Blog https://www.northwestbaptist.church Thu, 28 Mar 2024 16:09:04 -0500 http://churchplantmedia.com/ God’s Plumbline: Christ the Tested Cornerstone https://www.northwestbaptist.church/blog/post/god-s-plumbline-christ-the-tested-cornerstone https://www.northwestbaptist.church/blog/post/god-s-plumbline-christ-the-tested-cornerstone#comments Wed, 01 Jun 2022 13:00:00 -0500 https://www.northwestbaptist.church/blog/post/god-s-plumbline-christ-the-tested-cornerstone How is God a God of order?

How does God create order out of chaos?

What are we to build during God’s order in the chaos of judgment?

 

God’s Plumbline: Christ the Tested Cornerstone

The Church has spent the last few months with Pastor Rob displaying the Gospel through the Old Testament and Revelations. As one studies and reads the Old Testament and Revelations we discover a lot of rules and rituals that prepare us for the presence of God.  In Revelation we discover that God will also judge in chaos destroying through His order. We can see from the Torah as well as throughout scripture that God calls Israel and the Church, His elect out of chaos, into His order through the institution of the law and the fulfillment of this law in Christ. We also can empirically see God in His creation. Creation itself shows God’s order and design. (Psalm 104:5-14) I am not alone in this understanding, in God on the Brain by Bradley L Stickler PhD, Purdue University quotes Cotton Mather, “that earthquakes have physical causes but that they are still rightly thought of as caused by God: ‘Nature’ causes are still under the government of Him that is the God of Nature.” We have heard a lot lately, “follow the science” . Well science shows the order of God in everything from a cell, to DNA, and when we look at the night sky.  The order of our science shows the reflection or image of God. The Church father Thomas Watson in A Body Of Divinity says, “The world could not make itself. Who could hang the earth on nothing but the great God? Who could provide such rich furniture for the heavens, the glorious constellations, the firmament bespangled with such glittering lights? We see God’s glory blazing in the sun, twinkling in the stars.” Preacher Charles Spurgon says, “The very form and size of the earth have a connection with the blooming of a flower, or the hanging of a dew-drop upon a blade of grass; and that, if the sun were larger or smaller than it is, or if the material of which the earth is formed were more dense, or different in any degree from what it is, then everything, the most magnificent and the most minute, would be thrown out of gear. Someone of old used to say that God is the great Arithmetician, the great Master of geometry; and so he is. He never makes any mistakes in his calculations; there is not anything in the world that he has made in a careless manner. The mixing of the component parts of the air we breathe is managed with consummate skill; and if you could resolve a drop of water into its original elements, you would be struck by the wisdom with which God has adapted the proportions of each particle so as to make a liquid which man can drink. Everything is done by order and rule, as in the changes of the various seasons, the movements of the heavenly bodies, and the arrangements of divine providence.” God demonstrates consistently through His scripture and the world how He desires order. 

I say all this because our lives have been filled with chaos these last few years, chaos through judgment. America and this world has been thrown into chaos with the Covid and fears. Our institutions have failed us. Where do we turn when our towers we have built have fallen and no longer stand. The Church is on the brink in the US and has failed during this crisis. Where do we turn when we have been so blessed and  yet everything seems to be falling apart? We turn to the infallible Holy God. We use the Bible God’s word to guide us as we rebuild, repent and pray for His Holy Spirit to give us insight and wisdom. This is called the Plumbline in the Old Testament, which is a line or cord that has at one end a weight or plumb. The Plumbine is the reality we seek (Truth), while the world makes false institutions and a false reality (Truth). As our Church begins a relaunch, I want to discuss with you the Plumbline we use. The gospel is displayed in the Plumbline through Christ this is located in (Isaiah 28:14-17).  Christ has been tested by God’s plumbline and Christ has proven straight. Christ is the cornerstone. Everything leads us back to Christ and the gospel. 

Let us look at Amos with this background and context. Amos was considered an uneducated man because he was a herdsman, but yet he was able to write effectively. He was a prophet during the reign of Uzziah King of Judia and Jeroboam King of Israel. Both Kingdoms were blessed and stable during this time; the blessing was unparalleled since the days of King Solomon. This was considered a “Golden Age” but it also demonstrated terminal illness. Their wealth came from the expense of the poor. The rich and powerful were systematically oppressing. Their attempt to worship God was them trying to manipulate God to give them blessings. It more resembled the magical manipulation of the pagans. Jeroboam had even set up a golden calf taking us back to Israel at Mount Sinai. (Exodus 32) The story of the golden calf reveals our nature and tendency to build for ourselves and stray away from devotion to God. It is ironic that while Moses was receiving the 10 commandments, Israel has become impatient, and are building for themselves an image that is outside the image of God. So just like Israel at Mount Sinai, God's judgment falls upon Israel and not their enemies. They are held more accountable than their neighbors. Judgment cannot be averted. The first 6 chapters are all about God’s judgment for their cruelty, oppression and rejection of the law. Even in the midst of this judgment Amos foretells of Christ, a King from the line of David, that will save all. When God brings chaos through judgment there is always a remnant left, from Noah, Lot, Israel in all the different chaos through judgment they received, to the disciples. It is through the remnant that God makes arks for the people to be saved from the chaos through judgment. 

Amos 7: What do we take away from the plumbline in Amos here? First it is used to construct in order for us to be in the presence of God. The plumbline is used on us individually, as well as the building of this community and Church. Back to the gospel; Christ is the only person (Isaiah 28) that has been tested by the plumbline and has been found Holy. Christ is who we look to, He is the target, so to speak, for us to mimic or reflect the God of order. The Holy Spirit changes our hearts desires to follow the cornerstone. We must recognize the difference between Christ and ourselves and it is only God that can open our eyes to this. (Matt. 16:13-20) Jesus explains here that God reveals to us His plan, it is not by our wisdom. The world even sees the depravity of humanity.  Jordan B. Peterson, a clinical psychologist, author, professor says, “I don’t think that you have any insight whatsoever into your capacity for good until you have some well-developed insight into your capacity for evil.” This is an understanding of our total depravity and need for Christ. 

Second it is used to test what is built, so as God builds this Church He tests it with the plumbline. When God is at work within us, we become aware how He will transform the chaos to order. The plumbline allows us to partake in the great adventure; to undertake this adventure requires sacrifice necessary to generate a productive meaningful reality. In essence we are living to please God individually as well as communally. Third, it is used in deconstructing what is not found straight, God will judge. 

We must trust God as the great builder. If our walls are not built using the (Truth, Word of God), plumbline, then it might be hard to try to use the plumbline after the fact, but if we build professing the gospel and construct according to the rules of the Great Builder, God, it will be possible to test with the plumbline. Everything that God builds as we see through nature, science and scripture point to a God that builds straight, square, and in order. The Church has been filled with the Holy Spirit to provide insight and understanding to these things that are beyond the knowledge of humanity (Job 38:4-7). The world deceives with what it builds; human ambition builds carelessly never considering what might turn out to be wrong. God’s judgment destroys all that the world makes. (Tower of Babel Genesis 11:1-9) After all human merit has been flung out, the Lord begins his gracious work by laying the cornerstone of faith in Jesus Christ, and that faith, though the gospel is reality and truth.  Faith and trust in the Builder, God, requires repentance, and then He will build with you something that is of order. When God builds  whether it is in an individual or His Church, it is with the plumbline and it builds towards holiness, because He builds with order. If we build in such a style where we are oppressing and benefiting at the expense of others it is worldly. If we build where sin is hidden within the walls it is an impure build and worldly. If we build as an offering to somehow manipulate God to bless us that is worldly.  If we are building without reading God’s word daily how will we know if we are building to glorify God? We have been given the full story in scripture. I urge myself first as I am reading through the Bible this year, to be in constant use of God’s plumbline. It is very easy to seek for quick solutions, and neglect what is certain, which is God through scripture.  

Churches that are built in a hurry will come down in a hurry; they are built on sand (Matt. 7:24-27).   They may look right on the outside, but will look terrible in the burning judgment of God, when the day of the trial by fire comes. God does not promise hard days, or days of chaos, but we must build for the valley of darkness, where God will protect us and dwell with us. 

 

Spurgon says, “The human eye is readily deceived, but the plumbline is not; it drops straight down, and at once shows whether the wall is upright or not.” We must continually use the plumbline upon ourselves and what is built. What is real and what is truth? The gospel of Christ. The Church will need to be tested and tired by the plumbline. Some of you and even myself have built fine mansions, towers, palaces, but when the plumbline was applied these buildings fell. It is God himself who will use the plumbline and the Holy Spirit that will give us insight into what God wants to build. Trust the builder and He will build something of order that cannot be destroyed by storms of chaos that will come. 

