Cherishing our Father’s love

Dear child of God,

Though I was only 12 years old at the time, I have vivid memories of my father and grandfather being very pleased with me because I had gotten straight A’s on my report card. As a reward, grandpa gave me a rich-looking alligator hide wallet and dad gave me a $10 bill to put inside. I recall both saying they loved me, and that they were pleased I belonged to them. I also remember taking money out of my piggy bank, combining it with the $10 from my new wallet, and exchanging that money for $1 bills so my wallet would look full of cash. I knew it would make me feel like a millionaire at the penny candy store!

I still remember those gifts every June as Father’s Day draws near (it’s celebrated the third Sunday of June in many countries). That memory gets me thinking about my dad, my grandpa, and our heavenly Father’s love. But there is more to the story.

Not a week passed after I was given the wallet and cash before I lost both. I was grief-stricken! They must have fallen from my back pocket while I was at a movie theater with friends. I searched high and low, retracing my steps. I continued searching for several days, but the wallet and cash were nowhere to be found. Now, some 52 years later, I still feel the pain of that loss—not because of the monetary value involved, but because as gifts from my grandpa and dad, they held great sentimental value. What’s interesting is that the grief lasted only a short time, but the fond memories of the love expressed toward me by my grandfather and father have endured.

Return of the Prodigal Son by Murillo (public domain via Wikimedia Commons) — *Return of the Prodigal Son* by Murillo
(public domain via Wikimedia Commons)

Though I appreciated their generous gifts, I cherished the love expressed by my dad and grandpa. Isn’t that what God wants for us—to cherish the depth and richness of his unconditional love? Jesus helps us understand the depth and breadth of that love in his parables of the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the prodigal son. These parables, recorded in Luke 15, demonstrate the heavenly Father’s passionate love for his children, and show how God enjoys finding those who are lost. In doing so, these parables point to the incarnate Son of God (Jesus) who came to find us and take us home to his Father. Jesus not only reveals the Father to us, he reveals the Father’s desire to come to us in our lostness and bring us into his loving presence. Being pure love, God never stops calling our names with his love.

As Christian poet and musician Ricardo Sanchez wrote, “The devil knows your name but calls you by your sin. God knows your sin but calls you by your name.” The voice of our heavenly Father comes to us by his Word (Jesus), through the Spirit. The Word judges the sin in us, overcoming it and sending it away (as far as the east is from the west). Rather than condemning us, the Word declares God’s forgiveness, affirms us and sanctifies us.

When our ears (and hearts) are attuned to the living Word of God, we are able to understand his written word, the Bible, as God intends—and he intends that it convey the message of his love for us. This is made clear in Romans chapter 8, one of my favorite passages of Scripture. It begins with this declaration: “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1 ESV). It then ends with this powerful reminder of God’s never-ending, unconditional love for us: “For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39 ESV).

We are assured that we are “in Christ” (we belong!) as we listen to the voice of God in Jesus, who said this: “When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers” (John 10:4-5 ESV). We hear our Lord’s voice and follow him as we read his words and know that it is him talking to us. Reading Scripture helps us know we are in relationship with God because that is his desire, and this reassurance brings us closer to him. Through Scripture, God speaks to us, affirming his love by confirming that we are his beloved children. We know it is God’s voice we are hearing when we are led to express love toward others, and as we experience increased humility, joy, and peace—all of which we know originate with God, our Father.

Knowing that our heavenly Father is calling our names as his beloved children motivates us to live as Paul described in his letter to the church in Colossae:

Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. (Colossians 3:12-17)

God’s voice leads us in the direction of his always-present fatherly love—a love poignantly celebrated by comedian Michael Jr. in the Father’s Day video embedded below. Some of you will remember that Michael Jr. entertained us at one of our international conferences several years ago.

On Father’s Day (and every day), let’s remember that our heavenly Father created us in order to love us. As the loving Father that he is, he wants us to hear his voice so that we can live the abundant life that is ours in relationship with him—knowing that he is always for us, always with us, always loving us.

Always remember that your heavenly Father has given everything to you in and by his incarnate Son, Jesus Christ. Unlike the wallet and the cash that I lost those many years ago (they were temporary), God’s gift to you (and me) is permanent. Even if you momentarily lose sight of his gift, your heavenly Father is always there—knocking, seeking, finding you (even if you are lost), so you may fully appreciate and experience his gift of unconditional, never-ending love.

