Prayer for Today -- Privileges

O Lord God,

Teach me to know that grace precedes,
accompanies, and follows my salvation,
that it sustains the redeemed soul,
that not one link of its chain can ever break.

From Calvary’s cross wave upon wave of grace
reaches me,
deals with my sin,
washes me clean,
renews my heart,
strengthens my will,
draws out my affection,
kindles a flame in my soul,
rules throughout my inner man,
consecrates my every thought, word, work,
teaches me thy immeasurable love.

How great are my privileges in Christ Jesus!

Without him I stand far off, a stranger, an outcast;
in him I draw near and touch his kingly sceptre.

Without him I dare not lift up my guilty eyes;
in him I gaze upon my Father-God and Friend.

Without him I hide my lips in trembling shame;
in him I open my mouth in petition and praise.

Without him all is wrath and consuming fire;
in him is all love, and the repose of my soul.

Without him is gaping hell below me, and eternal anguish;
in him its gates are barred to me by his precious blood.

Without him darkness spreads its horrors in front;
in him an eternity of glory is my boundless horizon.

Without him all within me is terror and dismay,
in him every accusation is charmed into joy and peace.

Without him all things external call for my condemnation;
in him they minister to my comfort,
and are to be enjoyed with thanksgiving.

Praise be to thee for grace, and for the unspeakable gift of Jesus.

Valley of Vision, p. 158

No one can serve two masters.

Their property had them in chains...which shackled their courage and choked their faith and hampered their judgment and throttled their souls...If they stored up their treasure in heaven, they would not now have an enemy and a thief within their household...enslaved as they are to their own property, they are not the masters of their money, but its slaves.

-- Cyprian, 3rd Century Bishop

Upcoming Worship Events

Ascribe to the LORD, O mighty ones,
ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.
Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name;
worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness. Psalms 29:1-2

Do you find it is easier to "ascribe to the Lord the glory due His name" when the sun is shining? or when the trees are budding? the birds singing? Seasons are good for us humans, a time to witness God's ever changing creation and glory. It kinda makes me want to sing....

Upcoming Worship Events
Worship Team Workshop - Sunday, May 7th Do you play or sing in a worship team? Are you interested in joining the worship team? Come and learn skills to enhance our corporate worship times by attending our Worship Team Workshop. On May 7th, following the Leadership Summit at New Life Robinwood we will be watching a new worship video by Paul Baloche followed by a time of discussion and practice. Contact Pastor Tim for more information.

Worship Gathering II - May 12th Our second ALL CHURCH Worship Gathering is scheduled for May 12th, 7:00 PM. Mark your calendars to join us for and evening of song, scripture and prayer as we worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness.

Taking our TREASURE to the Street!

Yesterday at TREASURE ISLAND we took our TREASURE to the street by walking to Ilmer & Ruta Damberg's home.

Our mission for Treasure Island is to "Treasure God Above all Else" and on a normal Wednesday we meet at New Life Robinwood to learn how to accomplish this mission. After spending much time inside the church, we felt compelled to share our treasure with our neighbors. We asked Eleanora Larson, who lives in the Robinwood neighborhood if she knew anyone needing some help with yard work. Without a moments hesitation she mentioned Ilmer & Ruta. Treasure Island Director, Anna Latimer and Eleanora visited the Damberg's to see if they would accept our help. They were a little concerned with kids in their yard but accepted. So .....

We took our TREASURE TO THE STREET!

We weeded -

Raked leaves -

Cleaned the Bird bath -

Picked up 7 bags of yard debris -

And planted new flowers -

In the end, Ilmer & Ruta were so surprised and thankful - even inviting us to come back and use their yard for Treasure Island activities. Thanks NEW LIFE SERVANTS young and older!

Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity. 1Timothy 4:12 NIV

WHERE ARE YOU SERVING?

New Library Items

Here are five new books in the main library:

1. Let the Nations be Glad (The Supremacy of God in Missions) by John Piper.

2. Forgiven by Karen Kingsbury.

3. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (The Chronicles of Narnia) by C. S. Lewis.

