OCTOBER - 2019ISSUE: 10

VOLUME: 01

First Baptist Church Bloomfield200 W. Sycamore Ave.Bloomfield, NM 87413505.632.3335

WHEREDID GODCOME FROM?

A lady once invited me to a Bible study she was leading during lunch where she worked. She said they had a few questions that they wanted me to come answer. As I sat down the first question was asked. “Where did God come from and don’t say that He has always been?” I thought, “this is going to be fun!”

What we experience around us is based on causality. For everything there is a prior cause. If something exists or something happens, someone or something else caused it. Who or what, then, caused the world? If it was a bang, what caused the bang? If it was God, what caused God?

We know something cannot come from nothing. So, if there were ever a time when there was absolutely nothing in existence, then nothing would have ever come into existence. Therefore, something had to have always been in existence. That ever-existing thing is God.

The Bible says that He has always existed: “Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God” Psalm 90:2. “ Your throne was established long ago; you are from all eternity” Psalm 93:2. God has no beginning and no end. He always was, always is, and always will be.

For God to be the Creator, He must be self-caused and self-existing, or whatever made Him is more God than He is. God is the uncreated Creator who created the universe and everything in it. If God came from somewhere, He would not be God. He has always existed, and He always will. He is the Uncaused Cause of all, otherwise He is not the greatest of all. So, where did God come from? God is uncaused and uncreated. He simply exists. This is what makes Him God.

Why then would you not want God to be in charge of your life and live in total obedience to the One who is eternal?

BY MONTY MULLENIX- SENIOR PASTOR

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I was reminded a little while ago that the octopus has three hearts. Two hearts are used to pump blood to its gills, while the third brings blood to the rest of its body. When I was reminded of this fun little fact, I wondered if that made it, officially even, the most deceitful thing on the planet. Of course, that is a silly thought, but hearing that octopi have three hearts reminded me of Jeremiah 17:9 which says, “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?” Three hearts mean three times the deceitfulness, correct? Probably not. But with humans, one deceitful heart is plenty.

Jeremiah 17 talks about the person who fully and faithfully trusts the LORD. On the heels of the declaration of that person being blessed, the pronouncement is made about the reality of the human heart that is about to cost thousands of people their lives under the crushing weight of the covenantal curses for disobedience to the LORD. It is almost as if there is a divine ultimatum that has been handed down – “choose life or choose death!” The unfortunate thing is that no one seems wise enough or good enough to choose God. Fast forward to today. How often do we “trust our heart” or “follow our heart” instead of resting in the Word of God?

It is easy for us to look around and spot the flaws in someone else’s heart. The reason we see hypocrisy, deceit, and a lack of genuineness in others is that they are all in our own hearts. Most of us are much more severe in judgment of others than we are in judging ourselves. We make excuses for things in ourselves, while we condemn things in the lives of others simply because we are not naturally inclined to do them. Maybe that is why Jeremiah asked, “Who can understand [the heart]?” The answer is given in the next verse – it is the LORD who searches and knows the heart. He knows our innermost thoughts and motives and “rewards a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve” (17:10).

This all reminds us to be centered on God’s Word every day. Start the day in conversation with Him through prayer and through His Word. How else can we make it through? Certainly not by trusting how our own heart would guide us. Take advantage of the privilege we have to commune with God through our only mediator, Jesus Christ, each and every day. When you do, you “will be like the tree planted by the water that . . . does not fear when heat comes . . . or worry in a year of drought . . . and never fails to bear fruit” (17:8)

BY JOEL GUNN-EXECUTIVE PASTOR

OCTOPI, HEARTS, & TREES

Pastor’s Suggested Reading:

The Treasure Principle: Unlocking the Secret of Joyful Giving by Randy Alcorn (9781590525081)

More Than Money: Being a Steward of All God’s Given You by Calvin Partain (9781596694743)

Tithing: Discover the Freedom of Biblical Giving by R.T. Kendall (0310383315)

OCTOBER 2019 FBCBLOOMFIELD PAGE 3

BY CRAIG MONTROY- MISSIONS PASTOR

I read a story recently where a woman (Lena) described the mission heart of her two young nieces. While she was visiting, her nieces were watching a video when they heard the garbage truck coming up their road. Her niece MJ jumped up and said, “The garbage truck, hurry, we don’t want to miss them!” Lena thought the girls were going to the window to watch the truck. Instead, they grabbed thirst-quencher drinks and ran out to give these gifts to the men on the truck. Lena says that her nieces enjoy sharing water, cookies, and snacks with all their community helpers. Out of their love for Jesus, her 2 nieces enjoy giving to others.

Here is a question to ponder. Are you leading your children to fully live out their faith? Depending on your family structure you might add grandchildren to that question. It is so easy to get consumed with the homework, chauffer responsibilities, sports practice, games,

music lessons, recitals, and a million other things. An additional question we might ask ourselves is, in the midst of family busyness, how does my child view my priorities and the things I value?

We all want our children to thrive and do well. As a Christ follower, what is your greatest desire for your child? I’ve wanted the following things for both my children and grandchildren. I desire to see them:

• move from a focus on self-gratification toward a focus on ministering to others, • develop God’s love for all people, and • embrace the call to take the name of Christ to the nations.

