Remembering Balaam and the Talking Donkey

Do you remember the story of Balaam and the talking donkey? No, I’m not talking about some some obscure character in the movie Shrek. What I am referring to is the tale of Balaam written in the Bible (Numbers 22-24). I came across the story of Balaam in preparation for preaching this week in our series “Seven Churches”. Here is the passage for this Sunday’s sermon:

"And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write: 'The words of him who has the sharp two-edged sword. "'I know where you dwell, where Satan's throne is. Yet you hold fast my name, and you did not deny my faith even in the days of Antipas my faithful witness, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells. But I have a few things against you: you have some there who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, so that they might eat food sacrificed to idols and practice sexual immorality. So also you have some who hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans. Therefore repent. If not, I will come to you soon and war against them with the sword of my mouth.  He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it."  Revelation 2:12-17 ESV

So in preparation I wanted to refresh myself with the story of Balaam, besides simply referring to the “guy with a Narnian donkey”.

In the book of Numbers we find that Balaam had a reputation of a being able to spiritually connect with God despite the fact that he was most likely a pagan diviner for hire. In these passages, we find Balak, the king of Moab, sent a message looking to hire Balaam to curse the Israelites. Initially, after hearing from God, Balaam refused to offer his services to the king. However the king persisted and sent messengers a second time. Balaam sought the guidance of God again and in Num 22:20 “... God came to Balaam at night and said to him, ‘If the men have come to call you, rise, go with them; but only do what I tell you.’”

Now instead of waiting for the men to come to call and see what Balaam’s decision would be we find in verse 21 that: “Balaam rose in the morning and saddled his donkey and went with the princes of Moab.” He took the initiative instead of waiting as God had commanded. Thus we find in verse 22 that God was angry at Balaam for not listening, and the story of the donkey who eventually talks is in verses 22-31.

After this incredible event takes place, Balaam now continues with God’s permission to go to Balak the king of Moab. Continuing on through Numbers chapter 24 ( and I suggest taking the time to read these) we find that Balak takes Balaam to 3 different locations attempting to have him curse the Israelites. Instead, Balaam blesses the Israelites at God’s direction. The king is upset at Balaam, and they part ways at the end of chapter 24.

Now at this point we might wonder why Balaam gets such a bad reputation in the Bible with passages like that above in the book of Revelation. The reason is...

The story of Balaam and Balak doesn’t end at the end of chapter 24. Instead, we find that because of a desire for financial gain Balaam returns to Balak with a plan to harm the Israelites without putting a curse on them. His devious plan called for the women of Moab to go to the Israelites camp and seduce them into idolatry and sexual immorality. And we can see the tragic story of them falling into this trap, with 24,000 Israelites dying in Numbers chapter 25.

Now how does this relate with the passage in Revelations for this Sunday’s sermon? And what does this have to do with us today and our church? Well… come and find out this Sunday at Mercy Hill!

God is Faithful - Pastor Gakumba's Testimony

We received the following testimony of a pastor from Solace Ministries in Rwanda who received your donations as a part of our Rwanda Pastor Support Fund. 

My Testimony

My name is Gakumba. I was born in Kibuye in 1955, in today’s Western Province of Rwanda. My father’s name was Nzaramba Gabriel and my mother Mukamusoni Generoza. 

My mother was surprised by my appearance when I was born.  She was probably very sad because my looking was different from what is known and seen for normal babies. I was told I cried a lot and could not close my eyes. 

She was always  scorned  by neighbours and I was taken as a curse by all. However, they did not kill me.  Many people were curious and wanted to see that kind of beast that mother gave birth to. Needless to say: My mother could not sleep.

I grew up excluded from other children. It was very hard. When I was 4 years, the persecution of Tutsi people started.  Our house was burnt and properties looted. In fact, my father had many cows. He distributed the cows one by one to neighbours to purchase our survival. Instead of keeping the cows, the neighbors butchered them and ate meat. We eventually survived the killings, but all cows were gone and eaten, and so was our livelihood.  At the age to go to school, I could not be taken there because I was blind. I hated everybody, I hated all things, I hated God.  I was not clothed like other children. I was given a dress like girls. Women who came to visit my mother used to say God was wrong to create me. Children were afraid to approach me because of my strange look. 

At 10 years,  just to be useful, I was given to guard the crops in the fields of cereals against birds, just waving my arms here and there continually.

