Rivers of Living Water

“Once in my army days, I was commanding a reconnaissance unit in a scalding desert, with temperatures in excess of 130 degrees.  We were operating far forward of our own lines, which made it hard to get supplies.  On one occasion our resupply did not arrive, and we went without water for most of the day.  I attempted to radio for help, but my tongue was so swollen that my speech could not be understood.  Fortunately, one of my enterprising sergeants was returning from having his vehicle repaired in the rear areas.  He overheard my radio call, raced over to a supply unit, hitched a ‘water buffalo’ to the back of his tank, and within a couple of hours brought our desperately needed relief, possibly saving our lives.  It is to needs of this severity that Jesus spoke when he cried, ‘If anyone thirsts’” (Richard D. Phillips).

Join us this week at ElmCreek Community Church as we study John 7:37-39 and humanity’s deep, spiritual thirst that can only be quenched by God.  May we be prayerfully prepared to hear and respond to the truth of God’s Word.

Striving to know Christ and make Him known,

Pastor Mark

J.C. Ryle on the Effects of Evangelism

"Do you want to understand what the times require of all Christians in reference to the souls of others?  Listen, and I will tell you.  You live in times of great liberty and abounding opportunities of doing good.  Never were there so many open doors of usefulness, so many fields white to the harvest.  Mind that you use those open doors, and try to reap those fields.  Try to do a little good before you die.  Strive to be useful.  Determine that by God's help you will leave the world a better world in the day of your burial than it was in the day you were born.  Remember the souls of relatives, friends and companions; remember that God often works by weak instruments, and try with holy ingenuity to lead them to Christ.  The time is short, the sand is running out of the glass of this old world; then redeem the time, and endeavor not to go to heaven alone.  No doubt you cannot command success.  It is not certain that your efforts to do good will always do good to others but it is quite certain that they will always do good to yourself.  Exercise, exercise, is one grand secret of health, both for body and soul. 'He that waters shall be watered himself' (Prov. 11:25).  It is a deep and golden saying of our Master's, but seldom understood in its full meaning, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive' (Acts 20:35)" (Holiness, J.C. Ryle).

Easter Morning

What else is there to say?  We serve a risen Savior!

Believing Jesus

Well, it’s political season.  That time of the year when politicians say what the voters want to hear in hopes of getting elected.  In reality, though, it truly is a crapshoot whether they can or will deliver on their promises once they are elected.  But people like what they hear and so they vote with high expectations.

In the times of Jesus the Jews were no different.  Many within the Jewish community followed leaders who promised big because that is exactly what the people wanted to hear.  These leaders promised easy victory and political and material power.  So, many rallied behind these leaders with high expectations.

But Christ came promising a cross, not political and material power.  And the victory he promised was not easy, but very difficult and self-sacrificing.  This is not what the people, especially the religious leadership, wanted to hear.  So, Christ was rejected.

What are our expectations of Christ?  What are Christ’s expectations of us?  What does true discipleship and Christian belief look like when it comes to glory and faith?  Join us this week as we hear the words of Christ in John 5:41-47 and learn from the example He made of those who opposed Him.

Striving to know Christ and make Him known,

Mark

J.C. Ryle on the Importance of Doctrine Within the Church

"If you want to do good in these times, you must throw aside indecision, and take up a distinct, sharply cut, doctrinal religion.  If you believe little, those to whom you try to do good will believe nothing.  The victories of Christianity, wherever they have been won, have been won by distinct doctrinal theology, by telling men roundly of Christ's vicarious death and sacrifice, by showing them Christ's substitution on the cross and His precious blood, by teaching them justification by faith and bidding them believe on a crucified Savior, by preaching ruin by sin, redemption by Christ, regeneration by the Spirit, by lifting up the bronze serpent, by telling men to look and live, to believe, repent and be converted.  This, this is the only teaching which for eighteen centuries God has honored with success, and is honoring at the present day both at home and abroad.  Let the clever advocates of a broad and undogmatic theology - the preachers of the gospel of earnestness and sincerity and cold morality - let them, I say, show us at this day any English village or parish or city or town or district, which has been evangelized without 'dogma,' by their principles.  They cannot do it, and they never will.  Christianity without distinct doctrine is a powerless thing.  It may be beautiful to some minds, but it is childless and barren.  There is no getting over facts.  The good that is done in the earth may be comparatively small.  Evil may abound and ignorant impatience may murmur, and cry out that Christianity has failed.  But, depend on it, if we want to 'do good' and shake the world, we must fight with the old apostolic weapons, and stick to 'dogma.'  No dogma, no fruits!  No positive evangelical doctrine, no evangelization!"  (J.C. Ryle, Holiness)

