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After 2 years in prison in Caesarea, Paul realizes that these Jews want his blood, and they won’t stop after he is released.  What does he do?  He exercises his rights as a Roman citizen.  He says, “I appeal unto Caesar,” Acts 25:11. As a Roman citizen, he uses his citizenship to further the Gospel.

As Christians we are first and foremost citizens of heaven, Philippians 3:20.  But like Paul, we are also citizens of our nation and have a right  and responsibility to vote.

1) WE VOTE PRIORITIES, NOT PERSONALITY

After 2 years in prison, what are Paul’s priorities?

1)  Share the Gospel in Rome, Acts19:21.

What better way to get there then by the protection and expense of the Roman government?

2)  Stay alive a little longer to edify the new Christians.

“For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better:  Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you.”  Phil. 1:23-24

Paul voted Priorities over Personality.  “I vote to go to Caesar.”  Do you know who the caesar was in

60 AD?  A wicked man named Nero.  This is 4 years before the horrific persecution of Christians in 64 AD. Did Paul like the personality of Nero over the Jewish leaders that wanted to kill him?  NO!  But his vote to appear before Caesar helped accomplish his goals of preaching in Rome and staying alive.

This coming election in America AND every election we often vote the “lesser of two evils.”  We often vote for personalities we may not like because we vote our Christian priorities.

2)  WE VOTE PRINCIPLE NOT PARTY

Our country basically has a 3 party systems.   We need to be more committed to Christian principles than a party.  Here is an easy to remember 3 point Biblical evaluation of candidates.

What is the Spirit-filled Christian’s Voters Guide?

Pro-Life; Pro-Family; Pro-Israel – this is what I’m for!

We vote Pro-Life because God judges nations that “shed the blood of innocents,” Jeremiah 19:3-4.  We vote Pro-Israel because God blesses the nations that bless Israel, Genesis 12:1-3.  We vote Pro-Family because God created the family as one man and one woman, Genesis 2:24.

Why would I want a candidate who will persecute and threaten our children and grandchildren for calling a coworker “he” or “she” according to their God-given biological gender? Public school teachers are being fired for not using a preferred pronoun or even avoiding pronouns.

It is a scientific and Biblical Fact – individuals with two X chromosomes (XX) are female; and those with one X and one Y chromosome are male. Your gender is based on science not “how you feel.”

Biblical scholars agree that people maintain their male and female gender throughout eternity.  There will not be marriage in heaven, but we will retain our gender, Mt. 22:30.  Jesus retained His gender after His resurrection and was recognized as a man, John 20:26-27.  Moses and Elijah were identified as men in Matt. 17:1-13.

www.gotquestions.org/gender-Heaven.html

www.carm.org

www.compellingtruth.org/gender-heaven.html

When you vote, you are being a good citizen. 

When you vote godly convictions and priorities, you are being a good Christian.

If there is a God, why is He letting this happen?

Well, first of all, the evidence all around us indicates that God does exist. Intelligent design is undeniable! God created us in His image which includes emotion, will, and intellect. What that means is – we have a “free will” to do what we want to do.

Our first parents (Adam and Eve) introduced sin not just into the human race, but also into the whole world (Romans 8:22). Since that time we have all been exposed to accidents, disease, and death. The Bible teaches us that every living thing (plant, animal, or human) has a broken genetic code. Sooner or later, every living thing will die (Romans 6:23).

Sadly, many of us have known of family members and loved ones who experienced an early death. Is this God’s fault? Is the human experience of pain and suffering evidence that God does not exist? Not at all! On the contrary, if there is an evil force in the world than it stands to reason that there must also be a good force in the world. Insurance companies have often described catastrophes of floods, fires, hurricanes, and earthquakes as “acts of God”… as if to assign blame to God for the bad things that happen in the world. Nothing could be further from the truth. The current world pandemic of COVID-19 is just another proof that we live in a broken world. Instead of blaming God for the cause of our troubles, we need to look to God for help in our troubles.

