News

Ron Writes

Election

Who was elected? “Election,” “predestination,” “predetermined” are all words used in the Bible. How they are used and who they refer to has divided Christianity for centuries. Every Bible student should be careful to see these words in their contexts and use them in a Biblical way.

Some have developed a theology of election. They believe that God elected or predestined some individuals for salvation and other individuals to damnation even before the foundation of the world. Election means choice. Some say God choose who He wanted and didn’t want for salvation. A careful reading of passages like Ephesians 1 that mentions election, choice, predestination, etc. the emphasis is on “in Christ.” Those who he chooses, predestined, etc. are those “in Christ” or “in Him.” In other words, God didn’t predetermine who would be in Christ or outside of Christ, but He predetermined that those in Christ would receive these blessings.

A similar emphasis should be noted in Romans 8:28-30, sometimes referred to as the “golden chain” of election by these adherents. In vs. 28, God promises “all things to work together for good to those who love God.” To love Him would involve human choice. It then goes on to say that God foreknew that there would be those who would love Him and respond to His call. He foreordained these to be “conformed to the image of his Son” Those in Christ are predestined, called, justified, and glorified.

Those who come to the conclusion of unconditional predestination in Romans 9 need to keep reading. God has offered mercy to both Jews and Gentiles (9:24). “Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Rom. 10:13). I’m a “whoever.” This calls for man to choose. It calls for freewill. This keeps us from the ridiculous position of needing to add “the elect” to every passage about salvation. God so loved “the elect” world (Jn. 3:16). Whoever “is elect” will call on the name of the Lord” (Rom. 10:13). Jesus gave His life a ransom for all “the elect” (1 Tim. 2:6).

It also stays true to what is repeatedly said about the nature of God. In Acts 10:34-35, Peter states “I most certainly understand that God is not one to show partiality, but in every nation the man who fears Him and does what is right is welcome to Him.” God is certainly sovereign over His creation, and we have no right to question anything He might choose to do. However, when He tells us that He does not show partiality we may rest assured that this is true!

The Bible teaches predestination, but not unconditional predestination. God foreordained that He would save sinful man through the sacrifice of His Son. Those who respond to this gospel become part of His elect.

Ron Writes

Wouldn’t it be nice if we lived in a better world? Wouldn’t it be nice if all our leaders were great examples of morality and virtue? As a child I memorized “righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people” (Prov. 14:34). What a different world we’d live in if everyone followed the “golden rule” and loved God and loved their neighbor as themselves.

There should be a law against that. There was a time in my life when I sought for moral solutions through politics. Not anymore. Laws and morality may never line up. Outlawing immorality doesn’t cause us to be moral. Just as making something legal doesn’t make it moral, ethical, or right. It still causes me to bristle when I hear a politician ask me to support something immoral or unethical. But I’ve learned that there is something more powerful than politics.

 I need to remember that my commission as a Christian is not to make laws or change laws, but to change hearts. I’m to preach the gospel. The idea of using politics to accomplish spiritual change is misguided to say the least. There’s still that idea that we should be a Christian nation. There has only ever been one Christian nation and it’s the church! If we want true change, it will never happen through politics or force, but by obedience to the gospel. It is the only power that can turn hearts back to God. This doesn’t mean that we should be silent about racial discrimination, abortion, sexual sins, addiction, or the myriad of other sins that cause so much pain and human destruction. What it does mean is that we recognize the need to emphasize the love, mercy and grace of God displayed by Jesus’ death on the cross.

For example, that overwhelmed, confused, and scared woman who thinks she has solved her “problem” by abortion may at some point feel the overwhelming burden when she realizes she has destroyed the life of her unborn child. In her great guilt and sorrow, she needs to hear the message of hope in Jesus. There is forgiveness for her sin too by the blood of Jesus.

And let’s not forget that the same biblical passages that condemn sexual sins also condemns strife, enmity, bitterness divisiveness, slander, and such. These sins not only eat away at the peace of our communities but find their way into the Lord’s church and destroy its unity. It’s the change of heart brought by God’s spirit that we need. Against such there is no law. 

Ron Writes

Too often we treat the Holy Spirit like the red-headed stepchild. He is neglected. He is often treated like some mysterious “it.” By the way, the Holy Spirit is not an it, but a “He.” He is God! He didn’t suddenly appear on the Day of Pentecost, He was there in the second verse of the Bible. He has been from all eternity.

As we have been recently traveling through Romans 8 on Sunday mornings, there is seen Trinitarian activity. The “law of the Spirit of Life” has set us free (vs. 2), but that law is “in Christ Jesus” (vs. 2) and is a result of what “God did” (vs. 3). God in three movements.

