First Baptist Church of Brownsville, Oregon

Notice some key thoughts that come from this statement (which is very similar to James’s thoughts in ch. 1 of his letter).  First of all, “in this your rejoice.”  Huh?  Both Peter and James express that the trials we go through in life are to result in joy for us.  Only faith in the Lord Jesus Christ can produce such a result!  No other religion or faith system can accomplish that.  Joy is a major component of our Christian lives.  It is part of the fruit that the Holy Spirit produces in our lives.  It sounds counter-intuitive, but Believer, if you are experiencing trials, “Rejoice in the Lord always, again I say, rejoice!”

Secondly, “for a little while.”  Our faith also teaches us that whatever trials we are experiencing now are only temporary.  Hope is another major component of our faith in Jesus Christ.  We know this world is not our home.  We are just passing through.  The hardships we face are nothing compared to the glory that awaits us in the future!

“If necessary.”  We sometimes don’t understand why we experience hard things.  But God is sovereign.  He knows that sometimes trials are absolutely necessary for the strengthening of our faith.  We might not like it or understand it, but we can trust Him!

“The tested genuineness of your faith.”  Is your faith genuine?  Sometimes the Lord puts us to the test to reveal what’s really going on in our hearts.  Our response to trials goes a long way in demonstrating whether our faith is the real deal or not!

“More precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire.”  Gold is used in the Bible to describe something that is of utmost value.  It is extremey precious and costly.  It becomes more pure and valuable by going through fire.  Peter relates that to our faith.  The trials we go through burn off the dross and purify our faith.  If gold were personified, it would probably scream out when it was going through fire!  But when the process is complete, it is able to “pass the test.”  The same is true of our faith in the Lord.  The process may not be enjoyable at first glance, but God has a glorious purpose in mind.

“May be found to result in praise and glory and honor.”  Isn’t that we want to be the end result of our lives?  Praise to Him!  Glory to Him!  Honor to Him!  There are lots of ways that we think we can bring those three things to His great name.  But what we often don’t think about is what Peter is saying here.  Our faith being refined by fiery trials accomplishes this ultimate purpose!  You’ve heard that “the chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.”  Well, remember, one of the major ways we accomplish that chief end is to experience a purified faith in Christ as a result of passing through the fire.

“At the revelation of Jesus Christ.”  Someone has said a key to being a successful person is to “begin with the end in mind.”  We have a tendency to get too caught up in our present circumstances, without thinking about the end goal.  When Jesus is revealed, when He returns in all His glory, He will receive praise, glory, and honor from all of His people who have a purified faith!  And that’s ultimately what we all want, right?

So, my beloved, no matter what difficulties we may be temporarily experiencing today, “in this you rejoice!”

We have some key events this weekend:

Read more…

Let brotherly love continue. (Hebrews 13:1 ESV)

I read many incredible, convicting, challenging, and encouraging things in the past couple days.  But this 4-word verse stood out.  “Let brotherly love continue.”  If we don’t do this, nothing else we do as a church family matters.  I looked up a number of cross references to Heb. 13:1, which remind us of the priority of love within the family of God.  Here are some:

Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. (Romans 12:10 ESV)

Now concerning brotherly love you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another, (1 Thessalonians 4:9 ESV)

Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, (1 Peter 1:22 ESV)

and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. (2 Peter 1:7 ESV)

Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor. (1 Peter 2:17 ESV)

Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind. (1 Peter 3:8 ESV)

By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother. (1 John 3:10 ESV)

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. (1 John 4:7 ESV)

If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. ²¹ And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother. (1 John 4:20-21 ESV)

As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for You, O God.  My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.  When shall I come and appear before God? (Psalm 42:1-2)

What are you thirsty for?  We all probably know what it is to be thirsty for water.  Recently, while standing out in the sun on the baseball field, chewing on salty sunflower seeds for a couple hours, I found myself longing for a nice, big, cold drink (of water or light lemonade of course!).  But far more important than that is the thirst of my soul for the living God.  Are you thirsty for Him today?