Stewardship - Treasure

Jesus Christ has a very interesting view of money.  In Mark 12:41-44, Jesus and his disciples witness many wealthy individuals placing large amounts of money into an offering box at the temple.  They also witness a poor widow give “two small copper coins” amounting to 1/64 of a day’s wage, far short of the amounts given by the wealthy.  Using it as a teachable moment, Jesus’ response is not what the disciples expect.

Over the past two Sundays we have been wrestling with the topic of stewardship in Matthew 25:14-30.  God calls us to be good stewards of the time, talents, and treasure given to us.  What does it look like practically to be a good steward not only in our daily life but also as a member of the body of Christ?  Our goal as His people is to have a biblical view of our finances and how God calls us to steward the treasure He has given us.

Join us at ElmCreek Community Church as we strive together to live out the truth of God’s Word, obeying His commands out of love for Him.

Striving to know Christ and make Him known,

Pastor Mark

Stewardship - Time

Growing up I was what you may call a procrastinator.  I’m not the “late to a meeting” type of guy, but a “wait until the night before” kind of guy.  One such incident happened while attending seminary, the night before a six-page book report was due for one of my classes.  I had read the book (well, skimmed it mostly) but had yet to put any words on paper.  I spent four to five hours that night writing my report, stressing about finishing it on time, and praying I received a decent grade.  In the end, all the stress, legs falling asleep for sitting at the computer so long, and going to bed late could have easily been avoided if I had begun writing the paper days before.  Needless to say, I did not use my time wisely.

Perhaps you too are a procrastinator or have experienced the pain of waiting for a procrastinator, but when it comes to life as a disciple of Christ the temptation to procrastinate is present for everyone.  This week at ElmCreek Community Church we will begin a three-week series in Matthew 25 on the stewardship of our time, talents, and treasures.  Join us at ElmCreek and may we all be prayerfully prepared to submit ourselves to the call and commands of our God.

Striving to know Christ and make Him known,

Pastor Mark

Jesus: His Authority

In U.S. Navel Institute Proceedings, the magazine of the Naval Institute, Frank Koch illustrates the importance of obeying the Laws of the Lighthouse. Two battleships assigned to the training squadron had been at sea on maneuvers in heavy weather for several days. I was serving on the lead battleship and was on watch on the bridge as night fell. The visibility was poor with patchy fog, so the captain remained on the bridge keeping an eye on all activities.

Shortly after dark, the lookout on the wing reported, “Light, bearing on the starboard bow.”  "Is it steady or moving astern?" the captain called out.  The lookout replied, "Steady, Captain," which meant we were on a dangerous collision course with that ship.

The captain then called to the signalman, "Signal that ship: 'We are on a collision course, advise you change course twenty degrees.'"  Back came the signal, "Advisable for you to change course twenty degrees."   The captain said, "Send: "I'm a captain, change course twenty degrees.'"  "I'm a seaman second-class," came the reply. "You had better change course twenty degrees."

By that time the captain was furious. He spat out, "Send: 'I'm a battleship. Change course twenty degrees.'"   Back came the flashing light, "I'm a lighthouse."

We changed course.  (Max Lucado, In the Eye of the Storm, Word Publishing, 1991, p. 153.)

The Jewish leaders criticized Jesus for “working” on the Sabbath when he healed an invalid and commanded him to take up his mat and walk.  But he defended himself by revealing where his authority to do such a thing came from: the Father.