One day,  when I was in a sorghum plantation, wicked people shouted that the birds have eaten up all the sorghum of Nzaramba. I immediately bent to pick up stones or anything else at hand to throw to the birds I could not see. A stick pierced my useless right eye. I could not remove it and needed help. And the eye kept on leaking for many weeks.  Since that time, automatically my lids were closed to this day. 

In 1973, I was staying at my grandmother’s house. It was burned as troubles against Tutsi people resumed.  This was done at night. I was the one who woke up to realize that a lot of smoke was in the house. I woke everyone for his or her lives. 

They were all saved. From that time, they believed that I can also be useful to something. 
Eventually, I attended the Church though blind. I became a Christian and received Jesus in my heart, but my troubles did not end.

I came to Kigali to visit a relative. This one used me to go to the highway and the market place to beg. “have pity to the blind” is what I had to say.

Later I heard a voice saying:  Do not allow Satan to manipulate you that way; instead tell people about me. I am Jesus. I will care for you.

I started to preach in the market place, preaching Jesus who saves and who gives peace.  The whole market moved. People were astonished. Jesus enabled me to memorize the Bible. 
I have preached in many places not only in my Church but also in other denominations.

Sometimes I had no food, but kept strong. I could fall in trenches but I was not discouraged. I spoke to myself saying that even those who have sight fall let alone me, a blind. 

The Genocide  

For me, God is the same in 1959, 1973 and  in 1994. It is a miracle the way we survived.
In 1994, I was in Kigali and was under the service of the Lord. God promised to protect me with my wife.  I was for almost one year married  and my family was surprised  that I could marry.  This way all shame was removed and they all started to consider me with a sense of respect. My wife was pregnant and at the last stage because our baby was born on May 8, 1994.
During the genocide, I was taken to the mass graves several times and killers retracted to kill me every time. Once I went to also hide at a church. Killers came and killed everybody and yet I was spared.

After the Genocide

A blind man and yet I was the only survivor of my family of 6 children and parents who all were killed.          

Now I want to preach the Gospel and I am invited into Churches, conventions, evangelistic crusades, in prayer cells, in different ministries and at every occasion. I like to go everywhere to proclaim the Good News.

God is faithful. I have no salary, but we have not died of hunger. Through his servants God has always provided as He knows our needs.  As an example, I am surprised that someone is going to help me with health insurance.  My wife and I suffer also from diabetes and need frequent medical visits. How wonderful the  way the Lord cares!!

I thank Solace not only for the advocacy they show me today with the provision of health insurance but also for the children they support for education. 

To give to our Rwanda Pastor Support Fund visit www.mercyhill.org/give and click "give online" and select the fund from the drop down menu.

Love God, Serve His People

When my oldest son, Tommy, was born it was obviously life changing. I think for most of us, the birth of a first child does that. There are so many new experiences, new emotions, new feelings that suddenly take you by storm. So much so, that quite honestly you yourself feel new.

For me, in that season, one of the coolest new experiences was bedtime. It was that end of the day, quiet moment when you had the opportunity to take inventory of your life and to look into the face of the newest gift that life had brought. Looking at that child in the stillness of that moment reminded me how much I loved my wife, Elise, how blessed I was with the family that I had grown up in and the legacy that I could pass on to my son. It caused me to reevaluate my life and who I was and how I could become a better man that my son would be proud to call dad. And after all that, when he had finally closed his eyes and slipped into sleep, to gently lay his little body in the crib was a satisfying experience. It was a special moment. But in that season, for me it didn’t end there. Every night when he was finally asleep and before I would go to bed I would lean into his crib, kiss him on the cheek and say, “Your Daddy loves you. Love God and serve His people.” For the first two years of my son’s life this is what he would hear every night as he would dream.

I know that is probably an unusual ritual but as I think back I know exactly why I did it. The day Tommy was born, and the doctor handed him to me so I could see my son for the first time, I was overcome with one image and one thought: “This boy is a blank slate and what you and Elise do and say will do more to define who he will become than anyone or anything else in his life.”  From that moment to this I am deeply aware of my responsibility to all my children to help them become everything that God intends and desires them to be. To help them to be good men. To help them be Godly men. To that end I am convinced nothing will be as effective as if they learn to love God well and serve His people faithfully.

The first instruction, to love God, for Christians is probably self evident. We know the greatest commandment, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind and soul,” but for some the second is less a conviction. The call to serve the church, God’s people, is a decision that is quite often dictated by schedule, by easy opportunity and personal feelings. This is unfortunate because it is my belief, born of experience, that there is very little that will serve to stoke your love for God and expand your faith the way serving His church will.  

