Mission Support

Church family,

As I sit in my office early in the morning, I look at my calendar and am reminded that there are four days until Christmas. I have reflected on my ‘readiness’ for Christmas – “Do we have everyone’s gifts?”, “What is on the schedule and list that needs ‘to be done’ before the 25th?”, etc. Yes, family starts to arrive at our home today and continues over the next couple of days. We will have good times and memories made.

I am also reminded that the Christmas season is different for everyone. For some, it will be that children or family will not be coming this year. For others, a loved one has passed on and there will be an ’empty’ place at our gatherings. There are those around us who have had serious physical or emotional setbacks that will affect their Christmas. Life is full of the unexpected.

Let me remind you that Jesus knows and cares. His coming was “not the norm” and was different than most expected. How He came left many uncertain of who He was. John 1:11 (ESV) He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. This Christmas, take time to look to Jesus. Reflect upon who He is, why He came, and His love for you!

Let me share with you some reflective seasonal writings:

Christmas Is for Messy Lives 

A Word to Those Who Are Lonely This Christmas

Why Do We Have Christmas Trees?

Worship Christ the Lord!

Love to you all!

Pastor Brian

Church family,

In recent weeks, our news headlines have been filled with new revelations of sexual misconduct/abuse by prominent men throughout the country. It seems these allegations are of men from a wide range of places and positions. I am sure that as we have heard the news, our hearts perhaps are sickened and disappointed. Perhaps it has led to personal reflection.

As we discussed this current issue in our staff meeting this week, it was clear that we were reminded that sin is messy. Sin is something we are all infected with and it does not just effect men. Yes, we are saddened that many women have been sexually harassed and abused. Sinful mistreatment of others is always unacceptable.

As children of God, we are in the midst of a heart transformation. Actually, Jesus is praying for us in this process…

John 17:14-20 (ESV)  I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth. “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word,

Jesus is praying that we will be kept from the evil one – Satan. He is praying that we will be sanctified (set apart to God and from sin) in the truth – God’s Word. He prays that as we are in the world, the Spirit of God would go with us and protect us. In this process of sanctification, we will often face difficult personal challenges. The question is, will we let the Lord do that work within us? Jesus, by the power of the Holy Spirit, does ‘spiritual surgery’ as part of the transformation in our lives. Sin ‘has to go’ in that process. It’s a necessary work He does in us.

What Jesus is acknowledging in John 17 is that we are in a battle. This idea of being in a battle was the focus of our discussion Monday night in our Men’s Bible Study. As author and speaker John Eldridge said, “The scriptures are all about the battle between God and Satan.” The wonderful news is that God has defeated Satan through the death and resurrection of Jesus! Jesus is our Savior! He is a victorious warrior!

As you know, as we have placed our faith and trust in Jesus He becomes the One we can look to and call upon for help. He is the one who can rescue us from sin and the evil one! After all, it’s clear we can’t do it ourselves!

In the men’s study, John Eldridge reminded us that the real battle is the battle for our heart. He also broke down where the battles were: the flesh, the world, and Satan. Let me briefly distinguish between the three.

1.  Flesh – it says ‘take the easy way out. You don’t have to be or do what God says.’ The flesh appeals to our selfishness. It appeals to your flesh – not doing things God’s way.
2.  World – it makes promises it can’t keep. The key word is ‘counterfeit’. The lure of power/position/control, wealth/possessions, and popularity/fame offer a false sense of security.
3.  Satan – the master deceiver, father of lies. As Eldridge says, “Has it ever crossed your mind that not every thought that crosses your mind comes from you?” Satan lies all the time.

In all this, the sad thing is that we don’t think Satan exists. We have bought the “father of lies” lie! Be reminded, the Word of God tells us of his existence. It also tells us to be aware of him!

1 Peter 5:8-9a (NLT) Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. 

So where should we be in all this? Remember, we are all infected with sin (no one is exempt). Man’s heart is wicked. Thank God for Jesus – for His saving and sanctifying work – the gospel! Thank Him for His grace and forgiveness – the gospel! And don’t forget – Satan is a real liar. Be aware of his schemes! If needed: reflect & let the Spirit search your heart, confess your sin, repent, and walk in Him!

Walking with you,

Pastor Brian

Insightful article – A Great Sexual Reckoning

Church family,

I want you to reflect on this quote from author and pastor, Paul Tripp.

We must not reduce Christianity to a system of theology and rules. Theology and rules will never redeem you. They were never given by God to be an end in themselves. They are a means to an end. Their purpose is to cause you to see the depth of your need and the sufficiency of Christ’s work so that you might run to him in the desperation of faith, placing your hope in his grace and having your heart filled with awe of him.

As we have concluded Paul’s letter to the Galatian believers, remember…

Galatians 2:16 (NLT) ¹⁶ Yet we know that a person is made right with God by faith in Jesus Christ, not by obeying the law. And we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we might be made right with God because of our faith in Christ, not because we have obeyed the law. For no one will ever be made right with God by obeying the law.”

May this Christmas be one that you realize again the depth of His love for you. His grace is more than sufficient for you!