The captain of the battleship above made the mistake of believing he had the greatest authority over all things on the water.  Once his mistake was revealed he quickly and rightly gave way to the authority of the lighthouse.  We too must realize that Christ’s authority over us is supreme and comes directly from the Father.

Join us this week as we hear about Christ’s authority given by the Father and how His authority should affect our life as His disciples.  May we all be prayerfully prepared to hear the Word of God and allow His truth to teach us, mold us, and change us as His people.

Striving to know Christ and make Him known,

Mark

The Fields are White for Harvest

Imagine with me a farmer in the midst of planting his fields in April, working diligently and feverishly to get the crops in before the heavy rains come.  All summer long the farmer faithfully cares for the crops, nurturing them, preventing weeds from overtaking and choking them.  But when the time for harvest arrives the farmer stays in the house, watching football and relaxing on the couch.  The crops, ripe for reaping, stay in the fields, untouched by the farmer.  All the work of sowing and caring with no one to reap the bountiful harvest.

As Jesus is speaking to the woman at the well his disciples arrive, startled that he would have any conversation with a Samaritan woman.  Jesus has revealed to this woman the truth of the gospel message and now he takes the time to teach his disciples about reaping the harvest that he has sown.

Join us this week at ElmCreek Community Church as we read John 4:27-42, seeking God’s will and call for our lives as his disciples in reaping fields white for harvest.

Striving to know Christ and make Him known,

Pastor Mark

God Seek People to Worship Him in Spirit and in Truth

I once had a conversation with a gentleman concerning the type and style of music played during the worship services.  He was very insistent upon a piano and organ playing only hymns found within the hymnal.  All other music or instruments were not appropriate to be used during a worship service.  The reasoning behind his thinking was that true worship of God can only be done through certain types of music and instruments.

Clearly this man misunderstood the meaning of the worship of God.  Worshiping Him is far greater and deeper than music, singing, and instruments.  In John 4:1-45 Jesus uses a conversation with a Samaritan woman living deeply in sin to teach her (and subsequently us) about true worship of God.

Join us this week as we read and study John 4:16-26, seeking where, how, and whom we are called to worship.  May Jesus’ words to this woman drive us to understand and experience the glory and greatness of the one whom we worship.

Striving to know Christ and make Him known,

Mark

The Calling of the First Disciples

“I was speaking at an open-air crusade in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Billy Graham was to speak the next night and had arrived a day early. He came incognito and sat on the grass at the rear of the crowd. Because he was wearing a hat and dark glasses, no one recognized him.

“Directly in front of him sat an elderly gentleman who seemed to be listening intently to my presentation. When I invited people to come forward as an open sign of commitment, Billy decided to do a little personal evangelism. He tapped the man on the shoulder and asked, ‘Would you like to accept Christ? I'll be glad to walk down with you if you want to.’ The old man looked him up and down, thought it over for a moment, and then said, ‘Naw, I think I'll just wait till the big gun comes tomorrow night.’ Billy and I have had several good chuckles over that incident. Unfortunately, it underlines how, in the minds of many people, evangelism is the task of the ‘Big Guns,’ not the ‘little shots.’" (Lieghton Ford, Good News is for Sharing, 1977, David C. Cook Publishing Co., p. 67.)

Who are the “big guns” and the “little shots” when it comes to disciples of Christ?  Who is most qualified to speak the truth of the Gospel message to others?  We may be tempted to think that only a select few (pastors, Sunday School teachers, Bible Study leaders, etc.) are really qualified to speak the Gospel message clearly, but the reality of life as a disciple of Christ is that every disciple is a “big gun.”  This makes each of us a missionary, called to speak the truth of the Gospel to those around us.

Join us this week as we dive into John 1:35-51 where we will learn about the call of the first disciples and what this means for disciples of Christ today.  May we bathe Sunday morning in prayer, asking the Holy Spirit to reveal Himself in a mighty way so that the Gospel of Christ is clearly understood by all.  For His glory!

