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Dear Friends,

The pastoral search team at Village Bible Church in Bella Vista dedicated countless hours to finding the perfect pastor. Based on his first few weeks as our senior pastor, Marty Field is a gift from God, a pastor committed to spreading the Word of God and helping our congregation learn to live, love, and serve more like Jesus.

Serving the Lord isn’t always easy. Think how much time is required for your pastor to write the sermon each week. Add to that the time and emotional energy it must require to comfort the sick, counsel the oppressed, and conduct the day to day business involved in running a church — all of this while living up to the standard the Apostle Paul set forth in First Timothy 3:2, “So a church leader must be a man whose life is above reproach. He must be faithful to his wife. He must exercise self-control, live wisely, and have a good reputation. He must enjoy having guests in his home, and he must be able to teach.”

Over the years I have been blessed by being exposed to some great teachers: Billy Graham, J. Vernon McGee, Chuck Swindoll, Bishop Fulton Sheen, Robert Schuler, Beth Moore, T.D. Jakes, Joyce Meyer, Rick Warren, Timothy Keller, Max Lucado … to name a few. STOP! As you read each of these names, what thoughts came to your mind? My guess is that some of the names brought back memories of lessons you may have learned, while others make you feel uncomfortable.

These are people that have touched thousands, if not millions of people with their teaching, yet they don’t appeal to everyone. When you bring it down to the church level, it becomes even more striking. From the rector at the Episcopal church that I attended as a child all the way down to the seminary candidate who preached at a church that I attended last year, some have sent me from church seeking to know what God wanted me to learn from the message, while others have sent me seeking another place to worship.

To quote Shakespeare, “The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves, that we are underlings.” Too often, I fear, we are looking for the shepherd’s “S” on a pastor’s chest rather than the Spirit in his heart. There is no perfect shepherd save Jesus Christ. We can only pray that those who lead us will, in Paul’s words from Second Timothy, “Preach the word of God. Be prepared, whether the time is favorable or not. Patiently correct, rebuke, and encourage your people with good teaching.”

With this in mind, wherever we worship (with apologies to JFK), let us ask not what our pastor can do for us, let us ask what we can do for our pastor.

Blessings,
Your Friend in Christ

Dear Friends,

A few weeks back we wrote about the difficulty Christians may have honoring God while participating in the election process. The battle lines have been drawn, and as we move toward the general election things threaten to get worse rather than better. How can we Christians avoid being sucked into the bitterness?

A starting place is to realize that the responsibilities of our election as sons and daughters of God supercede any stake we may have in an election campaign.

“For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love … Therefore, my brothers and sisters, make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” 2 Peter 5-7, 10-11 (NIV)

In Philippians 2:13, as it appears in the International Children’s Version (ICV), we learn that God gives us the power to do things that please him: “Yes, God is working in you to help you want to do what pleases him. Then he gives you the power to do it.” But as we read on to verses 14 and 15a, we know we fall short. “Do everything without complaining or arguing. Then you will be innocent and without anything wrong in you. You will be God’s children without fault”.

Over the next few months it is likely that we will encounter brothers and sister in Christ who have political views with which we strongly disagree. If we are going to be God’s children without fault, we are going to have to pray that God will give us the power to embrace the qualities listed in 2^nd Peter.

Faith: “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” Romans 8:28 (NLT)

Goodness: “Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Philippians 4:8

Knowledge: “Intelligent people are always ready to learn. Their ears are open for knowledge.” Proverbs 18:15

“Teach me knowledge and good judgment, for I trust your commands.” Psalm 119:66 (NIV)

Self-Control: “Better to be patient than powerful; better to have self-control than to conquer a city.” Proverbs 16:32 (NLT)

“Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry.” James 1:19

Perseverance: “Pursue righteousness and a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness.” 1 Timothy 6:11

Godliness: “Beyond all question, the mystery from which true godliness springs is great: He appeared in the flesh, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world, was taken up in glory.” 1 Timothy 3:16 (NIV)

Mutual affection and love: “Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.” Romans 12:10

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” John 13:34-35

“Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.” Ephesians 4:2

If all else fails … “Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.” Colossians 3:13

Blessings and prayers for America, Your Friends in Christ

Dear Friends,
Over the past week Bonnie and I have mourned for our country as we tried to make some sense of the tragedy in Dallas. What follows is a letter from Pastor Dan Carroll of Water of Life Community Church in Fontana, CA that has helped us as we struggle to deal with this tragedy.