What is the Church to build in the time of chaos through judgment? The ark to save as many from the coming floods of judgment that we can. Noah built the ark: (Gen. 6) This chapter explains the judgment of God on a sinful world, and God uses an ark to save. He calls us to build an ark and the world will mock us for doing it. Even in this story God gives specific order to how the ark is to be made.  Spurgon says, “And when the judgment begins, it will not be without due order, nor will it be without keen perception of all differences. There will hang the infallible plumbline.” We see here that God even judges within order. Open our eyes, Holy Spirit to discern the Lord's infallible plumbline as we build. The American Church might be in the throes of chaos through judgment. We must repent and build arks to save as many as we can. We need to tear down what was built during the prosperity of the American dream. We must repent and build arks that will save the lost through the gospel of Christ. Through this pandemic we see the dead bodies on the water that have been consumed by the world’s sin. For many it is too late; judgment has come. Are you ready to build this ark to save as many as we can for chaos is coming? The mission is to build arks to save the lost through the gospel message. There is always a remnant that God saves to rebuild with His Order. Arks look like the gospel of Christ, our cornerstone, and they glorify God and not ourselves. Arks are made within God’s order from chaos. This will look strange to the world; it does not reflect the world, but reflects the God of order through the gospel of Christ, that has already been tested with the plumbline and found blameless. 

Author: Steve Kluge 

]]>
How is God a God of order?

How does God create order out of chaos?

What are we to build during God’s order in the chaos of judgment?

 

God’s Plumbline: Christ the Tested Cornerstone

The Church has spent the last few months with Pastor Rob displaying the Gospel through the Old Testament and Revelations. As one studies and reads the Old Testament and Revelations we discover a lot of rules and rituals that prepare us for the presence of God.  In Revelation we discover that God will also judge in chaos destroying through His order. We can see from the Torah as well as throughout scripture that God calls Israel and the Church, His elect out of chaos, into His order through the institution of the law and the fulfillment of this law in Christ. We also can empirically see God in His creation. Creation itself shows God’s order and design. (Psalm 104:5-14) I am not alone in this understanding, in God on the Brain by Bradley L Stickler PhD, Purdue University quotes Cotton Mather, “that earthquakes have physical causes but that they are still rightly thought of as caused by God: ‘Nature’ causes are still under the government of Him that is the God of Nature.” We have heard a lot lately, “follow the science” . Well science shows the order of God in everything from a cell, to DNA, and when we look at the night sky.  The order of our science shows the reflection or image of God. The Church father Thomas Watson in A Body Of Divinity says, “The world could not make itself. Who could hang the earth on nothing but the great God? Who could provide such rich furniture for the heavens, the glorious constellations, the firmament bespangled with such glittering lights? We see God’s glory blazing in the sun, twinkling in the stars.” Preacher Charles Spurgon says, “The very form and size of the earth have a connection with the blooming of a flower, or the hanging of a dew-drop upon a blade of grass; and that, if the sun were larger or smaller than it is, or if the material of which the earth is formed were more dense, or different in any degree from what it is, then everything, the most magnificent and the most minute, would be thrown out of gear. Someone of old used to say that God is the great Arithmetician, the great Master of geometry; and so he is. He never makes any mistakes in his calculations; there is not anything in the world that he has made in a careless manner. The mixing of the component parts of the air we breathe is managed with consummate skill; and if you could resolve a drop of water into its original elements, you would be struck by the wisdom with which God has adapted the proportions of each particle so as to make a liquid which man can drink. Everything is done by order and rule, as in the changes of the various seasons, the movements of the heavenly bodies, and the arrangements of divine providence.” God demonstrates consistently through His scripture and the world how He desires order. 

I say all this because our lives have been filled with chaos these last few years, chaos through judgment. America and this world has been thrown into chaos with the Covid and fears. Our institutions have failed us. Where do we turn when our towers we have built have fallen and no longer stand. The Church is on the brink in the US and has failed during this crisis. Where do we turn when we have been so blessed and  yet everything seems to be falling apart? We turn to the infallible Holy God. We use the Bible God’s word to guide us as we rebuild, repent and pray for His Holy Spirit to give us insight and wisdom. This is called the Plumbline in the Old Testament, which is a line or cord that has at one end a weight or plumb. The Plumbine is the reality we seek (Truth), while the world makes false institutions and a false reality (Truth). As our Church begins a relaunch, I want to discuss with you the Plumbline we use. The gospel is displayed in the Plumbline through Christ this is located in (Isaiah 28:14-17).  Christ has been tested by God’s plumbline and Christ has proven straight. Christ is the cornerstone. Everything leads us back to Christ and the gospel. 

Let us look at Amos with this background and context. Amos was considered an uneducated man because he was a herdsman, but yet he was able to write effectively. He was a prophet during the reign of Uzziah King of Judia and Jeroboam King of Israel. Both Kingdoms were blessed and stable during this time; the blessing was unparalleled since the days of King Solomon. This was considered a “Golden Age” but it also demonstrated terminal illness. Their wealth came from the expense of the poor. The rich and powerful were systematically oppressing. Their attempt to worship God was them trying to manipulate God to give them blessings. It more resembled the magical manipulation of the pagans. Jeroboam had even set up a golden calf taking us back to Israel at Mount Sinai. (Exodus 32) The story of the golden calf reveals our nature and tendency to build for ourselves and stray away from devotion to God. It is ironic that while Moses was receiving the 10 commandments, Israel has become impatient, and are building for themselves an image that is outside the image of God. So just like Israel at Mount Sinai, God's judgment falls upon Israel and not their enemies. They are held more accountable than their neighbors. Judgment cannot be averted. The first 6 chapters are all about God’s judgment for their cruelty, oppression and rejection of the law. Even in the midst of this judgment Amos foretells of Christ, a King from the line of David, that will save all. When God brings chaos through judgment there is always a remnant left, from Noah, Lot, Israel in all the different chaos through judgment they received, to the disciples. It is through the remnant that God makes arks for the people to be saved from the chaos through judgment. 

Amos 7: What do we take away from the plumbline in Amos here? First it is used to construct in order for us to be in the presence of God. The plumbline is used on us individually, as well as the building of this community and Church. Back to the gospel; Christ is the only person (Isaiah 28) that has been tested by the plumbline and has been found Holy. Christ is who we look to, He is the target, so to speak, for us to mimic or reflect the God of order. The Holy Spirit changes our hearts desires to follow the cornerstone. We must recognize the difference between Christ and ourselves and it is only God that can open our eyes to this. (Matt. 16:13-20) Jesus explains here that God reveals to us His plan, it is not by our wisdom. The world even sees the depravity of humanity.  Jordan B. Peterson, a clinical psychologist, author, professor says, “I don’t think that you have any insight whatsoever into your capacity for good until you have some well-developed insight into your capacity for evil.” This is an understanding of our total depravity and need for Christ. 

Second it is used to test what is built, so as God builds this Church He tests it with the plumbline. When God is at work within us, we become aware how He will transform the chaos to order. The plumbline allows us to partake in the great adventure; to undertake this adventure requires sacrifice necessary to generate a productive meaningful reality. In essence we are living to please God individually as well as communally. Third, it is used in deconstructing what is not found straight, God will judge. 

We must trust God as the great builder. If our walls are not built using the (Truth, Word of God), plumbline, then it might be hard to try to use the plumbline after the fact, but if we build professing the gospel and construct according to the rules of the Great Builder, God, it will be possible to test with the plumbline. Everything that God builds as we see through nature, science and scripture point to a God that builds straight, square, and in order. The Church has been filled with the Holy Spirit to provide insight and understanding to these things that are beyond the knowledge of humanity (Job 38:4-7). The world deceives with what it builds; human ambition builds carelessly never considering what might turn out to be wrong. God’s judgment destroys all that the world makes. (Tower of Babel Genesis 11:1-9) After all human merit has been flung out, the Lord begins his gracious work by laying the cornerstone of faith in Jesus Christ, and that faith, though the gospel is reality and truth.  Faith and trust in the Builder, God, requires repentance, and then He will build with you something that is of order. When God builds  whether it is in an individual or His Church, it is with the plumbline and it builds towards holiness, because He builds with order. If we build in such a style where we are oppressing and benefiting at the expense of others it is worldly. If we build where sin is hidden within the walls it is an impure build and worldly. If we build as an offering to somehow manipulate God to bless us that is worldly.  If we are building without reading God’s word daily how will we know if we are building to glorify God? We have been given the full story in scripture. I urge myself first as I am reading through the Bible this year, to be in constant use of God’s plumbline. It is very easy to seek for quick solutions, and neglect what is certain, which is God through scripture.  

Churches that are built in a hurry will come down in a hurry; they are built on sand (Matt. 7:24-27).   They may look right on the outside, but will look terrible in the burning judgment of God, when the day of the trial by fire comes. God does not promise hard days, or days of chaos, but we must build for the valley of darkness, where God will protect us and dwell with us. 

 

Spurgon says, “The human eye is readily deceived, but the plumbline is not; it drops straight down, and at once shows whether the wall is upright or not.” We must continually use the plumbline upon ourselves and what is built. What is real and what is truth? The gospel of Christ. The Church will need to be tested and tired by the plumbline. Some of you and even myself have built fine mansions, towers, palaces, but when the plumbline was applied these buildings fell. It is God himself who will use the plumbline and the Holy Spirit that will give us insight into what God wants to build. Trust the builder and He will build something of order that cannot be destroyed by storms of chaos that will come. 

