Thanks "getting" or "giving"

Just a day... or is it?

Written to encourage the board and staff of Lakeshore Pregnancy Center in Holland Michigan. This a healthy exercise in giving thanks...

Greetings to the friends and family that make up the larger brood of Lakeshore Pregnancy Center,

As we prepare to celebrate what may be the most under rated National holiday on our calendar, I wish to take this moment to remind us of the great value of such a day in our lives. There is no doubt that our nation is facing many challenges; any one of them significant enough to bring great despair upon us, yet God has not left us, neither has he walked away from us in disgust; He faithfully extends his blessings to us and patiently if not painfully prods us into submission-- if only we could leave the fascination with ourselves and commit ourselves to Him alone.
The truth is that we all face challenges... the walls we must climb are high... the resources we possess are limited, if not diminished, and the opposition is mounting.
Yet do not dismay, for God is greater than our need. The other evening as Debbie and I lay in bed, we were reminded that amidst our many deficiencies, that our family is rich in blessings. As indicated by the photographs included above, a year ago we welcomed our son back home from Iraq. Less than a year ago, I assumed leadership of some wonderful people and a great organization, and lastly, we live and serve the Lord God with our hand on the plow and our eyes toward heaven. My family will join together tomorrow, whole and happy, thankful to be together and richer for the experiences of trust that have been our nourishment this past year.
May your blessings be counted... and accounted for as fruit from the Faithful One.
Blessings be upon you all,

Warmly, on behalf of the Savior,

Mark

John and the Gospel of life

Disciplined preparation
Nestled strategically in the opening paragraph of John's gospel are two great themes that will capture his interest throughout the narrative-- that of life and light. We see it initially in verse 4, " In him was life...", and we see it at the end of the gospel; " ...But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the son of God, and that by believing, you may have life in his name." (John 20:30) And, it appears throughout the exposition: " I have come that they might have life...I am the way the truth, and the life..." (John 10:10a; 14:6)
How can this help me? Three thoughts come to mind.
1. Jesus is the origin of all physical life. As the co-equal and co-eternal 2nd member of the trinity, he was present at creation and responsible for speaking our world into existence. (John1:3; Col.1:16-17)

2. Jesus is the sole provider of eternal life. Try as we might in our own strength to find peace, satisfaction, and meaning, He alone offers life that is eternal and redemptive in its scope.

Which leads me to the third thought...

3. Jesus provides us with life that is appealing and life meant to be lived out abundantly... all before a world that is groping about on its own. John writes,

" I have come that they might have life and have it abundantly."(John 10:10)

But what is this abundant life? How is it attained... equally as vital... how is it sustained?
As mentioned, Jesus is the answer and his word is our toolbox. More than likely, we have read the 23rd Psalm, or heard it quoted:

"He makes me lie down in green pastures..."
How is an abundant life possible in a world so fixed upon such a frenzied pace?

We return to a world of sheep and shepherds for some answers. Unlike sheep, who cannot satisfy their hunger for grass unless standing, we have the ability to nourish our weary souls from the life spring that is found in Jesus; all the while, resting in him and his green pastures. And so, John says, "In him was life, and that life, was the light of the world." We will illuminate that topic, next time.
Pastor Mark

For more than 20 years as a local church senior pastor I have trying to offer good counsel to hurting people and along the way provide the perspective necessary to become survivors in a world quite dangerous to all who travel through its corridors. This counsel was provided an individual struggling to get beyond the pain of her past. I have changed the name to protect her dignity.

Hi __________
I appreciate your comments. Given what I now know of your situation, I can readily understand your feelings. But take some loving and timely encouragement. To say that ________'s testimony was a fine one was not to say that it was a perfect one and by the same token, to say that there was deception in your _____'s life is not to say that God did not sovereignly act in your home to bring you to himself, protect you and provide important guidance along the way, even I imagine through your _____. God will get the glory even in a life lived partly through deception and sin, if only that "He who is in __________... is stronger that the evil that presented itself to your _____ for control. (Phil. 1:6) I know you wish it could have been better or the revelations eliminated, but God has made you his child, and a champion and given you both better discernment because of these experience, and a greater sensitivity to those who ache and pain for righteousness, but never find it in their home.