4. Glorious Appearing (The end of days) by Tim LaHaye.

5. End of the Spear by Steve Saint.

Joeleen Montgomery, Librarian

The Great Grant Giveaway

Sunday 18 people received $50 each just for showing up to church. Several people remarked they'd never been to a service where the church actually gave the people some money.

The theme of the day was stewardship. These people were entrusted their $50 as stewards. In that respect the $50 dollars are not any different than any other money that passes through their wallets. But for this project they are to report back by May 21st to tell us what they did with that $50 to build the kingdom of God.

I have heard some FANTASTIC ideas already. One participant said, "I can hardly wait to see what everyone else does with their $50."

I know they'd appreciate your prayers. Here is a list:
Mike Burch
Aaron Doyle
Lenny Gafner
Byron Philpot
Michelle Salo
Bree Watt
Jozsef Koczian
Tim Smith
Judy Cochran
Rick Ohmie
Aaron Anderson
Joelene Montgomery
Debbie Sanders
Cathy Grant
Jon Glynn
Christine VanOeveran
Kerri Tefft
Derrick Elkins

God All-Sufficient

O Lord of Grace,

The world is before me this day,
and I am weak and fearful,
but I look to thee for strength;

If I venture forth alone I stumble and fall,
but on the Beloved’s arms I am firm
as the eternal hills;

If left to the treachery of my heart
I shall shame thy Name,
but if enlightened, guided, upheld by thy Spirit,
I shall bring thee glory.

Be thou my arm to support,
my strength to stand,
my light to see,
my feet to run,
my shield to protect,
my sword to repel,
my sun to warm.

To enrich me will not diminish thy fullness;
All thy lovingkindness is in thy Son,
I bring him to thee in the arms of faith,
I urge his saving Name as the One who died for me.
I plead his blood to pay my debts of wrong.

Accept his worthiness for my unworthiness,
his sinlessness for my transgressions,
his purity for my uncleanness,
his sincerity for my guile,
his truth for my deceits,
his meekness for my pride,
his constancy for my backslidings,
his love for my enmity,
his fullness for my emptiness,
his faithfulness for my treachery,
his obedience for my lawlessness,
his glory for my shame,
his devotedness for my waywardness,
his holy life for my unchaste ways,
his righteousness for my dead works,
his death for my life.

Valley of Vision, p. 157

Steps for Life!

Our son Hudson started taking his first steps this month. As much joy as that brings to my heart, it makes me think of the millions of children who never get a chance to take those first steps.

Pregnancy Resource Centers are great places where women who are in a crisis pregnancy can go to get resources and counsel which encourages them to give life to their unborn children. Many of the centers even have ultra-sound machines which allow mothers to see their babies before they make their life or death decision.

On Saturday May 20th, our church will be participating in "Steps for Life" which benefits the Portland area Pregnancy Resource Centers. The goal is to get pledges for financial donations from friends and relatives and to give the money to PRC to help them keep saving lives of unborn children.

If you would like to participate in the walk or make a pledge for someonw who is walking, contact Kerri Corbett @ 503-786-4665. She can get you a pledge brochure and give you the details about where our group will meet on the day of the walk.

Take Care of God's Earth!

Down By the Riverside

May 20th ~ 9:00- 1:00

Mary S. Young State Park

Here is a practical opportunity to be a good steward of the earth that God has given us responsibility for:

The City of West Linn and SOLV will be teaming up once again for the 11th Annual Down By The Riverside event. Volunteers are needed from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Mary S. Young Park in West Linn to remove invasive ivy. Bring your clippers, and come dressed for the weather. Contact Shauna Shroyer at 503-723-2544 or sshroyer@ci.west-linn.or.us.

This might also be a great opportunity to build relationships with some of our neighbors and invite them to our "environmentally conscious" church : ). If you'd like a new life t-shirt to wear to this event or any other, call the church office @ 503-656-8600.

