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

Judging

Joseph Stowell once wrote, “Discernment in Scripture is the skill that enables us to differentiate.  It is the ability to see issues clearly.  We desperately need to cultivate this spiritual skill that will enable us to know right from wrong.  We must be prepared to distinguish light from darkness, truth from error, best from better, righteousness from unrighteousness, purity from defilement, and principles from pragmatics.”

The disciple of Christ is called to judge rightly.  This is not a judging of people, but of the teaching from leaders, pastors, and other disciples of Christ.  In John 7:14-24 Jesus provides us with practical ways to judge rightly between right and wrong, truth from error, and light from dark. What is God’s Word really saying?  How can we discern between truth and error?  And how can we know that Jesus’ words are truth?

Join us this week at ElmCreek Community Church as we search the words of Christ for truth and seek to cultivate the skill of discernment in our own walk with Christ.  May we be prayerfully prepared to encounter God this week and allow him to mold, change, and encourage us in our faith.

Striving to know Christ and make Him known,

Pastor Mark

Life in Christ is Hard

Dave Ramsey once said, “If we want to be thin we should do what thin people do.”  In other words, if we really want to be healthy there is a price to pay, sacrifices that must be done.  Many of us who desire to be more healthy would love to wake up tomorrow morning having been completely transformed overnight, with no effort or sacrifice on our own part.  But that is not reality.  Transformation takes effort, time, and sacrifice, but many are not willing to pay the price.

After teaching the crowd what they must believe and give up to follow him, Jesus witnesses a mass exodus.  The cost of being his disciple was too great to many, so they left.  Why did Jesus not stop them from leaving?  What about the price was so high?  What is the difficulty in following Jesus?  What encouragement is there in is teachings for the true disciple of Christ?

Join us this week at ElmCreek Community Church as we study what John 6:60-71 teaches us about the cost of being a disciple of Jesus Christ and why that cost is too great for so many.

Striving to know Christ and make Him known,

Pastor Mark

Dining on the Bread of Life

“In the 1930s the most famous living author was William Somerset Maugham.  He was an accomplished novelist, a great playwright, and a short story writer.

“In 1965 Maugham was ninety-one years old and fabulously wealthy.  Royalties were continuing to pour in from all over the world despite the fact that he had not written a word in years. . . He was experiencing incredible success.  But how did Maugham respond to his success?  What had it brought to his life?”

An article written by Maugham’s nephew after he visited his uncle before his death gives some insight.

“I looked round the drawing room at the immensely valuable furniture and pictures and objects that Willie’s success had enabled him to acquire. . . Willie had 11 servants . . . He dined on silver plates . . . But it no longer meant anything to him.  The following afternoon, I found Willie reclining on a sofa, peering through his spectacles at a Bible which had very large print.  He looked horribly wizened, and his face was grim. ‘I’ve been reading the Bible you gave me . . . and I’ve come across the quotation: “What shall it profit a man if he gain the whole world and lose his soul?”  I must tell you, my dear Robin, that the text used to hang opposite my bed when I was a child . . . Of course, it’s all a lot of bunk.  But the thought is quite interesting all the same.’  That evening, in the drawing room after dinner, Willie flung himself down onto the sofa.  ‘Oh, Robin, I’m so tired . . .’  He gave a gulp and buried his head in his hands.  ‘I’ve been a failure the whole way through my life,’ he said.  ‘I’ve made mistake after mistake.  I’ve made a hash of everything.’  I tried to comfort him  ‘You’re the most famous writer alive.  Surely that means something?’  ‘I wish I’d never written a single word,’ he answered.  ‘It’s brought me nothing but misery. . . .Everyone who’s got to know me well has ended up by hating me. . . . My whole life has been a failure. . . . And now it’s too late to change.  It’s too late. . . .’  Willie looked up, and his grip tightened on my hands.  He was staring towards the floor.  His face was contorted with fear, and he was trembling violently.  Willie’s face was ashen as he stared in horror ahead of him.  Suddenly, he began to shriek.  ‘Go away!’ he cried.  ‘I’m not ready. . . .  I’m not dead yet. . . . I’m not dead yet, I tell you. . . .’  His high-pitched, terror-struck voice seemed to echo from wall to wall.  I looked around, but the room was empty as before.  ‘There’s no one there, Willie.’  Willie began to gasp hysterically” (R. Kent Hughes).

Join us this week at ElmCreek Community Church as we look at what John 6:22-59 tells us about Jesus being the Bread of life and the joy of having eternal life through Him alone. 