Pastor Dan’s letter of July 9^th:
As Gale and I travel in Australia and watch on the news the unfolding of this great tragedy in America, we like many of you find our hearts are deeply troubled, saddened and grieved. Psalm 73:26 describes how we, as well as many of you, are feeling today…

“My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”

Injustice however it is perpetrated is heart wrenching and demands a response. Often the first and most correct response is, as a Christian, to bow low in repentance. If only we were not so unloving and harsh with one another. If only we prayed for our leaders and others in our communities as I Timothy 2:1-2 instructs us to do, Paul said; “I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity.”

I think Paul understood the difficulty we would face as people who struggle to stop and pray, but what if we decided today that arguing a position is not going to heal our land? Loving Jesus and serving others is certainly a starting place. But it takes far more to battle the work of hell. Do Black lives matter? Of course they do. Are police crucial to our safety and the wellbeing of our communities? Of course they are. Is Jesus overwhelmed by this great divide threatening our land? Of course He is not.

When John the Baptist was unceremoniously beheaded by King Herod, Matthew 14:3 tells us Jesus did something we should all do at times like this. He withdrew to a secluded place. Withdrawing, stopping, grieving, feeling is so important to all of us. When things are wrong and painful, stop and feel the pain, ask the questions we all should be asking daily. What would Jesus want you to do? Argue a position? No, love people, all people, pray for leaders, all leaders however capable or incapable they may seem.

Pray! And keep praying for Holy Spirit driven insight into the times our world is experiencing. Pray for people you feel angry and discouraged with, pray for your heart not to fade into depression and fear. Pray. Pray for those in authority so we can live in peace, with our lives marked out by God. Pray for the families of all those killed, Black, White, police and citizens. Pray for a spirit that only Jesus can give to love those you may disagree with. Pray against the temptation to strike out even with your words. Ask Jesus to put a guard over your mouth and your heart. Do not participate with evil deeds of darkness even in your thought life. Yield to God and remember Jesus said, “In the world you have tribulation, take courage I have overcome the world.”

This is a painful and sad time in our land, it seems a month doesn’t go by without innocent people being killed. It is not fair, but the world never is, that is why Jesus came to offer humans healing, help, and wholeness in a time of need. Run to Him; cry out to Him, He and He alone has what you need now. Read Psalm 63 and remember David wrote this at a time he lived under a ruler who was completely unjust, but he lived in a God who was his rescue. Let Him lift your head and your heart He can do it. I am praying for all of you.

With Deep Affection and Love,
Pastor Dan

As we were getting ready to post this edition of our blog, we heard the news of the horrific terrorist attack in Nice France. Pastor Dan’s words, “Do not participate with evil deeds of darkness even in your thought life” came to mind. Lord, help us to avoid becoming what we hate. Amen.

Your Friends in Christ 

Psalm 63 (NLT)

A psalm of David, regarding a time when David was in the wilderness of Judah.

¹ O God, you are my God;  I earnestly search for you. My soul thirsts for you; my whole body longs for you in this parched and weary land where there is no water. ² I have seen you in your sanctuary and gazed upon your power and glory. ³ Your unfailing love is better than life itself; how I praise you! ⁴ I will praise you as long as I live, lifting up my hands to you in prayer. ⁵ You satisfy me more than the richest feast. I will praise you with songs of joy. ⁶ I lie awake thinking of you,  meditating on you through the night. ⁷ Because you are my helper, I sing for joy in the shadow of your wings. ⁸ I cling to you; your strong right hand holds me securely.⁹ But those plotting to destroy me will come to ruin.  They will go down into the depths of the earth. ¹⁰ They will die by the sword and become the food of jackals. ¹¹ But the king will rejoice in God. All who swear to tell the truth will praise him, while liars will be silenced.

