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