KNOWING HIM
“And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.” 1 John 5:20
In March we finished up our journey through the Truth Project. For thirteen weeks we 
met and had our Biblical worldview enhanced as we looked at God’s blueprint for all areas of life. Our college attending participants were really impacted by having their eyes opened to the lies that are being presented to them as truth in their universities. 
Following our study on history, one brother commented that he “couldn’t believe the level of historical revisionism that has taken place and how our country’s Christian heritage has been removed from the text books.” At the completion of this study, we found ourselves better EQUIPPED to live out the Truth and defend the Truth against the lies of the world, the flesh, and the devil.
In April we began an interactive Bible study entitled “Experiencing God.” 
This powerful study has had a transforming impact on the E3 Ministry. One of the realities of experiencing God observed in our studies is that when God invites the believer to be part of His work, which is redeeming the lost, a major life adjustment is in most cases necessary to follow His invitation in obedience. As we were going through the study together, by no coincidence of course, God invited us to be part of His work.
A precious saint named Lisa Marie showed up at our church and asked me for prayer concerning some “at risk” children and a group of homeless people she has been ministering to in a very dangerous area of Ontario. As she shared her heart with me I sensed so clearly the Lord’s invitation to be part of His work in this mission field. I proceeded to communicate this to the E3 Ministry and asked those involved to begin praying. The Lord then confirmed His invitation in our hearts.
We made the life adjustment God requires and stepped out in faith to minister to some of these people. As we have spent time taking an interest in and getting to know those in need, we have truly experienced God. Through our involvement in this mission field God has done some marvelous things. He has provided the funds necessary to keep a homeless shelter open and has also provided food and clothing. We have been used by the Lord to encourage hearts, pray with people, and most importantly to the Lord, be part of His work in leading individuals to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.
Through this adjustment made for God by E3, our church has been able to experience God as well. Upon the excitement of hearing what God has done, other ministries have gotten involved in reaching out to those in need. Upon reflecting on all of this I’m reminded of Ephesians 3:20-21 “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.”
On a personal note, my wife and I found out in April that she is pregnant with our third child. Our Lord has blessed us with another boy. His name is Jeremiah (Exaltation of the Lord) Samuel (Heard of God). We are definitely enjoying being parents and have come to know God more personally through this incredible responsibility He has given us. The Lord has revealed to us a more intimate understanding of His love and the sacrifice necessary to make a relationship with Him possible. We praise the Lord for the privilege of experiencing Him in parenthood.
For the Greeks, to know something meant you understood a concept in your mind. It was an academic process. In contrast, for a Hebrew person – like Jesus – knowing something involved experiencing it. In fact, you could not say you truly knew something until you had dealt with it personally. In John 17:3 Jesus said, “And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” I’m so thankful to the Lord for the way He has allowed E3 to know Him more intimately as a ministry and as individuals. May we be able to honestly say as Paul said in Philippians 3:8, “I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.”
Praising Him \0/ - Pastor Justin
AWESOME!!!
Men shall speak of the might of Your awesome acts, and I will declare Your greatness. Psalm 145:6
Looking back at 2008, it truly is awesome to think about what the Lord has done in and through the E3 Ministry. It has been such a blessing to be involved in the lives of such wonderful people. Our lives have been woven together with the common thread being Jesus Christ and we have genuinely been able to experience the “unity of the faith” spoken of in Ephesians 4.
In 2008 we witnessed a young man who received Christ as Lord and Savior at one of our “Nights of Worship” grow spiritually at an incredible rate. Just weeks after receiving Christ, he was out street witnessing with our team. It was clear that after being taught how to share the Gospel, he has been given the gift of evangelism. The Lord has done an awesome work as people have responded to the Gospel when this young man has shared it. Several months later he had a desire to go to Bible College. The Lord opened the door for him to do so for a semester in Mallorca, Spain. He is back with us today and we just look at him and praise the Lord for His handiwork in this young man’s life.
In March, a few of us were able to be part of rebuilding a church that was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. We flew to New Orleans and joined the popular “Extreme Home Makeover” television show. We put in some long and hard hours for a week, sometimes even up to 22 hours a day. There were several opportunities to share the love of Christ with the various construction workers helping with the build. What a joy it was to serve the Lord in this way and see this house of worship rebuilt.