Is COVID-19 a Sign of Bible Prophecy?

In a sermon about the future, Jesus said there would be “signs” in “the sun, in the moon, and in the stars” that would warn people of His literal return to the earth (Luke 21:25). Jesus also gave a list of events or signs to describe a future period the Bible calls the Tribulation (described in Revelation 6-19).

“And ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars; see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes in diverse(various) places” Matthew 24:6-7.

Bible Prophecy expert Pastor David Jeremiah writes, “Is this a sign of the Second Coming of Christ? I cannot say with any certainty that it is. But neither can I say with any certainty that it is not. It could be the early evidence of number three on Jesus’ sign list, the coming pestilence. A pestilence is “a contagion or infectious epidemic that is virulent and devastating. That is a pretty good description of what’s going on right now.”

COVID-19 is NOT the “Biblical sign” of Matthew 24:7 or Luke 21:11 but Jesus said that these signs would begin to appear like “birth pains” and will increase in frequency and intensity leading up to His return.

“Do I have your attention yet?” – God

Can God use this worldwide pandemic to get your attention? Absolutely. We cannot ignore the daily news reports that remind us of the tens of thousands dying from this virus. Even though the mortality rates are highest among the elderly and the immune compromised, we are hearing of many healthy young people succumbing to the deadly effects of this virus. How can we not be reminded of the brevity of life – our life (James 4:14)! Whether you are young or old, healthy or sick, what matters most is not if you will catch a deadly case of COVID-19, but where you will spend eternity.

Do you have the assurance that Heaven is your eternal home?

You will live forever somewhere. God cannot take you into His holy heaven with sin on your soul. He has provided a cure for sin. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, lived a perfect life and died a sacrificial death providing a way for you and me to be forgiven of all of our sins. When someone receives Jesus Christ as their personal Savior they are making the decision to believe that Jesus died on the cross on their behalf and rose again from the dead. His way is the only One who can forgive your sins. You may have read of people from Iran and India who created their own “medical drinks” to prevent or overcome COVID-19. Instead of providing a cure, those who drank this concoction actually became more ill and some even died. As the Great Physician, God has prescribed one way to come to Him, John 14:1-6. Turning to Christ means you are willing to turn away from your sinful ways and begin to follow Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. If right now you are sensing the conviction and guilt of your sins, call out to God in prayer and receive Jesus Christ today. You can make that decision by praying from your heart, something like this:

“Dear Lord, I know that I am a sinner and I ask you to forgive me of all of my sin. I believe that Jesus died for me and rose again from the dead. Please come into my heart and become my Lord and Savior. I trust You alone to save me. Amen.”

If you have just received Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, I am glad to say to you, “Welcome to the Family of God.” If you have trusted Christ as your Savior, I would love to hear from you. I would love to send you a Bible and some materials to help you grow in your new relationship with the Lord. Please contact us at info@vfbt.org or 610-948-8100; or you can fill out the form below.

What happens if I get sick?

My prayer along with millions of others is that this virus will be defeated. Many people will get the virus and not even know they have it, others will have the worst flu symptoms they have ever had in their life. But there are many who will perish from it. Whether COVID-19 comes to you or your family members or not, we can have the peace and assurance that God will be with us in our worst crisis of life. Jesus promised, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” As a Christian, it is not so important how long we live, but how well we live for our Savior. When it is our time to meet the Lord in heaven we have the promise that God will send His angels to usher us into His presence for all of eternity (Luke 16:22).

God’s love story for us isn’t just a Hallmark movie – it’s better. He only asks that we hand the pen to Him.

Valentine’s Day is celebrated in our family for several reasons. My wife and I share cards and she makes the family a special gourmet breakfast… because it is also my birthday. My favorite Valentine’s celebration was our church’s Valentine Banquet in 1996. We had our highest attendance at that banquet for one simple reason. The church family was going to meet my fiancée Jodie Friesen for the very first time. It was a joyous time in our lives and also for the church as they were meeting someone who was literally the answer to hundreds of prayers. Jodie and I were engaged in January at Skylon Tower at Niagara Falls. But the engagement, the answered prayers, and the joyous celebration with the church was almost NOT to be. Why? Because of “The Lost Letter.”

