The LORD has been moving in the community that gathered last week at the GES National Conference. It was really neat to watch and listen to the work He had been doing! I could hear it and see it in a bulk of the main sessions. It was in the small talk in the corridors; "I was cut to the heart with that!" with a hearty laugh. It was in the banquet and the prayer session. GES people want to examine the scriptures. And I cannot detect anything but humility in the tone. Praise the LORD! This roughly matches the desires of those I talked with a year and a half ago at the FGA National Conference.
Satan is alone in his desire to finish off Free Grace men and women.
A Blogging Constituency (from left to right): Amy Paige, Don Reiher, Jim Reitman, Tim Nichols, Michele Painter, Diane Boring, David BellI was standing nearby when one gentleman read Tim's t-shirt and laughed and then thought on a more serious note, "You know, on the back it could read 'My Local Baptist Church.' After all, we're all sinners saved by grace, aren't we?"
Hey: Did you know that I'm broken? It's true. But the LORD has a plan and a hope for me, and He has the same for you. Right now in your struggles He is preparing you for an even greater ministry-don't let anyone tell you otherwise!
29 comments:
Yes, Michele, He is . . .
So Jim and I spent several minutes with this older gentleman who immigrated from Poland. He struck up some conversation about politics and his grown son and how his life is aimless lately and then admitted, "My son is looking at all the religions." Wow, I perked up, tried to listen intently on his situation and through his thick accent. I wanted to connect with him and then make a comment about the gospel. But then it hit me. I realized that Jim was getting along just dandy with this gentleman. They both had grown sons who had some things in common, etc. etc. Jim was having no problem cutting through the accent. Jim was the one God was using today. I was really unsure whether Jim was actually going to slide in the gospel because it was so free and friendly and then he said, "You should ask your son what he thinks about resurrection from the dead."
Sweet. The gentleman changed the topic at that point to non-religious things. And a few minutes later the contact was over.
I'm just saying, I have highlights from the trip. :D
Another highlight was when John Niemelä announced during his session that everyone attending the conference could have their own free box of 100 "Living Water" gospel of john tracts!
...100 gospel of john tracts...
Wow... I'm rich. I don't know what to do with myself. I keep praying God will give me what He wants me to do with them. :D
. . . and all that time I thought you were just sleeping in the back seat!
:-)
I've learned to sleep with one eye open! Three kids'll do that, ask any mother. :D
Yeah, you never know when one of those critters will try to steal your strawberry latte (isn't that the drink you're addicted to?).
Do you have critters after coffee around you too? Yes it is raspberry mocha if you wanna get technical...
How is your shoulder? Did it recover after a few days? :)
Yes, I have grandcritters that come over fairly frequently---gotta watch 'em like a hawk. The two-year-old (Jacob) is especially cunning (but he's the apple of my eye).
Shoulder? You mean that pink gym bag of yours that I carried from one end of the conference center to the other, full of all the books you bought at GES and the free Living Waters (and who knows what other "weighty" contraband)?
That's some excellent muscle memory you got there. I carried it all the way from Barnard Hall. It was like a zen thing to concentrate through the pain. That bag was filled with pure joy....
Two year olds are the very best! My little three year old Elijah is constantly calling his mom to prayer, several times a day. Just neat. And then his other favorite past-time is smacking his sisters with make-do weapons. You know.
Yesterday I gave a copy of Reign of the Servant Kings I got for ten bucks because of a faded cover, to the BSF lecturer here for our local region. I had talked to her back when she was teaching on John 10 concerning election that those who are saved demonstrate they are so by their works. Back then she wanted her listeners to have assurance and she invited women to speak to her afterward if assurance eluded them. I just knew it could be more simple than that. Handing it to her finally yesterday morning, she noticed Dr. Radmacher's name and said he was a reputable theologian who even lived here locally. I asked her if she had ever explored what he would teach, and she said never. I was excited. It'll be her summer reading.
Did Ms. Johnson teach perseverance in her BSF notes? (I attended a men's version of BSF for two years soon after I trusted Christ but didn't cover John.)
We'll be waiting on pins and needles to hear how your summer discussions go!
It is interesting. We are about to cover John 20:31 which they will preach correctly as we would (if the taste I'm getting this week remains consistent in lecture), but then they also preach in essence, without compromise, that the faith that saves is not alone.
Seven weeks ago out of John 17:3 I paraphrased her as teaching, "We gain confidence that we have been saved because we are progressively getting to 'know' Jesus."
BSF throws a one-week study of 1 John into the "Gospel of John" study-year. They essentially arrive to a decent message in the notes. But they don't get there through staying clear with the actual passages.
I think they really tried to affirm all the encouraging teachings of light, life and righteousness. But they kind of forsake the negative teachings of losing light, life and righteousness through those tests.