This is the reason we at Mercy Hill emphasize the importance of finding a place of ministry. When you engage in ministry it goes a long way towards developing in you spiritual principles that cannot be discovered in any other way.

Engaging in ministry develops community amongst the members of the church like no other activity can. You meet people in ways you otherwise never would. Each of you working toward very real tangible goals, and as such, sharing new experiences, facing new challenges and seeing new victories together. Not simply for personal benefit but for the cause of Christ. This community happens whether you are working in the kids areas, greeting or leading outreach ministries. Sharing a common desire for a Kingdom purpose and practically working that out together fosters a community that can not be replaced.

Engaging in ministry builds personal faith in a way that cannot be duplicated by living a Christian life that shuns ministry opportunities. When you see God use you to encourage someone who has come to church and has felt alone, you learn in your own life to more deeply value the community you have. When you see God use you to teach a young child a deep truth about the beauty of Christ and see his face light up with that knowledge your appreciation for God’s word grows exponentially. When you, in prayer, carry the burden of a brother or sister in Christ and see God’s miraculous answer come, your faith in God-possibilities soars!

Engaging in ministry reminds you daily that God is STILL working in your life. That he has a purpose for you that goes beyond your own life and he is not finished with you. The trials and tribulations of this life can be overwhelming but engaging in ministry puts it in perspective. I have seen the grace of God restore marriages, I have seen His love bind up hearts - hearts so broken that they would self-mutilate. I have seen Christ’s power break addictions and I have seen Him miraculously heal bodies. When you step into the ring of ministry and see the hand of God at work it makes it all worth it.

The greatest lessons of my Christian life I have learned through the lives of others as I engaged them in my call to ministry. If you desire to grow deeper in your faith, if you find yourself struggling to have faith, to be encouraged, to mature in Christ, then my advice is this: Love God and serve His people.

The Last Taboo

A couple years ago, a journalist from Reuters called money “the last taboo.” I think we all could agree with this statement. We avoid the topic of money because it in fact reveals a bit about us that we aren’t too comfortable revealing. That said, the following are a couple good reasons too keep in mind when giving.

First reason: God gave first

A verse often associated with poster boards held up at football games near the end zone, John 3:16, shows us something very fundamental about the image of God. John 3:16 says: For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son. The emphasis here is that God gave. God is the epitome, the ultimate example and original cheerful giver. Therefore, we give because we are made in his image, and that image is of the one who is generous and loving.

Second reason: The Church is the hope of the world

Another reason why we give, is we understand the Church’s role in God’s work in the world. 1 Colossians 1:26-17 says: the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints. To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.  In the Church the world finds Christ, and his redemptive work. We are to give to build not a building or an organization, but a community of faith that is engaged in the lives of our neighbors.

Third reason: To help others

Matthew 6:33 says: But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. These things refers to the essentials like food, water, etc. A provision that is met through his people within the church. This reason for giving is evident in Acts, we are to give to help care for others.

How we give: Cheerfully, Sacrificially and Regularly

As we move forward in giving, a good barometer of a generous, genuine heart is giving cheerfully (2 Corinthians 9:7), sacrificially (2 Corinthians 8:2), and regularly. When discussing this topic with our family or those we're in community with, it's good to keep why we give within the this context. I encourage you this week to revisit these passages, reflect on what they mean for you, and discuss them with your family.

Where is Your Comfort Zone?

On Sundays we are working our way through the story of Joseph. One of the prevailing themes to the story is how God is able to use our circumstances to fulfill his redemptive purpose, no matter how difficult things get. Joseph endured abandonment, slavery, false accusations and prison as a part of God’s plan of redemption for Joseph’s family and ultimately humanity.

What was equally incredible, was Joseph’s consistency throughout the story. He persevered through each step of the story with integrity and remained faithful, no matter how chaotic his circumstances became.

Joseph’s response to his circumstances has repeatedly brought me back to another similar story.

In Matthew 8:23-27 we find a story of Jesus calming the storm.

The story can serve as such a relief to those who find themselves in the middle of a storm - whether career-wise, financial, spiritual or emotional. God has the power to calm even the mightiest of storms.

But there is a layer to this story that is often overlooked. At the very moment that the wind was blowing, the boat was being tossed in the waves and water was beginning to swamp the boat, Jesus was there - asleep. Now, you need to understand, these boats were not large by any means. It wasn’t as though Jesus was holed up in the presidential suite of a cruise ship.

In fact, in the 1980’s archaeologists unearthed a first century fishing boat at the Sea of Galilee. The boat was a mere 27 feet in length and did not have a cabin or any other similar features. To be in the boat meant you were exposed to the elements.

