Announcements for the Week of March 1

Men’s Bible Study (evening edition) will be this Wednesday at 7 PM in the JIBC office. Come for fellowship and Bible Study.

There will be an elder meeting on Sunday March 15 at 9 AM. Please be in prayer for these men who are “responsible for the primary direction and policy determination of the church” (JIBC Con. 6.5). Pray that God will give them great wisdom from the scriptures for this task.

Youth for Christ Service Project

“Jesus called them to him, saying, ‘Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God.” Luke 18:16

On Saturday, February 21, nine members of the JIBC youth group and nine adults from JIBC attended a street kids program hosted by Youth for Christ. The event was organized to provide the street kids with a meal and an afternoon of songs and games that glorified Christ. The JIBC youth helped with music and general crowd control.

Thank you, Edna Romulo, for the oppurtunity!

FYF meets every other Friday at the Baguley’s, 6:00 - 9:00. Youth ages 11 - 16 are invited for food, Bible study and games!

Setting Honor Aside

Dear friend,

Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant. . .” (Phil. 2:4-7a).

What does it mean that Jesus did not consider equality with God to be grasped, but made himself nothing? Dr. Bryan Chapell tells the story of an African chief who was called to rescue a little boy. The chief was not only the most important and respected man in the village, he was the strongest. The emblem of his power was an enormous headdress made of feathers, bones, and jewels. The chief never appeared without it and all the people were in awe of his great crown.

One day, a young boy was playing on the ground near his mother as she prepared the evening meal. The boy accidentally slipped into the mouth of a deep well. The villagers lacked the tools and equipment to make a proper rescue. Someone needed to climb down inside the narrow well and get the boy. Several men tried, but none were strong enough. The people ran to the chief and asked him what they should do. He arose from his shelter and walked straight to the well. He could hear the boy crying with fear as he peered in to the black opening. Suddenly the tribal leader knew he was the only one strong enough to go into the well and return with the boy. It was then that the chief removed his headdress. It was too big to fit in the well. He cast it aside on the grass and descended into the darkness. All was quiet for a few moments until the chief reappeared with the child, who was now crying with happiness. The boy was given to his mother and the chief picked up his crown, put it back on, and returned to his house.

The chief never ceased to be the ruler of his tribe; he simply laid aside his rightful, majestic, attire. In an even greater way, our Lord Jesus set aside the glory of heaven and came into our world to rescue us. He never ceased to be equal with God, but he did what was necessary to rescue sinners. When Jesus’ work on the cross was complete, He took his proper place at the right hand of God the Father Almighty!

In the scripture above, we are reminded to be like Jesus and look after the interests of others. Friend, how can you set aside your own honor for the good of another today?

Your servant,

Stephen

Rev. Stephen St. John
Pastor/Elder

JIBC Supported Missionaries 2010

“The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” Matthew 9:37

The following are JIBC approved and supported missionaries for 2010:

Baptist Youth Mission Sheild
GBI - Binong, Tangerang
JAM Maluku
New Tribes Flight Program
New Tribes Training Program
New Tribes Missions
Prison Ministry - YFC
Roger Doriot - UFC
Street Kids Ministry - YFC
Street Kids Ministry - Immanuel
Ucok Siltonga Mission
Ucok’s School
UFM Lampung Mission
YFC Administration
Youth for Christ

Due to budgetary constraints, some Missions/Missionaries in the approved list have zero appropriation. Funds coming from designated missions offering will be used to meet their requirements upon submission of a proposal.

Missions Moment

Every month, a selected JIBC supprted missionary will present their mission work to the congregation.

• February
  New Tribes Mission - Bill Cork
• March
  Baptist Church Kebayoran - Bpk. Sakti
• April
  Youth for Christ - Edna Romulo
• May
  Baptist Youth Mission - Iwan
• June
  Street Kids Ministry - Imanuel
• July
  Jaringan Anugerah Maluku - Yola
• August
  UFM/Crossroad Ministry - Roger Dariot
• September
  Lampung-Palembang Mission/UFM - Karlos
• October
  Indonesia Evangelistic Outreach - Ucok
• November
  Gereja Baptist - Iwan
• December
  Mission Sunday

Standing on the Truth

Because there are many lies spread about Christ, we must be careful abide in the truth about him. And that truth is found in the Bible!

1. We must beware of false, antichristian ideas.
2. We must abide in the true, Christian gospel.

Sermon Text: 1 John 2:18-29

18 Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore we know that it is the last hour. 19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us. 20 But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge. 21 I write to you, not because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and because no lie is of the truth. 22 Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son. 23 No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also. 24 Let what you heard from the beginning abide in you. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then you too will abide in the Son and in the Father. 25 And this is the promise that he made to us —eternal life. 26 I write these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you. 27 But the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie—just as it has taught you, abide in him. 28 And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming. 29 If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him.

Announcements for the Week of February 22

Men’s Bible Study (lunch edition) will be this Wednesday at 12 PM. We will meet at Outback Steakhouse in Ratu Plaza Come for fellowship and Bible Study.

This morning we welcome the GBIK Choir! These brothers and sisters from our closest congregation will be singing as part of our worship this morning. We praise God for them and pray that he will bless our continuing partnership in ministry together!

Annual GGBI Congress Please pray for the Union of Baptist Churches in Indonesia as they hold an annual congress this week. Pastor Stephen and Deacon John Suwardi will be attending this meeting in Salatiga.

Baby Dedication Praise God for the baby/child dedications that will be done next Sunday morning. If you have not signed up, but are interested in having a baby/child dedication for your family please speak with Dina today or call the office before Wednesday.

FYF The Friday Youth Fellowship will meet again at the Baguley’s on Friday, February 27 from 6:00 - 9:00. Youth from eleven to sixteen years are invited to come have food, fellowship and bible study. For more information, ask Edna Romulo or Jill Sharp after the service.

Food Gathering Next week for Street Children’s Ministry and the Ministry of our sister Indonesian Language congregation. Please come with non-perishable food items or cash donations.

Trusting God With Your Soul Today

Dear friend,

“Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, ‘Lord Jesus, receive my spirit’” (Acts 7:58a, 59).

The words of the dying martyr Stephen have been echoed by Christian people throughout the centuries. Some have died violently and others have passed quietly in peace. But the prayer of the heart is always the same for the Christian. When we stand on the brink of eternity we confidently ask God to take our souls into glory, knowing that he will because we have believed. Jesus himself set the example when on the cross he repeated the words from Psalm 31, “Father into your hands I commit my spirit” (Luke 23:26). Are you like the Deacon Stephen or the Lord Jesus? Are you trusting God the Father with the eternal care of your soul?

If you are a Christian, I’m sure you answered yes. However, I have discovered that many of us who trust the Lord to care for our souls in heaven go through this life as if we had to do everything on our own. We face our troubles with great turmoil in our hearts and we tremble in the face of hardship. Too often we carry all the burdens of our hearts alone. Do you see the inconsistency? If we are certain God can bring our souls out of the grave (and every Christian is) then it is an easy thing for Him to help us face today and everyday that we live on this earth. So let’s not wait until the end to say that great prayer. Let’s make it our prayer right now!

“Father into your hands I commit my spirit; for eternity of course, but also for today!”

Your servant,

Stephen

Rev. Stephen St. John
Pastor/Elder

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