Nu Oli - Jan Feb 2012
Transcript of Nu Oli - Jan Feb 2012
Nu Oli “Glad Tidings”
Newsletter of Makakilo Baptist Church, Oahu, Hawaii
1st Quarter 2012
Inside This Issue
~~~~
Makakilo Church &
the Kingdom of God
Pastor Jon Elliff
Pages 1 & 2
Welcome Jim &
Elizabeth George
Pg. 3
2011 New Members
Pgs. 4 & 5
2011 Baptisms
Pg. 5
Women’s Ministry
By Dianne Nowak
Pg. 6
Men of God
By Loyd Fowler
Pg. 7
Important
Connection
Author unknown
Pg. 8
"Makakilo Church and The Kingdom of God"
Sometimes my wife, Becky, gets strange looks. Usually it is
when she says she does not work outside the home. "Then,
what do you do all day?" All my wife has to do is point to our
five little ducklings and the response changes dramatically.
"You must be busy!" is the usually transformed retort. Becky's
identity, her personality and her responsibility are all defined
by her discipling of five young ladies. Rearing our daughters
is her all-consuming job, sun up to sun down - every day of
the week.
Now we know, that one day this will change for Becky. One day, our last
daughter will go to school, or be married, or for other reasons grow up. That will
be a sad day for us, and I am sure it will be filled with tears. But, it will not just be
tears of sadness! Some will be tears of joy - "Finally!" we will say. Until that day,
however, this consuming job defines Becky - it is who she is, what she does, and
clearly the consuming thing to which God has called her.
Similarly, the people of God gather together in local congregations (churches).
And we have a consuming job that defines us - we are part of the Kingdom of
God. We are that visible, local manifestation of God's Kingdom in a dying and
depraved world. All of our identity, personality, and responsibility flows from this
truth. One day, at the twinkling of an eye, all of this will be changed. We will be
ushered out of this old world and into the presence of God, and our local
church will be no more. Until that day, however, we should be consumed with
being exactly what God wants a local church to be; dominated & consumed
with the identity, personality, and responsibility he has given us in Scripture.
As your pastor, then, I consistently seek to answer the following questions:
1. What is our identity?
This one is easy - Scripture gives it to us - the church of the living God should be
the "pillar and buttress of the truth" (1 Tim 3:15 ESV). We are all about the truth -
what truth? The truth of the Bible. If there is anything that I desire our church to
tell to the world is that our church is ALL ABOUT SCRIPTURAL TRUTH. My prayer is
that over time we develop a reputation, a reputation that will be loved by
many and, likely, hated by many; we are a BIBLE church.
Now some may say, "But shouldn't we be about love," or, "shouldn't we be all
about preaching and doctrine," or even, "shouldn't we be all about reaching
out?" These are all great things, and, as you will see below, they should play into
our personality. But you have to ask the question, "What kind of love? (pg 2 →)
Pastor Jon and
Becky Elliff
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What theology? What kind of outreach?" Well, the outreach,
theology and love AS DEFINED IN SCRIPTURE, right? So though
those are things that should be part of our personality and behav-
ior, our guiding principle, our dominating identity should be that we
are a Bible church.
2. What is our personality?
I am near completion of a study we have been conducting in our
Sunday School class. I have titled the study, "Ethos." Ethos is a little
word that means, "The character of a community that is mani-
fested in its beliefs, attitudes, and actions" (my own definition).
As we read scripture, especially the New Testament letters to the
churches, what rises to the top is that there is a certain ETHOS that
should be present. There are certain attitudes, personality traits
that should be true of a BIBLE church.
In our class we have identified seven traits that seem to come up
over and over in these church letters: Thanking, Working, Telling,
Knowing, Loving, Hoping, and Persevering. It is my passionate
prayer that these attitudes (traits) define our personality. This takes
personal effort, though, doesn't it? We will not have a church per-
sonality of being loving if only a few do it. On the contrary, if all of
us are loving like scripture demands us, we will gain that kind of
personality. If you have missed the Bible study - don't worry! Due to
popular demand, I am going to refine it a bit and present it in a
future sermon series.