Walking with you,

Pastor Brian

Church family,

Thanksgiving is past, and November is almost complete. Black Friday and Cyber Monday came and went.

In the news there are almost hourly stories of anger, hurt, & selfishness. One person accusing another. Words tweeted, posted – lawyers hired. It appears that even though as Americans we’ve tried to convey “we’ve got it all together”, man is really a mess! What we are seeing is the exposure of the reality of our heart. Man is sinful, in desperate need of a Savior. Be reminded though, the one main difference between you and they, is that you have recognized you are “a mess” and have run to the Savior. The only person who can meet our need is Jesus. He is the gospel message.

Since I have been your pastor, I have preached to you an overall message that “the power of God is the gospel.” There is no other solution to our problem of sin. I have preached on how we need to relate/see God, who Jesus says that He is, what life in the Kingdom of God looks like, embracing God’s Word, knowing our identity in Christ, and now finishing the letter to the Galatians – the good news of the gospel is by faith alone, in Christ alone, by grace alone! Our family, friends, coworkers, neighbors, council members, mayors, and all government leaders all need the message of this gospel!

This Christmas season, pray for and take opportunities to talk about the hope of Christ with others. We aren’t just celebrating the birth of a great man, but a great Savior!

Psalm 115:1-18 (NLT)
¹ Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to your name goes all the glory for your unfailing love and faithfulness. ² Why let the nations say, “Where is their God?”    ³ Our God is in the heavens, and he does as he wishes. ⁴ Their idols are merely things of silver and gold, shaped by human hands. ⁵ They have mouths but cannot speak, and eyes but cannot see. ⁶ They have ears but cannot hear, and noses but cannot smell. ⁷ They have hands but cannot feel, and feet but cannot walk, and throats but cannot make a sound. ⁸ And those who make idols are just like them, as are all who trust in them. ⁹ O Israel, trust the LORD! He is your helper and your shield. ¹⁰ O priests, descendants of Aaron, trust the LORD! He is your helper and your shield. ¹¹ All you who fear the LORD, trust the LORD! He is your helper and your shield. ¹² The LORD remembers us and will bless us. He will bless the people of Israel and bless the priests, the descendants of Aaron. ¹³ He will bless those who fear the LORD, both great and lowly. ¹⁴ May the LORD richly bless both you and your children. ¹⁵ May you be blessed by the LORD, who made heaven and earth. ¹⁶ The heavens belong to the LORD, but he has given the earth to all humanity. ¹⁷ The dead cannot sing praises to the LORD, for they have gone into the silence of the grave. ¹⁸ But we can praise the LORD both now and forever! Praise the LORD!

Walking with you,

Pastor Brian

Church family,

This week I want to remind you of the message I preached – Live by The Spirit, Galatians 5:16-26. As I shared Sunday morning, our lives as believers and followers of Christ are to be different. Paul points out that truth in Galatians 5. Because of Christ’s death and resurrection, we can be free – no longer have to live under the bondage of sin! As I have said before, the gospel of grace, of Jesus Christ, not only saved you but provided purpose for your life! His provision for those who trust Him by faith is salvation, abundant life, and eternal life!

The key question is, how does this freedom and transformation occur in the life of a believer? Answer: through the power of the Holy Spirit! In the Galatians 5 passage, I offered three reminders that will give you direction in living in the power of the Holy Spirit: walk by the Spirit, watch your step, and keep in step. These are true whether you are a child, teenager, millennial, boomer, buster, or boomerang! It all begins with submitting to the Holy Spirit;

>Walk by the Spirit

– follow Jesus around

– say “no” to the flesh and “yes” to the Spirit

– remember, you are in a spiritual battle — your heart is the battlefield

– remember, you are “in Christ” not under the law

>Watch your step

– the works of the flesh – our sinful passions and desires – are obvious; sexual, religious, relational, and indulgences

– the fruit of the Spirit – what the Spirit produces in us as we walk in the Spirit

>Keep in step

– Remember we belong to Christ – He’s our Father

– Sin does not have to dominate our lives

– We have access to the power of the Holy Spirit

Dr. A.B. Simpson comments (Christ in the Bible, vol. 5), Step by step, moment by moment, little by little we dwell in Him and walk in Him. The grace that can keep us for a moment can keep us for a lifetime. The strength that is sufficient for today is pledged for all the days. So let us live in the Spirit; so let us walk in the Spirit; so let us abide in Him who has said, “If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5b).

Resolve to live daily by the Spirit! I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not treat the grace of God as meaningless. Galatians 2:20b, 21a (NLT)

Walking with you,

Pastor Brian

Church family,

As we approach Thanksgiving, the question always asked is “What are you thankful for?”. Perhaps there are a multitude of things you are thankful for. Even though life has its share of disappointments and ‘ups and downs’ we have much to be thankful for.

Personally, I am thankful for the Holy Spirit. Recently, I have been reading and studying a lot on the person of the Holy Spirit. I am specifically thankful that God has provided the Holy Spirit for us as His children.