I really hope that I do not appear to be challenging you... or in some way diminishing the level of your pain. Your _____'s behavior was shameful and from what I understand,_____ testimony largely a farce, but it remains only part of the story, and I imagine , if I know anything about heaven and our ability to perceive, ___ realizes the painful consequences of ____ choices, if only too the grateful nature and limitless boundaries of grace.

May this help you put Godly boundaries around your pain and the ability to remain an "overcomer."

In loving encouragement
Mark

From The November LifeLine of Lakeshore Pregnancy Center:  11.03.08

Our mission statement provides the direction for this ministry, its focus, and its rationale. It reads:

Lakeshore Pregancy Center is a Christ-centered ministry, responding to those in our communities experiencing an unplanned pregnancy; emphasizing the eternal value of all human life,

 and teaching Biblical sexuality."

     While it is vital to our interests that we intercede for the children being carried by our clients, we have not lost sight of the women and men who come to us with needs far greater than pregnancy, which brings me to my interest in Jesus and John.

     We stand on the front lines of a world that has lost its way and we extend to them a lifeline of hope; an opportunity to hear the Good News.  We purposely seek to communicate the person of Jesus Christ, His relationship to God, and His interest, willingness, and ability to become our clients' perfect advocate-- to become their hope and their Savior.

     In all the Bible, there are but four narratives describing the life and times of Jesus Christ, and of these four, only John seeks to present him as the Son of God who is seeking the lost. He is life and light and most importantly, He is God, and John's role is to present him in such a way as to leave us with no question about His credentials nor His compassion:

"But these [things] are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing, you may have life in his name." (John20:30b-31)

     John presents him as both completely human and completely divine. As God, he has always existed and with God, he has always shared the Godhead. This means that to know Jesus is to know God. But there is more.

His humanity gave him the ability to enter our existence, to walk among us and then to die. He is not distant from our difficulties and discouragements, yet his life is an example of the life well lived in obedience to the Father.

And finally, in taking a human body he sanctified the value of human life, gave that life purpose, and gave it the potential for a legacy larger than itself.  "What is man," writes the Psalmist, " that you are mindful of him and the Son of man that you care for him." (Ps.8:4)

     Ours is a ministry that honors the life of children yet unborn, and the mothers and fathers who must bear the responsibility of caring for them.

     Why not join me for an excursion beyond your wildest imaginations? Month by month we will make our way through this wonderful gospel and explore the unsearchable ways of God, while we unearth the everlasting mercies of His Son.

And that... is the best News our clients can ever receive.

The Vicar

For such a time as this

MONDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2008

For such a time as this

Delivered at the Lakeshore Pregnancy Center Fall Banquet: Christ Memorial Church, Holland, Michigan. Thursday, October 16, 2008

"Somewhere in the far away Persian capital of Susa stood a Jewess, out of place and time, and desperate to save a people whose annihilation loomed certain and complete. This world was their home, though defeat and captivity had left them disillusioned and devoid of hope. But on this night a banquet was offered and a plea shared.   

Some 2500 years later, we live in a free society but find ourselves imprisoned by the consequences of our sin and the false delusion of permanence; at times losing sight of our own heritage and birthright as children of God.

Many of our clients know this feeling of despair—not beyond the possibility that you do as well.

LPC meets men and women in the midst of the crisis of an unwanted pregnancy and offers them the hope of new life in Jesus Christ, and the encouragement necessary to overcome the despair and insurmountable hurdles that accompany these pregnancies. We counsel under high standards of practice, offer women objective information about their pregnancy and sexual behavior; and the opportunity to see an ultrasound image of their baby.

This is nothing less than pastoral work: admonishing the unprepared, encouraging the fainthearted, and helping the weak... Work that I have been pursuing for over 20 years of my professional life...and giftedness practiced every day in our centers. Such pastoral work as this is as valuable to you as it is to our clients, for the prayer, guidance, and discipleship that we offer are not unique to the needs of our clients: We have something to offer you!

We benefit greatly from a host of volunteers, faithful staff, and gifted board leadership who share a vision for this ministry.   

