the pastor’s pen · white cross meeting 10am, thursday, march 1, in the fireside room for items...
TRANSCRIPT
M A R C H , 2 0 1 8
DON’T BEMOAN, REJOICE!
Last Sunday (meaning Sunday, February 25), I noted that, “we don’t get to bemoan the day in which God has given us to live.” In other words, we don’t get to look at the sinful, fallen world around us and respond with dismay. We certainly can grieve, but we cannot despair. Such is not the way of Je-
sus’ church.
It’s worth asking, why are we tempted to do so in the first place? Why is it that we experience a temptation to see the context in which we live and respond by wringing our hands? I think part of the answer is because we’re short-sighted and fearful. We’re prone to measure all things by the years we’ve lived; we’re prone to look for a golden age in the past; we’re prone to fear of what God asks of us in the future. We are prone to these things…yes…but I think God’s perspective is marked-ly different. Let’s explore this a bit further with reference to Matthew
24.
In Matthew 24, the disciples ask
Jesus a two-part question: “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” They ask this question after hearing Jesus’ prophetic words concerning the destruction of the Temple. In re-sponse to their inquiry, Jesus tells his followers about the end of the age and his own second coming. Now, what I find remarkable is how little Jesus intends for us to view the rise of evil as a marker of the end. I don’t have space here to explain in detail what I mean, but it appears from Jesus’ words that we are to assume the presence of wickedness and brokenness in our world. Whether “natural” disaster or human-driven persecution and evil, tribulation is the general char-
acteristic of our fallen context.
Because it is the general charac-teristic of our fallen world, I don’t think God intends for us to mark the unfolding of his plan primarily according to the evil we see and experience. Indeed, our life per-spective is typically far too short, and far too myopic to accurately “measure” the degree of manifest-
ed sin in our day. Sure, in certain ways we might compare 1950’s America with America in 2018 and note a change; a change in how we publicly celebrate sin as we did not previously. But, who’s to say that America is an accurate gauge for our world as a whole? What if, in the same time period, public morality “improved” else-where in our world…say for in-stance in portions of Africa, East-ern Europe, or Asia? What if, even in our society, there are ways in which we look less ugly than we did five decades ago (i.e. in the dissolution of legal and public seg-regation)? What if in many re-spects the world today looks less ugly than the world of the first century, even if, in others, we are
several shades darker?
So, if we are not to mark the un-folding of God’s plan primarily by the rise of evil, then what marker should we look at? What marker might we observe in order to mar-vel and say, “Wow, look at God moving things forward?” Here, Matthew 24 gives us a very clear
(Continued on page 5)
P A G E 1
C Felton Bible Church V O L U M E 1 2 , I S S U E 3
To Love God and Make God ’ s Love known
a e H T R The Pastor’s Pen Pastor PJ Davis
WHITE CROSS MEETING
Thursday, March 1, Fireside Room, at 10am.
FIRST SUNDAY LUNCH & FELLOWSHIP
Sunday, March 4, following the Worship service. $3
suggested donation.
DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME BEGINS...
Sunday, March 11.
PRIMETIME EVENT
Wednesday, March 14. Seymour Marine Discovery
Center.
GAMES!
Sunday, March 18, hosted by Felton Youth Group, in
the Fireside Room, following Sunday electives.
ALL CHURCH WORKDAY
Saturday, March 24… 9A—12Noon.
GOOD FRIDAY SERVICE
6P, Friday, March 30.
P A G E 2
WHAT’S ON?
F E L T O N B I B L E C H U R C H
Birthdays
Hayley Ward 8
Fran Cross 9
Lisa Galleguillos 10
Linda Means 11
Joan Mock 11
Gaylord Snavely 16
Louisa Davis 17
Olivia Eryavec 19
Dave Moody 23
Rebekah Crill 25
Matthew Newman 26
Nicholas Bredthauer 29
Paul Sherrick 29
James Galleguillo 30
Bob Means 30
YEAR-TO-DATE
YTD Giving $45,389
YTD Budget $48,629
(UNDER) ($ 3,240)
YTD Spending $56,175
Anniversaries
Sundays 9:30 am—Worship Service followed by fellowship time 11 am—Sunday electives 5 pm—Prayer Meeting in the Training Room
Tuesdays 5:30 pm—Awana Café 6:20 pm—Awana (kids 3yo—grade 12)
Wednesdays
11:15am—Prayer & Praise Meeting at Spring Lakes Park 5:30 pm—Felton Youth Group Middle School in the Hut 6:45 pm—Felton Youth Group High School in the Hut 7 pm—Men’s Bible Study in the Training Room
Thursdays
6:30 am—Men’s Bible Study at Mt. Roasting Co., Felton 8 am—Women’s walking group at Henry Cowell 9:30 am—Women’s Bible Study
Isaac & Laina Eryavec March 18, 2013
Peter & Janet Payne
March 20, 1976
March
White Cross Meeting
10AM, Thursday, March 1, in the Fireside Room
For items to donate, or for more information on the projects that White
Cross is doing, check out the bulletin board in the Fireside Room.
