So I’m pretty amped to speak at church this weekend with our friends at Dimond in Anchorage. Alaska big city here we come

Topics for the weekend include… the imago Dei (image of God) in relation to culture and a missiological focus, Acts 1:8 Confidence of the church, our ministry vision to the villages, and Acts 18 regarding God’s sovereignty in redeeming a people to himself (the backstory of Paul’s involvement in Corinth).

Whew… should be a busy, but awesome weekend! Appreciate the prayers!

Laura too is awaiting baby day sometime soon We are still debating whether she will join Elias and me on this trip.
Either way, prayers for a smooth delivery would be appreciated. Her due date is January 25.

Grace,
Derek

As I think about this new year (which reaches us in AK rather late on the world’s timetable), my heart is drawn to Paul’s earnest prayer for the Ephesians in chapter 1. This Christmas I thought much on Isaiah 9:1-7 and the reality of our God’s active plan of redemption. As we graciously enter 2012, may we bring the reality of God’s Word and His work back to our minds. Our world so desensitizes us, but the stuff we read in God’s Word is real. Our God is redeeming His own among the nations. May we be to the praise of His glorious grace! May we (like in Eph. 1:18-19) be driven to greater worship! May Jesus’ fame spread! Happy 2012 everyone!

Grace,
Derek

Thank you once again so much for all of your prayers! Below are the links to our latest prayer update.

Christmas 2011 Update

I recently read through a devotional in my YouVersion iPhone app (a little plug for a sweet app) on the Christmas carol, “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day.” On Christmas day 1864, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote a poem entitled “Christmas Bells,” that was later turned into our current carol by John Baptiste Calkin. The story behind the lyrics riveted my attention.

As the backstory unfolds, Longfellow and his family lived amidst early America’s civil war period. During one particularly dry and depressing season, Longfellow’s wife longed to feel the invigorating sea breeze once again (as noted in her diary). The very next day as she was cutting her daughter’s hair, she decided to preserve some of the hair with sealing wax. As a few drops of the burning wax dripped unnoticed on Mrs. Longfellow’s lap, the longed-for sea breeze came through the window, instantly igniting and quickly engulfing her flames. She ran into the next room to her husband (away from the children), where Mr. Longfellow wrapped around his wife with anything he could to dissipate the flames. Tragically, Mrs. Longfellow died the next morning and Mr. Longfellow was so severely burned, he couldn’t even attend her funeral.

The same day of the fire tragedy, the first shots fired that began the civil war. As the civil war ensued, the Longfellows’ oldest son enlisted in the war effort, apparently without the full support of his father. Around two years after Henry lost his wife, he received word that his eldest son was severely wounded in the war.

The next year, after so much tragedy around Christmas, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow penned the words to what we now know of as “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day.” Whether it was the hope he longed for through the loss of his wife, the continued life of his eldest son, or the prospective hope for the split nation, Longfellow seemed to redirect his attention to the hope Christmas brings.

Now, whether Longfellow was a follower of Jesus, we can’t say. But, his writings, either knowingly or unknowingly, strike a chord that beautifully resonates with Scripture and the Christmas message.

Through each verse of the song, the phrase “peace on earth, good will to men” recurs, building to what we know of as the fourth verse about God being not dead. Imagine with me for a moment all of the national and personal tragedy that Longfellow associated with Christmas and life in general. Now place your own tragedies (or those you know) in place of Longfellow’s life circumstances. Keeping those scenarios in mind, recall verse four of the song, “Then pealed the bells more loud and deep: ‘God is not dead, nor doth He sleep; The wrong shall fail, the right prevail, With peace on earth, good will to men.”

One could insert the Jewish nation into this scenario as well. Ponder how they struggled living in light of their promised coming Messiah. For several hundred years God was silent. Nothing. No word about His promises being fulfilled, only more oppression by countless pagan nations.

Then, through the simple story of Christmas, Jesus, God’s Salvation (Jesus’ Hebrew name literally means Salvation), broke the silence through His humble birth.

Many of us can also identify with times of seeming hopelessness, where it seems as though God is not present.

