“There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear.” -1 John 4:18b

Consistently, we see people that look like “they’ve got it all.” Yet, at the same time, we see these same people with another consistency- fear. This “love” may appear to meet these people’s needs, however, this “love” is unstable.

Perfect love [God's love] casts out fear, because it is a stable and firm foundation. The “love” that the world offers is imperfect and unstable, because it is always changing.

 The world’s love strikes fear into every heart that places itself into the world’s hands. This fear is caused because of the world’s instability, making one constantly cautious and afraid of what might happen next, whether it be in financial or relational matters, etc. The things of the world are so temporal. These material things do not last.

“And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.” -1 John 2:17

God’s love brings peace and joy, not trouble and fear. His love is steadfast and it continues forever.

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” -Hebrews 13:8

His love protects the one who trusts in His safekeeping. His love is relentless and never lets go. He is the only sure thing in this lifetime. His Word stands firm and true.

“Remember your mercy, O Lord, and your steadfast love, for they have been from of old.” -Psalm 25:6

What love are choosing to live by?

“…It was then that she said, ‘A bridegroom of blood’ because of the circumcision.” ~Exodus 4:26b [ESV]

In the Prayer Room here at BCOM, I began reading through Exodus. Although this story is not new to me, this name, “a bridegroom of blood” lept off the pages and into my heart.

Although this story is not new to me, this name, “a bridegroom of blood,” leapt off the pages and into my heart.

The reason it jumped out was because it reminded me of Jesus.

Circumcision was the mark of the old covenant. Jesus is the mark of the new covenant made with us.

Life-giving blood was shed to make this mark upon the body with the old covenant.
Christ’s blood was shed for us, sealing our hearts more than with just blood, but with His
very life.

This was a mark of being part of the Promise made to Abraham. We see this ritual set in order, so that those who were truly part of the covenant would be known as partakers of the Promise. Christ came and fulfilled this part of the covenant as well. He came to cut off our relationship to sin, in order that we would become to dead to it.

Another reason circumcision was set in order is that those who were circumcised would not be cut off from the Promise. Jesus Christ came and fulfilled this when He died on the cross and rose again. When sin stood between us and God, Christ died so we might come into rightstanding with Him. He died so that we might not be cut off from God. [Romans 5:9] 

Lord, reveal to us the ramifications of what the cross truly means. Let Your work truly come alive in our hearts. Make your death realto us  now, we pray.

April 9-10, 2011 were days never to be forgotten for us students here at Bethany College of Missions. These dates were for our annual student CrossWalk. During CrossWalk 2011, ten teams, made up of students, were placed strategically across the state of Minnesota, each team about 2-3 hours away from the campus. The teams had nothing on them, except water, a Bible, and their journals. They could not stop anybody to ask for help, and if someone did stop to help them, they could ask for nothing. It was completely a walk of faith and trust that God would provide for them. Each of the teams had to make it back to campus by 6:00 P.M. on Sunday, or else they had to call in to have someone come pick them up. One of these teams, while on the road, had a newspaper reporter come and do an article on their walk. The account is below.

Reported by the Winona Daily News

We all have our crosses to bear.

For Nathanael Hostetter, Angela LaCoursiere, Samantha Villacin and Taylor Pritchard, theirs was a nearly six-foot wooden cross they lugged up U.S. Hwy. 61 on Saturday afternoon.

The quartet of students had been blindfolded and dropped off … well, they really don’t know where, but probably somewhere south of Winona.

None of them were familiar with the Winona area.

The Bethany College of Missions students were given a few simple instructions: Get back home and no begging for rides.

They were without cellphones, without maps, without cash, without food.

The college is located in Bloomington, Minn., and they must make the return trip.

Nine other groups were dropped off across the state, instructed that they could accept car rides if offered, but only for 20 miles.

The college trains students and graduates for work in the mission field.

The four weren’t familiar with the area, and kept walking, carrying the cross that had motorists slowing and some stopping.

The cross bore the signatures of some who stopped and asked questions. Those who took the time to find out more about them were invited to sign the cross with a red marker.

“We’re using the faith of God to get back,” Hostetter said.