What is the Church to build in the time of chaos through judgment? The ark to save as many from the coming floods of judgment that we can. Noah built the ark: (Gen. 6) This chapter explains the judgment of God on a sinful world, and God uses an ark to save. He calls us to build an ark and the world will mock us for doing it. Even in this story God gives specific order to how the ark is to be made.  Spurgon says, “And when the judgment begins, it will not be without due order, nor will it be without keen perception of all differences. There will hang the infallible plumbline.” We see here that God even judges within order. Open our eyes, Holy Spirit to discern the Lord's infallible plumbline as we build. The American Church might be in the throes of chaos through judgment. We must repent and build arks to save as many as we can. We need to tear down what was built during the prosperity of the American dream. We must repent and build arks that will save the lost through the gospel of Christ. Through this pandemic we see the dead bodies on the water that have been consumed by the world’s sin. For many it is too late; judgment has come. Are you ready to build this ark to save as many as we can for chaos is coming? The mission is to build arks to save the lost through the gospel message. There is always a remnant that God saves to rebuild with His Order. Arks look like the gospel of Christ, our cornerstone, and they glorify God and not ourselves. Arks are made within God’s order from chaos. This will look strange to the world; it does not reflect the world, but reflects the God of order through the gospel of Christ, that has already been tested with the plumbline and found blameless. 

Author: Steve Kluge 

]]>
Small Afflictions https://www.northwestbaptist.church/blog/post/small-aflictions- https://www.northwestbaptist.church/blog/post/small-aflictions-#comments Wed, 01 Jun 2022 13:00:00 -0500 https://www.northwestbaptist.church/blog/post/small-aflictions- How do we look back at the chaos of the pandemic without the Church on Resurrection Day?

A narrative of God’s goodness in loneliness. 

 

As I reflect on the  Easter season this year, and resurrection day, I think about what last year looked like.  Here is what I wrote about 11 months ago:

 

What a year folks.  In 2 Corinthians 4:18 it says "For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison"  --  Even though this year has had its afflictions, I feel also the intense presence of the holy spirit, guiding, and protecting us and giving us joy despite our circumstances.  I almost (almost...) feel a bit of nostalgia for this year.... in our most desperate moments maybe we can most clearly see the hand of God, and the heart of his people.  We begin to understand that the "things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal."

 

As I told some of you, I was wondering if the apocalypse had begun this last week when I woke up to the screams of my 7 year old deep into a stomach virus, and fire raining down outside our window.  Our power then goes out.  I go to my phone to text our tutors at my homeschool classical conversations group, and my phone has died.   By about 9:30, our power came on, my son's worst screams were over, and the sun came out a bit and I realized that once again I was in the midst of small afflictions.    We may have missed going to church on Easter and missed seeing you all, but it doesn't change the fact that Jesus is Alive!!!  He has risen!!!  And even if it were the apocalypse, he is still God and his purpose remains on course!  Everyday we grow closer to the full revelation of Jesus Christ!  What a story we have to tell.  I can barely contain myself.  

 

That was a year ago, and still we see our world drowning in more  isolation, and fear.

 

We don’t know what tomorrow holds, but we have a story to tell.  I look around and see the brokenness, the anger, the frustration–  a lack of peace– these last two years have destroyed what little peace those outside of the presence of God have.  They are drowning.   I pray for anyone reading this, that God will renew your salvation.  May we feel the excitement and 

Commit to one another – hold hands as we lift high our Savior.  Jennie Allen writes in her book, Made for a purpose, that as she surrendered all to God and was willing to do anything God was going to ask of her, that it became infectious in her church.  Suddenly, it was more than just her that wanted to give it all for the sake of Christ.  She says, “LIfe was getting really fun because we were running with friends toward heaven, with abandon. “  

 

Are you ready to have fun?  Are you ready to commit to his mission and purpose?  Are you ready to share our Savior with the world?  Get ready for a great adventure!   Let’s join together in the adventure as we run towards heaven– tell your neighbors, tell your friends– life can be abundant as we trust in our Savior.  There is a fountain, who is Lord of Everything, and he wants us to participate and engage and see him move in the lives around us.  Ready to see miracles? Because God is on the move!

 

This means participate in the small afflictions– get to the nitty gritty– be involved in people’s lives, connect and be involved.  

I’m an introvert.  THis isn’t easy for me, but each time I take a step towards this, I am blown away by what God is doing– I get to see the miraculous movement of God, and I get to know this God better, and my faith and trust in the goodness of God is deepened.   

 

Author: Theresa Kluge

Picture: Chris Little 

]]>
How do we look back at the chaos of the pandemic without the Church on Resurrection Day?

A narrative of God’s goodness in loneliness. 

 

As I reflect on the  Easter season this year, and resurrection day, I think about what last year looked like.  Here is what I wrote about 11 months ago:

 

What a year folks.  In 2 Corinthians 4:18 it says "For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison"  --  Even though this year has had its afflictions, I feel also the intense presence of the holy spirit, guiding, and protecting us and giving us joy despite our circumstances.  I almost (almost...) feel a bit of nostalgia for this year.... in our most desperate moments maybe we can most clearly see the hand of God, and the heart of his people.  We begin to understand that the "things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal."

 

As I told some of you, I was wondering if the apocalypse had begun this last week when I woke up to the screams of my 7 year old deep into a stomach virus, and fire raining down outside our window.  Our power then goes out.  I go to my phone to text our tutors at my homeschool classical conversations group, and my phone has died.   By about 9:30, our power came on, my son's worst screams were over, and the sun came out a bit and I realized that once again I was in the midst of small afflictions.    We may have missed going to church on Easter and missed seeing you all, but it doesn't change the fact that Jesus is Alive!!!  He has risen!!!  And even if it were the apocalypse, he is still God and his purpose remains on course!  Everyday we grow closer to the full revelation of Jesus Christ!  What a story we have to tell.  I can barely contain myself.  

 

That was a year ago, and still we see our world drowning in more  isolation, and fear.

 

We don’t know what tomorrow holds, but we have a story to tell.  I look around and see the brokenness, the anger, the frustration–  a lack of peace– these last two years have destroyed what little peace those outside of the presence of God have.  They are drowning.   I pray for anyone reading this, that God will renew your salvation.  May we feel the excitement and 

Commit to one another – hold hands as we lift high our Savior.  Jennie Allen writes in her book, Made for a purpose, that as she surrendered all to God and was willing to do anything God was going to ask of her, that it became infectious in her church.  Suddenly, it was more than just her that wanted to give it all for the sake of Christ.  She says, “LIfe was getting really fun because we were running with friends toward heaven, with abandon. “  

 

Are you ready to have fun?  Are you ready to commit to his mission and purpose?  Are you ready to share our Savior with the world?  Get ready for a great adventure!   Let’s join together in the adventure as we run towards heaven– tell your neighbors, tell your friends– life can be abundant as we trust in our Savior.  There is a fountain, who is Lord of Everything, and he wants us to participate and engage and see him move in the lives around us.  Ready to see miracles? Because God is on the move!

 

This means participate in the small afflictions– get to the nitty gritty– be involved in people’s lives, connect and be involved.  

I’m an introvert.  THis isn’t easy for me, but each time I take a step towards this, I am blown away by what God is doing– I get to see the miraculous movement of God, and I get to know this God better, and my faith and trust in the goodness of God is deepened.   

 

Author: Theresa Kluge

Picture: Chris Little 

]]>
Holy Week Monday Cleansing the Temple https://www.northwestbaptist.church/blog/post/holy-week-_4 https://www.northwestbaptist.church/blog/post/holy-week-_4#comments Sun, 01 May 2022 16:00:00 -0500 https://www.northwestbaptist.church/blog/post/holy-week-_4 Matthew 21:11-17 –

Do you provide a roadblock or easy access to the gospel?

One of the reasons Jesus might have cleansed the temple was because roadblocks had been thrown in the doorway of entering the temple. The mere idea of entering the temple might have become a burden and distraction for many. Moneychangers were in the temple court to help foreigners exchange their money for the acceptable currency. Sellers were in the temple so that someone who could not afford to raise their own animal sacrifice or was unable to bring it from far away could purchase one. In so far as these methods were set up to help people draw near to God and seek his presence, they had instead been turned upside down into a system of extortion and personal gain for the merchants and Jewish authorities overseeing its operations. These money changers and sellers had marked up their prices for personal gain at the expense of people being able to draw near to God.

Another reason Jesus might have cleansed the temple was because there was no longer room for the foreigner or outcast to come and worship. Looking back in 1 Kings 8, when Solomon dedicated the temple, he emphasized that its purpose was for people to seek the presence of God through prayer.

  • If the people had sinned and needed forgiveness,
  • If there were needs for the nation (drought and famine, or war); or,
  • If a foreigner heard about the Lord’s goodness and was seeking to know the Lord...

Solomon encouraged all of these to gather in the temple to pray so that “all the peoples of the earth may know (God’s) name and fear (Him).” Jesus witnessed that those Solomon had called to come and seek the Lord in the temple had their hearts’ and minds’ attention transferred away from God in no small part because of someone else’s actions.

The temple was always to be a picture of the gospel: man can dwell in God’s presence because he provides and accepts a sacrifice that pays the penalty for all sins. God draws near to sinful humanity so that we can draw near to him. Our response is to come to God in repentance so that we can be made new and receive forgiveness.

That’s the focus Matthew’s gospel brings into view. We can’t focus solely on Jesus cleansing the temple without seeing who it brings in. The blind and the lame could now enter freely and experience the healing of God.

