2009 Triton/DuPage/NIU Joint Thanksgiving Report
Thank God for all his mercy and grace upon us this year. Thank God that he allowed three
The message this year was from Job 1:21 delivered by Shepherd Jeremy Hajek, “May the Name of the Lord be Praised.” We wanted to learn from Job why we should praise God in this dark time of our nation and how we can praise God. We learned that we can praise God when we keep our integrity and shun evil. We learned that if we don’t praise God for the good he has given we will complain and curse his holy name. Many people made new decisions for this year to praise God for all his good works.
Triton ministry served Communion by the leading of Shepherd Rene Alonzo. We were blessed with the beautiful special music from the Triton music team and blessed with the performance of the NIU praise team for offering. We delivered our all offering to Dr. Joseph Chung who went to
We were thankful for Dr. John Jun and Missionary Sun Ji Jun who attended and blessed us with his benediction to pioneer all of the west-suburbs together by the power of Holy Spirit. We then had a joyful lunch fellowship together.
In Christ, Jeremy Hajek
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Introduction to conference:
Welcome to the Dupage-NIU SBC entitled “Seek First God's Kingdom.” Praise God for gathering us here at Hamburger University to worship Him. You know, my father is a graduate of Hamburger University. He walked into a McDonalds during the great Blizzard of '67, and asked for his first job. They were so impressed by his determination that he was immediately hired. Our goal in life should be to seek God's kingdom first even in life's worst storms. Through this conference may we see the futility of seeking after the things of this world and make a decision to seek first God's kingdom.
Title: Follow me
Key Verse: Matthew 4:19,20 “Come follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.” At once they left their nets and followed him.
Prayer: Dear Lord Heavenly Father, thank you for sending your son to us, to save us from a life of sin and darkness. Please open each and everyone of our hearts to your word that we may all come away with one word from this conference. And grant me your Holy Spirit to deliver this message. In Jesus Christ we pray, Amen.
Part 1 A New Dawn
Jesus began his ministry in a very dark and oppressing time. John the Baptist was preaching repentance and was jailed when he called for Herod to repent. The people were led by politicians that were corrupt morally. Herod was rebuked by John for sleeping with his brother's wife. Godly men that did not compromise or water down their preaching were jailed. Herod ruled over the area called Galilee. This is where Jesus began his ministry. That day Isaiah's scripture was fulfilled.
15"Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali,
the
way to the sea, along the Jordan,
Galilee
of the Gentiles—
16the people living in darkness
have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of the shadow of
death
a light has dawned."
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This not only tells us where Jesus would preach, but also explains the state of the people and who Jesus was. People don't like to hear the message that they are living in darkness. They have pride that blocks them from walking in the light. But, it was clear that the people were living in darkness under the shadow of death. Jesus, the great light, would bring a new dawn. A start of something great. Jesus is the light that shines on new beginnings. His response to the darkness is spelled out in verse 17
Jesus responded to the darkness with the life-giving gospel. Jesus calls us to turn from our old ways through true repentance. God gave us this new light that we may turn back to him and once again be his children.
We come in contact with the darkness on a daily basis, don't we? My usual response is that of a non-response. I have become numb to the darkness around me. Without thinking or seeing I sidestep the darkness to avoid confrontation. It's as if slightly out of my perception, so that I can avoid it. Once in a while, I am led to share the gospel by God's grace and it is wonderful. I pray for each of us to take the time to confront the darkness with the gospel.
Part 2 The Life we live
As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen.
Peter and Andrew fished on the Sea of Galilee. They worked very hard just to eek out a meager existence. This wasn't lazy day fishing sitting with your grandpa on the bank with a pole. Fishing was dangerous work, people lost fingers, when razor sharp nets got away from you. They developed rough calloused hands, the ones you get playing guitar pale in comparison. Their hope was to live a long life, and provide for a family. To grow their family business to include a few boats and have others working for them, to pass on the family business to their sons, really make a name for themselves. This isn't too far from the American dream of owning a small business. But, there is something lacking in these dreams, God. True hope and vision comes from Jesus. Today people's hearts have become numb and calloused. They have developed a non-response to the gospel. People tend to not care about anything in particular. They don't care or mind living in failure, especially when they decide not to try anymore. People believe nothing they do can change anything. So why bother? People live lives in fear of failure. They'll follow the path of least resistance to avoid it. People work hard- or just hard enough-
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in an insecure job for many years drowning in debt. Then at 40 they have a mid-life crisis reflecting on past failures with regret. Their hope is to work hard to the ever increasing retirement age to stay above the debt. I don't know about you, but I see a huge lack of fulfillment in that life.
Before my call to mission I was on a direct path to failure. I would have never gotten help with my ADD, only to struggle by on my own strength with limited success. With whatever I could have accomplished, I'd still be unhappy because of the high standards I often set for myself and fall short of. Someday I would get a job, marry a Sunday Christian, have direction-less kids, and then wonder why they were like that. Without clear mission and direction in my own life, what kind of family or life could I have.
Part 3 The Calling
These men knew this was it, the thing they had been waiting all their lives for. Jesus offered them hope and direction, and the promise to catch men. These words “Come follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” were the words that transformed these men into disciples. I want you to stop and think about the power of these words. How could these few words compel them to do what they did, drop everything and follow Jesus? I want you to close your eyes and picture this scene and these words. You are on the sea with your brother casting your nets, and Jesus comes up to you and speaks these words “Come follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” There are countless reasons not to go, but there is also that one reason why you would go. You have been searching for true meaning and purpose all your life, but didn't know it. You searched all over for it, only to settle for what you do know. Suddenly those endless days of searching seem futile. So, you drop your nets and follow the man that has promised life with meaning. Verse 20 reads “At once they left their nets and followed him.” What a beautiful story of men finding what matters and following a dream that led to a fulfilled life. We need to accept this gift Jesus offers with great expectation.
Jesus chose these men and saw great potential in them. They would become the first two apostles, and Peter the head of the early Church. Jesus really blessed them to become great co-workers, preachers, and disciple raisers . Jesus made them a blessing unto others. These men who would have led otherwise ordinary lives were blessed by God in order to do something wonderful and beyond their own dreams. These lowly fisherman had all this great potential. Jesus saw it and called them to follow a new path to glorify God.
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You may ask yourself, “fishers of men,” what's that? A fisher of men is someone that has a clear identity and mission before God, chosen to follow Jesus' example to actively pursue people and to lead them to God's truth and the life of faith and holy mission. Fishers of men have made a decision of faith to have God to use them to share the gospel. They have identified themselves as God's instruments in changing lives advancing the gospel.
Part 4 Sons of Thunder Fishing Company
Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them
James and John were also fishermen. They lived with some success. They had a small fishing business with their father Zebedee, and a few hired men. They didn't live on easy street, but they had a taste of success which also could have kept them from following Jesus. “Good enough” is the enemy of “the best.” People become too busy continuing in what they know to change and follow Jesus. People value their time and find serving Jesus a bad investment. If it is in their portfolio, it's a low percentage. James and John were going through their daily routine preparing their nets when Jesus came by. This time let's consider this scene in a setting more familiar to you. Imagine you walk into the library to study, put down your backpack, start-up your laptop, choose a play list on your ipod, and gather your notes to work on your homework. Suddenly Jesus walks up to you, taps you on the shoulder, and says, “you come follow me.” What is your response? What do you do? Do you ignore him? Do you tell you're busy? Or do you leave everything behind to follow Jesus? Their response was immediate, they followed Jesus.
Jesus called me when I was a student at Triton College. After school one day, I dropped by the Triton Bible House just to pick up some gifts that my brother Chris sent from Korea. But Jesus had other plans. While we were talking Pastor Teddy asked me to study the Bible with Shs Charisma Magno, and accepted. I was socially awkward and still recovering from a shy childhood in a Christian home. Jesus saw great potential in me. Through Bible study life began to make sense. I found direction which became mission, and discipline became the way I live. God is growing me as a student shepherd and co-worker at NIU ministry. He has hope for me to receive an EE degree not just for a livelyhood, but to support a life of mission. Someday I hope marry by faith and have a family with direction and mission centered on Jesus and the kingdom. Jesus has hope for me to bring my faith with
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me everywhere I go, ultimately to join him in the kingdom of heaven. It's just not about me. This summer I am attending the ESBC and am praying for God to increase my world mission vision, to see the world as he does.
Conclusion: Jesus came as a light to a world living the darkness of spiritual poverty and ignorance. His response to the darkness was to share the gospel. Jesus went out and called the first disciples to become fishers of men. Jesus saves us from an unsatisfying life. When we answer the call to be fishers of men we are blessed with a truly meaningful mission and life with purpose. Those who have been called are intended to call others. God has chosen each of us to participate in his kingdom work, one heart and one Bible study at a time.
Prayer: Dear Lord Heavenly Father, thank you for calling each of us to become fishers of men. Thank you for bringing all of us together to worship and learn of you this weekend. Grant us each one word from this conference. Be with Pastor Kevin Jesmer and grant him your Holy Spirit to deliver the message “Seek First God's Kingdom.” And may we all wake up early for daily bread and bless the morning devotion message. In Jesus Christ we pray, Amen.
Key Verse: Matthew 4:19,20 “Come follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.” At once they left their nets and followed him.
THE GREATEST TREASURE IS JESUS!
Matthew 13:44-46 Daily Bread - Sunday Morning Message
Key Verse 13:44 NIU COD Summer Bible Conference
"The
Good morning! My name is Jennifer. I'm a part of NIU UBF. We've had quite a weekend so far, eh? Last night we heard from Shps Hannah about the wise builder. We learned that we need to be like the wise builder, building our lives on God and to act on the will of God rather than doing nothing. This morning I want to talk about Jesus' vision of the
Dear heavenly father, thank you for your son, Jesus Christ. Thank you for everyone who decided to come to this conference. Be with us in spirit during the rest of the weekend, and help us to grow closer to you. Use me as a messenger of your words. I pray in Jesus' name, amen.
From first glance this passage looks small and relatively insignificant. But when not taken for its face value these two of Jesus' parables hold many truths important for us to remember about the values that we place on things. As we think about this passage, I would ask you to ask yourself this question: What do you value more than anything else?
PART ONE: Buried Treasure
This passage describes two different men who find priceless treasures. Jesus told these parables to talk about the nature of the
"The
As far as ordinary walks go, this man was very lucky, it seemed. One day an ordinary man was walking through an ordinary field and made a more than ordinary discovery - a priceless treasure just below the surface of the ground. We can imagine that the moment he discovered it he was elated. This treasure was worth everything he owned. Imagine, finding a chest of gold coins, a string of Hope diamonds or a barrelful of hundred dollar bills! But in a couple minutes his euphoria wore off as he remembered that the treasure wasn't his. The only way that he could legally own it would be if he bought the field.
Nowadays, a standard farmer's field can cost around $5,000 an acre in
Remember, this is an allegory of the
God calls us to commit. You can't be split between the world and him. But this is no blind jump off a cliff. Jesus helps us to commit and to sell everything. And really, it's not like we are giving up much - just dedicating everything to serve God. Instead of selfish time and friendships and money, everything works together to please God.
So in joy, the man sold everything he owned. He sold his car. He sold his house. He sold his furniture. He sold his laptop. He sold his new mountain bike. All of it to buy this field, and subsequently, this treasure. And he wasn't sad about it - he was joyful, because he knew that what he found was better. He could buy a better car, a better house, better furniture, electronics, and bikes. If we are going to obtain that which is of the greatest value, we must not be petty people, but ambitious and venturous.
How far would you go for God? Would you dedicate your life? Would you change your mission? What is your treasure? Some of you may be wondering what all this means- to dedicate, to commit. As Christians we can dedicate time to bible study for an hour instead of wasting time watching TV. We can dedicate friendships to God by being a leader and example for them instead of following them to places that you should not be going. You can dedicate your career to God by making time on Sundays to go to church, or I know a lot of you got time off work to come to this weekend retreat. That's not easy. But God sees everything, Just by doing small things like this, you commit and you will get the heavenly return some day.
One more thing that I want to point out about this man and his treasure was God's leading. Lets read verse 44 again.
"The
Out of all the fields, and out of all the places the man could be walking, he found the treasure. It was a miracle. God had to have led him there. There are no such things as random events. God controls it all. As followers of Christ, we need to understand that there is no luck. There is no fate. There is no Karma. There are no accidents or coincidences. In everything that happens to us and enters our life, God is working out his perfect plan.
So just as this man who was not looking for treasure found one, we all are being sought after by God. He wants you to find Him. He wants you to commit to Him. God can change your life. Yes He can! He wants you and I to joyfully see what he wants to bless us with. He wants us to trade in for the
PART TWO: Precious
Lets all read verse 45. "Again, the Kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls."
This parable compares the
A merchant is someone whose job is to travel, buying and selling goods. They work in trading of commodities that they do not produce themselves. This merchant could be compared to someone who is looking for meaning, looking for purpose or things that bring true happiness.
Verse 46 reads, "When he found one of great value he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.”
Looking for pearls is like looking for things that make us happy. Friends could be a pearl. Money could be a pearl. Family could be a pearl. Career could be another. What was different about this one and what is the point of the analogy of the
These little pearls are things that make me happy for a moment, but don't have the great value of God's kingdom. And they seem good for a while, but compared to the precious pearl and treasure of God, these are not long lasting.
A long time ago I used to go to church in a different city before we moved to NIU. I loved going to church because it meant spending time with my best friends. We would sit in service and write notes and always run around and play as soon as the sermon was over. But when my family decided that we would move, I was both terrified and sad. I could no longer pass notes in church and do all the other stuff because we lived in different cities. Essentially that move was my (unwilling) sale of all I had. And even though they are still very much my friends, church is no longer somewhere I go to hang out. I started studying the bible with my mom, I started to help with the services and I had more of an active role. As a result my faith grew. Before, I wasn't thinking about God. I was only thinking about myself. I was like that merchant. I had the small pearls of fun, but God gave me something more important- a personal relationship with him. Pastor Kevin's message we learned that if we seek the
Part Three: Conclusion
I’d like to read a passage from a book called Life of the Beloved by Henri JM Nouwen.
“Aren’t you, like me, hoping that some person, job, thin, or event will come along and give you that final feeling of inner well-being you truly desire? Don’t you often home, ‘May this book, idea, course, trip, job, country, or relationship fulfill my deepest desire’? But as long as you are waiting for that moment you will go on running helter-skelter, always anxious, restless, lustful and angry, never fully satisfied. God’s voice tells us he loves us and wants to give us more than that.” This is God’s treasure – the
In this passage we learned about the value of the
Let's pray. Dear God, thank you for offering us the treasure of the kingdom of heaven. Help us to see the difference between the fleeting momentary happiness and true joy. Bless the rest of the programs this weekend and be with us. I pray in Jesus Name, Amen.
One Word: THE GREATEST TREASURE IS JESUS!
Thus Far Has The LORD Helped Us
(Triton UBF 20th Anniversary Celebration)
1 Samuel 7:1-17.
Key verse 7:12, “Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it
Ebenezer, saying, ‘Thus far has the LORD helped us.’"
By: Shp Kevin Jesmer NIU UBF 7-12-09
On July 5, 2009, Triton UBF held its 20th anniversary celebration on the campus of
This celebration was especially significant for another reason. It was held in a conference room in the heart of
Shp Teddy delivered a message on 1 Samuel 7:1-17. The key verse was verse 12, “Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, [b] saying, ‘Thus far has the LORD helped us.’" In Samuel’s time the priesthood was corrupt. The Word of God was rare. The enemies of
Samuel served his mission faithfully, teaching the word of God to the people for over twenty years. In this time a new generation of people was raised up with a repentant heart. The whole nation was compelled to seek after God. Shp Teddy asked the question, “What compelled the nation to seek after God?” Samuel stood firm on the Word of the Lord. He taught it with conviction and resolve. After twenty years of faithful Bible teaching they were moved by the love of God. They mourned over their sins and sincerely sought after the Lord. They came together as a nation and humbled themselves, making a public confession. Only the Word of God could change the peoples’ calloused hearts. It was Bible study and prayer, and nothing else that changed the people’s hearts.
Samuel challenged them to repent. Samuel showed them the way to repentance. That was his mission. He gave them the word of God and led them to repentance. What the people truly needed, to rejuvenate their hearts, was repentance. This would be painful, but life giving. God led Samuel and he led his people each step of the way. And God helps us each step of the way until we can have “Ebenezer” faith, the faith that says, “"Thus far has the LORD helped us."
We are living in a society that is hostile to the Gospel. We may wonder what can change our young generation? We need to simply look to Samuel. It required 20 years of faithful Bible study and prayer. Shp Teddy invited us to reflect on the work of God in our own Triton ministry. There is 20 years of clear evidence, that over 20 years the Lord has indeed helped us. There is only one thing that can credit the establishing of Triton as a world mission center. It is faithful Bible study and prayer. We must continue to do this…engaging in Bible study and prayer for one soul at time, lifting our hearts in perpetual thanksgiving for helping us each step of the way, until Jesus comes again.
To help celebrate the work of God, people came from all over
Prayer servants were Msn Wesly Jun, Sam Wahbeh, and Gideon Sherwin. Singspiration was led by Kathy Portugal, Ian Turner, Tim Lopez and Andrew Norte. A special song was performed by Charisma Moguel and Kathy Portugal, who sang, “Make Me Sanctuary.” Triton CBF children performed a special song. Two young ladies from Seattle UBF performed a special song while playing guitar and violin. Afterwards all people were served a delicious Mediterranean style buffet with seemingly unlimited food. The serving was wholehearted, generated out of everyone’s thankfulness to God.
After the message, we were treated to a Power Point of Pictures documenting God’s work in over the twenty years. Andrew Norte and Msn’s Remy and Rene Alonzo worked hard this project, collecting over 600 photos. The power point highlighted the numerous house churches that God established over the years. It honored those who planted the seeds of prayer and Bible teaching before Shp Teddy and Shp Liz came to Triton. It described landmark events, like the sending of missionaries like Msn Chris Sagel and the Msn’s Moses and Iris Margi, the renovation of the Bible house, acquiring a parsonage and the establishing of the Triton Bible Club. It showed others who were sent to other UBF chapters. Indeed the power point was a panorama of the beautiful work of God going on the Triton campus. Personally I saw how those who accept God’s mission at Triton UBF and stayed and struggled spiritually along with God’s people, were especially blessed. They become a stone in the pathway of Triton UBF history. They have a place in this vast spiritual family. They can share in the joy of all that Jesus is doing. They are part of a lasting heritage and legacy.
There were several things that moved most peoples’ hearts. First of all, the message was very powerful. It outlined what God can do in 20 years if we stick to Bible study and prayer. It was also a clear call to repentance. It was humorous to see old pictures of co-workers, 75 pounds slighter and a full head of hair. It was good to see the children of the original shepherds growing up and serving God themselves. It was encouraging to see the parents of our co-workers coming to show their support. It felt like a family reunion meeting up with people from all over. I was also amazed at the cosmopolitan atmosphere. There were representatives from a multitude of nationalities and races. That is the way that the Jesus’ church should be.
Shp Micheal Norte delivered the prayer topics and announcements. He encouraged us to commit ourselves to the Lord and serve him faithfully. He also encouraged us to continue to teach the Bible and pray. He asked us to pray Triton to continue to be raised a world mission center; to engage in discipleship training; that God may bless their Friday meeting; that the Triton Bible club may continue to be a gospel influence at
Minneapolis/St. Paul
Psalm 1:2-3, “But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by steams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not whither. Whatever he does prospers.”
By Shp Kevin Jesmer NIU UBF 7-3-09
On Sunday, June 28, 2009 our family visited the UBF chapters in Minneapolis/St. Paul,
We first visited the
The message was delivered by Dr Abraham T. Kim, “The Kernel Of Wheat.” It was based on John 12:20-36. Key verse 24, “I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.” There was a praise song and opening prayer. Shp Chuck operated the power point. There about twenty-five attendants. From the message we learned that life is productive and reproductive. This is best expressed by the kernel of wheat. Dr Abraham told us that one kernel of wheat has the potential to produce 25 truckloads of grain in 5 years. But there is one prerequisite, the initial kernel needs to die and offer up its nutrients for the next generation. Jesus is the ultimate kernel of wheat. Through his death and resurrection so much good fruit has been born throughout the generations. Dr Abraham used the example of the martyrdom of Jim Elliot and his four companions in trying to reach an Amazonian tribe. They lost their lives trying to preach the gospel. Later the whole tribe was converted and saved from annihilation. Their sacrifice started a modern missions movement. Dr Abraham ended with the words, “There are some things more important than life itself.” This brought tears to my eyes because I realized how true that statement is. By living to preach the gospel to students and raise disciples, we are engaged in a mission that is more important than life itself, because the eternal salvation of millions of souls are at stake.
Before the message, the Jesmer kids sang a special song, “Voice Of Truth” by Casting Crowns, accompanied by Jenn on the guitar. I could share a history of NIU pioneering. We all introduced ourselves by sharing our 2009 key verses with accompanying hard copies so people could follow.
There was testimonial shared by Msn Esther Lim. Her key verses was Romans 1:5, “Through him and for his name’s sake, we received grace and apostleship to call people from among all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith.” She and her children will be moving to
After the service, in true UBF fashion, we had a delicious buffet feast. Afterwards we were treated to a campus visit by Shp Chuck Voght and Msn Peter Jeong (Pharmacy major). U of Minnesota is a huge campus with 55,000 students. The heart of the campus is a green lawn surrounded by majestic, Northrop Memorial Hall. At the head of the lawn was a huge auditorium that holds 4,800 people. It reminded me of the lawn at the U of I Champaign Urbana. We prayed on the campus for the U of M ministry. They pray for 12 new house churches by 2015; 10,000 Bible teachers by 2041, 60 1:1 Bible Studies per week and 40 Sunday Worship service attendants. We thank God for the sincere love and service of our
That evening we visited our
Dr Charles’ family was very gracious to us. They served us with a delicious barbeque supper. Our children played together. We sat around a fire and roasted marshmallows and talked about spiritual things. Before we left we prayed together in their kitchen.
Our family stayed in hotel in downtown
One word: Be a kernel of wheat and bear fruit for the glory of God.
The Gospel Of Peace
Triton/NIU UBF Easter conference report By Shp Kevin Jesmer NIU UBF
Acts 10:36, “You know the message God sent to the people of
peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all.”