We are to have our “mind set,” our world view, focused on the Spirit and not on the flesh. Paul explains in vs. 9, “you are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit” that is we have the Holy Spirit within us. Then he calls Him, “the Spirit of God” and then he adds, “But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him. There again, let’s not overlook this, there is God in three movements. So closely are they related, that He is called merely “the Spirit,” but also the “Spirit of God” and the “Spirit of Christ.”

Again in vs. 10, He speaks of “the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead.” And then he says “He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.” You can see the trinitarian activity. Who raised Jesus from the dead? God raised [Jesus] from the dead (Acts 2:24). God the Father raised Him from the dead (Gal 1:1). The Holy Spirit raised Him (Rom. 1:4; 8:11). Jesus raised Himself (Jn. 2:19, 10:18). How could Jesus raise Himself? He is “the resurrection and the life” (Jn. 11:25).

The Spirit helps our weakness (vs. 26), the Father “causes all things to work together for good” (vs. 28) and we are to “become conformed to the image of His Son (vs. 29). God in three movements. 

We know the character of the Father by what He does. We learn the character of Jesus by what He does. And in the same way, we understand the character of the Holy Spirit by what He does. The Holy Spirit resurrects the dead (vs. 11). He gives us the power over sin, to put to death the deeds of the body (vs. 13). He leads us (vs. 14). He testifies that we are children of God (vs. 16). The Spirit gives us hope of the resurrection, our adoption as sons, and the redemption of our body (vs. 23). He assists in our prayers (vs. 26). Three characteristics – One God.

Ron Writes

In less than two months we’ve nearly given enough to complete the well in Zimbabwe. I’m thankful that we can be so blessed. We are blessed, for Jesus said, “It’s more blessed to give than to receive.”

We are blessed because we had something to give. Obviously, giving is based on what we have, not on what we don’t have (2 Cor. 8:12). God has given us enough to live on, plus enough to generously help others. Those who receive are thankful. Giving should also make us thankful. It should cause us to pause and thank God for all that he has given to us so we can be so generous.

We are blessed because it feels good to give. Especially knowing, as in this case, how great the need. They need water for life. Water to drink and water for their crops. Water for hygiene and cleanliness. Water that is not muddy and brown, but clear and pure. Being able to give feels good because we are making a big impact on other people’s lives.

We are blessed by knowing that we are loved in a special way by God, “for God loves a cheerful giver.” God is a giver, and it must be gratifying to God when His children imitate Him. In John 3:16 it tells us that God gave out of love. It also tells us that God gave because of our great need. Our hearts will swell too when we see our brethren in Zimbabwe share their gift of water with others.

We are blessed knowing that God is going to continue to bless us. “And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work” (2 Cor. 9:8). We are blessed by being able to lay up treasures in heaven. God responds to our giving.

We are blessed because we have invested in people. We give out of compassion but giving also creates more compassion. We care about these people, but now that we have invested in their lives, we are connected to them in a way we weren’t before. We yearn for their prosperity even more than before.

We are blessed by being more connected to one another. What a great feeling it is when we see the generosity of others. It can be humbling to see how sacrificially others have given. We are able to do together what we aren’t able to do alone.

Our brethren in Zimbabwe thank us. When we realize how blessed we have been, we need to, well, thank them and thank God.

Ron Writes

The wave heard around the world. Well, at least part way around the world. There I was sitting in our Airbnb in Pahoa, Hawaii worshiping online with Oregon City when something strange happened. At the end of worship Steve and Kalene turned around and waved at me. Well, that was sweet and kind of them to remember me while I was away. It wasn’t until I got home that I learned the rest of the story. We have some online members who we haven’t physically met. One was visiting with Kalene on the phone and mentioned that she didn’t know what she looked like. So, Kalene told her that she and Steve would wave at them at the end of worship so they would know who they were. Interesting enough, another online member told her that they were glad that they waved at them. Steve and Kalene were waving at one couple, but apparently most of the viewers thought they were greeting them.

Last year, Craig Benjamin, who is now one of the elders at the southwest church of Christ made the news. Craig walks 8 miles nearly every day through Tigard. He began waving to every single person that he saw. He started doing this when COVID had shut everything down and people were feeling isolated. He thought it was important that every person should feel seen and acknowledged. He’s become a beloved figure in Tigard. Folks may not know his name, but they love the “happy waving man.” They did a segment on FOX12 news describing the positive impact he was making on the community.

When Jesus spoke about loving our neighbor as ourselves in the “Sermon of the Mount,” He followed up with the rhetorical question, “if you greet only your family and friends, what more are you doing than others? Even the Gentiles do the same. When Jesus begins talking about greeting our enemies, I often think, we don’t even greet our family and friends most of the time.

