.

Imitation Is The Highest Form Of Praise

This is, I think, why the Father has chosen conformity to the image of Christ as the goal of salvation. If what God enjoys most is God’s glory, and God’s glory is represented perfectly by Christ, then it follows that what God would most desire to make of us is reflections of Christ. Or as Paul said it: “For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers” (Rom. 8:29).

Be careful in understanding your purpose in life. You do not exist to make God happy. God did not create us to fill up some deficiency or need. He doesn’t need us (cf. Acts 17:25). We don’t add to his glory or his happiness in and of ourselves. My presence in heaven doesn’t make God more glorious than if I’m not there. So why did God do it? Why would God create us to be conformed to the image of His Son?

Think about what you are, Christian. You are a Christian. The term “Christian” essentially means “little Christ.” We are a congregation of little Christs. I think this is exactly what God the Father wanted. He loves nothing more than to behold His Son, Jesus Christ. Why not fill heaven with hundreds upon thousands of little Christs? In doing so Christ Himself is “the firstborn among many brothers” and receives all the glory and praise. John MacArthur writes:

It has been rightly said that imitation is the highest form of praise, for this will be the supreme tribute to the Son—He will be the Chief One among many who have been made like Him. They will reflect His goodness, because they will be like Him, and they will proclaim His greatness as they worship Him unceasingly for eternity.[1]

His Glory, Our Joy

This, then, is why God has chosen conformity to the image of Christ as the goal of our salvation:

·        It is because Christ Himself is the image of God.

·        It is because Christ Himself is infinitely glorious.

·        It is because Christ Himself is infinitely deserving of praise.

Therefore, the goal of our salvation has nothing to do with who we are and everything to do with who Christ is. Therefore, Christ alone is worthy of our worship and deserving of all our praise.

But this is good news, is it not? We who formerly were children of darkness have been made children of light! We are dead to sin and alive to Christ! We are sons and daughters of the living God! The Holy Spirit is transforming us more and more to reflect the Lord Jesus! And God will finish what he has started in us, to the praise of His glory!

So don’t shrink back from this Christ-centered purpose of salvation. God has brought us to Himself and will conform us to Christ for his glory and our joy.

He is shown to be great; we receive the love.

He receives the praise; we receive the pleasure.

This is good news. This is the gospel.

---

[1] John MacArthur, “Divine Immutability and the Doctrines of Grace,” in Foundations of Grace, Steven J. Lawson (Orlando: Reformation Trust, 2006), 17.

News from Brazil (Jared Malcolm)

(Jared's new car!)

I was hoping to have some great news about the sale of the camp, but the process has been delayed. The contract for the sale of the camp was signed a month ago. The buyer then took the contract to the town council for their approval. They have approved the contract for the sale of the property. We then thought that everything was on go and the sale would be finalized. There was and is just one holdup in the works. It is election time here and the mayor of the city must sign off on the documents to make them official. The current mayor is running for governor and is too busy to sign anything as of right now. We have to wait until elections are over and then the document will get signed and Lord willing the contract will be finalized. Elections are scheduled for the first of October. That is the news at present on the camp property. We have held off in looking for new property until the contract is official.

The current camp is still there and going. There are not too many activities scheduled at this time. We have an event there the end of this week and one scheduled in October. It has been hard to plan much for the camp because of the pending sale of the property. Once the sale is final we will then plan on taking everything from the camp we wish to save as soon as possible. We really are hoping to do this before I leave to return to Florida in November. We believe we can get this done, but it will be a lot of work to finish.

The church here that is sponsoring me to come to Brazil has been working on the documents they need for my visa. The pastor is to go to a town council meeting and have the council vote to recognize the church as a corporation and doing business as a church. Once this has been done the church will be able to get the rest of the paperwork needed for me to bring to the consulate in Miami. The process can take some time to get the paperwork so please be in prayer that this process goes smoothly.

I decided a couple of months ago to start running. The first few days wasn't very far, but I have stuck with it and kept running. You should see the looks on people when they see me run by for the first time. I do believe they are speechless at first. They probably spend the next hour calling all of their friends and telling them what they just saw. I don't think that they have ever seen an American like me and running also. I have enjoyed running very much. It has helped me get into shape and somewhat relax. I will have to say that there was this one incident I had with a dog. I will have to tell you that this was not just any dog. This dog was ................... (You are going to have to wait til I get home to hear the rest) Just a little something to keep you interested.

Thank you for all your prayers. I sure need them. In HIS Service, Jared

Jared Malcolm is a Faith's 100 missionary.  He currently serves at a camp ministry in Brazil.  

Using Whatever Talent the Lord Gives Us (by Lee Dusing)

As many of you know, around Faith Baptist, I am known as the "Bird Lady." Also many have read the "Birds of the Bible" articles of the past. How did this come about?