John 14:16, 17 (NLT) – And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you.  He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, 
because he lives with you now and later will be in you.

The disciples must have thought “How could this ‘advocate’ be better than having Jesus with us?” Well, the Holy Spirit would be with each of His children and then Jesus said “he… will be in you.” The Spirit of God inside us? It is that Spirit who guides us in truth and empowers us to live our lives in Christ! If we try and do that on our own, we will fail miserably. But if we invite His Spirit in and walk in the Spirit, we can have victory over the flesh!

I am thankful God didn’t just send His Son to die and pay for our sin. I am thankful He also sent the Spirit to enable us to live the life God calls us to!

Walking with you,

Pastor Brian

Church family,

If I were to ask you what your purpose in life is, what would you say? I am sure there would be a variety of responses. Responses from happiness, serving others, making disciples, to making a good living would probably be given. While each of these seem admirable, there is a greater purpose in life.

Some might say that focusing on and giving one’s life to God’s mission would be the ultimate purpose in life. Honesty, there is something greater.

For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. Philippians 1:21 (ESV)

Communion with God, through Christ.

Christ came for forgiveness of sin, to save us from hell… sure. But for what purpose? To reconcile us to God – restoration of the relationship we had ‘in the garden’ with God, before sin severed the relationship.

In the parable of the prodigal son(s), we see our tendency. Both boys seemed to be focused on what they could get from their father. We often live our lives the same way. We live as though the mission (what we do for God) is more important than God Himself. And we often live the mission in order to get from God.

Don’t get me wrong, the mission of Christ is important – to make disciples. It is a great thing, but not the ultimate thing. Let me share,

Philippians 3:7-11 (ESV) But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.

John 15:5 (ESV) I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

Pursue God to know God. Abide in Him (relationship). Only then will the things you do be fruitful. This is the ultimate priority and purpose of your life.

In HIS hands,

Pastor Brian

Church family,

As Christians celebrate and reflect on the 500th Anniversary of Reformation, I want you to take a look at these C&MA resources/articles pertaining to the importance of that event.

Solus Christus, Sola Scriptura, Sola Gratia, Soli Deo Gloria, Sola Fide

Also, you will find the final article, The Story of the Reformation – Simpson on Luther.

Let me encourage you to participate in our upcoming International Workers’ Conference beginning this Sunday! Sunday morning Andy Brake will be sharing with us in the morning service. Following the service, we will have a potluck lunch in the gym. There are also additional times to connect with the Brakes during the week:

Monday, ladies ‘Minute to Win It!’ with Lora (7-8 pm)

Tuesday, everyone ‘Indonesian Game Night’ with Andy and Lora (6:30-8 pm)

Wednesday, men ‘Putt at PAC’ with Andy (6:30-8)

Saturday, ladies ‘Brunch with Lora’ at BG Alliance (9:30)

Sunday, everyone, Lora will share in the morning worship service and with the youth at 5:00 pm.

Take time to come and get to know those we support through the Great Commission Fund and hear how God is working in Indonesia.

Walking with you,

Pastor Brian

Church family,

As I was reading today, the author quoted from Richard Halverson, the former chaplain of the United States Senate:

In the beginning the church was a fellowship of men and women centered on the living Christ. Then the church moved to Greece, where it became a philosophy. Then it moved to Rome, where it became an institution. Next, it moved to Europe, where it became a culture. And, finally, it moved to America, where it became an enterprise.

For clarification, I looked up the word “enterprise”. It means “a business or company”.

As the church moved to different cultures throughout history, you can see how the values of the culture, or what the culture exalted, effected how the church was seen or established. The church of America has become reflective of what our culture exalts.

Over my years of ministry, this subtle well-intentioned objective for the church has driven many in the establishment and ministry of the church. Man knows how to build ‘an enterprise’. Often the issue is the church can be out in front of the Holy Spirit’s leading and empowerment. The Holy Spirit gets mentioned as “part of the ministry’s success” but in reality, He is left out of leading the way. Strategy, proven methods, and proper training become the leading force in building a “successful ministry”.

Acts 1:8 (NLT) But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

The church is a spiritual organism. It only functions effectively as its people are committed and surrendered to the Holy Spirit’s will and as the Spirit empowers and leads. Take a look at the beginnings of the church in Acts. The believers only responded as the Spirit so directed and empowered. In that, God did mighty things!

This is my heart for ministry at PAC – Holy Spirit empowered and lead ministry… counter-cultural. I want Him to lead us and then we use our willingness and gifts to follow.

In HIS hands,

Pastor Brian

Church family,

Galatians 2:20 (NLT) My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 

As we continue to study the book of Galatians, we come to chapter 2. Paul writes this verse – verse 20. I would imagine that most, if not all of us, would resonate with what Paul is saying. Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Is this true for you? Are we living daily by trusting Christ who lives in us? Are we aware of what that means? His strength to live in His purposes each day! In and of ourselves we are not able to endeavor “kingdom” things. But because Christ lives in us, we have the one ‘in us’ who can work in and through us to do kingdom things! The question is, do we trust Him?

Walking with you,

Pastor Brian