Along those same lines, what are you hungering for?  I recently did part of a day of fasting and prayer, and simply could not wait for “break-fast” as my stomach rudely growled at me!  But again, far more important is my hunger for God.  In tomorrow’s message we will look at a case where John was told to eat a scroll.  It is a reminder that we are invited by God to eat of His Word!  Are you hungry for the Bible?  I’ve never met a growing Christian who did not have a major appetite for God’s Word.  Please read Revelation 10 before tomorrow and consider the result of what John ate.  Why was it sweet?  Why was it also bitter?  How does that relate to our experience of partaking in God’s Word?

We will also have the opportunity to eat the symbol of the Word of God, the Lord Jesus, as we partake of communion together.  I trust you will come with heart examined and in a prayerful and thankful spirit.

Thank you for your continued prayers for me as I prepare to preach His Word.  I’m reminded on a daily basis of my desperate need for your prayers!

Thirsting for God… Hungering for His Word…

Love From Your Pastor,

Michael

The LORD redeems the life of His servants; none of those who take refuge in Him will be condemned.  (Psalm 34:22)

What a precious promise from our Lord!  Whom are you taking refuge in today?  Have you been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb?  Then there is no condemnation for you and for all who are in Christ Jesus!

There are only four club nights left for our Awana program this school year.  Thank you for praying for our continued impact on the lives of children and their parents!  This Saturday eight of our kids will be heading to Salem for the State Bible Quizzing.  Please pray for them as they hide God’s Word in their hearts!

This Sunday I will be continuing in Revelation with a message from 9:12-21 about the Sixth Trumpet.  Please read it ahead of time, and join us Sunday morning!  Most remarkable to me, after seeing all the carnage from the judgments, is the response of the remaining people on the earth in verses 20-21.  Why do you think they don’t respond as we would expect?  Or is the way they respond what we should expect?

In this week’s bulletin you will see notes about two missions projects we are raising funds for.  Please pray about, and consider a generous gift toward one or both of these:

1. Thurman Falk is going with Cru (Campus Crusade for Christ) to East Asia for five weeks this summer.  Let’s generously and prayerfully support him!

2. John Joiner returned from Burundi with a burden to help supply a diesel-powered welding machine for the hospital/medical school there.  We’d like to have the money raised by July 1 so it can get put on a shipping container heading there Aug. 1.

Thank you for your support!

Redeemed, and taking refuge in the LORD…

Love From Your Pastor,

Michael

Consecrate yourselves, therefore, and be holy, for I am the LORD your God. (Leviticus 20:7)

To be “consectrated” means to be set apart, or to be “made holy”.  One Bible Dictionary defines “Consecration” this way: “It is the act of setting apart any person or thing to the worship or service of God.  In Leviticus, Moses was deliniating the Law of God and telling the people of Israel to be consecrated by obeying the law.  We know from the New Testament that the only way to truly be made holy is by the transforming power of the gospel of Jesus Christ.  Only God’s grace can save us and sanctify us.  As His “holy nation” and “royal priesthood” (1 Pet. 2:9), we as Christians are to be consecrated, set apart for His service.  We serve and worship a holy God!  And He calls us to be holy as He is.  It is His grace that empowers us to become holy like Him.

In case you missed it last Sunday, Thurman Falk shared with us about his East Asia Summer Mission (many of you will receive letters in the mail about it as well).  His trip is June 14 — July 22.  The cost of the trip is $5,100.  He will be working with Campus Crusade for Christ (now called “Cru”) at a university in East Asia to share the gospel and train in evangelism and discipleship.  I’d like to encourage all of us at FBC to support Thurman generously.  He is “one of our own,” having grown up here at FBC Brownsville.  This is an exciting opportunity for Thurman, and for us as we partner with him.  Please make checks payable to “Cru”, or give at www.give.cru.org/0743833.  You can call Thurman at 541-760-6812 for more info.

MEN – This Saturday at 7am is our monthly Men’s Breakfast!  Please come join us for a great time together.  Our missionary to Brazil, Bruce Tissell, will be here to speak to us.  Invite a friend, bring your sons, and come!

Saturday at 1:00pm is the memorial service here at FBC for our sister Betty Keen.  Thank you for praying for the family and for a clear gospel message to be shared.

On Sunday, I will be speaking from Revelation 8:13 — 9:11.  This is a description of the Fifth Trumpet judgment, which is also the “First Woe”.  Prayerfully read ahead and consider how this future demonic warfare relates even to our current spiritual warfare we face today.