When I was 16 years old (1960) I accepted the Lord as my Savior and thus began my journey with the Lord. The Lord allowed me to attend Bob Jones University through the War Orphans Fund (my father died as a result of the war and my mother died when I was 13). Not being from an educational family (D+ average in high school), I struggled academically, but the desire to finish was strong. I finished my degree 16 years after I started with a Bible major. I had tried many majors, but never found what I wanted.

While we were on vacation this summer, we attended a friend's church and they were questioning things that became a turning point in our lives. There were various testimonies given and then I remembered one that changed me. In 1979, Dan and I purchased our first computer, a Radio Shack Model I. I spent hours teaching myself all about it and learning to program. That computer and the many since gave me a direction and a niche for me to fill. I always told the Lord that I just didn't have any talents to offer Him. Long story short, I became a computer teacher and ended up even getting a Masters degree in Computer Education.

Sunbittern at Lowry Park Zoo by Dan

In the late 80's I became a birdwatcher. A naturalist at our local park became my mentor. I had always loved the out of doors and enjoyed watching God's creation, but could not put many names on what I saw. Birds are just so beautiful and show the Lord's creative hand so much. I am just amazed and love watching them. Another niche!

Now there were three important parts to my life; the Lord, computers and birds. (Of course Dan is there also) My desire and prayers were that the Lord would let me blend those three things into some sort of ministry for Him. It began by doing five-minute presentations to a junior Sunday School class each week. When we moved up here to Faith, I couldn't find an outlet to do my bird presentations until the Lord, through Stephen, let me start doing the "Birds of the Bible" on the blog here.

I started my own blog to learn how to do the articles here. Now, the Lord is blessing my blog by letting the "Birds of the Bible" and many other Christian birdwatching articles be read by people all over the world. And, now, I am the "Bird Lady" and I thank the Lord for His Love and Grace to let me be called by that name.

Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not. (Jeremiah 33:3 KJV)

My prayer and challenge for the readers is that you also will let the Lord use what ever talent or gift you have for Him. Maybe you love bugs, flowers, music, or whatever. Maybe you are an encourager, good cook, child sitter, nursery worker, like to visit the sick, etc. We all have something that the Lord has given us. Let the Lord use what you have for Him so that we can help reach others with the Gospel and God's Love.

Headlines - September's Links

Each month we plan to highlight a few 'headlines' - things from cyberspace that have recently caught our attention.  Enjoy!

• Age Appropriate Chores ~ Do you know which chores your child can do?  (An article from Focus on the Family)
• Voice of the Martyrs ~  A global perspective on the persecution of God's children - Sign up online to receive their free monthly newsletter.  I highly recommend it.
• Grace to You ~ Here you can find sermons and other resources from the ministry of John MacArthur.  Sign up online to join their mailing list.  Once a month they send out a letter and offer a free resource.  Last month they gave away a FREE ESV MacArthur Study Bible to their entire mailing list.  (I am anxiously awaiting mine!)  Usually, the free giveaway is a CD of one of Dr. MacArthur's sermons.  But, once or twice a year, they offer a free book.  I would highly recommend joining this mailing list.
• Don't Waste Your Life Sentence ~ Here's a new movie/documentary from Desiring God that I really want to see.  Anyone want to buy me an early Christmas (or late birthday) present? Watch the trailer below.

Safe in the Arms of God (Dave Totman)

I clearly remember walking up to the bus stop and sensing an eerie calm. It wasn’t that anything was overtly different in my surroundings, but I could almost taste the tension in the cool gray air of the early morning. At first glance, it would be easy to think that a ninth grader at Rosslyn Academy in Nairobi, Kenya, wouldn’t have any connection whatsoever with the Gulf Crisis in the Middle East. But as the US forces crossed the Kuwaiti border into Iraq, it changed the relationship of every Westerner in East Africa with his or her Muslim friends and neighbors. In the ensuing weeks, we added crash bars to the inside of our school bus doors to prevent a hostile takeover of the bus; we did riot drills and practiced tucking into the smallest space possible under the bus seats in case a rioting crowd tried to stone the bus; our school began making plans to be able to house 300 plus students for several days on campus in case travel within the city became too unsafe.

It is amazing to look back at the protecting arms of God. I couldn’t understand as a four year-old why my family was evacuated from our little jungle station home. (We had been falling asleep to machine gun fire for some time, but the Bengali government finally said it was time to go; they admitted not being able to control the situation any longer). We moved onto a mission compound with homes built of 10 inch thick concrete walls and roofs replete with iron bars across the windows (quite the change from our bamboo and tin home at the jungle station). I remember when the tension rose on that compound because a group of angry Muslim neighbors were gathering to attack our homes. It just so happened that a nearby Bengali military camp decided to practice some air maneuvers with several helicopters that day. Our angry neighbors feared we had attracted government support and decided it wasn’t worth the trouble.

