By David Mayinja

How different would your life be if you had no piped water in your house or plumbing or even a flush toilet? Perhaps in the recent snow storms, some of you have lacked working plumbing for a few hours…even a few days.

In the West, access to clean water is an assumed right.  Yet in many parts of the world, gaining access to clean water is a serious challenge. The average person in rural Africa walks up to five miles to get to the nearest water source and this is not guaranteed to be fit for human consumption. For this reason, water-related diseases are one of their leading causes of death.

When Covenant Mercies started work in Uganda in 2003, clean water was a critical need that we sought to meet. Two wells were drilled in strategic locations and are still functional today. One is located in the town of Nagongera outside the compound of Nagongera Gospel Center, the church with whom we partner to administer our Orphan Sponsorship Program. The second is located in walking distance from the Orphans homes. These wells provide clean water to over 3,000 people from the surrounding villages.

The homes built for the orphaned children were fitted with indoor plumbing while a water tower holding a tank with a capacity of 7,000 gallons was constructed. Two wells were drilled and fitted with electronic pumps to pump water into the tower for distribution into the homes. This ensured sanitation and clean water for the children and subsequently good health and a substantially better quality of life. However, the system encountered some technical problems and has been non-functional for the last two years as we have worked on finding enduring solutions to the problems.

Recently, Covenant Mercies led a team of technicians, electricians, and plumbers to implement equipment upgrades to the water system and carry out major repairs to the plumbing in the homes. The majority of the men on the team came from CFC’s latest church plant in Downingtown. The chief electrician on the team came from Sovereign Grace Church in Cherry Hill and the main plumber was from Covenant of Grace Church in Akron, Ohio.

The system upgrade, which for all practical purposes is maintenance free, was designed by Ralph Jackson, a member of Brandywine Grace Church and former member of CFC.  Under his leadership, the men on the team were able to implement the system upgrade and work on all the major repairs needed in record time. By the end of the third day on the job, water began flowing into the tank in the tower. What a beautiful sound that water made as it rushed through the pipes and poured into the tank!  The children danced with excitement while the adults high-fived each other.  We all thanked God for the success.

By the end of a week of work, all five orphan homes had flowing water and all the plumbing was in working condition. What a joy for the children to be able to have showers and not have to go out in the dark of night to use the latrines. One of them came to me and joyfully announced he would not be getting late to school anymore because of having to fetch water in the morning! 

In Matthew 10:42 Jesus says: “And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward." What a joy to know that in doing these works of mercy lives are changed and God is glorified.

By Andy Farmer

I’ve really enjoyed watching these Olympic Games.  And not just because the US has been rocking it on the medal stand.  Some of the things I’ve enjoyed most are not involving US athletes.  In contrast to other years, it seems like there is relatively little politicking and whining going on.  Also, it seems that except for the unexpected ‘agony of defeat moments’ where an athlete falls or fails to finish, it is taking truly great performances to win medals.  Competitor after competitor is doing a personal best, only to have that topped by somebody else’s personal best.  And that’s what makes for good sports, no matter who wins.

This brings me to what is still in my mind the greatest Olympic moment of all – the 1980 US Hockey Gold medal.  In the movie “Miracle” Kurt Russell does a great Herb Brooks, including one of the all time best rallying speeches in the history of sports.  You can check it out here (note there is one bit of mild coarse speech in this).

But after you watch that you’ve got to check out this version of the speech delivered by 5 year old Josh Sacco – it’s outstanding!  They interviewed him on SportsCenter and he talked about how he went and delivered the speech to the US Hockey team before they played the Canadians this past weekend. Is that cool or what?

And finally, if you haven’t had enough, here’s Herb Brooks played by Kurt Russell, with voiceover by Josh Sacco.  

I love the Olympics!

By Rob Flood

Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden,

and I will give you rest.  (Matthew 11:28)

Why are we so interested in the scandals of the stars?  We know that much of what Hollywood supports is contrary to what we claim to believe. So, why does it have so much power over us?

There are many reasons, I’m sure, for Hollywood’s power.  One, however, is very relevant as we look at our star complex.  We spend so much of our time and effort trying to attain what those in Hollywood already have - stardom.  So we watch and study seeing divorce, bitterness, brokenness, addiction, and heartache.  Weaved throughout it all we see rampant promiscuity.  How can those with so much struggle so profoundly?

The   Effort

I hearken back to images of Olympic weight lifters.  With every ounce of their enormous frames, they strain as they raise the weighted bar.  After just seconds, even for them, all their strength is spent and the bar crashes to the ground.  What a perfect image of the typical Hollywood star.

They have everything man could want:  beauty, fame, and fortune.  How many are truly thriving and satisfied with their lives?  They are busy trying either to keep that heavy bar in the air or to hide the fact that they have already dropped it.  Because their energy is limited, their stardom falls and falls hard.

You see, man was never intended to bear the weight of stardom.  It’s simply too heavy to lift.  If we are ever to have rest in this life, we must be willing to stop the constant effort of lifting weight we were never intended to bear.  Our desire for self-dependence is our downfall.  We have an enemy that knows this about us.  He softly whispers lies in our ear: “Try just a little harder.  It’s worth the effort.”  In our pride, we go for the bait.

The   Image

The star-complex has two edges.  The first edge is the weight one must bear to attain and maintain star status, but the second surprises people.  There is an assumption that rest and luxury come with stardom.  We learned above that this is not true, which increases the burden to keeping the weight of stardom up in the air.  We must give the appearance of rest and luxury.  The Hollywood star wants people to be liked. It is difficult to sell tickets to the public when the star is depressed and broken.  So they must never allow others to see reality. 

The same is true in our movies…in our lives.  We do not often have the opportunity to be before cameras or paparazzi.  Our stage is more subtle:  church, home, work.  Along with our Sunday best, we put on our Sunday masks.  The Body of Christ seems so “problem-free” on Sundays.  Everyone is thriving in their walks with the Lord and enjoying God’s blessings…or at least that’s how it seems.