Striving to know Christ and make Him known,

Pastor Mark

Pointing to Christ

“When he was the pastor of the Methodist church in Scarborough, William Sangster had an eccentric member who tried to be a zealous Christian. Unfortunately, the man was mentally deficient and usually did the wrong thing. While working as a barber the man lathered up a customer for a shave, came at him with the poised razor, and asked, "Are you prepared to meet your God?"  The frightened man fled with the lather on his face!” 

(W. Wiersbe, Wycliffe Handbook of Preaching & Preachers,  p. 215.)

This is obviously an extreme case of witnessing for Christ gone wrong.  In an attempt to lead a man to Christ this gentleman inadvertently brought the focus upon himself.  Or at the least upon the razor in his hand.  Which leads us to the big question this week: What does our life point others towards?  In other words, what do our words and actions reveal to others about what is truly important to us?

Join us this week as we study John 1:19-28, looking at the words of John the Baptist and what his ministry was pointing towards.  May the Spirit change us, encourage us, and convict us as we look at the Word of God.

Striving to know Christ and make Him known!

J.C. Ryle: Are You Already With Christ?

Do you find yourself content?  Not the contentment of peace with God, but the contentment of "I've made it."  This kind of contentment puts every believer in the place of laziness, selfishness, and closed eyes to the world around us.  It is a contentment which looks forward to the coming of the Son while forgetting those in the present who have yet to experience forgiveness, mercy, and grace which comes only from the Father.

The words of J.C. Ryle below are a tack-on-the-chair of every believer, every disciple of Jesus Christ. Care for those in need, but please don't forget their eternal state.  For what good is it to feed a poor man to delay his physical death if his eternal destination is everlasting death?  Those of us "with Christ" are called to look beyond the physical and see the spiritual.  Are we, in the words of J.C. Ryle, "Awake to a deeper sense of the sorrowful state of those who are 'without Christ'?"  May his words speak directly to us as God's people.

"If you have become one of Christ's friends already, I exhort you to be a thankful man.  Awake to a deeper sense of the infinite mercy of having an almighty Savior, a title to heaven, a home that is eternal, a Friend that never dies!  A few more years and all our family gatherings will be over.  What a comfort to think that we have in Christ something that we can never lose!

"Awake to a deeper sense of the sorrowful state of those who are 'without Christ.'  We are often reminded of the many who are without food or clothing or school or church.  Let us pity them, and help them, as far as we can.  But let us never forget that there are people whose state is far more pitiable.  Who are they?  The people 'without Christ!'

"Have we relatives without Christ?  Let us feel for them, pray for them speak, to the King about them, strive to recommend the gospel to them.  Let us leave no stone unturned in our efforts to bring them to Christ.

"Have we neighbors without Christ?  Let us labor in every way for their soul's salvation.  The night comes when none can work.  Happy is he who lives under the abiding conviction that to be in Christ is peace, safety, and happiness; and that to be 'without Christ' is to be on the brink of destruction."

Church Values: Reaching the Lost

When I was young my family traveled to Mount Rushmore on a family vacation.  In a large crowd of people, I had been having the terrible habit of wandering from my parents.  Having been warned by them to stop wandering and to stay close to them I made every effort in my mind and body to not stray from their side.  Unfortunately, that didn’t last long.  As we came upon the sight of the four faces I was transfixed.  And where my parents turned into a store to browse I continued to walk forward.  It was a large number of steps of my little feet before I finally looked up to my parents, pointing at the mountain.  But the person next to me was not my mother.  I eventually found them in the gift shop and to make a long story short, didn’t leave their side for the rest of the trip.

The interesting thing about this moment in my life is that I didn’t even realize I was lost until I looked up.  So it is with the lost in this world we call home.  How does God’s Word define the lost?  What is our role in reaching the lost?  What is the point of reaching the lost?

As disciples of Christ, there are many around us who are lost and may not even know of their own condition.  Our prayer for us as a church is to glorify God by making disciples through reaching the lost.  Join us this week as we study God’s call for us as his people and may we be convicted, encouraged, and led to join the harvest of the lost around us.