Those days as a barefoot, knife-slinging carefree child in Bangladesh are long gone. The busy days of high school with the many, many hours on the school bus are gone too. But the questions of safety and security will always ebb and flow in our lives. It didn’t take long for political and military tensions to boil over during our brief time in the Ivory Coast. Tensions have risen and fallen during our time in Niger. We see the questioning eyes of young people: “What is going to happen?” As our country is without a president at the moment and is approaching an election season, we are fully aware of the tensions that can arise. But we know who is ultimately in control of not only Niger, but all nations.

Paul wrote, “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.” (Rom. 13:1 ESV) In Proverbs we read, “The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the LORD; he turns it wherever he will.” (21:1 ESV) Armies may march and terrorists may scheme, but the Lord reigns sovereignly and we can trust Him completely. Please pray for your missionaries, that they will trust in His sovereignty and rest in the safety of His arms.

Dave Totman is a Faith's 100 missionary.  Dave and his wife (Anora) along with their three children (Ereina, Trey, & Zoe) live in Niamey, Niger, where Dave serves as the Youth Pastor at Sahel Academy.  Learn more about the Totmans at their website.

Hymn of the Month - Arise, My Soul, Arise

I went to college at Bob Jones University.  One of the things I enjoyed the most at BJU was the congregational singing.  Part of what made the singing so good was the sheer size of the congregation.  5000 people comprise a fairly large choir.  Another aspect was the organ.  They have a monster organ at BJU.  Obviously, a monster organ is necessary to lead such a massive congregation.

One of the commonly sung hymns at BJU is a text by Charles Wesley - Arise, My Soul, Arise.  We would sing it to the tune LENOX.  It was a song that I was not familiar with prior to my time at BJU, but once I learned it, it quickly became one of my favorite hymns.  To my knowledge, we have only sung it once at FBC.  It was during one of the recent College & Career led services.

Read through the five stanzas below and be encouraged.  I have included some of my thoughts in blue.


Arise, my soul, arise; shake off thy guilty fears;
The bleeding sacrifice (Christ) in my behalf appears:
Before the throne my surety (Christ) stands,
Before the throne my surety stands,
My name is written on His hands.

He (Christ) ever lives above, for me to intercede;
His all redeeming love, His precious blood, to plead:
His blood atoned for all our race,
His blood atoned for all our race,
And sprinkles now the throne of grace.

Five bleeding wounds (2 hands, 2 feet, 1 side) He bears; received on Calvary;
They pour effectual prayers; they strongly plead for me:
(His wounds plead for me!  What a thought!)
“Forgive him, O forgive,” they cry,
“Forgive him, O forgive,” they cry,
“Nor let that ransomed sinner die!”

The Father hears Him pray, His dear anointed One;
He cannot turn away, the presence of His Son;
(Praise God, He cannot turn away!)
His Spirit answers to the blood,
His Spirit answers to the blood,
And tells me I am born of God.

My God is reconciled (to me!); His pardoning voice I hear;
He owns me for His child; I can no longer fear:
With confidence I now draw nigh,
With confidence I now draw nigh,
And “Father, Abba, Father,” cry.

Why I'm Blogging (Matthew DelValle)

As we began thinking about restarting the blog, one of our desires was to recruit some additional authors.  Matthew DelValle is one of our new authors.  He will graduate from the University of Central Florida this fall.  He hopes to attend seminary afterwards and receive further training for gospel ministry.  Matthew enjoys serving at Faith in the College and Career group.

The most important thing about me is not me. The most important thing about me is not even a thing—it is a person, and his name is Jesus Christ. I exist to glorify the name of Jesus Christ. The apostle Paul said it best: “I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God” (Acts 20:24). This is the most important thing you must know about me: that Jesus Christ is my life. It is Christ who defines me; it is Christ who empowers all that I do.

Why I’m Blogging – To Exalt Jesus Christ
This is the main reason why I agreed to write for this church blog. I see this blog as one more opportunity to proclaim Christ. Whatever the topic, it is my goal to always magnify the name of Jesus for his glory and the good of his people.

I only like to write about things I am most passionate about. I am most passionate about the glory of Jesus Christ. Therefore, my aim in every post is to share with you something that I believe will help increase your own passion for God—that you will know him more accurately and love him more deeply.

This is our aim in life. Knowing God personally and intimately and worshipping him deeply is what we were made for. Everything else is temporal. This is what we are to desire, and it is what God desires for us. Hosea records the words of our Lord, “For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings” (Hos. 6:6). God wants us to know him and love him. Thus, that’s my goal in every post: that we may know and love God better.