Wishing you all Happy Father’s Day,
Joseph Tkach

Refugees resettled

The May 11 issue of GCI Weekly Update told the story of Nova and Joseline Musafiri, refugees from Kenya who with GCI assistance now make their home in Canada. We’re delighted to note that the Musafiri family recently welcomed to Canada Joseline’s three sisters and one brother. Like Nova and Joseline, these refugees were members of the GCI congregation in the Kakuma refugee camp in Kenya. We are blessed to now welcome them to our congregation in Ottawa, Canada.

GCI has helped several other refugees resettle in Canada in recent years. Here are some of them:

refugee montage — Upper left: Myint Ong (second from left), arrived in Canada two years ago and has been accepted to attend Carleton University to study engineering. Myint is from Myanmar. Upper right: the two women (Rosina and Aliane Cyuzuzo) fled the Congo about two years ago. Lower picture: The Kidane family (with their helpers) who fled to Canada last year from the Sudan.

This is a picture of a family of 4 who came to Ottawa about a month ago. Names from right to left are: Baraka, Wendo, Julius and Leah. They had been in the refugee camp in Kakuma for many years (6-7) and were finally accepted to come to Canada as a result of the government sponsorship program. The picture is taken in the parking lot outside the church where we meet. These young people are adapting quite well--much easier to adapt however if one comes to Canada in the spring or summer rather then the dead of winter . The mother and 3 other younger children will be arriving in Canada in a couple of weeks. — L to R: Baraka, Wendo, Julius and Leah Nashale. These four siblings came to Ottawa about a month ago after six years in the Kakuma camp. The picture is taken in front of the GCI church building in Ottawa. Their mother and three of their (younger) siblings will arrive in a couple of weeks.

Bogotá conferences

This article compiles reports from GCI mission developer Rod Matthews and others who participated in two GCI conferences held recently in Bogotá, Colombia.

History was made recently as, for the first time, congregational leaders and members from GCI churches throughout Central and South America gathered for the Latin American Conference in Bogotá, Colombia. In their honor, GCI Mission Developers (MDs) from around the world together with other GCI denominational leaders joined the conference prior to holding the annual Mission Developers Conference. According to MD Rod Matthews, “The two conferences reflected GCI’s unique world-girdling fellowship with its connectedness despite diverse cultures and languages.”

Latin American Conference

The tone of this conference was expressed well in its title, A Celebration of God’s Grace. It was marked by a spirit of joy among participants—many meeting for the first time. Though some participants did not speak Spanish, the beaming smiles, hugs and animated gestures powerfully conveyed what could not be expressed in words.

The conference was hosted by the Bogotá church, including its Pastor Hector Barrero (who also is an MD) and his wife Paulina. Assisting was the Barranquilla church, including its Pastor Sonia Orozco and her husband Luis.

Conference presentations were made by GCI President Joseph Tkach and his wife, Tammy; Superintendent of U.S. Ministers, Greg Williams; Grace Communion Seminary President, Gary Deddo; U.S. Church Administration and Development Assistant Director Charles Albrecht; U.S. Church Multiplications Ministries Coordinator, Heber Ticas; and GCI Board Member, Wendy Moore. Leaders of GCI churches in Colombia, Argentina, Honduras, Peru, El Salvador and Chile gave updates on how Christ is involving their churches in his ministry. MDs James Henderson (UK), Eugene Guzon (Philippines) and Kalengule Kaoma (Africa) shared their experiences, adding to a sense of closeness as a truly international denomination.

Conference group — Latin American Conference participants

Members of the Barranquilla church led worship, and offered a beautiful sketch illustrating the Colombian culture through dancing and singing. Hector Barrero commented: “We worshiped together with the verve and expression for which our Latin brethren are renowned.” Joseph Tkach noted, “The worship was simply fabulous—the joy we experienced transcended any differences in language and culture.” The conference ended with a particularly emotional communion service led by Caribbean MD, Charles Fleming and his wife Carmen.