Being missional is not difficult. Wherever you go, you are surrounded by a mission field. Our children will soon discover that missions is not just a lifestyle, it is our life. We have ongoing ministry opportunities to help our families engage in missional living. In addition, there are special events coming up related to holidays. Here are some possibilities.

1) Family mission trip 2) Intentional prayer walking in your neighborhood 3) Visiting a local nursing/care facility 4) Helping with our FBC community dinners/plus special Thanksgiving dinner 5) Create blessing bags to distribute to those in need 6) Volunteer as a family to help with our monthly grocery sacking and food distribution

In all things let’s lead our families to Live On Mission!

FAMILIES ON MISSION

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After a brief summer hiatus to let our intern share her heart (thank you Avery, you did an awesome job), I’m back just in time for my favorite time of year. That’s right, October is one of my favorite months: football season is in full swing, the air is starting to become crisp, we start the countdown to Thanksgiving and Christmas, and it’s time for FBC’s Fall Festival.

What an awesome time in the life of our church! We have hundreds of children and their parents come right to our door and there are so many ways to take advantage of this wonderful opportunity: food service, games, gift bags, and just walking around talking to everyone and sharing a smile. There is one thing I love the most and it is probably the simplest - making balloon animals. Balloon twisting is an incredible way to share the love of Christ. Many children in our society are seen as a nuisance, as something that gets in the way of a parent’s hopes and dreams. They are not seen as the blessing that God means for them to be. Children know that. We can see their understanding of this disregard in their behavior inside our schools and all around the community. This becomes an opportunity for us to share God’s love. While they are waiting for their balloon animal, they have your undivided attention. In that moment they feel a love and importance many have never felt.

So, as you begin to carefully craft a child’s balloon creature, they start to feel that they really are special, and that is the time you start to share Christ. It is about how God created them and that He loves them more than anyone else they will ever meet. As you craft their balloon, you tell them about the fact that God knows their name and loves them so much that He gave His son for them. The best part is that during this magical moment you can speak the love of Christ into the life of a child, and it happens hundreds of times in just a matter of a few hours. Hundreds of little lives touched, hundreds of little ears who have now heard the gospel, and hundreds of little hearts in which a seed has been planted; all through a simple balloon sculpture.

See why this is my favorite time of year? My prayer is that it will be yours as well. Will you please pray about volunteering in this year’s fall festival? Whether it’s holding a door or handing out food with a smile, God can use you in the lives of all those who attend that evening. Who knows, you might even feel a calling to help with balloons… seriously. I’d love to teach you how!! Just come see me and I’ll have you twisting balloons in no time!!

SHARING THE GOSPEL

THROUGH BALLOON ANIMALS

BY RYAN ROBERTSON- STUDENT PASTOR

OCTOBER 2019 FBCBLOOMFIELD PAGE 5

BY VICKIE CZLAPINSKI - CHILDREN’S MINISTRY DIRECTOR

FBC Bloomfield has been hosting Fall Festival for as long as I can remember. This will be my eighth year as Children’s Ministry Director. While planning the 2019 festival I started thinking about why we do Fall Festival.

Acts 1:8 says, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere – in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” The Bible says you will be my witnesses. Think about that phrase for a moment. Now think about that phrase with regard to our Fall Festival. It’s the heart of our reason for doing a festival every year.

Fall Festival brings people from the community that would never otherwise come to church. There isn’t any other event we do where we can have 700-800 people on campus and the majority of them are not members of our church. What a perfect opportunity to be a witness!

Are you wondering how we can be witnesses?

Here are some ways we can:

1. We can engage people in conversation while they are eating. Invite them to church. Tell them what we have to offer for them and their families. This can easily lead to a gospel conversation. 2. While children are playing games, we can visit with their parents. 3. Talk with children while they’re playing. Ask them if they go to church anywhere. Ask them if they know Jesus. 4. Every bag we give to children has a gospel tract inside, as well as information about our church. Perhaps you can go over the tract with them.5. We have a group of people telling children about Jesus while making balloon animals. What a creative way to share Jesus. Do you have a gift or talent that can be shared while you tell people about Jesus?6. Greet families as they check-in. Being friendly and welcoming makes an impression.

You can be a witness at Fall Festival. Most adult classes will have a sign-up sheet to help with a game or another aspect of the festival. Come and be a witness! Sign-up! It’s FUN!

WHY WE DOFALL FESTIVAL

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“INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL” Throughout the Bible we read God looks upon the heart and He desires a heart engagement and an active faith when we worship Him. While heart worship is most important, what we do with our bodies isn’t irrelevant or unimportant. Biblical praise is normally expressed, spoken, and observable. That’s why David says, “My heart is steadfast, O God! I will sing and make melody with all my being!” (Psalm 108:1). That’s why the Psalms are filled with exhortation not only to proclaim God’s greatness but to express His greatness with our bodies.

