Grace Unlimited

Giving God Glory

EFCCL — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 20:19:08 +0000

There was an old TV show called The Real McCoys in which the grandpa would make some bold statement, then say, “No brag, just fact.” When I was a child I used to have a nagging, guilty thought that God was a sort of “glory hound,” always demanding praise and thanks. It wasn’t until I matured a bit in my faith that I saw that for Him, it truly was, “No brag, just fact.” The Psalmist says quite truly, “Ascribe to the Lord, you mighty ones . . . ascribe to the Lord the glory due His name.” He demands it, because He’s the only one worthy of it. To put it another way, glory and honor and praise belong to Him. They are His possession — His alone to claim.

The best part is, giving Him His due isn’t meant to be a chore, it is meant to be a joy! So let’s begin by asking ourselves: in what way has Jesus been mighty in our lives? When have we accomplished things that could only have been done through Him? When have we been at the end of our own strength physically, emotionally, or spiritually, and only His might and power carried us through?

Once we have one or more of these in mind, then we can give Him the glory “due” His name for what He’s done for us personally. We get the joy of praising Him in a way no one else can do just like we can.

by Sheri Cook, Director of Special Ministries

Holy Ground

EFCCL — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 22:22:33 +0000

Have you ever noticed that most of the God-encounters described in the scriptures happened to people who were going about their everyday lives? Jacob and Samuel were sleeping. Gideon was threshing grain. Balaam and Paul were traveling. And then there was Moses, just minding his business, tending his father-in-law’s flocks in the middle of nowhere, when suddenly he found himself on holy ground.

Has it ever occurred to you that you might be a candidate — that somehow, somewhere, when you least expect it, someone might come up to you and say, “Take off your shoes, you are standing on holy ground!”

Why not? What is keeping you back? None of these people were “prayed up” or seeking an encounter, which is not to say that personal holiness doesn’t increase the possibility of meeting with God. However in our world we tend to compartmentalize things so much. The sacred is not just in the sanctuary, it is all around you! As a child of the holy God, you are a carrier — a bearer of the sacred, a herald of the holy. In a sense, everywhere you are is holy ground. Like Jacob you can discover this truth and say, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and was not aware of it . . . How awesome is this place! This is none other than the gate of heaven.”

Yes, you are standing on holy ground! Turn your heart in God’s direction and attend to Him. Lift up your hands, lift up your heart . . . take off your shoes?

by Sheri Cook, Director of Special Ministries

Showing Up

EFCCL — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 16:33:10 +0000

I’m not so much into making resolutions in January as regrouping. After the fall season, which, in my life, is dominated by the demands of the Christmas Outreach followed quickly by the frenzy of Christmas preparations, I often use the lull between Christmas and New Year to catch my breath and regroup, reprioritize, and even repent.

Repent really means to turn around, to change direction. That’s truly what resolutions are about. We resolve to change directions on some habit, or to begin some new and positive direction in our lives. It is one thing to decide to change, to “resolve” to do something, but it’s an entirely different thing to actually show up consistently and actually make that change happen.

Matthew 3:8 calls this producing “the fruit in keeping with repentance.” In other words, resolving, or regrouping, or reprioritizing, or repenting to the point that we are still showing up in February and in May, and in September and in next December, with the same enthusiasm and determination (maybe even more) that we have right now. Showing up consistently proves there’s real fruit in the changes we’ve made.

Where is it you’ve decided you need to show up? Where has God been touching your life and bringing conviction that we need to regroup or repent or reprioritize? The great news is, when we do show up, we don’t go there alone. The Immanuel of Christmas, that God With Us, shows up there, too. We aren’t in this alone — at least we shouldn’t be if we want to be successful in what we’re attempting. So take your resolutions, or your regroupings, or your repentances — whatever it is you call them, and show up in His presence. We can count on Him to be there to meet us, to give us all we need to produce that fruit!

by Sheri Cook, Director of Special Ministries

A Family in Harmony

EFCCL — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 16:00:47 +0000

There’s an old Chinese proverb that says, “A family in harmony will prosper in everything.” My precious family has just scattered back to their respective locales after a very special holiday time together. It was special because God did a fresh work in our hearts — He re-united us, welded our hearts back together, and re-bonded us in relationship. You see, we haven’t done well since Linda’s death in maintaining our once close ties as a family. Nearly three years ago, after Linda went home to her Savior, the rest of us retreated to our various corners and grieved our private sorrows, which was easy to do since most of us live hundreds of miles apart.