Following the worship service Sunday, we will be having our Quarterly Business Meeting.  Everyone who considers FBC your home is welcome to stay and join us.  Along with the “business” reports that will be shared, I plan to share an update on the current situation regarding additional pastoral staff, and the intentions of the elders and I for the near future.  You could consider this a kind of follow-up to the two Vision/Info meetings we had in March.  We are considering showing a video about our desire to “Grow Together” as people who represent multiple generations.  I think you’ll want to be with us!  We will try to not keep you too long!

Thankful for our holy God, and for the transforming grace of God that is making us holy too…

Love From Your Pastor,

Michael

But we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers (and sisters) beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth. To this he called you through our gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. (2 Thessalonians 2:13-14)

What a great statement by the apostle Paul about his Christian brothers and sisters in Thessalonica.  I love that he reminds his readers that they are beloved by the Lord, chosen to be saved, called through the gospel, so that they may obtain the glory of Christ!  And he is right on in saying that he ought to give thanks to God for them.  I too find myself often thanking God for you when I pray for you!  I want to thank again the many who made our Easter weekend a special time.  I am so thankful for the dedication, effort, and love put into both “Experience Easter” and our two Sunday services.  Many of you pulled “double duty” or even triple!  I praise God for you and thank you for your devotion to Christ, His church, and our community!

This Sunday I plan to return to our series in Revelation, with a message on Rev. 8:7-12, “The Trumpet Judgments Begin” (unless the Lord directs me otherwise again!).  I encourage you to read that passage before Sunday and consider the holiness of God and the sinfulness of man, that would lead to such an outpouring of judgment.

Please be praying for the guests we had last Sunday who live in our area, that the Lord will be continuing to work in their lives and encouraging them to return this Sunday!

We will be observing the Lord’s Table, or Communion together this Sunday.  Let’s come with hearts prepared and examined before the Lord.

Tomorrow morning we are hosting the regional Awana Bible quizzing at FBC!  If you want to be blessed by seeing our young ones reciting many verses of God’s Word, come join us and support these kids!  It starts at 10am in the sanctuary.

Thanking God for you, brothers and sisters beloved by the Lord…

Love From Your Pastor,

Michael

If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.  Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.  For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.  (Colossians 3:1-3)

Notice in this amazing passage our union with Jesus Christ!  As we reflect on the events of the “passion week”, we are especially focused on Jesus’s death on the cross, and resurrection from the dead. And rightly so!  These two major events are the foundation of the gospel message we believe and proclaim.  But isn’t it incredible that here in Colossians, Paul reminds us that not only did Jesus die, but so did we!  If we are His disciples, His followers, then we too have died.  We died to our old sinful nature.  We died to our old way of life.  We died to ourselves.  And now (isn’t this marvelous?), our life is not our own, but our “life is hidden with Christ in God.”  And not only that, but just as Christ has been raised, so have we!  We read about that in many other places in Scripture.  But in this passage Paul uses that truth as the basis for his statement, “seek the things that are above.”  It is because of our new (resurrected) life in Christ that we are called to become heavenly-minded instead of earthly-minded.  May this week be a time when we take this message to heart!

Tomorrow night (Friday) is Experience Easter!  Thank you for helping, for giving, for praying, and for inviting!  Please pray that last-minute details come together.  Pray for a great response from the people of our community.  If you’d like to help with decorating that will begin at 9am tomorrow.

3 Days to Easter Sunday!  The message will be from Psalm 24, entitled “Who Is This King of Glory?”  It would be great to read that in preparation for this Sunday.  If you want a little extra, read also the two chapters prior, Ps. 22 & 23.  Those three Psalms actually tie together quite well.  Last night I prayed that all of our regular attenders would have a very meaningful Easter Sunday.  We often think a lot about all of the guests who will be here for Easter, but I want you all to know I haven’t forgotten you!  I’m still praying for you by name this week, that God will bless you in a great and powerful way.  But of course we will have a number of guests who don’t usually attend.  So please continue to pray for the Holy Spirit to be convicting people’s hearts, and for the power of His Word to impact lives.

Remember that there will be two services, 9:00 and 11:00.  I look forward to seeing you at one of them!  I’m thankful for everyone who is involved in making this weekend a tremendous time of ministry to our community!  I’m excited about what the Lord will do in our midst!  Keep praying!

Raised with Christ, seeking the things above…

Love From Your Pastor,

Michael