Harvest Community Church Blog

New Prayer Request for Heather

2009-11-16T01:15:00.000-06:00

Please pray that her blood pressure will go down and that all of her organs will function properly. They are treating her for preeclampsia even as we wait for lab results from a 24-hour test that has to be conducted for a diagnosis. Thank you for your prayers!

Worship Guides for the Lord's Day, November 15, 2009 - Prayer Request

2009-11-14T19:08:00.000-06:00

You may download the worship guides for the morning and the evening services [here].

(Note: Heather continues to be kept at the hospital because of high blood pressure and limited bowel function; if Heather and the twins aren't released from the hospital by tomorrow morning, there will be no baptism in morning worship)

Baptism this Lord's Day (?) / Praise for Healthy Babies and Mommy

2009-11-12T12:21:00.001-06:00

Thank you all so much for your thoughts, visits, calls, and prayers. Yesterday at 12:05 p.m., Jonathan Isaac Hakim was born, followed by Beatrice Christi at 12:06. He weighed 5lbs 12oz, she 5lbs 6oz. He 19 1/4 inches, she 19. Everyone is doing great, and it looks like we may even be in worship on the Lord's Day (in which case, with the elders' permission, I hope to baptize Jon and Bea in the morning). If you would like, you may see more photos [here].

Whitefield (Dallimore) - Introductory Material

2009-11-10T20:34:00.001-06:00

Since it had been a year since I last read in this excellent biography, and I couldn't find where I had blogged through what I have already read, I decided to start over.

Introductory Material

On Knowing Whitefield

"There are few men whose characters have suffered so much from misrepresentation and ignorance as George Whitefield!" (p6)
One problem is that he only journaled for three years of his ministry and then refused--just as he refused to start a church with his name on it saying "Let the name of Whitefield perish, but Christ be glorified!" (p7)
Some measure him by those three journaled years, even though "the man of later years [was] humbly apologetic for his earlier errors" (p7)
Whitefield used of God to bring worldwide revival--the revivals on both sides of the Atlantic not disconnected but one (therefore Dallimore prefers the term The Eighteenth-Century Revival to any localizing terms
Dallimore uses "source materials not heretofore used" (p15) and makes known "not only his accomplishments and abilities, but also his foibles and mistakes" (p15) of which he actually laments that there are so few that he might appear biased in his writing (!)
The aim of the book is that God would use it to shape a generation of young preachers through whom He would bring another like revival... Men mighty in the Scriptures, their lives dominated by a sense of the greatness, the majesty and holiness of God, and their minds and hearts aglow with the great truths of the doctrines of grace. They will be men who have learned what it is to die to self, to human aims and personal ambitions; men who are willing to be 'fools for Christ's sake', who will bear reproach and falsehood, who will labour and suffer, and whose supreme desire will be, not to gain earth's accolades, but to win the Master's approbation when they appear before His awesome judgment seat. They will be men who will preach with broken hearts and tear-filled eyes, and upon whose ministries God will grant an extraordinary effusion of the Holy Spirit (p16)

Spiritual and Moral Conditions in England before the Revival

The rejection of Puritanism had plunged the nation into godless immorality (p19)
Deists had conducted "a vigorous warfare against supernatural religion--Biblical Christianity," attacking especially the idea of the Bible as God's Word (p20) with (my observation) many of the same arguments as 19th century theological liberalism and 20th century secular humanism
"Professional" clergy who desired the praise of the world and the pleasure of sin had given in to Deism quite readily (p22)
"Every sixth house in London had become a gin shop and the nation was in an uncontrollable orgy of gin drinking" (p25)
"It was among a people broken by gin that Whitefield and the Wesleys went about" (p25)
This immorality had destroyed the vast majority of society into a diseased, wretched mass (pp26-27)
Though there had been small awakenings and attempts to minister, including hospitals, prison condition improvement, charity schools, societies against immorality, and societies for promoting Christian knowledge (pp28-30); yet, "there was no noticeable improvement in the moral and religious state of the nation" (pp30-31)
It was into this context that Whitefield first preached

Next week, God-willing, we'll pick up with Part 1, Chapter 1

Prayer Request, Prayer Meeting Reminder

2009-11-10T14:45:00.002-06:00

Heather is now scheduled to have a C-Section tomorrow (Wednesday) at noon. Please pray for her, the twins, and the docs. And as you continue to think on what we heard in the morning sermon this week, please pray at least as earnestly that God would bring them safely to glory as you do that He would bring them safely into this world.

