VBS once again started the season on a high note. Both morning and evening schools noted heightened spiritual sensitivity and evidence of the Lord’s blessing day by day. At the same time, it seems this year health issues hit more teachers and their families during VBS than usual. As needs arose so did the Lord’s provision. Busing was once again available and both registration and attendance were up. New students mixed with new workers and God was honored.

Camp at Otyokwah was an opportunity once again for the churches of our Presbytery to band together and serve the Lord by serving children. God assembled a great staff and 18 children coming from the Island. Tim Becker, a former camper, now serves as camp director and did a great job. From our church, Joe Zilbauer, Sarah Comfort, Julia Lasch, Jegar Chinnavan, and Pastor Kevin served as staff. Ask any of the many people who attended and they’ll tell you camp at Otyokwah was great – great fun, great times with friends. It was also a great time for the Lord to work in the hearts and lives of our campers and counselors alike. Daily, our counselors earned the name as they could be seen guiding the campers one by one in their walk with God. I considered it a privilege to have a small part to play during the week.

Summer is also a high time for missions. In addition to missionary speakers, our church members are busy preparing for, traveling to, and serving on mission fields. As I write, our Team Timothy members (Julie Brown, Leah Brown and Chelsea Pine are coming back from a very intense ministry in Bolivia supporting the work of Pastor David Quisbert and the BPC of LaPaz. Pastor Len says, “You’d be proud of your girls”. Very soon the Presbyterian Missionary Council will meet in Cincinnati, followed by our General Synod. Decisions will be made that greatly impact the direction of our outreach for the next year.

Within 12 hours of returning from Synod, Sharon and I will be heading for Myanmar to work with our burgeoning ministry in that land. While we’re there, Courtney Amacher, Eli Pine and Rebecca Williams will join Pastor Len for the Team Timothy trip to minister in New York City. Please pray for these ministries.

For us the days immediately leading up to Easter are a mini Bible conference. For others, these days, this Lenten season, have many other connections.

One Island pastor wrote to his congregation this month seeking to explain the meaning of Lent and then Easter. Here’s what he said:

“I believe that here, right after Jesus’ baptism, he is led into the wilderness on this spiritual quest to search His very soul to discover who he is and what his purpose is. What is the Son of God here for? What are we here for? These are good questions. I believe that in these forty days, Jesus recognized and claimed the main thing for his life here on earth. Many Christians believe that was to march to Jerusalem and Golgotha and to die on the cross for our sins. Jesus came to “save us”. I do not believe so…….”

What a statement for anyone who professes to call themselves a Christian, let alone, a pastor.

So what’s Jesus’ life all about? According to him it’s an example! “He came to teach us about God and God’s Love, and then, in the end, died on the cross to demonstrate that sacrificial love.”

Friends, there is no greater testament to the love of God for His sinful elect than the cross of Christ. There is no greater demonstration than His atoning work.

But if He didn’t come to redeem me – if He didn’t die in my place to save me – no example, not even His will do me the least bit of good. Apart from the vicarious atonement of the cross, His perfect example stands to condemn my sin.

Thankfully, Christ’s example is found in His saving work. Jesus did come, specifically, to “save His people from their sins.” (Mt. 1:21) And, He came to do it by giving “His life a ransom for many.” (Mk. 10:45)

The reason that “many Christians believe” Jesus came to save by His sacrifice on the cross is that the Lord, Himself said so, repeatedly. That, in fact, is the message of scripture running from Genesis 3:15 throughout the whole Bible. That was the purpose foretold by the prophets. It was the purpose announced by the angels at His birth. It was the Father’s business that He was about from His youth. And, it was His announced purpose during His earthly ministry.

I am as grateful today, as the first day I was saved, for the redeeming work of Christ. I’m especially thankful, that though I grew up under the kind of ministry that eclipsed the character of God and the cross of Christ, God graciously made me one of His own.

And, as we approach another Easter, I’m reminded yet again that there are thousands on the Island that are, for all intents and purposes, without the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. Sadly, many of them are obviously sitting under pulpits saying “Jesus came to save us! I do not believe so.”

It’s a reminder of the need to boldly declare Jesus has died and risen again for our sins according to the Scriptures.

Our 73rd General Synod of the Bible Presbyterian Church was held in Bristol, TN/VA. Bristol is a unique town with a state boundary bisecting the town. We were there at the invitation of and to encourage the Ryder Memorial Church which served as our host. The congregation of Ryder Church meets in a small, square timber building nestled into the edge of a national forest. The small congregation led by Pastor Gary Cole exceeded everyone’s expectations in the gracious hospitality shown to the Synod.

All of our delegates were given positions of usefulness to the Synod. Dr. Pine was elected Moderator. Mr. Frank Williams was elected as Synod Treasurer with Mr. Eric Lasch to serve as his assistant. I continue to serve as Secretary of the Board of Trustees and as Chairman of the Inter-church Relations Committee.