We, the Church, preach the gospel to ourselves as much as others because we need the constant reminder that it is God who has done the saving work. We need the grace of the gospel at the forefront of everything we do so that we do not add something to others’, and our own, faith they must do in order to earn God’s favor other than repentance.

The storyline of the Bible reaches into our modern-day lives. Where in the past God’s people despite their own good efforts constantly found themselves going off track and getting in the way of his plan; even today we do much the same. We hold tradition over truth. We hold to quality of life over godly character and counting the cost of following Christ. We are God’s people in title but have little of value to show for it. We choose our own way and do what is right in our own eyes. As a result, we become like the moneychangers and sellers in the temple or the authorities allowing them to exist. We become roadblocks to the gospel instead of clearing the way so that as many who want to enter are able without hindrance.

This Easter, may the Lord renew and our hearts and attitudes and cleanse our behaviors so that he is glorified without us getting in the way.

 

Author David Cottle

Send questions or comments to Blog@nwbc.church 

]]>
Matthew 21:11-17 –

Do you provide a roadblock or easy access to the gospel?

One of the reasons Jesus might have cleansed the temple was because roadblocks had been thrown in the doorway of entering the temple. The mere idea of entering the temple might have become a burden and distraction for many. Moneychangers were in the temple court to help foreigners exchange their money for the acceptable currency. Sellers were in the temple so that someone who could not afford to raise their own animal sacrifice or was unable to bring it from far away could purchase one. In so far as these methods were set up to help people draw near to God and seek his presence, they had instead been turned upside down into a system of extortion and personal gain for the merchants and Jewish authorities overseeing its operations. These money changers and sellers had marked up their prices for personal gain at the expense of people being able to draw near to God.

Another reason Jesus might have cleansed the temple was because there was no longer room for the foreigner or outcast to come and worship. Looking back in 1 Kings 8, when Solomon dedicated the temple, he emphasized that its purpose was for people to seek the presence of God through prayer.

  • If the people had sinned and needed forgiveness,
  • If there were needs for the nation (drought and famine, or war); or,
  • If a foreigner heard about the Lord’s goodness and was seeking to know the Lord...

Solomon encouraged all of these to gather in the temple to pray so that “all the peoples of the earth may know (God’s) name and fear (Him).” Jesus witnessed that those Solomon had called to come and seek the Lord in the temple had their hearts’ and minds’ attention transferred away from God in no small part because of someone else’s actions.

The temple was always to be a picture of the gospel: man can dwell in God’s presence because he provides and accepts a sacrifice that pays the penalty for all sins. God draws near to sinful humanity so that we can draw near to him. Our response is to come to God in repentance so that we can be made new and receive forgiveness.

That’s the focus Matthew’s gospel brings into view. We can’t focus solely on Jesus cleansing the temple without seeing who it brings in. The blind and the lame could now enter freely and experience the healing of God.

We, the Church, preach the gospel to ourselves as much as others because we need the constant reminder that it is God who has done the saving work. We need the grace of the gospel at the forefront of everything we do so that we do not add something to others’, and our own, faith they must do in order to earn God’s favor other than repentance.

The storyline of the Bible reaches into our modern-day lives. Where in the past God’s people despite their own good efforts constantly found themselves going off track and getting in the way of his plan; even today we do much the same. We hold tradition over truth. We hold to quality of life over godly character and counting the cost of following Christ. We are God’s people in title but have little of value to show for it. We choose our own way and do what is right in our own eyes. As a result, we become like the moneychangers and sellers in the temple or the authorities allowing them to exist. We become roadblocks to the gospel instead of clearing the way so that as many who want to enter are able without hindrance.

This Easter, may the Lord renew and our hearts and attitudes and cleanse our behaviors so that he is glorified without us getting in the way.

 

Author David Cottle

Send questions or comments to Blog@nwbc.church 

]]>
Holy Week Devotional Plot to Kill Jesus https://www.northwestbaptist.church/blog/post/holy-week-devotional- https://www.northwestbaptist.church/blog/post/holy-week-devotional-#comments Sun, 01 May 2022 16:00:00 -0500 https://www.northwestbaptist.church/blog/post/holy-week-devotional- Focal Text: Matthew 26:1-5

Ask any attorney who practices criminal defense and they are likely to express that their highest and most sacred objective is to protect the innocent man from false accusation; and in doing so, establish hope that the truly guilty party might meet justice. In the case of Christ, we see this model flipped completely on its head. Let us examine some of those who played a role in the horrific and unjust plot to kill Jesus.

First are the religious leaders - specifically Caiphas leading the rest of the council. The primary goal of this group should have been to serve as mediator between sinful Israel and Holy Yahweh. But over the centuries the institution became thoroughly corrupted to selfishly serve their own prideful interests. As soon as Jesus began His ministry, the true Light of Men (John 1:9) threatened to expose the evil in their hearts. One such account of Jesus’ scathing but justified rebuke of the Pharisees can be found in John 5:36-47. Motivated by jealousy, anger, and hatred, these self-righteous hypocrites made it their top priority to seek whatever means possible to bring Jesus to trial and have Him executed, even if this was under false pretense.

The second group who played a role are the Jewish people. Let us consider that they had witnessed (and were the beneficiaries of) the incredible miracles that Jesus had been performing. It is no wonder that they would greet Jesus in celebration at His entry into Jerusalem. And as referenced in vs. 5 of the text, the mindset of the people should have been on God’s faithful deliverance due to the Passover Feast. But just as they had proven time after time throughout the accounts of the Old Testament, the people would lack resolve and fall away so easily from God’s righteous path. Worse than their weakness, the true deficiency in the people was their unbelief in who Jesus said that He was. They could not believe it because the Father prevented the illumination of their understanding. Read more on this aspect as written in John 12:37-43. In this state of mind, the Jewish people were found to be willing pawns in the plots of the Pharisees, easily bending under their influence and manipulation.

Later in Matthew 26 and 27 we see other individuals who enter into the plot to kill Jesus, each with their own selfish interests at the core of their malicious actions - namely Judas and Pontius Pilot.

But perhaps the most unbelievable and audacious party to play a role in the plot of Jesus’ death is God Himself. When one considers the full measure of who Christ is (as referenced in scriptures like Hebrews 1:2-3, and Colossians 1:15-19), it is simply unfathomable that Holy and Almighty God would establish His Son’s earthly existence for the express purpose of being a sacrifice for wicked and sinful man. Christ lived a completely perfect and sinless life only to be murdered at the hands of who He came to save. Jesus knew of His purpose and spoke of it often throughout all of the gospel accounts, yet He embraced this horrible fate out of His indescribable love for us, so that we may be reconciled to God because of the forgiveness that is made available through His blood.

As we experience the events of this Passion Week, may we above all recognize the depths that Christ endured so that we have life on account of His death, and live our lives in a greater sense of awe and submission to Him.

Author Matt McConnell 

Send questions or comments to Blog@nwbc.church 

 

]]>
Focal Text: Matthew 26:1-5

Ask any attorney who practices criminal defense and they are likely to express that their highest and most sacred objective is to protect the innocent man from false accusation; and in doing so, establish hope that the truly guilty party might meet justice. In the case of Christ, we see this model flipped completely on its head. Let us examine some of those who played a role in the horrific and unjust plot to kill Jesus.

First are the religious leaders - specifically Caiphas leading the rest of the council. The primary goal of this group should have been to serve as mediator between sinful Israel and Holy Yahweh. But over the centuries the institution became thoroughly corrupted to selfishly serve their own prideful interests. As soon as Jesus began His ministry, the true Light of Men (John 1:9) threatened to expose the evil in their hearts. One such account of Jesus’ scathing but justified rebuke of the Pharisees can be found in John 5:36-47. Motivated by jealousy, anger, and hatred, these self-righteous hypocrites made it their top priority to seek whatever means possible to bring Jesus to trial and have Him executed, even if this was under false pretense.

The second group who played a role are the Jewish people. Let us consider that they had witnessed (and were the beneficiaries of) the incredible miracles that Jesus had been performing. It is no wonder that they would greet Jesus in celebration at His entry into Jerusalem. And as referenced in vs. 5 of the text, the mindset of the people should have been on God’s faithful deliverance due to the Passover Feast. But just as they had proven time after time throughout the accounts of the Old Testament, the people would lack resolve and fall away so easily from God’s righteous path. Worse than their weakness, the true deficiency in the people was their unbelief in who Jesus said that He was. They could not believe it because the Father prevented the illumination of their understanding. Read more on this aspect as written in John 12:37-43. In this state of mind, the Jewish people were found to be willing pawns in the plots of the Pharisees, easily bending under their influence and manipulation.

Later in Matthew 26 and 27 we see other individuals who enter into the plot to kill Jesus, each with their own selfish interests at the core of their malicious actions - namely Judas and Pontius Pilot.

But perhaps the most unbelievable and audacious party to play a role in the plot of Jesus’ death is God Himself. When one considers the full measure of who Christ is (as referenced in scriptures like Hebrews 1:2-3, and Colossians 1:15-19), it is simply unfathomable that Holy and Almighty God would establish His Son’s earthly existence for the express purpose of being a sacrifice for wicked and sinful man. Christ lived a completely perfect and sinless life only to be murdered at the hands of who He came to save. Jesus knew of His purpose and spoke of it often throughout all of the gospel accounts, yet He embraced this horrible fate out of His indescribable love for us, so that we may be reconciled to God because of the forgiveness that is made available through His blood.