3. What is our responsibility?
When I think of responsibility, I first go to Titus. Paul wants Titus (who,
incidentally, pastored an island church) to preach in such a way
that the Scripture is the clear center of his exaltation of the truth,
and refutation of falsehood. Moreover, his church should be instru-
mental in training and equipping and commissioning of more eld-
ers (pastors). I think this would apply not only to elders inside Titus'
church alone but in establishing new pastors and new churches all
over the region.
THAT, ladies and gentlemen, is my passion and the future of our
church. My prayer is that we establish truth-preaching elders in our
church and also in churches (new and old) all over the region.
Recently, a study reported in the Star-Advertiser showed that
Hawaii is high on spirituality - and even is warm toward Christianity.
But when it comes to BIBLICAL Christianity the data states only 4%
of those living here fit the definition of a biblical Christian (I was
surprised!). When you move beyond Hawaii, that number shrinks
even more as many false religions have aggressively dominated
Oceania. On top of that, most evangelical missions agencies have
completely overlooked the 10 million who live in this region. All of
that to say, we have our work cut out for us! We have yet to see
how this will all form and the role of our church, but we are gaining
clarity more and more each day. (Hint: our new Associate Pastor,
Jim George, was the dean of admissions at the Master's Seminary).
To conclude, my prayer is that we pursue our identity, personality,
and responsibility as it is defined in Scripture. And I pray that we will
vigorously pursue these things until the Lord returns!
“You are the light of the
world. A city on a hill
cannot be hidden.”
Makakilo Baptist Church
92-611 Makakilo Drive
Kapolei, HI 96707
Phone: (808) 672-3505
E-mail:
Web site:
makakilochurch.com Pastor:
Dr. Jon Elliff
Nu Oli is a bi-monthly
publication of the Makakilo
Baptist Church. It is mailed
free of charge to members
and friends of the church.
Editor:
Judy Riley
Youth Editor:
Shelby Tobler
Writers:
The church body
Proof Readers &Production:
Ralph Riley
Karen Hockett
Mailing:
Judie Thomas-Benito
Matt 5:14 (NIV)
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1990 where he also served as Dean
of Admissions and Placement and Assistant
Professor of Pastoral Ministries until June, 2000.
Presently, Jim is a speaker and an author.
His life aim is to write and teach God's Word
in a way that encourages believers in their
walk with Him. Jim holds a Bachelor of
Science in Pharmacy from the University of
Oklahoma, and a Master of Divinity and
Master of Theology from Talbot School of
Theology. Jim is a retired Major in the US Army
Reserves. Jim and his wife Elizabeth, who is also
a speaker and author, have been married 46
years. They have 2 married daughters and 8
grandchildren.
Jim George has written 16 books, that have
sold more than 1 million copies. Many of
Jim's books have appeared on the ECPA
and CBA Bestseller Lists. Two of Jim's books -
“A Husband After God's Own Heart” and
“A Young Man After God's Own Heart” -
were finalists for the Gold Medallion Book
Award. Jim is best known for his books
“A Man After God's Own Heart” and “The
Bare Bones Bible Handbook.” He is also a
contributing author of the book, Rediscovering
Pastoral Ministry, by The Master's Seminary
faculty.
Welcome
Jim and
Elizabeth
George
Editor’s Note: It is a pleasure to introduce Jim
George, our new Associate Pastor. He and his
wife, Elizabeth, have called MBC their second
home church for several years and finally
made the move to Hawaii. Their daughter
and son-in-law, Paul & Courtney Seitz, and
grandchildren, Jacob, Katie, Isaac & Grace,
are also members of MBC.
They are a very busy couple; both of them
are authors and speakers. So I suppose we will
still be seeing them on a somewhat part-time
basis. Please introduce yourself and say “hello”
when you see them. Here’s Jim’s biography:
In 1976 Jim joined the pastoral staff of Grace
Community Church in Sun Valley, CA as
Associate Pastor of Evangelism. He developed
Fundamentals of the Faith, a basic Christian
doctrine course. He also helped develop the
FLOCKS program, a ministry involving Bible
study and fellowship groups which met weekly
in more than 60 homes.
In 1979 he added the role of instructor and
Dean of The Logos Bible Institute. From 1981
to 1982, he and his family ministered in Singa-
pore. Upon his return, he filled a wide variety
of pastoral roles at Grace Community Church.