This Christmas may we reflect on the truths declared and promised in Isaiah 9:1-7! Amidst times of confusion and seeming silence from God, our God is at work. He declared through Isaiah His plan to bring peace and righteousness through a child, a son… that One being Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace. Several hundred years later, the fruition of Isaiah’s declaration came in the form of baby Jesus!

I pray God’s grace is upon your life! If you don’t know the Jesus of Christmas as your Savior, will you embrace Him by faith? Believers, may we take comfort this season, that our God is not dead! He has a plan, and is actively working in our lives for His glory!

Glory to God in the highest!
Derek

Recently my attention has been directed toward God’s design of mankind as sexual beings. As we progressed through a study in the Koinonia group at church on 1 Corinthians, we approached chapters 6 and 7. It is here that the apostle Paul deals with confusion and compromise regarding sexual issues within the Corinthian church body. This topic led us to a brief study of the Song of Songs (or Song of Solomon).

The topic of sexuality is far too often overlooked in our churches, yet we live in a world bombarded with sexual onslaughts. It doesn’t take long for one to see our world’s obsession with this aspect of humanity. The pornography industry for one example continues to infiltrate and affect scores of people throughout our world. In fact, society’s obsession with sexuality has led many Christians to either moral compromise and apathy or a stance of separation that paints sexuality as being almost gross.

Amidst a world chalked full of sexual images and headstrong sexual depravity, God provides us His purpose for His intentional sexual design. We as creatures fashioned in our God’s very likeness, picture aspects of our Maker. God’s intentional design involves the union of the female and male attributes of His Image in a wonderfully united and God-glorifying way. As husbands apply the truths of Ephesians 5 and 1 Peter 3, we depict Jesus’ love for the church in the understandingly, grace-infused interaction with our wives. Likewise, as wives apply the truths of Ephesians 5 and 1 Peter 3, they depict the church’s adoration of Jesus in their lovingly, submissive and honoring interaction with their husbands. These complementing and God-glorifying aspects of marriage and God’s redeemed image pictured in the marriage also relate to the bedroom. In other words, the sexual aspect of our marriages should take on the same forms seen in Ephesians 5, 1 Peter 3, 1 Corinthians 7, etc. Our attitude toward our spouses must be shaped by the Gospel and God’s own gracious treatment of us. Our interaction then in moments of intimacy must also reflect God’s own gracious treatment of us. We are called in marriage to lovingly serve each other out of a hearts of adoration for each other, ultimately stemming from a heart of worship for our God.

I heard a secular love song the other day that quite surprised me. It was actually a call to rekindle the love between a husband and wife. As the blood-bought redeemed adopted children of the Maker of the universe, our marriages should reflect His intentional design and give Him glory. Why does the world look at Christian marriage and think it’s boring? Why are so many marriages stuck in a rut? Why are sexual issues some of the most divisive problems within marriages? Oh, may we apply God’s design in our marriages. May we relish in God’s intentional enjoyment that comes with marital intimacy. May we delight in the “wife of our youth.” Wives, may you delight in the “husband of your youth.” May we continually allow the Gospel and our love for our Redeemer God help shape our marriages! Those of you reading this who are married, seek to apply God’s grace in your marriage! May we seek to make marriage look like a blast! May we seek to make marriage look like a deeply-cherished commitment. Even in those rough spells that come and go in the course of every marriage, may our application of the Gospel in our marriages make marriage look godly. May we simply apply consistently God’s intentional design for marriage.

As we allow God’s intentional design for our sexuality to be redeemed in our own lives and marriages, we will stand out in our sex-saturated world. May we allow Scripture to shape the way we understand, live with, sacrifice for, and serve our spouse. Men, may we realize our calling to adore and honor our wives in ways that sometimes call us to give up our own supposed rights or needs. Women, may you realize your calling to honor and submit to your husbands in ways that call you to shower him with grace. Those of you who are single, may you realize your current calling to live as God has so chosen for you right now. May you truly heed the warning of the woman in the Song of Songs to not rush and awaken love before it’s time. During your time of waiting, may you honor the opposite sex in sexually redeemed ways.