A couple of years had passed since I had become a single dad. My first wife passed away of cancer. Those years had some unique challenges for me. You see, I have DCS (Domestically Challenged Syndrome). Before my wife passed away, my neighbors brought a meal every Monday night. I honestly didn’t know that Lasagna could be made 10 different ways – all delicious. After being widowed the church family graciously brought many meals to us as well. Matt and Jeremy were only 8 and 4 when their mom entered heaven.

In addition to running a household as a single dad, being a pastor, and coordinating a massive building program at church, I was struggling with deep loneliness. Not only did I love my first wife, but I loved being married. During those years a number of well-intentioned matchmakers attempted to “set up” both Jodie and me with different people. Not one of those introductions seemed to be God’s will for our lives. A church planter from our church met Jodie at Camp YES in Ontario and told her my story. They asked if they could pass on her address to their pastor. Jodie said she would pray about it. God gave her a perfect peace about passing her name and address on to me. I called her father, Pastor John Friesen, and asked permission if I could write his daughter. It wasn’t until October that I finally sent my first letter to Jodie. To my wonderful surprise she wrote back. For the next three months letters flowed consistently back and forth from Pennsylvania to Canada.

Jodie writing her first letter to me, 1995

During those months of letter writing (pre-email days), the Lord began growing a friendship between us. We shared the activities of our days, our thoughts, and yes our dreams to serve the Lord for the rest of our lives. It just seemed natural to invite her to come for a visit and for her to invite me for a visit. I suggested two dates for my first trip to see her in Canada – December 18th and December 26th. I anxiously awaited her response.

NOTHING!

I was puzzled. You see when I would send a letter, I would receive a reply in exactly 10 days. Not only was international writing slow, but Canada did not have mail service on Saturdays. A little disappointed and a little perplexed I wrote again – and did not mention any dates. I received a reply, but no mention of visiting Jodie in Canada.

Like every other member of Adam’s fallen race, I too am plagued with jumping to conclusions – false conclusions. I assumed that Jodie’s father was fine with the idea of his oldest daughter writing someone from out of the country, but nothing more than that. After all, of her 46 aunts and uncles and 100+ cousins, no one had moved from their beloved homeland.

I had come to a crossroads regarding my future. I had been on several dates at the recommendation of pastors and missionaries – most of them were out of state. Now I have been writing someone who I truly desired to meet and I am thinking that it will never be. I was sure that Jodie would not go against her father’s wishes, nor would I ask her to do so. That night I got on my knees and made yet another surrender to God. I prayed something like this: “Dear Lord, you know my heart is growing towards Jodie. I ask that you do what I cannot do to take the next step. But if not…. I surrender to Your perfect will even if that means remaining single until my boys graduate from high school. I will give up dating and focus on the boys and growing your church.” It was a difficult prayer of surrender because it was “not my will.”

The next day as I pondered my prayer of surrender, I came to the conclusion that it would be futile to continue to write Jodie if there was no future for us. But then I wondered what Jodie’s father was really thinking… “Did he not want his daughter to leave his church and country? Did he not want his daughter to marry someone who had already been married?

“Did he not want his daughter to become a step-mom of two boys?” I decided to call Pastor Friesen and find out if there was a reason he did not want me to come for a visit. I found their house number through information and made the call. Shortly into the conversation he asked me, “Do you think God is in this?” My immediate response was “Absolutely.” He said, “Would you like to come for a visit?” I joyfully responded that I would love to. Then he said, “Would you like to say ‘Hi’ to Jodie?”

Would I like to talk to Jodie?

My heart began to pound as I waited for Jodie to come to the phone. With a bit of a Canadian accent she said, “Hello, Scott!” We have a wall plaque hanging in our bedroom that reads, “You had me at Hello.”