That is what makes Jesus’s response to the storm so remarkable. He slept. In fact, he slept so well, the disciples had to go and wake him up when the boat was being swamped with water. When he finally did wake up, his response was also remarkable. He rebuked them by saying, “Why are you so afraid, O you of little faith.”

In that moment we learn about where the disciples’ comfort zone is and where Jesus finds his. The disciples’ felt most comfortable when the circumstances in life lined up and everything was safe and going well. Jesus, on the other hand, was at peace when He was found in and with God. For the disciples, fear was always right around the corner. For Jesus, He knew God was in control and weathered the storm.

How they reacted to the circumstances around them was a direct result of where they found their comfort zone. So the question for each of us is, where is your comfort zone?

Prayer as Privilege

Ever try defining what prayer is to you? Prayer can be defined or described in so many ways! From talking to God, a petition to God, earnest request to God, to commune, supplicate, plead to a divine being, etc.

The fact is that we can come up with so many meanings and definitions for what prayer is and what it personally means to us, but can we actually agree with one particular word to describe prayer? I propose that one word best describes prayer, and that word is privilege!

I keep coming to this word when it comes to what I see prayer as! Why? Well, the fact is that anyone can define what prayer means to them, but when we actually label prayer as a privilege we personalize it, and it will have more of an impact to our prayer life (or at least it should).

Personally, it impacts my life because seeing prayer as a privilege moves my actions of prayer from “I got to pray” or “I have to pray” to “I get to pray” and “I want to pray”!

So knowing that prayer is actually a God given privilege and that we have a so called “open door” to God’s throne, and that the Creator of the universe delights in listening to our prayers, why is it so difficult to pray? In short, it’s all about relationship. Prayer will always be way simpler to communicate and share your heart with someone, especially when you have a great relationship with them.

Mercy Hill Church and the Mercy Hill Prayer Ministry would like to help you see prayer as a privilege. Here are a few of upcoming prayer events at Mercy Hill:

• Worship & Prayer Night
• At our Lake Country location on Wednesday, April 20 at 7PM
• The third Wednesday of every month
• A night of seeking God & lifting up needs
   
• Worship, Prayer & Fasting
  • At our Bay View location on Friday, April 29 at 6PM
  • Prayer team members present from 6PM to 12AM and a time of worship every hour
  • We invite you to also join us for a 24 hour fast starting and ending at 6PM
  • We will break the fast together with dinner at 6PM on Saturday, April 30 followed by Worship Experience at 6:30PM
     
• Weekly Prayer Meeting
  • Every Wednesday at 6:30PM in Bay View
    It is a time to come together to pray and intercede for the church

Finally, if you would like to reflect on prayer during your devotional time this week, I suggest you reflect on one of the following verses:  Jeremiah 33:3, Hebrews 4:16, Psalm 88:13, Psalm 99:5, James 5:16b, Matthew 26:41, Proverbs 15:8, Proverbs 11:27, 2 Chronicles 33:12

On Mission

There are moments when your personal theology meets reality and you find it lacking. For me it was early in my nonprofit career. 

I was working in a group therapy setting for children and teenagers. My role was to work with the children who would become disruptive and violent.

One day I was called in for a situation where a young six year old boy was having a violent meltdown. After gently restraining him and giving him time to calm down, the anger turned to tears. He began sobbing in my arms and crying out, “Mama, mom, mom.” But his mom wouldn’t be answering his call anymore, because she had passed away from cancer just a few weeks prior. 

And as I held him, I choked back tears and began thinking how on earth could a few hours per week of therapy fill the hole that this young boy now has in his heart.

In the following decade I would be confronted with these stories over and over again. Stories of broken men, women and children who have experienced loss, loneliness, belittlement, abandonment, addiction, mental illness, violence, abuse, rape, corruption, and much, much more.

Time and time again, I was confronted with the reality that the programs we created were never enough to heal this brokenness. But when I turned to my faith, I often also found my personal theology was equally lacking.

I would find myself believing that all I had to do is share Jesus, have someone pray a prayer, and that everything would be ok. Such a view was faithful and obedient to much of the Great Commission, but I was missing God’s heart for this broken world.

Over time, I have grown to see that the true purpose of missions is not only to obey, but to enter into the hurt and brokenness of those around me and work with God to see these people redeemed and restored through a life, relationship and hope in Jesus Christ.