Also, I'm including the reminder for Prayer Meeting in this note to clarify that we still plan on having one. The devotional will be the same as last time, from Psalm 47.

Text, "Harvest at Home" Study and Application Guide (week of 11/08)

2009-11-09T08:17:00.000-06:00

[click here for text]
This study guide is for individuals, small groups, and families to use in continuing to think through and apply what we heard in the calls to worship, readings, and sermons in the Lord's Day worship services this week. This week's covers Hebrews 8:2, Mark 14:1-25, Genesis 26:24d, Psalm 148:11-13, Jeremiah 24, and Romans 11:1-6.

Text (Outline), Gen 26:24d 'Promises' (8-Nov-09 Morning Sermon)

2009-11-09T08:15:00.000-06:00

[click here for text]
Since we had time only for a selective summary of the entire second half of the sermon, I said that I would put the rest of the outline online. The link is to the entire outline. If the twins happen to be born this week and are able to come receive baptism on the 15th, I may preach the second half, as it is a very appropriate text to that sacrament.

Audio, Rom 11:1-6 'Divine Reservation' (8-Nov-09 Evening Sermon)

2009-11-09T08:00:00.000-06:00

[click here for audio]

Main ideas:

1) God has the right to reject anyone and everyone.

2) God has not used that right upon Israel.

3) God’s action in the heart of a person to save him is always stronger than the action of that person in his heart to rebel.

4) It is impossible for God to set His special love upon a person and then later to change His mind—even our sin can’t change the special love that God sets upon us.

5) We can’t tell what God is actually doing from what we can see

a. He works everywhere at once.

b. He works in the heart, which is beyond our ability to observe

6) God saves for His own sake. Salvation is about God maintaining His rights, and not at all about any imagined rights of ours.

7) You can tell whom God has saved because their changed hearts are displayed in changed actions. But it is always salvation that produces the actions, and never actions that produce the salvation.

8) The first of these actions that salvation produces is the faith through which we are justified. This faith is produced by God’s saving action; it never earns God’s saving action.

9) The point of “remnant style” saving is to show how completely by grace they are chosen.

10) The point of saving by grace is to eliminate all boasting and reserve not just some people for God, but especially to reserve ALL GLORY for God.

Questions for application:

1) Do I really understand the right of God to damn EVERYONE to Hell? Do I freely acknowledge His right to do this to ME?

2) Do I have a sense of the absolute desperation of humanity, with no rights whatsoever, and deserving to be damned? Do I have a sense of MY desperation before God: MY having no rights before Him, MY deserving to be damned?

3) Am I amazed that even for utterly desperate, totally Hell-deserving sinners, instead of insisting upon this right, He has insisted upon His divine right to SAVE? Am I amazed that He would insist upon saving ME?

4) Whom have I written off as unsavable?

a. What people groups or religions?

b. What individuals?

5) Am I pessimistic about the CURRENT state of the church and the spread of the gospel?

6) Am I tempted to downplay Scripture’s description of true heart change as being visible in ACTIONS?

a. Do I ever excuse wicked actions with the good news that actions cannot save?

b. Do I ever give myself credit for righteous actions as if God didn’t savingly produce them?

7) Which do I care more about: the rights and glory of God, or the imagined rights and stolen glory of sinners?

8) Do I really love God: Does it really make a difference to me that God would get glory out of a situation?

