Perfectly Loved

When John says that “perfect love casts out fear,” what kind of fear is he talking about? I don’t imagine, a person knowing they are loved, would make jumping out of an airplane or public speaking less frightening. I do not think physical fear is what John had in mind. Physical fear is not easy to overcome, but it can be overcome with a little courage. Courage is not action absent of fear, but action despite fear.

Then what is John talking about? John tells us when we read the whole passage, “This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment… There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment.” (1 John 4:17-18) John is talking about fear of judgment!

Over the weekend Maddie made a very astute observation, “The root of our fear is doubt… Doubt makes us scared. Doubt makes us skeptical. Doubt makes us want to run away, to get out from whatever seems to be the problem.” Think about this statement for a minute. How many of us after a mistake become skeptical and run further away from God? Like the prodigal son we become slaves in a foreign land rather than go home because we doubt God’s love for us. We say things like, “if you only knew what I did” or “I don’t want to return until I get my act right;” that is fear talking. If we doubt God’s love for us, then of course we will fear judgment and punishment. How could someone who does not love us have mercy on us?

But reader, although you have heard it many times before, let me say it to you one more time: God loves you. God’s love for you is patient, kind, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs, it protects, it always perseveres and it never fails! (1 Cor 13:4-8) This kind of love is searching to be reconciled, not to punish! If you still question it, look to the cross. There Jesus will reveal to you God as savior. For the cross is not what God inflicts upon Jesus in order to forgive. The cross is what God in Christ endures as He forgives. The cross did not make God willing to forgive, it is evidence that He was always willing to forgive. It is this love that moved Paul to write, “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace.” (Eph 1:7) In other words, God wants to forgive!

When we realize how deeply loved we are, we rest knowing that our mistakes are not greater than His love, and that no imperfection of ours is above or beyond the healing hand of the Great I AM. When we know we are deeply loved, we do not fear judgment. My prayer for you is that you may know that you are perfectly loved by God. And in knowing this, that all your fear of judgment may be cast out.

–Pastor Alex Portillo

Models for Everyday

Philippians chapter 2 presents a cadre of examples for the members of the church in Philippi. It starts with the perfect example, Jesus Christ. Then Paul discusses his own leadership and example. Next, in verses 19-24, Paul holds up Timothy, who is without parallel in having “genuine concern” for the believers. Finally, verses 25-30, extol Epaphroditus (E-pa-fro-die-tis), a member of the church who almost gave his own life in service to the gospel. Philippians chapter 3 is going to build on the importance of our models because God knows what we celebrate in others we grow in ourselves.

On Sabbath morning we considered these examples and considered some of the deep effects they have on us, but it’s not Sabbath morning anymore.

The week goes on and now you may be discouraged. You may be facing a difficult problem. You may be hurt. You may be experiencing a great success and you may be afraid it will slip through your fingers. Perhaps you have even become discouraged because you feel like you don’t live up to some spiritual person’s example.

But be of good courage! These examples are not placed here to discourage us as we play the comparison game and feel like failures. These examples are here to show us what God can and does do in people. These examples are here to give us hope. Let’s adopt this attitude as we journey through Philippians together. Let’s reflect on these examples of godliness, ask God for grace and strength, and seek to imitate them in our all-in love for those around us.

–Pastor Jonny Moor

Lights In The World

Philippians 2:15 in the NIV reads, “Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky.” What I love about the NIV translation is that Paul does not actually use the word ‘stars.’ Rather, he uses the word ‘brilliance.’ Why then do the NIV translators use the word ‘stars’ instead of ‘brilliance’? The reason is because most scholars agree that Paul is making a reference to Daniel 12, where Daniel has a vision of the end of the world. In his vision, Michael stands up, the righteous dead are raised and in verse 3 it reads, “Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever.”

So why then does Paul say “brilliance” instead of “stars” if he is making a reference to Daniel 12? That is because the word for brilliance can include stars, moon, and sun. In other words, it’s a much more powerful word. By changing the word, Paul communicates a vision that is greater than Daniel’s. In Daniel 12 the righteous shine like stars, but for Paul, the righteous who live a life “worthy of the Gospel” by continually working out their salvation with fear and trembling are much brighter! They are like the brilliance of the stars and moon in the darkest night. They are like the brilliance of the sun at dawn chasing away the darkness.  

 In Matthew 5:14 Jesus says to us, “You are the light of the world.” Shining in the world means the same thing that working out our salvation means: it means being more like Jesus. It means making our lives just as beautiful as the salvation we have received by the power of God’s Spirit. It means becoming selfless, humble, considerate, and self-sacrificing, as was Christ. (Phi 2:3)

The light of the righteous shines brightly,
    but the lamp of the wicked is snuffed out
—Proverbs 13:9

May we continue to work out our salvation, that we may shine with a brilliance in this dark age.

—Pastor Alex Portillo

When We Love

Over the Weekend Misa shared with us three stories found in Matt 8 and 9. Jesus heals a man with leprosy, then forgives a paralyzed man followed by the embrace of a tax collector. Then Misa challenged us by asking us ‘What do these three stories have in common?’ the answer is quite simple:  Jesus loved them. And by loving them, Jesus revealed to them the love of God (John 14:9).  

The Gospels tell us about countless people who had this same encounter with Jesus. In the same two chapters we read about a worried centurion, two demon possessed men, an ill woman, a concerned father, a blind man, and a mute man. All of them, for some reason or another, would have experienced some sort of reproach for their position or ailment. But when they encountered Jesus, He responded to them with compassion.

All those who encountered Jesus were changed because in their short exchange Jesus revealed to them the love of God. The miracle was not the only takeaway from the encounter, there was also the sound knowledge that God cared and loved them.