In addition, he has authored six manuals for
church use in evangelism, discipleship, and
leadership training and has served as visiting
professor in several Asian schools. From 1980 to
1983 he was Adjunct Professor and from 1983
to 1986 Associate Professor of Pastoral Ministries
at Talbot Theological Seminary. He became an
adjunct member of The Master's Seminary fac-
ulty in 1986, and joined the Seminary full time in
Elizabeth and Jim George
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Michelle, Rob Joseph, Valerie, Clara & Julie
Cannaday January 9, 2011
Jay Dee, Dara & Drayton Kollasch January 9, 2011
Kim, DJ, & Marlon Price January 9, 2011
Kristie Bento, Kevin & David Green ~ January 9, 2011
Andrew, Michelle & Haley Davis ~ May 1, 2011
Mary & Larry Thrower May 1, 2011
Sara, Katie, Harley, Daniel, Harley Jr., David & Andrew Thompson ~ May 1, 2011
Matt, Leyna, Stefani & Kayleigh Koepke May 1, 2011
Toni Sheldon June 5, 2011
Russ Davis May 1, 2011
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Julia, Addy, Oliver & Keith Stephens June 5, 2011
Joe, Mabel, Angela, Carter & Abby Halfmann ~ June 5, 2011
Elizabeth & Jim George November 6, 2011
Judy Enomoto (& Phil) March 5, 2011
Johnnie Caver, Jay Dee Kollasch & Cortnee Hendrick ~ March 2, 2011
Chloe Elliff September 7, 2011
Shawlawn Hildreth (& family) March 29, 2011
Vanessa Kroll, Deja Smith & Alan Kroll March 14, 2011
Matt Koepke (& family) September 7, 2011
Loghen Ramos (& Family) November 17, 2011
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Women’s Ministry…Ladies Ministry…
Women’s Fellowship…Ladies Fellowship!
By: Dianne Nowak
Yes! All these ministries are
one in the same! Someday,
(although it has been years!)
we will finally settle on our
official group name. But in
the meantime, please note
we are ladies and women,
who minister to one another through
our fellowship! Here is our official mission
statement:
Our mission is to encourage one another
as whole Christian women – mind, body
and spirit in accordance with the follow-
ing verses:
Hebrews 10:23-24 (NIV): “Let us
hold unswervingly to the hope we
profess, for He who promised is
faithful. And let us consider how
we may spur one another on
toward love and good deeds.”
Proverbs 31:26 (NIV): “She speaks
with wisdom and faithful instruc-
tion is on her tongue.”
Practically speaking, we plan and execute
events quarterly to support and uplift the
women of MBC. (We also host a weekly
Bible study as described below.) Currently,
a relatively small group of women devote
their time and muscle (!) to prepare for these
functions. I guess you would call this our actual
core ministry team. But there is always room for
more on our core team! We welcome the
input, suggestions and brawn (!) of spirit-filled
women who wish to join us.
During 2012, we will have quarterly events in March, June, September and December.
While the December event is a Christmas
party, the other (3) events are yet to be
determined. We may do a “Tea”…or a “Craft
Night”… or a Girls-only “Movie Night”… We
strive to host events that incorporate the Word
and/or Christian testimonies. If you have other
ideas for events and activities, please let me
know.
Meanwhile, we recognize that meeting
every 3 months does not engender the kind
of fellowship that will grow into a deeper
knowledge of Jesus or each other. Not to
mention that over the years, we have had
many women express the desire for more
personal fellowship and encouragement.
Therefore, we also host a weekly Women’s
Bible Study at 9:30 a.m. on Saturdays, to
discuss the Word on a more practical and
intimate basis. Through these studies we seek
to address specific issues: relationships with
God, our husbands, children, friends; spiritual
growth to handle the trials that come our
way; even encouragement to persevere
through difficult times. Any and all women
are welcome to jump in and join us at any
time. You do not have to wait until we “start”
another study.
Currently, we are being transformed through
our study of “Having a Mary Heart in a Martha
World.” We are taking this study ‘slowly’ and
savoring all the lessons to be learned. Some
of us are some pretty staunch “Marthas!”