As we experience the events of this Passion Week, may we above all recognize the depths that Christ endured so that we have life on account of His death, and live our lives in a greater sense of awe and submission to Him.

Author Matt McConnell 

Send questions or comments to Blog@nwbc.church 

 

]]>
Holy Week Devotional Last Supper https://www.northwestbaptist.church/blog/post/holy-week-devotional-last-supper- https://www.northwestbaptist.church/blog/post/holy-week-devotional-last-supper-#comments Sun, 01 May 2022 16:00:00 -0500 https://www.northwestbaptist.church/blog/post/holy-week-devotional-last-supper- The Last Supper 

 Mark 14:22-24 

When Jesus partook in the last supper, he revealed the monumental significance of his death and resurrection.  He spoke specifically of the new covenant of his blood.  The Jewish people were familiar with the covenants of God.  After the flood, the Lord made a covenant with Noah that the earth would never again be destroyed by water and sealed it with a rainbow.  God made a covenant with Abraham that through his heir all the peoples of the earth would be blessed and sealed it with the sign of circumcision.  The Lord made a covenant with Moses and Israel at Mt. Sinai.  If they fully obeyed him, out of all the nations, they would be his treasured possession.   

At the Last Supper, Jesus said the bread was his body broken for them and the cup was his blood, the blood of the new covenant.  Later, these words would not be lost on the apostles.  Christ, the Lord God, declared that on the cross he would fulfill all the promises of God.  The prophets spoke of a day when the Lord would remove the heart of stone from his people and replace it with a heart of flesh.  He would even indwell his people with the Holy Spirit.  

What none of us could accomplish on our own, Christ did on the cross and through the resurrection.  We know the Lord is holy, yet we are bound in sin.  Christ, the fulfillment of the new covenant, took on our sin and died for it.  Moreover, he clothes those who call upon him in faith with his righteousness.  As new covenant believers in Christ, we have his Holy Spirit and he is transforming us to bear the image of Christ; something we could not do on our own. 

Are we experiencing the Lord’s grace through surrender to him or are failing to honor the Lord based upon our own powerlessness?  Trust in Christ as Lord and submit to him today! 

 

Author Kyle Jernigan

Picture by Chris Little 

Send questions or comments to Blog@nwbc.church 

]]>
The Last Supper 

 Mark 14:22-24 

When Jesus partook in the last supper, he revealed the monumental significance of his death and resurrection.  He spoke specifically of the new covenant of his blood.  The Jewish people were familiar with the covenants of God.  After the flood, the Lord made a covenant with Noah that the earth would never again be destroyed by water and sealed it with a rainbow.  God made a covenant with Abraham that through his heir all the peoples of the earth would be blessed and sealed it with the sign of circumcision.  The Lord made a covenant with Moses and Israel at Mt. Sinai.  If they fully obeyed him, out of all the nations, they would be his treasured possession.   

At the Last Supper, Jesus said the bread was his body broken for them and the cup was his blood, the blood of the new covenant.  Later, these words would not be lost on the apostles.  Christ, the Lord God, declared that on the cross he would fulfill all the promises of God.  The prophets spoke of a day when the Lord would remove the heart of stone from his people and replace it with a heart of flesh.  He would even indwell his people with the Holy Spirit.  

What none of us could accomplish on our own, Christ did on the cross and through the resurrection.  We know the Lord is holy, yet we are bound in sin.  Christ, the fulfillment of the new covenant, took on our sin and died for it.  Moreover, he clothes those who call upon him in faith with his righteousness.  As new covenant believers in Christ, we have his Holy Spirit and he is transforming us to bear the image of Christ; something we could not do on our own. 

Are we experiencing the Lord’s grace through surrender to him or are failing to honor the Lord based upon our own powerlessness?  Trust in Christ as Lord and submit to him today! 

 

Author Kyle Jernigan

Picture by Chris Little 

Send questions or comments to Blog@nwbc.church 

]]>
Holy Week Guarding The Tomb https://www.northwestbaptist.church/blog/post/holy-week-_2 https://www.northwestbaptist.church/blog/post/holy-week-_2#comments Sun, 01 May 2022 16:00:00 -0500 https://www.northwestbaptist.church/blog/post/holy-week-_2 Matthew 27:62-66

 

 

David Hume, an essayist from the enlightenment, basically purports that religion or miracles cannot be based on human testimony and empirical evidence. In his essay , “On Miracles,” he writes with derision, “Mere reason is insufficient to convince us of its veracity: And whoever is moved by Faith to assent to it, is conscious of a continued miracle in his own person, which subverts all the principles of his understanding, and gives him a determination to believe what is most contrary to custom and experience.”        

In Matthew,  the testimony and the evidence ring true in the gospels.  God uses the Pharisees and Pilate  to make sure that no other explanation can be reasonable other than the miracle of the resurrection.  The stone was “made secure.” The tomb was sealed and the guard set in place.   Some biblical commentaries state that the Pharisees even did all this on the Sabbath.    How ironic that they are so concerned about Jesus, and not trusting in the power of the God of Abraham to reveal himself , that they are willing to break their own religious laws in order to seal the tomb and do the work of preparation.  They are more concerned with their own power and traditions, than even God’s law. It is undeniable that our savior defied laws of nature.  He overcame death for our sins, and easily overcame the obstacles of this natural world.  In their attempts to prevent his followers from making a false claim, they actually help prove the reality of his resurrection.

The truth is, David Hume is correct when he says it’s only by faith and a miracle itself that we can believe in the resurrection of Jesus.   It is in fact  a miracle that God comes to us, and it is our own experience with the living savior that allows us to believe on his name!   It is God who reveals not only through testimony, and not only science, but through revelation of his truth to our spirit.  And as Hume himself asserts– we must believe that which seems more probable– in this case it is the miracle that changed the world, and allows us to break free from our brokenness, and sin.  Oh what a Savior!  Oh Happy Day!  Blessed be the name of the Lord!

 

Lord Jesus, may we not be blind like the Pharisees.  The Pharisees worried about maintaining their tradition, power and status quo, more than they wanted to believe.  Open our eyes, Lord.  May we not let our own selfish ambitions,or desire for things to stay the same to keep us from seeing the miracle.  May you reflect yourself through us so that the world would see your glory and experience the revelation and resurrection of Christ in their own lives.

 

Author Theresa Kluge 

Picture by Chris Little 

Send questions or comments to Blog@nwbc.church 

]]>
Matthew 27:62-66

 

 

David Hume, an essayist from the enlightenment, basically purports that religion or miracles cannot be based on human testimony and empirical evidence. In his essay , “On Miracles,” he writes with derision, “Mere reason is insufficient to convince us of its veracity: And whoever is moved by Faith to assent to it, is conscious of a continued miracle in his own person, which subverts all the principles of his understanding, and gives him a determination to believe what is most contrary to custom and experience.”        

In Matthew,  the testimony and the evidence ring true in the gospels.  God uses the Pharisees and Pilate  to make sure that no other explanation can be reasonable other than the miracle of the resurrection.  The stone was “made secure.” The tomb was sealed and the guard set in place.   Some biblical commentaries state that the Pharisees even did all this on the Sabbath.    How ironic that they are so concerned about Jesus, and not trusting in the power of the God of Abraham to reveal himself , that they are willing to break their own religious laws in order to seal the tomb and do the work of preparation.  They are more concerned with their own power and traditions, than even God’s law. It is undeniable that our savior defied laws of nature.  He overcame death for our sins, and easily overcame the obstacles of this natural world.  In their attempts to prevent his followers from making a false claim, they actually help prove the reality of his resurrection.

The truth is, David Hume is correct when he says it’s only by faith and a miracle itself that we can believe in the resurrection of Jesus.   It is in fact  a miracle that God comes to us, and it is our own experience with the living savior that allows us to believe on his name!   It is God who reveals not only through testimony, and not only science, but through revelation of his truth to our spirit.  And as Hume himself asserts– we must believe that which seems more probable– in this case it is the miracle that changed the world, and allows us to break free from our brokenness, and sin.  Oh what a Savior!  Oh Happy Day!  Blessed be the name of the Lord!

 

Lord Jesus, may we not be blind like the Pharisees.  The Pharisees worried about maintaining their tradition, power and status quo, more than they wanted to believe.  Open our eyes, Lord.  May we not let our own selfish ambitions,or desire for things to stay the same to keep us from seeing the miracle.  May you reflect yourself through us so that the world would see your glory and experience the revelation and resurrection of Christ in their own lives.

 

Author Theresa Kluge 

Picture by Chris Little 

Send questions or comments to Blog@nwbc.church 

]]>
Holy Week Take Refuge in Christ https://www.northwestbaptist.church/blog/post/holy-week-_3 https://www.northwestbaptist.church/blog/post/holy-week-_3#comments Sun, 01 May 2022 16:00:00 -0500 https://www.northwestbaptist.church/blog/post/holy-week-_3 Psalm 2:

What a difference a week makes. At the beginning of the week, Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a colt. At the beginning of the week, Jesus is welcomed. the people cried out “Hosanna to the Son of David! At the beginning of the week, the Messianic prophecy of the True King is fulfilled. But something happened and the week did not end the way it had started. At the end of the week, Jesus is beaten and marched
outside of Jerusalem. At the end of the week, Jesus is rejected. At the end of the week, the crowd yells “ “Crucify Him… We have no king but Caesar (John 19:15). The people that welcomed him with praise, were quick to cheer for his death. They saw the signs and heard his teachings, but it did not matter to them. Again, I will say, What a difference a week makes.