I Like to Write
There is a smaller, secondary reason why I’m writing for this blog. The simple truth is that I like to write. Writing has always been a love of mine. Ever since I was a young boy, I have enjoyed putting pen to paper and churning out words. I take great delight in crafting sentences that awaken and inspire. A compelling phrase, a clever hook, a clear proposition—fewer things give me greater joy than sharing my work and seeing others enjoy my writing.

Perhaps one of the simplest reasons I enjoy writing so much is because I learn best when I write. I can listen to a lecture, I can read a book, and I can observe a task, but nothing helps me think through material more clearly and coherently than the task of writing. The rigorous process of putting ideas into words that are not only intelligible but also persuasive to others is no small task. It requires a high level of focused energy sustained over a period of time, in which information is processed, evaluated, and translated into gripping sentences and cogent paragraphs.

Hence, it is not surprising to me how significantly writing has factored into my spiritual growth. I see things in the Bible when I write that I often miss when reading. Writing helps me eat and digest biblical truth in its own unique way.

What to Expect
So what can you expect to read when you visit this blog? I cannot speak for the other writers, but I know that what I write about is largely determined by my life experiences. Typically, you can expect one of the following:

• Something I read in my devotions will inspire deeper meditation, and I will write out my reflections on a passage of Scripture.
• Other times, a book I am reading will address a topic that resonates with my soul, and I will write about that topic.
• There are also times when an encounter in daily life will provoke further contemplation about what happened and why, and I will write about it.

So you as a reader can expect a mix of articles from me. Sometimes I will post thoughts on a passage of Scripture; other times I will blog about a Christian topic—perhaps a doctrinal or lifestyle issue. Whatever the subject, my aim is always the same: to exalt Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of all who repent of their sins and trust in him, and to help you know and love our great God better.

Write Back!
This is just a brief introduction of myself as one of the blog writers. However, I must have you know: this is no one-way street. I don’t want to be the only one writing in my posts! I encourage you to voice your remarks, disagreements, and questions via the comment feature. Anytime you want to comment on an article, feel free! I would love to hear your feedback and extend the discussion beyond my original writing and learn from you as well.

My only request with comments is that we always keep in mind the old Augustinian maxim: “In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity.” We must heed the words of Paul: “Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person” (Col. 4:6). With this spirit, our comments can serve to “stir up one another to love and good works” (Heb. 10:24).

I am looking forward to writing articles and discussing them with you! May this blog demonstrate our love for one another as brothers and sisters and bring honor and glory to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Book Review - The Trellis and the Vine

According to Colin Marshall and Tony Payne, all churches have Trellis work and Vine work.  The struggle that every church (and I would also include para-church ministries) faces is prioritizing and balancing the two different kinds of work.  

Trellis work involves administrative work - paying the bills, writing letters, planning out schedules, running events and programs.  It is often work that must be done.  But, it often becomes overwhelming and burdensome.  On the other hand, "The basic work of any Christian ministry is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ in the power of God's Spirit, and to see people converted, changed and grow to maturity in that gospel."  (p. 8)  This is the Vine work.

In their book, the authors encourage church leaders to focus more on Vine work and less on Trellis work.  Tending the vine must be the priority. 

Ministry Mind-Shifts
The authors begin chapter 2 with the following statement, "Over the course of this book, we are going to suggest that most Christian churches today need to undertake a radical re-evaluation of what Christian ministry really is."  (p. 17)  They then proceed to list 11 mind-shifts that churches need to make:

1. From running programs to building people
2. From running events to training people
3. From using people to growing people
4. From filling gaps to training new workers
5. From solving problems to helping people make progress
6. From clinging to ordained ministry to developing team leadership
7. From focusing on church polity to forging ministry partnerships
8. From relying on training institutions to establishing local training
9. From focusing on immediate pressures to aiming for long-term expansion
10. From engaging in management to engaging in minstry
11. From seeking church growth to desiring gospel growth

The book challenges church leaders to be 'talent scouts.' (p. 139)  We should be looking for the next generation of christian leaders.  They are the ones that should be our summer interns.  We should be giving them ample ministry opportunities such as preaching, leading the choir & congregational music, directing VBS, teaching Sunday School & Junior Church, etc.  Here at FBC, we should be actively looking for the next Jerry Smith, Dorothy Malcolm, or Mary Pence.  We should be coming alongside our young people to disciple them and encourage them to pursue christian ministry.  In fact, the authors would argue that investing time and energy into one or two individuals is more important than starting a new program or ministry. 

The authors also accurately realize that "recruiting people for ministry, training them as apprentices, and sending them off to Bible college will result in a steady departure of your best and most gifted church members."  (p. 149)

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and highly recommend it.  I was amazed at how quickly and easily I was able to read the book.  It is not overly scholarly, but is an accessible read.  I have already promoted to others and given away several copies.  It has challenged my thinking regarding my ministry here at FBC.  I challenge you to get a copy and read it today.  The book is available through Westminster Bookstore or Amazon.