We have all experienced the relational distancing since then and it has felt neither good nor right. So this past Tuesday night, we had a family meeting in which I shared my constant feelings of failure as their father. Whenever they are able to come home, I notice the pain and grief in their eyes as they walk through the door, just because Mom isn’t there any longer. It’s like every re-entry is a splash of ice water of the harsh reality that the house is missing its greatest asset. And though I have feebly tried to duplicate her by doing some decorating and minimal baking, I just can’t recapture the magic tone of the warmth and love Linda always set for us, and especially so at Christmas. As a family, we talked these things out amid some flowing tears. We all expressed how much we miss her — their mom and my soul-mate — but also how much we love one another.

Then my kids gave me a gift! It was the encouragement of their steadfast support and their expressed devotion to one another that we will all do a better job of sticking together, communicating with each other, and loving, caring and supporting each other as all good and godly families do. It’s really a renewed commitment to practice the “one anothers” of Scripture: love one another, build up one another, forgive one another, encourage one another, be kind to one another, bear one another’s burdens, pray for one another, confess your faults to one another, comfort one another, and forbear with one another.

It’s interesting that the Scriptures also point to some other “one anothers” we should avoid: don’t bite or devour one another, don’t provoke one another, don’t lie to one another, don’t speak evil to one another, and don’t grumble against one another. Relationships can be fragile, and especially so in family networks. But when we appropriately put into practice these “one anothers,” we are able to follow God’s wise and gracious formula for maintaining strong and dynamic family ties.

There’s another Chinese proverb that says, “A family with an old person has a living treasure of gold.” Hmm! How can I get that one across to my kids?

by Bob Page, Senior Pastor

Christmas: Joy to the World? Or Coping with the Blues?

EFCCL — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 19:19:49 +0000

Christmas is a time to “be glad and to rejoice.” This is a special time to celebrate the reality of the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ, and the salvation that He brings to all who trust in Him!

Unfortunately, many people seem to experience more unhappiness than joy during the holiday season. Some are experiencing the painful remembrance of a close family member or friend that has died; some are depressed over difficult health issues, divorce, financial pressures, family conflicts, and struggles with addictions. Many struggle with regrets and bad memories of Christmases of the past that have gone sour!

Some struggle over unmet expectations of the way Christmas is “supposed to be”! Expectations of friends and family members gathered around the Christmas fire and opening presents together may not happen! Many feel lonely and unloved as they compare themselves to a fantasy picture of a “merry Christmas” that seems to be unfulfilled.

The issue is the right focus! Are we focusing on the Jesus as the Way, the Truth, and the Life, or are we focused on a “lesser god” (things, people, money, relationships).

Often, people lose focus and attention on keeping the “most important thing” the most important thing. We need to keep our passion for the all sufficient Christ and not allow ourselves to inordinately refocus on false images of presents under the tree, parties, and self. This leaves a person feeling unfulfilled, unsatisfied, rejected, and angry.

Although it is wonderful to enjoy family, friends, and giving during this time, we need to keep balanced. Our focus must most securely be on the ultimate source of salvation, satisfaction, peace, life, hope, and love! Jesus!

During the Christmas season, we need to remind ourselves of the entire message of Jesus. The baby in the manger became a man who miraculously proved that He was the Son of God! He died a horrible death to pay for our sins and provide us forgiveness and eternal life! He resurrected on the third day after His death and is now seated at the right hand of the Father. Jesus is Immanuel, the King of Kings, the Savior of the World! Worship Him and Him only!!

Jesus Christ is the real reason for the season!

by Steve Yeschek, Pastor of Caring Ministries

What’s in a Word?

EFCCL — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 15:31:30 +0000

I was speaking with a friend last week, and we agreed that the most overused word for 2011 has to be “epic.” The first definition of epic is “noting or pertaining to a long poetic composition, usually centered upon a hero . . .” It is the third definition, “heroic, majestic, impressively great”, that relates most closely to its contemporary use; however, it is the overuse of “epic” that actually diminishes its strength when used describe an event, person, etc. I chuckle when I hear a movie that has yet to be released is the ‘epic” film of the year or when a play in a Sunday noon football game is described as “epic”, only to have yet another “epic” play in a 3 p.m. game that same day. Really, was it epic? Or was it just a good play that was worthy of being noted?