On April 10th to 12th, Triton UBF and NIU UBF held an Easter Bible Conference entitiled, “The Gospel Of Peace.” The title of the conference was, “The Gospel Of Peace.” The key verse is “You know the message God sent to the people of
Conference preparation began with two weeks of prayer meetings held at Triton. At these prayer meetings, God prepared our hearts through deep, verse by verse, Bible studies of 1 Corinthians 15 with Shepherd Teddy. Different groups worked hard to prepare a Student drama and CBF drama and an dramatic dance dedicated as a prayer for
After a very effective “ice breaker” activity, led by Charisma Magno, the opening message was delivered by Andrew Norte, (NIU Music education), entitled, “Jesus, The Resurrection And The Life” based on John 11:25,26. We learned that where Jesus is there is hope, power, life and victory. In Christ, we can come out of the power of death, right now and live a life of faith. Andrew bore a double cross. He offered up his music talents to serve the music ministry, even premiering an original solo, “That’s The Power Of The Gospel.”
That evening we heard come inspiring life testimonies. Bamidele Taiwo (Business grad,
Kate Yoshida (political science grad) In the past she thought God was a punishing God keeping us under constant surveillance. After a conversation with Shp Teddy, she came to a realization that saving faith was not a matter of feelings, but it is a decision of faith based in the truth of God in the Bible. She came to know the God of grace and truth personally.
Tim Sagel (Electrical Engineering 3, NIU) gave his heart to write his first life testimony. He wrote 13 paged and reduced it to 5 pages. He could see how God saved a lonely, single seed and is helping him to be a shepherd for lost souls. God has been his friend over the years and has been training him to be shepherd and, one day an electrical engineer. Tim humbly received “revising” training from Julie Jesmer. He prays to be a blessing at the upcoming European Summer Bible Conference.
Lucy Kasango was our fourth sharer. She is from
The second day began with group Bible studies. God raised up ten group study leaders. My leader was Rebekah Heusel. (daughter of Carl and Wendy Heusel) Though she is young, she prepared with her whole heart and boldly led sticking to the word of God. The message that followed was delivered by Ian Turner of Triton UBF. His message was based on Peter’s sermon found in Acts 3:11-21 entitled, “In The Name Of Jesus” Through his message we learned that we always have something to offer to the people, that is, the mighty name of Jesus and his life giving Gospel. Through faith in the power of Jesus we can do anything that God calls us to do. Ian also showed us that through sincere repentance, times of refreshing will come from the Lord. Ian had a double cross. One was message preparation and the other, leading the Triton/NIU Praise band.
That afternoon most people gave their hearts to testimony writing and sharing. Most people wrote and shared. The kids prepared together. There was free time. Many went horseback riding, others hiked and played sand volleyball. The highlight of the afternoon was Tim Lopez’s baptism by Shp Teddy. 60 people gathered at an amphitheater descending to a lake. In the cold water, Tim was baptized. It was his public declaration of his faith and his dedication of his life to following Jesus a shepherd and Bible teacher.
That evening Daniel Pitts delivered a message entitled, “Made Alive in Christ” based on Ephesians 2:1-10. Though Daniel is young, (High School Jr.) he delivered a powerful, clear and repentant message. God opened his eyes to see the he spent a lot of time doing nothing and accomplishing nothing. To him, church was boring. But after his baptism, his heart was changed. He decided to seek after God and engage his heart through Bible reading and prayer. His soul came alive in Jesus and encouraged all to come to Jesus to receive new life. After his message we heard some chosen testimonies, written that afternoon. Katherine Portugal (
Later that evening we were blessed with several presentations. The NIU UBF prepared a dramatic dance based on the Bollywood “Jai ho” dance at the end of “Slum Dog Millionaire”. In the dance a Hindu girl is converted by two missionaries. She receives some persecution, but overcomes and co-works with the missionaries to help convert her own people. Grace Norte and Mary Cedeno and Sarah Jimenez co-worked to produce a CBF drama based on 1 Corinthians 15. Triton Bible Club, led by Charisma Magno, produced a drama vividly depicting the suffering of young people who are living under the power of death. It was shockingly real but effective to reveal how the Gospel of Jesus has power to free anyone from the power of sin to give them new life. That night, students shared joyful fellowship around the campfire singing Kumbaya.
On the last day of the conference, we heard a message delivered by Shp Kevin Jesmer of NIU UBF entitled “The Gospel of Peace”, based on Acts 10:1-48. Through his message, we can see how God wants all people of all nations to receive the Gospel of Jesus. When any person, who repents of their sins and comes to Jesus, by faith, they are forgiven by God and become part of God’s family. They not only receive the forgiveness of sins, but also eternal life. They receive the peace of God that surpasses all human understanding.
The closing message was delivered by Shp Michael Norte. It was based on Acts 2:17, “Vision Possible” He pointed out that after receiving the forgiveness of God and freedom from sin God fills our hearts with his visions of his kingdom and his life giving work spreading throughout this world. As God’s people we are full of hope and vision in Christ. The young people of
At the end of the program, Shepherd Teddy led everyone in the reading of Romans 10:8-13, with special emphasis, that “…everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (13) He helped people to realize that all have sinned and need to come to Jesus to receive the forgiveness of sins and eternal life. Then something historical happened. Shp Teddy initiated and altar-call. Half of the congregation came to the front to be prayed for. Many people shed tears of repentance and release. We pray for all who answered the altar call to give their lives to Jesus and serve him alone.
We thank God for many aspects of this conference. God sent about 14 new young people. Nearly everyone attended all the meetings and wrote testimonies. The praise and worship music was excellent. Everyone had a hand in serving the conference, from the music, to the dances the dramas, the messages and testimonies. We rejoiced at the fact that several people from the Triton Bible Club have been making the transition from the Bible club to 1:1 Bible study. The altar call, the baptism, the life testimonies are all evidences that the
JESUS IS THE RESURRECTION AND THE LIFE
John 11:25,26 2009 Triton/NIU Opening Easter Message Andrew 4/17/09
Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; 26and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?"
Hello! Welcome to the 2009 Easter Bible Conference! My name is Andrew Norte, and I am student from
“Lord if You had Been There…”
Jesus arrived in
Let us look at verses 23 and 24: 23Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again." Martha answered, "I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day." Jesus didn’t beat around the bush. He challenged her and gave her a real message to have hope in. Yet, Martha was not moved by it. Jesus had every intention of raising Lazarus from the dead. He didn’t delay his arrival to be mean. He didn’t come four days later, to cause trouble either. This event was an opportunity for Mary and Martha to receive true grace and freedom the agony of death. It was evident through Martha’s reaction to Jesus’ words. Jesus said Lazarus would rise again, and Martha said basically, “Yea, I know, someday…in the last days…” So Jesus clarified it for her and for all of us. Let’s read our key verses: Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?" Martha was talking about some distant future. But Jesus’ words ‘I am the Resurrection and the life” mean that Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life NOW! These words Jesus spoke give us great hope, because it means that we can have new life today! When we accept Jesus, we have Resurrection and Life. Wherever there is Jesus, there is life. We have new direction for our lives and we can live joyfully because we know there is always hope. Death drains us of all life, all strength, and all hope. There are times when we feel drained of all life, all strength, and all hope, before we even die. This means that we are under the power of death. That is why it was important for Martha to realize that Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life. Martha and her sister needed to learn that there is no death in Jesus. John 5:24 says: "I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life. Like the thought of death, sometimes our sin problems can make us feel hopeless. Do you struggle with your sin problems and feel as though as there is no redemption, no resurrection from them? I struggle with things constantly. In general, I can be a very lazy person (hard to believe). I procrastinate things until the last minute, I feel despaired when I get low grades on homework assignments, especially when it seems like my future is riding entirely on my degree. I also struggle with many lustful desires. These things weigh heavy in my heart and I often feel dead in condemnation. But when I hear Jesus’ Words, repent of my sins, and believe in Jesus, the Resurrection and the Life. Thank God for Jesus who gives us hope to overcome these things, to overcome our deepest sin problems.
Believing in Jesus helps us to dwell in him, and with this comes new life. The alternative to dwelling in Jesus, is living under the power of death. Even though he dies, he will live – that’s the resurrection principle we can rely on today. He will live even though he dies. All we must do is believe in Jesus. Was Martha ready to believe? Martha’s answer to Jesus is in verse: "Yes, Lord," she told him, "I believe that you are the Christ,[b] the Son of God, who was to come into the world." Wow, sounds good right? She didn’t really answer Jesus’ question. Look at verses 28 to 32. These women needed to simply trust in Jesus, yet they were still overcome by death. Verse 35 says that Jesus wept. He felt an immense shepherd heart to free these people and give them hope. If they only knew how close they were to living in the Hope of the Resurrection. So Jesus proceeded to solve their problem.
Let’s read verses 38 to 41: 38Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. 39"Take away the stone," he said. "But, Lord," said Martha, the sister of the dead man, "by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days." 40Then Jesus said, "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?" 41So they took away the stone. Jesus told them to take away the stone, because he was going to raise Lazarus, and Martha was concerned about an odor! She was fixated on the though of death and a rotting corpse in a tomb. But she had to remove this thought from her mind and overcome! Martha’s unbelief was also heavy, like the stone blocking the entrance to Lazarus’ tomb. Yet, she removed this stone of unbelief and acted by faith this time. She accepted Jesus’ Words and the impossible happened. Jesus called out to Lazarus and he came out. He also told him to take off the grave clothes.
It was a tough lesson for Martha and Mary, but they were trained in faith. Jesus wants us to have faith and accept God’s love, in all times, especially during life’s hard lessons. Through Hope in the Resurrection we can live truly and fully for the glory of God and experience grace and joy in our lives. We have to remove the stone of unbelief from our heart and challenge each situation and problem through faith. Because of the Hope of the Resurrection, we do not have to be crushed by the power of sin and death. We can overcome all things. This hope gives us power, strength, and direction to live a holy life. Let’s make a decision to live by this hope. When we decide to do this, we can resist sin and temptation. Remember your decision and never give up. Think about your life and how you can have hope in each problem or situation. School I’m sure is getting tough everyone, but do we stop? No we because have faith in Jesus! Perhaps a marriage can have its ups and downs, but there is no need to give up because we have hope! Maybe your spiritual life has become stagnant. Maybe you’ve felt like you’re growing through the motions and you feel weary. But don’t stop because even though these times are hard, God is with you and He loves you. When you look at Martha and Mary, the end result of their training was new life and hope in Jesus. Tonight we’re going to hear several beautiful life testimonies that will illustrate just how Jesus gave that person new hope and new life. Each of them had lived under the power of death in one way or another. Yet Jesus has given them new hope and life and changed their lives completely.
At this conference, I pray that you will come to know this Jesus, the Resurrection and the Life and begin to live in the Hope of The Resurrection that he is offering you today. Because Jesus is offering it to you today, right now. Let’s focus on Jesus this weekend and learn what it means to live by the resurrection faith for the Glory of God. Amen!
Let’s read our key verse: Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; 26and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?"
The Gospel Of Peace
Triton/NIU UBF Easter conference report By Shp Kevin Jesmer NIU UBF
Acts 10:36, “You know the message God sent to the people of
peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all.”
On April 10th to 12th, Triton UBF and NIU UBF held an Easter Bible Conference entitiled, “The Gospel Of Peace.” The title of the conference was, “The Gospel Of Peace.” The key verse is “You know the message God sent to the people of
Conference preparation began with two weeks of prayer meetings held at Triton. At these prayer meetings, God prepared our hearts through deep, verse by verse, Bible studies of 1 Corinthians 15 with Shepherd Teddy. Different groups worked hard to prepare a Student drama and CBF drama and an dramatic dance dedicated as a prayer for
After a very effective “ice breaker” activity, led by Charisma Magno, the opening message was delivered by Andrew Norte, (NIU Music education), entitled, “Jesus, The Resurrection And The Life” based on John 11:25,26. We learned that where Jesus is there is hope, power, life and victory. In Christ, we can come out of the power of death, right now and live a life of faith. Andrew bore a double cross. He offered up his music talents to serve the music ministry, even premiering an original solo, “That’s The Power Of The Gospel.”
That evening we heard come inspiring life testimonies. Bamidele Taiwo (Business grad,
Kate Yoshida (political science grad) In the past she thought God was a punishing God keeping us under constant surveillance. After a conversation with Shp Teddy, she came to a realization that saving faith was not a matter of feelings, but it is a decision of faith based in the truth of God in the Bible. She came to know the God of grace and truth personally.
Tim Sagel (Electrical Engineering 3, NIU) gave his heart to write his first life testimony. He wrote 13 paged and reduced it to 5 pages. He could see how God saved a lonely, single seed and is helping him to be a shepherd for lost souls. God has been his friend over the years and has been training him to be shepherd and, one day an electrical engineer. Tim humbly received “revising” training from Julie Jesmer. He prays to be a blessing at the upcoming European Summer Bible Conference.
Lucy Kasango was our fourth sharer. She is from
The second day began with group Bible studies. God raised up ten group study leaders. My leader was Rebekah Heusel. (daughter of Carl and Wendy Heusel) Though she is young, she prepared with her whole heart and boldly led sticking to the word of God. The message that followed was delivered by Ian Turner of Triton UBF. His message was based on Peter’s sermon found in Acts 3:11-21 entitled, “In The Name Of Jesus” Through his message we learned that we always have something to offer to the people, that is, the mighty name of Jesus and his life giving Gospel. Through faith in the power of Jesus we can do anything that God calls us to do. Ian also showed us that through sincere repentance, times of refreshing will come from the Lord. Ian had a double cross. One was message preparation and the other, leading the Triton/NIU Praise band.
That afternoon most people gave their hearts to testimony writing and sharing. Most people wrote and shared. The kids prepared together. There was free time. Many went horseback riding, others hiked and played sand volleyball. The highlight of the afternoon was Tim Lopez’s baptism by Shp Teddy. 60 people gathered at an amphitheater descending to a lake. In the cold water, Tim was baptized. It was his public declaration of his faith and his dedication of his life to following Jesus a shepherd and Bible teacher.
That evening Daniel Pitts delivered a message entitled, “Made Alive in Christ” based on Ephesians 2:1-10. Though Daniel is young, (High School Jr.) he delivered a powerful, clear and repentant message. God opened his eyes to see the he spent a lot of time doing nothing and accomplishing nothing. To him, church was boring. But after his baptism, his heart was changed. He decided to seek after God and engage his heart through Bible reading and prayer. His soul came alive in Jesus and encouraged all to come to Jesus to receive new life. After his message we heard some chosen testimonies, written that afternoon. Katherine Portugal (
Later that evening we were blessed with several presentations. The NIU UBF prepared a dramatic dance based on the Bollywood “Jai ho” dance at the end of “Slum Dog Millionaire”. In the dance a Hindu girl is converted by two missionaries. She receives some persecution, but overcomes and co-works with the missionaries to help convert her own people. Grace Norte and Mary Cedeno and Sarah Jimenez co-worked to produce a CBF drama based on 1 Corinthians 15. Triton Bible Club, led by Charisma Magno, produced a drama vividly depicting the suffering of young people who are living under the power of death. It was shockingly real but effective to reveal how the Gospel of Jesus has power to free anyone from the power of sin to give them new life. That night, students shared joyful fellowship around the campfire singing Kumbaya.
On the last day of the conference, we heard a message delivered by Shp Kevin Jesmer of NIU UBF entitled “The Gospel of Peace”, based on Acts 10:1-48. Through his message, we can see how God wants all people of all nations to receive the Gospel of Jesus. When any person, who repents of their sins and comes to Jesus, by faith, they are forgiven by God and become part of God’s family. They not only receive the forgiveness of sins, but also eternal life. They receive the peace of God that surpasses all human understanding.
The closing message was delivered by Shp Michael Norte. It was based on Acts 2:17, “Vision Possible” He pointed out that after receiving the forgiveness of God and freedom from sin God fills our hearts with his visions of his kingdom and his life giving work spreading throughout this world. As God’s people we are full of hope and vision in Christ. The young people of
At the end of the program, Shepherd Teddy led everyone in the reading of Romans 10:8-13, with special emphasis, that “…everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (13) He helped people to realize that all have sinned and need to come to Jesus to receive the forgiveness of sins and eternal life. Then something historical happened. Shp Teddy initiated and altar-call. Half of the congregation came to the front to be prayed for. Many people shed tears of repentance and release. We pray for all who answered the altar call to give their lives to Jesus and serve him alone.
We thank God for many aspects of this conference. God sent about 14 new young people. Nearly everyone attended all the meetings and wrote testimonies. The praise and worship music was excellent. Everyone had a hand in serving the conference, from the music, to the dances the dramas, the messages and testimonies. We rejoiced at the fact that several people from the Triton Bible Club have been making the transition from the Bible club to 1:1 Bible study. The altar call, the baptism, the life testimonies are all evidences that the
As I Have Loved You...
John 13:1-38 HBF Retreat Report
Key Verse 13:34-35
"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."
Last week I participated in the 2008/2009 Toledo/Triton/NIU New Years HBF Retreat. And even though I might have only talked about the skiing part of the trip with you all, before we went skiing we really did have a retreat at the Toledo Bible House, which involved a program, a message, and everything. So, here's what happened.
The title of the retreat was "As I Have Loved You.." based on John chapter 13 verses 1 to 38. The passage outlines the Lord's supper, when Jesus washed the disciples feet and when he prophecied that Peter would deny him 3 times.
Starting off the program we had ice breakers in 6 groups, were we started to get to know each other. In my group was MJ (from Triton, a friend of Monica's), Mark, Daniel (A Toledo kid, not Daniel Pitts) and me. Later came praise and worship, led by Shp. Jeremy Holloway and four other HBF members: Mark, Tabor, Ester and David. Afterwards, about 20 of us shared our key verse testimonies/ 2008 reviews with a break inbetween. It was very helpful for us to try and get to know them a little better.
As part two of the program, we broke off into 3 bible study groups, led by Shp. Jeremy, Shp. John Wilson, and Shp. Bruce Kwiatkowski. I was in Shp. Bruce's group, and we studied John chapter 13, focusing on how Jesus showed his love to his disciples, and how their responses to his love showed who they really were. We compared Judas and Peter's reactions to Jesus' love. Judas rejected Jesus' love. It led to his downfall, and he was filled with remorse and regret. But Peter had a love relationship with Jesus, so when Peter made a mistake he could come back to Jesus.
After the bible study, Shepherd Nick Muehling led a follow-up workshop about the four defining qualities about Jesus' love that was shown in the passage. We discovered that Jesus' love reveals who we are, his love humbly accepts and serves us in spite of who we are in our hearts, he has hope for us in spite of who we are, and his love transforms who we are. With each point, we saw how it applied to the passage and whether we have felt this before from Jesus. In the passage, Jesus' love helps us see that we need God, and it shows us that we are sinners that need Him. In the passage, both Peter and Judas recieved Jesus' love, but only one of them accepted it, and that is why they grew to become who they did. Jesus' love also humbly serves and accepts us for who we are, as we are. It is an unconditional love that can never be taken from us. Jesus lived with Judas for 3 and a half years, knowing all of that time that Judas would eventually betray him and lead him to the cross. But Jesus had hope that maybe Judas would repent in time, so he accepted him as he was and loved him. Thirdly, Jesus has hope for us in spite of who we are. If Jesus looks at us now, he does not see our sins and problems that we face that day. He sees who we are growing to become, and he sees how we will grow. And lastly, Jesus' love transforms who we are. Jesus transformed Peter from an overconfident fisherman to an apostle and eventually the leader of the Jerusalem church. It was Jesus' love and sacrifice that lead to this miracle and that changes us every day.
The last part of the program was Shepherd Tuf's message on the passage. I was surprised when I heard it, because I wasn't sure how he would deliver a message that would do more than reiterate what was already said. But the subject of his message was the key verses of the chapter and how we can truly love one another with the same love that Jesus loved us, comparing Jesus' love (the four characteristics I previously mentioned; points outlined from the workshop) with what we should do as we try and love others the same way. John 13:34-35 reads: "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."
The first point, Jesus' love reveals the truth about us, was a challenging one. How could we love others like this? Shp. Tuf pointed out that although our love for others does not reveal the truth like Jesus' does, we can live as motivation in the light of Christ as good influences and shining examples for others.
The second point outlined that Jesus' love accepts us in spite of our sin. We should also love others in spite of their sins and weaknesses, accept and overlook others' faults, and try our best to have a forgiving spirit for others.
Thirdly, Jesus' love has hope for us. Therefore, we should see that God is working in others, and trust that God is working in them. We can see what they will become or what God wants them to be rather than the faults that are before us. This goes also for ourselves, and helps us to motivate us to work harder at growing and living in God.
And the last characteristic of Jesus' love that we discussed was that Jesus' love transforms us. This would be the hardest point to translate to others, because only God can transform. But what we can do is pray for others that God would work in them and transform them from the inside out.
And why love others in this way? Because when we do, we live as shining examples of God's people, and by this, all men will know that we are Jesus' disciples.
Overall, I think that the retreat was very enlightening and had a very fresh approach to a passage that I had studied many times before but never really understood. I learned that there is more to just loving others. We need to love them as Jesus loved us- looking past their faults and helping them to grow in God's word. I pray that I can have a more forgiving and accepting attitude towards others, and pray regularly- not just for myself, but that God can help me to be an example, and for all of my friends that do not have Christ or that are struggling to live as christians.
After the retreat we drove to Northern Michigan and went skiing. At the lodge we had our own private room where those who weren't skiing or who were taking a break played catch-phrase and other games. The rest of us skiied outside on Crystal Mountain, and had a lot of fun doing it!
Our fellowship with Toledo coworkers was brief, but God blessed it. One thing I think that could have been better, however, was that HBF group members were hesitant to meet new people, and we had a hard time to get to know the Toledo coworkers because of this. Now we are thinking about hosting them next winter for another retreat together, and I pray that all of us can live by the key verses that we have chosen in the coming year, as well as be open to meet new people and become friends with new people so that we can be more united.
One Word: As I have loved you, so you must love one another.
A Baby In A Manger
Chicago area Christmas Service Report NIU UBF by Shp Kevin Jesmer 12/19/08
Matthew 2:7, “She gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in clothes and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.”