Stewards of the Earth’s Resources: A Christian Response to Ecology

Here's another Earth Day resource that ranges a little farther in the issues it discusses. Stewards of the Earth’s Resources: A Christian Response to Ecology

Earth Day from a Christian perspective

We live in a "Green" state. With this link, Christian Answers.Net offers som answers that may help Oregonian Christians with their relationship to this earth. What is man's responsibility to the environment? How environmentally concerned should Christians be? How far should our "caretaker" role take us? - ChristianAnswers.Net

New Life SERVANTS at Cascade Summit!

ioThis past Saturday was the Community Brunch and Easter Egg hunt for the kids and residents of Cascade Summit apartments . 65 residents from the apartment community came to the event and we were able to share with several about our church and the services to be held on Easter.

Wednesday the kids from Treasure Island served by loading 300 plastic eggs with all sorts of candy for the Easter egg hunt. And Bob & Barbara Montgomery, Anna & Olivia Latimer and Ken & Kristie Calhoon assisted with the event by arriving early on Saturday to set-up, serve and clean-up. Thanks for serving!

Our next Community Team event is April 26th when we will host a barbecue at Cascade Summit. Contact Pastor Tim if you'd like to help. timw@newlifenw.com

Baptism for the Dead?

A few of you noticed, despite Nathan's and my best attempts to skim over it, that 1 Corinthians 15:29 talks about being baptized for the dead.

Now if there is no resurrection, what will those do who are baptized for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why are people baptized for them?

What could this possibly mean? No one knows definitively. Over 30 possible answers (guesses) have been put forward.

We do know a few things: Someone only receives eternal life when they put their faith in Christ (John 3:16; Ephesians 2:8-9) We know that one must be baptized as a follower of Christ for it to be Biblical baptism (Matthew 28:19-20). We know that there are no second chances. You can't die then have someone get baptized for you and go from hell to heaven (Hebrews 9:27).

So what does "baptized for the dead" mean? My best guess is that there were some who were being baptized on behalf of believers who had never been baptized. It could be that some Christians put off being baptized so they wouldn’t draw attention to themselves and be candidates for martyrdom. They probably fully planned to be baptized one day but died before they got around to it. Their friends, in a misguided attempt to right a wrong, were baptized for them.

The fact that Paul talks about his own potential martyrdom in the next verse informs makes me think I may be close.

Paul doesn’t condone the practice (of baptizing for the dead) nor does he condemn it, he merely mentions it.

His point is: Why would they do this if they didn’t think there was a resurrection? What would be the point if it wouldn’t matter someday? There MUST be a resurrection for this practice, albeit misguided, to make any sense at all.

Easter Celebration

We had a blessed Easter Celebration at West Linn High School yesterday. The music was fun and energetic. The brunch was scrumptious. The fellowship was sweet. And, the resurrection itself was beyond words.

He Is Risen. . .

Crucifixion and Resurrection

O Lord,

I marvel that thou shouldst become incarnate,
be crucified, dead, and buried.

The sepulchre calls forth my adoring wonder,
for it is empty and thou art risen;
the four-fold gospel attests it,
the living witnesses prove it,
my heart’s experience knows it.

Give me to die with thee that I may rise to new life,
for I wish to be as dead and buried
to sin, to selfishness, to the world;
that I might not hear the voice of the charmer,
and might be delivered from his lusts.

O Lord, there is much ill about me – crucify it,
much flesh within me – mortify it.

Purge me from selfishness,
the fear of man, the love of approbation,
the shame of being thought old-fashioned,
the desire to be cultivated or modern.

Let me reckon my old life dead
because of crucifixion,
and never feed it as a living thing.

Grant me to stand with my dying Saviour,
to be content to be rejected,
to be willing to take up unpopular truths,
and to hold fast despised teachings until death.

Help me to be resolute and Christ-contained.

Never let me wander from the path of obedience
to thy will.

Strengthen me for the battles ahead.