This image keeping is doubly destructive.  Not only does the act take incredible effort, but it also misleads everyone else.  We know the troubles we have in our lives: the burden, the hardship, the disappointment.  The difficulty comes when we see everyone happy and fulfilled.  We are left with the impression that we alone are struggling.  We cannot see past their Sunday into their Tuesday or Wednesday.

Image is a dangerous thing, especially when we try to portray one that is false.  We think if we can manage to make people think that we’re happy, then we’re actually happy.  We invest ourselves in perception management – trying to shape and control what others think about us by the “us” we present to them.  All the while, we are losing ourselves and any chance we have for help.

The   Cost

There are two who will never be fooled.  First is Christ.  We know from the pages of Scripture that man looks at the outward appearance (the image) but God looks at the heart.  No matter which self we present to others, God knows the real self.  We cannot fool him.

The second is us.  We may be the life of the party outside, but we must eventually return to reality.  No matter the mask we wear, it is always our real face staring back at us in the mirror.  Perhaps the only thing worse than struggling with life is struggling without a single person knowing about it. 

Consequently, we end up weary and heavy-laden.  The weight of life has been too heavy and the life we’ve led has harmed us.  And, to make it worse, tomorrow holds the same fate for us.  It holds more deception and weight for us to bear.  Is it any wonder that depression runs rampant in our society?  All these people pretending to be someone else, yet knowing they’re not…believing rest and comfort are “over there” and never “right here.”

The   Promise

Hear along with me Christ’s words:  “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.”  Friend, we are falling stars.  Our fall is certain for Christ will allow no other star but him. 

Our efforts and our image have proven powerless.  We cannot star in our own movie.  We cannot wear the mask without harming the person beneath it.  We are weary of this life…weary of the effort.  The weight we must bear makes us laden with heaviness. 

Jesus knows.  Remember, he looks at the heart, not the mask.  In the remaining words from this passage, Christ makes available a wonderful place to fall.  He himself lays out a plan for what to do when we get there.  Read next week and discover along with me just how Christ provides rest and comfort for the weary and heavy-laden…for the fallen star us all.

By Ramona Doyle

Did you know that the Lord wants us to have joy?  In fact, he specifically addressed his disciples on this very topic!  OK…cool.  But how does that relate to my Monday mornings and my sleepless nights, or the stacks of unfolded laundry in the hall?  How does Sunday morning translate into my busy week?  How do I find joy in the trenches of my life?

In the Gospel of John, shortly before his betrayal and arrest, Jesus gathers his disciples and spends some significant time teaching them on a variety of topics.  It is as if he wants to make sure they really get the important stuff before he goes to the cross.  He’s preparing them to stand strong and draw from him in the midst of a chaotic world that opposes everything they hold dear.  And joy is one of his themes!  “These things I have spoken to you that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full” (John 15:11).  Jesus not only wanted them to have joy, but to have it in fullness!  And he wasn’t just talking about that wonderful day when we will rest in his arms free from sin and suffering; he was talking about the trenches—the everyday stuff of their lives.

So this begs the question, what things did he speak to the disciples that they might find joy?  I love to ask these kinds of questions when I dig into God’s word.  Notice that his comment follows that well-known passage from John 15 on abiding in the vine—walking in close relationship with the Lord by responding to his lavish love with trust and obedience to his commandments.  Jesus promises this is the key to knowing joy in the every day.

Abiding.  I don’t know about you, but I can be pretty good at abiding in myself.  Think about it…you get up in the morning and walk to the bathroom mirror, and what do you see?  OK, don’t answer that.  Then you go downstairs and what is the first thing you see?  If you’re like me, it’s often everything you didn’t get done the day before.  Everything screams for your attention.  Your kids need you.  You get wrapped up in the duties of the day and by the end of the day you’re treading water waiting for a life-preserver to float by.

Yes, we need a devotional time each day to draw strength from the Lord’s abundant grace.  But abiding is also about the nitty-gritty of the day.  I find that I am helped in the trenches by small minute by minute choices look past what my physical eyes see and remember some priceless truths about my day…things like: this day has already been recorded in the Lord’s book (Psalm 139:16), that God is with me and acquainted with this circumstance (Psalm 139:1-3), that he will be strength in my weakness (2 Corinthians 4:7), and guide me in the midst (Psalm 73:23-24).  Then I choose to trust him over my temptation to pout, react, or operate in self-sufficiency.

We won’t always get it right, but as we seek to abide in those little minutes, he promises joy.  May the Lord help us to say with the psalmist, “For you, O Lord, have made me glad by your work; at the works of your hands I sing for Joy” (Psalm 92:4).

By Jared Mellinger

Benedictions are the words a pastor often speaks at the end of a church service to give people hope, encouragement, and comfort as they leave.  The word “Benediction” comes from a Latin phrase meaning ‘to speak well of’.  Benedictions speak a blessing over the people of God in the form of an intercessory prayer for the congregation.  They communicate a desire and hope that God will do something on behalf of his people. 

The benedictions we do are short, but important.  Here are some of the reasons we use them:    

1.  Benedictions are biblical

The benediction was a part of Israel’s worship.  Perhaps the most popular benediction is the blessing God wanted Aaron to speak over the Israelites, to call attention to God’s protection, grace, and peace: “The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace” (Numbers 6:24-26).

In the New Testament, Paul often ends his letters with a benediction, emphasizing the grace and peace of God that belongs to all who are in Christ.  The Trinitarian benediction at the end of 2 Corinthians is elegant and powerful: “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all” (2 Corinthians 13:14).  And, 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 says, ^“Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.  He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.”

One of my personal favorites comes at the end of Jude: “Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever.  Amen.”  (Jude 24-25)

2.  Benedictions tie us to the great historic march of God’s church

The reformers of the sixteenth century used benedictions to end their services.  Martin Luther ended services with “God’s Spirit and grace be with us all.”  Ulrich Zwingli’s recommended benediction was “Almighty, eternal God!  Forgive us our sin and lead us to everlasting life, through Jesus Christ our Lord.”  The Book of Common Prayer encourages pastors to speak this blessing: “The peace of God, which passeth all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God, and of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord; and the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, be among you, and remain with you always.” 