Now then, when it came to Esther's plight, good, godly cousin Mordecai commended to her 3 principles that seem to be timeless:

1.     Principle: We cannot escape the realities or our own selfishness. No one gets a free pass; we all share in the consequences of a world that seeks to annihilate its most innocent of the race. We are accountable.

2.     Principle: God has not turned his back on us as a people.  Even in our depravity, God has not left us, nor abandoned us. We are redeemable.

3.     Principle: We have a part to play! “Who knows,” pleads Mordecai, “ if you have not arrived at the Kingdom, for such a time as this?” We are responsible.

This world is not our final home; we exist in exile, as pilgrims, in route to the City whose builder and sustainer, is God, yet finding that powers foreign to God, control much of our free movement.   But what if, God has brought us to this moment in time, and what if for the cause of righteousness and Justice He has designed this hour as yours alone to declare the pursuit of life a sacred trust.

Almost every day we are able to offer the gospel as the first and best solution to the burdens facing families.  We boldly call mothers back to their babies; men back to a real manhood, and parents back to their families.

Great scene in Apollo 13...  Several in the Mission Control team are seen contemplating the magnitude of the destruction facing the program as they await the capsule's return to earth. One flight engineer is heard to say, "this could turn out to be the worst disaster in NASA's history." What lives forever in my mind is the reply of Mission control manager Gene Krantz. Without "batting an eye," and with a great amount of fortitude and optimism, he utters, " On the contrary sir, I believe this will be our finest hour. "

We await God best blessings yet to come as we pursue our finest hour.

Thank you very much.

From the Vicar

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)

The difficulty with Daily Dying!

Sunday, I preached at a local church in the area as pulpit supply. I preached on a passage that was part of a series I had completed on the book of Jude. In it I argued that contending for the faith requires us to consider far more than merely the contention that unfolds in debate or discussion. We contend for the faith in many more ways that in fact, may be more relevant to the larger impact we leave behind for the Savior and the faith. To that end, I provided a seven level application of Jude 3. While the list is far from exhaustive, I offer these as a start: We contend for the faith when: 

1. We begin to conform our stubborn will to His (Christ's).

2. We confront our sin and see it like Jesus sees it.

3. We see our lives as "in Christ", rather than over Christ.

4. We employ the power inherent in Jesus and the Holy Spirit to flee moral failure

5. We move from hearers and followers only to doers and leaders in His work.

6. We embrace hospitality and compassion toward the lost.

7. We give Christ more "worth" in worship than us.

Get your mind and heart around these applications.

Our interest in Christ

As I prepare to preach tomorrow in a community near our home, I am reminded how much I miss the regular process of preparing for the Lord's day and the pulpit ministry. Someone recently commented that to study is to engage in worship. Some of my greatest times are taken up with study because it puts me in contact with the truth of God's Word, which when incorporated into my life yields a more submissive, obedient and capable servant. I was reminded how little Christians engage in this particular desire for worship and how shallow our interests have become. C.S. Lewis speaks to this in his great work, "The weight of Glory."  He writes, "If there lurks in most modern minds the notion that to desire our own good and earnestly to hope for the enjoyment of it is a bad thing, I submit that this notion has crept in from Kant and the Stoics and is no part of the Christian Faith. Indeed, if we consider the unblushing promises of reward and the staggering nature of the rewards promised in the Gospels, it would seem that our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at sea. We are too easily pleased."

I wonder how many of us fit that denunciation? For sure Jonathan Edwards was not a candidate, but rather spent his youthful and adult years pursuing the delight that can only be found through the worship that comes from fixing our attention on the Savior and reflecting upon his creative and sovereign craftsmanship.

Getting started

Where do I begin?

Recently, I have confronted a physical malady that presents me with an uneven world. Getting up from a chair or moving quickly from one location to another has resulted in a loss of balance, a dizziness, or maybe it's a problem with my equilibrium... Who knows, but that expresses literally what I have been feeling emotionally, even spiritually. The ground is moving all the while I am trying desperately to place my feet down on something, anything that is solid. The world is changing and in no less fashion, my world is changing and it has become a scary ride. I empathize with the man who confronted Jesus with failing faith... " I do believe", he said,... "I want to trust you, Lord, and walk with you... I want to obey, and follow you, but help me, please, help me in my UNBELIEF." When will the world stop moving long enough that I can get stable?