This tension between internal versus external can be a tricky one. How much physical expression is too much or not enough? Here are four guidelines to consider as we worship:

1. Our focus ought to be primarily on God and the gospel. When we grasp the majesty of God, the mercy of the Savior, and the meaning of our salvation, we’ll be more inclined to respond with physical expressions of worship.

2. Let us become aware of physical responsiveness to God in worship as it is encouraged and modeled throughout Scripture. Various physical action can bring God glory, including clapping, singing, bowing, kneeling, lifting hands, shouting, playing instruments, dancing, and standing in awe (Psalm 47:1, 6; Exodus 12:27; Psalm 95:6; 134:2; 33:1; 150:3-4; 33:8, etc.)

3. Address hindrances to physical expression in worship. Some

restrict their responses to God because they’re afraid of what others might think. Some godly Christians have too narrow of a view of what constitutes an appropriate response to God. They emphasize “reverence and awe” as aspects of worship (Hebrews 12:28) and rightly encourage attitudes of sobriety and solemnity. It’s true that reverence and awe are essential to biblical worship. But it’s impossible to ignore the multitude of examples and commands in Scripture that emphasize celebration, passion, delight, and exuberance, all expressed through lifted hands, raised voices, and dancing feet. Another group holds back on outward expressiveness because of a thoughtful concern for others. That leads to our final point.

4. Teach consideration of others. We are to be concerned about “the interest of others” (Philippians 2:4). That’s why this is a healthy tension, because we ought to feel free to express our hearts to God in corporate worship. At the same time, we are to consider if my expressiveness is distracting my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ around me. God never intended for us to choose. We are to pursue theological depth and passionate expression.

At the end of the day, no one physical expression will ever be adequate to fully express our amazement that God would graciously draw us to himself through the Savior. Our responses will look different at different times, in different churches and different cultures. But there’s no question that we must recognize that God is worthy of our deepest, strongest, and purest affections, and that our bodies should show it!

BY DANIEL ELIAS- WORSHIP PASTOR

Six children and two sponsors attended Children’s Music Camp at Inlow Baptist Camp back in July. It was a great time growing musically

and spiritually. Thanks for your prayers and support! It is definitely an investment in God’s

Kingdom!

“Raising the next generation of worship leaders”

OCTOBER 2019 FBCBLOOMFIELD PAGE 7

October 5Community Food Distribution

8:30am - 9:00am | Chapel

October 5 - 6Infinite Girls Game Night & Lock-In

6:00pm - 10:30am | Rec Center

October 8Women’s Ministry Prayer Night7:00pm - 8:00pm | Chapel

October 12Men’s Breakfasrt

7:30am | Chapel

October 17Final Night FBC Basketball Evals 6:00pm - 7:30pm | FBC Gym

October 31Fall Festival

6:00pm - 8:00pm | FBC Campus

DESIGN EDITOR: Kyle LloydCOPY EDITORS: Donna Talley, Shirley LaCroix, Paula RouttMAILING ADDRESS: 200 W. Sycamore Ave. Bloomfield, NM 87413PHONE: 505.632.3335EMAIL: media@fbcbloomfield.com; kyle@fbcbloomfield.comSUBSCRIPTIONS: Individual subscriptions are free. If you desire to have your name added to the mailing list, please contact the church office either by phone or email.WEBSITE: www.fbcbloomfield.com

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I got up early one morning and was sitting on my patio looking at the small patch of land behind my house. The grass was as tall as me. I started thinking about how that grass was going to die before too long and what a fire hazard it was going to be. It hadn’t been mowed because a piece of equipment was broken. Then I started fretting about the cost of fixing that equipment (if possible), or worse the cost it would be to replace it. Out of nowhere I heard this small voice in my heart. “Stop! Listen! Look!”

A bird singing broke through my conscience; it sounded so beautiful. A small breeze came up and the grass started to move. It looked like gentle waves on the ocean; swaying, swirling. I noticed how green and lush everything was. The leaves on the trees

were like panes of green glass with the sun shining through. My thoughts turned to how God created all this beauty surrounding me, and I was filled with awe. I sat there and praised God and thanked Him for the beauty, peace, and joy I was just given.

I wonder how many times I missed seeing the miracle God has set before me because of all the noise in my head. God gives us big miracles we read about and if so blessed, we witness them for ourselves. But I have realized that it’s the everyday, small miracles that if we will just stop the noise in our heads long enough to notice, are the ones that sustain, replenish, and connect us to God’s love.

SMALL MIRACLES SUBMITTED BY PATTI DONNELLY

READER SUBMISSION

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THEPULSE

THE INFORMATION LIFELINE OF FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH, BLOOMFIELD

A LOOK INSIDE:

• Where did God come from? • Families On Mission

• Why we do Fall Festival

• Raising the next generation of worship leaders

The purpose of light is to illuminate. Jesus said we are to let our light shine so brightly “that [men] may see your good

works and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matt. 5:16) If our light is concealed by the fact that we stay at home or

stay at church and never let the world see our light what is accomplished? For light to accomplish its purpose, it

must leave the presence of other lights and go out into the darkness!

May you be encouraged to not only let your light shine but to share your light to a very dark world!

Are you lettingyour light shine?