If you joined us this last Sunday at Bay View, you know that this has also been Pastor Tommy’s experience, and is at the heart of how we at Mercy Hill view living “On Mission”. To listen to the sermon, click here.

As a part of this past Sunday's message, we also shared about our new Rwanda Pastor Support Fund. If you would like to donate towards this fund, click here and select it from the drop down menu.

The Gathering 2016

We had such a great time gathering with all of our leaders and ministry volunteers from all three campuses.  We had over 200 volunteers join us for a great night of breakout sessions, dinner, worship and an inspiring message from Pastor Tommy about being the church and how we are one.  

A huge thank you to everyone who volunteers at Mercy Hill.  Your ministry for His church is extremely valuable and we appreciate all of you.  

Must We Give Up Romantic Love to Love God?

Romantic Love is a passionate desire for immediate access to an intimate relationship with a person of the opposite gender, with or without sexual relations. 

1. Some believe Romantic Love is far removed from love of God in modern society.  Since birth control, Romantic Love has been separated from reproduction and associated with sexual relationships. Love of God must therefore be sharply different from Romantic Love.
2. Some Christians believe that Romantic Love is not a good basis for marriage.  The church defends lifelong marriage of one man to one woman.  Romantic attraction between individuals seems expendable in light of the obligation to marital fidelity.
3. Rising rates of singleness suggest celibate lifestyles are an alternative to Romantic Love for many people.  
4. C. S. Lewis suggested that Romantic Love could be idolatrous if it takes the place of God.  In the Four Loves, he writes, “The couple whose marriage will certainly be endangered by [lapses in intense feeling], and possibly ruined, are those who have idolized Eros.” 

In contrast, Solomon writes: “Love is strong as death, jealousy is fierce as the grave. Its flashes are flashes of fire, the very flame of the Lord (Song of Solomon 8:6 ESV).” The following are my responses to the arguments above.

1. Birth Control. Birth control pushed Christian teaching on marriage in the direction of the physical side of the marital union and away from Romantic Love. Romantic Love arose in Christianity during the Middle Ages to show loyalty to King and Queen. Courtly love was actually a code of manners. (Remember the sweet Dulcinea in Cervantes’ novel Don Quixote?) The nineteenth century version of Romantic Love applied romantic love to courtship depicted in romantic novels.   Charlotte Brontë contrasted duty to God with Romantic Love in her novel Jane Eyre. Jane Eyre raised the character of Mr. Rochester to virtue, while rejecting the terms of marriage offered by Mr. Rivers, a missionary, because it lacked Romantic Love.  Christians should not discard Romantic Love in reaction to the separation of sexuality and childbirth after the pill.  
2. Romantic Love in Marriage. Immediately preceding the instruction to become one-flesh is Adam’s cry: “This is now bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh.” Self-recognition through the woman forms the basis of one-flesh unity. It’s the relationship not the gender that inspires Adam’s naming of Woman: “She shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man” (Gen 2:23). When God created mankind in his image, generic terms for male and female were used that also apply to animals. Adam named woman in relation to himself, using Hebrew terms roughly equivalent to dude and dudette.  Adam's identity is incomplete until the creation of woman as a ‘êzer ki-nḛgēdō, literally “a helper opposite to him” (Gen 2:18).  Relational identity forms the basis for one-flesh union, as shown by the conjunction “therefore” in Genesis 2:24. One-flesh union is the goal—not the foundation of marriage. Reproduction is commanded in Genesis 1:27 as part of the cultural obligation to subdue the earth, but childbirth is not commanded in Genesis 2.  In addition, childbirth does not appear in the Song of Solomon, but Romantic Love is highly praised.  After God takes on human flesh in the Incarnation, Paul links the one-flesh union in marriage to membership in the body of Christ. Whereas “therefore” in Genesis 2:24 relates back to Adam’s recognition of the woman, Paul relates marriage back to membership in Christ’s body in Ephesians 5:21.  Romantic Love is equated to the relationship of Christ to his church. Full realization of this union awaits the future marriage feast when Christ returns to claim his bride, the church.
3. Singleness. The desire to share life in a romantic relationship is overpowering for everyone, including unmarried, single, celibate individuals of either gender.  Indeed, for many singles, new forms or personal identity must be created, and social pressure to marry and raise a family makes this task harder. However, it is often overlooked that our Lord added a new foundation to the one-flesh unity in his teaching on marriage (Matt 5:31; 19:3-12). In what was obviously a retort to his earlier teaching on the indissolubility of marriage, the Pharisees asked Jesus if it was lawful to divorce. Jesus combined Gen 1:27 with Gen 2:24 in his reply. However, for this synthesis Jesus supplied a new foundation. “Therefore,” he says, “what God has joined together, let no one separate.” Gone is the cry of recognition as the basis for unity. The basis for unity is God.  God is the between in the identity of difference between man and woman. God is the real other in the unity of man and woman.  God commands marriage because it expresses the one-flesh unity He produces. A new reality also dawns when Jesus inaugurated the kingdom of God.  With the presence of the Kingdom in the person of Jesus, singleness is an option alongside marriage, whereas it was a curse before the Incarnation.  The other in the discovery of personal identity is God in Jesus Christ, a real, flesh-and-blood single man, whose physical presence is perpetuated through the church.  To be a eunuch is a gift in the new realm Jesus proclaimed (Matthew 19:11-12).  Singleness reminds married couples the real other in Romantic Love is God in Jesus Christ, and it is a bold venture on the threshold of the new age for those who receive that calling.
4. Idolizing Romantic Love.  As a general truth about the possibility of idolizing Romantic Love, Lewis’ comment is misplaced. Romantic Love, as stated above, is a desire for immediate intimacy in relation to a member of the opposite gender. Gender differences between male and female lie at opposite extremes in the human species, and therefore their union provides the broadest measure of human intimacy. Lewis delineated two ways to experience closeness: joy or pleasure. Joy must be conferred, while pleasure is self-regulated. Adam’s cry of recognition expressed joy bestowed on him because he was no longer alone but in relationship to his “helper opposite to him. “  Thereafter, he was commanded to consummate Romantic Love by becoming one-flesh.  The order is important. Idolatry reverses this order by placing pleasure before joy. Idolatry is the exaltation of self above God in the form of greed, lust and sexual immorality (Eph 5:5; Col 3:5).  To that extent, anyone can be an idolater within and outside marriage, but that is not equivalent to idolizing marriage or Romantic Love.
   