See Patty Matthews for more information.
PrimeTime is a ministry that centers
on the 55 and older crowd at Fel-
ton Bible Church… those that are
in the Prime Time of their Life!
Wednesday, March 14, we will
visit the Seymour Marine Dis-
covery Center followed by
lunch at Gilda's (Prime Rib Spe-
cial $11.95) Bus pick-up at Spring
Lakes, 11:30AM. Home by 4:00PM.
Cost $7.00 plus lunch.
A NEW GATHERING
Beginning March 11th,
during the Sunday school
hour in the Training Room.
A weekly post-sermon dis-
cussion time with Pastor
P.J. Bring your thoughts,
your observations,
and your questions.
Kids and adults
alike are welcome.
SAT., March 24
9A—12P
GOOD FRIDAY SERVICE
6P, MARCH 30
Felton Bible Church
SUNDAY,
MARCH 11
Monthly Church Family Prayer Guide -- Please join the church family in lifting
each other up in prayer.
Day 1 -- Nancy Albright; Angela Amsbaugh; Nona Ayers; Jon, Mirka & Lily Bartz
Day 2 -- Garth, Jennifer & Simon Beagle; Paul & Dianne Blocher; Marge (Borchardt) Todd
Day 3 -- Ed Borowiec; Marilyn Brandon; Nick, Irene, Wynona & Natalie Bredthauer
Day 4 -- Donna Buelow; Ken, Kathleen & Jack Bunter; Marcielle Campbell
Day 5 -- Grace Colombo; Stephen & Sally Cooper; Rebekah, Rachel, Leslie, Teralyn,
Michaela, Danielle & Becky Crill
Day 6 -- Fran Cross; Tim & Linda Cullens; Phyllis Daniele; Pastor PJ, Allie, Maddie, Grant,
Taryn, Adah & Louisa Davis
Day 7 -- Thelma Dayton; Ron, Patty, Nick, Mary, Jenna & Angelina DiNapoli
Day 8 -- Teresa Doran; Mike & Connie Dowler; Rod & Maureen Dudzinski
Day 9 -- Mike & Julie Dwyer; Tom & MaryAnn Dwyer; Isaac, Laina, Olivia & Cyprian Eryavec
Day 10 -- Elaine Finney; Jo Mary Gifford; Alene Gordon; Barbara Green
Day 11 -- Joe, Cynthia, Luke & Noah Hall; Daniel Halverson; Carol Hara; Shirley Harding
Day 12 -- Mary Hoff; Terry & Jeanie Howard; Ed Jakl; Willem & Miryam Keyzer
Day 13 -- Dan, Cindy & Jordan King; Warren & Julie Kruth
Day 14 -- Jean Kuhn; Dan & Barbara Lockwood; Lori Lovato; Patty Matthews
Day 15 -- John & Renee’ McAnally; Deanna McIntyre; Bob & Linda Means; Bob Miller
Day 16 -- Curt & Donni Miller; Joan Mock; Dave & Marsha Moody; Ken & Bess Morris
Day 17 -- Jim & Margaret Nelson; Harvey, Kathleen, Matthew & Anna Newman
Day 18 -- Gary Newton; Tom & Debbie Paille; Curt & Robin Patrick
Day 19 -- John & Madelle Payne; Peter & Janet Payne; Jim Payne
Day 20 -- Chris Potter; Velma Potter; Maxine Richards; Jacque Rowland
Day 21 -- Tony & Renee Shebanek; David, Rachel, Luke & Jessica Sherrick; Paul & Nathan
Sherrick
Day 22 -- Sonia Silvania; Gaylord & Leslie Snavely; Helen Stallings; Larry & Carolyn
Stallings
Day 23 -- Dale Stowell; Erik, Anne, Joy, Samuel & Sawyer Strombom; Gayle Strombom
Day 24 -- Lyle Surdyk; Earl & Ruth Sutherland; Ikuko Takagi; Paul & Brenda Tanner; Ron &
Cheryl Taylor
Day 25 -- Jerry & Cay Ellen Thornley; Lance & Kari Thornley; Cliff Tinsley
Day 26 -- Rick & Elaine Tozer; George & Bonnie Walter; Jim, Pat & Hayley Ward
Day 27 -- JoAnn Whitaker; Andy, Katie & Isabelle Williams; Lois Wilson
Day 28 -- John & Lorre Winkler; James & Dorothy Wood; Laurel Woodside
Days 29-31 -- Missionaries: Keith & Judy Anderson (ReachGlobal - Latin America); Tom &
Marti Chance (Awana); Jay & Vicki Dangers (New Hope Uganda Orphanage); Mike & Janet
Davis (ReachGlobal - Europe); John & Irene Johnson (ReachGlobal - England); Peter & Janet
Payne (Institute for Credible Christianity Campus Ministries); Chris Ralston (YWAM - Glean-
ings); John & Betty Scott (CityTeam); Heather & Matt Troxell (Young Life); M.& M. W.