This year’s Chicago area Christmas service was held on Sunday December 14, 2008, at the Regina Dominican High School in Wilmette, IL. There, 1,200 people gathered to worship Jesus and celebrate his birth into this world. The title of the program was, “A Baby In A Manger” based on Matthew 2:11. The message was delivered by Pastor Mark Vucekovich. This year God sent 20 people through our NIU UBF ministry. God blessed me to have a small role in the writing of the drama. He also helped two of our members, Tim Sagel and Andrew Norte to participate in the drama. He brought some new people who seem to be interested in beginning 1:1 Bible study.
This year God sent 20 people through our NIU UBF ministry. It is not easy for anyone from DeKalb to attend. It means leaving home for 8 hours, driving 150 miles and spending about $18 each. But we thank God who brought 20 people despite these difficulties. Kathleen Haskins (RN) brought her daughter Emily and Emily’s boyfriend Nick. Emily is slowly warming up to having fellowship with us over the last year. Nick does not have a Christian background and this program was the first Christian experience he has had. I pray continually that Kathleen may grow as a mother of prayer for campus students and for Nick and Emily to begin faithful 1:1 Bible study. Cornel Nealy is a twenty year old whom I met at the local gym. He loves to play basketball and lift weights. I have been trying to begin Bible study with him but nothing was happening. Cornel accepted my invite to this service. He came and loved the program. He also wants to begin 1:1 Bible study. Jay and Carrie Irwin came also. Carrie said that she was really looking forward to attending a Chicago worship service since it has been four years since they had last been to one. It was also a chance to reconnect with leaders from the Main Center. I also could make a connection with Greg, one of Msn Moses Lenthang’s Bible students, who is studying at NIU. He wants to have 1:1 Bible study with me. My daughter Sarah (11) was so happy. She invited her friend Miranda Forde to the program. Miranda really liked it. Sarah prays to be a good shepherd for her. George and Mary Sagel worshipped with us. They are supportive of their son, Tim who was in the drama, and also of the NIU UBF ministry. Amanda Zito, a youth leader for Christ Community Church, attended. She was very happy to see the fruit of our Chicago ministries. Tim Sagel and Andrew Norte were very happy to be part of the drama. They offered up what they could despite of their exam preparation and God blessed them both.
Through the message I accepted Matthew 2:7, “She gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in clothes and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.” Jesus is the King of kings and Lord of lords, yet he came into this world as a tiny baby in a manger. He was born into a poor family and in such a pathetic situation in order to identify himself with all people and reveal the love of God to them. He did not just do this for a short time in order to beef up his political resume. He spent his entire life living in poverty. Jesus did not have to live in poverty. He could have been making a 10 figure income and lived in a mansion. But he chose not to. He made a total commitment to the manger ministry. And God successfully broke through our darkness to reveal his light and his glory to a world in need through the manger ministry of Christ. Because Jesus chose the way of the manger, with all of its inherent sufferings, I could come to know Jesus as my friend and savior. I know for a fact that he understands all that I have gone through and can pray for me and give me the best counsel. He can show me the way because he has been through it all himself. He alone can lead me to the Kingdom of God. Knowing that God chose to reveal Jesus through the manger, I could repent of envying the worldly successes of others and rededicate myself to the manger ministry. After all, this is the way God has chosen to reveal his life saving Gospel to the world.
Our UBF ministry is comprised mostly of humble house churches and led by 1:1 Bible teachers and shepherds who care for a handful of students. They stand in stark contrast to the mega church plants that are taking root across America. But God is working powerfully through these manger-like ministries, as evidence by the Christmas worship services. May God establish a manger ministry one every campus in the USA and Canada.
One Word: Jesus Christ was born in a manger!
CHRISTIAN KOINONIA
1 John 1:1-10 Christmas 2008
Key Verse: 1:3 NIU UBF 12/7/08
"We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ."
Every Christmas my mind scans the Bible, trying to find original passages to preach about, concerning the birth of Jesus into the world. We have had messages from Isaiah. Micah, and the Gospels. This year I came to realize that 1 John chapter 1 was an excellent passage to think about the meaning of Jesus’ birth into this world. 1 John 1 concerns Jesus coming in the flesh. And isn’t that we are celebrating this Christmas season? Are we not celebrating the fact that Jesus, came into this world as a tiny baby in a manger to save people from their sins? So let us mediate on this passage and come to understand more deeply, the meaning of this season.
1 John was written by John the Apostle. John was the brother of James. They were sons of Zebedee. When God called them on the shores of the Sea of Galilee they left their boat and nets to follow Jesus. John felt a special closeness to Jesus, calling himself "the disciple whom Jesus loved" (Jn 21:20). He felt like this, but we all know that Jesus loved all of them equally. Later on, John wrote John's Gospel. In his senior years he pastured God's people in Ephesus. In his late eighties, he was exiled to the Isle of Patmos, a Roman quarry, where he wrote the book of Revelation.
John had authority to write about the truth of Jesus. Look at verses 1 and 2. “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. 2The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us.” John had personal experience with Jesus. John and Jesus were tight. John was an eyewitness to Jesus' life and death and resurrection. He had followed Jesus for 3 ˝ years during his earthly ministry. John knew Jesus the man. He saw him and heard him and touched him. And he loved Jesus. He was changed into an apostle of love. He also came to believe and know that Jesus is the eternal Word of life, the Son who was with the Father from the beginning.
These three letters, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd John were written to believers who were being confronted by false teachers--especially by those with Gnostic ideas. 1 John was written to dispel doubts and plant assurance that Jesus was God. He presents God as light, love and life. He describes in simple and practical terms what it means to have fellowship with God. John wanted to get the believers back on track, showing the difference between light and darkness and to encourage the church to grow in love for God and for one another. When we keep all of these things in mind, everything in this chapter fits together and it makes perfect sense why we must study it for Christmas.
Part l: Jesus Is God Who Came In The Flesh
First, what do we know about this Gnosticism that plagued the early church? The Gnostics taught that flesh is evil and spirit is good. This is an unbiblical idea, and it leads to the denial of the true humanity of Christ. In practical life, those who embrace Gnosticism fall into one of two extremes: They either become ascetic to the point of mistreating their bodies, or they throw off all moral restraints, saying that it doesn't matter what we do with our physical bodies as long as we believe in Jesus, for the body is corruptible and perishing anyway. This is incredibly false teaching.
The Bible teaches that God created man-- body and spirit--and said, "It is good." Jesus is God. He is the Word who became flesh and made his dwelling among us (Jn 1:14). The idea that spirit is good and all matter is evil should be abhorrent to Christians who know that Jesus is God incarnate. John once wrote in John 1;14, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” Many Christians were becoming uncertain of this Biblical fact that there was now two or three generations separating them from the beginning of the Christian church and also due to the hard work of, and bad influence of these false teachers. This false teaching would have enormous consequences on their concept of God, their knowledge of his love and the character of the church.
The Bible teaches that Jesus is God. Contrary to Gnostic teachings, Jesus is the Word who became flesh and made his dwelling among us (Jn 1:14). He preached the word of God to our hearts. He served people day in and day out, practically and with prayer. He raised up his 12 disciples as the future spiritual leaders of the world. After pouring out his life, Jesus went on to died on the cross. He was very God and very man, who shared in all of sufferings. Hebrews 4:15 reads “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin.” He experienced all that we experienced and overcame. We can band together with Jesus for Jesus truly understands us. Jesus understands Tim and Andrew’s hard studies because he spent many years as a young man mastering the Old Testament Scriptures. Jesus understands my kids, who have to do chores, because he was a carpenter’s apprentice. Jesus understands those who have lost a father, because Biblical scholars believe that Joseph died before Jesus began his ministry. Jesus understands those who are tired because he stayed up many nights praying and teaching the Bible to his disciples. Jesus understood all of us who are tempted by sin, because he was tempted every, but struggled and overcame victoriously.
Part ll: Deep Meaningful Koininia (1b-10)
Jesus really wants to have a relationship with us. Verse 1b reads, “… —this we proclaim concerning the Word of life.” This brings to mind what John had written in the opening verses of his Gospel. John 1:1-3 reads, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was with God in the beginning. 3Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.” John describes Jesus as the Word. We use words to communicate. Jennifer was using words in her forensics competition on Saturday to try to convey her ideas to the judges. I am trying to communicate about God’s love to you with words. I am not sure how successful I am at it. We use words to communicate and to have relationships with others. God really wants to communicate with us. Sin broke communication with God. But God in his love tried his best, in many different ways, to speak to our hearts. But we, in our darkness, would not open the door to let him and listen to him. God did not give up. Finally he went to the extreme to establish a relationship. He sent his one and only Son, Jesus into this world as the living Word of God. Through Jesus, our Heavenly Father is breaking through the barrier of sin and is communicating his amazing love into each of our hearts. He is establishing deep and meaningful fellowship with us. This fellowship we call Koininia.
So what is this "fellowship" or "koinonia" that God went to such great lengths to establish? Let’s read verse 3 together, “We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.” Fellowship has deep meaning. It is described by the Greek Word, Koininia. This word has become associated with our spiritual fellowship with God and with others believers. John and the apostles proclaimed what they had seen and heard so that we might know Jesus and have fellowship with him, and have fellowship with all believers down throughout history.
Jesus demonstrated this koinonia during his earthly ministry. He ate with sinners and tax collectors. (Mk 2:16). Jesus spent years serving the disciples and giving them discipleship training. (Mk 3:14). Jesus served and served and served some more, even giving his life as a ransom for many. (Mk 10:45) How beautiful is Jesus’ serving life. We have a great opportunity to serve others this Christmas by inviting them to our Christmas service and offering so that wheat can be trained into North Korea to help feed starving people there. Maybe we can find some other practical ways to serve others around NIU and DeKalb this Christmas.
The early church knew God’s heart and understood his insatiable desire to have koinonia with us. This understanding manifested itself into practical living. Look at the beautiful fellowship they had in Acts 4:32-35, “All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had. 33With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all. 34There were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales 35and put it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need.” These early Christians were bound together by some common threads.
First, All the believers wanted to know Jesus. They knew the grace of Jesus very personally and deeply. This love of God caused them to want to know Jesus. Paul was one who knew the grace of Jesus. One of the motivating forces in his life and ministry is expressed in Philippians 3:10, “I want to know Christ and the fellowship of sharing in his suffering becoming like him in his death.” All Christians, experience Koininia through their desire to know Christ.
Second, they had commitment to God and to one another in unity. Unity of our fellowship is achieved when we all walk with God. (Ge 5:21-24), It can happen when we make a commitment to those who do the will of God. (Mk 3:31-35). Koininia does not have to occur in large groups in a mega church setting. It is more profoundly manifest through small groups. In Matthew 18:20, Jesus said, “For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.” In fact much of the work of God going on in the 10/40 window, the frontlines of world evangelism, is happening though small house churches. Think about China and the Middle East. A Christian revolution is happening in Iran through small house churches of 3-4 people. (Voice Of The Martyrs Nov, 2008) You can be a member of a 10,000 person church and still have no fellowship with others. You could have five people and have deep and meaningful Koininia.
Proclaiming the word of God is very important in forming Christian koinonia? (1b; 3; 1Thes 1:8a; 2Thes 3:1; 1Co 1:18) Let’s read verse 1b; “…—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life.” and verse 3, “We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.” “Proclaim” is repeated many times. Christian fellowship is not just having coffee together. (although this is important and necessary at times.) It involves proclaiming the word of God together as a team. Christian fellowship happens when we proclaim God’s word. When we proclaim the Gospel we have fellowship. To proclaim is a very positive thing. It means to go out of your way to proclaim what you believe as true. Proclaiming the gospel involves the sharing in the remaining suffering of Jesus. Some Christians in other countries suffer in unimaginable ways in order to proclaim the gospel. We have our own unique forms of suffering. Tim and Andrew are in the midst of their exams. But they took time out to prepare for the Sunday worship service. Tim lost his part time job at a bagel shop in order to worship God in Sunday. Sharing in the suffering of Jesus is the most fundamental meaning of Christian fellowship. God has called us here to proclaim his word among campus students though 1:1 Bible study. I doing so together, we are experiencing some great Koinina.!
Living in Koinina is a lifestyle. Look at verses 5-7, “5This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. 6If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. 7But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all[b] sin.” False teachers were saying that they can still live in the light and also walk in darkness. The body is going to be destroyed anyway, so who cares? (This is what the Gnostics say.) Walking in the darkness is walking with the devil and walking selfishness. Darkness is the darkness of sin. It is a lifestyle. Sin breaks our fellowship with God and with others. It makes us fatalistic and dark, and robs our lives of meaning. Sin is at the root of most broken relationships with God and with each other. When we are selfish, proud, self centered and thankless and arrogant we can never have fellowship. (even with our pets.) We must overcome and struggle to overcome the darkness of selfishness and pride and struggle to live by the word of God.
The good news is that we don't have to live in the darkness of sin. God is light, and in him there is no darkness at all. (1 John 1:5) God is perfectly holy and pure and he alone can guide us out of the darkness of sin. If we repent before him, he exposes our sin, and the blood of Jesus his Son purifies us from all sin. We can walk joyfully with God in his light. Walking in the light is also a lifestyle. Walking in the light is walking in the truth of Jesus and walking in the footsteps of Jesus. This is fellowship, walking together in the same lifestyle, walking together in the footsteps of Jesus. It involves life together. It involves struggling, laughing, and yes, even crying together. There can be nothing more solid, meaningful, and intimate than this. (Learning, struggling together, having communion, sharing in Jesus’ suffering together.) Common life is a good opportunity to learn the lifestyle of walking in the light. It is also a decision and so let’s decide to walk in the light.
If the darkness of sin hinders Koinina, how can we overcome? Look at verses 8-10, “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 10If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.” John is countering another claim of the false teachers. Gnostics claimed that people had no natural tendency towards sin. They thought, that in their spirits, they were incapable of sinning. It is a self deception. Practically speaking, they refused to take sin seriously. They felt they had no need to confess and repent. But the truth is that in life, we are always capable of sinning and fall into it constantly. That is why confession is so important. John makes it very clear what confession is. Confession is not just listing our sinful activities. Look at verse8. First we acknowledge sin as sin. This is the first step in bringing us closer to Jesus. Sin brings shame, guilt, and when we confess and repent, humility of heart. We break down our pride and accept the love of God and experience God’s mercy. We taste God’s forgiveness and his grace. This strengthens our fellowship with God. Our foundation of fellowship with God and with each other is confession, repentance and forgiveness.
God wants us to have Koinina to make our joy complete. Verse 4 reads, “4We write this to make our[a] joy complete.” How can our joy be complete? It is linked to proclaiming the Gospel. The most unhappy times in our Christian lives is when we are not proclaiming the Gospel. Lately my joy has been made more complete through my Bible study with Jay and Casandra. I thank you all of your co-working in proclaiming the word of God together here as a team.
Koinonia brings unity among us. God’s desire for our unity us revealed in Jesus’ prayer, “That they may be one as we are one.” (Jn 17:11) God wants to glorify his name though his unified people. The hardest thing in life is maintaining our fellowship with Jesus. If we maintain this Koininia then Jesus’ name is glorified. Through our unity with God and with one another the world will know that Jesus Christ is Lord. One of the most damaging things to our Christian message is not atheists or Islam. It is our own disunity. They must know our unified message, our unified life and our unifying love.
John does not stop telling us how important it is to build up fellowship with Christ and unite with one another. The deepest desire of Christians is to fellowship with God and with one another. There are three C’s in finding and maintaining koinonia, communion, community, and commitment. God wants us to have fellowship with him and with each other. John invites us to walk with Jesus in the light of his love and truth. He wants us to know the real joy of fellowship with God and fellowship with one another, receiving the word and proclaiming it together.
PRAISE THE LORD, O MY SOUL
Psalm 103:1-22 NIU UBF Thanksgiving message 2008
Key Verse: 103:2 Shp Kevin Jesmer NIU UBF 11/23/08
“ Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits- .”
We’ve heard the term, praise the Lord! Christmas is coming and there will be lots of Christmas cards depicting angels praising God for the birth of Jesus. We’ve seen people in worship with their hands held up towards heaven. We’ve had people exhort us to praise the Lord. They look us in the eye and say in a loud voice, “Praise the Lord, brother!” In this world that seems to be filled with bad news, why should we praise the Lord? What does it mean to praise the Lord? How do we praise the Lord? What do we praise the Lord for? May Psalm 103 give us some insight into praising the Lord? So, let us praise God for more reasons other than just our daily bread.
First, we need to define who we are praising. Look at verse 1a, ““Praise the LORD, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name.” When I was driving to Chicago there was a billboard about brothers. It had a picture of two boys walking hand in hand. It read, “Brothers…a gift from nature.” The billboard’s creators did not want to state the truth that brothers are a gift from God. In order to not offend, they implied that it is more proper to thank nature rather God. But we know the truth. This thanksgiving we are not praising nature, or good fortune, or being thankful to nobody or nothing in particular. We praise Jesus, the God of the Bible. Jesus is the only one worthy of our praise.
Second, praise the Lord with your inmost being. Look at verse 1a, ““Praise the LORD, O my soul; all my inmost being,…” What is our inmost being…literally? Your heart? Your intestines? Your liver and kidneys? Our praise of God could emanate from the very core of our being. It can be guttural. But the psalmist is referring to our souls. Mark 12:30 says, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.'” To command your soul praise God means to praise God with every fiber of your being. It means to praise God with all that we have and all that we are. It involves having an open heart and being ready to respond to God’s love. We can not be superficial in our praising of God, it must be deep and sincere, from our soul, from our inmost being.
There are so many reasons to praise God. First, there are personal reasons. Look at verses 2, “Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits-“ Let’s think about the benefits of living our life in God. We are going to list many of them today. But some of the greatest benefits of our life in Christ are found in verses 3-5. “who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, 4 who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, 5 who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.” He forgives our sins; he heals our diseases; he redeems our lives from the pit. He crowns us with love and compassion and satisfies us with good things so that our youth is renewed like the eagle's. We receive all of these benefits without deserving any of them. It is all by God’s grace. It is interesting to note the definite progression here. The subject here goes from being sick, to being healed, to being crowned, to flying like an eagle. God’s grace to us is that we are lifted up from the pit, revived and strengthened to do good work for the glory of God. God makes us to soar like an eagle. Do you know the characteristics of an eagle? Isaiah 40:31, “but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” Those who belong to Jesus will always have a youthful spirit. They will run and not grow weary. They will not be faint. It is like having strength like that of a twenty year old person.
God’s benefits are not just personal benefits for just you and your family. They are also international in scope, for God is the Lord of the whole world. Verses 6-18 read, “The LORD works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed.” When we look at the world and all of its suffering we can doubt God’s righteousness and justice. Sure, there may be many terrible things happening, but we can have faith that God is working out his perfect justice through it all. From our point of view we can not understand everything, but from God’s point of view, his perfect love and justice is maintained from generation to generation. Many of our young people suffer unjust treatment at the hands of evil persons. Some suffer because of others’ selfishness. They seem to be abandoned. What should they do? They need to come to Jesus. His perfect love and perfect justice are revealed on the cross. Jesus brings his perfect justice into our lives and frees us from oppression, especially the oppression nurtured and fertilized by our own sin. Do you have any doubt about God’s righteous justice? We may not understand everything, but we must trust God. God is just and righteous. He is ruling over all the world with righteousness and justice.
God’s grace is revealed in his treatment of the people of Israel. Look at verse 7, “He made known his ways to Moses, his deeds to the people of Israel:8 The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.” God’s law was given first to Moses and the people of Israel. It was God’s training manual to prepare his people to serve him and to follow his ways. God blessed His people so much. He lead provided for them in the desert. He gave them victory over their enemies. But in response to God’s blessings they only became very unthankful to God. God should have wiped them out. But he did not. Look at verses 9-10, “ He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; 10 he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.” He did not treat them as their sins deserved. He forgave them. He raised them us as his chosen, holy people.
Many young people think that God is some angry, punishing God that they don’t want anything to do with. Do you think like that? But our God is very compassionate. Some scholars have researched how many times God was angry in the Bible. It was about 100 times. It seemed like a lot of times, but actually if you consider the time frame, it was only once every twenty years. We get angry every day. Some of us pride themselves of being very gentle who rarely get angry. But even if we get angry once a year in reality we are still 20 times more angry than God. It’s good to place everything in perspective.
God completely forgives our sins. Look at verses 11 and 12. “For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him;12 as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.” God’s love is immense. How high is the heavens? Mars, the red star in the night sky, takes seven years, round trip. Beyond Mars the universe goes on for what appears to be forever. East from west are how far apart? If one runs east and the other runs west they will meet after each has run 13,000 miles, for the circumference of the earth at the equator is about 26,000 miles. Actually, this is a symbolic portrait of God’s forgiveness. East and west can never meet. When he forgives our sin, he separates or sin from us and doesn’t even remember it. That is a whole lot of forgiveness. And it is all given to those who come to Jesus by faith, repenting of their sins before God. God forgives and forgets. When we repent of our sins, coming to Jesus by faith, God wipes our record clean. If we are to follow God, we must model his forgiveness…forgiving one another, and also forgetting the sin.
God has great compassion on weak sinners like ourselves. Look at verses 13-16, “ As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him; 14 for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust. 15 As for man, his days are like grass, he flourishes like a flower of the field; 16 the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more.” We understand a parent’s love. A parent’s heart goes out to their children, especially the weakest of their children. God’s compassion is like this. Like babes, people are actually very weak. The Bible says that we are like grass. We are easily blown away by the winds trouble and change. We are fragile, but God’s care is very tender and compassionate. When God examines our lives, he is mindful of our human condition. His mercy takes everything into account. We must trust him.
We can never forget the grace of Jesus. Look at verses 17-18, “But from everlasting to everlasting the LORD's love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children's children- 18 with those who keep his covenant and remember to obey his precepts.” Though we are to forgive and forget others sins when they come to Jesus, there is one thing that we must never forget. That is the grace of our Lord Jesus. But the truth is that is so easy to forget. We are actually infected with the disease of forgetting. We get blessed on day and then we return the next day as if nothing has happened. Take a lesson from the parable of the ten lepers. After being healed by Jesus, nine former lepers went home and forget about Jesus, but one came back and thanked Jesus. (Luke 17) That is why celebrating Thanksgiving is so important. It is a day where we can dedicate to remembering the grace of Jesus in a very meaningful way. Ephesians 1:16, “I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers.” Giving thanks to God should be part of our constitution. It should be our duty. Actually giving thanks is going to be our main activity in the Kingdom of God. Many people ask, “What am I going to do in the kingdom of God?” Giving thanks will be the main contents of our life in the kingdom of God. Revelation 7:12, “2saying: “Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!" We need to get used to thanking God here below so we can really get into it when we are make it to heaven.