Striving to know Christ and make Him known,

Pastor Mark

Children in the Storms of Life

In 1789 Rev. John Newton, the author of the famous hymn Amazing Grace, played a major role in the difficult effort to abolish slavery in the British Empire.  But in the midst of that effort a much more difficult circumstance occurred when Polly, his wife of forty years, became very ill.  For nearly eighteen months her condition slowly worsened and each day became an agonizing wait for her death.  On December 15, 1790, Polly Newton died after a long, painful, and strenuous battle. 

The same day Polly passed away, John Newton was visiting the sick in his church and preparing for the sermon he would give the following Sunday.  He even gave the eulogy at Polly’s funeral, something that was looked down upon by the people of that time.  Many saw John’s actions as uncaring and unloving, but it was far from the truth.

John Newton struggled through an eighteen-month storm, slowly watching the life of his wife ebb away.  That storm could have easily turned him away from God, but instead his faith increased and his love and reliance upon God strengthened.  So much so that he was able to move forward in life quickly, knowing he would see her again and that the Father would be his constant strength and rescuer in times of need.

Join us this week at ElmCreek Community Church as we look at John 6:16-21.  In this passage Jesus walks on the water in the midst of a storm, while his disciples struggle through the wind and waves to get their boat to shore.  May we be prayerfully prepared to discover how the Father takes care of his children in the midst of the storms of life, even when those children are sinking under the waves.

Striving to know Christ and make Him known,

Pastor Mark

Christ's Power and Sufficiency

It is when we have nothing that we find that Christ is enough.

This week we are in John 6:1-15 where Jesus feeds five thousand men, not including women and children.  This large crowd is hungry, so Jesus provides.  They have little to nothing to eat, so Jesus gives in abundance.  But this miracle is far greater than the provision of food.  It is a revelation of Jesus as the Christ and his sufficiency for those who believe in Him.

Join us this Sunday at ElmCreek Community Church as we seek the truth of God’s Word and will for our lives as His disciples.  May we be open to what Scripture has to teach us and open to the work of the Spirit as we study His Word.

Striving to know Christ and make Him known,

Pastor Mark

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

Three Witnesses to Jesus

“Any responsible legal system is based on the validity of witnesses.  When Elijah Baptist was convicted for murdering Sam Blue outside his Chicago grocery store, it was on the testimony of just one eyewitness, Leo Carter.  Because he was such a credible witness, that was enough, and Elijah was sentenced to life in jail.  Leo was credible because of his clean record and because, while playing basketball with a friend right beside the store, he had seen it all.  He was even more credible because the murderer had tracked him down and put a bullet into his head just as he did to the other witness.  Leo survived, with terrible wounds. It was more than high drama when he sat in the courtroom, looked directly at Elijah Baptist with his scarred face and its missing eye, raised his finger, and slowly said, ‘That’s him.’  That was enough to secure a quick ‘guilty’ verdict” (Lee Strobel, The Case for Christ).

In any court of law the witnesses must be reliable.  In John 5:30-40 the Jewish leaders are still struggling with the words that Jesus proclaims about Himself.  Especially when he claims to be equal to God the Father.  So, though the words of Jesus should be enough, He provides three extra and reliable witnesses to the truth of His words, but these witnesses are not what the Jews expect.

Please join us this week at ElmCreek Community Church as we worship Jesus as the Savior and Messiah, striving together to understand the Word of God and His will for our lives.

Striving to know Christ and make Him known,

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 Power of Jesus Over Sin

“Lord Kenneth Clark, internationally know for his television series Civilization, lived and died without faith in Jesus Christ. He admitted in his autobiography that while visiting a beautiful church he had what he believed to be an overwhelming religious experience. ‘My whole being,’ Clark wrote, ‘was irradiated by a kind of heavenly joy far more intense than anything I had known before.’ But the ‘gloom of grace,’ as he described it, created a problem. If he allowed himself to be influenced by it, he knew he would have to change, his family might think he had lost his mind, and maybe that intense joy would prove to be an illusion. So he concluded, ‘I was too deeply embedded in the world to change course.’ (Our Daily Bread, February 15, 1994.)”

Lord Clark waited too long.  He didn’t heed the words of Christ, “Sin no more, that nothing worse may happen to you.”  In Lord Clark’s case, the “worse” was eternal separation from God’s presence.

Join us this week at ElmCreek Community Church as we read the words of John 5:1-15 and witness the power of Christ over sin.  May we prayerfully be prepared to encounter His Truth found in His Word.

Striving to know Christ and make Him known,

Pastor Mark

Seeking Jesus on His Terms

What does faith look like?  How does that faith begin?  What catalyst begins that journey of faith?  How can we know our faith is genuine?  What does Jesus say about genuine faith?  What is the object of our faith?