So what happened during that week? What changed the mind of these people? Psalm 2 gives us some insight into the minds of the people. “The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD and against his Anointed.” It was not just the kings that rejected the Father and the Son, it was all of them. All of us. It was their rejection of God and his design that led them to plot the death of Jesus. And at least for a day or two, they thought that they had won. That they could create their kingdoms. 

However, this Psalm does not focus on the rebellion of men, but on God’s sovereign plan. We are shown God’s sovereign plan for his Son to rule a new Kingdom. And God is not caught off guard by the death of his Son. Rather we are told that the Father says in response, “As for me, I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill.” This is what the disciples were supposed to cling to, as they know that their Lord laid dead in a tomb. Their faith in the promises of God was supposed to sustain them. But the disciples saw the death of Jesus as the end of a devastating week. God wanted them to see the beginning of the enthronement of the Messiah.

This hope in the King and his coming kingdom is supposed to be our refuge as well. It feels like every week something else devastating happens. And week by week new uncertainties come. But the promise of eternal life in the Kingdom of God is meant to be our refuge in uncertain times. We will never know what the devastation of seeing Jesus being put in a tomb felt like. But we know the pain and hopelessness of this world all too well. And we can either join the rest of the world in unsuccessfully plotting against him or take refuge in Christ by faith.

 

Author Cole Livernois 

Picture by Chris Little 

Send questions or comments to Blog@nwbc.church 

]]>
Psalm 2:

What a difference a week makes. At the beginning of the week, Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a colt. At the beginning of the week, Jesus is welcomed. the people cried out “Hosanna to the Son of David! At the beginning of the week, the Messianic prophecy of the True King is fulfilled. But something happened and the week did not end the way it had started. At the end of the week, Jesus is beaten and marched
outside of Jerusalem. At the end of the week, Jesus is rejected. At the end of the week, the crowd yells “ “Crucify Him… We have no king but Caesar (John 19:15). The people that welcomed him with praise, were quick to cheer for his death. They saw the signs and heard his teachings, but it did not matter to them. Again, I will say, What a difference a week makes.

So what happened during that week? What changed the mind of these people? Psalm 2 gives us some insight into the minds of the people. “The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD and against his Anointed.” It was not just the kings that rejected the Father and the Son, it was all of them. All of us. It was their rejection of God and his design that led them to plot the death of Jesus. And at least for a day or two, they thought that they had won. That they could create their kingdoms. 

However, this Psalm does not focus on the rebellion of men, but on God’s sovereign plan. We are shown God’s sovereign plan for his Son to rule a new Kingdom. And God is not caught off guard by the death of his Son. Rather we are told that the Father says in response, “As for me, I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill.” This is what the disciples were supposed to cling to, as they know that their Lord laid dead in a tomb. Their faith in the promises of God was supposed to sustain them. But the disciples saw the death of Jesus as the end of a devastating week. God wanted them to see the beginning of the enthronement of the Messiah.

This hope in the King and his coming kingdom is supposed to be our refuge as well. It feels like every week something else devastating happens. And week by week new uncertainties come. But the promise of eternal life in the Kingdom of God is meant to be our refuge in uncertain times. We will never know what the devastation of seeing Jesus being put in a tomb felt like. But we know the pain and hopelessness of this world all too well. And we can either join the rest of the world in unsuccessfully plotting against him or take refuge in Christ by faith.

 

Author Cole Livernois 

Picture by Chris Little 

Send questions or comments to Blog@nwbc.church 

]]>
Holy Week The Resurrection https://www.northwestbaptist.church/blog/post/holy-week-the-resurrection- https://www.northwestbaptist.church/blog/post/holy-week-the-resurrection-#comments Sun, 01 May 2022 16:00:00 -0500 https://www.northwestbaptist.church/blog/post/holy-week-the-resurrection- Luke 24:1-8 Jesus is Life
The one by whom the world was created is the one who took on flesh and made his dwelling among men. He did this to die so that we may have life. This is the greatest story of love that has ever been and ever will be. The giver of life has taken death for you. On Sunday the women went to the tomb expecting to see the body of Jesus, yet to their surprise he was not there.


This perplexed them and perplexes most people in our world today. How can a man die and raise from the dead? Jesus was not just a man, he was Immanuel, God with us. The angels in all their splendor say “Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here but has risen.” In that moment it all clicked. Jesus must pass through death to bring life. It was his life that now brings life to all men. The eternal life is in Christ Jesus because he now satisfied the very wrath of God. The cross was enough for salvation. Now he calls people to trust in God and also in Him that he is the way, the truth, and the life. It is only through Him do we enter the presence of God. It is the eternal glory in the presence of God in which we long for. He is Risen! He is Risen! He is Risen! It is not just a saying but a declaration that our God has not forgotten His creation and we too will be raised with him. The gospel brings life to your dark and weary soul and in the midst of sadness or despair we are assured of God’s love and His plan to bring you into His presence. Will you place your faith in the King? He is worthy of praise? He
is worthy of glory and may we live our lives for Him today and every day. He is Alive and may he bring life to you. Drink from the living water, eat of the bread of life. Open the door because he is knocking, and he wants you to come and be with him forever. Jesus is Life. Believe so that you may have life.

 

Author Pastor Rob

Picture Chris Little 

Send questions or comments to Blog@nwbc.church 

]]>
Luke 24:1-8 Jesus is Life
The one by whom the world was created is the one who took on flesh and made his dwelling among men. He did this to die so that we may have life. This is the greatest story of love that has ever been and ever will be. The giver of life has taken death for you. On Sunday the women went to the tomb expecting to see the body of Jesus, yet to their surprise he was not there.


This perplexed them and perplexes most people in our world today. How can a man die and raise from the dead? Jesus was not just a man, he was Immanuel, God with us. The angels in all their splendor say “Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here but has risen.” In that moment it all clicked. Jesus must pass through death to bring life. It was his life that now brings life to all men. The eternal life is in Christ Jesus because he now satisfied the very wrath of God. The cross was enough for salvation. Now he calls people to trust in God and also in Him that he is the way, the truth, and the life. It is only through Him do we enter the presence of God. It is the eternal glory in the presence of God in which we long for. He is Risen! He is Risen! He is Risen! It is not just a saying but a declaration that our God has not forgotten His creation and we too will be raised with him. The gospel brings life to your dark and weary soul and in the midst of sadness or despair we are assured of God’s love and His plan to bring you into His presence. Will you place your faith in the King? He is worthy of praise? He
is worthy of glory and may we live our lives for Him today and every day. He is Alive and may he bring life to you. Drink from the living water, eat of the bread of life. Open the door because he is knocking, and he wants you to come and be with him forever. Jesus is Life. Believe so that you may have life.

 

Author Pastor Rob

Picture Chris Little 

Send questions or comments to Blog@nwbc.church 

]]>
Leadership https://www.northwestbaptist.church/blog/post/leadership- https://www.northwestbaptist.church/blog/post/leadership-#comments Sun, 01 May 2022 16:00:00 -0500 https://www.northwestbaptist.church/blog/post/leadership- Questions:

I don’t feel like I can lead. How do I make a difference?
I don’t have any opportunities to be a leader. What do I do How do I improve as a leader?
How do I know what a good leader looks like?


Intro Story:
Have you ever had a day where you feel like everything has fallen apart right before
your eyes, and the reason that everything has fallen apart because of your own hand? Has a day like this ever happened to you, right in the middle of a week that felt like you have accomplished nothing that you set out to do? And once you get home, finally ready to put that week behind you, and as you are about to go to bed, you realize you forgot to celebrate your wife’s (or friends/family/etc.) birthday? Weeks like that make you question why you are the way you are, curl up on the couch in some pajamas, and take a five hour nap and try again next month!
I was talking with my dad the other day about my new job as a young pastor at my
church. I was complaining about how much I hate messing up, feeling like I’m a terrible leader, and realizing that I am not going to be able to make a difference in this place. After my dad listened to the woes of a total failure, my father (successful business owner, Mr. Fix-everything-in-the-world, probably would solve all the worlds problems if given the chance) asked, “It kinda makes you feel like you need to check and make sure your pants aren’t put on backwards, doesn’t it?” I don’t care who you are, but hearing a statement like that come from someone you really look up to can instantly put things into perspective.
For many people, leadership can seem about 5 miles outside of impossible. You might
feel like you are totally incapable of being someone leads in any capacity! For others, you have a desire to lead, but you don’t know where to start. Or, you might even be someone who see’s themselves as a leader, but you realize that you have a need to grow as a leader. No matter where you are on the scale of leadership, every single person who has placed their faith in Jesus can and should be a leader. Let’s look at 5 characteristics from scripture of someone who is a leader like Christ 1 :

1. Slave to All

James and John came to Jesus and asked Him to give themselves a place of honor next to Jesus while in Heaven. They were excited to serve alongside Jesus and to be exalted with Him once He was finished with the work that the Father had sent Him to do! They were willing to do just about anything to earn those seats at the table, yet Jesus shot them down with a single phrase: The one who is the greatest must be your servant, and the one who is to be first must be a servant to all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many. (Mark 10:43-45) 1 1 Peter 5:1-4, Mark 10:35-45, Matthew 25:31-46

A true leader that is like Christ is not someone who is trying to be a leader in the church is not someone who is trying to be a leader at all! Christ’s whole goal by coming to Earth was to give His life so that others would live. Our goal as leaders should be to elevate and serve other people. By serving those around us, we are giving life to people who may need it. If our mentality is focused on ourselves, we end up trampling the very people that are around us. It is impossible for someone who truly what has been done on our behalf by the Creator to thin that they are more important and deserving than others. Being great means submitting as a servant to everyone around us.