Audio, Jer 24 'Fig-ure Out God Only by His Word' (8-Nov-09 Evening Reading)

2009-11-09T07:54:00.000-06:00

[click here for audio]
Elder Matt Van Essendelft teaches us:
What is so bad about the figs in the vision? What Yahweh plans to do to them. For the majority of humanity, the message of Jeremiah is, “For I know the plans I have for you, says Yahweh: plans to make you a horror, a reproach, a byword, a taunt, and a curse.” We ALL are rotten to the core and fully deserve this, but our rottenness is not the ‘badness’ of the figs here. What’s amazing, then, is that there are good figs at all—and how good they are. Again, the ‘goodness’ is a reference to how well God plans to treat them, not their character. In fact, we know they start out wicked, because part of the “good fig” treatment from God is that He will transform the heart. So, how does a person turn out “character-wise” to be a good fig? Because although he was rotten, God gave him the good-fig treatment anyway, by giving him Jesus and then conforming him to Jesus.

Main ideas:

1) We all deserve to be treated very badly.

2) God can treat amazingly well whomever He wishes.

3) You can’t tell which of these two categories someone is in by the events that are happening to them.

4) One of God’s amazing blessings to those whom He saves is giving them a heart to know Him and wholeheartedly return to Him.

Audio, Gen 26:24d 'Promises' (8-Nov-09 Morning Sermon)

2009-11-09T07:46:00.001-06:00

[click here for audio]

Update, 9-Nov-09: the extended outline is now available [here]

Main ideas:

1) God’s promises are truths to rest in, because they are already true before what is promised actually happens

2) Certainty of future blessing is a big part of believers’ lives on earth

3) We are to enjoy already things that have not yet happened because God has promised them

4) We are to respond already to things that have not yet happened because God has promised them

5) God with us is the only way that we can ever truly do our duty

6) God’s plan isn’t to make us independent of Him but entirely dependent upon Him

7) Jesus is the ultimate fulfillment of God with us

8) God’s promise of multiplying offspring is primarily a spiritual promise

a. It is a spiritual promise for natural children

b. It is a spiritual promise for the objects of evangelism

c. Jesus is the ultimate recipient and fulfiller of the promise for spiritual offspring

9) On this side of the cross, we have certainty of God’s promises:

a. Because God is the One who made them

b. Because of Christ’s finished work, and Christ’s prayer on the basis of that work

Questions for application:

1) Do I treat God’s promises for the present and the future as if they already happened?

a. Do I ever stress as if they might not happen?

b. Do I think much about going to be with the Lord, or the resurrection on the last day, or the everlasting life of joy in the New Heavens and New Earth? Do my mind and heart go regularly to these for encouragement to my current duty or comfort in my current trials? Do I enjoy already their certainty? Do I respond already with gratitude and service to God?

2) Do I consciously depend upon God in my duty?

a. Is my hope and strength for duty sapped by my personal condition or circumstances around me?

b. When my duty does get done, is my exulting closer to boasting pride in self or amazed gratitude toward God?

3) Do I view spiritual multiplication as one of the main promises of God to me and one of the main objectives in everything I do?

4) Is spiritual multiplication the single greatest object of my parenting?

5) Am I impressed with the certainty found in a promise’s having been made by God?

6) Am I impressed with the impossibility of something not coming true if Christ has earned it by His life and death?

Am I impressed with the certainty of Jesus’ getting everything He asks for … and how much of what Jesus asks for is actually directly and individually connected to me?

Audio, Mark 14 'Christ, Our Passover' (8-Nov-09 Morning Serial Reading)

2009-11-09T07:43:00.000-06:00

[click here for audio]
There is an interesting contrast between four views of the Passover here. For the priests and scribes, the Passover is an inconvenience that gets in the way of murdering Jesus, both of which are irrelevant concerns by comparison to their status. For Judas, the Passover and Jesus Himself are irrelevant concerns by comparison to the money bag. For the disciples, the Passover is a very important religious ceremony for which they must prepare. For Jesus, the Passover is a foreshadowing that He is about to replace in giving His body and blood, but even the Lord’s Supper is a meal that looks forward to its own being replaced and obsolete by the kingdom’s coming in glory. What a Passover meal is our Christ! His body the truest nourishment and strength; His blood the truest safety and gladness.