Read the entire story here, accompanied by CrossWalk photos –> http://bit.ly/eI5uk2 

God’s Word is always true, and He always remains faithful. When we commit ourselves to Christ to be formed into His image, we are asking Him to live His life inside of us. Because  of this calling, we are called to live out the same faithfulness and obedience that Jesus portrayed….even unto death.
 
This is a journey, but we have a glorious reward.

 Matthew 8:22-25 “One day he got into a boat with his disciples, and he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side of the lake.” So they set out, and as they sailed he fell asleep. And a windstorm came down on the lake, and they were filling with water and were in danger. And they went and woke him, saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!” And he awoke and rebuked the wind and the raging waves, and they ceased, and there was a calm. He said to them, “Where is your faith?” And they were afraid, and they marveled, saying to one another, “Who then is this, that he commands even winds and water, and they obey him?””

 The fact is we are nothing without Christ. We can’t even hold onto Him by ourselves. We must be willing to allow Him to carry us through the storm. He makes our faith stronger. He is that shepherd that “leads us beside still waters” and “restores” our “soul.”

 He is the sun that is still there even though the clouds may cover up its light. From above both the sun and the Son are still shining down on us. Just like we cannot see the sun when the darkness comes, though we cannot see Him, He is still there. He has not stopped looking at us, for we are His sons and daughters. We are the sheep of His pasture, and the good Shepherd will always take care of His sheep.

 Isaiah 40:11 “He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young.”

Well good news is, although it may be bad news for you, Someone already knows your problems! You’re probably thinking now, “Duh, well of course I knew that Jesus knows!” Yet, we think He can’t see or know what we are going through.

“And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” ~Hebrews 4:13

Christ calls us to walk in His light. Walking in His light not only means we should be open with Him, despite His seeing our every move, but also this means to walk in the light with our fellow believers.

“But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.” ~1 John 1:7

God made other people so we could make deep relationships with them. The way we can do that is by being open and honest with each other. Does this mean we need a complaining partner? False! This means we need to go to someone who can help us walk deeper into the freedom Christ has provided. Look at Biblical examples of this with people such as Moses and Aaron, David and Jonathan, and even Jesus and His twelve disciples. They each were there to hold the other accountable. Where one was weak, the other was strong to help guide the other.

When we go deep with others, a stronger bond of fellowship is produced. As we go deeper with Christ, let’s go deeper with the relationships He has provided for us, working together towards the same goal.

Are you walking in the light of Christ today?

Katrina Brooks, current BCOM student and BCOM libararian, pitches hard-hitting questions to us in this thought-provoking write-up. She points out the fact that we each get caught up in worshipping the decorum of our Christian lives rather than the One who is only worthy of our praise and worship. The ultimate question she asks is, “Is my identity in Christ….or in being a Christian?”

Am I the memory verse queen/king….or do I hunger for the Living Word?

Am I the secular music hater….or the one making a joyful noise?

Am I the witness t-shirt wearer….or am I clothed in garments of righteousness?

Am I the purity teacher….or is my body the temple of the Jesus Christ?

What do I identify myself with? The cookie-cutter Western Christian that has a Jesus fish bumper sticker and the radio set on the local gospel station? Am I the purity ring and “Modest is Hottest” t-shirt wearing, tract giving, “Let me pray for you and you’ll feel better” saying hypocrite?

If so, then who I am is wrapped up into being a Christian.

Or do I make my identity to be that of one who is crucified with Christ and has been given the power to raise people from the dead?

Maybe if I stopped acting like a Christian, I would be able to show people Christ.

Question: Who are you?

“I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” -Galatians 2:20

As unfaithful as we are to God, He still holds out His hands of life to us, wishing that none of use should perish. When it seems as though we are left in the back alley, His love pursues us. No matter what we have done, He still says, “You are Mine.” Current January freshman, Bethany Adele, unveils this type of love in her poem titled, “You Are Mine.”

