Memorial Day

We finished some work around the house one evening this week so my son and I got into our topless and doorless Jeep for a short ride. We ended up at a nearby cemetery, heading into a back entrance when I noticed an American flag on top of a small hill. Once at the hill, we stopped the vehicle and got out. The mound was perfectly cone-shaped, topped with the flag and covered with grave markers, each with their own small American flag. Fascinated, we began walking and looking at the markers. They were all veterans and some of the markers said, “killed in action.” Most were from WW2, but there were also those who fought in the Gulf, Vietnam, Korea, WW1 and even the Civil War. What started out as a fun ride suddenly turned rather solemn. I paid a little extra attention to the ones who died in battle, most of them were between nineteen and twenty-five years old. I looked over at my son, who is now twenty. I can’t imagine.

Continuing around the mound, Nathaniel came across a more recent marker with a wooden sign addressed to “My Daddy.” Given the years stamped onto the grave marker, the boy must have been five or less when his daddy was taken Home. Building upon all the others, this one finally brought tears to my eyes. Nathaniel and I wondered about the stories these men could have told as we made our way back to the Jeep. How fitting to unexpectedly end up here as we head into Memorial Day weekend. I knew right then that I needed to make mention of this experience in my next blog.

If you know me or read my blog posts regularly, you know that I am a veteran of the US Navy’s Submarine Service. I don’t consider myself any kind of hero. I never experienced the horrors of war and no one ever shot at me. I know many people who did experience those things; they are the real heroes. I love to talk to other vets, anytime I see someone with a veteran’s cap I always thank them for their service and if possible, I ask them when and where they served. Over the years I have heard some amazing stories as a result of these encounters.

The men who are buried on that cemetery mound devoted themselves to defending our nation, our freedoms, and our national commitments. Some of them gave their lives in the process, and all of them were willing to do so.

As believers in Jesus Christ, we who are citizens of the United States also belong to another nation, a holy one, and our leader is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. The Holy Spirit through the Apostle Peter tells us, “you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy” (1 Peter 2:9-10). A good number of us have served in the US military, or perhaps your spouse, son or daughter, father or mother, brother or sister has served. You know something about the sacrifice involved with military service.  The Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and Coast Guard require commitment and dedication, discipline and endurance.

The Holy Spirit used those kinds of characteristics to describe a follower of Christ in 2 Timothy 2:3, “You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier.” As followers of Christ we are in battle, a spiritual battle as Ephesians 6:12 says, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”

The question is, are we as committed and disciplined in our spiritual warfare as those who serve in the military are to defending the United States? Do we take this seriously or are we just meandering along in some lukewarm, committed-when-it’s-convenient state?

Before Nathaniel and I climbed back into the Jeep that evening, I turned and faced the small hill covered with the grave markers of my fallen comrades. In the quiet of the moment I stood at attention and gave a long salute. “Thank you,” to everyone who has served or is serving in our nation’s military. When you see a Vet this weekend, or anytime, tell them you appreciate their service while you have a chance to do so. Meanwhile, learn from them; learn from history. Defeating the enemy and defending your brothers and sisters in Christ is not something you can do half-heartedly or when you have nothing better to do. Churches will be reopening soon, but even if they don’t, there is still much we can do to reach the lost with the gracious Gospel of Christ. Don’t be lukewarm, be a good soldier of Christ.

Grace and Peace,

Pastor Mark

Reopening

In last week’s post the phrase, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7) was the topic of discussion. This week we’ll consider the “pause.” There are many times in Scripture when everything seemed to be paused. There was the time in Genesis 7-8 when Noah and crew where shut into the Ark; that pause lasted a year even though the rain lasted only forty days (see Genesis 7:11 and 8:13). Another example is the nation of Israel wandering the desert for forty years (see Deuteronomy 8:2). Also, Elijah was given a short respite in a cave after the incident with the four hundred prophets of Baal (see 1 Kings 19). There are many other examples as well. These pauses come between rather memorable events. Let me mention one more that occurs in the New Testament. It took place one particular year in that time between the Feast of Firstfruits and Shavuot; you might know these as Resurrection Sunday and Pentecost. During the fifty days between Jesus’ glorious Resurrection and the Spirit being poured out on all believers, the followers of Christ were in the “pause.”

Now don’t confuse what I am calling the “pause” with some divine time-out; it is not God our Father putting us in the corner as some superficial correction. No, the pause is generally more of a divinely given time of reflection. There are variables and this is not some new revelation given to me as a pattern of how things always go. The last seven weeks, however, got me thinking about it. At times over the past weeks it felt like I’d been put on shelf, at times like I’ve been exactly where God wanted me, and times when I was somewhere in the middle. It caused me to do some soul searching and I came to this idea of the pause.