Richard Baxter, in the 17^th Century, used the following: “Now the God of peace, which brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus Christ, that Great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever.”    

When we listen to a benediction, we connect ourselves not only with God’s truth, but also with followers of Christ over the centuries.  

Next time, I’ll give 3 more reasons we use benedictions as a church.

The Everlasting God
By Rob Flood

Editor’s Note: This past Sunday, I preached the closing message of our recent series, Words of Comfort, listen here. As we seek to treasure, proclaim, and grow in the gospel of Jesus Christ, here’s a section from the message that ought to help us all treasure the gospel of Jesus Christ…and the God of that gospel.

In the midst of their doubts, God is reminding Israel of who he is.  He’s done that so thoroughly in the previous section of Isaiah.  But here, in light of their doubts, let’s walk through what God highlights in his summary of who he is and what they…what we…need to focus on when we doubt God.  So let’s focus that lens.

~ The LORD is the everlasting God:  God existed before time...before trial…before sin…before all things.  He will exist after all things have perished and faded.  He was before the difficulty you’re experiencing and he will be long after your affliction is gone.

~ The Creator of the ends of the earth: Whatever comes our way happens inside of what God created…inside what he commands…inside of what he controls.  He is entirely above and beyond all we experience.  We cannot think of him as we do a creature.  He is not limited, he is not finite.  Anytime our thoughts of God resemble our thoughts of man, we must raise them, quickly.  We must call this truth to mind: God is altogether different than we are.  His ways are higher, his love is deeper, his power mightier, his mercy broader, his holiness holier, his goodness greater…not just greater than man’s, but greater than we can imagine.  Our everlasting God is the Creator of the ends of the earth.

~ He does not faint or grow weary:  Folks, he does not tire of hearing your pleas for help.  His patience is not worn by your many needs nor does he grow fatigued at carrying you.  He has been carrying you for 2 weeks through this trial… perhaps for 2 months…perhaps for 2 years…maybe even for 2 decades.  Yet, he has no less endurance now than the first steps you took together.  Perhaps you are more weary…he is not.  Your strength is fading.  It is to that degree that his strength will grow.  You receive a second wind in your strength…in your faith.  That second wind came from your God who does not faint.  Have there been times that you have fainted from sorrow…from fatigue…your God will never faint.  He will carry you…he will sustain you.

Covenant Fellowship Church, this is your God.  He receives our accusations and mercifully directs us back to who he is.  Even as we accuse him in our weak faith, his strength, his everlasting arms sustain us.  Deuteronomy 33 declares this truth with incredible force:

 26 "There is none like God,
    …who rides through the heavens to your help,
   through the skies in his majesty.
27The eternal God is your dwelling place,
   and underneath are the everlasting arms.

You are broken over the condition of your life?  The Everlasting God has his everlasting arms underneath.  Your finances seem out of control?  The Creator of the ends of the earth rides through the heavens to your help.  You feel like you cannot labor another step in your fight against sickness?  Your Savior does not faint or grow weary. 

Covenant Fellowship…

28Have you not known? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God,
   the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary;
    his understanding is unsearchable.

By Bill Patton

It was a beautiful autumn afternoon, a Saturday.  The warm sun beckoned grandfatherly homeowners like me to step outside and get something done.  The grass didn’t need mowing.  West winds had yet to dislodge thousands of quivering yellow leaves from the maple trees; no need to rake.  So I decided to stow the garden hoses in the garage for winter.  As I finished winding-up the first hose something happened that shattered my Saturday afternoon repose.

Tires screeching, a young man shouted some terribly vile expletives at me from a passing car as it pulled away from the High School near my house.  Using great economy of words he told me what to do and challenged my masculinity.  As the car roared away my thoughts were retributive and angry:  “What’s wrong with winding up a garden hose on an autumn Saturday?”  You think I’m less of a man for doing that?  Is this your idea of fun -- to shout obscenities at gray-headed grandfathers without cause?  If I’m so feminine, why not curse me to my face, you insufferable little coward!”

In a flash, I imagined I was righteous Elisha being taunted for his bald head by some Hebrew youths.  Two bears came out of the woods and ate those teens for lunch.  It serves them right.

Then my imagination went completely over the top.  I suddenly became….  Jack Bauer, of TV’s “Twenty-Four.”  Jack is a grandfather too, you know.  In the real world I was peacefully hanging up a garden hose in my garage…but in my imagination I was driving an unleashed 4.6 liter V-8 Mustang GT, rapidly converging on an evil cell of obscene-word-bombers who terrorize old people.  I imagined that with my CIA back-up’s high-tech help, I found mister-hot-stuff teen driver just as he pulled into his driveway.  I must have threatened some kind of torture if he refused to divulge the location of his head-out-the-window, curse-the-grandpa, terrorist friend -- because the kid coughed out an address, trembling.  I jumped back into my Mustang to continue the chase.

A comment Sue made to me once, as I watched “Twenty-Four”, suddenly came to mind.  “Maybe you shouldn’t be watching that violent show.”  Righteous thoughts have a way of ending corrupt daydreams.  “OK Lord, please forgive my vengeful, angry spirit toward the cussing kid.  I’ll try to be more careful.  Only please…allow me to watch the next season of “Twenty-Four”. 

But then the Holy Spirit began a deeper work, bringing to mind a CJ Mahaney sermon, and the convicting words of a hymn:

 "Behold the Man upon the cross My sin upon His shoulders Ashamed I hear my mocking voice Call out among the scoffers"

At that moment, imagination began to work with, rather than against, the gospel.  I saw my many sins as vile insults hurled at Christ.  I saw my disobedience repeatedly putting the Savior to open shame.  I saw my innumerable transgressions weighing him down so much, he could scarcely breathe.  I heard my mocking voice.  Then I heard him gasp a prayer for me.  “Father, forgive him, for he knows not what he does”.  