2. Do the next right thing

Jesus is talking to His disciples about the end times when every single soul will stand before the throne of God.(Matthew 25:31-46) In the story, God is separating all people to those who were faithful and those who do not belong to the Father and are being cast out of His presence. In the story, God tells them why they have earned their spots in each group, and all of them relate to how they served Him or didn’t serve Him. In both groups, everyone is confused? When did I feed you, Jesus? When did I visit you? I have never seen you before? His answer: What you
did for the least of these, you did for me. It can often feel like I go through a time when I haven’t accomplished a lot of big things. I may have no idea how to lead a team well, I messed up on something, or I may be at a loss on how to move forward in a difficult situation. But here is the thing, even though there will be lots of times when I don’t know what to do, it isn’t difficult to know what I should do. I may not know how to plan a large event, but I know how to pray for someone in need. I may not get to
speak at a large conference, but I can share the gospel with one person. If I were to leave this church, in 6 years at the most, I will be completely forgotten with 0 evidence I even existed at this church/student ministry/city. But I know that I have been called to serve those who are in need. God has called us to be faithful, not famous. Be humble, and do the next right thing.


3. Be Willing

1 Peter 5 gives us our last 3 characteristic of a true leader. While Peter is talking directly to the elders of a church, the principal still applies to all believers. How would you feel if you were excited to try something new (a new job, event, sport, team, etc.), and your coach or leader hated every minute of being there! Imagine caring about the team more than the one leading it? Not only that, but it feels like the leader doesn’t even really like talking to you or cares about your life!
Many of us have probably had experiences like this in our lives, and if not, probably soon will. A poor attitude can destroy a good, talented team and their desire to invest in the task. In order to be a good leader, we must make sure to check our hearts and pride at the door. If you aren’t willing to do what is needed to be done, even if it means the small things that seem below you. If you aren’t willing to do something, and to do it well, why would you ask someone else to do it?


4. Be Eager

I worked for a Student Pastor and one of his favorite things to say was, “Every moment is a ministry moment.” As a follower of Jesus, every single moment is an opportunity to minister to someone. It might mean that every place we go has someone who needs to hear the gospel. Maybe, there is another believer that we can stir up towards love and good works! Maybe, simply listening and loving on someone who needs encouragement or help! Ministry is not the big events or the teachers on stage. Ministry is any opportunity that the gospel can be used to heal the illnesses of this world, or good news for the wayward sinner. What does this have to do with being a leader or even being eager? When I was a student, one of my pastors pointed to an old man sitting on the back row of the church (we were sitting in the churches sound booth during a service). I look at this old man, not thinking much about him. He looked like he could barely walk! My pastor asked me if I had heard of the Apollo 13 space mission, which I had. My pastor told me that the man sitting on the back row with a cane, barely able to move, was one of the original engineers for the Apollo 13 mission, and that he was also one of the men who helped figure out how to bring a space pod full of astronauts who were floating in space without oxygen back to Earth, safely and successfully. I instantly became eager to meet this man who had helped to shape history of space travel
because I knew who he was! When we realize that every moment that we have comes from the Lord, we realize what a blessing each moment is. And when we realize that by ministering to someone, we can help someone draw closer to an infinitely powerful and loving God that they might otherwise miss, it can help you be eager to do something! Even if you aren’t the “most skilled/important/charismatic/etc.” leader in the world, being eager to see every moment as an opportunity to glorify God will help you to have an incredibly impact no matter where you are as a follower of Jesus. No moment is an accident, therefore every moment has incredible potential. Be eager to see and take those moments.


5. Lead By Example

Growing up, my grandpa would tell me to “Do as I say, not as I do.” Usually, that phrase would come out when I wanted to do something dangerous because he was in the process of doing something dangerous. Most people who live by this mentality will not be leading for very long. Someone who can look at another person, tell them how they should act, yet are not living out their own advice are at some point not being honest with themselves. Either they don’t believe what they say, or they don’t have all of the answers they claim they have. As a pastor, I have a desire to see the flock experience life in Christ. My main job is not to hold authority over the flock or church, nor is it to plan events. The biggest part of being a pastor at Northwest is to live my life as an example to those the Lord has given me. I’m not perfect, but I want to follow the Lord with my whole life. In 1 Corinthians 10:31-11:1, Paul’s desire is to do what it takes to help many come to know Christ. In 11:1, Paul tells the Corinthian church to imitate him as he imitates Christ. What do you see as a need in the church, company, or group? If there is a lack of character, have character. If there is someone in need, help them. If you believe that people should follow Christ, should share the gospel, or disciple someone, even if nobody else is, then do the same! True biblical leaders are often times weak or meek. Yet they place their faith in the Lord, even if it means they might be alone in doing so.


Conclusion


In the church, a leader is not someone who holds the highest rank, the most power, or
even the greatest ability when it comes to certain skills. For a follower of Christ, a true leader is one who follows the example of Christ. Leadership in its truest form is not simply being the one who stands on the stage at a large conference, nor is it taking a head role on a team during an event. Being a leader does not mean that you are the “most useful” for the staff, nor does it even mean that you have the most experience out of anyone in the room! A leader is not just for the most outgoing, organized, well spoken, popular, or most accomplished. Being a true leader means leading out in the little things! Great leaders weren’t those people who accomplished great things first and then went on to greater things! They were the people who were faithful everyday to do the things that needed to be done.

 

Author: Cody Tooley

Send questions or comments to Blog@nwbc.church

]]>
Questions:

I don’t feel like I can lead. How do I make a difference?
I don’t have any opportunities to be a leader. What do I do How do I improve as a leader?
How do I know what a good leader looks like?


Intro Story:
Have you ever had a day where you feel like everything has fallen apart right before
your eyes, and the reason that everything has fallen apart because of your own hand? Has a day like this ever happened to you, right in the middle of a week that felt like you have accomplished nothing that you set out to do? And once you get home, finally ready to put that week behind you, and as you are about to go to bed, you realize you forgot to celebrate your wife’s (or friends/family/etc.) birthday? Weeks like that make you question why you are the way you are, curl up on the couch in some pajamas, and take a five hour nap and try again next month!
I was talking with my dad the other day about my new job as a young pastor at my
church. I was complaining about how much I hate messing up, feeling like I’m a terrible leader, and realizing that I am not going to be able to make a difference in this place. After my dad listened to the woes of a total failure, my father (successful business owner, Mr. Fix-everything-in-the-world, probably would solve all the worlds problems if given the chance) asked, “It kinda makes you feel like you need to check and make sure your pants aren’t put on backwards, doesn’t it?” I don’t care who you are, but hearing a statement like that come from someone you really look up to can instantly put things into perspective.
For many people, leadership can seem about 5 miles outside of impossible. You might
feel like you are totally incapable of being someone leads in any capacity! For others, you have a desire to lead, but you don’t know where to start. Or, you might even be someone who see’s themselves as a leader, but you realize that you have a need to grow as a leader. No matter where you are on the scale of leadership, every single person who has placed their faith in Jesus can and should be a leader. Let’s look at 5 characteristics from scripture of someone who is a leader like Christ 1 :

1. Slave to All

James and John came to Jesus and asked Him to give themselves a place of honor next to Jesus while in Heaven. They were excited to serve alongside Jesus and to be exalted with Him once He was finished with the work that the Father had sent Him to do! They were willing to do just about anything to earn those seats at the table, yet Jesus shot them down with a single phrase: The one who is the greatest must be your servant, and the one who is to be first must be a servant to all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many. (Mark 10:43-45) 1 1 Peter 5:1-4, Mark 10:35-45, Matthew 25:31-46

A true leader that is like Christ is not someone who is trying to be a leader in the church is not someone who is trying to be a leader at all! Christ’s whole goal by coming to Earth was to give His life so that others would live. Our goal as leaders should be to elevate and serve other people. By serving those around us, we are giving life to people who may need it. If our mentality is focused on ourselves, we end up trampling the very people that are around us. It is impossible for someone who truly what has been done on our behalf by the Creator to thin that they are more important and deserving than others. Being great means submitting as a servant to everyone around us.