Everyone likes grace. They want love, but God’s grace comes to those who love, know and fear God and have faith in him. Look at Verses 11,13b,17a, “For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him;… so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him;… 17 But from everlasting to everlasting the LORD's love is with those who fear him.” Fearing God does not mean being terrified of God. It means having a deep respect for God and a desire to do what is right before his eyes. Who are those who fear him? Verses 18,20b, “with those who keep his covenant and remember to obey his precepts…. you mighty ones who do his bidding, who obey his word.” They are those who obey the word of God. We, who call on his name, love and obey him willingly with a thankful heart. Nowadays it is not easy to fear God. It requires an absolute attitude towards God, otherwise we become very relativistic in our relationship with him and relativistic in our obedience to his word.
There is only one sovereign Lord and his name is Jesus Christ. Jesus is the only ruler over the whole universe, over the heavens as well as over all the earth. Verse 19, “The LORD has established his throne in heaven, and his kingdom rules over all.” And this sovereign Lord commands even angelic beings to praise him. Look at verses 20-22, “ Praise the LORD, you his angels, you mighty ones who do his bidding, who obey his word. 21 Praise the LORD, all his heavenly hosts, you his servants who do his will. 22 Praise the LORD, all his works everywhere in his dominion. Praise the LORD, O my soul.” Quite simply, everything, everywhere is to praise the Lord: all angels – mighty ones and heavenly hosts – all God’s works! God created all things for his glory. Therefore let all creatures join in praising him. How much more should we the object of his immeasurable grace.
In this world of woe and endless struggles, it is easy to complain about life, but David’s list here in Psalm 103 gives us plenty for which to praise God – he forgives our sins, heals our diseases, redeems us from death, crowns us with love and compassion, satisfies our desires, and gives us righteousness and justice. May God teach our hearts and souls to praise him every day. May we promote the praise of Jesus in the hearts of others around us by sharing the gospel of God’s grace with them. Amen!
One word: Praise the Lord, O my soul
NIU UBF “Hannah’s Faith” Bible School
1 Sam 1-2 Hannah’s Faithbook Bible School
Key Verse 1:27-28 Report by Kevin Jesmer NIU UBF 10-23-08
“I prayed for this child, and the LORD has granted me what I asked of him. So now I give him to the LORD. For his whole life he will be given over to the LORD." And he worshiped the LORD there.”
On October 16-19, 2008, we held a “Hannah Faithbook” Bible School. Faithbook is a take on Facebook. On Facebook, we learn all about a person and we make a relationship with that person. Through this Bible School we wanted to learn all about Hannah and her faith from the first two chapters of 1 Samuel and put that faith into practice. Our prayer was for 30 people to come to the Bible School. God heard our prayers and sent 43 people and blessed us in so many ways. Let’s see.
For this Bible school, God gave two mature co-workers, Tim Sagel and Andrew Norte. We also had our children who are growing more mature spiritually. On day one, Tim Sagel (Elect Eng 3) delivered a message, “Hannah’s Victory In Prayer” (1 Samuel 1:1-28). We saw how Hannah cried out to God in her difficult situation. She made a vow to God and received God’s promises. She kept her vow by dedicated her one and only son, Samuel to grow as a servant of God. Tim realized that he needs to cry out to God in regards to his school studies and in regards to his relations with co-workers. He made a vow to use his engineering degree for the expansion of God’s kingdom. He found new strength to live by faith as a student shepherd. Jennifer Jesmer prepared a testimony on this passage.
On day two Jennifer Jesmer (14) delivered a message, “Hannah’s Prayer” (1 Samuel 2:1-11) Through this message we learned the secret of Hannah rejoicing in prayer. Through faith, she made a break through and fulfilled her vow. She discovered who God is very personally. She discovered who she was in God. She tasted the grace of God and could have faith in the power and the sovereignty of God. We learned that despite of our difficult situations we could all rejoice in the knowledge of God and his grace. Jennifer gave her heart to prepare the message. She wrote a four page testimony only to have it accidently deleted from her laptop. She re-wrote and also memorized her passage and recited it prior to her message. I thank God for her devotion to the word of God. Augustine Jesmer (12) also shared a testimony on the previous passage, where he confessed he needs to cry out to God to not forget about important things in regards to the work of God and to love his siblings.
On day three we learned about Hannah’s godly influence through Andrew Norte’s message on 1 Samuel 2:12-26. The outcome of Hannah’s life of faith was contrasted with Eli’s life. Eli’s compromises influenced his two sons to become corrupt. Hannah’s faith, prayer and absolute attitude towards God, influenced Samuel to be a great servant of God and one of the most important figures in history. Andrew reflected on all of the “Hannah’s” in his life with gratitude and prayed to be “a Hannah” to Tim, his classmates and the Jesmer’s. He prayed that his influence may leave a lasting legacy of faith. Sarah Jesmer (11) prepared a testimony to share.
On day four, Julie prepared an overview message on Hannah. She was inspired through hearing a message on Hannah at a “True Woman ’08 National Woman’s Conference.” She shared five points with us about Hannah’s faith; First, Hannah believed that God is the Creator and Owner of her life and her family. Second, Hannah believed that God is Sovereign, and through faith in his sovereignty she received strength to live by faith. Third, Hannah had a clear identity in God and could “stand up” in her difficult situation. Fourth, Hannah trusted God with her life and her future and even the future of her most loved one. Fifth, Hannah believed that God is faithful to fulfill his plan. I can see God maturing Julie as a true woman of faith for this generation, one who can preach the Gospel to all American young women.
We thank God for our praise and worship team for preparing spirited worship songs. We thank God for Sarah Jesmer’s original piano solo and for Andrew’s piano solo, “Beethoven Sonata.” We also performed a drama on the first chapters of Samuel. Dramas were not possible earlier, because the kids were too young. But now they are getting older and can memorize their lines and give their hearts to prepare, even on short notice. Even one former atheist Bible student enjoyed the drama.
We thank God for the support from other chapters. Triton UBF sent 20 people to our Bible School at different times over the four days. On Friday, several co-workers tried to come to DeKalb in the rain, but they were met with a “wall of traffic” and could not break through. But some tried for three hours to come, one had a car accident, a few got lost and several made it. One night, Msn David Kim and Jeremy Hajek of Dupage UBF attended. We thank God for their support of the work of God at NIU. There was some good, aprčs conference after-glows with Msn Remy’s chicken salad sandwiches on Thursday, a pizza party on Friday, a Smores bonfire on Saturday and Korean beef feast on Sunday.
God has been blessing our Bible schools consistently. In 2007 we had a Philippian’s Bible School with 33 attendants, 18 of which came from NIU UBF. In June 2008 we had a Joel Bible School in which 27 people attended, 11 of which came through our NIU ministry. This Bible School God sent 43 people, 21 of which were local attendants. These numbers reflect one solid truth…We should keep on having more Bible Schools. May God raise up 12 Hannah’s and 12 Hank’s among us so that NIU may become a Kingdom of Priests and a Holy Nation. May Hannah’s be raised across America so that many Samuel’s can be raise and our nation can be Kingdom of priests and a Holy Nation.
One word: Have the faith of Hannah.
WHAT DID HANNAH BELIEVE?
1 Samuel 1-2 Hannah’s Faithbook Bible School
KV 1:27-28 Sunday Message Julie Jesmer NIU UBF 10-19-08
“I prayed for this child, and the LORD has granted me what I asked of him.
28 So now I give him to the LORD. For his whole life he will be given over
to the LORD." And he worshiped the LORD there.”
During the first 3 days of this bible school, we met Hannah, Elkanah, Samuel and Eli. We saw who they were, how they lived and their interactions with one another during the interval in Israel’s history when there was no prophet and no king. Since we have had in-depth Bible studies and messages on all three passages, I would like to take a different approach with my message, starting with the second passage as a statement of faith and then looking at Hannah’s thoughts, attitude and decisions…in essence, discovering what Hannah believed. I will also share some insights gained from the True Woman’s Conference that I recently attended, and apply the teachings of godly motherhood to true “shepherdhood” – for both men and women, who for the purpose of this message we will call “Hannah” and “Hank”. Let’s see.
Who was Hannah? What did she believe? What was she thinking? While modern psychology focuses on behavior, the Bible targets the heart and the belief system of the reader. What one believes, especially what one believes about God, has a more profound impact on behavior than anything that comes out of the mouth. Hannah believed in God’s sovereignty and goodness, and was able to glorify God in her difficult situation. God led her step by step, until she could be the mother of one the greatest men in history, Samuel. The question that I would like to leave with each one of you today is: How did I get into my current situation and what should I be doing here?
Hannah’s life story in the Bible can be called a portrait of true womanhood. But whether male or female, married or single, with children or without, each of us can still fulfill a divine role in influencing others, as a spiritual mother or father to God’s children. Isn’t that what “Be fruitful and multiply” means? Isn’t this the essence of being “our brother’s keeper”? All of us are called to live in love & be our brother’s and sister’s keeper, as bearers and nurturers of life to those we find walking in the shadow of death. God has entrusted the moral, physical and spiritual education of youth to godly mentors, like Hannah (or Hank).
Although Hannah’s upbringing is not recorded in the Bible, her conversation, actions and confessions in 1 Samuel chapters 1-2 tell us a lot about who she was and what she believed. Maybe Elkanah and Hannah fell in love young and lived happily for many years. But one day Elkanah took a second wife in order to bear children and carry on his name in Israel. Even though she may have initially agreed to this, Hannah was subject to daily harassment, year after year by Peninah’s provoking words and actions. What a household this must have been! But instead of despairing, remaining depressed, becoming suicidal or going postal, Hannah’s faith was refined in the fire. What could have become the worst years of her life, actually became instead, a defining moment and her true glory.
Based on the prayer that God put in her heart in 1 Sam chapter 2, we can discern what Hannah believed. Hannah believed that God is her strong deliverer, God is holy, God is the Judge, God is her defender, God is her Creator, God is the giver of life, God is Sovereign, God is the Owner of all things and God is Light. Based on what she believed, Hannah prayed and lived a godly life. In her humanly depressed situation, Hannah cried out to God and made a vow, finding vindication and true joy. Then in trust and thankfulness, she devoted her son to God, even though she could only see her precious one and only son once a year. Hannah found identity, meaning, peace and purpose in the favor of the Living God. For Hannah, as long as God saw her and noticed her misery, she could live in peace and take her place in God’s history.
But let’s go back and examine five points of these passages in particular, which I believe were directly influenced by who Hannah believed God to be. Hannah believed that God is trustworthy. Hannah believed that God loved her. Hannah believed that God care about her heart’s desire and listened to her prayers. And Hannah’s faith directly influenced her thoughts, actions, and decisions.
First, Hannah believed that God is the Creator and Owner of her life and her family. Let’s read 1 Sam 2:5b-6 together. “She who was barren has borne seven children, but she who has many sons pines away. The LORD brings death and makes alive; he brings down to the grave.” Creation faith gave Hannah basic peace. As she struggled, she approached God and regarded others with creation faith in mind. Chapter 1:8 describes her husband’s words of comfort, “Elkanah her husband would say to her, ‘Hannah, why are you weeping? Why don’t you eat? Why are you downhearted? Don’t I mean more to you than ten sons?” As nice a husband as he could have been, Elkanah was still powerless to change her situation with words of human love and sympathy. Hannah was subject to daily disappointment and ridicule that did not stop year after year. But with creation faith, Hannah’s attitude and point of view was different than that of her rival. She found no need to depend on Elkanah’s limited human love, nor did she find a need to struggle with Penninah, because her sights were higher and she saw things from God’s point of view. Hannah’s spiritual struggle and life of prayer became an offering that the Lord, the bringer of life accepted, thus becoming an experience with the grace of God that made history.
Second, Hannah believed that God is Sovereign, and through faith in his sovereignty she received strength to struggle spiritually. Let’s read verses 3 & 8 from chapter 2 all together. “Do not keep talking so proudly or let your mouth speak such arrogance, for the LORD is a God who knows, and by him deeds are weighed.” And now verse 8, “He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap; he seats them with princes and has them inherit a throne of honor.” Hannah was a depression case. She had real reason to doubt God’s love, but somehow Hannah still had hope. Hers was not a fertility problem but a personal validation issue. Look at chapter 1:9. “Once when they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh, Hannah stood up” At a certain point Hannah “stood up”. Why does the bible tell us her physical posture? The fact that she is described as “standing” reflects her spiritual standing before the Lord. It meant that she faced her life problem, gained spiritual resolve, and turned to God in prayer for help in her time of need. Hannah made a deep inner decision to face her life problem with faith and prayer. Her posture and actions were an outward affirmation of what she believed about the Lord. She trusted the heart of God who put her in this difficult situation according to his sovereignty, so she prayed believing his sovereign power and goodness.
Third, Hannah had a clear identity in God. When she knew who God was, she knew who she was before him. What she believed about God was the basis of what she believed about herself. Though Hannah was slandered and misunderstood, she maintained firm faith and clear identity as a God-centered woman. Even when she was insulted, Hannah gave a gracious response. An example of this is when Eli accused her of being a drunkard. Let’s read 1:14-16 together. The bible records no apology from Eli, yet she remained humble and thankful for his blessing. Hannah found joy in prayer and received the blessing of God’s servant, because she was a God-centered woman. In vs 17 of chapter 1, “Eli answered, ‘Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him.”
Fourth, Hannah trusted God. She trusted God with her own future and that of her son, even under the care of an irresponsible priest, and among peers of ill repute. Let’s read chapter 2 verse 9 together. “He will guard the feet of his saints, but the wicked will be silenced in darkness. It is not by strength that one prevails.” Though the priesthood was in shambles and Eli’s sons a public disgrace, Hannah accepted Eli’s blessing as the promise of God to her. Her heart’s desire was for a son, but in her heart of hearts she was willing to offer up her son as a complete sacrifice even before he was born. Eventually the moment of truth would come. The Bible tells us in vs 1:20 “in the course of time Hannah conceived”. Eventually God answered her prayer, but it did not happen right away. For a while, all she had was a promise from an irresponsible priest. She had no idea how the story would end, but she trusted God every step of the way. Hannah made a vow with the prayer of her life and staked her whole future on it.
Do you trust God with your life? Some say “Yes” very quickly. But think of it this way…do you trust God with your marriage? Do you trust God with your children’s lives? How about your future and the future of our country? It is not so easy to say “yes” is it? When we trust God, we can make the difficult decisions that make history and make our life’s work a fragrant offering to the Lord.
Fifth, Hannah believed that God is faithful. Let’s read the second part of chapter 2 verse 10 together. “He will give strength to his king and exalt the horn of his anointed.” At this point Israel had no king; there were only judges. But in her prayer Hannah looked forward to a time God when would rule over his people with peace and justice. God would strengthen and exalt the kings of Israel even when they faced many enemies. Her vision may have even extended to Jesus whom, through his death and resurrection would become King of Kings. When Hannah stood there praying, she could see God’s faithfulness to fulfill his plan in his time. With this personal knowledge that God is faithful, Hannah made a lifelong commitment to God, through her vow and gave her son over for all the days of his life.
Chapter 2 verse 19 describes her frequent trips to Shiloh to visit her young son after giving him over to the priesthood. She did not try to forget her son to soothe her own conscience, but continued to support and encourage him through annual visits and making him special clothing. She did not question any training Eli was giving him, nor did she try to compel her husband Elkanah to move their home to a new neighborhood closer to the temple. Rather, she continued to show her son love and left the rest to God, believing that God is faithful, and would faithfully care for her son strengthening and anointing him so he could stand as a servant of the Lord.
Let me share with you two examples faith that God used to mold my faith to be little more like that of Hannah’s. When Jenn was about 2 years old, she spent a month in Canada during the time when Augustine was born. Pastor Kevin drove her to Canada and dropped her off with his parents, who delighted in their first grandchild from their only son. After I went through labor and delivery and gained a little bit of a rest with our first son Augustine, the grandparents drove to Chicago to bring her back. As I have mentioned to many a mother, mentally the second child feels like everything doubled. At that time my body was weary, and my heart was burdened at the idea of going back to work and continuing to care for my growing family. On the day they returned, my heart went out to Jenn and I just wanted to embrace her and challenge the future together. To my surprise however, Jenn did not recognize me and would not come to me. She insisted on staying with her grandparents the first two nights, and took some time to figure out who I was. At the time my heart was broken and I was inconsolable, because I thought that I had lost her heart already. That was the most intensely painful day of motherhood that I can remember, but what got me through those days was the confidence that God is sovereign, he is good in all that he does, and that he is faithful to me in all that he asks of me and has called me to. Basic faith told me that God had made me a mother and he would carry me through a lifetime of mothering and shepherding, even when it meant separation, disappointment and loss.
These days I am also facing a difficult situation at work, because my boss treats me more like an enemy than his assistant. Day after day, he provokes me to irritate me, and every small mistake has ended up on my performance review for the last two years. Never before have I found myself in such an unfavorable situation professionally, and for several months I have been eagerly exploring other options for employment. My mouth has been rich with complaints with all my friends, and I notice that I have been seeking human sympathy like a beggar, rather than crying out to God in prayer. During the preparation period for this Bible school I had no intention to contribute beyond serving snacks afterward, but God himself brought his word from these two chapters to me during a message at the “True Woman Conference” last week. I deeply realized that of all people, God has called me to be a spiritual Hannah today, seeing motherhood spiritually and seeing shepherd life like a mother. In my work situation, I need to believe that God created my job, that he is sovereign and good, that I can trust God, and that he is faithful. In order to honor God in my situation and make history, living faith must directly influence my thoughts, actions, and decisions. I must be ready to sacrifice my heart’s desire to be honored and respected, and serve and obey a man who is not the best manager. I must believe God’s sovereignty in putting me in this situation for my best good, and let him work out the rest of the story of my life through faith and prayer.
In this message we learned some aspects of what it means to embrace the image of true womanhood, or shepherdhood. Let’s think about each point. First, Hannah believed that God is the Creator and Owner of her life and her family. When she did she could have peace in her heart and pray during troubled times. Second, Hannah believed that God is Sovereign, and through faith in his sovereignty she received strength to live by faith. Third, Hannah had a clear identity in God and could “stand up” in her difficult situation. Fourth, Hannah trusted God with her life and her future and even the future of her most loved one. Fifth, Hannah believed that God is faithful to fulfill his plan. My prayer is that we may all take to heart the faith of Hannah and become Hannah’s and Hank’s for our generation. I would also like to leave you with my earlier question: “How did you get into your current situation, and how can you glorify God from where you are?”
God So Loved The World
John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that he gave his One and Only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."
Purdue '08 Conference Report Shp Kevin Jesmer NIU UBF 7/31/08
The Purdue '08 International Summer Conference was held at the beautiful Purdue University from July 24-27, 2008. God blessed us so much! He sent 3,200 people, of which 1,100 were from 88 other countries. We all could find some way to participate in this amazing work of God. This conference was a rare historical event, showcasing the work of God on college campus' around the world. It should be broadcast far and wide. Some delegates spent over $2,000 dollars each to get there. They took a couple of weeks out of their lives to come and celebrate the love of God and reveal the work of God in their nations. The spirit of unity, Christian love, and world mission abounded through the entire conference. Even our young people felt God's special love through high quality middle school and high school conferences. Purdue '08 was even graced by the presence of author and professor, Robert Coleman, who preached on John 4, "Open Your Eyes And Look At The Fields."
Part 1: God's Work In The Hearts Of NIU Attendants.
God sent 12 members through our NIU ministry. Our three oldest children came, Jennifer (14), Augustine (12) and Sarah (11). They were so happy to come. This is their first international conference. God was preparing their hearts through our weekly "World Mission Night", where they read about the mission work in other lands. They were happy to sing their special song at the one early morning devotional meeting. They sang "Amazing love." Jennifer was even a good shepherd to Emily D., a 16 year old daughter of Kathleen. They were room mates. I pray for my kids to be second generation shepherds who can lead their generation to Jesus.
Julie gave her whole heart to conference registration ministry. The whole year had been in preparation for the conference. But things became intense during the month of July. Serving conference registration is her joy of life. She came to the university early on Monday morning to help set up the offices and to meet early arrivals. She spent much of her time in the armory building overseeing the office and solving one problem after another. I thank God that she could be a blessing to all of our co-workers. May God continue to build her capacity to serve the work of God throughout her lifetime.
I thank God for Tim Sagel. He too has grow a lot over the last couple of years and it has been made evident at the conference. He was chosen to lead a small group. He also was the presider for my message on Sunday morning. He gave his heart in everything he did. In past conferences he used to lead 50 people in group games, like "Mafia" until 5 am. But this conference he went to bed at a time that he could be fully awake to serve. Andy S. was also his room mate. Tim made special effort to care for Andy and also his friend Jason. Tim was so happy and eager to serve every task that Jesus brought before him. Tim experienced a special blessing by seeing Chris and Maria Sagel and his nephew John Sagel. It was a family reunion. He prays for some missionary direction after his graduation from NIU.
We pray for Andy. He came to conference, not knowing what to expect. I knew it was not going to be easy for Andy. He is a loner. He also has a habit of watching movies until 4 am. I thought that he could never be able to keep up with the hectic schedule. But the spirit of God animated his spirit. He got up for daily bread meetings. He attended every program. He even went to his small group meetings by himself and participated. God has been helping him to see himself and to experience to love of God personally. God is helping him to not blame people that have wronged him in the past. He knows that he needs to forgive others. I pray that Andy may continue to grow in the word of God and be healed in his inner person. I pray that he may tackle a new semester of studies with a changed attitude and focused life style. May God bring true joy and spiritual strength to Andy's life.
Kathleen H is a nurse the mother of Emily. She has been a source of blessing to our family and ministry. She overcame a lot to come to Purdue '08. She has to clear out her house and move to an apartment by August 1. She was no where near being able to move. There was so much pressure to keep her eyes focused on her problems and ignore Jesus. But she has faith enough to lift her eyes from her situation and focus them on Jesus. She came and brought her daughter Emily with her. Kathleen also has a hard time walking long distances but she walked to the various meetings joyfully. She felt at home with younger students and gave her heart to participating in the program. We thank God for Kathleen, especially for her faithful attendance to our family's daily bread meetings to come and pray. She also invites her neighbors to study the Bible with her. May God grant her strength to move into her new apartment and wisdom to lead her children to Jesus.