“Lord, I am so unlike you,” I prayed.  “I have mocked, insulted, and cursed you again and again.  Yet you have shown me unending mercy.  Lord, please extend your love and mercy to that boy who hurled profanity at me without cause.  Please, Lord, save him.”

As I stepped out of the garage to wind up a second garden hose, I marveled: How kind of the Holy Spirit to use a crude insult to remind me of the gospel -- and cause me to pray for a restless kid who needs a Savior.

By Rob Flood

A Bit of Honesty

Actors wait tables and suffer through grueling auditions for a chance at working at their craft.  Dreams that have recurred since they were 5 years old being realized in their adult lives.  Their dreams were not of playing Man #5 in scene 52, though.  Man#5 in scene 52 was a stepping stone to playing their next role.  Their ultimate hope is to make it to star status.  They desire to become some movie’s or play’s “point of reference.”

To be honest, this is my desire too.  I spend nearly all of my energy trying to get every circumstance in my life aligned perfectly to suit my needs, to be defined by me.  I am the point of reference and all people are best understood by their relationship to me.  I strive to be the director of my movie so I can also be the star.

My plan was going well until I grew up and realized that my movie was not the only one trying to be made.  I got married and realized that my wife was directing a movie in which she was the star.  I got a job and realized that my boss and my colleagues were directing their own movies in which they were the star.  So, what was the problem?  Too many stars – only one real movie.

This is revealed when our children disobey.  Do we grieve more for the way they mar the perception of God’s glory or do we grieve for the way they mar others’ perceptions of us?  Do we feel grief or frustration?  We see it when we get overlooked for a promotion.  Do we turn to God and rest on His sovereign choice of where we are placed or do we turn to our boss and label him incompetent for his clear error in discernment for not choosing us? 

We see it when the car breaks down, when the toilet leaks, when coffee spills on our suit jacket just before a board meeting.  When our circumstances do not serve “the star” well, we fight and demand our right to be served, to be comfortable, to be worshipped.  This self-appointed star in his self-directed movie shouts from his self-assigned trailer and demands his self-given rights. 

A Bit of Reality

But here’s reality.  There is but one movie being made throughout the history of mankind (Colossians 1:16).  Nothing can alter its script and no self-imposed director or star will thwart its purpose (Job 42:2).  There is but one Director who is jealous to be the only One worshipped (Exodus 20:5).  There is but One who can claim the right of Lordship (Exodus 20:3).  This One, and no other, is also filled with indescribable and unalterable love and compassion for these self-centered, self-imposed stars (1 John 3:1).  He graciously works His will in us with patience and kindness (Philippians 2:13).  It is this kindness that leads us to repentance – to turn from our commitment to stardom and turn toward a commitment to servitude (Ephesians 2:7).  When we turn back to stardom, it is His gentle Spirit that prods and convicts us to alter our own course to match His (John 14:16-17).

Through the bread and water of His Word, He feeds us to grow and washes us to purify our minds (John 15:3).  At the cost of His own blood, He redeemed us not just despite our arrogance, but because of it (Titus 2:13-14).  As the stars, we never understood why the toilet leaked or why the coffee spilled.  But as servants, we know now that Christ was perfecting us and revealing our own sin to us (Hebrews 13:12).  As stars, we never understood why our children, our spouses, our friends and colleagues would not bow and serve us.  As servants, we know now that there is but One Star, the Bright Morning Star (Revelation 22:16), at whose feet we all bow and at whose name we all bend the knee (Philippians 2:10-11).  He alone is the One who holds all things together (Colossians 1:17)– that is why we were so awful at it.  We are not the point of reference where all people find their definition and meaning – He is (Acts 17:28).

A Bit of Hope

Do you find yourself directing and starring in your movie? Stand right next to me and be counted as flawed, as fallen, as self-centered.  The Director looks on you not with eyes of distain, disgust, or despair but with eyes of compassion, grace, and kindness.  He sees a sheep that was once without a shepherd who is now found (Matthew 9:36).

Therefore, as a fellow and former star now assigned nothing more than a supporting role to the Bright Morning Star, humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up (James 4:10).  Live for Him and He will fill you with unspeakable joy (Psalm 16:11).  At the end of all things, as you receive your crowns and rewards, you will do the only thing a servant could do.  You will cast your crowns at the feet of Christ, all the while refusing the glory you’ve invested so much to gain (Revelation 4:10-11).

In the end, Christ has compassion for all directors and stars.  He loves us more than words can express.  He loves us too much to allow us the joy we seek by directing our own lives.  Hear along with me these words spoken by Jesus, who knows self-centered people like us so well:

Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light. (Matthew 11:28-30)

In the following 2 pieces, we’ll consider these words of Christ and how we can do what no reasonable actor would dream of:  willingly move from being the star to being the extra.  And we’ll give all the glory to God!

By Jared Mellinger 

A couple weeks ago I was able to speak to a small group of around 30 people in the church on the theme of preaching.  It was to kick off the Preaching Lab, which is a new course we are doing at the church to help identify and train the next generation of preachers.  (We capped off the number at 30, but we will be offering the course again in the future.)

I am always very reluctant to speak on the subject of preaching.  One reason for this is because I am aware that I have so much room to grow in it, and relatively little experience in it.  I am not exactly drawing from a deep reservoir.  Another reason I am always reluctant to talk about preaching has to do with the greatness and the weight of the preaching task.  This is the reason that even a man like the Apostle Paul, even with his great gifting, unique calling, and remarkable knowledge of Scripture, says he preached with fear and trembling (1 Cor 2:1-5).    

