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May13 Beacon
May13 Beacon
May13 Beacon
4. It is also apparent that David was sometimes resentful and held grudges. We see this in spite of his emotions, in his unwillingness to reconcile with Absalom (2 Sam 13:37-39; 14:28), which makes his extreme demonstration of grief at Absaloms death ring a bit hollow. Davids bitterness also appears again in his instructions, just before his death, to Solomon to make sure he killed Shimei, a man who had cursed David when the king was fleeing from Absalom (2 Sam 16:5-13). At the time, David had humbly let the man go (2 Sam 19:18-23), but obviously in his mind years later, he had not let the wicked mans insults go (1 Kgs 2:8-9). With these serious character flaws, therefore, how could David be called a man after Gods own heart? The simple answer is that David was a devout man. In spite of his failures, he was not rebellious. He loved God supremely and served Him tirelessly. His life was a pattern of uninterrupted worship. Passages such as Psalm 1, 23, 37, 51, 63, 103, 119, and 139 reveal a heart deeply in love with the Lord. This devotion is revealed in at least the following six ways. 1. David was a man of the Word. This is a constant theme in his psalms, especially in that greatest of all hymns in praise of Gods Word, Psalm 119. O how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day, he writes (Psa 119:97; also verses 113, 163). David was a righteous man who had deep reverence for the Scriptures (Psalm 19:7-11) and delighted in the law of the Lord (Psa 1:2; see 119:1, 16, 18). Through the Scriptures, God spoke to David. In addition, however . . . 2. David was a man of prayer. David often spoke to God. Especially when he was in trouble, David took his complaint to the Lord: Give ear to my words, O Lord, consider my groaning. Heed the sound of my cry for help, my King and my God, for to You I pray. In the morning, O Lord, You will hear my voice; in the morning I will order my prayer to You and eagerly watch (Psa 5:1-3; see 88:13). Prayer was a routine part of Davids busy life. In fact, hear my prayer is a constant plea in Davids hymns (17:1; 39:12; 54:2; 55:1; 61:1;
84:8; 86:6; 88:2; 102:1; 141:2; 143:1). When he led the nation in prayer, he did so with profound reverence born out of intimacy with God (1 Chron 29:10-19). 3. David was a man of faith. He is described as such by the writer of Hebrews (Heb 11:32). He believed God passionately, and trusted Him to deliver him in the many difficult situations he faced. O my God, in You I trust, do not let me be ashamed, he writes in Psalm 25:2, and as for me, I trust in You, O Lord, I say, You are my God (Psa 31:14; see also 40:4). In the following Psalm he affirms that He who trusts in the Lord, lovingkindness shall surround him (Psa 32:10). Facing Goliath as a seventeen-year-old boy, David confidently declared: you come to me with a sword, a spear, and a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have taunted. This day the Lord will deliver you up into my hands, and I will strike you down and remove your head from you (1 Sam 17:45-46). When tempted to kill Saul and take the kingdom, David refused saying, As the Lord lives, surely the Lord will strike him, or his day will come that he dies, or he will go down into battle and perish. The Lord forbid that I should stretch out my hand against the Lords anointed (1 Sam 26:10-11). Almost all of Davids life was lived in imminent danger, yet his only recourse was to trust in the Lord. The Lord, in turn, was faithful in delivering His trusting servant. 4. David was a man of holiness. From the day Samuel anointed him, David was set apart and dedicated to God and His service. He rejoiced in righteousness through obedience to the Law of God. Part of this holiness was his profound reverence, often expressed in his hymns, for God as sovereign Creator and Lord of all (for example, Psalms 2, 8, 19, 24, 103, 145). This reverence is typically expressed in terms of fearing the Lord. In spite of his sin, therefore, the normal course of Davids life was one of obedience and desire to please God. Ahijah the prophet said this to Jeroboam prophesying the division of the kingdom: Then it will be, that if you listen to all
that I command you and walk in My ways, and do what is right in My sight by observing My statutes and My commandments, as My servant David did, then I will be with you . . . (1 Kgs 11:38). 5. David was a man of thankfulness. The Psalms abound with praise and gratitude to God (the word translated praise often carries the nuance of thanksgiving). In fact, it was apparently normal for David to lead Israel in public thanksgiving for the Lords extraordinary mercies and blessings. When he had been delivered from his enemies, he composed a long hymn of thanksgiving, recorded in 2 Samuel 22, and also in Psalm 18. Not long before he died, he was still composing hymns of thanksgiving (2 Sam 23:1-7). A devout heart is a consistently thankful heart. 6. David was a man of righteousness. With all those sins? Yes. In spite of his failures, his overall performance as King of Israel was distinguished by righteousness. He served the Lord faithfully. So David reigned over all Israel; and he administered justice and righteousness for all his people (1 Chron 18:14). But there is something more that explains why David is called a man after Gods own heart, something that goes beyond the kind of man David was. It is the grace of God. David was a great sinner, but God is a greater Savior. When he sinned, David humbly expressed his contrition, as we see in Psalm 51, and God forgave him. We are reminded of the words of the Apostle Paul to the Romans: but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more (Rom 5:20). That is why years after Davids death, describing his great-grandson, the evil king Abijam, Scripture says: He walked in all the sins of his father which he had committed before him; and his heart was not wholly devoted to the Lord his God, like the heart of his father David. God, however, gave him a lamp in Jerusalem for Davids sake, because David did what was right in the sight of the Lord, and had not turned aside from anything He commanded him all the days of his life, except in the case of Uriah the Hittite (1 Kgs 15:3-5).