You are Mine
Bethany Adele

 
The streets were empty of people,
The crowd had long since gone,
The festivities left behind paper scraps,
  And fruit trampled on,
The street lamps were being lit,
Illumining the cold stones,
On one of these she hunched,
 Holding her cup for alms.
There was no use in begging more,
 All had since gone home,
But she still lingered knowing
 There was nowhere else to go.
A steady rain poured down her unkempt hair,
Till suddenly she looked up,
Aware of someone’s stare.
It made her flinch but not with fear—no!
Something she had never felt,
The gaze was hot as fire
 She thought that she would melt,
In that instant she realized that Someone saw her—
Saw inside.
Every bit, all raw and ugly He saw it all.
How appalled she was—Oh, how ashamed!
Then He knelt before her and with the gentlest gesture,
He took from her the beggars trencher…
Now filled with rain.
In it mirrored years of dashed hopes,
Disappointment and pain.
Regrets, fears, mournful tears
All tasting bitterly of shame.
Raising the cup to his lips without a single word,
He swallowed the heartache, dispelled the lies,
It didn’t matter—their weight, their size,
Two beautiful hands, two perfumed feet,
And a blood stream flowing red.
‘How can this be?’ asked she, weeping at how he bled.
‘Just wait,’ answered He. ‘It is almost complete.’
Then giving back the cup He raised her to her feet.
The cup, no longer marred and wooden,
 But gold, remade all new.
And still, He said, ‘There is more I must do.’
Lifting his hands where the blood ran scarlet,
He declared, ‘You are mine, my love,
 No longer a harlot.
‘Many idols have you served;
Many lovers have you chased,
But by my blood all this is erased,
When you carry my blood, you carry my name,
It will change your life, for I took the blame.
What I do is my vow; how deep is my love.
It knows no bounds, it is high above.’
Then filling the cup with His blood
He said: ‘Remember me, and what I have done,
Whenever you hurt, when you feel overcome,
Never forget what you mean to me,
You are mine! You are mine!
There’s no more precious thing you can be.’

Naomi discovered BCOM through Christian College Guide one day when searching for mission colleges. When she applied for more information she said she was extremely drawn to what the materials said. When she arrived in April 2010 for the BCOM Preview, her first impression, like many others, was the friendly atmosphere here. Naomi had visited two other colleges, yet, the people at BCOM genuinely seemed to care for her. When I asked her if the Preview had at all affected her decision to come to BCOM, she replied, “Well, I had already applied and been accepted, but coming here was a confirmation that I was meant to be here.” Although you are learning more about BCOM when you come, you will also have provided those fun moments that make lasting memories. “I think the most fun moment for me was playing games in the Barn [the BCOM hang-out spot and gamehouse] and getting to know all the people here.” Before I finished talking with Naomi, I asked her if a person approached her that was considering coming to BCOM, what would she say to them. “You need to definitely to pray and about it and come for the right reasons.”

There she found another one…yet again; another hole in the ground where a groundhog had dug its home. As she slowly stood up from her squatting position, she looked up and saw even more destruction. Some of the purest flowers in the far corner of the garden had been trampled by the foxes.

She sighed to herself frustrated that there was yet more work to do. Then she remembered…

“He’s coming today! What am I going to do? He’s coming to walk with me in my garden. It looks like a wreck!”

As she frantically attempted to mend the mars, she looked up. There He was standing at the garden gate.

“Can I come in?” He said, smiling.

“Yes,” she said softly, as the white fenced gate creaked open. As He approached closer, she hung her head and began to sob.

“Why are you crying?” He gently asked.

“Because my garden is ruined! I’ve tried to tend it, but I can’t keep the animals from destroying it,” she wailed.

“No, you can’t tend it by yourself. You can’t fix the destruction done here,” He replied as He wiped the tears away from her face.

“You can’t, but I can. By My redeeming love, I can purify this garden. Where the flowers have been trampled, I can raise up beauty from the ashes. Where the holes and cracks are in this garden of your heart, I can mend it by My healing power. I have overcome the evil committed by rodents. Though this garden looks like the grave, the life I give can make it come alive again. Though you may be dark, by My life, I see you beautiful. Arise, my beautiful one, and come away with Me to walk through this garden.

My only stipulation is this: Will you let Me have your garden to do as I perfectly please?”

Are you prepared for the coming of the Lamb? Is the garden of your heart being tended by the Master?

“And he said to me, “These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” -Revelation 7:14

“Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready.” -Revelation 19:7

*Story based off of Song of Solomon 2:15.*