When I spoke at the Preaching Lab, I made 5 claims about the priority of preaching, and drew from various Scriptures to support each claim:

1.  Preaching is the most influential thing in the world.

2.  Preaching is the centerpiece of Christian worship.

3.  Preaching is bridge-building between Scripture and people.

4.  Preaching is fundamental to the call to pastoral ministry. 

5.  Preaching is the greatest need in our day. 

These claims are an echo of what John Stott has said: “Nothing, it seems to me, is more important for the life and growth, health and depth of the contemporary church than a recovery of serious biblical preaching.”  And J.I. Packer says, “I continue to believe in preaching and maintain that there is no substitute for it, and no power or sustained vision or close fellowship with God in the church without it.  Also I constantly maintain that if today’s quest for renewal is not along with other concerns a quest for true preaching, it will prove shallow and barren.  Preaching mediates not only God’s authority, but also his presence and his power.  Preaching effects an encounter not simply with truth, but with God himself.” 

Before we transitioned to a Q&A on preaching, I shared an additional quote by Packer, commenting on the experience of the prophet Jeremiah:

“Jeremiah told God that “the word of the Lord has brought me insult and reproach all day long. But if I say, ‘I will not mention him or speak any more in his name,’ his word is in my heart like a burning fire, shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot” (Jer. 20:8-9). Does anything correspond to this in the experience of Christian preachers? The answer is yes. There is a God-given vision that produces preachers, and any man who has that vision cannot sleep easy without making preaching his life’s work.”

Perhaps there are some young men in Covenant Fellowship – even young men who are currently in the Preaching Lab – who will receive this vision and this passion, and discover that they cannot sleep easy without making preaching their life’s work.  May God make it so.

By Doug Hayes

Whenever I’m visiting Covenant Mercies’ international programs in Uganda, Zambia, and Ethiopia, I always take at least one day to walk around the neighborhoods where the highest percentage of our children live.  Most of the children in our Orphan Sponsorship Program live full-time with extended family members, so my visits represent wonderful opportunities to observe the interactions of our field staff with the children and their guardians, and get a feel for the conditions our kids are growing up in. 

Today, as we walked through a slum neighborhood in Addis Ababa, I reached out to knock on the metal gate outside one of our children’s homes, caught a couple of my fingers on a jagged edge, and started to bleed.  As soon as my condition was evident, everyone around me jumped into action to help.  On a normal day, I would have stopped them all immediately because I travel with band aids and antiseptic cream in my backpack.  But today, since my luggage is somewhere only Ethiopian Airlines knows (or rather, I wish they knew!), I was unprepared to meet my own need.  My friend Tesfaye ran to a nearby shop to purchase band aids.  The grandmother whose home we were visiting rushed inside to grab some cotton balls and rubbing alcohol.  Quicker than you could say “Neosporin,” my wounds were cleaned and bandaged, and I was sitting down for coffee. 

The traditional Ethiopian coffee ceremony is a delight for all the senses, and always an enriching experience on many levels.  It’s a humbling thing to enter a cramped shanty – with dirt floor, walls a patchwork of cardboard, plastic, and mud, and a makeshift roof pieced together with corrugated metal and plastic grain bags – to sit down, and be asked with great insistence (commanded may be more accurate) to stay for coffee and bread.  One might be tempted to decline on account of the disquieting thought of taking bread from someone who has so little.  “I don’t need this.  I eat too much already.  Maybe it would be better if I just gave them some money to fix the roof before rainy season.” 

I have long since abandoned such thinking, and I find the coffee difficult to turn down.  In fact, I believe that in most cases the best thing I can do – for my host and for myself – is to receive with gratitude.   

There’s something “equalizing” about sharing your need with others, especially others whom you perceive to be more needy than yourself.  I might be tempted to take on a “hero complex” toward those we are serving in Ethiopian slums, while they might be tempted to play the role of the helpless aid recipient.  When a woman jumps at the opportunity to clean my wounds or meet my need for refreshment, this is a demonstration of her dignity as a suitable contributor, and an opportunity for me to humble myself and receive.  Her actions have enriched me, and  I am indebted to her.  This is good medicine for both of us.  The ground is level at the foot of the cross.

I think I’ll continue traveling with band aids, but I was kind of glad I didn’t have them today.  And as for the coffee… smooooooooth is putting it mildly.  Don’t be too rich to receive it.  If you are, you may be more impoverished than you think. 

By Gina Flood

May my teaching drop as the rain, my speech distill as the dew, like gentle rain upon the tender grass, and like showers upon the herb. For I will proclaim the name of the Lord; ascribe greatness to our God.

Deuteronomy 32:2-3

Do you ever experience one of those seasons where you know the Lord is revealing a theme in your life? You hear him speaking through a myriad of avenues: the Sunday message, the Scriptures you are studying, the blog entries you read, the worship songs you hear, a word from a friend (or a stranger), the book you’re reading, and so on.

I’m thankful for such graces . Thankful that our merciful God has not opened the earth and swallowed me up for my sin and slow sanctification.  I’m thankful for God’s kindness in providing those myriad of avenues to capture the attention of this very dim and easily distractible gal from Jersey. And I am thankful that he faithfully supplies the grace necessary for change.

Gentleness is a current theme under construction these days, particularly in relation to my children. Through the course of the busyness of the day, I am tempted to default towards expedience, railroading my agenda over the hearts of the little ones entrusted to me.

The passage from Deuteronomy inspires me with hope and vision for what God can do. It comes from a song intended for a group of people who had seen indescribable wonders, experienced miraculous provision, and had been spared time and again through divine protection. Yet even that was not enough to secure devoted hearts for God, strong against the worldliness and idolatry that was to surround them. Sadly, I am just like that.

I’ve seen God’s goodness again and again.  I’ve seen him bless, sustain, and deliver from temptation.  This song ought to be flowing from my lips as well.

How I desire for my speech to distill as the dew, to refine and purify, rather than muddy their souls with harsh words and tones. I want to burn the picture in my brain of gentle rain falling on tender grass. A gentle rain that soaks and permeates the ground, refreshing and nourishing a parched, tender grass that can so easily be destroyed by harsh rains that rebound, run off, and damage.