This is an amazing statement! Its as though God had forgotten all of Davids other failures. Forgotten? No, but forgiven? Yes. As David would write: He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him. As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed
our transgressions from us (Psalm 103:10-12). And He really does! Christian brother or sister! Like David, you too have the Holy Spirit dwelling within you. You too have the Scripturesonly you have 66 books, not just the eight David probably had. You have the Lord Jesus Christ as your great High Priest interceding for you in heaven, and you have been invited to come boldly to the throne of grace. You have a Savior through whose death
your sins have been forgiven. Come with praise and thanksgiving as the expression of sincere reverence. Believe the promises of God; trust Him with your life. Live beyond your failures. Commit yourself to a life of righteousness, obeying Gods Word, and the Lord will be with you. Then you too can be a man or woman after Gods own heart! Pastor Ron Glass
Joe & Denise are by far an amazing missionary couple able to be involved with many spokes of evangelism. Joe possesses a gift of administration and management which enables him to be productive and to equip and delegate. He has a Bolivian man on his team and works with three other Bolivians in his construction ministry, plus families helping him in various waysincluding raising funds to join them on the field. We at WRBC are an important part of the Holmans missionary work as we continue to support them financially and through prayer. Joan Tyska
An Answered Prayer
Back in early March, Ilda DeRosario asked for prayer for a very special mission on which Ilda and several of her family members were about to embark. Ildas niece, Deborah Ann, and her husband had arranged for an adoption of a 4 year old Chinese girl, Mia Jing Yu. So on March 8, 2013, Ilda and the grandparents accompanied the family to China for the most adventurous mission of their lifetime. Ilda has volunteered to share a short version of that trip: On Friday, March 8, 2013, my sister, her husband and I accompanied my niece, her husband and their eight year old daughter to China for fourteen days for an international adoption. hustle and bustle of city life teeming with millions of people, cars, buses, bicycles and air population. During the first week we toured the Forbidden City, rode the chairlift up a section of the Great Wall, visited the Emperors summer Palace, saw an acrobatic show and went to the orphanage to get our 4 year old little girl. The rest of the week was spent going from official office to official office to do the necessary paper work to legalize the adoption and to get her passport. Guangzhou has Florida weather. The area that we stayed in was like China Town. Here we really experienced life in China. The smells, the food, the homes, the Mom and Pop stores, the masses of people living and working together, the non-English people and only the use of the Yuan ( no credit cards.)
On March 21, 2013, a van took us to Hong Kong Airport for a non-stop flight to JFK Airport. Jing Yu (renamed Mia) is adjusting well to her new family. Shes already registered for kindergarten in St. James and has started to speak English. Ilda DeRosario and Joan Tyska
The second week we flew south to Guangzhou to continue the adoption process. On March 19, 2013, Jing Yu got her visa and was sworn in as an American Citizen.