The Effects of Preaching Christ

I have spent the last thirty years of my life as a believer of Jesus Christ as Savior of my soul.  Yet, in that time I have met few fellow believers who do not experience some level of fear or anxiety in preaching the truth of the gospel message to friends, family, and loved ones.  I once sat down with a young man who had recently returned from a months-long mission trip where he participated in street evangelism.  He would go up to perfect strangers on the street and preach the truth of the gospel message.  When asked how he was able to do such a bold thing he simply responded, “You just do it.  And the more you do it the easier it becomes.”  It was a moment of conviction in my own life and heart.Behind closed doors (whether the doors be of the church building or our own homes) we as believers tend to be bold, speaking the truth of the gospel message and its affects upon our hearts.  But when it is time for us to “go out” into the world we tend to hold back.  We explain our timidity as a lack of training, lack of methods in how to speak, or not seeing any opportunity to speak.  This is not an uncommon scenario, as many times I find myself making the same excuses for my own lack of initiative.

Paul has no such lack, as we have seen throughout the book of Acts.  This final section in Acts 28 is no different.  But we must not put Paul on such a pedestal that we forget his humanness.  There must have been times where he struggled in his own heart in how to share his faith.  His example for us is profound.  For we continually see his deep desire to preach the gospel no matter the consequences to himself.  In Acts 28, Luke (the author of Acts) gives us some basic methods for preaching the gospel message, but he also reveals to us what will happen when we speak the truth.  And the truth may not be something we are willing to face.


May God prepare us this week as we look into this final section of the book of Acts.  Be prayerfully prepared to move and change if God should, through revealing to us our own hearts, ask us to move and change.  And may we be willing to make the sacrifices necessary to make disciples for Jesus Christ and His Kingdom.

The Procrastinator

When I was younger I had very bad habit of procrastination when it came to school work.  There were many Christmas vacations I would wait until the day before I was to return to the classroom to finish the homework I was assigned.  Needless to say, it was a very stressful and exhausting day.  There were many times that I did not finish all the work and paid the consequences on my report card.

When we think of procrastination we consider the work that could be done today but is put off until tomorrow.  How often do we think of the connection between faith in Christ and procrastination?  There are some around us who have heard and even understand the gospel message but are unwilling to take the step of faith essential for salvation.  The sacrifice required will mean rejecting what they hold dear today and so they put faith off until tomorrow.  Unfortunately, tomorrow never comes.

In Acts 24 we read about Paul’s defense before the governor Felix.  The contrast between Paul’s faith and Felix’s procrastination is astounding.  Never put off for tomorrow what is urgent today.  What is more urgent than your eternal destination?  Felix procrastinated and faced the consequences.  May we be prayerfully prepared for God’s prodding of our hearts toward faithfulness as we study His Word this week.

Do Not Be Afraid

A number of years ago I was given the opportunity to make a bungee jump from 15 stories above a pool.  I was unmarried, no children, and young so I jumped at the possibility to do something I probably would never get a chance to do again.  For some strange reason I did not correctly weigh the reality that I am afraid of heights until after I paid and was standing on a platform one hundred and fifty feet in the air.  The instructor told us that while standing on the edge of the platform we should not look down but instead look straight out at a flag.  He continued that on the count of three we should jump to grab the flag and the fun would begin.  He also said that most that do not jump after the first count to three will likely never jump.  In that moment, fear gripped my throat and my stomach dropped to my ankles.  How was I going to react while standing on that edge?

 

In Acts 18:1-17, we find Paul now in Corinth having left Athens behind.  He spends some time in the synagogue preaching the Gospel Message, but after many of the Jews opposed and reviled him he shakes out his garments against them, deciding to preach in the future only to the Gentiles.  Later, Paul receives a vision from God telling him not to be afraid, but to preach the truth in Corinth.  He is not alone.  Others are with him.  God is with him.  And he stayed in Corinth for a year and six months, preaching and teaching.

 

Though this vision was intended for Paul at a momentous time in his ministry there are some truths that we can grasp and apply to our own walks as disciples of Christ.  May we all be prayerfully prepared for God to reveal the fears that we have in preaching the Gospel Message with our words and deeds to those around us.  May we overcome those fears with the help of the Lord.