As I studied John 4:43-54 these are the questions that continued to run through my mind.  The question of genuine faith is not a subject new to us in the book of John.  After cleansing the temple and doing more signs and wonders in the presence of others, many came to believe in his name (John 2).  But Jesus would not entrust himself to them because he knew their hearts.  Their faith was not genuine.  So, can one believe without believing?  Can genuine, prolonged faith rest upon the miraculous?

 

Heed the words of Oswald Chambers:

“Faith for my deliverance is not faith in God. Faith means, whether I am visibly delivered or not, I will stick to my belief that God is love. There are some things only learned in a fiery furnace” (Oswald Chambers in Run Today's Race).

Join us this week as we once again look at a great sign of Jesus, the healing of a boy from miles away.  May the Word of God and the Spirit of God speak to each of us, growing us in our faith, and prepare us for His call for our lives as disciples of Jesus Christ.

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

You Will Never Be Thirsty Again

Have you ever been thirsty?  I mean dry tongue, cottonmouth thirsty?  While in college I spent seven days hiking part of the Appalachian Trail with my mother and sister.  Water for the whole trip could not be packed in with us so we brought one small water filter that had to be pumped by hand.  The water we used came from small streams found along the trail.  One particularly rainy day we ran out of water sooner than expected and the nearest stream was still hours away.  I became so thirsty that I resorted to drinking rainwater that had collected in little holes on boulders we passed.  When we arrived at our campsite for the night we still needed to hike another mile to fill up our bottles at the nearest stream.  The agony of extreme dry mouth with water falling all around you that you are not able to drink and still having to wait for clean water that must be pumped by hand through a very small filter, was overwhelming.  But the feel and taste of clean, cold water running down your throat and quenching your thirst is unexplainable.  One has to go through such a scenario to truly understand its impact.

The Samaritan woman who meets Jesus has no idea her life will be completely changed.  She comes to the well because of her physical thirst, but little does she know Jesus will talk directly to her spiritual thirst.  She does not realize the dryness of her soul and the need for true refreshment at the feet of the Messiah.  She will never be thirsty again.

Join us this week as we study John 4:1-15 together as His people and hear the truth that Jesus gives us living water that quenches our soul’s thirst.  May we be prepared to encounter the gospel message through the words of Christ.

Striving to know Christ and make Him known,

Pastor Mark

God does not condemn! God loves!

“A certain medieval monk announced he would be preaching next Sunday evening on ‘The Love of God.’ As the shadows fell and the light ceased to come in through the cathedral windows, the congregation gathered. In the darkness of the altar, the monk lighted a candle and carried it to the crucifix. First of all, he illumined the crown of thorns, next, the two wounded hands, then the marks of the spear wound. In the hush that fell, he blew out the candle and left the chancel. There was nothing else to say.”  (Source Unknown)

This week at ElmCreek Community Church we will be looking at what the Apostle John has to say about the love of God for the world.  Who is the world?  Why did God send Jesus to die upon a cross?  What happens to those who believe in Jesus as the Savior of the world?

Join us as we struggle together to understand this great love of God.  May we all be prayerfully prepared to hear the truth of the gospel message, the reality of our sinful world, and the love God has for that same world.

Striving to know Christ and make Him known,

Mark

Rebirth

“In his book, An Anthropologist on Mars, neurologist Oliver Sacks tells about Virgil, a man who had been blind from early childhood. When he was 50, Virgil underwent surgery and was given the gift of sight. But as he and Dr. Sacks found out, having the physical capacity for sight is not the same as seeing.

“Virgil's first experiences with sight were confusing. He was able to make out colors and movements, but arranging them into a coherent picture was more difficult. Over time he learned to identify various objects, but his habits--his behaviors--were still those of a blind man. Dr. Sacks asserts, ‘One must die as a blind person to be born again as a seeing person. It is the interim, the limbo . . . that is so terrible.’

“To truly see Jesus and his truth means more than observing what he did or said, it means a change of identity.”  (Terry Seufferlein Norman, Oklahoma)

Join us this week at ElmCreek Community Church at we look at what Jesus teaches about the kingdom of God and the rebirth of a disciple of Jesus Christ.  His words to the Pharisee Nicodemus are powerful in helping us to understand what it means to be in and of the kingdom of God.  May we all be prayerfully prepared to encounter our Creator as we study His Word and Truth for our lives.

Striving to know Christ and make Him known,

Pastor Mark

Jesus Knows What is in Man

Amy once had a friend name Susan. They seemed very close and often where one was the other would not be too far away.  Over time Amy began to notice that when Susan would be having issues in life a two-hour phone call would not be far away.  Yet Susan didn’t have much time for Amy’s struggles or issues.  Any call from Amy would eventually have the conversation turned to Susan’s life and issues. 

