THE BULLETIN OF IBTM
with Douglas Jacoby

 

For the audiovisual version of the bulletin (YouTube, about 3 minutes, read by Chase Mackintosh), click here.

 

21 May 2025

Good morning from sunny England!

It’s been so sunny in fact, that we’re wondering how long the drought will last. Last year at this time it was wet and chilly—stereotypical English weather. Not so in 2025! Although I’m a fan of the cold, I don’t mind hot, either. And the lengthening days—currently over 16 hours, and still over a month till the solstice—always uplift the spirits.

I hope this bulletin lifts our readers’ spirits, and encourages us in our faith.

Today:

  • Geneva Sunday message: The Open Door
  • Tent Maker Leadership (Mukund Mishra)
  • Why is Christ Called the Firstborn of all Creation? (Robert Bowman)

Next week:

  • Thyatira: Conquering or Caving?
  • Greece & Turkey 2026—full details of the tour
  • Rock Bottom: The Place Where God Meets You (Crossway)
  • Unpolished Church podcast

Why Is Christ Called The Firstborn of All Creation? (click image to read)

By Robert M. Bowman Jr. and J. Ed Komoszewski open.substack.com/pub/worldviewbulletin/p/why-is-christ-called-the-firstborn?r=ysl4o&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email

Tent Maker
by Mukund Mishra (India)

The idea of a "tent maker" strongly connects with my research on pulpit culture. I believe this concept challenges us to realign with our churches and bridge the gap between clergy and laity. KEEP READING

Great Quotes from Renaissance (Os Guinness)

Today and in the coming weeks this bulletin will again feature thought-provoking quotations. A couple of years ago, after my first reading of Renaissance: the Power of the Gospel However Dark the Times, I posted comments and select quotes HERE.

During a recent spiritual retreat, Renaissance was one of the books I decided to read a second time. As a result, I’d like to highlight even more excellent Guinness insights. It is my hope that they truly make you think about faith.

’’There are many traditions among the followers of Jesus—the Orthodox, Catholic, Evangelical, Lutheran, Reformed, Anglican, Anabaptist and Pentecostal being only the main ones in the West. But an important fact has grown clear over the last generation. Those who are faithful and orthodox in each tradition are closer to the faithful and orthodox in other traditions than to the liberal revisionists in their own tradition. In other words, the closer we are to Jesus, the less significant the labels that once divided us” (28).

“Consider the trend toward numbers in light of our relationship to God. Metrics are quantitative and not qualitative, so they measure performance, but not relationships. They tell us about the externals of religion and say nothing about the heart. Metrics, for instance, can tell us what husbands spend this year on Valentine’s cards and gifts for their wives, but not whether the cards and gifts express their love or their guilt at not loving their wives as they once did” (43).

Q2 Engagements

Apr: Edinburgh, UK: Palm Sunday message
Apr: Durham, UK: fellowship visit
Apr: Ukrainian consultation
Apr: Unpolished Church podcast
May: Watford, UK: Interview
May: Luxembourg: spiritual retreat
May: Geneva, Switzerland: teaching weekend
May: Geneva: "Resilience, Grace & the Journey"—at Transmutex
Jun: Izmir, Turkey: Global Smyrna Meeting
Jun: Istanbul, Turkey: Nicaea 1700th Anniversary Conference

The Open Door (Geneva, 11 May 2025)

For those who are interested, here is a recent talk from Geneva, Switzerland. I was asked to share about amazing things God has done in the past few decades. My examples and stories are from the 1970s, ‘80s, ‘90s, ‘00s, ‘10s, and ‘20s. (I know, that’s a lot—and I spoke slowly to enhance translation—hence the 50-minute message.) You may be familiar with some of these faith-building stories, although I imagine for most this will include a lot of new material.

The theme was “the open door,” anchored in Acts 14:27; 1 Cor 16:9; and Col 4:2-6. Perhaps in watching the video you may become more alert to the “open doors” in your own life. Click HERE to watch.

Until next week…

Your prayers are appreciated—esp. for physical and emotional strength. Outside the usual work of the International Bible Teaching Ministry, we’re spending our time settling Vicki’s mother’s estate, convalescing from the knee replacements (going well), preparing for the upcoming conferences in Turkey, in resiliency training programs, and planning our relocation to the U.S. (January 2026).

Have a great week.
Douglas

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