A wave, a nod, a smile, a few words can be a simple greeting that says you’re acknowledged, you’re important, you’re not unnoticed. In the Bible the word “Greet” means to address with expressions of kind wishes; to salute in kindness and respect. It’s a word that appears often in Scripture. In Romans 16 alone it’s repeated 17 times. There’s an impact whenever we acknowledge others. You never know what a simple wave can do.  And the good news is anyone can wave!

Ron Writes

There was a time when you could tell the relative health of a church with a glance. Many churches had a board, often on the front wall, announcing the weekly attendance, average attendance, contribution and budget. It was easy to know the weekly attendance, you just counted everyone who walked through the door. The contribution was easy as well, the money put in the plate was counted.

Things changed with the pandemic. With health concerns, we began to meet online. This was an avenue of meeting and communicating that we hadn’t previously considered. It wasn’t the same as worshiping together in one auditorium, but it helped to fill the void of not being able to come together. An unforeseen surprise was the numbers tuning into our worship who weren’t previously associated with the church. We noticed there were even those in foreign countries joining us each week.

Gradually, we were finally able to come together in person again. Even now, with the worst of the threat past, some have been hesitant to worship in person. Just how many meet with us online each week is hard to calculate, but there are still some surprises. One unforeseen thing has been those who have never joined us in person, but now consider Oregon City their church home. When I’m asked today how many members are here, it’s easy to count the number of members coming through the doors, but it’s another matter when it comes to those online. Some have contacted us about their intention to continue to worship with us online. We have found out about others when they began sending their contributions here.

This has led to another challenge. What is our weekly contribution? There’s not a plate passed around anymore and there are more methods for giving. Of course, we still count how much is put in the box each Sunday. Then there are those who mail in their contributions. Still others give online through our website using the “Tithe.ly” app. Some still give weekly, but others have found it more convenient to give everything once a month and still a few give once a year or in other intervals. It isn’t always clear for a few weeks as to whether the budget is being met. When a downward trend was shared by the elders, many quickly responded by increasing their giving. As we move forward, we will be striving hard to have more transparency and communication as to how the financial needs of the church are being met. 

Ron Writes

One of the biggest threats to Christianity today is a new way of looking at the Bible. Rather than looking at culture through the lens of the Bible, the Bible is now being interpreted through the lens of culture. Culture has become more important than Scripture. Bible passages that are counterculture are now being reinterpreted to harmonize with the latest cultural beliefs. The current trend is for theology to be based more on personal conscience, experiences, and cultural norms. Secular Christianity values inclusion and self-actualization.

For many American Christians this new form of Christianity feels fresh and relevant. Secular Christianity is full of cultural conformity. It is friendly, comfortable, non-judgmental and easy to live with and feels super awesome, except the Bible doesn’t support it. James warns that “friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God” (Jm. 4:4).

Did you ever wonder how God’s people in the OT could fall for idolatry over and over again? When you hear that Baal is God from those around you, it’s easy to begin to think there must be some truth to it. When your neighbors and the culture around you tells you again and again that Baal is God, it’s not too long until you begin to say it yourself. It’s time to get rid of our outdated beliefs and old bias and embrace Baal. The battle is the same today.  For instance, if everyone around you is saying that a man can be a woman, social pressure is great enough that you’ll begin saying it too.

This is a new version of an old problem. There are numerous warnings in the Bible. Paul cautioned “They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that” (2 Tim. 3:5)! Isaiah warned long ago, "Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil” (Isa. 5:20). It’s nothing new. “For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear” (2 Tim. 4:3).

Jesus warns us to be aware of wolves in sheep’s clothing. If they kicked the Bible to the curb, they’d lose a lot of followers. Instead, secular Christianity retains the vocabulary, but changes the meaning. Secular Christianity uses religious sounding terms and Christian vocabulary, but it exchanges the power of the gospel for human wisdom. 

Ron Writes

Jesus said, “And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward” (Mt. 10:42, NIV). Living in a part of the world with an abundance of water, it’s pretty easy to give someone a cup of water. But in a dry and arid land, where there is little water, it can become a lifesaving act.

Zimbabwe is in a drought and there are food shortages. Our brethren are struggling. What they need is water. Water is essential for life.

God willing, the Oregon City church will be raising the $10,000 it will take to dig a well on church property in Bazel Bridge, Zimbabwe. After only a few weeks, we have raised nearly a fifth of the money needed. We are asking you to consider giving beyond your weekly contribution to this special fund.