Getting back to Jesus’ followers in the period between His Resurrection and the Spirit’s coming, we know that Jesus was with them several times during the first forty days (see Acts 1:3). Then Jesus ascended and His followers remained in Jerusalem on a pause until the events of the Day of Pentecost burst upon them. Now those are two significant events; I would boldly say the two most significant events in human history: God the Son dying on the Cross to pay our sin debt and then rising again followed fifty days later by the pouring out of God the Holy Spirit on all who believe. So what were the disciples doing for that fifty days in between, and particularly the ten days after Jesus ascended? The Bible tells us a little bit about it, but not much. You can read John 20-21 and Acts 1-2 if you’d like to know those few details. We know from John 21:3 that Peter didn’t really know what to do so he went fishing and the others went with him. We know that with Jesus ascended, they remained together in “prayer and supplication” (Acts 1:14). Beyond that, we don’t know what they did day to day for that period.

Let’s consider then what God may have been doing in them, based upon some things that I believe He is doing now with those who believe; things that seem to be evident from pauses in the situations of other believers in Scripture, particularly Israel in the wilderness. First, there is cleansing or purifying that can occur. The Israelites in Exodus-Deuteronomy were in a pause between leaving Egypt, crossing the Red Sea, and gathering before God at Mt Sinai with the other end being entry into the Promised Land under Joshua. During that time, God was changing how they thought and lived. Having spent their lives as slaves in a very pagan and polytheistic environment, they needed their entire understanding of how to live as God’s people corrected. They struggled greatly with this, not trusting Him enough to enter the Promised Land, with lust, with pride, with idolatry and all kinds of sin. The forty years in the desert served several purposes and one of them was to purify their way of thinking and living.

Second, the pause in the wilderness was a time when the nation of Israel learned to trust God. As already mentioned, they didn’t trust Him to take them into the Promised Land the first time (see Numbers 14). Besides that blatant episode of distrust in God, their lack of trust was evident in the way they argued with Moses multiple times about returning to Egypt where they “had it so good” with the slavery and paganism and all. At the Red Sea they argued, “Let us alone that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than that we should die in the wilderness” (Exodus 14:12).

Third, the pause in the wilderness was a time when the nation of Israel needed to learn to be content with what God was doing. They complained often against God and His servant Moses. They complained about all kinds of things and seemed content with nothing. Discontentment with what God is doing always leads to trouble. You and I do not know better than God does and when we ignore, argue, or fight against what He is doing it is sin and sin leads to heartbreak and/or hard-heartedness.

There are certainly more lessons to learn from this and similar accounts but these are some of big lessons considering the Spirit’s teaching through the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 10:6-11 in reference to Israel’s time between Egypt and the Promised Land, “Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted. And do not become idolaters as were some of them. As it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.” Nor let us commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, and in one day twenty-three thousand fell; nor let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed by serpents; nor complain, as some of them also complained, and were destroyed by the destroyer. Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.”

I believe some of these lessons were being learned by the disciples of Christ also; remember that in that time of pause between the Resurrection and Pentecost, there were about 120 believers gathered together, not just the Eleven (Acts 1:15). Their way of thinking was being corrected and purified with a new understanding of the revelation of Christ on this side of the Cross, they needed to learn to trust God in increasing ways, and they needed to learn to be content with what God was doing. Things were radically different with Jesus ascended instead of with them all the time and things were about to become even more radically different when the Holy Spirit indwelt them. During that forty, and particularly the last ten days before Pentecost, they were in a pause. It must have felt like they were in limbo, on a shelf, at times. There must have been times when they knew they were exactly where God wanted them. There must have been many times somewhere between those two.

I feel like I am in a pause, like all of us are. Yes, I know the stay-at-home orders and the on-going restrictions, and the return to normal (whatever that is going to be) is due to covid19. Let me assure you, that God is still sovereign over all things, still on the Throne, and still moving in the hearts, minds and lives of His people. So, as we head toward reopening, however and whenever that will be, are you learning what God is trying to teach you right now? He is trying to teach you something.