On December 26 I made my first trip to Canada. Followed by a second trip to be engaged. Then came that joyous Valentine’s banquet. That day Jodie met the boys, my parents, our staff, and church family.

Jodie meeting Matthew and Jeremy for the first time that first Valentine’s weekend, 1996

On that first trip to Canada I discovered that my letter had been lost in the mail. Jodie did not receive it until December 18th. She felt so bad that she had not responded to that letter. But somewhere between Pennsylvania and Canada, an angel was dispatched from heaven to hide that letter for two weeks. I call it “The Lost Letter.”

In the Sovereignty of God, I had one more test before the Lord would let me meet Jodie – the test was full surrender. I came to the conclusion that God was more than enough to dispel my loneliness. He was not going to let me take the next step without full surrender to His perfect will.

We all have discovered that the Lord brings into our path many “lost letter” tests. Many of them will not be easy, but they are exactly what God wants us to go through. And so the next time you find yourself in the middle of a “lost letter test” and life is not going the way “you want it to go” just remember that God really is in control of your life (Romans 8:28).  God wants us to seek Him first and be content in Him, Matthew 6:33. As you pray a “not my will, but thine be done” you can sit back and experience His perfect peace as you trust Him, Isaiah 26:3.

Everything He gives us is grace – and that is more than enough!

And so Valentine’s Day is extra special in our family as it reminds us of how He used a quiet miracle of a “lost letter” to bring us together 24 years ago.

The Wendal Family, 2019

It all started because of a gospel tract left at a service station. The story begins on a hot summer day in 1975.  God answered my mom’s prayers and my dad was wonderfully saved from a life of alcohol addiction.  After having the car serviced, my mother picked up a Fairfax Baptist Temple tract from the counter, and soon our family began attending church.  After hearing Pastor Bud Calvert preach the gospel of Jesus Christ for about four months, I received Christ as my Lord and Savior during an invitation prayer.  God changed my plans!  Instead of becoming a pilot, I became a preacher!  All glory goes to God!

As I look back over 35 years of God’s blessings, leadership, and power in our church family, I am humbled and honored that I have been allowed by the Lord to be an under-shepherd to Jesus Christ for the saints at Valley Forge Baptist.  I am certain the Lord could have chosen thousands of other more qualified men than myself to lead this wonderful church family that He has built.

Dreams Do Come True

For a teenager and a young man with a great fear of public speaking, it is nothing more than a demonstration of God’s power to place me in the ministry.  It is a dream come true to pastor in one place WITH JOY for 35 years.  I praise God that He has allowed me and our church family to see the fulfillment of His wonderful promises that He made to us:  “Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.” Jeremiah 33:3

Praising God for All He has Done!

The Holy Spirit directed both the apostle Paul and Dr. Luke to record some of the metrics of the early church.  I would like to join with Paul and say, “… I may glory through Jesus Christ in those things which pertain to God.”  Romans 15:17

I would like to boast in what God has done.  I take absolutely no credit or honor in His mighty work.  Truly, it has been the saints of our church family who have faithfully done “the work of the ministry.”  The “Difference Makers” at VFBT will receive the credit and reward in heaven for faithfully serving our Savior.

What has the Lord been doing for 35 years at Valley Forge Baptist?

Several thousand trusting Christ as Savior.

9,000 guests have heard the gospel.

1,500 baptisms.

320 baby dedications.

$10,000,000 given to World Missions.

4,000 kids attended VBS with hundreds being saved.

Supporting 200 missionary families.

10,000 meals served to the homeless and needy.

18 fresh water wells dug in foreign poverty lands.

Thousands of dollars given for disaster relief with the Gospel.

As a church family, we take no credit for all that God has done.  We are simply servants of the Most High God.  It is my joy and privilege to serve our Savior with some of the greatest saints this side of heaven!!!

To all of our VFBT Church Family, We love you, Pastor Scott & Jodie Wendal

“Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.”  Ephesians 3:21