Sexuality must be redeemed in our world today! This is certainly one aspect of culture that stands in desperate need of redemption! We see it in our own area on Alaska’s road system, across Alaska’s villages, and I’m sure you see it in your own area as well. May we strive to courageously deny ourselves and serve our God and the husband or wife he graces us with out of redeemed hearts of worship.

Grace,
Derek

Thank you once again so much for all of your prayers! Below are the links to our latest prayer update.

Fall 2011 Update

The other day I was sitting at an Alaska local coffee shop, Kaladi Brothers. As I sit it any coffee shop, it is quite interesting to observe this cultural epicenter of our society. Culture in general fascinates me and it is likely one of the interests that God gave me for mission work.

As believers we are called to live in this world for the spread of Jesus’ fame. We are called to be in the world, but not to live for the world. Right? Question…How are we to influence this world for the spread of Jesus’ fame? As you look through Scripture, we read about Jesus’ highly relational attention to people. We see Jesus living in the culture of that day and confronting it with the truth of His Father. We also read about Paul’s sensitivity to the differing cultural worlds surrounding him throughout each town he traveled. As we further read and examine the Scriptural letters in the New Testament, we see a redeemed people living in a real world, wrestling with the same issue we wrestle with today: living in our world/culture for the spread of Jesus’ fame in an effective and yet holy way.

One helpful paradigm I stumbled across a couple years ago goes like this: 1. Receive 2. Reject 3. Redeem. As we peer at culture and our responsibility to live in it as redeemed mankind fashioned in God’s now sanctifying image, how do we flesh this out in a Jesus-honoring and balanced way? This 3-point paradigm I believe helps in this process. Like Jesus, Paul, the other apostles, and the early church, we must develop a God-centered lens from which we peer at our cultural world.

There are always aspects of culture that we can receive, enjoy, and adapt. Although apart from God’s provision we are utterly marred in sin, humanity’s God-given expressions of culture have beautiful traces of our Creator. We must learn to develop eyes to see these visible traces of God’s creation reflected in culture.

Likewise, there will inevitably be many aspects of culture that are evidences of humanity’s depravity. These must obviously be rejected. God has chosen, called, and saved us out of this deprave world to live as salt and light. There are many examples of even believers who wrongly contextualize their lives and the Gospel in culturally compromised ways.

Finally, these rejected aspects of fallen culture must ultimately be pointed toward redemption. Every deprave and rejected aspect of culture can be pointed toward redemption in light of Jesus and the Gospel’s implications for us His people, the church.

So my question, How are you looking at our world, our culture? How are you receiving and adapting to some aspects of culture? Are you properly discerning in this area? How are you rejecting aspects of culture? Are you properly discerned in this area? Have you compromised in this area? How are you pointing toward the cross, toward redemption, in our fallen world? Do you recognize this as part of your calling as a Christian?

—–

As I sit in the coffee shop, I am observing culture. Coffee shops really are incredible epicenters in our cultural world today, at least in Western America (though I think it probably extends beyond just here). By studying in this environment occasionally, I get to see the continual flow of all kinds of people on their morning routine. Another observation, coffee shops are places where people (especially young people) love to hang out to study (like me) and to simply hang out with friends. This is an interesting aspect of culture.

Similarly, many movie theaters would reveal similar observations about culture. We could undoubtedly make many good and bad observations about culture from observing a typical movie theater.

Another obvious aspect to culture and values is observed in dress styles and how people choose to portray themselves in public. What does this tell you about some potentially good or bad observations of our culture?

Take any of these simple examples and apply them to numerous other scenarios…the grocery store, the home improvement store, any random restaurant, the outdoors (fishing, hunting), etc… What aspects of culture do you see from these different places?

Think for a moment about television. There are many aspects, good and bad, that we can observe from television, movies, and media in general. What kind of cultural agenda does today’s television and movies try to push? What are some good and bad observations we could make about our media?

Music is another great example. What type of music does our culture uphold as “accepted?” Why is that? What kind of lyrics are used in today’s music? What topics are referred to in music today? What are some good and bad observations we could draw out from music in our culture?

Maybe somewhat related to some other examples previously listed above, what type of places and times of the day do people gather for fun? Why do cities have such a big focus on nightlife? What age group of people are found hanging out together and when and where do they hang out? Why is that? What observations could we make?