Emily D. is Kathleen's youngest child. Emily is a quiet girl of 16 years, with a gentle spirit. She needs a lot of healing in her heart and God has been working patiently with her to bring about that healing. Emily overcame a lot to come to the conference. She does not like crowds. But she came knowing that there would be over 3,200 people. She was able to leave the side of her boyfriend, Nick, to come. She also was happy to be the room mate of my daughter Jennifer. Emily studies on and off with my wife Julie. She comes to the Sunday service sporadically. We pray that she may be completely healed in her heart and that she may give her life to Jesus. May she be a source of blessing to her generation of young Americans.
Janice T. came. It has been over a year since she moved out of our house. Many things have happened in her life. But God has been working faithfully in her heart and she was moved to come to Purdue '08, even by herself. She spent some quality time with Julie, served in the registration office and even as an usher at times. I pray that she may restore her 1:1 Bible study and grow as a shepherdess and lead others to Jesus.
Trish and Camillo also came. It was not easy to come since they just finished their honeymoon. But they came because they wanted to begin their married life with the word of God in their hearts. They will be blessed when the gospel becomes the foundation of their family. They were very happy. Trish even answered the altar call to be a missionary in the future.
Part ll: God's Work In My Life.
I thank God for the blessings that he has bestowed upon me at this conference. At first I did not know the role that I would play, but God gave me three missions. I could serve as an usher and greeter at many of the meetings. I was a group leader, leading about 9 people in Bible study and testimony writing. I could also co-work with Dr. Allen Wolff in delivering the devotional message on Mark 16:1-11 on Sunday morning. My conference was filled with mission and preaching the word of God. I can not but thank God for his grace on this sinner.
I thank God for my small group. We had 9 people in our group; Analucia G. (El Camino UBF USA), Missionary Daniel Choi (Toledo UBF USA), General Kim (Youljun UBF S. Korea), Kathleen H. (NIU UBF USA), Maria Tang (Hong Kong UBF), Marianne P. (El Camino UBF USA), and Missionary Ruth Kim (Washington UBF USA). All the members were so sincere towards Jesus and the gospel. Analucia and Marianne are growing Bible teachers in S. California. They want to share Jesus with students. Marianne invites students all by herself. They were full of spirit, giving many enthusiastic "Amens!" in prayer. General Kim is truly living up to his name by having vision for himself to be a spiritual general in the Lord's army. Missionary Paul and Ruth are being used by God to be wonderful missionaries for American college students. Maria Tang received her Phd in Marino-geo-sciences. She studies the geology of the ocean floor. Truly, she could easily make lots of money working for an oil company or lots of honor being a professor. But she teaches the Bible to Hong Kong students full time. I've heard that she serves 20-25 Bible studies every week! Kathleen wrote and shared a testimony for the first time. I thank God for the privilege to lead this diverse group of Christians.
Through preparing the message on Mark 16:1-11, I accepted Mark 16:6, ""'Don't be alarmed,' he said. 'You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him.'" I realized that the simple facts of the Gospel, that Jesus was crucified and has risen, are enough to change hearts. A few years ago my heart was despairing and fatalistic because I tried to be righteous though legalism and self condemnation. I felt that, no matter what I did, I could not bear fruit that pleased God. I was joyless and waited to be taken out of this world. But through two years of weekly testimony writing and Bible memorization training, at the UBF Chicago center, the gospel could recapture my heart. I could have full confidence that Jesus died for all of my sins and my heart was filled with God's hope through his resurrection. The fruit of the spirit could form in my heart. I could become a hopeful, joyful shepherd, propelled by grace. The simple facts of the gospel saved my life and I know they can save others lives also.
That was then, but what about now? The simple facts of the gospel are still at work to bring new life to my soul. Prior to the conference I realized that my heart had grown cold towards to love of Jesus. Sure, I believed John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.", but this truth was met with a cold heart devoid of passion and an eagerness to share with others. But through this message, my love for Jesus was fanned into a flame. My appreciation for what he accomplished for me on the cross was stoked. My desire to share it with students…rekindled. The simple facts of the gospel, that Jesus died for me and rose again changed my heart. Truly it will change young students' hearts too when I share it with faith and prayer.
My heart was particularly moved by Germany's Peter Schweitzer's message on Mark 13 concerning the end of the age. I liked his message delivery. It was a sincere, pointful discussion, full of spiritual weight. He helped us to see that these are indeed the end times by including many up to date facts that are occurring in the world. He warned of turning our hearts to false messiahs, encouraging all to turn their hearts to the only true Messiah, Jesus Christ. He also urged all of us to be ready when Jesus comes again. There is only one way to be ready, to repent of our sins and accept the gospel of Jesus' death and resurrection personally and by faith. We need to find peace and rest in the love of God, that is found in Jesus alone. I thank God that he has led me to the point where I can say, "Amen! Come Lord Jesus!" When he comes I can lift my head high and be welcomed by the loving arms of my heavenly Father. I pray that I can share this gospel with American students so they too may have such confidence in the love of God.
I was thankful for the booths displaying the work of God in the various continents. I was especially taken back by display from our co-workers in Kazakhstan. They had several student leaders who were dressed in native costumes. One played a native instrument. They were all so happy and beaming with joy. They were so proud about their country and shared the meaning of things in their display eagerly with all who would listen. They were so happy and smiled so much. They invited everyone personally, in broken English, to come to Kazakhstan as missionaries. My heart was warmed and yet convicted by their joy. I pray that I and my co-workers may have even a small portion of their joy and eagerness towards Jesus and the work of God in our nation.
At the Missionary calling time, my heart was moved to go up and receive prayer to one day be a short term or long term missionary. Sure, I am from Canada. But I don’t feel that I have crossed cultural language barriers to be here. My dream is for my whole family to go one day to another nation to serve the work of God. But right now there are many obstacles in my way. But I know that God can work to open doors in his time and in miraculous ways. My prayer was that he may remove obstacles and open doors for me to live as a missionary one day. Please pray for our family.
One Word: For God so loved the world.
8th Grade Graduation Testimony- Jennifer Jesmer
06.12.08
Key Verse:
Genesis 39: 20b-23
“But while Joseph was there in the prison, the Lord was with him; he showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden. So the warden put Joseph in charge of all those held in prison, and he was made responsible for all that was done there. The warden paid no attention to anything under Joseph's care, because the Lord was with Joseph and gave him success in whatever he did.” -Genesis 39:20b-23
Part 1: God Was With Joseph
The story of Joseph and his brothers is a story of a humble man who saw God's purpose in his life and who allowed God to use him to save nations. It is also a story of how God can work in someone's life and bless them.
Joseph didn't start out as extraordinary. He was the object of his brothers' jealousy and the favorite child of his father because of who his mother was. He was defiantly not the man that became Prime Minister of Egypt without a drastic change. But by the end of the story, Joseph is barely recognizable and we see instead of a tortured little kid, a man who can save nations from starvation and reunite a broken family, all while being the Prime Minister of Egypt. How did he do it?
First, Joseph trusted and had faith in God. God in turn showed him grace and granted him great success. All of Joseph' success came from God. The key verse I chose really illustrates this. I chose this verse because the writer makes plain the fact that Joseph's blessings were just that- blessings and kindness shown to him from God. Joseph would be nothing weren't it for God being with him and showing him favor. Joseph was humble with the blessings that God had given him.
Second, Joseph was a shepherd for those around him, and he used God's blessings in a way that would both glorify God and help those around him. Joseph befriends the cupbearer and baker in the prison he is in and helps them to interpret their dreams. When the cupbearer forgets about him, Joseph is not resentful. He is also not resentful towards his brothers who sold him into slavery. He said in chapter 45 verse 7, “But God sent me ahead of you to preserve FOR YOU a remnant on earth and to SAVE YOUR LIVES by a great deliverance.” It surprises me that Joseph still loved his brothers, even counting all of his trials as God's will to save THEM, the very people that tried to kill him. This is the heart of a true shepherd.
Part Two: God Was With Jennifer
Although I was never sold into slavery or put in jail like Joseph was, I have pressures in my life to live for myself. But God has blessed me a lot this year, and I want to honor him in my life. With God's help this year I overcame the pressure to both do well in school and still be a coworker, maintaining my spiritual responsibilities. God is still helping me to be humble, faithful and obedient like Joseph in the midst of these pressures. God helped me to receive good grades, and 11 awards at school including the Most Likely To Succeed Award. This year God has used me to lead the daily bread at my house every morning, and even to teach the bible to one person. I made a relationship with one teacher in 6th grade, who became the advisor for a Christian Club that Augi and I have kept through prayer every Friday at our school. With God's help Augi and I laid the foundation of this so that in the coming years the club can grow into a weekly bible study for middle school students. With God's help, I could be a messenger at several of our bible schools. Augi, Tim and myself also co-worked to lead singspiration. When our guitarist moved away- Tim and myself taught ourselves guitar.
Now as I go to High school I have the choice of living like Joseph, or living for myself. I can serve my self, or I can serve others. I can trust God, or I can trust in my own human strength. I can give credit to my success to God, the one who gave me my life, or I can lie and say I did it. I can live in obedience to God, or live by my feelings. I might make it somewhere if I live for myself. But ultimately, God has the best plan for my life, and trusting in myself would not only be a bad choice, it would be lying to say that the God who created me has nothing to do with my life today. God is equipping me for a great purpose. There is a great temptation to claim it for myself and live selfishly. I don't yet know my clear purpose, but I pray that I can continue to be faithful in high school by living in obedience to God like Joseph did. I pray that I can live as a shepherd to other people through participating in the Christian club at my High School, the Christian athletes club, and through being a good influence so that even if someone doesn't know me, they can see Jesus in me. I pray to be diligent in bible study and teaching God's word so that I can keep my heart when so many other people are doing other things. And I pray that I can accept God's plan for my life and not live by my own will or selfish hopes and dreams, because God is sovereign and he has a plan for me.
Prophesy, Dream Dreams And See Visions
NIU UBF Joel Bible School Report:
by Shp Kevin Jesmer
Key Verse 2:28-29,
6-5-08
"And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions.
On May 27-29, NIU UBF held a Joel Bible School on three successive evenings with a symposium on Sunday. We wanted to hold this Bible school in order to inspire each of us for the upcoming summer ministry. We also wanted to unify our members in a mission that can inspire us to invite people to Purdue '08 before the registration deadline. God sent 11 people through our NIU ministry and we received the gracious support of 16 of our Triton UBF co-workers. We also received clear prayer topics for the summer ministry.
Each night, I led group Bible study. Tim Sagel and the three older Jesmer kids, (Augustine, Jennifer and Sarah) led singspiration. On the first night, Tim Sagel delivered a message on Joel 1, "To you, O Lord I Call…" (1:19a). We learned that all of our trials in life are meant to draw us near to Jesus and call out to him. Tim's Bible student, Josh Wojtoweiz (Phil 2) shared a testimony. Josh is going to finish he bachelor's degree in Florida but plans to return to NIU for post graduate studies. I pray that he may study over the internet and possibly teach others in Florida.
On day two, Julie shared a message based on Joel 2, "Rend Your Hearts And I Will Pour Out My Spirit." (2:28-29). Through her message we learned that God wants us to repent of our sins and accept his forgiveness and he will send his Holy Spirit and fill our hearts with dreams and visions of the Kingdom of God and God's work on earth. We will also be able to preach the word of God to the people of our generation in meaningful ways that touch peoples' hearts. Augustine Jesmer shared a testimony.
On day three Jennifer Jesmer delivered a message titled, "The Lord Will Be Refuge" (3:16b) From her message we learned that Jesus is our refuge from Judgment and from the storms and trials of life. We all need to repent and enter into our refuge, Jesus Christ, through faith in him. I am especially proud of Jennifer because, just before the meeting, her pet dog became gravely ill. She was in tears. I asked her if she wanted to postpone. She regained her composure and stated, "No, I can do it." All of the kids were sorrowful but you could not tell it at the Bible School. They were full of eagerness and joy. They glorified Jesus. Sarah Jesmer shared a sincere testimony.
That Sunday we held a Symposium. Each of us wrote a testimony based on the one word of God that we accepted from the book of Joel. We also shared clear prayer topics for our Summer ministry. All five of my children shared. Josh shared also. Even Andy Shumake was inspired to share some thanksgiving topics.
I thank God for granting us clear prayer topics, right at the beginning of the summer ministry, for each of our members. I thank God for Tim Sagel, who gave his whole heart to prepare the environment for the Bible School, making sure that everything was covered. I thank God for Triton UBF, who sent 16 people over the three days. I thank God for my family who all worked together as one body to make this possible. May all of our members share the word of God to the young people of this generation through 1:1 Bible study. I pray that our hearts my be filled with dreams of the Kingdom of Heaven and visions of NIU, Triton and all of America to be Kingdom of Priests and A Holy Nation. Please pray for us to have 30 1:1's, 20 SWS attendants, to study Acts and to bring 16 eager hearts to Purdue '08.
One word: Prophesy, dream dreams and see visions for the glory of God.
The Gospel Of Our Salvation
The Joint Triton/NIU UBF Easter Celebration
By Shp Kevin Jesmer NIU UBF 3/27/08
Romans 5:8
"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
This year we held an "Easter Celebration" on March 21-23, 2008. On day one, we had a group Bible study led by Pastor Teddy Hembekides as well as a prayer journey. On day two, we were led through a Passover Seder ceremony by a co-worker in the Messiah, a representative of the "Jews for Jesus" ministry, David Ortega. And on day three we heard a Resurrection Message, delivered by Pastor Kevin Jesmer from NIU UBF. This Easter Celebration was very special, not only because the contents of the celebration were satisfying spiritually, but because all of the programs were held on the campus of Triton College. Indeed God is helping us to influence the culture of Triton College with the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The opening night consisted of a group Bible study and a three room prayer journey. Shp Teddy led about 50 people through Mark's account of Jesus' suffering, death and resurrection. Through it, we discovered the heart of the Gospel message. We could see the simple, gospel truths, that Jesus was crucified and that he has risen. These truths are enough to change, sorrowful and despaired and fearful people, into joyful and powerful witnesses of Jesus' resurrection. After the group Bible study we were all invited to participate in the J.O.Y. prayer journey. J.O.Y. stands for Jesus, Others and Yourself. When we live with these priorities then we can taste true joy. Three rooms were set up as a multi-sensory prayer experience. One prayer room was set up to pray for our relationship with Jesus; the other for World Mission and the other for prayers for ourselves. The prayer rooms utilized all the senses in order to help people to meditate and pray with all of their hearts. People went through the prayer rooms alone or 2X2. Everyone prayed sincerely for over an hour. We hope to present this prayer room journey to the greater Triton Community in the future.
On Saturday night we had a special guest, David Ortega, to perform a Passover Seder ceremony with us. The presentation was entitled "Christ In The Passover. A presentation of Jews for Jesus." At the Seder were people from Triton UBF, NIU UBF and also West Loop UBF. Several people attended through the Triton Bible Club outreach. David identifies himself as a co-worker in the Messiah. With true missionary spirit, he took time off of work to prepared an extensive ceremony in which approximately 65 people were provided with bitter roots, matzoh bread, salt water, a boiled egg, minced fruit, five small cups of grape juice, basically everything needed to demonstrate the Jewish Passover ceremony and how it points to Jesus. He involved the entire group, even small children. We all sang Messianic themed songs. It is amazing how Jesus is not only found in the story of the Passover, from the Book of Exodus, but Jesus is also found in the Passover traditions, practiced by the Jews for thousands of years. God has been making it clear He is the only one who can deliver us from our bondage to sin. David encouraged us that Jesus will be clearly revealed to the Jewish people if there are only people to step up and explain it to them. David Ortega gave us some hints on how to minister to the Jews. He also pointed out, that we, as Gentiles, have a unique opportunity to reach out to our Jewish friends because they are more open to our words than the words of a Jewish convert. We all enjoyed a delicious fellowship meal together, prepared by our woman co-workers.
The final day of our conference was Easter Sunday. On that day Shp Kevin Jesmer delivered a message based on Mark 16:1-20, "He Has Risen! He Is Not Here." Even though the death of Jesus has power to change hearts, we need to also have faith in the resurrection of Jesus in order to truly empowered to live as witnesses of the Risen Jesus. He urged people to hold onto the simple truths that Jesus was crucified and that he was raised from the dead. These simple truths, coupled with prayer and the work of the Holy Spirit is enough to touch the hearts of even post-moderns. We are thankful for the music servants, who worked hard to prepare and practice music not only for Sunday, but also for the opening night.
In conclusion, we thank God for sending Jesus as our Passover Lamb. Just as he delivered his people from bondage in Egypt, God is still delivering his people of every nation from their bondage to sin and bringing them into the glorious freedom of the children of God. We thank God for making this Easter one of the most meaningful, memorable and joyful Easter celebrations. We thank God for opening the way for us to celebrate it on Triton Campus. We pray that, through this celebration, God may prepare our hearts with Gospel faith, so that we may stand up as powerful resurrection witnesses on our respective campus'.
He Has Risen! He Is Not Here.
Mark 16:1-20
Key verse 16:6
2008 Triton/NIU Easter Conference
Shp Kevin Jesmer Triton College 3/23/08
"'Don't be alarmed,' he said. 'You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him.'"
In the previous passage it is made clear that Jesus actually did die on the cruel cross. And his death had power to change hearts. The Roman centurion, who was at the foot of the cross, gave testimony to this fact. Hearing Jesus' cry and seeing how he died, he declared, "Surely this man was the Son of God!" (15:39) Jesus' death changed his heart. Joseph of Arimathea, a Jewish religious leader, took Jesus' lifeless body and prepared it for burial. The death of Jesus changed this once fearful, closet Christian to be one who clearly identifies with Jesus and Jesus' cause. (15:42-47) Many women, most of whom were called Mary, were faithful to stand by Jesus even in the throws of his anguish. They bore faithful witness to Jesus' death. Their love and devotion to Jesus were also clearly revealed. Indeed, Jesus had died, and through his death many hearts were moved. There is a missing element however. The centurion stated that Jesus WAS the Son of God. (instead of IS.) Joseph came out of the closet, but he was still a joyless follower. The women were faithful and devoted, but oh so very sorrowful. And the disciples were hidden behind locked doors. Luckily, Jesus' death is not the end of the story! The missing element in all of their hearts is his resurrection.
Through the resurrection, we will find sorrowful women changed to become joyful witness of the Risen Christ. We will see fearful men changed and enabled to become fearless witnesses. We will find people who are living in the reality of eternal life…now with our living Lord, Jesus. We will also discover Jesus' world mission command to his disciples, of all time, to go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. Therefore, through this passage, let us behold, with the eyes of our hearts, the Risen Christ and hear his call to go and tell the world that Jesus has indeed been raised from the dead, just as he said! Amen!
Part l: Faithful Women Became The First Witnesses (1-10)
There were women who loved Jesus not only in life, but also in death. Look at verses 1-2, "When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus' body. 2Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb" Who were they? First of all, these three women, were followers of Jesus. They were devoted women. These three women were the first devotees to come to show love to Jesus one last time, placing sweet smelling spices on his body. It is akin to us bringing flowers to lay on a loved one's grave. They were women who had been touched by the grace of Jesus. Many believe that Mary Magdalene was the one saved from being stoned to death in John 8. She was the one out of whom Jesus drove seven demons. She tasted the forgiveness and restoring grace of Jesus. All of these women had their own personal testimonies. All of their lives and hearts had been renewed and restored by the love of Jesus. And since that time they had been faithful followers. The Bible says that they supported Jesus and his ministry out of their own means. They were like the women of Triton UBF, who prepared a delicious Kosher meal, even Kosher Korean noodles, for some modern day disciples. Or the one's who spent so much time and effort on the prayer rooms to glorify their Savior. These women were also very pious. Their first instincts would be to run off immediately to anoint Jesus' body, immediately after he was laid in the tomb. But they held back in order to observe the Sabbath. And so they came to the tomb when the Sabbath was over.
They managed to hold onto faith, even in their sorrow. Look at verse 3. "And they asked, 'who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?'" As they were solemnly making their way to the tomb, they were talking amongst each other. They wondered who could roll the huge heavy stone away so that they could get into the tomb. They had no idea. None of them could roll away a 1,000 lb boulder. It was like lifting a compact car. Salome might have said, "Where there's a will there's a way." Mary the mother of James might have said, "Have faith ladies. Let's trust God!" And their faith and determination paid off. Look at verse 4. "But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away." Problem solved! We need to learn their faith…faith to set out, even when facing seemingly insurmountable odds, knowing that God will surely come through and open the way! Didn't he do that in helping us to prepare for this conference? Didn't he do that in allowing us to have our first conference on Triton College campus? God will continue to roll away one stone after another as we learn to engage our faith even when our hearts are heavy laden.
These women were in for another surprise. Look at verse 5. "As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in white sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed." They weren't afraid of the prospects of meeting some crude Roman soldiers. They were not afraid of a huge rock. But I don't think anything could have prepared them to meet an angel of God. The angel of God came to them with a very important message. Let's read verse 6, "'Don't be alarmed,' he said. 'You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him.'" They were alarmed. I would surely be alarmed. Wouldn't you? God was trying to communicate to these faithful women through a powerful angel. The angel of God told them that the one whom they loved, and were grieving for, was no longer dead. He had risen. He showed them the proof of the empty tomb. It was true, Jesus was no longer in the tomb. The angel showed them the clear fact that Jesus had risen from the dead.
It is important to note that the angel gave these when the simple facts of Jesus' suffering, death and resurrection, "He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him." We are always tempted to think that people require, long, elaborate explanations of the Gospel message to reach the heart of sinners. But we learn from the angel that the simple Gospel facts, under girded by prayer and the Holy Spirit, is enough to change hearts, even the hearts of post modern youth of our times.
From his the angel's message, we learn two, simple, very important truths. First, Jesus was crucified and second, Jesus had risen. First, Jesus was crucified. Through the Passover Sader we saw the symbolism of Jesus' death, the perfect sacrifice. If you recall, in the ceremony, we took the Matzoh and held it up and broke it. The Matzoh is an unleavened bread, bread without yeast. It was pierced with many holes. We took a piece of the Matzoh and hid it in a napkin. Bread without yeast represents Jesus, the bread of life who was without sin. His body was broken on the cross where his hands and his feet were pierced. His body was taken off of the cross and laid in tomb, hidden for three days. Through his crucifixion, Jesus became the perfect sacrifice for the sins of the world, the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. (Jn 1:29) Jesus' death seemed like a tragedy, but this had always been God's plan to bring about world salvation. We see this, not only in the Bible's teaching, but also in the Jewish traditions, passed on through the generations. We must never forget the truth that Jesus was crucified for our sins.