2. Do the next right thing

Jesus is talking to His disciples about the end times when every single soul will stand before the throne of God.(Matthew 25:31-46) In the story, God is separating all people to those who were faithful and those who do not belong to the Father and are being cast out of His presence. In the story, God tells them why they have earned their spots in each group, and all of them relate to how they served Him or didn’t serve Him. In both groups, everyone is confused? When did I feed you, Jesus? When did I visit you? I have never seen you before? His answer: What you
did for the least of these, you did for me. It can often feel like I go through a time when I haven’t accomplished a lot of big things. I may have no idea how to lead a team well, I messed up on something, or I may be at a loss on how to move forward in a difficult situation. But here is the thing, even though there will be lots of times when I don’t know what to do, it isn’t difficult to know what I should do. I may not know how to plan a large event, but I know how to pray for someone in need. I may not get to
speak at a large conference, but I can share the gospel with one person. If I were to leave this church, in 6 years at the most, I will be completely forgotten with 0 evidence I even existed at this church/student ministry/city. But I know that I have been called to serve those who are in need. God has called us to be faithful, not famous. Be humble, and do the next right thing.


3. Be Willing

1 Peter 5 gives us our last 3 characteristic of a true leader. While Peter is talking directly to the elders of a church, the principal still applies to all believers. How would you feel if you were excited to try something new (a new job, event, sport, team, etc.), and your coach or leader hated every minute of being there! Imagine caring about the team more than the one leading it? Not only that, but it feels like the leader doesn’t even really like talking to you or cares about your life!
Many of us have probably had experiences like this in our lives, and if not, probably soon will. A poor attitude can destroy a good, talented team and their desire to invest in the task. In order to be a good leader, we must make sure to check our hearts and pride at the door. If you aren’t willing to do what is needed to be done, even if it means the small things that seem below you. If you aren’t willing to do something, and to do it well, why would you ask someone else to do it?


4. Be Eager

I worked for a Student Pastor and one of his favorite things to say was, “Every moment is a ministry moment.” As a follower of Jesus, every single moment is an opportunity to minister to someone. It might mean that every place we go has someone who needs to hear the gospel. Maybe, there is another believer that we can stir up towards love and good works! Maybe, simply listening and loving on someone who needs encouragement or help! Ministry is not the big events or the teachers on stage. Ministry is any opportunity that the gospel can be used to heal the illnesses of this world, or good news for the wayward sinner. What does this have to do with being a leader or even being eager? When I was a student, one of my pastors pointed to an old man sitting on the back row of the church (we were sitting in the churches sound booth during a service). I look at this old man, not thinking much about him. He looked like he could barely walk! My pastor asked me if I had heard of the Apollo 13 space mission, which I had. My pastor told me that the man sitting on the back row with a cane, barely able to move, was one of the original engineers for the Apollo 13 mission, and that he was also one of the men who helped figure out how to bring a space pod full of astronauts who were floating in space without oxygen back to Earth, safely and successfully. I instantly became eager to meet this man who had helped to shape history of space travel
because I knew who he was! When we realize that every moment that we have comes from the Lord, we realize what a blessing each moment is. And when we realize that by ministering to someone, we can help someone draw closer to an infinitely powerful and loving God that they might otherwise miss, it can help you be eager to do something! Even if you aren’t the “most skilled/important/charismatic/etc.” leader in the world, being eager to see every moment as an opportunity to glorify God will help you to have an incredibly impact no matter where you are as a follower of Jesus. No moment is an accident, therefore every moment has incredible potential. Be eager to see and take those moments.


5. Lead By Example

Growing up, my grandpa would tell me to “Do as I say, not as I do.” Usually, that phrase would come out when I wanted to do something dangerous because he was in the process of doing something dangerous. Most people who live by this mentality will not be leading for very long. Someone who can look at another person, tell them how they should act, yet are not living out their own advice are at some point not being honest with themselves. Either they don’t believe what they say, or they don’t have all of the answers they claim they have. As a pastor, I have a desire to see the flock experience life in Christ. My main job is not to hold authority over the flock or church, nor is it to plan events. The biggest part of being a pastor at Northwest is to live my life as an example to those the Lord has given me. I’m not perfect, but I want to follow the Lord with my whole life. In 1 Corinthians 10:31-11:1, Paul’s desire is to do what it takes to help many come to know Christ. In 11:1, Paul tells the Corinthian church to imitate him as he imitates Christ. What do you see as a need in the church, company, or group? If there is a lack of character, have character. If there is someone in need, help them. If you believe that people should follow Christ, should share the gospel, or disciple someone, even if nobody else is, then do the same! True biblical leaders are often times weak or meek. Yet they place their faith in the Lord, even if it means they might be alone in doing so.


Conclusion


In the church, a leader is not someone who holds the highest rank, the most power, or
even the greatest ability when it comes to certain skills. For a follower of Christ, a true leader is one who follows the example of Christ. Leadership in its truest form is not simply being the one who stands on the stage at a large conference, nor is it taking a head role on a team during an event. Being a leader does not mean that you are the “most useful” for the staff, nor does it even mean that you have the most experience out of anyone in the room! A leader is not just for the most outgoing, organized, well spoken, popular, or most accomplished. Being a true leader means leading out in the little things! Great leaders weren’t those people who accomplished great things first and then went on to greater things! They were the people who were faithful everyday to do the things that needed to be done.

 

Author: Cody Tooley

Send questions or comments to Blog@nwbc.church

]]>
Holy Week Devotional The Crucifixion https://www.northwestbaptist.church/blog/post/holy-week-devotional-the-crucifixion https://www.northwestbaptist.church/blog/post/holy-week-devotional-the-crucifixion#comments Wed, 13 Apr 2022 20:00:00 -0500 https://www.northwestbaptist.church/blog/post/holy-week-devotional-the-crucifixion John 19-17-37

The Crucifixion

The Crucifixion is full of meaning, but let us concentrate on Jesus;  let us look to Him.

We see that our Lord and Savior receives the full cup of God’s wrath (Revelation 14:10) and justice poured out for our sins (Luke 22:42). Jesus fulfills the covenant that Abraham made with God (Genesis 15:9-21). God asks Abraham to cut animals in half. This was an old king tradition that the conquering king would make the conquered king walk through the half cut animals as a covenant. This covenant meant if you did not keep with what I have said then this will happen to you; you too will be cut in half. . Then God puts Abraham to sleep and walks through this in his place. God fulfills this on the cross as he is torn apart for our sins, because we could not keep the covenant. Our God is faithful.  We deserve God’s judgment, yet Christ took our place, so that we may receive life. 

 

Do you recognize what Christ did for you?

He, who was without sin, covered you with His righteousness and gave you life.

 

Jesus was required to carry His own cross. This was a Roman sign of guilt as sentenced individuals were stripped naked and then forced to carry their own torture apparatus. Again, Jesus, innocent, carries or bears our guilt of sin and covers us with His blood. Christ gives us life. 

 

On the small sign posted above Jesus’s head were the words “Jesus of Nazareth, The King of the Jews.” The religious leaders condemned Christ to Rome, because they said He wants to be king and rebel against the rule of Rome. They also condemned Him because He said He was God.  Those who condemn Christ are the religious leaders, and the military might of Rome (Babylon) but like sheep we also cry out,  “Crucify Him!” 

 

Christ dealt with our sin here all the way to the cross;  we are called to receive His grace and allow His Holy Spirit to change the desires of our hearts. So today, Look to Him. Look to the faithful God who has taken your sins to give you life. Look to Him when you feel the prison walls of sin closing in on your life. Look to Him, when you see no way out. Look to Him for He is good. Look to Him for life. 

 

Author Steve Kluge

]]>
John 19-17-37

The Crucifixion

The Crucifixion is full of meaning, but let us concentrate on Jesus;  let us look to Him.

We see that our Lord and Savior receives the full cup of God’s wrath (Revelation 14:10) and justice poured out for our sins (Luke 22:42). Jesus fulfills the covenant that Abraham made with God (Genesis 15:9-21). God asks Abraham to cut animals in half. This was an old king tradition that the conquering king would make the conquered king walk through the half cut animals as a covenant. This covenant meant if you did not keep with what I have said then this will happen to you; you too will be cut in half. . Then God puts Abraham to sleep and walks through this in his place. God fulfills this on the cross as he is torn apart for our sins, because we could not keep the covenant. Our God is faithful.  We deserve God’s judgment, yet Christ took our place, so that we may receive life. 

 

Do you recognize what Christ did for you?

He, who was without sin, covered you with His righteousness and gave you life.

 

Jesus was required to carry His own cross. This was a Roman sign of guilt as sentenced individuals were stripped naked and then forced to carry their own torture apparatus. Again, Jesus, innocent, carries or bears our guilt of sin and covers us with His blood. Christ gives us life. 

 

On the small sign posted above Jesus’s head were the words “Jesus of Nazareth, The King of the Jews.” The religious leaders condemned Christ to Rome, because they said He wants to be king and rebel against the rule of Rome. They also condemned Him because He said He was God.  Those who condemn Christ are the religious leaders, and the military might of Rome (Babylon) but like sheep we also cry out,  “Crucify Him!” 

 

Christ dealt with our sin here all the way to the cross;  we are called to receive His grace and allow His Holy Spirit to change the desires of our hearts. So today, Look to Him. Look to the faithful God who has taken your sins to give you life. Look to Him when you feel the prison walls of sin closing in on your life. Look to Him, when you see no way out. Look to Him for He is good. Look to Him for life. 

 

Author Steve Kluge

]]>