September 2015 Newsletter (email).pdf
VOLUME 6
ISSUE 9
SEPTEMBER 2015
302 E. Euclid Ave Prospect Heights, IL 60070 (847) 398-2030 www. prospectchristianchurch.com
Ponderings of the Pastor What would it be like to never know how life was going to turn out? You eat, you drink, and you try to find happiness while you can, but you know that death is certainly around the corner. Whatever happens in your life will just happen, right? Sure, there may be some Higher Power, but it all comes down to whatever luck you seem to have or whatever the winds of chance, destiny, or fate send your way. You claim to ‘hold tough cards,’ and you realize that some people ‘play their hand’ better than others, but you know that the cards are always dealt to you by some unseen ‘Shuffler/Dealer.’ Maybe this causes you to feel unsure or afraid. At times, you certainly feel frustrated at the course your life has taken, but you simply cannot escape your fate. Behold, the mind of the typical person in Ancient Greece. And this kind of thinking resonates with many even today. The Atheist will deny there is a God, while the deist will say that God exists, but doesn’t get involved. Is either of them right? What do we believe as Christians who hold to God’s Word, the Bible? Enter the doctrine of divine providence. Here’s a simple way to put it. God created the universe. And in His sovereignty, He keeps,
sustains, and directs what He has created. We get the word from the Old French providence meaning “foresight, prudent anticipation” and they got it from Latin providentia meaning “precaution, foreknowledge” coming from the root providere meaning “to provide.” So essentially, God knows all and He therefore provides for all…all the time. I found a great article in my new Bible and it cites Berkhof’s Systematic Theology (Eerdmans, 1941, p. 168) and his list of 11 matters directly under God’s providential control. I would like to list them for you, offer a few Scriptural citations, and then close with an analogy. God’s is providentially in control over the universe at large; over the physical world; over the brute creation; over the affairs of nations; over man’s birth and lot in life; over the outward successes and failures of men’s lives; over things seemingly accidental or insignificant; in the protection of the righteous; in supplying the wants of God’s people; in giving answers to prayer; and in the exposure and punishment of the wicked. Pr 16:33
The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD. Ps 135:6
The LORD does whatever pleases him, in the heavens and on the earth, in the seas and all their depths. Ge 50:20
You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. Eph 1:11
In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will,
Eph 1:12
in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. Mt 6:25
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Mt 6:26
Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Mt 6:27
Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life ?
Mt 6:28
“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Mt 6:29
Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. Mt 6:30
If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Mt 6:31
So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ Mt 6:32
For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.
get along just fine without him. Or so some thought. Sure, he was the boss. We didn't try to get on his bad side. We behaved. Most of us honestly didn’t know what he truly did all shift, and frankly, we didn’t care. But he made sure our timecards got to payroll and dished out overtime, and that is what mattered most, it seemed. Yet when the machines broke down, he’s the first one you call. So many view God this way. Contrast that image with an attentive mother watching over her children. Nothing escapes her watchful eye. Every care is provided. All the appropriate needs are met. Runny noses wiped, diapers changed, meals served, skinned knees bandaged, hugs dispensed. Moms are the entire world to their children and they are the entire priority to her.
Mt 6:33
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Mt 6:34
Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Ac 17:25
And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. Ac 17:26
From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. Ac 17:27
God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us.
I leave you with this question. Which image best describes God’s providence: the foreman or the mother? Here’s another one. Knowing that God sovereignly keeps and cares for all He has made, how do you respond? Does it lead you to trust Him and submit to His will? I sure hope so. In a world directled by God’s providence, there is no capricious luck, destiny, chance, or fate. The fear and uncertainty of the ancients doesn’t have to be your own!--JMB
Col 1:15
He [Jesus] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. Col 1:16
For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. Col 1:17
He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
During one of my summers home from college, I worked in an auto parts factory making heater cores for a variety of vehicles. Me and a partner worked one section of the assembly line in this big factory. And we had this foreman who bandied about with a clipboard and expectations. He also spent a lot of time at his desk. We liked when he was at his desk. Some workers questioned the value and necessity of the foreman. We knew he was there, but would
PRAY FOR OUR MISSIONS Local Ministries: Heralds of the Cross, Motorcycle Min. Higher Up Ministries Foreign Missionaries: Sandy and Barbara Sandell, Thailand Leonard and Erleta Toka, Italy The Good News Prospector is the monthly newsletter of Prospect Christian Church. We are located at 302 E. Euclid Avenue in Prospect Heights, IL. Our Worship celebration begins at 10am every Sunday with Bible Study at 8:45 am. If you would like to be removed from our mailing list or to send in a prayer request, please send an e-mail to [email protected].
C ou p l e of P oem s t o B l ess Y ou Things Don’t Just Happen —Esther Fields (written1944)
He Giveth More —Annie Jonson Flint (1866-1932)
Things don’t just happen to us who love God. They’re planned by His own dear hand. Then molded and shaped, and timed by His clock. Things don’t just happen—they’re planned.
