Mark Copus special lecture

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Dr Mark Copus lecturing on the geography of Israel

Lat week we were blessed to have Mark Copus with us lecturing on the geography and cultures relevant to the NT era and the gospels.

Mark, a dentist from Abingdon VA, has spent extensive time traveling in Palestine, and is a real expert on the culture and geography of the Biblical promised land.  He was gracious to come and share his slides and experiences.  We enjoyed his knowledge of the material and his genuine love for God.  Several people commented that even if Mark had left after our community prayer time (the first hour of the morning) his visit would have been worth it.  Right away he began to engage the students on a heart level sharing some stuff from his heart that first hour that really blessed the class...before we ever even got into the content of the lecture.

"Choosing" to worship God

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Not "feeling" close to God today...if so, keep reading please!

I received the following question this morning from a friend:  I think its one all of us have asked.  Thankfully we have a solid Biblical answer to offer ourselves and our world, and I wanted to share it today.

Here is the question:

"I've been wondering for a long time if you have to be emotionally connected in order to really worship. For a while I thought no, that's just something that people feel like they need for it to feel real. But then I had a talk with someone and he was saying that if we aren't emotionally connected, do we really understand the depth of God's grace and understanding and love? But if the answer is yes, we do need an emotional connection, what do we need to do in order to have that connection every time with The Lord? And if we aren't feeling emotionally connected does that mean we aren't sincere? And that doesn't mean I have to cry everytime I worship right? I'm not really sure what to think!"


Here is my reply:

"good to hear from you, and what a great question you raise. Im so glad you asked it. The simple answer, the Biblical answer, is easy...its "no, you dont have to be emotionally connected to offer true worship."

Now for a longer explanation. I'm approaching my answer from the presupposition that what you mean by "emotionally connected" is that every time you enter into a worship time with God you get that awesome joyful feeling of his presence and overwhelming thankfulness for what he has done for you? And that if for some reason you don't get to that place emotionally you havent really or fully connected with God. If that's what you mean, then FOR SURE the answer is "no." here's why I can say that biblically...just read the book of Psalms, so many of them are what are called "lament psalms" and in them the author (often David) is having a really bad day, not at all feeling spiritual, not sensing God's presence, not in the mood to worship at all, and certainly not having what we would call a "spiritual experience" with God. However, in the midst of that situation the author "chooses" (and that's a key word) to praise God, to reflect upon his goodness, to rehearse God's faithfulness/goodness EVEN THOUGH his emotions are telling him other things at the moment...so the author begins to praise God despite his feelings and emotions.

Psalm 13 is the clearest example of this I think...look how David "chooses" to praise God and declare his goodness (v 5-6) even though he feels like God has "forgotten him forever" (v 1-4). Psalm 31 is another great example. look at the terrible circumstances David is in (v 1-13)...then there is a "but" in verse 14 and David begins to "choose" to focus on God's character. That's the point. Its a choice you have to make sometimes, and it is very much NOT easy to do in the difficult times of life, and in the more mundane times, when for whatever reason, there doesn't seem to be much to be thankful for. It is precisely in those moments that you are in THE TRUEST PLACE to offer to God TRUE AND REAL PRAISE..which is to say to him "God, despite how I feel, I choose to declare your goodness today, and I will praise you for the truth of who you are and what you have done despite how I feel right now." That IS true worship, its as true as the best of those awesome worship times where we do encounter and engage with God emotionally and experience the emotional joy of his presence.

This type of attitude towards God is precisely what Paul asks the church in Philippi to "choose" (again that's a key word) when he says " whatever is true,, honorable, just, pure, pleasing...worthy of praise etc..focus on these things" (Philippians 4:8-9). The obvious reality is that there were lots of things the church in Philippi could focus on that WERE NOT praiseworthy etc. They instead must "choose" to worship God despite those things."

This morning I asked the Lord to somehow encourage me and show me that what I'm doing here at the ESBS is worth it, and meaningful.  This e-mail is God's answer to that prayer.  The first thing I did when I received the question was think "Psalms!"...and immediately I reached into my file box and dug out my psalms assignment from when I was a student in this same program.  I quickly found 10 or more lament and imprecatory psalms that, over a decade ago, I had spent hours and hours color coding, assigning titles to, categorizing, and allowing the holy spirit to download into my mind.  In minutes the the answer was there, but minutes TODAY came at the expense of 10 MONTHS back then...and today Im reminded personally that it was TOTALLY worth it!  

Jesus meant what he said in John 8:31-32:

"If you continue in my word you are truly my disciples; you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." 

ESBS Thanksgiving

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Yesterday evening we celebrated thanksgiving with the students.  Our thanksgiving break begins Wednesday after 1 John is due.

We're almost done with the NT now, and as we all sat around the table yesterday one student said "I'm really thankful for how we have grown together as a community recently, and how close of a group we are becoming."  I second that, and it is clear to me that the students have really begun to bond as a family.

In many ways the community aspect of things here is the best part of the program.  Another student said last night that this was the first community they've been a part of where they've seen authentic Christianity lived out meaningfully.  What a cool thing to hear a student say!  It makes me thankful for the caliber of staff we have here, and for the grace of God, which not only saves us, but empowers us to change too (Titus 2:11-12).

A video you need to see!

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Ellen, our newest addition to the ESBS staff, is teaching 2 Timothy today, which means the students have now studied all of Paul's books in the New Testament.

She put together a short video chronicling what God has taught current and former students through each one of Paul's books in the NT.  It's an encouraging video, and yet another example of why Im sure that I have the best job on planet earth!

Tom

Making Disciples

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As I've mentioned several times before, one of the tangible rewards of running a program like this is looking over the shoulders of graduates as they go out into "all the world" and pass on what they've gotten here at the ESBS.

Seeing this kind of thing happen reminds me that what we're doing here is not just about HERE...it's about the growth of the Kingdom of God in people and places who at this very moment don't have any idea about what, or who is soon to be headed into their world.  I've seen this firsthand in my own life.  After graduating from YWAM's SBS program I returned to college, where I met an 18 year old freshman who sat behind me in trigonometry class.  Weeks turn into months, he got saved, got sucked into a Bible study at my house, and is now a huge supporter of the ESBS.

The "mustard seed" grows, one life at a time.

It's happening right now multiple time over in the lives of former students.  I wanted to share two more examples I've been made aware of recently:

1)  Evan Hays (2012) now living near Rapid City South Dakota, is teaching a sunday school class on "God's redemptive plan through the Old Testament."  taking a different book each sunday and giving a basic overview.  Can you think of a more perfect class for an ESBS grad to be leading!...the mustard seed grows.

2)  Rich Lang (2012) has just been hired as an interim pastor at a church in Minnesota, and is currently teaching through a multiple week Inductive Bible Study overview...and so solid Bible teaching invades a pulpit somewhere in small-town USA...and the mustard seed grows.

Tom