Psalm 1-Life Worth Living

I just posted on the "Sermons" page of the ECLEA website the sermon I preached on Sunday on Psalm 1. This psalm introduces the entire Psalter and in many ways is the most important of the psalms. Everyone wants to have a life worth living, and Psalm 1 gives us God's perspective on what a life worth living is all about. The sermon is available in both audio and PDF here: http://www.eclea.net/sermons.html#ot

ECLEA: Jonathan leaving for Uganda on Friday

Dear Friends and Supporters,

After the longest home stay I have had in 8 1/2 years, I am leaving on Friday for three weeks in Uganda. The first week I will be at the Masindi-Kitara Diocese of the Church of Uganda (Bishop George Kasangaki), the second week at Mukono, hosted by Bishop Stephen Sempala, and the third week in Kampala teaching at the Kampala Evangelical School of Theology.

From a personal standpoint, this has been a very important home stay: most importantly, two of my sons were married to wonderful young women whom we love very much. I was able to preach several times and get a number of ECLEA-related matters done.

Please pray for this trip and for my pastor, Wade Hetrick, and his wife, Annette. They were planning on coming to Uganda with me, but Wade underwent an emergency appendectomy recently and his ability to come to Uganda is up in the air at this point. I will be able to change the program from Biblical Marriage & Parenting, which Wade and Annette were going to lead in both Masindi and Mukono, to Biblical Interpretation (which I also will be teaching in Kampala), but I know that if they end up not being able to come it would be a disappointment.

In any event, please hold them and this trip up in prayer, and I will endeavor to send you a report from the field while I am in Uganda (as well as a report upon my return). God bless you, Jonathan

PS: There will have to be a temperature adjustment. As I write this it is -4F (-20C), which I like, but it will be considerably warmer in Uganda!

Rev 15:2-14-"Victory"

I just posted on the "Sermons" page of the ECLEA website (http://www.eclea.net/sermons.html#revelation) the sermon I preached yesterday at Community Church. The passage is Rev 15:2-4 and the title of the sermon is "Victory."  

In symbolic form, the Bible tells us the "end of the story," i.e., that God is working all things out for good for those who are Christ's. This passage reassures those who are faithful to Christ that defeats now are only apparent, are only at the surface level, and are only temporary. Ultimately, the real victors are those who remain faithful to Christ.

The sermon is is both audio and PDF formats and may be downloaded for free. Enjoy.

Rev 6:1-17-God and Evil

I just posted on the "Sermons" page of the ECLEA website the sermon I preached yesterday on Rev 6:1-17 entitled "God and Evil." It deals with the important issue the world faces and we face as individuals, namely, the existence of radical evil in the world and God's relationship with it.

Many people cite the presence of such evil as a reason why they don't believe in the God of the Bible, but such an objection is not valid. Indeed, paradoxically, the recognition that there is universal and objective evil itself is evidence that God does exist and that he is good.

The sermon (both audio and PDF) is available at: http://www.eclea.net/sermons.html#revelation.

Why ECLEA is so valuable

Happy New Year everyone!

I just received an email from Frederic Harerimana, ECLEA's national coordinator in Burundi. In his email, Frederic attached a report of Pastor Nkengurutse Emmanuel of the Burundi Anglican Church. Pastor Nkengurutse has attended three ECLEA training sessions taught by ECLEA's Burundi partner, Rema Ministries. He outlines the eye-opening nature of what he has learned.

You can read pastor Nkengurutse's report on the "News" page of the ECLEA website (http://www.eclea.net/news.html).