I can’t help but mention the greatest blessing to me in the year 2008, the birth of my second son Jadon Randall Grasmick in May. Even though He’s not necessarily part of the E3 Ministry, he’s impacted those who are. His continuous smile is a reminder of the purity and goodness of our God. Thank you Jesus for this precious gift!
2008 also produced a marriage within the ministry. I had the honor and privilege of counseling and marrying a couple that is near and dear to my heart. It will be exciting to see how God uses this marriage to bless these precious individuals, the E3 Ministry, and Calvary Chapel of Upland. They both have such a desire to be used of God.
A tremendous answer to prayer came for me personally this past year. It is the evident work of the Lord in the life of my youngest brother. He has been a primary subject of my prayers for a number of years. When he went off to college in 2002 to Cal State Long Beach, he began to take part in all that goes along with “college life.” Needless to say, a personal relationship with Jesus Christ was not part of his regular thought process. To make a long story short, he called me out of the blue (ordained of course) a few months ago and shared the desire to begin a relationship with Jesus. After he dedicated his life to Christ, and started to feast on God’s Word, he expressed the desire to be baptized. God granted me the incredible blessing of baptizing my brother on November 28th. Since his decision to follow Christ, my brother has been faithfully studying the Bible, faithfully attending E3 and Sunday morning services, and is being used by God in the lives of others. I’m almost speechless as I consider what God has done.
As if the above mentioned is not enough, the year ended with another engagement within the ministry; two amazing people who deeply love the Lord and whom I dearly love. These are just a few of the awesome acts of our God in the E3 Ministry in 2008. God has clearly demonstrated that when people join together with a common desire to worship Him, to grow in Christ, to follow Him in obedience, and to see Him glorified… miracles happen! We can’t help but to declare His Greatness!
PRAISING HIM \O/ – Pastor Justin
E3 – Evangelism Sunday
The 3rd “E” of E3 is Evangelism. In 2 Timothy 4:5 we are instructed to “do the work of an evangelist.” Every 3rd Sunday of the month E3 goes out as a group into the community to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We’ve been doing this for about a year now at Victoria Gardens in Rancho Cucamonga. It’s been amazing to observe and be a part of the work the Lord has done in and through those who have been involved! Many have stepped out of their “comfort zone” to take Jesus’ message of salvation and hope to those who are lost and hurting. In the process, those involved have had their hearts touched by the Lord with a deeper burden for the lost. It’s been alarming to discover during our many conversations with people just how much misconception there is about God, Jesus, the Bible, Heaven, Hell, and life after death. The Lord has used this as a motivator for those in the E3 Ministry to be more prepared on a daily basis to witness for Christ.
Romans 10:14 says, “How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?”
It occurs to me that there are two types of Christians: Those who talk about the lost, and those who talk to the lost. Which category do you fall under? Don’t miss out on the incredible blessing of being used by God to plant or water the seed of salvation in another person’s life.
Posted by – Justin Grasmick
The Seven Churches of Revelation
As we have been going through our studies and discussions on the seven churches of Revelation, something that has stuck out to me is that Jesus walks among the churches and evaluates them openly and honestly. In each situation He promises that He will come to them in person (Rev. 2:5, 16, 25; 3:5, 11, 20). Undoubtedly this kind of message would shake up the church leaders, especially where the evaluation was negative. The truth is, however, that Jesus is walking among us today, evaluating our devotion and obedience to Him. How do you think He views your life? What kind of letter would He write to you?
I’m reminded of 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 “Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.”
Posted by – Justin Grasmick
Welcome to the E3 Blog
Prayerfully this is a tool the Lord will use to grow the E3 Ministry, those involved with E3, and those who visit this blog. Feel free to ask any questions about the E3 Ministry, our studies through the Bible, God, or just life in general. Be encouraged to share what our glorious Lord Jesus is doing in and through your life. Make known any prayer requests you may have so your brothers and sisters in Christ can pray for and encourage you. May the grace and peace of our wonderful Savior be with you.
In His love, Pastor Justin
Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord - 2 Peter 1:2
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