Greetings everyone. I was just looking on our website, and realize that it’s been a LONG TIME since I’ve posted! My apologies…and thanks to those who have chosen to keep checking in regularly to see if there have been any updates.
As I type, I am in Italy, where I am teaching Early Church History at Saints Bible Institute. The student body is a group from Liberty University. We’ve been wrestling through the ups and downs of life in the church from its inception on the Day of Pentecost to the crowing of Charlemagne a few days shy of 800. You know what you find out when studying the history of the church?
1. Man is a piece of work.
2. God is amazingly faithful.
How in the world did a religion based on the belief that a Palestinian peasant is the messiah of the Jews, and that he is now the resurrected savior of the world…how did it ever catch on with savvy, Roman-Empire pagans? The odds were long…but God made it happen! Then, with the fall of the Rome, what chance did the disgruntled empire residents have of conveying that gospel to the invading Goths, Huns, Lombards, Franks and Vandals that were taking over their lands? Well, God made that happen, too!
Sometimes I wonder, “how will the gospel ever be received by the people of Mesa?” Or, while doing missions work here in Italy, “how will the gospel ever penetrate Catholic Italy?” The answer? The same way it has always happened…because God superintends its advance, because He promised, “I will build my church” (Matthew 16:18). We’re not building it. He is. And He is a masterful builder, in whom we should have the greatest confidence. He’s asked us to work hard to help this pursuit. I think we should say “yes sir,” and join Him…don’t you?
NEWS: Karen and I are looking forward to hosting as many of you as would like to come at our home, beginning in July, for a Bible study on the topic of worship. The studies will take place over nine consecutive Thursday evenings in July and August, from 7:00-8:30p. There are many thoughts and opinions about worship out there…but my interest is in truly seeking out the heart of God in the scriptures concerning most important church enterprise. I hope you can make it! (If you can’t make every Thursday, that’s fine…each week will be a free-standing topic, so come when you can!).
By the way, it’s 77 and sunny here. As I sit in a canal-side cafe in Venice tomorrow, I’ll be wishing I was with you, enjoying the 113 day in Mesa! You think I’m kidding…but I’m not! Looking forward to being back in the fellowship soon.
God’s best to you all…and arrivederci!
Bill