The first week we were in Beijing. It is a typical city with its skyscrapers, the
lives, not realizing that there are practical implications attached to whatever position they take. Although this book is not new, it is not as well-known as it ought to be. It is theology, to be sure, but Showers (who has written other books on theological subjects) is gifted in writing in such a way that it is accessible by the average church member. While not being lengthy or complicated, it is thoroughly biblical; everything the author says he substantiates with Scripture. Besides being eminently readable, however, the value of this book is that it explores its subject more deeply than most church members are likely to encounter in their pastors sermons. Although Showers is committed to Dispensational theology, his representation of Covenant Theology is both accurate and fair. After examining and evaluating both Covenant Theology (chapters 2-3) and Dispensational theology (chapters 4-5), Showers devotes the heart of the book to the examination of the biblical covenants (chapters 6-10), the kingdom of God (chapter 14), the church (chapter 15), and the relationship between Law and grace
(chapters 16-17); but perhaps the most helpful part of this volume is chapters 1113 which careful chronicles the history of this debate, describing the early history of the millennial views and the priority of premillennialism in church history, as well as the dynamics driving the development of Covenant Theology. The author defines and explains the origins of the leading millennial views (premillennialism, amillennialism, and postmillennialism) and the effect they have had on the history of Christianity. In reading these chapters, I had one of those Aha! moments when Showers connected liberal postmillennialism with the Progressive Movement in the late 19th and early 20th centuries (pages 138-144), the time during which the utopian Social Gospel also flourished. The leading Progressive of the time was Woodrow Wilson, who was the son of a Presbyterian pastor, which makes one suspect that his political views may have emerged out of his early theological indoctrination. In short, Showers does an admirable job of exposing the pedigree of Covenant Theology. One of the criticisms of Dispensationalism by advocates of Covenant The-
ology is that it is relatively recent (emerging in the 19th century). As Showers demonstrates, however, in the broad sweep of church history, Covenant Theology is also relatively recent, first appearing in the 17th century. The historical material in these chapters is not well known and is generally not faced forthrightly by those who advocate Covenant Theology. For committed Dispensationalists, a knowledge of the material in these historical chapters is critically important. Overall, the careful reader will find There Really Is a Difference! to be consistently biblical and highly informative, answering questions he may have had for a long time. In addition, it is strategic, a valuable resource in arming him to defend his biblical convictions when he is called upon to debate those holding a Covenant position. And for those skeptical panmillennialists (it will all eventually pan out), this book shows that there really is a difference, and that difference matters! Pastor Ron Glass
A Month in Review
Happy days are here again, the skies above are clear again, so lets sing a song of cheer again, happy days are here again. These are the words of an old familiar song written in 1929 that continues to resurface to fit the occasion. One occasion was on Resurrection Lords Day, as Pastor Glass made reference to it as a side note to his sermon. Altogether shout it now, Theres no one who can doubt it now, so lets tell the world about it now, happy days are here again. For Christians everywhere, the words held meaning during Holy Week especially for the resurrection of our Lord that we need to tell the world about. It was also a month that the sun rose a bit earlier and lingered a bit longer each day; Happy days are here again! But in review of the month, Good Friday, March 29, 2013s service was somber and most sacred as WRBC remembered Christs agonizing hours before His crucifixion as well as His torturous hours on the cross. The musical menu was deep into expressing those moments. Martie Best and Maureen Glass harmonized Were You There; WRBCs choral ensemble continued the musical expression with Behold the Lamb; George Ehmann played his organ rendition of O Sacred Head, Now Wounded; Carl Chapmans trumpet instrumental of Jesus Paid It All; and husband and wife Vic & Reeva Bellard sang the Glorify medley. before the service. Never do we want to take the deaconesses for granted in the outstanding job they do in planning such events in the social life of the church. It was so great to see families come together, some sporting their Easter bonnets; others traveling distances to be with family and others just blessed to have such a loving church family with which to fellowship. One family that came the distance was Jim & Janet Perrys daughter and her family uniting WRBC with Jake Petraske, one of WRBCs youngest recipients of many prayers offered in his behalf. Jake has been one brave little 4 year old as he continues his surgeries designed to lengthen his leg at intervals of his life. WRBC was able to see Jake and his two brothers at their best, energized and so full of life that it was an impossible task to get a photograph of the three young brothers except for a bit of an action shot as the youngest crawled through the focal point of the camera.