If God is love, then is he not made manifest in every act of love? In every act of mercy? In every act of grace? In every embrace? The answer is yes. And I know because that has been my experience. It has been through the love given to me that I have learned to love myself, others, and most importantly God. On this week’s episode of the MGC Podcast (click here to listen) Misa says, “It was through the love of my Christian community that I saw the love of God”. Loving others reveals the God of love.

 The Bible tells us that as the world’s history comes to a close “the love of most will grow cold” (Matt 24:12). And I get it, people are stubborn, annoying, difficult, awkward, selfish, arrogant, unpleasant, selfish, ignorant, and on and on… but that is why our focus remains on Christ, and not the world. Because when we look to Christ we do not see a God struggling to embrace sinners or negotiating his generosity. Rather, we see a God who loves all people despite their imperfections. Love grows cold when we stop looking at the redeemer and look at the redeemed.

Now is the time to rebel against all our natural impulses to judge, and be close-minded. If we allow our love to grow cold, we remove our witness from the world. For just as the love of Jesus revealed God to those he encountered, so does our love reveal God to those we encounter.

Let us love others, that we may make the love of God manifest in the world.

—Pastor Alex Portillo

For The Sake Of Others

In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:
Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross! -Philippians 2:5-8

Preaching out of this passage convicted my soul of one thing: God wants me to love others now the way Jesus loved us then, and I found myself fascinated by what this might look like. What if instead of talking about the passage, explaining it, and going on, I really applied it to my life? So we were all challenged together to pick one of these things and, leaning on God for strength, actually do it for the sake of others.

1. Adopt a new friend into your family who is challengingly different from you

2. Get a pen pal through the church’s random pen pal program (more below)

3. Pray for church families or members deeply and regularly

4. Give above and beyond-sacrificing your own comfort for someone else

5. Other-follow God’s promptings to your unique loving service

Personally, I felt convicted on number 3. I have been praying for a while now, but I haven’t been intentionally praying for my church members regularly. I put a system together, and I want you to know, I am praying for you. One day, I will come to your name, and I will pray to the King of the universe on your behalf. It’s been so meaningful to me to make this a part of my spiritual practice.

I want to encourage you to take up one of these challenges to really invest yourself in the good of others and more deeply join the cause of Jesus in advancing the gospel, BUT I especially want to encourage you to join our pen pal program. Here’s how you do it:

• Write a letter by hand to, “Dear Friend in Christ,” and respond to this prompt. "What have you been struggling with and what are you excited about?"

• Aim for 1-2 pages and share at whatever depth you’re comfortable.

• Mail it to me and be sure it arrives by Tuesday, February 16, 2021: Pastor Jonny Pen Pal Project, 11001 NE 189th St., Battle Ground, WA 98604

• Wait for a letter to come to you, and then begin writing back.

Once we receive all the letters, we will prayerfully mix them up and pair them off. Then we will send them out, and voila! You have a pen pal. I got this idea from reading about the incredible blessing the Dear Stranger** program was to those who participated, especially in this time of isolation. It might sound scary, but the risk is worth it! Imagine how much more meaningful it could be for us who are already siblings in Christ.

So, just as I invited on Sabbath I invite you, let’s find purpose together. Jesus went through a difficult time for the sake of us; let’s move with Jesus and invest ourselves for the sake of others.

-Pastor Jonny Moor

Have The Mind of Christ

Even as a child, talking to people was easy for me. I would talk to random people in the grocery store or at the park, even after being warned against it. My grandmother would often say, "you could make a friend on a deserted island".

What was hard for me was forming long-lasting friendships. As easy as it was to talk to people, it was actually just that much harder for me to trust others. When I was in high school a mentor observed, "how can you really be trusted if you don't, can't, or won't trust others".

In other words, nothing was going to change until I was willing to be vulnerable - willing to allow myself to truly be known, warts and all. Within that bigger picture, then and only then, could I understand and accept God’s love for me.

Throughout the Gospels Jesus builds community with vulnerability. In Him people saw the depth of the Father's love. When He taught it was for people to know His Father’s love. When He healed it was for people to know His Father’s love. He invites people to know His heart, and in return He gives them permission to reveal their hearts.

The Christian community is built on this unified vulnerability under Christ.

In Philippians Chapter 2 Paul says: 2:3-5 Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. Have this attitude in yourselves, which was also in Christ Jesus,

Paul reminds the Philippians that humility is a community defining attribute, because it is an attribute that defines Jesus. The vulnerability and humility they find in Jesus will be the glue which holds them together.

As I reflect on this part of the chapter, I am reminded that the world is not transformed with the sword but with the humility, vulnerability, and love of Jesus.

–Pastor Jackie James

To Live Is Christ

The passage from Philippians that we focused on last week, Philippians 1:12-30, ends with these words:

“Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in the one Spirit, striving together as one for the faith of the gospel without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved—and that by God. For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for Him, since you are going through the same struggle you saw I had, and now hear that I still have.”
—Philippians 1:27-30

When I think about my purpose and my goals, I know I fall short of “striving together as one for the faith of the gospel.” I do and say things to further my agenda, without always thinking of what is best for Christ. And this makes me truly sad.

Today, I repent. I repent of all the times I have put myself first and what I think is best over living Christ in every situation. What does this mean? It means I will suffer and struggle–just as Paul did and just as Christ did. And that I will have true joy and peace beyond understanding.

Does my repentance mean I won’t ever fail again? Obviously not, but that knowledge will no longer be an excuse. I will live Christ and continue to repent when I fail. I will choose to turn towards Christ in everything. Will you join me? Will you join me in repenting of all wrongs up to this point and going forward knowing we are completely forgiven? Will you join me in living Christ? Your answer will make all the difference in the world.

–Pastor Jana Lee