——

As we learn to look at culture with attentive lenses filtered by the Gospel, we will begin seeing culture as a gift from our Creator God, but something also in dire need of redemption! How do you look at the culture around you? What are aspects of culture right now that you are enjoying? What are aspects right now that you are rejecting? How then are you seeking to point toward redemption in those rejected aspects of our marred culture?

These are I believe important Biblical principles for us to implement. As I stated, I have found this 3-point paradigm particularly helpful. It’s so easy to roll through life, either living in our own little world, missing opportunities to reach our culture for Jesus, or sometimes even living in culturally compromised ways. May we develop Jesus-centered cultural lenses as we seek to live for the spread of His fame in our world!

Grace,
Derek

Our trip to Bethel is underway. Actually, by the time this is posted, we will have returned. But for now I type these words on my iPhone while flying in a seat through the sky somewhere over the Alaskan wilderness.

My thoughts are directed toward the book we are going over in the Koinonia Sunday school class that we teach at our church – 1 Corinthians. Paul’s involvement there and God’s powerful work there truly is astounding! It is encouraging to peer into Paul’s struggle with the Corinthian work as we read the backstory of his involvement there. Paul didn’t just go to Corinth with wide and open reception. The Corinthian church plant didn’t just spring up overnight. Rather, the work in Corinth evidently progressed quite slowly, at least initially. As our eyes glance over the Acts 18 text, we begin to see a man (Paul) with building frustration over the relative slowness of the people’s faith and the apparent stubbornness of his own people, the Jews.

Eventually, God does begin saving people out of Corinth. What is really cool is the encouragement God gave Paul amidst the struggle and slowness of the Corinthian project. God sends a vision to Paul encouraging him to persevere. Why we may wonder was he to persevere? Answer: because God had an incredible plan for the Corinthians. Paul hears from God in this vision that there are many of God’s own in Corinth. There were some who had already embraced the Gospel and there were many more that God promised would embrace the Gospel. What an encouragement! He was to persevere! So, why had Paul been led to Corinth? The answer is quite clear from Acts 18 and the history of God’s work of redeeming a people to Himself in Corinth.

What is particularly encouraging from the Corinthian story is the direct correlation of God’s leading and powerful working to ministry today!

How does God lead in new ministry endeavors today? How does God build His church today? How does God redeem a people to Himself today? How does God use our own area of influence to build His Kingdom? I would suggest that He works in much the same way that we see in Corinth. Now that may seem like an obvious deduction, but I believe the obvious nature of this fact is not only tremendously encouraging, but also an extremely important reminder.

Think for a moment about your own involvement with ministry or outreach. Does the lack of tangible results ever get frustrating?

I sometimes ponder over the relative slowness of Alaska village ministry. Sometimes even the seeming slowness of God’s leading us to our full-time involvement in the villages can be frustrating.

So, as our Dash 8-100 Era Alaska plane begins to descend, my mind brings all these thoughts to bear on Bethel and the surrounding Yukon-Kuskokwim region. What is God currently doing here?

———

Well, I now resume my thoughts as our Era flight back to Anchorage cuts through the clouds at 23,000 feet.

Our several day stay in Bethel afforded us the opportunity to learn more of what God is currently doing in Bethel. First, it is exciting to see how God is using the technology medium of radio for ministry in and around Bethel. There are only 3 or 4 FM radio stations in Bethel; one public radio and the other main two being Christian stations. This particular trip for us was centered around exploring one of these Christian stations: KYKD Bethel 100.1FM VFCM (Voice for Christ Ministries). The ministry has a clear passion of providing solid Biblical teaching and music for Bethel and the surrounding region comprised of several other villages and countless summer fish camps. We heard good reports from Bethel locals and other villages about the VFCM radio broadcast. I was also able to learn about the behind-the-scenes processes to the station and even record some weather and station advertising liners. What a privilege to actually begin broadcasting with my voice in this area! I have also agreed to help VFCM maintain and possibly enhance their website, something which I am excited about regarding that potential. It would be great to expand this site, tailoring it for more use for the actual Bethel-listening area (possibly one day even including a web-based stream to more of the YK Delta region and many other villages)! To say the least, the radio ministry seems to be a very exciting opportunity for us to begin as simply one piece in the overall visionary puzzle of fostering indigenous church planting activity.