Second, Jesus was raised from the dead. The angel declared, "He has risen!". The angel’s message was crystal clear. Jesus was not in the grave anymore because he had risen from the dead. The resurrection of Jesus had also been his plan all along. In Acts 2:24 Peter said, “But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.” Jesus, through his resurrection conquered death! He has procured for us the ultimate victory, that victory over death. Death has always been the ultimate nemesis of mankind. When I was a young man I will never forget the boastful words of the heavy weight boxing champion, Mohammad Ali. On international television he boasted, "Fly like a butterfly, sting like a bee. Nothing compares to the punch of Ali." He was a powerful boxer who won many victories. But he was wrong. There is one thing that is more powerful than the sting of Ali's punch. It is the sting of death. The sting of death wallops us with many painful blows. Death cause us to despair of life. Death causes us to live in sorrow and defeat. Death robs us of the meaning of life. Death drives us to declare, "What's the use anyway?" and so we live by the motto, "Let us eat and drink for tomorrow we die." 1 Corinthians 15:32b) So many of our young people are plunging themselves into a life of hedonism and of constant entertainment, because of despair brought on by the sting of death. Satan keeps us all captive to sin through our fear of death. Eventually death delivers the knock out punch.
I was amazed by the conversion story of David Ortega, the co-worker in the Messiah from the Jews for Jesus ministry. He mentioned, that prior to his conversion, he watch the documentary "Nova". On it he learned that all stars eventually expand and engulf all of the plants around them and explode, creating a supernova, completely obliterating every trace of any plant in it's solar system. Such is the fate of our own sun and our own planet. He came to he conclusion that if every trace of human existence and accumulated knowledge and culture will be obliterated and if it will be as if we never existed, no matter what we do, then what is the meaning of our existence in the first place? Death made life in this world meaningless…his life meaningless. His heart was stung by the sting of death. But by God's grace he was saved. This revelation drove him to place all of his faith and hope and trust in God. Through faith in the resurrection he found new meaning and new hope and new life. Now he wants to tell the whole world about the Risen Yeshua. The sting of death may be stronger than the punch of Ali. But the resurrection of Jesus is more powerful than the sting of death. 1 Corinthians 15:55-57 read, "Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?"[a] 56The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ., " Indeed, the hope of the resurrection unto eternal life in the Kingdom of God is forever alive in the hearts of all those who place their faith in the risen Jesus!
These women became the first witnesses of the Risen Jesus. Look at verse 7, "But go, tell the disciples and Peter, 'He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.'" These women were the first to receive the good news of the resurrection and also the first to be receive the commission to go and preach the good news to others. The Bible tells us that they were trembling and bewildered. They were crying together in a group. But God had mercy on them. Look at verses 9-10. "When Jesus rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had driven seven demons. 10She went and told those who had been with him and who were mourning and weeping." Jesus appeared to Mary who appeared to be off by herself, near the tomb. The way I see it, she came to comfort and encourage her lady friends. The sniffles stopped and they all got up to tell the disciples. What does this world tell us to do when we are trembling and bewildered? "You need to have a drink. It will take your mind off of things." We all have our different coping mechanisms, but they only serve to cover up some hidden sorrow problem. Here we can find that the real solution is to meet the Risen Jesus personally and go and tell other disciples and potential disciples of the Risen Christ…even if you are trembling and bewildered. It is the sure fire cure.
Part ll: The Disciples Overcame Fear (11-14)
The women obey the angel's direction and went and told the disciples. Let's read verse 11. "When they heard that Jesus was alive and that she had seen him, they did not believe it." Amazingly they did not believe the women or the good news they bore. They too were deeply sorrowful and fearful. They had not paid close attention to Jesus' constant reference to his eventual suffering, death and resurrection. They were faithless and helpless. But the Jesus never abandoned them in their unbelief. He tried to help them to the end. Look at verses 12-13, "Afterward Jesus appeared in a different form to two of them while they were walking in the country. 13These returned and reported it to the rest; but they did not believe them either." This is in reference to Jesus appearing to two of his disciples as they were making their way to a town called Emmaus. Luke tells us that Jesus rebuked them. Listen to what Jesus said to them in Luke 24:25-27, "He said to them, "How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26Did not the Christ[b] have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?" 27And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself." Jesus helped them until they could open their minds, through the Scriptures, to behold his glorious resurrection. Their hearts burned within them as their spiritual eyes focused on Jesus. We can learn how important Bible study is for each of us to have resurrection faith. David Ortega told is that God prepares people's hearts and when someone comes with the Gospel message their eyes are opened. May we commit our hearts to studying and teaching the word of God. Then God will surely work through us to reach others.
The disciples had some faith in Jesus, how else could they follow Jesus for 3 ˝ years? But they needed to have resurrection faith to be truly set free from all fear. Let's read verse 14, "Later Jesus appeared to the Eleven as they were eating; he rebuked them for their lack of faith and their stubborn refusal to believe those who had seen him after he had risen." Some may think that rebuking someone while they are at a dinner party is impolite. But apparently not. Jesus did it. It is amazing that Jesus' cure for the unbelief of these fearful disciples was to rebuke them for the their lack of faith and remind them of the words that were spoken to them. This remedy caused heartburn in the two disciples traveling to Emmaus (Lk 24:32) and indigestion to these Eleven. But it was a most effective treatment. These disciples were imprisoned by their own unbelief. The power of death has darkened every corner of their thought world. Every word that came out of their mouths was filled with darkness and despair. But Risen Jesus came to save them from all of their fears, sorrows, anxieties, insecurities and despair. They needed to have their spiritual eyes opened and overcome all of their unbelief through resurrection faith. Then they could walk in spiritual victory.
Indeed, our victory over death, through our faith in the resurrection, is the greatest victory we can ever achieve. There is no greater laurel or crown. Rejoice that the ultimate victory has been bestowed on you, by the grace of God. Never envy someone else's' worldly position or achievements. For you have received eternal life and are part of Jesus' resurrection. We are victors in Christ. No one or nothing can take this victory away from us. It is ours have and enjoy forever and ever. Amen!
Part lll: Jesus Gives The World Mission Command (15-20)
Jesus gave his disciples the world mission command. Let's read verse 15. "He said to them, 'Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.'" These disciples had been fearful and trembling behind closed doors. They had lost their calling and life direction to live as disciples of Jesus. But Jesus restored their life direction, to go and preach the good news to all creation. Does this mean to cats and dogs and trees? Not really, however you can if you want to for practice. It means to preach Gospel to all peoples of all nations. Those who have received the forgiveness of sin and eternal life through faith in Jesus, have been entrusted with a very sacred task, to go and tell the good news. Not just the good news, but the great news! And what is the great news? The great news is that Jesus has conquered death and he is risen! We who have experienced the glory of the resurrection must go and tell.
And this message is not just some feel good story we hear every Easter, like the Easter bunny. It is very serious. Look at verse 16, "Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned." At the staff conference, we heard from Marvin Newell, Executive Director of Cross Global Link, an umbrella group for over 15,000 missionaries, that there a growing trend, even among Christians, concerning the state of "lostness" among the people. In short, he was telling us that many young people do not think that people are lost without Jesus and that there are alternative ways to be saved, like being a sincere person, in whatever religious context you are living in. 60% of those within the church think this way. This has deep ramification in regards to Christian missions, because if people can be saved by being sincere people then why did Jesus die on the cross? And why go into all the world to preach the Gospel? This is one factor that is cooling down Christian missionary fervor among our young people. But Jesus is always the Way, the Truth and the Life and no one comes to the Father except him. (Jn 14:6) The acceptance or rejection of Jesus precious Gospel is a matter of eternal life or eternal death. Let's read verse 16 again, ""Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned." Let us dedicate ourselves to preaching the gospel to the students of our nation!
Jesus has promised to help us when we choose to obey his world mission command. Let's read verses 17-18 all together, "And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; 18they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well." How could these fearful disciples go into all the world to preach the good news to all creation? They had to stand toe to toe with Romans, Saxons, Celts, Barbarians, Bedouin, intellectual Greeks. They had no spiritual maturity or life experience. They did not have the necessary life skills or social skills. They stammered every time they thought about stepping out of their comfort zone. Their pupils expanded like saucers every time Jesus talked about the world mission command. But Jesus promised that he would be with them. They would drive out demons through prayer and Bible study and serving. They would speak in new tongues. We were speaking in Hebrew yesterday. Do you remember? "He na ma toh, He na ma toe. Lai. Lai, Lai." They would go and out, even if they never had health care coverage. If they accidentally drank poison it would not affect them. Does that mean if I accidentally ate a Wendy's Spicy Baconator I won’t gain weight. Not likely. They would be a source of life and blessing to all they came in contact with. And Jesus could fulfill all of his promises to them because he died and rose again. He was taken up into heaven where he seats at the right hand of the father. Now he can dwell in all disciples' hearts and be with them as they carry out his world mission command. Gee, It's great to be a disciple of Jesus!
So what do the disciples do? Look at verse 20. "Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it." They did it. They responded well and all went and preached the gospel of Jesus' death and resurrection. And Jesus was with them just as he promised. These words can be a part of our life testimonies if we simply repent of all unbelief and believe in the resurrection of Jesus and decide to go and tell the Gospel story. May the Holy Spirit of God open all of our hearts to behold the Risen Jesus. May we overcome all sorrow, all bewilderment, all despair and all fear through resurrection faith and be victors in Christ. Hold onto God's vision in your hearts and conquer your lives and your world with the Gospel of Jesus. Jesus really wants to do his life giving work through his people. Amen!
2007 NIU-DuPage Fall Genesis Bible School Report by Jeremy Hajek
“But God intended it for Good!”
Genesis 45-50 KV 50:20
Thank and praise God for his mercy on our joint NIU-DuPage Fall Genesis Bible School. God blessed our Bible school with 11 attendants from NIU, 14 from Triton, 34 from DuPage, and 5 other brother and sisters. Since 2003, the two ministries have joined together to have 5 bible schools on Genesis in both Glen Ellyn and DeKalb, and after 4 years we have finished the entire book. The main theme of this Bible school was the God of Joseph who works through even tragic events for his sovereign good in the lives of the faithful. We wanted to come to know the God of Joseph personally to be a blessing like Joseph. Our conference had 4 days of programs with one speaker and numerous testimony speakers each day.
The first day’s title was, “God was with Joseph.” NIU Singspiration band sang the opening songs, consisting mostly of Pastor Kevin’s children. The praise songs were heart moving as they sang enthusiastically to God. We had a message delivered by Shepherd Jeremy Hajek(IIT. Ph D. program) from Genesis 37-39 titled, “God was with Joseph.” Through this message we learned that Joseph never complained because he knew God was with him. We learned that we too can see our troubles as opportunities when we know the God of Joseph. Shp. Jeremy wants to struggle for God to raise one Bible student into a disciple of Jesus this year. That night Shepherd Steve Slattery (Work) shared his testimony, expressing that he wanted to take care of others like Joseph. Steve has grown over the last 4 years into a true Joseph-like person. He has purchased a house and is now helping two other brothers in common-life to come faithfully to Sunday and Friday service.
On Friday night we had one message from Shepherd Tim Sagel of NIU, titled “God Reveals his Sovereign Will.” He is a young man full of energy, and delivered the gospel message with spirit. We learned that through God’s working that there are no isolated events, but everything is connected in God’s plans. Joseph had cared about people and genuinely wanted to serve them, even when in prison. Tim prays to serve one new Bible student, Abraham, through sharing this message and be a shepherd like Joseph. Jason Havey, Tim’s long-time best friend, attended the meeting to hear his friend preach. Mark Kischner (COD) shared his testimony about how he felt he had failed God. But he noticed that God loved him in his suffering and called to him. God has big plans for his life. Christopher Barth (COD) testified that like Joseph, God helped him arrive where he is in life.
Saturday evening’s program was titled, “Joseph’s Brothers Repent.” Shepherd Matthew Monroe of DuPage ministry commuted over 200 miles from Eastern Illinois University to share this message. Through this we see that God wants to help us repent and take responsibility for our sin, and then God can use us mightily. Matthew wants to take charge and show responsibility in caring for God’s ministry and his people. We had testimonies from Jason Young (NIU), Jennifer Jesmer (JBF), and Alex Smith (COD). All shared about how they want to give their fears and problems to God and be used greatly in this generation. Especially we were greatly moved by Jennifer who tried to preach the gospel of Jesus to her friends and began to enjoy suffering for Jesus. Msn David Hong (Chicago) came with his wife, Shepherdess Lani and shared his life testimony to encourage us that when we repent we too can live great lives of mission before God.
Sunday was the final part of the Bible School. The final message was delivered by Pastor Kevin Jesmer of NIU, with the title, “God Intended It For Good”. Through the final five chapters of Genesis, the God of Joseph revealed himself to all attendants. God thwarted the evil intentions of men to bring about his work of salvation. When we see God working, we can serve God's purpose in our lives, even letting go of grudges to lead others to salvation. We also learned that sincere repentance is the first step to accepting God. There were 4 testimonies on the last day: Stephanie Young (COD), Franco Jacobson (Benedictine), Tim Myzinski (COD), and Hannah Kim (Wheaton). They all testified that they wanted to be good witnesses like Joseph to others. They shared that God knows what he is doing and we should trust him. Especially Hannah testified that after a severe trial and much anguish, she wants to surrender to God and be used as a medical missionary some day.
We thank God for the beautiful co-working between DuPage and NIU ministries, as well as the whole-hearted support of Triton co-workers and Pastor Teddy who sent prayer servants throughout the Bible school. God gave us joy to see Dan Knutsen all the way from Streator, IL. God is living, and he is with those who have faith in him to work his good in and through them. Through this Bible School we learned that even when man intends his actions for evil, God uses them for his good purpose. When we find our purpose in life from God – then we will be a blessing to our generation just like Joseph.
God Opened My Eyes To See His Vision For
by: Shepherd Kevin Jesmer NIU UBF 8/30/07
“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” (1Peter 2:9)
On August 9–12, 2007, the third Inter-African conference was held at Kenya College of Communications Technology Mbagathi campus in
Part 1: The Faith Of African Students.
African students love to study the Bible. I had the privilege of leading group # 19 at the conference. It was refreshing to see three African students giving their hearts to Bible study and testimony writing. I visited the dorm room of two Sudanese shepherds. They too were diligently studying the Bible at their desk together. I thank God for their sincerity of heart. It was refreshing.
African people are rich in the things that matter. In the West we think that Africans are poor. But I was talking to a Dutch couple while on the way to the safari. They said, "Africans aren't poor. They are rich." I realized what he meant. They are rich in love, community, tradition, culture. From attending the conference, I can also see that African people are rich in the most important things, the things of God. Some people in America never know their neighbors. They spend lonely years in front of television. Some kids never tell their fathers that they love them. One Nigerian shepherd says that they always affirm their love to their parents, either in person or by cell phone. They also have the hope of God for their nations. If you think about richness in this way, then who are the rich and who are the poor?
African people are very friendly and hospitable. All of the delegates to the conference were friendly and excited about entering into a friendship with the delegates from outside of Africa. Nearly every mealtime, I was had engaging conversation with African students, most were UBF people, but some were outside of our ministry. All were friendly. Shp Andrew Martin of NKU UBF walked by himself to the village next to the campus. He befriended a family and invited himself into their home to see how they lived. They wanted to feed him. They wanted to give him gifts. They took pictures together. They were genuinely hospitable. The front desk worker was off work at 11 pm. When I asked about a wake up call at 4 am, he was willing to get up at 4 am, at his own room, and call me. It was not necessary but I was impressed with his desire to help me in my time of need. A young Danish couple in their 20's flew back with me on the plane. They were on a Kenyan island and their tour guide was late. They went into the local village. The local villagers brought them to their mayor and the mayor gave them a personal tour of the village and the local hospital. They were very hospitable. God can use this sense of hospitality in African peoples' hearts to be sacrificial shepherds of God's flock.
Africans are full of passion and spirit. This is evident in their singing and in their dances. The opening dance of the conference was the Ugandan dancers. It was such a noble and spirited dance that tears welled in my eyes beholding the noble spirit of these students. I saw the same spirit in all of the dances offered up by the various chapters from the eleven African countries. If these students become grounded in the word of God and couple this with their passion and their spirit, then they can become very influential Gospel workers.
African hearts are pure and fertile soil. Dr John Jun mentioned that Islam has been used by God to protect the African continent from post-modernism and thus has kept their hearts pure to accept the Gospel of Jesus. I discussed this with Msn Moses Yoon and Msn Marc Choi over dinner. We thought that Islam maintains a conservative influence in Africa. Also post modernism acknowledges that there is chaos in society, but states that there is no absolute solution to the chaos. It is very relativistic. It's mantra many be, "To each his own." But it appears that Africans still believe that Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life...(John 14:6) They also still believe that a solution to the many problems on their continent can be found in God and that things will get better when their nations come to Jesus. This is in contrast to post modernist thinking and this mindset may have been preserved through the Muslim influence. I believe that God has kept young African hearts as fertile soil because he has great plans for Africa in the realm of world mission. We are already seeing it in through the allegiance of many American Anglican churches to Nigerian Anglican Bishops.
The African students were very humble. I received two privileges at the conference, one, to lead a group Bible study and two, to help train Shepherd Padiet of Sudan to deliver the message. Each time I was amazed at the student's humility and willingness to learn. In my group Bible study there was Rose and Ken from Kenya and John from Uganda. They were all accomplished students, challenging difficult subjects. They are indeed the hope of their nations. But they were eagerly listening and participating with their whole hearts. They attended every meeting and were eager to learn from me. Why should they learn from me? Who am I? ... a very ordinary shepherd with very few credentials. I was moved by their humility. Shepherd Padiet was also very humble. English was his third language. He allowed me to correct his pronunciation over and over again. He would speak with a whisper. He allowed me to tell him to raise his voice again and again. He learned the actions I told him to perform. He had a humble heart. I pray that I may learn his humility. In America we want to learn from Americans. But the African students were humble to learn from the Korean missionaries and Americans. They are copying them and producing their own 1:1 discipleship raising ministries. In doing so they are growing in their own personal faith and generating their own "grassroots" gospel movements. Indeed, God opposes the proud and gives grace to the humble. (James 4:6)
African students have vision. African people are a people chosen by God. In one drama, Ugandan shepherds were kneeling at the foot of the cross. One stated, "I am hungry" as he gripped his stomach. Another lamented, "I have lost all of my family members to some strange disease." Another stated, "My country is laden with war and corruption." Then they all looked up at the cross of Jesus, stood up and recited 1 Peter 2:9 in unison, "But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light." My heart was strangely moved. To me it was the highlight of the conference. Tears welled in my eyes grasping the vision of God for Africa. Yes, it is true! There is hunger, death, war and corruption, but in Jesus Christ there is hope. There is a new identity for Africa as a chosen people of God for the 21st century. And African students in many nations are taking hold of this identity. God is indeed raising this continent for some future great world wide work of God.
African people are missionaries. In the West, we tend to think of Africa as missionized and we in the West as the missionizers. But there is an indigenous missionary force growing across Africa and we are seeing it also in our UBF ministry. I first heard about this in Urbana '06 where an African speaker spoke boldly to 25,000 students. I learned that there is a missionary movement alive and well among native Africans and spreading to the whole world. This movement has been largely invisible to us in the west, but is becoming more visible. In our UBF ministry, this is the third inter-African conference. In the first conference there were mostly Korean missionaries. In the second conference there were a few young African students raised up. But this conference was filled with mature African shepherds who delivered the word of God very powerfully. There were also Africans who were missionaries, like Msn Oyer Moses missionary from Sudan to Egypt, the late missionary Barnabas Kojo and his wife Chiaka Kojo, missionaries from Nigeria to Ghana. Padiet from Sudan prays to be sent out to pioneer on African Muslim nation in God's time. Currently our missionaries have pioneered 14 African nations. There are 42 African nations that need to be pioneered by UBF. We pray that these remaining 42 nations may be pioneered by Africans themselves.
There was such great potential at the conference. What was happening at the conference was a truly newsworthy and historical event. There were representatives from twenty nations. Nations outside of Africa included, USA, Canada, Germany, Ukraine, France, Switzerland, India, South Korea and Turkey. There were representatives from 11 African nations, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Tanzania, Sudan, Namibia, Ethiopia, Egypt, Cameroon, Kenya and Zambia. All the attendants had the same prayer topic and hope for the nations and Africa. They are all committed to Jesus and to the task of preaching the Gospel and raising disciples of Jesus among their countrymen. They all looked past national differences and tribal differences to come together in the name of Jesus. Their differences were a point of celebration and not a point of division. I was impressed when the Nigerian team presented a song and dance. Their spokesman declared, "Now it's time to praise Jesus Ibo style." Everybody cheered and clapped. Then they proceeded to present one of the most heart moving songs and native dances of the whole conference. This reminded me of Jesus' words in John 10:16, "I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice and there will be one flock and one shepherd." I remembered Jesus gathering his twelve disciples with a common faith and prayer topic and mission. He prayed for their unity in John 17:22-23. When they were united under the banner of Christ they changed their world in one generation. Indeed God can work powerfully through these African students when they are united in Jesus and the Gospel.
Genuine Christian faith was manifest from the beginning of the conference in Missionary Chiaka Kojo. There are two popular sayings..."When the going gets tough, the tough get going" and when under pressure you begin to show what you are truly made of. God, in his sovereignty, chose to bring Msn Barnabas Kojo, Nigerian missionary to Ghana, home to him in heaven, at the first day of the conference. Msn Barnabas wanted to come to the conference and witness the great work of God and share his mission report on the work of God in Ghana. But, on the morning of the first day of the conference he succumbed to a congenital illness, sickle cell anemia. Most spouses would be helpless before the power of death, but his wife, Chiaka revealed true Christian faith. She held onto John 11:25-26, "...I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?" Our hearts were moved when she shared her husband's mission report to us all that evening. It was like Msn Baranabas himself was delivering it to us. Then she shared her report. It was full of hope in and love for Jesus and a desire to continue the Gospel work that was started by her husband and herself. We were amazed by her faith. We were encouraged to embrace genuine Christian faith for ourselves. We could see things from God's point of view and from the point of view of eternal life, right from the beginning of the conference. We also could see, with our eyes, the kind of faith that will change the African continent into a Kingdom of priests and a holy nation to the glory of God. This is the kind of faith that will thwart the influence of postmodernism and that of Islam and spread the aroma of Christ to the all 56 nations of Africa and the world.