After Susan got married her relationship with Amy became nearly nonexistent.  Amy was no longer needed in Susan’s life and so Amy was forgotten and abandoned by her once “close” friend.  Susan had a friendship with Amy, not because she loved and cared for Amy, but because Amy was willing to be used to fulfill Susan’s needs and expectations.  Once someone else could meet those needs and expectations, Amy was out of the picture.

In John 2:23-25 Jesus finds himself in the midst of people who “believe in his name when they saw the signs that he was doing” (John 2:23).  Some began to follow Jesus based off on signs and miracles He was performing, not out a true devotion to Him as the Messiah.  And Jesus knew it.  Once His signs became old news these “followers” would quickly turn on Him.

This type of devotion was not a surprise to Jesus.  He understood the heart of man and so He “did not entrust himself to them” (John 2:24).  And yet, what Jesus does to the hearts of those who are fully devoted to Him in faith can only be described as amazing and life changing.

Join us this week at ElmCreek Community Church as we look at Christ’s reaction to those who follow Him because of signs and what He does to the hearts of those who follow Him out of faith alone.  May we be prayerfully prepared to encounter Him as we gather with His people and read His Word.

Striving to know Christ and make Him known,

Pastor Mark

The Sign of Christ's Authority

When in college I made the mistake of asking God to show me a sign of His power.  Perhaps He could open my eyes to see one of His angels in all its splendor.  Needless to say, he denied my request.  But He also taught me a valuable lesson in trusting Him.

What would urge me to make such a request?  Were there doubts in my mind of whether God was powerful enough to fulfill my request?  Did I just desire to see something unbelievable?  Or was I questioning if God was real?

After Jesus drove the money-changers and animal-sellers from the temple the authorities asked Jesus to provide a sign of His authority to do such an act.  Jesus’ answer throws them for a loop and they miss His point entirely.  Jesus tells them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”  But He wasn’t talking about  a building.

What would a sign do for the faith of the authorities?  How would a sign reveal Jesus’ true nature as the Messiah?  Join us this week at ElmCreek Community Church as we wrestle with these and other questions, seeking to understand the character of the Messiah.

Striving to know Christ and make Him known,

Mark

The Myth of Righteous Anger

“A lady once came to Billy Sunday and tried to rationalize her angry outbursts. ‘There's nothing wrong with losing my temper,’ she said. ‘I blow up, and then it's all over.’

“‘So does a shotgun,’ Sunday replied, ‘and look at the damage it leaves behind!’”

In John 2:13-17 we read about Jesus’ cleansing of the temple.  He makes a whip of cords, overturns tables, and drives people and animals off of the temple grounds.  This passage is rightly often used as an example of righteous anger, but anger is not the point of Christ’s actions nor is it the lesson meant for the disciple of Christ.  In fact, if this passage teaches anything about anger it points to the fact that rarely is our anger righteous.  More often our anger leaves damage behind similar to the firing of a shotgun.

What makes anger righteous for the disciple of Jesus Christ?  Is it even possible for us to have righteous anger?  What is the reason for Christ’s reaction in the temple?

Join us this week at ElmCreek Community Church as we strive to answer these questions and more in our study of the Gospel of John.  May we be prayerfully prepared to encounter His Word for His glory.

Striving to know Christ and make Him known,

Mark

Christ's First Sign

“J.S. Bach said, ‘All music should have no other end and aim than the glory of God and the soul's refreshment; where this is not remembered there is no real music but only a devilish hub-bub.’

“He headed his compositions: ‘J.J.’ ‘Jesus Juva’ which means ‘Jesus help me.’  He ended them ‘S.D.G.’ ‘Soli Dei gratia’ which means ‘To God alone the praise.’”  (Kingdom Conflict, J. Stowell, Victor, 1985, p. 77ff.)

As disciples of Christ we are called to give God glory in all things.  This means that every mundane, unexpected, and deeply changing event in the life of a disciple of Christ points in one direction, to His glory.  As we continue to study the Gospel of John we will begin to see how the actions and words of Jesus all point to His own glory.

John 2:1-12 is Christ’s first public sign that He is more than just a carpenter.  At a wedding He is attending the wine has run out and Jesus proceeds to turn water into wine.  What purpose does He have in beginning His public ministry in this way?  What does this passage teach us about being a disciple of Christ?  What can we learn from Jesus and the actions of His disciples and mother?  Where does God’s glory fit into this passage?

May we be prepared to encounter God this week as we study and strive to understand His Word.  And may that Word have a profound affect on our hearts, minds, and lives.

Striving to know Christ and make Him known,

Mark