This reminds me of the story of the thousands of starfish stranded on the beach. A little boy began to throw them back into the ocean. After watching his efforts an old man told the boy, it’s no use. There are too many. You’ll never make a difference. The little boy looked at the old man, picked up another starfish and threw it back and said “it made a difference to that one.” One well in a rural community in such a large country might not seem like a lot. But it will make a difference in their lives. And even if all we can offer to our brethren is a cup of cold water – it’s important to God and He won’t forget.

The story is that Lawrence of Arabia (T.E. Lawrence) brought some sheiks back to England to show his appreciation for their support in fighting against the Turks. They had an audience with the Queen of England and enjoyed their visit. But what they wanted were the faucets from their hotel bathrooms to provide running water in the desert. Of course, what they didn’t realize is that it wasn’t the faucets, but the plumbing behind it that gave them water. There’s one simple principle that’s so obvious that even we overlook it. We are only God’s faucets. The real source is the power of God. May we tap into that source of abundance and living water to bring to our brethren what they so desperately need. 

Ron Writes

A few years ago, we were taking a back road to the Oregon Coast. There was a detour about halfway there due to some road construction. Off we went on the narrowest road you could imagine. It looked like someone’s driveway. To make matters worse, on one side was a ravine down to a river and on the other side was a deep drainage ditch. I wondered what would happen if someone came from the other direction. I couldn’t back up or turn around and there certainly wasn’t room to pass. Some think of Christianity like that. We’re on a narrow road and on the one side is the danger of permissiveness. The idea that God will forgive me anyway so I can do whatever I want. And on the other side, there’s the danger of perfection. The idea that if I can’t do everything just perfect, God will reject me. Both are dangerous.

These dangers are pointed out in Scripture. Paul rhetorically asks, “shall we continue in sin that grace might increase? May it never be” (Rom. 6:1). But Paul also acknowledged that “the good I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want.” There’s the struggle between permissiveness and perfection.

The apostle John addresses the same extremes. “My little children, I am writing these things to you that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ” (1 Jn. 2:1). In the previous chapter John addresses the fact that there remains sin in our lives. But, on the other hand he writes, “No one who abides in Him sins; no one who sins has seen Him or knows Him” (1 Jn. 3:6). Is John confused? No, he explains in vs. 8, “the one who practices sin is of the devil.” John has been talking about ongoing, unrepentant sin, that continues unchecked. Paul refers to this as “living” in sin (Col. 3:7).

Hebrews speaks of the same dilemma. God will no longer remember our sins (10:17), but if we go on sinning willfully…. there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins” (10:26).

If you’re driving down a narrow road with hazards on every side, you better stay focused. The same for Christians. We must have our “minds set” on the spirit (Rom. 8). We must “fix our eyes on Jesus” (Heb. 12). We must “Press onward toward the goal” (Phil. 3). We must “be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might (Eph. 6). We can’t do it on our own. We need a savior. In our illustration, it is literally, “Jesus take the wheel.” 

Ron Writes

It starts with forgiveness. God has forgiven us. He has justified us. He has saved us. This is not what we have done. This is what God does! We are redeemed (God has freed us by paying the price on the cross). God has declared us righteous (in right standing with Him). He has cleansed us (we are without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish). He has declared us to be holy (set apart for Him). Just think of all the words that describe this great salvation: propitiation, atonement, reconciliation, adoption, washed, conversion. Each word is ripe with meaning. And this is all by grace. It’s a gift from God to all who come to Him by faith. No wonder Christians are thankful!

It’s a walk. We walk with God (Col. 2:6). We walk by faith (2 Cor. 5:7). We walk in the Spirit (Gal. 5:16, 25). We walk humbly (Mic. 6:8). We walk in newness of life (Rom. 6:4). We walk in truth (3 Jn. 1:4). We walk in love (Eph. 5:2). We walk in good works (Eph. 2:10). Even if we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, we know God is with us (Ps. 23). We walk in the light (1 Jn. 1).

Unfortunately, sometimes we stumble. We don’t win every battle with sin. The only person who ever walked on the earth and won every battle with Satan was our savior, Jesus. Sometimes, we will fall. Sometimes we will be defeated. The question is not will we be perfect? The question is, what will we do when we fall? We get back up. We go to God for forgiveness and strength. We are His children, and He is compassionate toward us. It’s not we have made a mistake, “don’t let dad know.” But, we have made a mistake, “let’s go to dad.” He will help us, guide us, love us, tell us what to do. Christianity is a process of becoming more like God. Step by step we stay close to Him and learn His ways.

Those Christians who live in fear that they haven’t been good enough, or done enough, or given enough, or obeyed enough or enough, enough, enough haven’t understood the gospel. I cringe when I hear people say that Christianity made them feel guilty. They haven’t known the savior. They haven’t understood that Christianity is a lifestyle. It’s a walk with God.