Secondly, we were privileged to attend a fully Yupi’k service on Sunday night (boy did we ever feel like outsiders). It was great though! Before and after the service we met several local Yupi’k men. One of these local village elders told us an interesting secret, one which was told us in story form. He chronicled the past success of Moravian missionaries to their in-depth time and effort spent in learning their Yupi’k language (something we have previously considered). It was quite interesting how he shared this “secret” with us. He said we should have coffee sometime, then paused, and simply told us this brief story about learning their language. When he walked off, Laura and I looked at each other and realized the point of his story. Thus, we are still seriously looking into learning their language. This morning before we left, I connected with the University of Fairbanks Bethel campus for upcoming culture and language course offerings. Although we can communicate normally in English and there are ministries here who operate in English, there does seem to be something significant about a ministry’s effectiveness through identifying with their indigenous language.

Thirdly, we spent some time with another local area pastor and newly-arrived youth pastor in Bethel. Hearing of their heart (one of them being a part native man himself) for the Bethel community and specifically the local indigenous community is encouraging. It was great to participate in brainstorming ways in which they are seeking to expand their outreach in Bethel. In this regard we are prayerfully seeking ways we can plug into these types of outreach under the tutorship of this part-native leadership.

Fourthly and finally, we are continually learning about a local area Bible seminary. While this ministry has existed for quite some time, they seem to be refining their purpose, focus, and affiliations. The opportunity to learn more of this ministry and even possibly participate in it is quite exciting. It in fact is seeking to do just what our central passion is: training indigenous leadership to reach their own people with the Gospel. Therefore, we are also seeking God’s direction regarding the capacity that we may be able to be involved in this training outreach.

In addition to all of these ministry opportunities, Laura also researched the hospital and their current job options. As it providentially turns out, the HR department basically offered her a job for our current transition date in a few months. They evidently need nurses here and were quite excited to have a willing body already with plans of moving to Bethel with several years of ER experience.

In summary our thoughts are quite positive and encouraged at God’s current work in Bethel. We’re not saying that all is well or that it will be easy, but we clearly see God leading us to our current version of “Corinth” in a Acts 18 kind of way. God clearly continues opening opportunities and leading us toward beginning efforts in Bethel and we excitedly look forward to watching Him redeem a people to Himself!

Wow, that was a long update, actually all typed on my phone in the sky, but I trust you will be encouraged how to better pray for us! Well, we are descending into Anchorage soon, so Lord bless!

Grace,
Derek

Well, last night the Koinonia small group (a part of the young adult ministry we lead at our church) just wrapped up our study in the book of Malachi. What a great book! God urges His people to return to Him; to correct their lives in areas where they were headstrong set against God’s clear commands. Some of the specific issues in Malachi include apathetic worship regarding half-hearted forms of sacrifices and offerings, flippant attitudes and actions toward the marriage covenant (both spiritually before their God and literally in the marriage relationship), and a neglected obedience to financially give to God’s work. Throughout Malachi’s rebukes, he includes sections of God’s future judgment of sin and deliverance of His people.

Malachi predicts the coming of another Elijah-like messenger (identified as John the Baptist) to prepare the way for God-in-the-flesh (Jesus), Who will initiate some of the future prophecies that Malachi declares. Malachi ends in chapter 4 with a look toward the future. Sometimes we get caught up with life and forget that God is active in working His plan of redemption in our world. As Malachi declares, God will intensely judge sin upon His future return. Sin is serious. Redemption is offered. God is on mission to redeem a people of His own, identified and hidden in Jesus’ very righteousness. God’s people in Malachi’s day and God’s people today can take great confidence that our Redeemer God is on mission to fulfill His plan for the ages. What a privilege it is to simply be a part in it all!

Grace,
Derek?

I added this entry recently to our church blog at Soldotna Bible Chapel…

During my study for the Koinonia young adult summer small group, I’ve been pondering the intensely applicable truths of Malachi. Malachi opens this word of the Lord with a tone of dire urgency. Malachi (meaning God’s messenger) is sent to beckon a chosen people careening toward depravity to come back in line with God’s commands. Malachi lays it all out before the priests, as ones with whom God entrusted the great responsibility of leading the people in God’s ways. He then lays it all out before the general population of the Judah remnant (post-exile).