Maybe your lesson right now is to yield to Him in new ways in order to purify some things about your habits or desires. Maybe your lesson is about trusting Him completely. Maybe your lesson is about being content. Maybe it is something else or a combination of things. We are in a pause with a very affluent time behind us when, let’s face it, many in the Church took much for granted and perhaps had become like some of the churches in Revelation 2-3, having lost our first love, compromising with sin or being lukewarm, and a time when something else is going to happen. I don’t know what comes next, but we need to be ready for almost anything. It could be Jesus’ Return, persecution, more prosperity with all of its temptations; I don’t know. The only way to be ready for reopening and whatever that brings is to take advantage of this pause and trust that God is doing something in us, preparing us. Don’t ignore or fight against Him, yield and draw near by reading Scripture, praying, keeping in contact with other believers and worshipping God alone.

Grace and Peace,

Pastor Mark

Do Not Fear

For some, the stay-at-home orders have been eased; for others, like those of us in Beaver County it remains in full effect. We are however, moving toward reopening and in this post I want to talk about moving forward in a way that is Christ-minded.

Let me say first of all that as believers in Jesus Christ, God has lavished upon us many blessings such as forgiveness, redemption, unity and communion with Him. That unity and communion are granted to such an extent that, according to the Father’s plan, Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to comfort, guide, embolden and give us wisdom. Jesus told His disciples that it was better for them that He return to the Father so that the Spirit would come to them (John 16:7). The Holy Spirit indwells all who believe in Christ as Saviour and over time conforms us to Jesus’ image. Romans 8:29 says, “For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.” It is the Spirit’s work in us that sanctifies us, changing us to be the people He predestined us to be, doing the things He prepared before that we should do. Ephesians 2:10 tells us, “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”

So then, as recipients of His grace and not of our own power, will, or goodness, God lavishes His blessing upon those who believe in His Son Jesus. For Jesus died in our place and rose again that we may have life in Him. We have absolutely no reason to fear, not even covid 19 or the related fallout. As Romans 8:31-32 point out, based upon what God has already done, how can we expect any less than His continued provision; those verses say, “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?” These statements from Romans 8 do not ensure us that life will be luxurious or even comfortable with regard to possessions. Rather, they speak of spiritual things. God tells us elsewhere that He will provide for our basic needs; for instance, Jesus said in Matthew 10:29-31, “Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.” Romans 8, however, is talking about having no fear because God will provide every spiritual need and when we do pass from this life, and we all will eventually unless Jesus returns first, we will enter into our inheritance, reserved in Heaven for those who believe (see 1 Peter 1:3-5). For a believer in Jesus Christ, there is no reason to fear, not even physical death, because, “we are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:8).

That brings me to 2 Timothy 1:7 “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” As we move toward reopening, there will be plenty of opportunities to fear because there are many who tell you to fear. God however, tells us to say with boldness, “The Lord is my helper, I will not fear” (Hebrews 13:6). God has given us power, love and a sound mind. So stop believing everything you hear because much of what you hear from various “experts” contradicts what other “experts” are saying. The world right now is full of confusion and contradiction, and there is plenty of that right here in the County as well. I am not saying that when God says not to fear, that we can walk around oblivious to health dangers; you cannot walk out in front of a bus because you’re not supposed to fear. You’re not supposed to be foolish either. We should not fear when we are doing God’s will.

The only thing you can trust without question is the Word of God. Everything else needs to be filtered through His Truth by minds led by His Spirit. As believers yielded to the Holy Spirit we “have the mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:16) meaning we can reason and think clearly through chaotic situations because the Spirit ministers truth to us. We just need to be sure we are listening to Him and not our own fear, or worldly foolishness, or the Enemy’s lies.

In order to “fear not” while dealing with life’s difficulties and chaos, you and I must allow God to clear our minds and infuse us with Truth from His Word all the time. It is as important as ever that we soak up the Word of God so that we will recognize the truth from foolishness and lies. If you’ve been faithfully in the Word, fantastic, stay at it. If not, get started immediately. You can either join us with the 2020 reading plan or you can do something else, just as long as you are reading the Scriptures. If you haven’t read for a long time, I would suggest starting in 1 John.

May the Lord watch over you, protect you, and fill your heart and mind with peace as you yield to Him.

Grace and Peace,

Pastor Mark

Prior to Opening

It has been a long time that we’ve endured the stay-at-home orders over covid 19. I’ve written in previous blogs about obeying those orders; how God tells us in Romans 13 that we are to obey the government authorities over us. The stay-at-home orders were within the Federal and State government’s God-given authority since it was about protecting the citizens. As long as those orders are administered fairly and without discrimination and for the purpose of protecting us they fall under proper Godly authority. That said, I’m sure we are all looking forward to the end of those stay-at-home orders.