There is another word in the English language that has been has been minimized by its overuse. That word is “awesome.” The definition of awesome is “an overwhelming feeling of reverence, admiration, fear, produced by that which is grand, sublime, extremely powerful, or the like.” That is quite a definition. Time and time again in the Old Testament, “awesome” is used to describe God and His works. In Deuteronomy 7:21, as Moses speaks of driving the nations out the Promised Land, he reminds them “You shall not be in dread of them, for the LORD your God is in your midst, a great and awesome God.” Again in Deuteronomy 10:17,21 Moses encourages the Israelites once again, “For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, the mighty and awesome God . . . He is the one you praise; He is your God, who performed for you those great and awesome wonders you saw with you own eyes.”

I could go on and on through Job (10:16, 37:22), where God’s awesome power is put forth; to Nehemiah (1:5, 5:14), where the LORD is “great and awesome”; and on to the Psalms (45:4, 47:2, 65:5, 66:3), as the psalmist extols God’s awesome deeds and how awesome is the LORD Most High. There is also Daniel’s great prayer of confession where he prays the “LORD, the great and awesome God” (Daniel 9:4). Other Old Testament prophets — Isaiah, Joel, and Zephaniah — make reference to the “awesome things” God did (Isaiah 64:3), “the awesome day of the LORD” (Joel 2:31), and that “the LORD will be awesome against them” (Zephaniah 2:11). Often it is used in conjunction with LORD in capitals, referring to YAHWEH, the Most Holy God. To the Jewish people, YAHWEH was such a sacred name that they feared speaking it and instead would say “The Name.” Awesome not only referred to reverence, but also to a holy fear or terror due only to God.

Sadly, our culture has downplayed reverence (that goes hand-in-hand with fear) of our awesome God, by giving the same description to sports players, a well-done action, an event, food, dogs, cats, etc. How the Evil One must feel such satisfaction at reducing a description of our Almighty God to one given equally to a feat performed by man or a cute dog. It is not my purpose to shame anyone who uses “awesome” to describe something other than Almighty God, but just to point us to the One who really is awesome. Is that other object really awesome? Instead, is it merely incredible, great, or really good? Does it deserve reverence or awe? Is it worthy of holy fear or terror?

Join me as we celebrate the epic work of our awesome God in the incarnation of His Son, Immanuel “God with us.”

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

— Isaiah 9:6

May you have a blessed and Merry Christmas!

by Cindy Bates, Director of Connections Ministries

How Big Is Your God?

EFCCL — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 16:31:51 +0000

For the past few weeks I have been reading through the book of Job. It is such a powerful book with too many lessons to list in this short blog post. There is hardly a day that goes by where there is not some sweet nugget to chew on talking about the excellencies of our Creator. Even Job’s friends who get so much about our God wrong get some things right. And the truths that are right in this book are life giving. They turn our attention off of ourselves and put it on Him, which is where I need to keep my gaze. Consider this passage from Job 26.

Sheol is naked before God,
and Abaddon has no covering.
He stretches out the north over the void
and hangs the earth on nothing.
He binds up the waters in his thick clouds,
and the cloud is not split open under them.
He covers the face of the full moon
and spreads over it his cloud.
He has inscribed a circle on the face of the waters
at the boundary between light and darkness.
The pillars of heaven tremble
and are astounded at his rebuke.
By his power he stilled the sea;
by his understanding he shattered Rahab.
By his wind the heavens were made fair;
his hand pierced the fleeing serpent.
Behold, these are but the outskirts of his ways,
and how small a whisper do we hear of him!
But the thunder of his power who can understand?

—Job 26:6-14, ESV, emphasis added

Go back and read that passage again. Look at all the incredible things our God does and then Job says, “Behold, these are but the outskirts of his ways.” Amazing! Our God cannot be tamed. Our God is bigger and can do more than all we can understand.

Remember, in this season, that this God, condescended and walked among His creation. This Great God is Immanuel, God with us. This is the beginning of understanding the beauty of the gospel. Look in awe at this God, at the outskirts of his ways!

by Jon Rees, Pastor of High School Ministries and Impact Groups

A Date Which Will Live In . . .

EFCCL — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 20:21:12 +0000

Three weeks ago, on November 11, 2011, a date which will live in our family’s memory, my oldest daughter got married! Wow! It truly was an amazing time for which we praise the Lord! The months of anticipation and planning and the last week of final preparations all culminated in a very special day. I had the immense privilege of walking my little girl down the aisle and performing the ceremony. Emotions were off the charts, but they were of great joy. As I danced with Betsy during the reception, we talked about how it all seemed surreal — almost like a dream. I do not recall much else of what I said — my focus was on Betsy smiling and nodding her head while her face was beaming.