Indeed, God will use this unity in Christ, because Africans are on the front lines of battle between the influence of Islam and the influence of Christianity. It appears the influence of Islam in Kenya is small. I only saw one tiny mosque at the roadside. I could hear the Muslim call to prayer across the campus, where we stayed, five times a day. After the conference, we had an international soccer tournament. While playing soccer, the Muslim call to prayer rang out across the soccer field. (It was something you would never hear in America.) Occasionally we saw some Muslim Kenyan students walking across the campus. There also an Algazeera news channel. But Christianity is the prominent faith in Kenya. Shp Padiet from Khartoum Sudan, grew up with a Christian mother and Muslim father. He went to Muslim schools and even to a Muslim university. He met Jesus personally and though he received much persecution, he stood on Jesus' side and now is becoming and influential shepherd for the Sudanese students. He prays to be sent to a Muslim country as a missionary. Missionary Oyer Moses, teaches in Egypt. He is missionary from Sudan UBF. Even though he gets called, "Monkey, Monkey", he loves Muslim people and serves them with the love of Jesus. Indeed they are Christian soldiers on the front lines of world mission.
Part 2: Some Prayer Topics For Africa.
There are so many great things happening in regards to Christianity in Africa, but there are also many concerns to be prayed about. I am no expert on Africa. I have very little understanding and I am looking through jaded glasses. Actually, this is my first visit to Africa. But there are a few prayer topics that I venture to set forth.
There is a need for Africans to stay in their nations. Most of the African attendants were students. Many were engineering students. They are indeed the hope of Africa. But there is a great temptation leave their countries for more profitable jobs in the West. What Africa really needs is for their educated Christian young people to stay in their nation and stand as leaders. Actually this could save more lives than all of the humanitarian aid put together. Leadership is the key and our ministry's prayer is that God may raise up African leaders who are shepherds of their people.
There is pressure from family to move back home after graduation. Parents are depending on their children to help support them financially in their senior years. It is hard for us in the West to understand the pressure that these students face to support their families. (Our parents usually take care of themselves and may have an emotional need for us to be around them.) The missionaries would like the students to stay near their mission so that they can continue to disciple them and create an environment where they can grow as Christian leaders. Students would like this too, but are faced with social pressures. There is no easy answer. Such is the nature of campus mission in both the third world and in first world nations.
There is also economic pressure to move back. Our shepherd in Ethiopia, Abraham Beleki, recently graduated from university. He is having a hard time finding a job in Addis Ababa. He does not have family connections to get a government job. If he went back to his small, rural village he could use his family connections to get a good job. But he has answered God's call to campus mission. He is serving his university mission field, but is supported by India UBF at present. But you can understand his dilemma. I don't think the pressures he faces are unique.
There is a huge mega church influence. Africans face many options in regards to church formation. Kenyans are heavily influenced by American mega churches who broadcast their programming on one "24 hour" television station. It is the best quality station. Most broadcasts appear to be out of Texas. Some Kenyans have some allegiance to American mega church leaders, identifying themselves as members of mega church leader's churches, learning from them through different forms of media. There was one African student at NIU who would invite students to his room and listen to a CD of a preacher. I was one of six people who listened quietly on the floor of his room. I didn't know what he was doing. It was a little different than what I was used to, but I realize now, that he was doing what he did in his country. My prayer is that the Africans may learn the humble, manger ministry spirit, that our UBF missionaries are introducing, rather than copy the style of American mega-churches. There is also a problem of seeking recognition from church affiliation and seeking God for financial breakthroughs. May the Africans learn the principle that Jesus laid out for us all in Luke 9:23, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. "
There is a need for individual Christians to make small practical decisions of faith. One person told me that Africans love Jesus. They love to hear the word of God. But it is difficult for them to obey the word of God in practical ways of daily life. That sounds like a world wide problem and not just in Africa. it sounds like my problem. On the Saturday evening program Msn Mark Yoon of Kenya stated, based on Mark 8:27-38, that once we confess that Jesus is our Lord, we must respond by denying ourselves and picking up our own crosses and following Jesus. This can not be done in vague terms, but must be implemented by making a small practical decisions and carrying it out in our spiritual lives. This is the hope, for all African Bible students to move beyond the vague and the general and go into deep water, into the practical, the definitive and the challenging. I adopted this prayer topic for myself and for NIU UBF ministry. After the Saturday evening program, the prayer topic for 10,000 Bible teachers to be raised up in Africa by 2041 was given. This will surely happen when African students continue to make small practical decisions of faith, daily, in obedience to the word of Jesus.
Part 3: The Faith Of Our UBF Missionaries
Living as a missionary in Africa is not easy. I experienced many hardships going to Africa for even a few days. Here are some of the hardships I endured as a conference goer. There were no sweets, several days of cold showers, toilets with no seats, city car exhaust, fears of mosquito bites, no cell phone use, food tasting the same, fear of freely walking around, getting ripped off whenever you wanted to buy something, gastrointestinal problems, avoiding drinking all local water sources, avoiding washed fruit and uncooked vegetables, seeking water for my water bottle, carrying all valuables with you all the time, and driving on roads made of dust and rocks the size of your fist. The rides were so rough that they were called "The African Massage." Our journey to the Safari was a six hour African Massage. These are just some of the hardships I tasted. What do our missionaries have to face every day to serve their mission field? Much more than I have experienced. I realize that these missionaries are truly spiritual generals. They have given their whole lives to serve the students of Africa. They have made a life long commitment to their African mission fields. They love and serve Africans from their deep hearts. They are spread out among eleven nations, but they co-operate together. I was moved to see Korean missionaries singing with the students and dancing with the students, allowing themselves to be Africanized so that they can be one with the students. God is using them to spread the light of the Gospel across Africa. They are living God's vision for Africa to be a Kingdom of priests and a holy nation and a missionary sending nation to the whole world.
There are several stories I heard about the missionary's hardships. In one African country, some people felt that UBF was a sect and they sent spies. On person saw an African carved statue in the director's office and spread the rumor that UBF worshipped idols. Since then, after much relationship building, that chapter has become an official group on campus. Another missionary works in a country where food is scarce. He is a diplomat at an embassy. But his job is to gather food, all day long, to just feed the people in the embassy. Our missionary to Ghana actually died from sickle cell crisis. There are many stories about missionaries who endure so many hardships in order to serve their Lord Jesus and to reveal the love of God to African students. God will surely bless their faith.
Part 4: God Changed Me...
God changed me and planted in my heart the vision of God for Africa. Prior to the conference we prayed that God may raise up African students who can be shepherds for their people. God did answer this prayer topic but he also worked in a way I didn't pray for...he changed me. On the safari, I asked the bus driver questions like, "What would the Massai people do if another tribe tried to settle in their area?"..."Do the Massai fathers send their older sons away from the village when they get older?" I would have said, "they would have a war and drive them away" and, "Yes, they would send them away because they would pose a threat to the man's other wives." But the his answer was, "They would be their friends" and "the father would just built another house and they would live together." He then added, "You are thinking like a westerner." It was true. I thought like a westerner, because that is what I am. I had never been to Africa.
I had so many preconceived notions going to Africa. They were born out my own ignorance and unsubstantiated fears. I am going to be blatantly honest. For example, I thought that if a person goes to Kenya then there was a very high chance that they would get malaria and that if you drank the water you would get some merciless diarrhea and intestinal worms. You would be mugged or your hotel room would be ransacked. If you had to sleep in a hostel you would have to sleep with, or on, your personal belongings. There would also be a remote chance that you would be kidnapped by some extremist Muslim group and your video appear over the internet. You could not walk around by yourself. You also would need at least one change of clothes a day because it would be sweltering hot. And about the African shepherds, they are barely surviving and owned only two or three sets of clothes and most are thinking about coming to America. When I left Chicago I called my sister, my parents and Julie from the airport to tell them "good bye" incase I was kidnapped and didn't return. I was wondering if they could ever afford to pay a ransom. My way of thinking was not just my own. The parents of several conference attendants had similar thoughts. I did not even tell my own father until the day before I left because I didn't want any hassle about going to Kenya. He was not too happy and he said, "you better be careful." I saw a lot of American missionaries on the plane to Kenya, but I did not encounter many American tourists. I saw Dutch, Danish and French tourists. The Kenyans are very much concerned about our perceptions of their country. Several Kenyans, (not from UBF) urged me to go back to America and tell them how secure it is here. They want us to visit and be tourists. They want closer relations with us. But we are held back by cost and also by our unfounded fears and misconceptions.
I thank God for Jesus who helps us to see everything clearly and not just threw our own jaded lenses that are obscured by fears and prejudice. I realized that my fear were mere fantasy. I was duped into thinking false things. I was like Jacob who was thinking so many false things about Esau that he acted irrationally. Through his struggle he could come to God and wrestle with God. His hip was wrenched and eyes were opened and he could see God. He said in Genesis 32:30-31, "So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, 'It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared.' The sun rose above him as he passed Peniel, and he was limping because of his hip.'" Through my trip God helped me to repent of my ideas based in fear and western ideas. Of course a person had to take some precautions, but essentially, Kenya was safe and secure. There were six checkpoints at the airport. There were security guards everywhere, some with machine guns. The people were extremely generous and obliging. Our living quarters were safe and secure. The weather was in the seventies and low eighties. There were not many mosquitoes. The African shepherds appeared to be doing well. They were praying to be shepherds for their people and being missionaries to the remaining African countries...not about escaping to the west. The missionaries were safe and happy. The Muslim influence was small. No one got malaria. American missionaries, from other ministries, were coming again and again to Kenya. A Dutch couple were born in Kenya, married there and visit every year and one day they won't go back to Holland, they said. I was totally wrong in my way of thinking. It was like my eyes were opened and I could see the vision of God for Africa, to be a Kingdom of Priests and a Holy Nation and a continent of missionary sending nations. I could see an increasing role for me to live as an international shepherd. I saw that my fears were actually my fear of death (Hebrews 2:14-15) and these fears were actually being used by Satan to keep me from witnessing the great work of God going on in the world. How many millions of others are held back because of their unfounded fears of death. They need to come to Jesus. My struggle was not as intense as Jacob's, but my eyes were opened to see God and his vision and my hip was wrenched when I pulled a muscle (from an old injury) while playing soccer. Sometimes I limp and my left hip aches when I sit down. It is a reminder of God's grace to a sinner like me. "I was blind but now I see." (John 9:25)
What are my own decisions of faith since this conference? God has taken away many of my unfounded fears of distant, third world, mission fields. I am not ready to make any bold declarations that I will quit my job and go as a permanent missionary. But I can see myself participating more in world mission journeys and assisting at conferences, as God sees fit. I recommit myself to the 1:1 discipleship ministry, teaching the Bible at NIU, raising disciples and sending them out as missionaries. I re-dedicate myself to upholding the humble manger ministry, because I could see the mega church influence in Kenya. Someone has to tell the world that Jesus was born as in a manger and lived as a dusty, country preacher laying down his life in the raising of 12 disciples. I want to raise my five children as "world mission minded" shepherds. Please pray for Julie and myself and my house church at NIU.
One Word: God has revealed His vision for Africa.
What I learned at the First Baptist Church Day Camp
By: Augustine Jesmer (Grade 6)
8/5/07
This past week I have been going to First Baptist Day camp at Walker`s Farm. It is a Christian camp obviously. It has been a lot of fun. This is what I do when I get there. First I go to chapel to sing some songs then we go to play soccer with our teacher David Chuna from
During our bible study, we were learning about the parables in Matthew chapter 13.My bible study teacher(which is my tent leader in the 6th,7th,and 8th grades group) said that a parable is an earthly story with a heavenly meaning. We learned about the parable of the sower and the parable of weeds. In the parable a farmer was scattering his seed but some fell in places it could not grow. Some fell into the rocks, thorns and on the path where the birds ate it up. In this parable, we are the seed. The thorns are the temptations of the world. They choke us and lead us astray so we can`t grow. The rocks are…um…well…I don`t really know but if we are planted on the rocks, you have no root so you can't grow. And on the path, Satan is the bird and it grabs you and your faith away. But some fell on good soil. If we are, we can grow and flourish.
At chapel we learned about
So that is what I learned at the First Baptist Day Camp.
More Than Conquerors
Romans 8:29-39 "More Than Conquerors" Bible School
Key verse 8:37 Triton UBF 6/10/07..Shp Kevin Jesmer
"No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us."
During this last day of our Bible School we want to talk about a very exciting topic, conquering. People are very interested in conquering. Conquering themes fill our minds through the media. But when our minds move from the cyber world to the real world most of us despair, wondering, "Will I always feel conquered?" Most give up all hope to live a victorious life and choose to live in despair. But this does not need to be! The Bible says that we can be more than conquerors through him who loved us. Do you want to be filled with a victorious, conquering spirit? Well then, come to Jesus today and let him fill your hearts with the spirit of a conqueror.
Part 1: God Works For The Good Of Those Who Love Him (8:28-30)
In order to be a conqueror, first we need to know that God is working out his good purpose in our lives. Look at verse 28. "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." "In all things." "All things" mean "all" things. This is basic Christian faith that says no matter what happens, God is working for our good. There are things that occur in our daily life that, when they occur, we ask ourselves, "Why is this happening to me?" We come to the point where we are not in control. We are tempted to doubt the love of God. But God works for our good in all circumstances. Not in just the circumstances that we perceive as good. God is working out all things for his long-range goal. It doesn't mean that every struggle has a fairy tale ending, or that we always feel good in our life's circumstances, but God definitely is working our his redemptive purpose in our lives. To doubt this is to doubt the love of God and the power of God. So let us commit our every situation to God.
What is the ultimate good that God is working out in our lives? Look at verse 29. "For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers." God wants to conform each of us to the likeness of his Son Jesus Christ. He wants to make us each like Jesus. Jesus overcame this dark world, and when we are conformed to the likeness of Jesus we too can overcome this world. We also become part of God's family, as his brothers and sisters with God as our heavenly Father. We have eternal life as Jesus' family members forever. We need to find out what it means to be like Jesus.
Part ll: If God Is For Us Who Can Be Against Us? (31-36)
In verse 31, Paul states, "If God is for us, who can be against us?" The truth of the matter is, if God is for us than nothing or no one can be against us. Why is this? It is because of God's love for us. Lets read verses 32-34, ""He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us." God gave us his one and only Son as a ransom sacrifice for our sins while we were still sinners. If Christ gave his life for you, he isn't going to turn around and stand against you and condemn you! Nobody can condemn us. Only Jesus has that right. He is the only one who is without sin and he is the only one who is qualified to judge us. (John 8b) But he chooses not to. He chooses to forgive us and stand with us instead. In verse 33 see that is God justifies. No one can bring a charge against those whom God justifies. Jesus' blood covers us. He alone overturns our guilt before the throne of God and we are justified before God. God's love is very secure. He justifies us. God's love in Jesus is a secure love. No one or nothing can shake it. Nothing can change what God has done for us. When we accept God's protecting and secure love, then there really is nothing to fear.
We have many battles that come against us and threaten to shipwreck our faith and separate us from the love of Christ. But look t verses 35-36, ""Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36As it is written: "For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered." People try to accuse us of many things. We accuse ourselves. The devil tries to accuse and condemn us. God is aware of our fears and our limitations and all of our spiritual battles, but know this! The Bible tells us that it is impossible to be separated from Christ! His death is proof of his unconquerable love.
Verses 38-39 reveals Paul's shouts of joy and victory, "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Nobody or nothing can separate us from the love of Christ. Amen.
Part lll. We Are More Than Conquerors (8:37-39)
Look at verse 37, "No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. " More than conquerors! Wow! Not just a conqueror, but more than a conqueror!...a super conqueror! The definition of conqueror means, "one who defeats or overcomes by force." Conquering is an action word, to say the least. It infers, expanding, moving forward, fighting, struggling subduing and ruling over. Conquering is not just defeating but defeating and holding ground. If you are not holding ground you are not conquering, you are invading. Conquering is forceful. Jesus once said that the Kingdom of God is forcefully advancing and forceful men are taking hold of it. Paul says that we are more than conquerors through him who loved us?
We each have an innate desire to conquer something for we were made in God's image. We were created to subdue and rule over all creation. (Gen 1:26) We want to be conquerors. We are hard wired by God to do this. But without Jesus we don't know how to conquer. Young people like to listen to conquering music, watching conquering movies, and playing conquering video games. When you get my age, people like to conqueror through their jobs, through real estate acquisitions, driving around in Harleys or sports cars. Companies like to conqueror new markets. Countries like to conquer through the economy. We are bent on conquering. But the problem is we don't know how to conquer and we can't find what is worthwhile conquering and so we despair. Our young people who immerse themselves in a cyber world of conquering movies and video games. Eventually they discover a bitter reality, hopefully in their twenties, that the more you immerse yourself in these things the less of a conqueror you become! Children that grow up with their parents telling them that they will be more than conquerors, grow up and become disillusioned that they can not even conquer their own feels and emotions and sins. Sometimes those who have managed to overcome many things in this life, suddenly see their little kingdoms fall through divorce, overwhelming debt, illness and so forth. We become disillusioned. That is why many face a mid forty crisis. What shall we do? We need to come to Jesus and be more than conquerors through him who loves us. In Jesus we are more than conquerors. We are conquerors over all of our life's situations. We are conquerors over ourselves. We are conquerors over our sinful nature.
But being more than a conqueror is more than just a nice thing to say. It is not just some psycho babble that we say every morning in front of the bathroom mirror, "I'm more than a conqueror...I'm more than a conqueror." It is not just words from a positive mental attitude creed. The Bible says that we are more than conquerors through him who loves us. God makes us into more than conquerors from the heart. He transforms our old hearts, full of fear and despair into hearts full of a conquering spirit. This grace is provided to all those who place all of their hope and trust in Jesus. It is given to those who know God's unshakable love and who remain in that love...no matter what the situation. They are the ones who are made into people who are more than conquerors!
To live as a super conqueror, we need to know one very important, overriding principle...the fact that the victory is already won. Look at verses 38 & 39. Nothing, not even death, can separate us from the love of God. The battle is already won. Jesus conquered the grave through his death and resurrection. Death has no hold on us, who place their faith in Him. Indeed, with this assurance we are more than conquerors through Jesus and can live victorious lives of faith in this world.
Let us think a little bit beyond our own personal lives for as Christians we are also called to conquer the world for Christ. We are not conquering with weapons of war or riches or through an overbearing personality. We conqueror with truth and love and serving and prayer, like Jesus. I am reminded of one of my children's favorite songs...
"Step by step we're moving forward, little by little we're taking ground. Every prayer, a powerful weapon, strongholds come tumbling down and down and down and down. We want to see Jesus lifted high... a banner that flies across this land. That all men might see the truth and know...he is the way to heaven."
Let us conquer the hearts of the young people of America with the Gospel of Jesus.
Through this passage let us thank God for making us into more than conquerors, knowing with certainty that God works out his good in all ways in our lives; knowing that there is nothing and no one that can separate us from the love of Christ. May a conquering spirit fill our hearts. May we join in the fray with the rest of God's people, living as more than a conqueror for the glory of God.
I would like to extend my deepest gratitude for your prayer support during this last week for our
And as if that blessing were not enough, God poured blessing upon blessing on us through the testimonies of Carlos
Once again I want to thank you all for your prayers. We are indebted to you in every way. May God bless you.
“Follow Me!”
Easter Bible Conference Report . Written by Pastor James Rabchuck of WIU UBF
"When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.'" (Jn 8:12)
I thank God for enabling us to hold the first joint Easter Bible conference among the chapters from the
1. Conference preparations
By God’s grace,
2. The word of God
Our conference theme was “Follow me!” We wanted to prepare a conference program that would feed young students, growing disciples and senior shepherds, encouraging all who attended to hear Jesus’ invitation to follow him, and make a clear decision to do so. Our invitation card read the following:
“Follow Me!”
When Jesus began his ministry on earth, he invited his first disciples, saying, “Follow me!” When they followed him, they could witness miraculous signs and wonders. When they followed him, they could receive the secrets of the
Jesus did not stay in this world forever. In obedience to his Father God’s command, Jesus surrendered his life as the ransom sacrifice for the sin of the world. His death means that all our sin, whatever we have done, has been paid for and forgiven. But his resurrection from the dead means that Jesus lives today as the Risen Christ! And as he invited his disciples, so he invites those who seek him in order to know the truth: “Follow me!”
We have prepared an Easter retreat at
We prepared a program that revealed Jesus’ invitation to all kinds of people, one at a time, to follow him.
The opening message was from John 8:1-12, and was prepared and delivered by sh. Jeremy Hajek of DuPage UBF. Through his message, sh. Jeremy revealed the nature of darkness, and how Jesus shone his light into this dark world. Jesus’ light exposes the sins of adultery, immorality and self-righteousness. But Jesus exposes sins so that sinners might be set free from sin. Jesus’ invitation was that no one who follows him might ever walk in darkness again, but have the light of life. This invitation set free the condemned woman. This invitation set free sh. Jeremy so that he might leave his life of suburban decadence, and follow Jesus as his disciple and a shepherd for God’s flock in DuPage.
The morning devotional message was given by sh. Jacob Burress, a Ph.D. student in Physics at the
The main message was given by sh. Kevin Jesmer from NIU. Sh. Kevin humbly and diligently worked on his message so that he might clearly proclaim Jesus’ death for our sins as the Son of God. He proclaimed that Jesus was able to completely purchase our redemption from sin, not because of his heroic strength, but because of his absolute obedience to God’s will for him. It is Jesus’ obedience that is our hope and salvation. It was his struggle to obey God’s will to the end that was his true cross. Because he obeyed, he fulfilled God’s will, and he has purchased salvation for everyone who believes in him. Pastor Kevin cried as he introduced his message, thinking about the power of Jesus’ cross that enabled him to forgive those he perceived had hurt him. Pastor Kevin’s most powerful section was when he discussed the impact Jesus’ death had on the centurion. The point he made was that nothing could touch this man or make him cry or shrink back. He had seen so many deaths. Jesus’ death was different. Jesus’ death was the death of the Son of God. And when he acknowledged who Jesus was, he could see himself as a sinner, repent and believe. Pastor Kevin’s message touched everyone’s heart, because it was not at all a performance. It was a message of love, hope and peace. It was the gospel. The direction for the testimonies was that everyone meditate on what the message revealed about who Jesus is, and then think about, in light of what Jesus did for us, what is God’s will for us as his people.