Celebrating the 500th anniversary of the birth of John Calvin, the theme for preaching revolved around his teaching on Prayer in the Institutes. The keynote speaker was Dr. Joel Beebe from Netherlands Reformed Church. Joel, seminary president, prolific author and editor of journals as well as a Soli Deo Glori publication, is a foremost authority on the Puritans and Calvin. His important keynote address was on the piety of John Calvin. It was a blessed time.

Like many of you, Sharon and I finished out August with a vacation. This year we were able to visit the Grand Canyon. The park is an amazing testimony to the handiwork of the Creator. We found it quite interesting to visit the Canyon having read Tom Vail’s book, Grand Canyon: A Different View. While no longer available in the Grand Canyon Bookstore, it is readily available through Answers in Genesis. The work of Tom, a lifelong river guide, together with expert commentators and photographers, is a compelling apologetic for God’s creation and flood accounts being responsible for the Grand Canyon, and demonstrating the impossibility of secular explanations.

The summer draws to a close, the last pool and beach parties have been held. And now we turn our attention to our fall schedule.

Sunday School has moved up; AWANA has held its organizational dinner, and around the corner will be Ladies’ Bible Study, the Ladies’ Retreat, Leadership Training, Counseling Class, and many, many more opportunities for serving the Lord in this present generation.

First, it is an indication of a less than Biblical view of God. It points to a God whose sovereignty is a “limited sovereignty.” Like England’s constitutional monarchs, it envisions one whose rule has been diminished. Such a God is responsible for good health, safety, and cuddly babies. He is, however, far from burning trade towers, ill health, and stillbirths. Of course, such a God is unknown in Scripture.

Second, while such a perspective has a vastly diminished view of God, it has an enormously inflated view of self. For me to judge providence as bad I must pretend to virtual omniscience. I must be able to see and judge all the outcomes and all the concurrent events associated with that event that I judge as evil. That’s why the Biblical view of providence is simply God governing all His creatures and all their actions. I can rest, confident that God loves me, and in all things intends good for “those that love God and are the called according to His purpose.”

That’s useful to remember in witnessing. How often unbelievers throw in the teeth of the Christ that old doggerel, “Why do bad things happen to good people?” God cannot be omnipotent and good. Either He wishes good for His own and is unable to perform it; or He has the power, but does not desire their good.

Of course, such a statement is rooted in pride. It sets men’s knowledge of events against God’s. It is tantamount to a claim of virtual omniscience. Yet, as God’s children, we have found, “Whate’er my God ordains is right.”

It’s also important to remember this through the ups and downs of daily life. Some providence may be more pleasant than others. Some for a time seems harder.

My mind can’t help but travel to what recently seemed a providence difficult to bear. One of the buses promised for our use for VBS and camp wasn’t ready. This, my friends, is not a pleasant discovery the Sunday night before VBS. All the parents who had been promised bus transportation were very understanding and most were able to come. Unbelievably, this year’s attendance exceeded last year’s. And then, despite all efforts, the bus simply could not be ready to take our young people to camp. For some, this was a particular hardship. And yet, after camp the testimonies were not only about a spiritual, exciting, and profitable camp, but also about the way the Lord opened the doors for the most unexpected opportunities to witness to Christ.

Providence, God’s governing of my life and yours, is all encompassing. Some acts of providence are more immediately welcome than others. Some are more pleasant than others. But all acts of providence are the result of the work of our Heavenly Father, all are good! As the hymn writer says, “He is my God; though dark my road, He holds me that I cannot fall: wherefore to Him I leave it all.”

Welcome to Pulpit & Pews Online. The church newsletter is a blessing for the members and friends of the church to stay connected and up-to-date with the events, news, and updates that continually happen at Bible Presbyterian. The new online version of the newsletter continues to have articles from the same writers in the same categories as before, but adds to it many new features, such as: online archiving, photo shows, and email updates for those signed up. The articles themselves can still be printed from the website.

Today, many of our readers wouldn’t know what to do with those antiques. Like the rotary landline, they’re relegated to the past.  Today we have a lot more flexibility. For a decade, we’ve been progressing to an entirely digital production. The only thing paper about our paper is the final printing and mailing. That is about to change.  Part of the reason for this transition is to get a better product into your hands. What you hold in your hand isn’t what we see on our screen in the office. The digital version is clearer and in color. To remedy that, Pulpit & Pews is going completely digital. The copy you hold in your hands will likely be the last paper edition we produce. Besides saving a great deal of money, this adjustment will allow us to better serve the bulk of our readers. In the future, we will not have to wait until a sufficient amount of news is accumulated to justify the time and expense of putting out another edition. Photos will be more clear and in color. And for those of you living at a distance, delivery will be instant instead of taking weeks.
To make this happen, the format will undergo few changes and the “paper” will be hosted on our website. As each edition (actually “addition” would be closer to it) is placed online you’ll receive an e-mail containing a link to take you directly to the article.  In order to accomplish this, we need your e-mail address.  Please take a moment now to be sure that the church office has your e-mail address.  All you have to do is to send an e-mail to office@biblepres.org and include “P&P” in the subject line.  You can do this more than once; everybody who has an e-mail address in your house should sign up.

We look forward to being able to serve you more effectively beginning with our next edition so please be sure we have your e-mail address. We don’t want to lose any of our readers.