This is the church! Filled with the Spirit, to proclaim the risen Jesus, to love him, to worship him, and to look forward to his return.

Jesus set his face like flint toward the cross. He was so convinced of his Father's help, presence, vindication and the eternal ramification of his obedience that the mission was his only view. Forward toward the cross. What astounds me is that in the path of his mission, he served, he loved, he cared, he healed, he preached, he taught. All that he did was in view of that purpose for which he came. Singular focus on the mission of God didn't make him cold, unfeeling, or unapproachable. Instead, he is the most attractive 'character' in all of history.

While we are blind to the ugliness of our ongoing sin, he is loving us perfectly, coming to us in our sin and bringing us to the Father, making us righteous in Christ, pure in Christ, made right in Christ. Little by little, his tender grace brings to light the next sin to be dealt with.

“The best of life on Earth is a glimpse of Heaven; the worst of life is a glimpse of Hell. For Christians, this present life is the closest they will come to Hell. For unbelievers, it is the closest they will come to Heaven.” ― Randy Alcorn, Heaven

“For I was afraid of the anger and hot displeasure that the Lord bore against you, so that he was ready to destroy you. But the Lord listened to me that time also.” - Deuteronomy 9:19

It's March! In the International community, that means we are staring down the final stretch to summer when many of us will leave. Some of us return "home", others move to a new country, regardless, the good-byes are coming. Thankfully, many of us will reunite at the end of summer. So, what I'm going to share today is going to be really hard to put our hearts into, but I believe it remains crucial as gospel-driven believers living in the lost and broken world that needs hope in Jesus (no matter where we're going next).

I remember my pastor telling me as a teenager that we tend to disciple others the way that we were discipled. Unfortunately, many of us, after placing our faith in Jesus as our Lord and Savior just had to figure it out. Even when discipled, the end goal was vague if not unappealing. Although I had many wonderful, godly people in my young life as a believer, I often struggled to know if I was truly growing in Christ. So, it has been on my heart to help you know where you are in your walk with Christ and to help you know how to mature in him. This week, we are reading Colossians in our Bible Reading Plan. There, Paul gives us great insight into this process of maturity in Colossians 1:24-2:5.

This year, I made the decision to subscribe to both an American and an Italian news source. My intention was to become more aware of what is going on in the world through reputable sources. This has meant living with less ignorance, but facing a daily report on what awful thing(s) have happened since I last checked. In the past week the world has watched as Russia mounted its attack on Ukraine. This is bad news. Bad news for Ukraine and it's citizens. This is bad news for world economies. This is bad news for gas prices. But this is also bad news on a personal level. People we know and love are having to leave their homes or required to stay. Others who are choosing to stay and help.

Last Sunday Pastor Loren preached through Mark 9:2-13. He said that our life trajectory looks like humbling ourselves. What if each mile marker in our life Jesus is asking us to deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Him?

Forrest Gump told us life was like a box of chocolates because you never know what you're going to get. This existential view of life is 'sweet'. A perspective that frames all the good and bad, gain and loss in a term that we can all appreciate. It's a it-always-works-out-in-the-end sort of plot.

The Exodus story isn’t about Moses’ most improved leadership, or even the people of Israel and what happened to them on the way to the promised land. The hero of the story is God. God who said he will… and he does. He makes slaves into a nation. He makes a murderer into his humble mediator. He will for those who can’t.

Multiplication is promised by God. His people pray for it and pursue it. The book of Acts describes that multiplication when it says, “the Word of God spread”. In fact, the church is the intersection of God leading people to himself and they being introduced to Jesus. But, unlike two lines on a graph, it is alive! Living hands, feet and mouths that glorify God and do the good that Jesus teaches by the enabling Spirit of God. In other words, loving God and loving others. Although found all over the world, the church is always grounded on and upholds the truth of Jesus. As Paul describes the church, it is a pillar and buttress of the truth…

All the world
All the minds
All the thoughts
All the scholars
All the time
in eternity could not heart-beat enough praise that you deserve.

How does strengthening happen? When the Word of God is preached, spoken and shared with those who have not heard. Where the good news is being believed and shared, God leads hearers to find him and his people.

“ He set up the pillars at the vestibule of the temple. He set up the pillar on the south and called its name Jachin, and he set up the pillar on the north and called its name Boaz.” 1 Kings 7:21

Looking down the road of a new year, I am always tempted to begin a new endeavor. It could be a work out routine, reading list, hobby, or skill. But at the begging of this year, I have been challenged to think about the presence and ministry of RIC in the context of what God has been doing, is doing and will do in this city. After all, RIC is not the first to preach the gospel, love the Bible, gather believers for fellowship and discipleship, and organize activities.

This is my prayer going into 2022, that the Lord would further establish his foundation in this city and strengthen his church. How do we participate in what he would do here? Well, we'll talk about that over the coming weeks, but for now, I believe the first and best place to begin is by establishing a pattern of immersion in God's Word.

God sends a gift. A care package to meet our exact need. Yes, Israel deserved judgement. Yes, we deserve judgement, but instead, he gives us the Savior from judgement.

When a child is born, parents tend to dream of what the child's future will look like. What will they become? Who will they marry? What will they do? Jesus' parents were no different. Except, his parents anticipated a great and glorious future for him because, unlike most children, the future of Jesus was foretold and eagerly anticipated for hundreds (thousands) of years! Even before he was born, his mother was given insider information on who this miracle child was and what he would do!

In anticipation of the Christmas season. I hope to be found with you, in the Word.