Pastor Glass began his two-part sermon Two Men at the Good Friday service following it up with the second part on Resurrection Lords Day. The two men being Adam, who was given the stewardship for the human race and in him we all sinned; and Jesus, who was given the mediatorship for the human race and through him we are saved. Thanks to the deaconess committee in organizing and setting up the breakfast in the fellowship hall, Resurrection Lords Day morning, March 31, 2013,
Resurrection Day service was a day of much rejoicing as the WRBC Choral Ensemble under the direction of George Ehmann presented a resurrection medley which included He Is Risen; Resurrection Song; Cornerstone; Behold the Lamb; and Crown Him with Many Crowns. The WRBC Choral Ensemble consisted of a dozen or more gifted musicians bringing such excellence to a resurrection Sunday service. Narrating was Chris Hallstrom binding the medley together with Scripture. Not only did Liz Hyland have a solo during the medley but later on in the service during the offertory when Liz sang, Hallelujah! What a Savior. April 15, 2013 Boston hosted the 117th Boston Marathon, the worlds oldest annual marathon and sometimes the largest, with over 26,000 participants in this year of 2013. It is always scheduled on the third Monday of April which is also Patriots Day, the anniversary of the first battle of the American Revolution. Now, the third Monday of April each year will have a new meaning with the bomb attack that left three dead and a total of 264 people injured according to Reuters as they updated their count on April 23rd. Boston came to a complete halt as police closed in on the two suspected bombers and began its healing with prayers coming in from all over. It was a reminder of how precious life is and the need to keep priorities in order according to our heavenly Father. Just before the weeks anniversary of the Boston Marathon bombing, WRBC came together for an average Lords Day only with heavy hearts reflecting on the week that it was. Not only was there the bombing in Boston, but an explosion in West, Texas that took 15 lives, injuring over 200 along with a loss of real estate; and the flooding in the central part of the US. On this day after the service on April 21, 2013 everyone went downstairs to fellowship hall a little more appreciative of the loving care that God has surrounded the WRBC with, and enjoyed a
time of fellow shipping, thanking Him for such care. The joy of a small baby can only remind us how much He truly loves us. The picture of little Elijah certainly tugs at your heart knowing of his innocence in a world that seems to be falling apart. It was also a time of welcoming new friends into our fellowship as we did William & Cynthia and their four children. It was a time of celebrating a milestone of a birthday of one of WRBCs serving members, Vic Bellard. In honor of Vics 70th birthday, the luncheon was concluded with a cake and the singing of Happy Birthday. Vic, may God bless you with answered prayers always.
Jesus and to our ministry. His vision also includes reaching out to the community with an active participation in any community activities that support Christian values. One of these possible outreaches is The Care Center located in Islandia, NY. Their mission is to uphold the sanctity of human life by providing practical, emotional, and spiritual support to those facing unplanned pregnancies. They would like to locate an additional care center with possibilities of it being in the Riverhead area. If they would locate nearby, it would offer opportunities to be involved. But for now, they are sponsoring a Walk for Life on Saturday, May 18, 2013 at Blydenburgh Park in Hauppauge in hopes to raise money to establish the care center. For anyone interested in walking a 1.5 mile walk for Walk for Life, register on line at www.thecarecenter.org. With the warmer days now here, we are asking for volunteers to participate in a Spring Work Day to be held on Saturday, May 11, 2013. The purpose is to clean up the flower beds and to plant annuals. If interested please arrive sometime around 9 am on that day. Seniors of all ages are invited to the next Senior Luncheon scheduled for May 25, 2013. The theme is I Never Promised You a Rose Garden and will take place in Fellowship Hall at 1:00 pm. We encourage you to bring your friends. VBS program this year will take place from Monday, July 8, 2013 through Friday, July 12, 2013. VBS has a western theme this year so we are looking for some volunteer Christ-loving cowboys and cowgirls to help make a significant spiritual impact on as many children as possible, with the goal of leading them to repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. May 2, 2013 was National Day of prayer and the WRBC changed their normal Wednesday night prayer meeting to Thursday to join the commitment to Pray for America. It was an evening that In his name the nations will put their hope (Matthew 12:21) and many prayers were offered to intercede for our nation. May we continue to invite you to join WRBC prayer meetings every Wednesday evening at 7:00 to continue to pray together for our nation, our state, our community, our church and our homes? Please join us. Joan Tyska
To conclude the agenda of the day, members moved back upstairs to the churchs sanctuary for a business meeting to vote on a few issues and to review the business of the church. One of the issues was whether to sell the church bus. After an appropriate discussion, it was agreed to sell the bus and with a buyer in mind. In closing the business meeting, Pastor Glass shared a vision for the WRBC as the secular world continues to distance itself from the church. There are demographic challenges along with the growing seeker-sensitive and purpose-driven congregations that lack doctrinal standards that Pastor pointed out to be stumbling blocks for aggressive growth of doctrinally sound, traditional Bible-believing churches on Long Island. His vision includes a new generation of younger adults who are committed to the Lord
Dennis Tyska
May 2013
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Our Purpose
1. To glorify God through sharing the good news of salvation by Gods sovereign grace through faith in His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. 2. To nurture believers through a strong program of Christian education, youth ministries, and expository Biblical preaching. 3. To provide an opportunity for Biblical worship, service, and fellowship. 4. To extend our ministry throughout America and around the world through participation in home and foreign missions. WRBC is affiliated with the Conservative Baptist Association of America and the Conservative Baptist Mission to the Northeast.
For the Exaltation of God in All Things For the Proclamation of Faith in Christ For the Transformation of Gods People