These are people with a tremendous heritage; chosen by God from humble beginnings. These are chosen people who clearly experienced the mighty delivering hand of Jehovah. These are chosen, delivered people who painstakingly endured opposition, judgment, and yet personally saw God’s grace and preserving work. These are chosen, delivered, grace-endowed people who found themselves living back in Judea in a post-captivity-judgment (Babylon) period (now with more freedom under Persian rule) and awaiting the fruition of God’s promises of a Messiah. While these are a chosen, delivered, grace-endowed, and expectant people with a rebuilt temple, they were also in Malachi’s day a compromised, idolatrous, and polluted people. It is in this context that God sends Malachi to His wayward people.

As we reflect on Malachi’s message and urgent rebuke, I can’t help but see our own world in this book. We as the body of Christ are likewise a chosen, delivered, grace-endowed people living in light of Jesus the Christ’s profound work of redemption. We like the Israel remnant also look forward with expectancy to God’s promise of returning and final establishment of His Kingdom reign. Yet, we like the rebuilding Israel remnant in Malachi’s day, also find ourselves often polluted and comprised by our sinful flesh.

One thing shines forth as a bold declaration amidst this bleak context. Amidst a deprave world and God’s compromised people, God Almighty still sovereignly reigns and works His masterful plan of grace. He is King! His Name will be glorified among the nations! He will be feared! No matter how bleak the outlook–even amidst our own unfaithfulness–this IS our GOD! (Malachi 1:11, 14)

This leads me to ask myself, do I truly fear God? Do we as the body of Jesus, those with an amazing heritage of God’s grace, truly fear God? I firmly believe like in Malachi’s day, God is on mission much the same today. His Name will be feared among the nations. What confidence that brings! At the same time what humility and brokenness that should bring! Like in Malachi’s day, we need a resurgence of redeemed men and women who become utterly broken over sin and relentlessly follow Jesus and His Word with hearts of amazed and humbled passion!

We’re all too often like the lukewarm Laodicean church in Revelation 3:14ff. My heart goes out especially for those of my own generation, who all too often wain in our spiritual fervor and consistent passion for Jesus. Countless studies reveal the negative issues surrounding the “unchurched” population today. Countless studies reveal the shrinking tendency of young adults in the church today. I am very grateful for the younger gathering of redeemed men and women that God has assembled here at the Bible Chapel! May we the young adult generation (Generation Y) realize that we are called to be God’s set apart and passionately involved people (the church)! We don’t have to wait until some elusive future “adulthood” phase to serve in the church context. May we see God continue to raise up a passionate group of young adults in Soldotna Bible Chapel that relentlessly pursue Jesus and worshipfully seek to express their adoration of Him through passionate involvement. May we all (from all generations) see God’s calling on our lives to continue pursuing His plan for us as the church to walk in His ways! May God continue raising up His called out, grace-endowed people here at Soldotna Bible Chapel to rise above the apathetic, cut-corners, empty religiosity that we read of Malachi’s day!

An honest reading of Malachi reveals our intensely applicable hearts, so prone to wander, so prone to not walk in the Spirit, and so prone to walk through this life in apathy, void of a true passion for God. Like in Malachi’s day, we go through the motions, we offer God pathetic half-hearted offerings of worshipful service, and we lose sight of resting in God’s overall purpose in this life (despite our often bleak perspectives and circumstances). Maybe God would lead you to take a closer look at the book of Malachi, and I pray He will use it in your life as He continues using it in my life!

Lastly, I wanted to end this post with a quote from John Piper regarding our worship/fear of God:
“Missions is not the ultimate goal of the church. Worship is. Missions exists because worship doesn’t. Worship is ultimate, not missions, because God is ultimate, not man. When this age is over, and the countless millions of the redeemed fall on their faces before the throne of God, missions will be no more. It is a temporary necessity. But worship abides forever.” (John Piper, Let the Nations Be Glad. p. 15)

May His Name be Praised,
Derek