He giveth more grace when the burdens grow greater; He sendeth more strength when the labors increase;
To added affliction He addeth His mercy, to multiplied trials, His multiplied peace.
We don’t just guess on the issues of life; We Christians just rest in our Lord. We are directed by His sovereign will in the light of His holy Word.
We who love Jesus are walking by When we have exhausted our store of faith, not seeing one step that’s ahead. endurance, When our strength has Not doubting one moment what our lot failed ere the day is half done, might be. Burt looking to Jesus, instead. When we reach the end of our hoarded We praise our dear Saviour for loving resources, Our Father’s full giving is us so, for planning each care of our only begun. life. Then giving us faith to trust Him for all; the blessings as well as the strife. His love has no limit, His grace has no Things don’t just happen to us who measure; His power no boundary love God; to us who have taken our known unto men; stand; no matter the lot, the course, or the price, things don’t just happen— they’re planned. For out of His infinite riches in Jesus, He giveth and giveth and giveth again.
Sermons Updated Weekly on Our Website! www.prospectchristianchurch.com .
have assured us that they will be sensitive to our needs as well.
FROM HERE TO THERE Jean and I have been members of Prospect Christian Church since 1979. We have worshipped and served here for 36 years. We have followed the lead of five ministers during that time. They were respectively: Derry Smaage, Tom Walker, Jody Hardenbrook, Stacy Popejoy and currently Joel Bradshaw. As of September 13, 2015, we have joined hands with the congregation of The Bridge Community Church of Des Plaines. Truth to tell, they have many more hands than we do. We have some fifteen pairs and they have over 900 (also pairs). They have more people than space and we have more space than people. After many meetings and much prayer, we have come together as one. Since The Bridge has shown that they are able to add significant numbers to their congregation and our numbers have diminished, we have decided to turn over ownership of our assets and responsibility of the same to the leadership of The Bridge. They
But in my view, it is not so important that my needs or desires be met in this new context. The purpose of the Church is to glorify God and draw people to Christ. Jesus said, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” Matthew 28:19-20 “And Jesus said to them, ‘Follow Me and I will make you fishers of men.’” (to his disciples) Matthew 4:19 A plan is in place for the old building in Prospect Heights to be razed and a new modern facility to be constructed. Accommodations will be made for hundreds of people to come and consider Christ as Lord of their lives. And so, my possible lack of comfort notwithstanding, may God receive the glory and may many come to receive Christ. That’s what this is all about! Let’s all pull an oar! Terry J. (I look forward to going from here to there.)
ISSUE 9
SEPTEMBER 2015
302 E. Euclid Ave Prospect Heights, IL 60070 (847) 398-2030 www. prospectchristianchurch.com
Ponderings of the Pastor What would it be like to never know how life was going to turn out? You eat, you drink, and you try to find happiness while you can, but you know that death is certainly around the corner. Whatever happens in your life will just happen, right? Sure, there may be some Higher Power, but it all comes down to whatever luck you seem to have or whatever the winds of chance, destiny, or fate send your way. You claim to ‘hold tough cards,’ and you realize that some people ‘play their hand’ better than others, but you know that the cards are always dealt to you by some unseen ‘Shuffler/Dealer.’ Maybe this causes you to feel unsure or afraid. At times, you certainly feel frustrated at the course your life has taken, but you simply cannot escape your fate. Behold, the mind of the typical person in Ancient Greece. And this kind of thinking resonates with many even today. The Atheist will deny there is a God, while the deist will say that God exists, but doesn’t get involved. Is either of them right? What do we believe as Christians who hold to God’s Word, the Bible? Enter the doctrine of divine providence. Here’s a simple way to put it. God created the universe. And in His sovereignty, He keeps,
sustains, and directs what He has created. We get the word from the Old French providence meaning “foresight, prudent anticipation” and they got it from Latin providentia meaning “precaution, foreknowledge” coming from the root providere meaning “to provide.” So essentially, God knows all and He therefore provides for all…all the time. I found a great article in my new Bible and it cites Berkhof’s Systematic Theology (Eerdmans, 1941, p. 168) and his list of 11 matters directly under God’s providential control. I would like to list them for you, offer a few Scriptural citations, and then close with an analogy. God’s is providentially in control over the universe at large; over the physical world; over the brute creation; over the affairs of nations; over man’s birth and lot in life; over the outward successes and failures of men’s lives; over things seemingly accidental or insignificant; in the protection of the righteous; in supplying the wants of God’s people; in giving answers to prayer; and in the exposure and punishment of the wicked. Pr 16:33
The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD. Ps 135:6
The LORD does whatever pleases him, in the heavens and on the earth, in the seas and all their depths. Ge 50:20
You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. Eph 1:11
In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will,
Eph 1:12
in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. Mt 6:25
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Mt 6:26
Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Mt 6:27
Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life ?