   Lewis’ warning is true in a very narrow sense. Because one-flesh identity requires bodies, it is vulnerable to death. Death transforms Romantic Love into something more than grief or sorrow. It becomes a stinging joy where both loss and memory are pallid reflections of the unity that once was.  Those who have experienced the death of a lover may be tempted to suppose that such strong passion lasts beyond death in a purely spiritual form.  A purely spiritual love runs counter to the central truth of the resurrection of the body.  Resurrected bodies are incorruptible, meaning that procreation is no longer necessary to preserve creation.  What this entails is inconceivable, yet the sting of death is removed and boundless joy takes its place.  

 C.S. Lewis, The Four Loves (HBJ:Orlando, FL, 1960), p. 159.

Jesus: A Man of Prayer - A Model for Prayer

Prayer was a crucial part of Jesus’ life, not a supplement to his ministry on earth. As believers, we know that prayer is crucial. Unfortunately for many of us, prayer is gradually becoming supplemental in our lives.  It is easy to justify the lack of prayer by the busyness of our lives, jobs, family, and kids. All this can really overwhelm us to the point of just barely squeezing a three-minute prayer at bedtime as we doze off to sleep. Jesus was both a man of prayer and a model for prayer. His ministry began with prayer, he prayed before important decisions, he prayed in the midst of his ministry for perseverance, he prayed on the Cross, and he prays for us today.  His disciples saw how important prayer was in the life and ministry of Jesus and integrated it in their lives.

There is no better foundation to build on than prayer!

Jesus’ ministry was born in prayer.  In (Luke 3:21-22) we read , “Now when all the people were baptized, Jesus was also baptized, and while He was praying, heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in bodily form like a dove, and a voice came out of heaven, “You are My beloved Son, in You I am well pleased.” Jesus faced temptation with prayer. In Luke 4:1-2 we see that while he was in the desert for forty days, being tempted by the devil he ate nothing during those days. In other words, Jesus was praying and fasting as he victoriously battled with the devil himself! These two verses personally speak to me, since they remind me how important it is to be well rooted in prayer as I decide to start or begin anything in my life, from a ministry, business or even an exercise regimen standpoint. There is no better foundation to build on than prayer!

Prayer was not only the starting base for the ministry of Jesus, but also what continued to sustain and connect him to his heavenly Father as he demonstrated his power through his Son.  Luke 5:15-16 shows us that while Jesus was in the middle of preaching and healing, he would slip away into the wilderness to pray! This reading illustrates the dependency that Christ had on his Father while in ministry. Christ was doing what he was called to do, but in the midst of this he would slip away to be with his Father! 