In this blog I would like to consider what we’ve learned and how we should move forward as things do begin to open. On our three blogs I’ve said much about dealing with isolation, particularly on our Celebrate Recovery blog. When dealing with any kind of addictive practice or habit, isolation is a breeding ground for increased dependency and trouble. We also know that addictions take many forms. It’s not just alcohol or drugs, but also anger, resentment, gossip, laziness, gluttony, lust, porn, materialism, etc. Any selfishly motivated activities, communications, thoughts and/or desires are addictive and can become idols, leading us down the path of addiction. That path is full of indulgence, infatuation, betrayal and slavery with painful consequences for ourselves and those around us. Over the past six weeks or so we’ve all had plenty of opportunity to isolate, hide and pursue selfish indulgences. Our times of being together for mutual encouragement, strengthening and accountability have been limited to on-line communication and phone calls; they are a poor substitute for actual face-to-face gatherings. Perhaps, as we head toward a reopening in the coming days and weeks, this is a time when we should be yielding to something I refer to as “Holy Spirit led self-examination.”

The Bible often talks about letting God reveal truth to us about ourselves. Selfishness deceives us into a false reality; the Holy Spirit and the Word of God reveal truth and peal away the layers of deception from the world, from spiritual forces of evil, and from our own thoughts and desires. Consider some Biblical statements we use often in Recovery Step 4, including Psalm 26:2, “Examine me, O Lord, try my mind and my heart.” Another is Lamentations 3:40, “Let us search out and examine our ways, and turn back to the Lord.” Then there is 1 Corinthians 11:28-29 which gives instructions about taking the ordinance of the Lord’s Communion saying, “but let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup, for he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.” There are many more but let me lastly give you 2 Corinthians 13:5, “Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves that Jesus Christ is in you, unless indeed you are disqualified?”

I have repeatedly said that anytime you open and read the Word of God it is a time of examination; you cannot look into the perfect Word of Truth and not be challenged, unless you’ve totally hardened your heart against the truth. As the Bible says, it’s like looking into a mirror (see 2 Corinthians 3:18 and James 1:23). In a mirror you see a reflection of what you really look like. We’ve all had the experience of looking into a mirror and being surprised by what you saw. Maybe you still had some remnant of lunch on your face you didn’t know about, or maybe your hair was terribly out of place. Maybe you noticed a new wrinkle or that your necklace was missing. The mirror speaks truth about your appearance and sometimes it surprises you. If you are like me, you seldom (or never) look in the mirror and think, “Wow, I look better than I thought I did!” We tend to think of ourselves more highly than we ought to think; Romans 12:3 warns us of that very thing. Thinking of ourselves more highly than we ought to think is part of the deceived self-perception we all have. Looking into the mirror of perfect Truth that is the Word of God reveals who we actually are. Not just who we appear to be on the outside; it reveals truth about our motives, desires and attitudes. I personally believe that is the biggest reason reading the Bible is neglected by so many Christians; we don’t like our perceptions of ourselves to be challenged by the Truth, at least not too much.

It often seems easier to just go on in our self-deceived state of existence, believing we are who and whatever we think we are. But that’s not the truth. Go back to the times before the covid stay-at-home thing, back when you could leave your house and pretty much do whatever you needed or wanted to do. If you just got out of bed, got dressed and walked out the door without ever looking in the mirror, but assumed you looked your best, do you think you might get some strange looks or be embarrassed when you return home and look in the mirror to see that you actually look like you still just rolled out of bed? Yikes! Let’s face it, this isn’t a Hollywood movie where everyone wakes up looking like they just stepped out of the hair and makeup artist’s chair! That’s not real! I’ve heard on various TV and radio broadcasts that people are putting jeans or work clothes back on after weeks at home in sweats and suddenly realize those clothes have gotten pretty tight! Is it not better to check the mirror to make sure your actual appearance matches what you think you look like? Well, it’s the same thing with the Word of God. It is better to let the Holy Spirit reveal to you truth the about yourself, to look into the mirror of what is on the inside. If you don’t, you are living a lie.

So we’re coming to the end of a time when we’ve been pretty isolated. Maybe, some things have gotten away from you, maybe even some thoughts, desires or attitudes. It’s time to let the Spirit examine you as you read the Word of God. Now let me say that it is possible to read the Bible and not open yourself to its truth; you can harden your heart. You can have the mindset that some things about you are off limits to God and shut yourself off, but let me warn you, that leads to a hard heart which is spiritually dangerous. Instead of that, open yourself to the God who loves you and say to Him, “Search me, O God, and know my heart. Try me, and know my anxieties and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (Psalm 139:23-24).

May the Lord watch over you, protect you, and fill your heart and mind with peace as you yield you Him.

Grace and Peace,

Pastor Mark