The tender souls of my children, souls we desperately want to fall at the foot of the cross, respond better to the gentle rain of Mom’s pleasant countenance and grace-filled words and tones than to the driving, pounding, damaging stare or word that has nothing of Christ in it.  Souls that need to hear recollections of what God has done, what he is doing, and what he will do.  Living Water that sees beyond the busyness of the day to eternity and refreshes weary souls with grace for today and hope for tomorrow.

In all of this, of course, I have to remind myself that it is all by grace alone. My best efforts to be a gentle rain will yield little more than a mess.  I need God’s grace… I am desperate for God’s grace! 

I am so powerless to accomplish biblical and lasting change on my own…I have proven it time and again. I must ruthlessly, in the power of the Holy Spirit, destroy every idol of my heart and renew my soul with Gospel truth. I must rely only and ever on the finished work of Christ on the cross and remember that he has lifted me out of the mire, placed my feet on a firm place, and filled my mouth with a new song.

Praise God, I am new and he has given me everything I need for life and godliness!  He will give me everything I need for today and make up everything I lack in my flesh. He has called me and His grace equips me to carry out His calling through wonder of the cross.

So, hallelujah, that, by the grace of God alone, this Jersey girl can speak like a gentle rain with words that distill as the dew. I am excited and hope-filled, knowing the One that is in me is greater than my most selfish, me-craving and he is eager to speak through me. He is eager to speak through you, too. May he be your dew, your gentle rain and may he use the words of your mouth to be gentle rain for others…by grace alone.

By Trish Donohue

Here’s a riddle for you—complete with my own best guesses…

What revives the soul,  (strong coffee?)

Makes simple people wise,  (Cliff Notes?)

Makes your heart rejoice,  (a big tax return?)

Enlightens you,  (People magazine?)

Endures forever,  (a bad haircut?)

Is more desirable than gold,  (a cleaning lady?)

Is sweeter than honey,  (boardwalk fudge?)

Offers great reward? (Botox ads?)

I was reading Psalms in my quiet time the other day, and I came across this exact riddle in Psalm 19.  As I read it, my eyes opened wider and my grogginess wore off.  I was thinking, “Hey, I need all this stuff!”  My soul needs to be revived, I need wisdom desperately, my heart needs to rejoice, I need to be enlightened, and I definitely want great reward.  This is quite a sales pitch.  And since I found it in the Bible and not in a magazine, it’s got to be true!

So are you ready?  The answer is God’s Word.  But now that you know the answer, do you feel a hint of disappointment?  Are you thinking, “Oh, it’s a spiritual answer—there really isn’t anything real and practical that accomplishes all of that.  Bummer.”

Those are your idols talking (well actually, they’re mine, but you probably have some of your own.)  They’re jealous because they want you to look to them for relief and refreshment.  They like to make the bold promises. “You want refreshment?” they ask.  “Watch me.” “Buy me.”  “Seek me.”  “Lust after me.”  “Trust in me.” 

They’re all liars though.  And as God helps us grow in our faith, we’re getting smarter, and we can read Psalm 19 and believe it. 

What will revive my soul?  The perfect law of the Lord!

What will make my simple mind wise?  The sure testimony of the Lord!

What will make my heart rejoice?  The right precepts of the Lord!

What will enlighten my eyes?  The pure commandment of the Lord!

In other words, God speaks truth, through scripture, into our lied-to hearts.  He’s given us pages full of perfection, straight from his holy, brilliant, clever, creative, sovereign, understanding, amazing mind. And those words and their results bring all that we desire: refreshment, wisdom, rejoicing, enlightenment, righteousness, sweetness, reward!  What a promise!  What a deal!  And no member fees!

Our creator knows us so much better than we know ourselves.  Lord, open our eyes to see that your word is “more to be desired…than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb.”

By Rob Flood

Editor’s Note:  Jared is out this week and has asked Rob to write the Pastor’s Study this week.  For those who are committed fans of Jared…fret not:  he’ll be back to the Pastor’s Study next week.

As Joel preached this week’s installment of our current series, Words of Comfort, two additional passages of Scripture rose in prominence in my own heart.  We’ve said before that this entire section of Isaiah, beginning with Chapter 40, is intended to bring comfort to suffering souls.  Yet, it is not the only passage that does this.  Much of God’s Word, either directly or indirectly, provides comfort for hurting hearts.  Here are just two examples.

Psalm 103

What should a soul that is in need of comfort do?  Psalm 103 gives us one of the answers: it should preach to itself.  Sometimes our souls need to be preached to…our affections and remembrances of the Lord need to be roused.  Psalm 103 does that.  Consider verses 6-8:

 ⁶The LORD works righteousness
   and justice for all who are oppressed.
⁷He made known his ways to Moses,
   his acts to the people of Israel.
⁸The LORD is merciful and gracious,
   slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.

This is truth that we must keep in the forefront of our minds.  “The Lord works righteousness and justice for all who are oppressed.”  We know this in our minds, yet forget it so frequently.  Which is where the preaching comes in.  We need to know this so much that David begins by saying:

¹ Bless the LORD, O my soul,
   and all that is within me,
   bless his holy name!

You see how David is commanding his own soul to bless the Lord.  He is commanding all that is in him to bless God’s holy name.  And, after preaching the truth of God to himself, it seems odd that David’s soul would be the only one lifting praise. So he with exhortations of all:

 ²⁰Bless the LORD, O you his angels,
   you mighty ones who do his word,
   obeying the voice of his word!
²¹Bless the LORD, all his hosts,
   his ministers, who do his will!
²² Bless the LORD, all his works,
   in all places of his dominion.
Bless the LORD, O my soul!

Psalm 121

This psalm begins with the question asked by all who are in need of comfort. 

¹I lift up my eyes to the hills.
   From where does my help come?

Essentially, the question is “Where am I going to get some help to get out of this struggle?”  Once you’ve preached to your soul to bless the Lord, you can’t help but be reminded of who he is.  We turn to the Lord for help…and he promises to help us.