Ultimately I expect that the study will continue
for another 8 weeks through mid-March. Then,
after a two week break or so, we will resume
with another study.
We look forward to planning fellowship and
studying the Word together with you! And one
last thought: please don’t be shy about at-
tending either the quarterly events or the
weekly studies. Your Christian journey may be
the blessing that someone else is craving to
know!
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Men’s Fellowship
By: Loyd Fowler
What is Men’s Fellowship? It could be a group
of guys who gather every Sunday in the Fall to
watch football on TV. Many of those men are
in a state of loss now that the season is over.
Fishing buddies, hunting buddies, drinking
buddies - men fellowship in many ways.
However, our group does not fit into any of
these categories.
Our Men’s Fellowship meets on Saturday
mornings, from 7-8 am. I must be honest,
when I think of getting up to be anywhere
at 7am, other than work, it is a stretch. But
one morning some years ago the Spirit spoke
to my heart, and said you need to go. Of
course, I was not as willing as I would like to
admit, but I ended up there at 7:30. One seat
was open, as if it was waiting for me. It was
in that first meeting the discussion confirmed
I needed to be there and it has been a bless-
ing to me ever since. During these meetings
we encourage each other, learn from one
another’s experiences, and most of all delve
into the Word to attempt to understand how
it applies to each one of us.
The catalyst that invokes discussion each week
are the Christian books we dissect to see what
each author is explaining. The goal is to get
through a chapter each week, but if we only
get through a few pages, that’s OK too, for the
time used to deal with real issues in each of our
lives is well worth it. The most recent book we
completed was “Counterfeit Gods,” which
revealed the common idolatry we experience
in our everyday lives and how easily we are
deceived by the world in which we live. Just
because we say we are Christians, does not
exempt us from these deceptions, and not
knowing what the Bible says about it can
leave us open. While discussions sometimes
chase rabbits, and veer well off the beaten
path, there are times when subjects hit close
to home. When a member has a personal
battle, we come along side him and offer
prayer and support, no matter what the issue
may be. You cannot help but be changed
when real life hits you square in the face in
losing a child to cancer, financial and work
difficulties, charitable giving, sacrificial giving,
and the issues of real life in this fallen world.
Coming to church on any given Sunday
we worship, greet and listen to the Word
being taught, but unless we connect with
one another in some way we fight the good
fight at a great disadvantage. Sundays we
Praise Jesus, and the rest of the week we must
advance with the conviction that what we
have heard is true and it works. We cannot do
this unless we’re connected to others in the
Church Body.
Many have given our group a title of MAN
CHURCH, for various reasons. Our meetings
result in the real application of scripture where
“iron sharpens iron”. Mutual encouragement
and challenges are the norm when we discuss
the subjects each week. There is always an
open invitation to all men to join us, for some it
is the forum that fills a void, others look to it as
a family ministry, and sometimes we get more
out of Saturday mornings than expected. It is a
great way to start the weekend, and leave the
past work-week behind.
The Men’s ministry was founded some years
ago and has continued to meet every
Saturday morning at 0700HRS – 0800HRS.
We meet in the conference room and search
for better understanding of scripture, through
the study of various Christian books. Currently
we are beginning the book “Erasing Hell”, by
Francis Chan.
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Makakilo Baptist Church 92-611 Makakilo Drive
Kapolei, HI 96707
Non-Profit Organization
U.S. POSTAGE PAID
Permit No. 33000 Waipahu, HI
IMPORTANT CONNECTION!
Hello God, I called tonight
To talk a little while
I need a friend who'll listen
To my anxiety and trial.
You see, I can't quite make it
Through a day just on my own...
I need your love to guide me,
So I'll never feel alone.
I want to ask you please to keep,
My family safe and sound.
Come and fill their lives with confidence
For whatever fate they're bound.
Give me faith, dear God, to face
Each hour throughout the day,
And not to worry over things
I can't change in any way.
I thank you God, for being home
And listening to my call,
For giving me such good advice
When I stumble and fall.
Your number, God, is the only one
That answers every time.
I never get a busy signal,
Never had to pay a dime.
So thank you, God, for listening
To my troubles and my sorrow.
Good night, God, I love You, too,
And I'll call again tomorrow!
Author
Unknown