In the evening, we held a “Follow me!” symposium. Each message was a testimonial message based on one passage in which Jesus invited his disciples to follow him. Sarah Miller from UMKC gave the message on Jesus’ call to discipleship from John chapter 1. In her message, she thought very deeply about what it means to follow Jesus, and she confessed that she had made the decision to follow Jesus, and how God had blessed her life tremendously through that spiritual decision. Sh. Nick Kryda from WIU gave the message on Matthew 11:28-30, with the title “Learn from me!” Sh. Nick has been studying the Bible since 1998. God has helped him in many ways throughout his time of Bible study, especially by helping him graduate with an MBA at WIU, and to marry by faith in UBF with guests attending his wedding from throughout the
On Sunday morning, we studied the resurrection of Jesus and his world mission command from Mark 16:1-20. The message was delivered by sh. Matthew Chiesi from UMKC. Sh. Matthew has been growing steadily as a faithful coworker along with M. Noah and Dr. Martin Mun. He established a family a year and a half ago with sh. Mary Chiesi, and now they are expecting their second child. Sh. Matthew is a man of passion and strength. But he was also a man of fatalism, because in spite of his great passion, he could not overcome himself to do what was right. Sh. Matthew found in the message of the resurrection God’s great hope to transform wretched sinners into faithful and fruitful servants of God. In his message, he encouraged all of us to repent of our unbelief and put our faith in Jesus and in his resurrection from the dead, which gives us all a living hope in his kingdom. His message taught us that Jesus’ resurrection is the light that truly drives out the darkness of sin and death.
Finally, Missionary Paul Choi gave the closing message from John 21:15-25. Jesus died and rose again. The Risen Jesus called Peter to follow him. In order to follow Jesus, Peter should feed Jesus’ sheep. Most importantly, Peter should have a personal decision. No one can depend on group faith to fulfill Jesus’ world mission command. There must be a “must” in each heart that says, “I must follow him, though the whole world is enveloped in darkness.” This was M. Paul’s prayer for each of us. Afterward, we celebrated and commemorated what Jesus did for us by holding a communion ceremony, in which everyone participated, though we were very late for lunch. It showed that the spiritual desire which had been planted in our hearts through God’s word had taken control of even the woolliest of God’s sheep. We only pray that the desire that was planted and took root might remain in the days to come, and that everyone who participated in the conference might indeed follow Jesus out of the darkness of sin and death and into his light of life!
3. The work of God
There were eight life testimonies from students of each chapter that participated in the program: Johanna Poncio (WIU-4), Liz Ulrich (DuPage), David Buchheit (UMKC) and Ian Turner (Triton) shared on Friday night, while James Braughton (UMKC), Franco Jacobson (DuPage), Janice Thiele (NIU) and Maggie Straczek (Triton) shared on Saturday. Each of these testimonies revealed clearly that when these young people grew up in the darkness of unbelief and rebellion against God’s truth, their lives were chaotic at best, and tragic and grotesque at worst. We had prayed that the testimonies might focus on their decisions to follow Jesus into the light. But we acknowledged that for many of these young people, the darkness had wounded them so terribly, we simply thanked God who gave them the strength to come into the light and let Jesus’ light shine on them, expose their sins and encourage them to live in Jesus’ light from now on. Their testimonies were a reminder to us of the power of the darkness to simply consume and destroy the lives of young people. This reminder was only intensified through the tragedy at Virginia Tech this week.
Please pray for each of these precious young people to come fully into the light of Jesus, and follow him as disciples and disciple-makers!
IV. The fruit
The conference served 130 attendants. We pray that through this conference, students in Missouri Valley Campus' and in
"Surely This Man Was The Son Of God."
2007 Easter Conference
Mark 15:16-41
Key verse 15:39
"And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, heard his cry and saw how he died, he said, 'Surely this man was the Son of God!'"
I thank God for this opportunity to meditate on this passage, for through this passage I realized how important it is for us to know that only in Jesus can we have the assurance of salvation. I newly accepted that I am completely forgiven by God. I also realized that I am not willing to forgive others. I held grudges and I was not able to wipe the slate clean to begin again with others, as Jesus had done for me. What a great sinner I am. But through this passage, I resolved to forgive and empty the sin that filled my heart for too long. I want to live by the grace of God and extend that grace to others.
So today I want to focus on that one thing that I am so certain about. I am certain that the suffering and death of our Lord Jesus on the cross is absolutely sufficient for you and for me to be completely forgiven of all our sins and be made fit to spend eternity with Jesus in the
Part 1: Jesus Was Crucified For Our Sins (15-38)
Let's read verses 16–20 together, "The soldiers led Jesus away into the palace (that is, the Praetorium) and called together the whole company of soldiers. They put a purple robe on him, then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on him. And they began to call out to him, 'Hail, king of the Jews!' Again and again they struck him on the head with a staff and spit on him. Falling on their knees, they paid homage to him. And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him out to crucify him." Jesus was rejected by men and was literally handed over to people who were like violent criminals, with no hope of rescue. Can you imagine? This is the worst nightmare for many people. But it had to be. Our Lord Jesus had prayed to drink the cup of suffering. (Lk 22:42) And his journey to the cross had begun.
A whole company of Roman soldiers were looking forward to inflict their unique brand of torture. First, they mocked Jesus. They put a purple robe on Jesus and twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on him. They fell to their knees and pretended to pay homage to Jesus, saying "Hail, King of the Jews." They mocked Jesus' kingship. With the thorny crown in place, they struck Jesus again and again driving the thorns into Jesus' scalp. A halo of searing pain enveloped Jesus' head. Streams of blood flowed down his brow, matting his hair. Inspite of this, Jesus remained silent, as a sheep before her shearers. (Isa 53:7b) He must have been praying for strength and the salvation of these brutal soldiers. When they were done with their sadistic play, they led Jesus away to be crucified.
There was one who would share in Jesus' suffering -- Simon from
God calls us to participate in the remaining suffering of Jesus. (Php 1:29) Paul exhorts Timothy, "...But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God." (2 Tim 1:8b) The cross of Christ is not something to be avoided. Those who embrace the remaining suffering of our Lord Jesus, are blessed people who enjoy a wealth of spiritual growth, joy and spiritual riches. They come to know Jesus very personally.
Jesus decided to bear all the punishment on himself for our sakes. Look at verses 22-23. "They brought Jesus to the place called
First, Jesus was crucified for our sins. Look at verse 24a. "And they crucified him." Crucifixion was reserved for the most notorious criminals or insurrectionists. First, prisoners were stripped and stretched over a wooden cross with their hands and feet nailed down with huge spikes. Blood flowed out of the nail holes. Then the cross was set in place. There, the person was suspended above the heads of the crowd, enduring condemning stares and hateful taunts. To take a single breath, the condemned would have to simultaneously pull down with their arms and push up with their feet. Every breath would evoke searing pain. The hot Judean sun made their tongues stick to the roof of their mouths. The weight of their suspended body would make every breath difficult. Weakness grew. Delirium set in. Anger would churn within them. Eventually death would come, but not after many hours of suffering. Romans let the prisoners suffocate or die of thirst, but the Jews did not like the bodies to hang on the Sabbath, so the soldiers used a heavy club to shatter their tibias and fibulas to splinters. They could no longer push up to breath and suffocated. It was extremely cruel. This is the death that Jesus was appointed to die so that we can be forgiven and be set free from our sins.
We need to understand what sin is and why it is so lethal. First, the Bible says, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." (Rom 3:23) Sin is falling short of God's glory. God has his own standard and when we try to meet that standard we all fall short. Jesus is the glory of God. (Heb 1:3) God's word is the truth. (Jn 17:17) When we compare ourselves to Jesus' example and God's word of truth, we are found wanting. For those who do not feel that they are wanting, did you know that self-seeking, and rejection of the truth, (Rom 2:8) even cowardice and lying (Rev 21:8) are condemnable sins before God? It’s true! Look it up. Sin literally means, "to cut". Sin cuts our relationship with God, our life source. (Jn 1:4) Human beings must have a vine and branch relationship with God. (Jn 15:5) But like a beautiful spring tulip that is plucked from the stem, we soon wither and die. (Jn 15:6) So many of our young people are withering and dying because sin has cut their relationship with God. Our sins also sentence us to eternal condemnation. Hebrews 9:27 reads, "Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment." There is no avoiding this. We will all stand before God's judgment seat and, without Jesus, our sins will condemn us to eternal condemnation. This realization must bring us to Jesus on the cross. But why the cruel cross? Could there have been any other way? Why not drink poison like Socrates, reclining on a couch surrounded by his loyal disciples? Let's see....
It is only through Jesus' shed blood on the cross that we can have the complete forgiveness of sins. For over two millennia, God had implanted into the Jewish psyche that there must be the shedding of blood to obtain the forgiveness of sins. On the night of the Passover, God commanded the Israelites to get a sheep without defect, and slaughter it. They were to take the blood and put it on the door frames of their houses. (Ex 12:5-7) The blood was a sign that God's judgment would pass over that house and all occupants would be saved. (Ex 12:13) The blood literally saved them. Later, a sacrificial system was set up and for over fifteen centuries, at the Passover, the Jewish people would shed the blood of animals to procure the forgiveness of their sins. The point of all the sacrifices was for his people to understood that the shedding of blood was necessary to be forgiven by the Holy God, for "without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness." (Heb 9:22) Animal sacrifice was accepted by God but it was totally ineffective in bring about complete forgiveness. If Jesus had not come, we would be forever making sacrifices. We couldn't possibly raise enough animals for all of
God sent the perfect sacrifice, his son, Jesus. John 1:29 reads, "The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, 'Look, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!'" Jesus is the Lamb of God. His sinless blood is totally effective in procuring for us the complete forgiveness of all of our sins. Hebrews 10:10b reads, "...we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all." "Once for all" means exactly that, once for all! Wow! I can keep my dog, Gi-Gi and my cat, Trixie. Through the blood of Jesus, I can have confidence and peace knowing that I am a forgiven sinner. Believing in Jesus' blood can bring about complete forgiveness of your sins too. Praise Jesus!
Second, Jesus became our King. Look at verse 25 & 26. "It was the third hour when they crucified him. The written notice of the charge against him read: THE KING OF THE JEWS." They could not find a legitimate charge to accuse Jesus with, so they inscribed, "THE KING OF THE JEWS". It implied sedition against Rome. But God was actually in control, for that written notice was the truth of God that Jesus is indeed the King of the Jews and not only the Jews but also of the whole world.
Most kings become kings in a grand inauguration ceremony. But how did Jesus become our king? It was through his suffering and his death. Instead of being drawn in a carriage, Jesus carried his cross down the way of suffering. Instead of sitting on a jewel-covered throne, Jesus would hang off an old rugged cross. Instead of a glittering crown...a crown of thorns. From a human point of view, Jesus' inauguration hardly appears to be the inauguration of a king. But from a spiritual point of view, Jesus' inauguration was more splendid than any human one, for after his suffering, Jesus would sit at the right hand of the throne God, surrounded by thousands upon thousands falling down before his glorious throne and saying, "...Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!" (Rev 5:12) Jesus is our King. Jesus died so that we may enter his kingdom and be his loyal subjects. Allow him his rightful reign today! Praise God for our King Jesus!
As our King, Jesus did not save himself so that we could be saved. Look at verses 29-32a. People goaded Jesus on to save himself as they waited to be entertained by some supernatural performance. This was actually the voice of Satan trying to tempt Jesus to save himself. But our Lord Jesus did not come to this point in order to shrink back and save himself. He came to the cross in order to give his life as a ransom for many. (Mk 10:45) He came to the cross to save his people, those who trust in him. As Jesus' people we must learn from our King Jesus, how to care for those who trust in him through us, not saving ourselves. We must remember Jesus, who did not save himself so that we might be saved. Thank-you, Lord Jesus.
As our King, Jesus bore the punishment for our sins on himself. Let's read verses 33-34 together. "At the sixth hour, darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour. And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, 'Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?' –which means, 'My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?'" When God, our Father, heard Jesus' cry, he turned his face and wiped away tears of grief as he withheld his loving arm from his Son dieing at the hands of sinners. Jesus' inner anguish was unbearable. But it was meant to be, for Jesus was taking upon himself the punishment for the sins of the world, past, present and future and he wanted us to know it. May this assurance of the forgiveness of sins permeate our hearts and the hearts of students on all campus' throughout the USA.
Look at verse 37, "With a loud cry Jesus breathed his last." His cry might have been, "It is finished". (Jn 19:30) or, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit." (Lk 23:46). In either case it was Jesus' victory cry, for he had accomplished the work of world redemption. The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. (38) The way for all sinners to come to the Holy God was now opened. And what a privilege it is! We can now come to God freely to be cleansed, renewed, to experience his love, to learn his will. We have the privilege to pray to God…and, do you know what? ...he answers. (1 Tim 2:5) We must never take this for granted, but rather thank God for this unique privilege afforded to Christians and walk past those torn curtains to meet our with our God each and every day. Amen!
Part ll: The Power Of The Cross (39-42)
There is power in the cross of Jesus to change hearts and Mark reveals this fact through several people who were changed. Let’s see how God worked in each of them.
First, the centurion. Let's read our key verse, 39, together, "And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, heard his cry and saw how he died, he said, 'Surely the man was the Son of God!'" Roman soldiers experienced atrocities that we can never imagine. At first, these soldiers were young men with noble dreams and aspirations. But after being drafted and serving for decades in the army, they became extremely battle hardened. Seeing death, suffering and even torture caused many to have post-traumatic stress disorder. Surely they were desensitized to human suffering. This centurion was a leader of 100 other soldiers. It is not easy for us to lead one small fellowship of young freshman students. Can you imagine leading one hundred men who were like WWF wrestlers? He was tough. He would yell out, “Hey, Maximus. I want these prisoners crucified…pronto!” and they all answered, “Yes sir!” He spoke and they listened. (Matt 8:9) It is hard to believe that such a hard heart could be softened to believe in Jesus.
But standing there in front of Jesus and hearing his cry, this Roman centurion was changed. Look at verse 39 again, "And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, heard his cry and saw how he died, he said, 'Surely this man was the Son of God!'" Something, in the way Jesus died, triggered a spiritual transformation in this man's heart. The centurion heard bitter wails and cursing from people who were crumbling under a load of pain, bemoaning their bitter fate, the cries of those who knew in their sub-consciences that they would face God's judgment. But when Jesus cried out, the centurion heard the cry of one whose heart was full of faith in God and love for his people. Jesus had a calm assurance in his heart, when he cried out “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” (Lk 23:46) Jesus was full of compassion. When he prayed, "Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing." (Lk 23:34) The centurion was changed. This reminds me of the Russian convert to Christianity named Sergei Kourdakov. During the early seventies, in the former Soviet Union, Sergei had a unique job, to inflict terror and suffering upon Russian Christians. And he did his job well. He would crash prayer meetings to terrorize Christians and arrest their leaders. Usually he and his partners were drunk on Vodka and practiced their karate skills on Christians. At one meeting, Sergei beat one girl. Amazed to see her at another prayer meeting he beat her again, but this time he listened to her prayer while he was beating her. She was praying for him to meet Jesus personally. This event changed his heart and he accepted Jesus. One day he jumped a Russian naval ship off the coast of British Columbia, Canada and lived the rest of his life as an evangelist. He wrote his life testimony, called, “The Persecutor.” You can read it on line. His hardened heart was changed by one suffering Christian’s selfless prayer.
Let's examine how this centurion's heart was changed? First, he was convicted of his sins. This centurion thought that he was a good and responsible leader. He was disciplined and always obedient to his superiors. So he was "good" according to his own standards. But his conscience bothered him. He was depressed living under the power of death, yet he always shrugged it off. But when he stood before the compassionate Jesus, he could recognize his cold and callous heart. (Jn 16:8a) He knew that the image of God within him was hopelessly marred because of sin. The ancient Jewish prophecy of Isaiah, rang true, "But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed." " (Isa 53:4-5) Jesus' suffering on the cross is like a healing balm to our sin sick souls. When we know we are forgiven we have the peace of God. Our consciences are cleansed. (Heb 10:22) and healing begins. This is enough to bring even a Roman centurion to the point of tears.
Most of his adult life, the centurion was doling out judgment on others, in the name of Rome. But every time he condemned others, something told him that he deserved the same thing. Now, standing before he the cross of Jesus, he knew that he was nothing but a condemned sinner. (Jn 16:8c) He accepted the complete forgiveness of sin and the heavy burden of condemnation was lifted before the cross of Calvary. He knew he would not be condemned, but rather forgiven, through the love of God! And he would spend eternity with Jesus in paradise. Nothing, or no one could ever change this man's heart, but Jesus did. The light of a new day dawned and he was set free to live a new life, filled with God's grace. Before the cross of Jesus, his heart erupted with the good confession, "Surely this man was the Son of God."
Second, the women. Look at verses 40 and 41. It is amazing that when all the rough and tough fishermen disciples had abandoned Jesus, these women did not flee. They followed Jesus even in the midst of extreme danger. Wanting to be near Jesus in his passion and witnessing Jesus' suffering and death, strengthened and solidified their faith.
Third, Joseph of Arimathea. Look at verses 42-46. Joseph was a prominent member of the Jewish ruling council. He believed in Jesus secretly. His colleagues quickly shot him down every time he wanted to stick up for Jesus. But now, before the cross of Jesus, Joseph boldly identified himself as Jesus' follower. He asked Pilate for Jesus' body. He gave up his luxurious tomb in an exclusive cemetery. He was willing to sacrifice his career and his reputation. He was a changed man. Indeed, if only our young people can take the time and behold the beauty of Jesus' death on the cross, the power of the cross will bring them out of the closet of fear and help them to boldly identify themselves as followers of Jesus.
Today we learned that Jesus died on the cross for our sins in obedience to God’s will. Because of his obedience, as the Lamb of God, his shed blood is more than enough to declare each and every one of us here today, forgiven. All you have to do is believe. Accept this gracious gift of God. Behold the crucified Christ and be forgiven, cleansed, healed and empowered to live a new life, a life following the example of our King Jesus. Let's thank Jesus for what he has done and practice his faith for the sake of God’s glory and especially for the salvation of all campus students in Missouri Valley can Chicago West. Amen!
"I Want To Know Christ"
Philippians 3:10,
"I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his suffering, becoming like him in his death,"
On March 6-8 & 10 NIU UBF held our
On day one we learned Apostle Paul's attitude for his life. 1:21 reads, "For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain." Shp Mary Yoo led us with a very thoughtful group Bible study. Her co-worker, Msn James Yoo prepared and delivered a powerful message. We learned that one of the secrets of Apostle Paul's victorious life was his clear purpose of life and resurrection faith. We prayed to make the purpose of our lives, Christ. We prayed for Christ to help all of us have an attitude adjustment. God sent 14 people on the first night. Tim served as the presider. James led a spirited singspiration and the kids sang a special song, "Be Glorified" God sent four women co-workers from Triton UBF. I thank God for their support.
On day two we learned the attitude of Jesus. 2:5 reads, "Your attitude should be same as that of Christ Jesus:" Jesus' attitude was one of humility and obedience. Jesus came as a humble servant and he obeyed the will of his Father in heaven to die as the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. We want to adopt the attitude of Jesus this Easter. Shp Julie Jesmer led the group Bible Study very gracefully and by God's grace I could deliver the message. Msn James led singspiration. Jim McConkey (Pharmacy worker) presided and the Jesmer kids sang a special song, "I Want To See Jesus Lifted High". God sent a total of 21 people, 15 from NIU UBF and six from Triton UBF.
On day three we learned the motive of Apostle Paul's heart in Philippians 3:10,11."I want to know Christ..." This was the key verse of our Bible conference. So often we do things without knowing why we are doing it. When we operate like this, we easily become burned out, unable to do anything. But through Shp Kevin's group Bible study and Tim Sagel's message we could learn the true, life giving motive to have in all that we do...that motive is to know Christ and all things pertaining to Christ. This night God sent 14 attendants. Daveed YIsreal presided, Msn James Yoo led singspiration and the kids sang, "Open The Eyes Of My Heart".
Saturday night was the last and greatest day of the feast. We heard Apostle Paul's charge in 4:4, "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!" Through GBS led by Shp Kevin Jesmer and Janice Thiele's (NIU alumni) message, we learned that we can rejoice when we control our thoughts with the word of God, when we learn to be content in Jesus and when we live as a giving people. Tim Sagel presided, Ian Turner (Triton) and the kids led singspiration and the kids sang, "Victory In Jesus" as a special song. God sent 17 attendants, 11 from NIU UBF and 6 from Triton UBF. We celebrated with a pizza party afterwards.
We all could participate. Everyone could find something to do. People were raised up as prayer servants, food servers, GBS leaders and messengers and presiders. It was our prayer that these people may giver their hearts to Jesus and dedicate their lives to serving him. I thank God for the my children. Though they are young they came to all four days of the Bible school. They rehearsed and practiced for special song each day. I pray that God may raise them up as servants of God for their generation. Tim Sagel was ready every day to do what needed to be done. Tim was finished with his classes on Friday, for that was the beginning of NIU Spring break. Usually he goes home as soon as he can, but this time he wanted to stay and serve the
Four days, in one week, is a long Bible school. I thank God for our four day attendants, my house church, and Tim Sagel. I thank God for our three day attendants, Msn James, and Janice and my daughter Jennifer's Bible student, Heather Byerli. I thank God for all of our 15 of our Triton co-workers who traveled 120 miles to attend at least one day of the Bible school. Shp Clark Heusel even came twice. I thank God for everyone, who took time out of their busy schedules in order to know Jesus a little better. There were newcomers. Jennifer London came with her friend Chikera. Heather Byerli was so inspired, that she brought her grandmother on the fourth day. May God bless all 33 attendants to have the victorious faith of Apostle Paul.
I pray that through this Bible school we may all with a desire to know Christ this Easter. I pray that we may reach out to 30 souls and invite them to come and meet the Risen Jesus. I also pray that all who attended may be inspired to continue to grow in their faith through 1:1 Bible study.