Dear Friends,

Angels, we are told, are messengers of God. The Bible recounts stories of angels speaking to Abraham, Jacob, Gideon, the women at the tomb, Cornelius, and many others. Yet, we don’t hear many Christians sharing testimony about their encounters with angels. Did God send angels on vacation at the end of the book of Acts? Are angels nothing more than ornaments for decorating our Christmas trees and beautifying our gardens?

As a child we may have believed in angels – we may have even prayed for their protection: Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep. May angels guard me through the night, And keep me safe ‘til morning light.

In Hebrews 13:2 (NIV) we are cautioned, “Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.”

As we age, do we lose the childlike innocence that gives us freedom to believe in angels?

On a recent trip, Bonnie became anxious when she couldn’t locate the gate for her departing flight. She had scanned the departures board, but no flights were listed for Orange County. A gate agent explained that at DFW airport, they listed her destination as Santa Ana, and told her she needed to get to the D concourse. Her flight would soon be departing from Gate 49.

If you haven’t passed through the mega-terminal at Dallas-Fort Worth, you have no idea how confusing travel can be. Skylink, a high speed train, carries passengers from terminal to terminal, pausing only long enough for those with quick reflexes to disembark. No doubt, there are people who have been trapped on Skylink for hours!

Somehow Bonnie managed to get on and off Skylink and found herself in the correct terminal. She raced to the end of the concourse only to discover that there was no Gate 49 – she must have misheard the instructions. Panic started to settle in.

Just then, a young man with the kindest smile saw the distressed look on her face. Gesturing toward gate 29, he said, “Are you looking for the flight to Orange County? You’re in the right place.”

“She thanked him and asked, “What’s your name?”

“My name is Uriah —it means the Lord is my light.”

Was Uriah just another kind person willing to help someone find their way? For today, I choose to believe that Uriah was a messenger — an angel — sent to remind Bonnie of the words in Psalm 91:11 (NLT): “For he will order his angels to protect you wherever you go.”

Verse for the Week: Isaiah 58:9-12: “Then when you call, the Lord will answer. ‘Yes, I am here,’ he will quickly reply.”

Blessings, Your Friends in Christ

 

ear Friends,

THE DECLARATION OF DEPENDENCE

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness … And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.”

Independence Day is a national holiday that celebrates the adoption of the Declaration of Independence by the Continental Congress July 4, 1776. This holiday has become all about the celebration with little thought about what we are celebrating. Grocery stores make sure they are well stocked with hot dogs and barbeque supplies; fireworks stands pop-up wherever they aren’t prohibited by fire restrictions, and communities gather in parks for a day of fun and music.

Before we race off to enjoy the festivities, we thought it would be useful to focus on an often overlooked truth: The Declaration of Independence included a “Declaration of Dependence”. Our Founding Fathers recognized the dependence of their new nation on the protection of God. Throughout our history, poets and songwriters have echoed our founding father’s conviction that God is the author and protector of our liberty. The final stanza of “America” is a prime example:

Our fathers’ God, to thee, Author of liberty, To thee we sing; Long may our land be bright With freedom’s holy light. Protect us by thy might, Great God, our King! The Star Spangled Banner identifies “In God is our trust” as a national motto:

O, thus be it ever when freemen shall stand, Between their lov’d homes and the war’s desolation;   Blest with vict’ry and peace, may the heav’n-rescued land Praise the Pow’r that hath made and preserv’d us a nation! Then conquer we must, when our cause is just, And this be our motto: “In God is our trust” And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave!   The Irving Berlin Classic “God Bless America” is actually a prayer.

While the storm clouds gather far across the sea, Let us swear allegiance to a land that’s free, Let us all be grateful for a land so fair, As we raise our voices in a solemn prayer. God Bless America, Land that I love. Stand beside her, and guide her Thru the night with a light from above. From the mountains, to the prairies, To the oceans, white with foam God bless America, My home sweet home. In his Gettysburg Address, Abraham Lincoln summed up the challenges we face as  citizens of a “nation under God.” “It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us — that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion — that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain — that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom — and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

Are we still a nation that recognizes its dependence on God? This July 4^th we encourage you to join with us in praying for the United States and all our people.

Verse for the week: 2 Chronicles 7:14 (NIV)

Blessings, Your Friends in Christ