² My help comes from the LORD,
   who made heaven and earth.

 ³He will not let your foot be moved;
   he who keeps you will not slumber.
⁴Behold, he who keeps Israel
   will neither slumber nor sleep.

 ⁵The LORD is your keeper;
   the LORD is your shade on your right hand.
⁶ The sun shall not strike you by day,
   nor the moon by night.

 ⁷The LORD will keep you from all evil;
   he will keep your life.
⁸The LORD will keep
   your going out and your coming in
   from this time forth and forevermore.

In times of need, when words of comfort are everything our weary souls require, God’s Word proves itself sufficient again.  As Joel said in his message, “God is not distant.”  Our God is a help to souls in need.  Praise him!

By Jessica Evans

Pastoral Note:  As the one that carries pastoral responsibility for the Pro-Life Ministry, I’ve invited Jessica to write about our recent experience in Washington, D.C.  Our hope as a pastoral team is simply to keep this issue in front of us all from time to time.  Often, perhaps too often, this is an issue that may drift from the front of our minds.  We encourage you all to pray for our legislators, our justices, our president, women with unwanted pregnancies, and the safety of the unborn.  Stefan Bomberger

On January 22nd, a group of twenty Covenant Fellowship Church members made the trip to Washington D.C. for the annual March for Life. Reports estimate that over 300,000 people came out in support of the pro-life cause: individuals from different states, different ages, races, religious backgrounds, and physical abilities were all united in our burden to protect the unborn.  These were record numbers!

As you may know, this year marks the 37th anniversary of the Supreme Court's infamous Roe v. Wade abortion decision. Since the court ruling in 1973, a recent analysis (from the National Right to Life Committee) estimates that we have lost over fifty-two million children to abortion. This number is nearly impossible for us to wrap our minds around.  May this reality stir conviction in our hearts, that we would embody Doug Hayes’ Sanctity of Human Life message [click here] to “act justly,” extend mercy, and “walk humbly” as we speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves (Proverbs 31:8).

Here are some questions that we can ask ourselves as we seek to embody Doug’s message:

• How am I representing the body of Christ?
• In my attempt to speak truth, am I doing so in a way that is condemning or that extends God’s love?
• Am I doing so in a way that recognizes and fully appreciates that I’ve undeservingly received mercy and forgiveness from God for my own sin through Jesus?

We should desire to share the redemptive truth of the gospel and extend that same mercy to the many women who have been wounded by abortion.

Here at CFC, our Pro-Life Ministry is helping to equip church members on how to engage others on the issue of abortion in gospel-centered, winsome ways.  In so doing, we hope to provide a context for meaningful pro-life outreaches and involvement in pro-life fundraisers.

By Andy Farmer

I don’t tend to like to make social commentary on a blog, but I couldn’t resist.  Here it is a couple of weeks away from the Winter Olympics and I’ve been presented with an ethical dilemma.  I’m a life long Olympics fan (both summer and winter games) and over my history I have learned that controversy comes with the Games.  I have vague memories of the 1968 Games and the black power salutes on the 100 meter medal stand.  Politics has always been an issue – who can forget the absurd boycotts of the 1980 and 84 games.  And of course you’ve always had the judging problems and the performance enhancing drug scandals.  So I’m no purist when it comes to ‘the Olympic Ideal’. 

But the Fox Fur Predicament has me in a no – win situation.  Here’s the deal.  US figure skater Johnny Weir has decided his uniform of choice should include, among various swirls and sequins, fox fur trim.  But now People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) have pressured Weir to drop the fur.  Here’s the story along with a picture so you get the idea of what Mr. Weir is styling these days and why this is a big issue.  http://www.idahostatesman.com/450/story/1059905.html

So why is this my problem?  Well, like I said, I don’t mind controversy in my sports, but I like to land on one side of the issue.  And this one has me flummoxed.  Do I (assuming I ever had the chance to make my case to Weir or PETA) say,

“PETA, do us all a favor.  Get Johnny to dump the fir.  While you’re at it see if you can talk him into a hoodie and sweats. 

Or, do I say to Johnny,

Listen Sport; don’t let the Animal ACLU push you around.  It’s a free country – wear whatever you want – just bring home the Gold!

Either place I land some sensibility in me gets messed with.  I don’t really want animal rights zealots (as much as I love animals) brow-beating people on their costume choices.  But I don’t want my USA male athletes prancing around in fur trim tights.  Probably the only thing that would satisfy me is to see JW skating around in a hoodie and sweats in a routine set to Ted Nugent songs.  But that may be more than I can hope for with two weeks left to go before the Olympics. 

On a related note, here’s a picture of Jill and me at the International Olympic Headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland a couple of years ago.

Bring on the Games!

By Rob Flood

Last night, the married and engaged couples of  Covenant Fellowship Church shared the last message in Fight Night: 3 Rounds to Conflict Resolution.  Mark Prater taught on the Gospel of Peace.  Praise God that we have forgiveness in Jesus Christ and that, ultimately, peace in our homes is something that has been accomplished through his blood, as we apply gospel truth in our homes.

Peace with God is not possible without grace from God.  So too, peace in our homes is not possible without grace.

On a very similar topic, John Piper refers to grace in marriage as “justification bent outward.”  He defines it as the outward bending of the result of our justification…Christ’s finished work in our hearts.

In a message called, “Marriage: God’s Showcase of Covenant-Keeping Grace,” he says the following:

This is the vertical reality that must be bent outward horizontally to our spouses if marriage is to display the covenant-making, covenant-keeping grace of God. We see this in Colossians 3:12-13, “ Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.”

“As the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive”—your spouse. As the Lord “bears with” you, so you should bear with your spouse. The Lord “bears with” you everyday as you fall short of his will. Indeed, the distance between what Christ expects of you and what you achieve is infinitely greater than the distance between what you and expect of your spouse and what he achieves. Christ always forgives more and endures more than we do. Forgive as you have been forgiven. Bear with as he bears with you. This holds for whether you are married to a believer or an unbeliever. Let the measure of God’s grace to you in the cross of Christ be the measure of your grace to your spouse.