But throughout that night I do remember thinking about the goodness and power of God. The Scripture says He is the giver of every good and perfect gift — I was seeing that in a daughter and son-in-law. The Lord’s will is described as good, acceptable, and perfect — we marveled at the Divine orchestration of bringing Betsy & Meda’s lives together as husband and wife. And Margie and I were eyewitnesses that our Savior can do immeasurably more than all we can ask or think — we felt extremely blessed through all of this.

There are other dates which I will always remember: early August of 1972 (salvation decision), June 14, 1986 (our wedding), to name but two. I imagine there will be more special dates in the future (graduations? other weddings? grandchildren?). But there is one more date to come, arguably the most significant day in my life, and only God Himself knows when it will occur. Either because of my physical death or the second coming of the Lord, I will be ushered into the very presence of the King. It will be the culmination of His gracious promise to me (and to all who trust in Jesus Christ as their Savior). While I long for that day to come, I am encouraged in the present with God’s desire to continue working in my life — to will and to act according to His good pleasure.

by Tim Bruns, Pastor of Children’s Ministries

Stillness

EFCCL — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 18:37:50 +0000

Still. What does that word conjure up for you? It probably depends somewhat on your personality. Still to some means boring, it means punishment of having to stop wiggling when you were a child in church. But still can also mean that sound when all the children are finally in bed after a long and busy day. Still can mean that peaceful quiet of a lake or stream in the morning, when the only noise is the whisper of a fly-fisherman’s reel whirling as he casts, and the birds chirping in the trees. But still can also be that somber quiet when the last child leaves the nest, or when the realization hits that some beloved family member or friend is gone, and their voice will never be heard again.

How often are you still, truly still — when there is no TV or radio or conversation aimed in your direction? Is stillness an inviting prospect for you, or is it something you avoid? If stillness is uncomfortable for you, do you know why? Is it just not your nature — or is that an excuse you use to avoid being quiet with yourself and your God? Is there something you suspect you are trying not to hear in the stillness?

So, be still for a moment and think about the word. Invite the stillness to settle over you. Invite the “still small voice” of the Lord to speak to you and relate to you what He would like to teach you about stillness. You don’t have to plunge into a day of quietude, or take a vow of silence. Just set aside one minute more than you think you can stand, and be quiet — even try to still your mind, try to keep it from racing here and there. Perhaps just try a short verse, such as “Be still and know that I am God.” And try to focus on that when your mind begins to wander. Stillness isn’t easy. It goes against our nature, but the benefits of its practice are wonderful spiritually, physically, and emotionally.

by Sheri Cook, Director of Special Ministries

Seasons of Growth, Part 3: Harvest

EFCCL — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 12:00:38 +0000

It wasn’t the way I expected. It was mid-August, and Rob and I began heavy harvesting half our garden. It either had to be harvest time or destruction time. The new bike path would be blasting through the middle of our garden, and we would lose 3-4 tomato plants. The weather was strange this summer, and the harvest had been slow. The construction took half my garden, and I was tempted to give up. “Oh well, just let everything compost. Maybe next year will be better.” But I couldn’t just give up. I found some perseverance and began harvesting that half of the garden, transplanting what I could to extend the growing season for the peppers. I expected nothing from the remaining pathetic-looking garden. At the beginning of autumn, just before frost, we harvested anything remaining in “the other half.” All the investment seemed to pay off when I saw my countertops full of homegrown produce. With all the changes, I had never expected to reap that much.

Praise God the harvest isn’t limited to my plants. In this season of thanksgiving, I am truly rejoicing in all that God is doing among His people. For a year we have prayed, “Lord, stir up our spirits. Do Your work in us. Transform us by Your Spirit.” We know from Galatians 6:7-9 that the Law of the Harvest is always in effect. We plant, we water, and we reap. We reap according to what we sow.

Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

This autumn, I thank God for His goodness to us. I thank God when I hear that some of you are casting off the old ways of sin and obeying the pattern of Christ. I thank God for the faith you are demonstrating as you seek to break generational patterns. Keep preparing the soil of your heart. Keep pruning the vines to increase the harvest. Keep persevering and working so that the harvest of righteousness will be great in your life and in the life of our church.

by Heather Soukup, Director of Women’s Ministries