(Pioneers); Valley Churches United Missions; White Cross; Pregnancy Resource Center; Op-
eration Christmas Child
MA
RC
H, 2
01
8
FELTON BIBLE CHURCH
MISSIONS MOMENT FOR MARCH, 2018
PETER & JANET PAYNE:
INSTITUTE FOR CREDIBLE CHRISTIANITY Peter & Janet Payne, our local missionaries, are currently touring
Europe! Their travels will bring them through 7 countries where they
will be speaking and teaching on an array of topics.
They are grateful that their church family here at Felton Bible will be
thinking about and praying for their mission work in Europe. They absolutely could not endure these
trips without the prayers of their team back home. Janet specifically asks for prayers that they stay
healthy while abroad. With their intense speaking schedule, they need more energy than they have,
more focus than they feel and more health to keep up with it all. They have over 30 speaking and
teaching engagements during their trip. (For more information on their topics and travels, visit their
website at www.CredibleChristianity.org — IFES Europe Mission 2018.)
Included in their prayer requests while traveling are prayers for their children and family back home.
They have two adults sons with families and parents in their 90’s. Please pray for the Payne’s this
month and for the work the Lord is doing through them in Europe.
answer: “And this gospel of the kingdom will be pro-
claimed
throughout the whole world as a testimony to all na-tions, and then the end will come” (Matthew 24:14). God’s primary marker – it seems to me – is not the rise of evil, but rather the spread of the Gospel. Are we significantly closer to Jesus’ return today than we were 200 years ago? Yes, indeed we are! We know that not just because time has progressed, but even more because, in that 200 years, the Gospel message has exploded across our world. Especially with the mission-ary movement of the 18th-20th centuries, God took the good news of salvation in Jesus all over our planet. The job is not yet done, but recent history witnessed a mas-sive step forward in the evangelization of people from
every tongue, and tribe, and nation.
With respect to the spread of the Gospel, we have great reason to marvel at the speed, even the increas-ing speed, with which God seems to be moving all things to fruition. Consider how technology relates to Gospel proclamation – i.e. through media like radio, television, phone, and especially the internet. Consider how these tools impact work like Bible translation, and the broad spread of the Gospel to people groups in remote locations that are difficult to access. Consider how technology – including the realm of global trans-portation – has linked this world in a manner unfore-seen only a century ago. Consider all of this, and then think about the compressed timeframe in which these developments unfolded. A mere 150 years ago, we didn’t have the telephone. Now, we communicate via applications like FaceTime at the mere push of a but-
ton. Is technology an unmitigated good…no. Of course not. Nothing that we human beings invent is ever solely an instrument of good. But, without a doubt, the tech-nological explosion experienced by the four genera-tions currently living has moved Christ’s kingdom for-ward with stunning speed and power. And not only that, but it has also given us a foundation from which to strive toward the finish line of Gospel presentation and
proclamation.
