Questions concerning Divine Election

Are we God's possession when He elects or when we believe?

I think this issue can be pictured as a coin with two sides – one side is God’s vantage point (which He has given us a tiny glimpse of) and the other side is our vantage point. From God’s point of view from eternity past, He elects/predestines those who will be saved and from that standpoint they are His by virtue of election. From our vantage point, we don’t know who God has elected until they believe in time, and from that viewpoint, they become His possession at the moment they believe.

Here’s the tension – Election is unconditional (without reference to deeds) yet justification is conditional (you must believe!). That’s how the Bible speaks about salvation. God elects before time without reference to our deeds (Eph. 1:4; Rom. 9:10-16) and we, in time, must believe the gospel if we are to escape judgment.

Here’s the bottom line: I must affirm both but I believe that God is the initiator of salvation because of the language of Eph. 1, Rom. 9. He is decisive in the saving enterprise and we respond in time because of what He has done.

Making Room

As of October 4, Harvest Bible Chapel will officially go to two services at 9 and 11 AM. It will be an important transition for our church and one that we all want to be ready for. How do we do that?

Choose a service - Have a talk with your spouse, your Life Group, and your friends and decide which service you will attend. Do this ASAP so you can think through your Sunday AM routine.

Lock in - Try to avoid switching your attendance times from week to week, attending the first service one Sunday to attending the second service the next Sunday. Lock in to one so that you begin to connect with your church family.

Don't worry about the Children - Harvest Kids (children's ministry) will be offered both services, staffed with wonderful, loving teachers and caretakers. Our children are the most flexible with life changes so if you are settled with a change of service time and routine, so will your children. Set the standard for them and they will follow.

Arrive 10 minutes early! - Arriving on time means that you will be 10 minutes late for the service after you have found a place to park, checked in your kids, grabbed a cup of coffee, and talked to a few people. Prepare your heart to engage with God and others by arriving early.

Meet someone new each week - The reason we are going to two services is to make room for more people. All these new people are looking for Christian community and fellowship so our hearts need to be large enough to love and receive them.

Are you ready? Get set...

Sign up to pray this week at Harvest

Gearing up for two services

October 4th is going to be a cultural shift for our church. We are going to two services on that date - 9 AM and 11 AM!

God is adding to our number week by week it seems and we need to make room for the growth. Perhaps you've noticed the crowded parking lot or our expanding children's ministry. My office gets converted into a nursery every week to make room for all the babies. Even the auditorium feels full!

All of this is exciting but I know there is a temptation in our hearts to be annoyed and inconvenienced by the expansion to two services since it means that we won't be able to see everyone each week. Those of you who serve on Sunday know that it means more work and sacrifice. Yet, God has given us a mission to fulfill at Harvest Bible Chapel:

Spreading a passion for the supremacy of God and liberating a generation through the life and love of Jesus Christ.

We cannot fulfill the mission if we bar the doors, circle the wagons to protect our intimate fellowship. If we did, we would find ourselves pushing against God who "desires all to be saved and come to repentance" (2 Pet. 3:9). If we desire to impact the city of Rockford with the gospel, we must continue to put aside our personal comforts in view of the kingdom of God and its expansion (Mt. 6:33).

This is a crucial juncture in our church. Will we complain about the inconveniences or praise God for the vibrancy He is giving our church? Will we pull back because of insecurity or step forward in love to serve those who are yearning for Christian fellowship? Will we look longingly backward or forward with eager expectation?

I say we step forward in faith! Just watch God be faithful. Just watch God do "exceedingly beyond all we could ask or think" (Eph. 3:20-21).

God's Word is transforming!

You've got to read this quote by Carl Trueman. I ran across it again while preparing for this Sunday. He is talking about the power of criticism to shape our reality and how we need to hear from God to counteract the various voices.

"In other words, others might tell me I am a failure, an idiot, a clown, evil, incompetent, vicious, dangerous, pathetic etc., and these words are not just descriptive: they have a certain power to make me these things, in the eyes of others and even in my own eyes, as self-doubt creeps in and the Devil whispers in my ear. But ...God speaks louder, and his word is more powerful. You may call me a liar, and you speak truth, for I have lied; but if God declares me righteous, then my lies and your insult are not the final word, nor the most powerful word. I have peace in my soul because God’s word is real reality. That’s why I need to read the Bible each day, to hear the word preached each week, to come to God in prayer, and to hear words of grace from other brothers and sisters as I seek to speak the same to them. Only as God speaks his word to me, and as I hear that word in faith, is my reality transformed."

On the Road in Washington St.

Hey everyone! My family and I are having a blast seeing old friends, family, and beautiful sights. I've got a few sights that I want you to see with me. God's works are stunningly beautiful! For our last day in Washington State we took a scenic drive over the North Cascades Highway, then took a ferry out of Seattle to Bremerton and then ended up in Astoria, OR. Spectacular! Check it out...



Here's some shots from the ferry going out of Seattle heading to Bremerton...



I've heard so many good things going on back in Rockford at Harvest. It does my heart so well to hear that the church is thriving in my absence because the church is so much more than just one man. I thank God that Sundays have been great, worship has been awesome, and the Summer Gathering rocked. Just wait to see what God has in store for the Fall! See you soon...

Additional recollections of Czech Republic