About the passage "No one who continues to sin has either seen Him or known Him," they write, "John makes the point that a life characterized by sinfulness and the profession of a Christian life are incompatible. it is true that Christians sin, some more than others; but only at times; the Christian is not characterized by sin. Sin is something we regret doing and take no delight in it after the false illusion of the benefit disappears."
"What does John mean by 'continue to sin'? Scholars approach this verse from various perspectives - notorious crimes, a distinction between the old and new natures, a descriptive ideal, or a willful and deliberate sin. However, the translators of the New International Version of the Bible have a sensible solution. They use the verb, 'sin' in the present tense, suggesting continuous action ('practices'). Christians are people who sin, but not with a heartless, habitual disregard for God and His holiness. Instead, Christians confess their shortcomings (1:9). The reasons for their lack of habitual sinning are the Holy Spirit (3:9) and the protective mercies of God (5:18)."
And by teaching this, it means that I, three years ago, would have lost my assurance of salvation because I willfully or habitually sinned. I mean, who does not sin into the awareness of the conscience, except by habit? Until their faith has overcome sin by the power of God, it is a habit. But my salvation is bigger than what I do after believing Jesus. It is founded on a promise!
There has to be a clearer way to teach 1 John.
Overall I enjoy BSF and God is using it to lead me in my life. FYI....
Interesting . . .
There's this informative little book called The NIV Reconsidered that exposes some of the egregious NIV mistranslations of key verses like 1 Jn 3:9.
. . . written by a couple of weird guys . . . names of "Radmacher" and "Hodges," I think . . .
Did I hear somebody say EGREGIOUS? Sounds like a fightin word to me!
. . . it's downright scary, Michele, to think how the walls have ears . . .
. . . but a fine pair of ears they are.
:-)
Did I hear someone say raspberry mocha? ...and then EGREGIOUS?!!!
. . . why . . . yes. Why should we allow someone else to monopolize and tarnish a perfectly good word?
Wow. The walls really do have ears . . . apparently, lots of them. You guys are all making me self-conscious; from now on, I guess I better weigh everything I write as if it were going to be published in tomorrow's paper!
Next time I hear that word again I'm comin in with my CAPS LOCKED AND LOADED! IT'LL BE DOWNRIGHT SCARY ALRIGHT CAUSE I WON'T BE COMIN TO DRINK NO RASPBERRY MOCHA!!!
I consider that an egregious threat; do I have to call Marshal Dillon?
Nice avatar Gary!
NOTHING EGREGES ME MORE THAN BRAZEN TAUNTING...NOW I'M EGREGED BEYOND ALL REASONABLE AND TOLERABLE EGREGEMENT...NOT MARSHALL DILLON...OR EVEN BARNEY FIFE...THE 101ST AIRBORNE!!!..YES...ONLY THE SCREAMING EAGLES COULD DELIVER YOU NOW FROM YOUR FOOLISH RENDEZVOUS WITH DESTINY!
I ASSUMED MY PEARLY WHITES WOULD BE A SUFFICIENT DETERMENT...BUT APPARENTLY NOT!
"A PRUDENT MAN FORESEES THE EVIL AND HIDES HIMSELF; THE SIMPLE PASS ON AND ARE PUNISHED."
Gary you don't feel comfortable enough here with that word and a cup of hot joe graced with raspberry yumminess?
:F
Are my coffee-stains showing?
Either that or you've had too many Black Mocha Stouts with your Black Mocha Cakes.
Hi Michele,
It WAS a nice conference, wasn't it~!!! I looked for your post on REWARDS. Couldn't find it.
duh~!!!
I think it's my age.
:-)
Always nice to see you and appreciate your gracious words always.
In Jesus love,
Diane
:-)
Hi Diane, that's rude of me, I haven't published it yet. Thanks for looking for it and I will email you if you don't mind, when it's published.
It WAS a great conference! I don't know if Gary heard what Bob Wilkin reported during the banquet; that giving to GES was up and in surplus. And was it just me, or was there a shortage of seating at least on Monday night? It was packed.
Very nice to spend a little bit of time with you and Dale.... :)
Diane I think you were in Don Reiher's workshop, is that right?
For some reason Gary I can't comment on your facebook, so here's a HAPPY BIRTHDAY to you!!
:D
Thanks Michele! I have my wall on FB shut down at the present time.
Thanks also for the report about the GES. I did miss Bob's report about the increased financial support. I'm not surprised though, because I know there are so many people who love the GES. I have no doubt that God will continue to prove Himself faithful!
I didn't know you were planning an article on rewards. I'm looking forward to that. I'll be sure to keep looking in to see what you're up too. You just keep getting better and better!
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