Mission Developers Conference

This annual conference of GCI’s MDs together with other denominational leaders followed the Latin American Conference and focused on pastoral development and education, including evaluating how GCI can better serve the needs of its ministers given their geographic, cultural and language diversity, along with a disparity of access to electronic communication. The MDs gave updates about their families to strengthen the bonds forged through many years of shared service. The group also discussed mission coordination and financing challenges, ordination management in remote areas, and other topics of shared concern.

Mission Developers and other denominational leaders meet

MD meeting — MDs Eugene Guzon (Philippines) and Gary Moore (Canada)

Kalengule Kaoma (MD from Africa) and his wife Nasama receive watches in recognition of 25 years of ministry within GCI. — MD Kalengule Kaoma (Africa) and his wife Nsama receive from Joseph Tkach watches recognizing 25 years of employed ministry

Following the MD Conference, the MDs and others (most of whom were in Colombia for the first time) enjoyed a day-long trip to Mount Monserrat with its historic church and magnificent views of the city (see below), and the underground salt cathedral of Zipaquira where vast caverns of a former salt mine have been turned into an inspiring and unique memorial to the life of Christ.

Death of Eli Toledo

We were saddened to learn of the recent death of GCI-Philippines Pastor Eligio (Eli) Toledo, due to a heart attack.

Eli pastored the Cabanatuan church. He had been ordained only about a year ago upon the death of the congregation’s Senior Pastor, Tony Gaspar. Pastor Eli is survived by his wife Erlinda and their four children, their spouses and several grandchildren.

Cards to the family may be sent to:

Toledo
17 Purok 2, Sto. Rosario
Sto. Domingo, Cabanatuan City
Nueva Ecija 3133, Phils.

Debbie Young

We asked recently for prayer for Debbie Young, wife of GCI-Atlanta pastor Charles Young (click here for the original prayer request). Here is an update from Charles:

Debbie has recently undergone tests to try to determine the nature of the illness that is causing her a great deal of pain. One of the tests indicates that there is something weakening her muscles and thus causing pain. It also is making it difficult for her to swallow at times (the esophagus is a muscle). Further tests will be conducted to try to determine the nature of the illness and devise a treatment plan.

Charles is taking time away from work and pastoring to spend more time with Debbie during this difficult time. He and Debbie send their thanks for the continuing prayers. Knowing that God is faithful, they rest in our Lord’s amazing grace and healing mercies.

Cards may be sent to:

Charles and Debbie Young
6290 Ponderosa Ct
College Park, GA 30349-4038

William Condley

Thanks for your prayers for Pastor William Condley of Russellville, Arkansas (click here for the original prayer request). According to his son David, he continues in the hospital where he is now able to sit in a chair some and breathe on his own more and more each day. He will soon be moving to a rehabilitation hospital in Little Rock, Arkansas in order to regain his strength. William’s wife Ednita is doing well and will be with her husband in the other hospital.

Please continue to pray for both William and Ednita.

Cards may be sent to:

William and Ednita Condley
153 S. Main Street
Atkins, AR 72823-8235

Pray Together Sunday

GCI is a member of the National Association of Evangelicals in the United States. Joseph Tkach, GCI president and NAE board member, encourages GCI congregations to join other evangelicals in a special time of prayer during their times of worship on July 10, asking Jesus to reset our hearts and our nation. For information and resources, go to http://nae.net/praytogether/.

Conference in Canada

All are welcome to come for all or part of a GCI-Canada Thanksgiving Conference that will be held in beautiful Penticton on October 8-15, 2016. Guest speakers will include GCI-USA Regional Pastor Rick Shallenberger with his wife Cheryl.

The conference theme is Empowered by Grace. As our understanding of God’s amazing, extravagant grace deepens, we are transformed and empowered to do the work he has prepared for us. Join in as we explore the depths of that grace, and how it empowers us to live today.

The conference will feature inspiring worship and fellowship. Ticketed events include a catered Thanksgiving banquet, dessert buffet on the historic S.S. Sicamous, lunch at the historic Zia’s Stonehouse Restaurant, a tour of the Dominion Radio Astrophysical Observatory, and more.

NEW THIS YEAR: We will put on a community outreach event, providing worship music and reaching out to the community as they attend the very popular Farmers’ Market on Saturday, October 8.

For information and registration, go to www.gcicanada.ca.