And if you are married to a believer, you can add this: As the Lord counts you righteous in Christ, though you are not in actual behavior or attitude, so count your spouse righteous in Christ, though he is not—though she is not. In other words, Colossians 3 says, take the vertical grace of forgiveness and justification and bend them out horizontally to your spouse. This is what marriage is for, most ultimately—the display of Christ’s covenant-keeping grace. (1)

Marriage, unlike most other relationships, offers us the opportunity to forbear, to forgive, to choose unity over agreement and love over winning.  But this is only possible as we reference, even rely upon, the work of Christ on our behalf…reconciling us to God and granting the grace for us to reconcile with each other.

[1] By John Piper. © Desiring God. Website: desiringGod.org at this link: http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/Sermons/ByTopic/45/1992_Marriage_Gods_Showcase_of_CovenantKeeping_Grace/

By Rachel Gonzales

You’ve been kinda crabby lately.

These are the words that pierced my heart as we prepared to worship at church.  They were tender, not accusatory.  Truth had spoken to me about the condition of my heart…again.  I immediately knew these words were true, even though I felt like my attitude was justified.  I went on a review of the past couple of months.

I had been in a car accident a few months ago.  Thankfully, my entire family was safe and God had even used that difficulty as a chance for me to refocus.  I still have a minor lingering knee injury that has kept me away from my regular activities and workouts, and to be honest, I’ve been irritated about how slowly the healing process is going. 

I have been nervous and fearful about my husband’s future job prospects.  Steve is currently a full-time graduate student at Penn and still has over a year before he will be done.  He is a chemist and his industry has taken a hard hit with this current economy.  He is beginning to consider other ways to apply his degree and sometimes our future feels uncomfortably uncertain. 

My son would have turned nine last week.  Instead of celebrating his birthday, I remembered how much we tried to love him in the one hour and 40 minutes we spent with him.  He died in my husband’s arms the day he was born.  By God’s grace, Elijah’s birthday this year was actually a good day, but I still grieve and wonder how life would look if he were here. 

And let’s not even begin with how home school went last week…

Why have you been so crabby? 

Because I have been allowing circumstances to determine my attitude—it was a downhill slide from there.  I was irritated by everything that wasn’t going how I would have liked.  Everyone who wasn’t doing what I wanted pretty much annoyed me.  Grumbling and complaining followed.  Every now and then I turned to God, but I didn’t stay there.  I’ve been going off on my own, wandering here and there. 

Why have you been so crabby?

Because I have been focusing on circumstances instead of focusing on my Savior.  I haven’t been asking Him to really help me through any of these situations—I was trudging along mostly on my own.  I haven’t been continuously engaged and active with my Lord.  I have been irritated when I should remember to be thankful.  I have been judgmental when I should be aware of my own sin.  I have been fearful when I should be trusting.  I have been focusing on the past when I should be resting with my Savior. 

Thankfully, my Savior said Enough.  He spent the morning reminding me of how trustworthy He is.  He spent the morning reminding me of who I am in Him.  He had Kenny Lynch preach about a sinful tax collector who chose to follow Jesus and the Pharisees who thought they were spiritually safe—I easily saw myself in that message.  God spent the morning loving me.  I clearly saw my behavior as the sinful temper tantrum that it was.  I repented and felt joy in Jesus’ forgiveness. 

Thank you, Lord, for loving a sinner like me.

I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,” and you forgave the iniquity of my sin.  Psalm 32: 5

By Jared Mellinger

Our current preaching series on Isaiah 40 is highlighting God’s desire to comfort, strengthen, and encourage weary saints. 

One of the masters of speaking words of comfort is the puritan Richard Sibbes.  His book, The Bruised Reed, is one that God has used to sustain thousands of weak, tired, and troubled souls.  It is a book I personally have greatly benefited from.  They called him “The Heavenly Doctor Sibbes”, because of his skill in speaking words of comfort and hope.   

Here are some quotes that have helped me when I am weary, anxious, grieving, or burdened by my sin.  

“There is more mercy in Christ than sin in us.”  (The Bruised Reed, 13) 

“Let all know that none are fitter for comfort than those that think themselves furthest off.”  (The Bruised Reed, 14)

“Christ ‘binds up the broken-hearted’ (Isa. 61:1).  As a mother is tenderest to the most diseased and weakest child, so does Christ most mercifully incline to the weakest.  Likewise he puts an instinct into the weakest things to rely upon something stronger than themselves for support.  The vine stays itself upon the elm, and the weakest creatures often have the strongest shelters.  The consciousness of the church’s weakness makes her willing to lean on her beloved, and to hide herself under his wing.”  (The Bruised Reed, 10)

“The church of Christ is a common hospital, wherein all are in some measure sick of some spiritual disease or other.”  (The Bruised Reed, 34) 

“Whatsoever may be wished for in an all-sufficient comforter, is all to be found in Christ.”  (The Bruised Reed, 66) 

“The first and chief ground of our comfort is that Christ as a priest offered himself as a sacrifice to his Father for us.  The guilty soul flies first to Christ crucified, made a curse for us.  …And when we feel ourselves cold in affection and duty, the best way is to warm ourselves at this fire of his love and mercy in giving himself for us.  ” (The Bruised Reed , 81) 

“What a comfort this is in our conflicts with our unruly hearts, that it will not always be thus!  Let us strive a little while, and then we shall be happy for ever.  Let us think when we are troubled with our sins that Christ has this in charge from his Father, that he shall not ‘quench the smoking flax’ until he has subdued all.  This puts a shield into our hands to beat back ‘all the fiery darts of the wicked’ (Eph. 6:16).  Satan will object, ‘You are a great sinner.’  We may answer ‘Christ is a strong Savior’.”  (The Bruised Reed, 123)