4-Nov-09 Elders' Meeting Round-up

2009-11-06T16:36:00.000-06:00

The elders had their stated meeting for November on Wednesday; and, as usual, the bulk of the time was spent on pastoral issues. Other items of note are:

A decision to compile in one place past elder decisions that set some kind of ongoing policy
A report that giving is slightly behind budget
A decision to purchase more poly-resin tables so that we don't have to remove permanent set-ups for temporary occasions, and more of the folding chairs to reduce damage and wear by social use of the worship chairs
Delegation of ruling elders to the Nov 14 Presbytery meeting in Ackley: elder Van Essendelft, elder Herman, elder De Haan (alternate), elder Vander Plaats (second-alternate). Alternates are because other delegates' ability to attend were contingent upon things unknown at the time.
A decision that the service rotation will now be determined by voluntary sign-up on a bulletin-board to be placed on the West wall of the kitchen
A postponement of a decision on Shepherding Groups (More pastorally specific/developed focus by particular elders on particular individuals) in order to study further how to determine the make-up of the Shepherding Groups, and how the elders will to do the more specific shepherding in their groups

The elders are grateful for the honor, encouragement, and obedience that you continue to show--as Scripture has commanded, and as every member has sworn in his vows. We are keenly aware of the seriousness of our office and the necessity that our sufficiency be from God. Please remember always to pray for us!

Worship Guides for the Lord's Day, November 8, 2009

2009-11-06T15:41:00.000-06:00

You may download the worship guides for the morning and the evening services [here].

Text, "Harvest at Home" Study and Application Guide (week of 11/01)

2009-11-02T10:54:00.000-06:00

[click here for text]
This study guide is for individuals, small groups, and families to use in continuing to think through and apply what we heard in the calls to worship, readings, and sermons in the Lord's Day worship services this week. This week's covers Hebrews 8:1, Mark 13, Genesis 26:24c, Psalm 1148:7-10, Jeremiah 23:9-40, and Romans 10:18-21.

Audio, Rom 10:18-21 'Joyfully Conquered Rebels' (1-Nov-09 Evening Sermon)

2009-11-02T10:46:00.000-06:00

[click here for audio]
The fact that God uses preaching to save doesn't excuse those who have never heard it. Creation has left them without excuse. And for those who HAVE heard clear gospel preaching, this leaves them DOUBLY without excuse! The fact is that our problem isn't lack of information, or lack of understanding, as much as it is rebellious hearts.

Audio, Jer 23:9-40 'Preaching-Loving Atheists' (1-Nov-09 Evening Reading)

2009-11-02T10:35:00.000-06:00

[click here for audio]
Elder Gary Vander Plaats reads and explains how it's possible to have outward forms of true religion and yet be pagan in our hearts.

Audio, Gen 26:24c 'Fear Not' (1-Nov-09 Morning Sermon)

2009-11-02T07:12:00.000-06:00

[click or right-click here]
Here is a great commandment--the first commandment that we ever believe, a commandment that guards against so many other sins, a commandment that requires the cross and keeps us there: fear not!

