Glory of Christ Fellowship

If ever there was a person in Scripture that highlights the roller coaster of emotions and faith in God it is Naomi. In the book of Ruth she loses her husband and her two sons to death. In Ruth 1:20-21 we read this:  She said to them, “Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. I went away full, and the Lord has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi, when the Lord has testified against me and the Almighty has brought calamity upon me?” Of course, by the end of the book Naomi is restored and her line is rescued. This doesn’t erase her suffering but it also spells a tremendous sense of relief for a woman who has suffered so greatly, going from full to empty, back to full again.  I have gone back and forth and back again about this episode in Naomi’s life. What are we to make of her faith when she insists on renaming herself Mara? Here are some thoughts.  First, Naomi says some things that are true and som...

There are many ways to think about the very confusing and controversial mandates to wear a mask. Here are 10 reasons why and considerations for the church as we are called to wear a mask during our worship services. First, Pastor Charlie is not present at the moment to help make the decision. Since there are serious legal ramifications for both Pastor Charlie and myself, as acting board members of GCF, it is only right that I do not make a decision on his behalf that can bring legal and financial ramifications upon him and his family. For instance, you should know that if someone were to contract the virus at a service our insurance almost certainly would not cover us since we acted against the mandate. In this case, Pastor Charlie and Pastor Kevin would be responsible for all legal related and medical expenses, which could become astronomical. Second, it should be noted that the governor is not violating our rights to meet and practice our religion and he is not asking us t...

Have you ever prayed fervently and, as far as you could tell, according to God’s will, and yet the Father did not grant your request? If you answered “yes” to this question, you’re not alone. In 2 Corinthians 12:1-10, the apostle Paul tells of a time when he prayed with passion, three times, that a “messenger of Satan” would be driven away from him, that a “thorn in the flesh” would be removed from him, but in the end the Father answered “no.” Instead, he replied, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (12:9). I once prayed and asked the Father to deliver me out of a situation, but my sense of his reply was this: “I don’t want to deliver you out of this; I want to develop you in this.” And that is precisely what he ended up doing in my life.  How, then, are we to understand such experiences in light of such a strong promise as this: “…ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you”? I see at least six reasons why the Father may not gra...

James 4:7-8 says, “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you…” In these verses James issues three commands—submit, resist, and draw near. It seems to me that the first command is the main command and that the other two help us understand how to do it. In other words, the primary thing James is commending here is that we fully surrender our lives to God. So many of the problems we face in this life are owing to the fact that we refuse to submit to Christ. If we would only bow our will to his will, if we would only live by his Word rather than the wisdom of the world or of ourselves, most of our difficulties would evaporate. As Jesus said of himself in John 8:29, “And he who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to him.” This way of life keeps us from so many unnecessary troubles. The question is, though, how do we submit to God? James sa...

Psalm 46:10 tells us to “be still and know that I am God.” This is quite the interesting command for a few reasons. First, it is a wonderful command because it tells us that it is possible to know something. Today we find ourselves wanting information that is truthful and legitimate. Especially as it relates to the Coronavirus we can honestly say that it is difficult to know what or whom to believe. God tells us to know that he is God, suggesting it is possible to know him. Amidst all of life’s uncertainties God cuts through it all and commands us to know that he is God, and even more specifically, that he will be exalted among the nations and in all the earth. Be still and let that sink in, then, order your life around that reality.  Second, God calls us to know God himself. This is quite interesting since it is a command given to God’s people who already know him. God seems to be saying: know me even better than you know me now. Every situation and every circumstance in l...