I was reading the section of Job that was a part of our bible in a year program, and the verse that struck me was, “ there is no arbiter between us, who might lay his hand on us both.” Job is going through misery ( you can read all about it in the first couple chapters), and he has friends who are of no help at all. Claiming to him that somehow this is his fault, because that is the only way that justice could really work and operate. In other words, he obviously is going through hard times because of something that he did. This is working under the presumption that God is somehow operating under spite, rather than through righteousness, holiness, and wisdom. Thus, he moves to despair, because he knows in a case that he might have against the judge, he cannot stand. His plea is the hope that somebody would “arbiter” or more plainly “who will defend me and make my case.” What is wonderful is that God doesn’t truly work out of spite, and since He operates out of righteousness, wisdom, and holiness, what spills over is…compassion. Jesus is precisely the arbiter. Not only that, He becomes the defendant. In other words, our defender has become us, the defendant. Much like Jacob crosses his hands with Joseph’s sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, as he dispenses his blessing upon his children in Genesis 48 (Manasseh was the eldest deserving the blessing of the firstborn), God crosses his hands with us and Jesus. We deserve to be judged not blessed. Jesus becomes judged and we become blessed. God doesn’t operate out of spite, but out of righteousness spilling over with love. The gospel tells us that we are worse off than we think, but also, more loved than we think. Remembering back to what Bart shared with us this past Sunday, that humility is realizing what God thinks of you. You are messy, but you are also loved. C.S. Lewis puts it this way in his book, Prince Caspian, as Caspian himself is questioning his lineage with Aslan, “ you come of the Lord Adam and lady of Eve…and that is both honor enough to erect the head of the poorest beggar, and shame enough to bow the shoulders of the greatest emperor on earth. Be content.” Be content all sons of Adam and daughters of Eve, you are a loved sinner in and through Jesus.
Upcoming Events
JAM- Dinner and Show February 1, 6:00 PM; at Emmanuel E-Free
It will be $20 for singles; $30 for couples; $40 for families (babysitting provided)
This will be a fundraiser for the JAM group, as many will need help with funding for their trip, so they need your help in raising the money. This is also an opportunity for the JAM group to minister to the adults by serving them through putting on this dinner and show. Lastly, it will be an excellent opportunity for the families of the church to connect with one another, and also with some other families in the community. This is an opportunity to invite your friends, your neighbors, your co-workers, etc.
Winter Blast-Feb. 15-16th
This is where all the fundraising is going for in regards for the JAM group. The theme for the weekend is “Epic.” Here is a description from the website:
WINTER BLAST:
Middle School Winter Retreats
High Energy Rallies.
Top notch speakers.
Mega-Challenge Snow Competition.
Small group interaction.
Toboggan Slide.
HUGE gym, hot tub, indoor pool, game room!
Hidden Acres Christian Center, Dayton, Iowa.
If you are interested in more information please talk with either Darrel or Leesa Boyer.
Overflow and JAM meeting Wednesday February 13 from 6PM-8PM.
Overflow continues with a new video series in the upcoming weeks called H2O. Using the controlling image of water, it spells out the gospel under those terms and language. Thirsty?
Haven Saturday March 9, 6PM-10PM.
Haven is back! We will be launching Haven this year again, and to start off this year we will be doing our own version of the “Amazing Race” coming up in March. If you join us, your team will have to be prepared to go through several grueling tasks that challenge you both physically and mentally. If your team wins, you will win IPod shuffles! There will be food and other activities afterwards. If you are in high school, please join us for lots of fun, and invite your friends. More info on the way, but if you are interested in other details, please talk with Keith and Laurel Baumstark.
Sunday School Sundays 9AM-10AM
We are going through Peter Enns book “Telling God’s Story.” So, if you are wondering– where do I began with unpacking the Scriptures for my kids? and how do I go about it? and what do I teach at what age?–this class should help with answering those questions. I hope you will join me! It is not too late jump on board.
Thank you all,
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