Give me courage for all the trials,
and grace for all the joys.

Help me to be a holy, happy person,
free from every wrong desire,
from everything contrary to thy mind.

Grant me more and more of the resurrection life:
may it rule me,
may I walk in its power,
and be strengthened through its influence.

-- Valley of Vision, p.94

The Grace of the Cross

O my Saviour,
I thank thee from the depths of my being
for thy wondrous grace and love
in bearing my sin in thine own body on the tree.

May thy cross be to me
as the tree that sweetens my bitter Marahs,
as the rod that blossoms with life and beauty,
as the brazen serpent that calls forth
the look of faith.

By thy cross crucify my every sin;
Use it to increase my intimacy with thyself;
Make it the ground of all my comfort,
the liveliness of all my duties,
the sum of all thy gospel promises,
the comfort of all my afflictions,
the vigour of my love, thankfulness, graces,
the very essence of my religion;
And by it give me that rest without rest,
the rest of ceaseless praise.

O my Lord and Saviour,
Thou hast also appointed a cross for me
to take up and carry,
a cross before thou givest me a crown.

Thou hast appointed it to be my portion,
but self-love hates it,
carnal reason is unreconciled to it;
without the grace of patience I cannot bear it,
walk with it, profit by it.

O blessed cross, what mercies dost thou bring
with thee!
Thou art only esteemed hateful by my rebel will,
heavy because I shirk thy load.

Teach me, gracious Lord and Saviour,
that with my cross thou sendest promised grace
so that I may bear it patiently,
that my cross is thy yoke which is easy,
and thy burden which is light.

-- Valley of Vision, p. 172

Passover Seder at New Life Church

High School students of New Life Church and their parents celebrated a Passover Seder last night. Dr. Carl Laney from Western Seminary led the evening and shared insights into Jesus's last supper and His sacrifice for sin. It was a sweet time to remember Christ and prepare for Good Friday and Resurrection day. If you'd like to see some more pictures look at the youth ministry blog.

Come Broken to the Cross

And now come, broken, to the cross,
Where Christ embraced all human loss,
And let us bow before the throne
Of God, who gives and takes his own,
And promises –– whatever toll
He takes –– to satisfy our soul.
Come learn the lesson of the rod:
The treasure that we have in God.
He is not poor nor much enticed
Who loses everything but Christ.

-- John Piper
The Misery of Job and the Mercy of God

A Prayer for Easter Week -- Calvary's Anthem

HEAVENLY FATHER,

Thou hast led me singing to the cross
where I fling down all my burdens
and see them vanish,
where my mountains of guilt are leveled to a plain,
where my sins disappear, though they are
the greatest that exist,
and are more in number than the grains of fine sand;

For there is power in the blood of Calvary
to destroy sins more than can be counted
even by one from the choir of heaven.

Thou hast given me a hill-side spring
that washes clear and white,
and I go as a sinner to its waters,
bathing without hindrance
in its crystal streams.

At the cross there is free forgiveness
for poor and meek ones,
and ample blessings that last for ever;

The blood of the Lamb is like a great river of infinite grace
with never any diminishing of it fullness
as thirsty ones without number drink of it.

O Lord, for ever will thy free forgiveness live
that was gained on the mount of blood;
In the midst of a world of pain
it is a subject for praise in every place,
a song on earth, an anthem in heaven,
its love and virtue knowing no end.

I have a longing for the world above
where multitudes sing the great song,
for my soul was never created to love the dust of earth.

Though here my spiritual state is frail and poor,
I shall go on singing Calvary’s anthem.

May I always know that a clean heart full of goodness
is more beautiful than the lily,
that only a clean heart can sing by night and by day,
that such a heart is mine
when I abide at Calvary.

Valley of Vision, p. 173

The horse is not judged by the saddle. -German proverb

Happy Birthday

Thank you for making my birthday a sweet one. It was a joy to feel loved by so many in my church.