What a great lesson can we gain from this reading; can we say that while we are in the midst of doing something very important such as doing God’s work that we slip away to seek our Father?  It is so important to take time out and come to our Father in prayer as we are in the midst of serving him in ministry and anything else for that matter, since it is so easy to “run on empty” in other words, we can actually do ministry and serve others without the spiritual sustenance and guidance of the Holy Spirit that stems from seeking our Father in prayer. 

Since choices can make an eternal and everlasting impact in our lives and the lives of others, Jesus was careful to seek His Father’s divine guidance and direction before He made them.

Christ continues to show us his reliance on his heavenly Father through prayer. He knew that his leading and decision making hinged on seeking his Father's divine guidance and direction.  For example, Christ sought his Father in prayer when it came to choosing the twelve apostles from the disciples.  Luke 6:12-13 says, “It was this time that He went off to the mountain to pray, and He spent the whole night in prayer to God. And when day came, He called His disciples to Him and chose twelve of them, whom He also named as apostles.”  

Unfortunately, when it comes to making decisions and choices we tend to rely on our own knowledge, and if that doesn’t have an agreeable outcome, then we seek our Father’s guidance as plan B. Our decisions and choices can make an eternal and everlasting impact in our lives and the lives of others, shouldn’t we be careful to seek our Father’s divine guidance and direction before we make them?  

Christ correlates praying to perseverance and steadfastness, in other words prayer helps us not give up!!

In addition to Christ’s own personal thirst for prayer, his disciples had many opportunities to see his devotion to prayer.  Luke 9:18 relates, “…while He was praying alone, the disciples were with Him…” Luke 9:28 begins, “…He took along Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray.” (Luke 18:1) Christ correlates prayer to perseverance and steadfastness, in other words prayer helps us not give up!! – “Now He was telling the a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not to lose heart.”  

They realized that Christ’s prayer life was not some religious ritual!

They saw Jesus prayer life was alive and powerful, I can see why the disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray!  Lets face it, it’s not like the disciples didn’t know about prayer, many of them were good Jewish men that where raised praying in the synagogues and knew the religious ways of praying.  

But they saw a difference when it came to their prayer life and Christ’s prayer life, such a difference that it moved them to ask Christ, “Lord, teach us to pray…” (Luke11: 1). They realized that Christ’s prayer life was not some religious ritual, and the disciples caught it! Since we can see in the book of Acts, (Acts 1:14): “…they were all with one mind were continually devoting themselves to prayer…” (Acts 4:24): “...When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God.” (Acts 4:31): “...After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.”  The disciples definitely got hold of the significance and power of prayer through Christ’s example, and it showed! How about us, are we setting an example to our younger generation? Do our children see us pray? 

Jesus is interceding for us!!

So we see that Christ was all about prayer, from the beginning of his ministry, to the time where he ministered to the disciples, and even at the end of his ministry where he prayed and interceded in prayer for the disciples, (and for us now for that matter). Jesus warned, “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat; but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers” (Luke 22:31-32).  Imagine looking into the eyes of Jesus, as he says that he is praying for you?!? He is! Paul writes, “…He who is at the right hand of God, intercedes for us…” (Romans 8:34).

Again, from the beginning to the end of his ministry Jesus prayed! Even at the cross He took his last breath in prayer (Luke 23:46): “…. Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.  Having said this, He breathed His last breath”

So I ask:  Why should we pray? Better yet why was prayer so important to Jesus?

Jesus himself answers that question: (John 5:19): “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner.” (John 14:10): “Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own initiative, but the Father abiding in me does His works.” 

“Is there anything that Jesus did through his life and ministry on earth the he did apart from the Father?”

So maybe the question should be rephrased from “Why should we pray?”  or “Why was prayer so important to Jesus?” to “Is there anything that Jesus did through his life and ministry on earth the he did apart from the Father?”  As a man of prayer, Jesus is saying to us that he is completely dependent on the Father! In fact, that just as Jesus did nothing without his Father, so are we apart from Christ can do nothing! (John 15:5): “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” And how can we remain in him and he in us if we don’t pray!

That’s why Jesus prayed all the time!! 

That begs the question: if Jesus is the son of God, God and flesh, and he found it necessary to come before the Father day after day after day in prayer, because he was constantly dependent on him, then what does that say about us?

The core root connection in prayer is: We can do nothing by ourselves; we can do nothing without him!  The Christian life is designed to be absolutely impossible on our own.

So why should we pray? Because just as Christ could do nothing without his Father, we can do nothing without Christ, and that’s why we should pray!