Audio, Mark 13 'Enduring and Staying Awake' (1-Nov Morning Serial Reading)

2009-11-02T07:08:00.001-06:00

[click or right-click here]
The disciples have confused the destruction of the temple with the end of the age. Jesus tells them that there is much world history left before the end, but that the destruction of the temple will come soon with great slaughter. Mercifully, He gives them a sign to watch for that they might escape. They need to keep close watch so that they don’t miss it. And Christians actually saw it and escaped in 70a.d.! The end, however, when the Son of Man returns and the elect are gathered, is exactly opposite. In His human nature, even He doesn’t know the timing of it. But when it does come, you won’t have to scratch your head and wonder—the heavens will literally fall apart! And it won’t be predictable at all, nor will there be escape, but it will be absolutely sudden. The application of all of this is quite simple, and it’s the last two words of the chapter: Stay awake! Jesus has been revealing Himself as the Forever-King in whom is all our salvation, and whom we must serve with all our heart. Staying awake means to always be serving our Master in everything. Serve Him in all your labor, all your rest, all your worship. Always do everything just as you would like for Him to catch you doing. Stay awake!

Reminders and Worship Guides for the Lord's Day, November 1, 2009

2009-10-31T12:18:00.000-05:00

You may download the orders of worship for the morning and the evening services [here]. Also:

Daylight Savings ends tonight, so remember turn your clocks back an hour.
We plan to enjoy The Lord's Supper together in the morning service
There is a Fellowship Meal planned for after morning worship
The Afterparty is planned to be in the gathering room after evening worship

Thank You!

2009-10-30T19:41:00.000-05:00

Thank you to all who responded to our urgent email by calling to volunteer to give up the best chunk of Saturday for my family. How overwhelming and humbling to be loved like this--what a reminder of the love of God who has given us Christ in common (Eph 2:11-22)!

Gospel Balm for the Sore Soul

2009-10-30T10:57:00.000-05:00

Feeling your unfaithfulness sharply? [Here's some gospel balm for your sore soul].

heb412.us (pronounced "Hebrews Four Twelve Us!") has started up again, currently with summaries from family readings on the M'Cheyne plan (will switch to the new mastersline calendar plan in January).

Yesterday, we had guests, so a little summary didn't get zipped onto the web. Instead, this morning there was a little more of a summary (including some that wasn't really spelled out at the table due to tender ears). The wonderful thing here isn't the explanation on the web but the text of Hosea 2 itself. What a marvelous God, of astonishing grace and love, we have!

Feeding on the Twheat Harvest

2009-10-28T15:25:00.001-05:00

If you don't use Twitter to stay connected, then the Wheat->Tweet convergence in 'Twheat' will be either silly or confusing to you, and this message irrelevant.

But for those who do use Twitter to stay connected (kids? smartphone savvy people? anyone?) may wish to know that pastor James is tweeting at http://twitter.com/harvestoc.

Edifying posts from Harvest's blog (not the ones with personal information, such as prayer requests) get tweeted, in addition to summaries from family devotions, and links to helpful articles (this will enable more "best of the web" type posting without cluttering the Harvest blog) that filter down to him through his RSS reader.

Those who use Facebook but not Twitter need not add yet another technology to keep up; the tweets are set up to post automatically to James's wall on facebook.

Text, Psalm 47 - O Worship the King! (28-Oct-09 Prayer Meeting Devotional)

2009-10-28T15:14:00.000-05:00

[click to read/print/save]
Let those from all nations who rejoice to have been conquered by Christ rejoice in the glory of His greatness, and delight particularly in the display of that greatness in the worship assemblies of the church!

Plumer on the Psalms Online (ht: D Dykstra)

2009-10-28T14:09:00.000-05:00

Those who have been blessed by Plumer's comments as we've studied, sung, and prayed through the Psalms in the midweek meetings may be glad to find that the entire text of the commentary is in the public domain and [online here]. Thanks to David Dykstra who found this and passed along the link!

Arrangements for Wilma Nibbelink

2009-10-28T09:27:00.000-05:00

The visitation will be tonight (Wednesday) from 6-8p.m. at Oolman in Orange City. I know that the daily email summaries of the blog don't go out until late evening, so I apologize to anyone who doesn't get this in time.

The funeral service is scheduled for tomorrow (Thursday) at 1:30 p.m. at Redeemer URC in Orange City.