Now, lest I appear too naïve, I don’t mean to ignore the reality in which we live. The world is rife with wick-edness now, and I for one think it will get demonstrably worse in the future. That said, I don’t think this “demonstrable worseness” will come until a point in time when God removes some of the restraints on Sa-tan that currently hold him in check. Then, for a brief period – the period immediately preceding Christ’s return – there will be a time of evil unlike anything of days gone by (Matthew 24:21-22, Mark 13:19-20, 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12, 1 John 2:18-27, Daniel 11:20-12:1). But, even in the face of this reality, the call on Christ’s church is not one of angst; not one of bemoan-ing our day; not one of wringing our hands in defeat. Rather, the call is to remain watchful in holiness, to know and trust our God, and to rejoice in bearing his name to the nations (1 Thessalonians 5:1-11, Matthew
24:23-25:30, Mark 13:21-37, 1 Peter 4:7-11).
Yes, the world holds great wickedness. Yes, there is untold evil yet to come. Yes, we may suffer. But what of it? Our God is on the move with amazing speed right now. And right now we get to join him in his work! If you’ll forgive my borrowing a somewhat crude phrase attributed to the Civil War admiral, David Far-
ragut, “D**n the torpedoes, full speed ahead!”
(The Pastor’s Pen… Continued from page 1)
P A G E 6 V O L U M E 1 2 , I S S U E 3
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
1 6:30A Men’s Bible
study, Mtn. Roast-
ing Co., Felton
8A W&T
9:30A Women’s
Bible study
10A White Cross
2 3
4 9:30A Worship
10:45A First Sun-
day Lunch
5PM Prayer Mtg
5
6
5:30P Awana Café
6:20P Awana
7 11:15A Prayer
Mtg @ Spring
Lakes
5:30P FYG-MS
6:45P FYG-HS
7P Men’s Bible
study
8 6:30A Men’s Bible
study, Mtn. Roast-
ing Co., Felton
8A W&T
9:30A Women’s
Bible study
9 10
11 DAYLIGHT
SAVINGS 9:30A Worship
10:45A Fellow-
ship time
11A Sunday elec-
tives
5P Prayer Mtg
12 13
5:30P Awana Café
6:20P Awana
14 11:15A Prayer
Mtg @ Spring
Lakes
11:30A
PrimeTime Trip
5:30P FYG-MS
6:45P FYG-HS
7P Men’s Bible
study
15 6:30A Men’s Bible
study, Mtn. Roast-
ing Co., Felton
8A W&T
9:30A Women’s
Bible study
16 17
18 9:30A Worship
10:45A Fellow-
ship time
11A Sunday elec-
tives
12P GAMES
hosted by FYG
5P Prayer Mtg
19 20
5:30P Awana Café
6:20P Awana
21 11:15A Prayer
Mtg @ Spring
Lakes
5:30P FYG-MS
6:45P FYG-HS
7P Men’s Bible
study
22 6:30A Men’s Bible
study, Mtn. Roast-
ing Co., Felton
8A W&T
9:30A Women’s
Bible study
23 24 9A All Church
Workday
25 PALM SUNDAY
9:30A Worship
10:45A Fellow-
ship time
11A Sunday elec-
tives
26
27
5:30P Awana Café
6:20P Awana
28 11:15A Prayer
Mtg @ Spring
Lakes
5:30P FYG-MS
6:45P FYG-HS
7P Men’s Bible
study
29 6:30A Men’s Bible
study, Mtn. Roast-
ing Co., Felton
8A W&T
9:30A Women’s
Bible study
30 GOOD FRIDAY
6p Good Friday
Service
31
FYG: Middle School and High School Youth Group
W&T: Women’s Walk & Talk: meets at Henry Cowell/Hwy 9
You can give online…
Simple, Safe, Secure.
Felton BibleChurch
.org/Links
C H U R C H S T A F F : 831.335.3418
Jennifer Osorio, Office Manager
Pastor PJ Davis, Senior Pastor
Isaac Eryavec, Youth Director
C H U R C H O F F I C E R S :
Tom Dwyer, Elder
Leslie Snavely, Secretary
Paul Blocher, Treasurer
C O O R D I N A T O R S :
Brenda Tanner, Christian Education
Jeanie Howard, Hospitality
Nick Bredthauer, Information Technology
Jon Bartz, Men’s Ministry
Dianne Blocher, Senior Adults
Dan King, Stewardship
Jean Kuhn, Women’s Coordinator
Renee’ McAnally, World Outreach
Linda Cullens, Worship
2018
M I N I S T R Y
T EAM
Phone: 831.335.3418 Fax: 831.335.3410
Website: www.FeltonBibleChurch.org
E-mail: [email protected]
Office hours: Monday-Thursday 9am-2pm
Felton Bible Church PO Box E-1 5999 Graham Hill Road Felton, CA 95018