Mt 6:28
“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Mt 6:29
Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. Mt 6:30
If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Mt 6:31
So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ Mt 6:32
For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.
get along just fine without him. Or so some thought. Sure, he was the boss. We didn't try to get on his bad side. We behaved. Most of us honestly didn’t know what he truly did all shift, and frankly, we didn’t care. But he made sure our timecards got to payroll and dished out overtime, and that is what mattered most, it seemed. Yet when the machines broke down, he’s the first one you call. So many view God this way. Contrast that image with an attentive mother watching over her children. Nothing escapes her watchful eye. Every care is provided. All the appropriate needs are met. Runny noses wiped, diapers changed, meals served, skinned knees bandaged, hugs dispensed. Moms are the entire world to their children and they are the entire priority to her.
Mt 6:33
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Mt 6:34
Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Ac 17:25
And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. Ac 17:26
From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. Ac 17:27
God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us.
I leave you with this question. Which image best describes God’s providence: the foreman or the mother? Here’s another one. Knowing that God sovereignly keeps and cares for all He has made, how do you respond? Does it lead you to trust Him and submit to His will? I sure hope so. In a world directled by God’s providence, there is no capricious luck, destiny, chance, or fate. The fear and uncertainty of the ancients doesn’t have to be your own!--JMB
Col 1:15
He [Jesus] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. Col 1:16
For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. Col 1:17
He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
During one of my summers home from college, I worked in an auto parts factory making heater cores for a variety of vehicles. Me and a partner worked one section of the assembly line in this big factory. And we had this foreman who bandied about with a clipboard and expectations. He also spent a lot of time at his desk. We liked when he was at his desk. Some workers questioned the value and necessity of the foreman. We knew he was there, but would
PRAY FOR OUR MISSIONS Local Ministries: Heralds of the Cross, Motorcycle Min. Higher Up Ministries Foreign Missionaries: Sandy and Barbara Sandell, Thailand Leonard and Erleta Toka, Italy The Good News Prospector is the monthly newsletter of Prospect Christian Church. We are located at 302 E. Euclid Avenue in Prospect Heights, IL. Our Worship celebration begins at 10am every Sunday with Bible Study at 8:45 am. If you would like to be removed from our mailing list or to send in a prayer request, please send an e-mail to [email protected].
C ou p l e of P oem s t o B l ess Y ou Things Don’t Just Happen —Esther Fields (written1944)
He Giveth More —Annie Jonson Flint (1866-1932)
Things don’t just happen to us who love God. They’re planned by His own dear hand. Then molded and shaped, and timed by His clock. Things don’t just happen—they’re planned.
He giveth more grace when the burdens grow greater; He sendeth more strength when the labors increase;
To added affliction He addeth His mercy, to multiplied trials, His multiplied peace.
We don’t just guess on the issues of life; We Christians just rest in our Lord. We are directed by His sovereign will in the light of His holy Word.
We who love Jesus are walking by When we have exhausted our store of faith, not seeing one step that’s ahead. endurance, When our strength has Not doubting one moment what our lot failed ere the day is half done, might be. Burt looking to Jesus, instead. When we reach the end of our hoarded We praise our dear Saviour for loving resources, Our Father’s full giving is us so, for planning each care of our only begun. life. Then giving us faith to trust Him for all; the blessings as well as the strife. His love has no limit, His grace has no Things don’t just happen to us who measure; His power no boundary love God; to us who have taken our known unto men; stand; no matter the lot, the course, or the price, things don’t just happen— they’re planned. For out of His infinite riches in Jesus, He giveth and giveth and giveth again.
Sermons Updated Weekly on Our Website! www.prospectchristianchurch.com .
have assured us that they will be sensitive to our needs as well.
FROM HERE TO THERE Jean and I have been members of Prospect Christian Church since 1979. We have worshipped and served here for 36 years. We have followed the lead of five ministers during that time. They were respectively: Derry Smaage, Tom Walker, Jody Hardenbrook, Stacy Popejoy and currently Joel Bradshaw. As of September 13, 2015, we have joined hands with the congregation of The Bridge Community Church of Des Plaines. Truth to tell, they have many more hands than we do. We have some fifteen pairs and they have over 900 (also pairs). They have more people than space and we have more space than people. After many meetings and much prayer, we have come together as one. Since The Bridge has shown that they are able to add significant numbers to their congregation and our numbers have diminished, we have decided to turn over ownership of our assets and responsibility of the same to the leadership of The Bridge. They
But in my view, it is not so important that my needs or desires be met in this new context. The purpose of the Church is to glorify God and draw people to Christ. Jesus said, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” Matthew 28:19-20 “And Jesus said to them, ‘Follow Me and I will make you fishers of men.’” (to his disciples) Matthew 4:19 A plan is in place for the old building in Prospect Heights to be razed and a new modern facility to be constructed. Accommodations will be made for hundreds of people to come and consider Christ as Lord of their lives. And so, my possible lack of comfort notwithstanding, may God receive the glory and may many come to receive Christ. That’s what this is all about! Let’s all pull an oar! Terry J. (I look forward to going from here to there.)