As the picture suggests, I've had a lot of birthdays, but none nicer than this one. The cakes and birthday cards were gracious and fun. Marcia had the seminary students over for a surprise dinner after church and then my Life group had another surprise dinner at 5:30 for me. I'm stuffed, but happy.

Quote of the Day

All looks yellow to the jaundiced eye. – Alexander Pope

Robinwood Parking Lot Landscaping

New Life Church is proud of its parking lot. It has been over six months in process and it is finally something to write home about. Over twenty volunteers came out in the rain and worked under Linda Rodenbaugh & Pastor Nathan's direction and made the parking lot look awfully good. I encourage you all to take a drive by and enjoy even if you don't go to church there on Sundays.

There will be a need for a crew next weekend to spread some more mulch. You shouldn't break any shovels next weekend.

The Gospel According to Judas?

USA Today ran this article about a newly discovered ancient text. I think one sentence is particularly telling about the significance of this find to modern belief:

"It's a good example of exactly why the church opposed such gospels," he says.

The same scholar who made that point about the new find/ancient manuscript wouldn't point the finger at Judas for his betrayal of Christ because. . .

"What Jesus did — raising crowds and civic unrest — would have gotten him killed anywhere in the Roman Empire."

This is an interesting find, especially right before Easter and right before the release of the DaVinci Code movie (the plot depends on "other gospels" allegedly suppressed by the church). It may be interesting but it is anything but threatening to orthodox Christian belief.

Long-lost gospel of Judas

Opportunity to Invest In God's Kingdom

Dan & Alice Simmons are proposing a unique and substantial way to help our partner church in Ostia. The pastor and his wife, Michele and Anna Gandolfo, need to remodel a portion of their home (pictured here) to create apartment space that would give them some income and free them for ministry. This is something people in New Life Church could really help with. You can read the Simmons' full proposal here.

Robinwood Easter Beautification This Saturday!

Calling all able bodies:

This Saturday April 7, 2006 @ 9:00 AM we are having a work day at New Life Robinwood to prepare for Easter. Our main project will be planting trees and plants in the landscaping islands that are yet to be completed. Don't let Pastor Tim do all the work on his own : ) Bring your shovels, hoes, rakes, gloves, and any other tool you can think of to do the job.

Men, if you are attending the men's ministry breakfast, fill up on good food and the word of God, then jump out for a great time of grunting good fun : )

World Religion Statistics

Check out Adherents.com. I am sure there is a ton of very interesting information buried here. It may be a good supplement to Operation World we mentioned a couple days ago.

Monergism.com: Classic Articles and Resources of the Historic Christian Faith

I just learned today that this website comes out of West Linn. In fact, the webmaster is a neighbor of mine!

It is filled with good books, great links to historical people and books, and especially good MP3 files. Enjoy!

Monergism.com: Classic Articles and Resources of the Historic Christian Faith

Operation World

Scott Creps referenced this book in his sermon this morning as a great tool to help you love, pray for and reach out to the people of the world who need Christ like the people of Nineveh did.

Operation World, 21st Century Edition By Patrick Johnstone & Jason Mandryk / Send The Light Inc/paternoster The standard tool for missions and intercession has been updated again. It includes information accurate as of April 2001, and describes the fruits of several ongoing missionary efforts. Based on the supposition that "When we pray God works," Patrick Johnstone and Jason Mandryk have put together a prayer guide covering the entire populated world. Whether you are an intercessor praying behind the scenes for world change, or a missionary reaping the benefits of intercession, Operation World will give you the information necessary to bring the good news to those who have not heard it. It offers demographic and geographical information for every country in the world, as well as answers to prayer (for applicable countries), and prayer requests. Alphabetized for easy reference, Operation World offers some of the most useful and comprehensive data geared to missions and evangelization. And the appendices are packed with contact information, names of government officials, resources, etc. The book is indexed by people groups and place, so information is always easy to find and use. Pray for countries that are put on your heart, or follow the year-long plan in the book and pray for the whole world. Either way, you can be part of the Great Commission, and help to spread the Gospel.