 

By the way, I jumped.  I didn’t hesitate.  And it was one of the greatest thrills of my life.

Evangelism by Penn

Earlier this week I posted a quote by Penn Jillette from the comedy-illutionist group Penn and Teller.  Below is the video that quote was taken from.  He may still not believe that there is a God, but he seems to understand the importance of telling the truth of our beliefs more than we do.  Take a look and let me know what you think.

Do I Hate Unbelievers?

Is every Christian a missionary?  This is just one of many questions posed by Colin Marshall and Tony Payne in their book The Trellis and the Vine.  Here is a short excerpt of their answer.

"The Christian without a missionary heart is an anomaly.  The missionary heart will be seen in all kinds of ways: in prayers for the lost, in making sure our behaviour offends no one, in gospel conversations with friends, and in making every effort to save some.  We are slaves without rights, even though we are free (cf. 2 Cor 4:5; Phil 2:7)."

There is a great struggle within the church in the Unites States today.  We desire for others to come to know Christ but it seems too socially awkward to approach them and tell them about Christ.  I recently led a Bible study on evangelism and stated that we are given opportunities each day to share our faith with unbelieving neighbors, friends, and family.  How often do we meet an unbelieving neighbor in the grocery store and only say hello?  Why do we resist getting beyond the surface conversation, pray for them right there, and telling them about the love of Christ?  Someone answered with, "But we don't want to ruin any type of relationship that has been built up.  Telling them about Christ at the grocery store would make us both uncomfortable."

My father used to tell me that if something was important to you then you would do it.  For example, if you say that prayer is important to you then you should be praying consistently and with power.  If following the commands of Jesus Christ means sharing the truth of His Gospel with others then I should be sharing the Gospel with others.  It's not rocket science.  In fact, Marshall and Payne write about Penn Jillette, an avowed and vocal atheist, and one-half of the famous comic-illusionist act Penn and Teller.  "He was evangelized by a polite and impressive man, and had this to say about the experience:

'. . . I've always said, you know, that I don't respect people who don't proselytize.  I don't respect that at all.  If you believe that there's a heaven and hell, and people could be going to hell, or not getting eternal life or whatever, and you think that, well, it's not really worth telling them this because it would make it socially awkward . . . How much do you have to hate somebody to not proselytize?  How much do you have to hate somebody to believe that everlasting life is possible and not tell them that?  I mean, if I believed beyond a shadow of a doubt that a truck was coming at you, and you didn't believe it, and that truck was bearing down on you, there is a certain point where I tackle you.  And this is more important than that . . .'"

Atheists get it.  Why don't we?  Any reason given for not sharing Christ with others is given to excuse our lack of missionary heart.  And in the words of Penn Jillette, "How much do you have to hate somebody to believe that everlasting life is possible and not tell them that?"

New Year's Resolutions in the New Testament

Ephesians 5:1-2 (ESV) ^"1 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. ² And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God."

This may be sacrilegious, but with the new year approaching and hoards of people making resolutions that they won't live up to, I thought it relevant to preach this Sunday on resolutions that Paul gives to the church in Ephesus.  Paul makes it very clear in Ephesians 4:17-32 that the life we as believers are to live is one that is focused on our new life in Christ.  We are to put away the old life which was lived in futility or uselessness.  We lived our lives the way we wanted with no real purpose other than satisfying our own sinful desires.  Our new self is focused not on uselessness, but on Christ.

In other words, we are to practice what we preach.  If we claim to love and be a child of God, a true Christian, then our actions will follow our words.  I have witnessed countless occasions where people will claim to be believers with their mouth and two sentences later will be gossiping or slandering or tearing down an individual.  Yep, that's showing everyone how righteous and holy you have become in Christ.  (That was sarcasm for those of you in Rio Linda.) 

The body of Christ, his children, are to imitate their Father.  Our Father (Isaiah 9:6) made the ultimate sacrifices of humbling himself by coming to this earth as a human and giving up his life so that sinful humans like myself can call him Father.  Am I willing to sacrifice my life if that is the will of the Father?

Do you want the people around you to know that you are a child of God?  Then act like one.