By Phillip Martinez (message inspired by Lifeline: Power Through Prayer by David Platt)

Fervent Prayer: Day 6 - "For Yours is the kingdom"

“For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen” Matthew 6:13

The prayer culminates in an acknowledgment of who God is as our Creator God, Heavenly King, and Sovereign Ruler of the Universe. It also reminds us that God’s kingdom will be the final kingdom that will overtake all others and last for eternity. We can be assured that God’s kingdom is coming and will never end! This was prophesied much throughout the Old Testament. When Daniel interpreted King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream of the statue, he stated, “In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure forever” (Dan 2:44). King David’s prayer also reflects this as he praised God when he was commissioning Solomon to build the temple, “Praise be to you, Lord, the God of our father Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, Lord, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all. Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things. In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all. Now, our God, we give you thanks, and praise your glorious name” (1 Chron 29:10-13).

Also Paul in his explanation of the order of the resurrection states of Jesus, “Then the end will come, when He hands over the kingdom to God the Father after He has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. For He must reign until He has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death” (1 Cor 15:24-26). And this is the hope that God gives us, that the Messianic King that was prophesied to come, has now indeed come and has delivered His salvation to His people and that He will be coming a second time, not to die as a sacrifice, but to bring His kingdom to completion, extinguish sin, death, and the devil, and reign as the true King of the universe. So we say along with John at the completion of the book of Revelation, “Come Lord Jesus!”

Fervent Prayer: Day 5 - "And lead us not into temptation"

The Lord's prayer teaches us some basic but very important aspects to our day-to-day walk with the Lord. However, an aspect that is often misunderstood is found in Matthew 6:13:

"And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil."

The misunderstanding is that we are to pray for the Father to help us avoid any (or all) temptation.

Let's start with God's nature in regards to temptation as seen in James 1:13 reads:

"Let no one say when he is tempted, 'I am being tempted by God,' for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one."

So God doesn't tempt us nor can He place sinful desires in our hearts for He has no sin.

That said, He may bring us to the presence of temptation within our lives. Proverbs 20:24 says: "A man’s steps are from the Lord." But He doesn't tempt nor put the desire in our heart. In fact, I'd argue that due to the nature of sin and its presence in this world and in our hearts, there isn't a day that goes by where temptation or an opportunity for disobedience is present.

Ultimately, what the prayer teaches us isn't to avoid temptation but that the temptation doesn't take us in. Our prayer should be that we not be lead into the temptation itself and that we find strength and guidance in God when faced with temptation.

Fervent Prayer: Day 4 - "Forgive us our debts"

"and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors." Matthew 6:12

Immediately following the ‘Our Father’ model prayer that Jesus gave in Matthew chapter six He adds, “For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” Most of us would respond to this with wonder at how this can be. We understand that God can forgive but can I? I trust in God but I do not have that same confidence in me that I will forgive. I needed to be saved from my slavery to sin and I need help. Can I really forgive?

In Luke we learn more about forgiveness from Jesus where He says, “Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him, and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, saying, 'I repent,' you must forgive him." The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith!" ---Luke 17:3-6

Okay, now I’m seeing a connection to a brother who repents to me I must forgive. If my brother sins against me over and over again then I must forgive over and over again. But let’s pay attention here to what Jesus said, “If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents forgive him.” Jesus is telling me to go to the one who sinned against me and tell him about it. Then if my brother receives it and repents to me then I must forgive my brother. I must admonish the one who sins. I have a step to take to rescue my brother! We don’t just forgive over and over again only, we correct over and over again and if my brother repents of the sin, then I am to forgive every time.

So if you are holding back forgiveness from someone ask yourself, “Did I tell them what they did wrong to me?” Think about our salvation we have freely received from God our Father through Jesus by the Holy Spirit. The Lord told us we sinned and needed to repent. We then accepted the truth, repented, and our God forgave us.

The apostles said, “Increase our faith!” in response to instruction on forgiving others. Let us trust in our God, consider the forgiveness He has bestowed on us because we repented, and obey His instruction to correct those who sin against us. Then if they repent, we are in debt to extend forgiveness back to them.

Let the mercy, grace, and peace of God be with us all through the Lord Jesus Christ!

Fervent Prayer: Day 3 - ​“Give us this day our daily bread"

"Give us this day our daily bread." Matthew 6:11 NKJV

As we look at today’s portion of the Lord’s Prayer in Matthew 6, we notice a request. We notice a petition for provision. In the instruction Jesus gives, we are taught to acknowledge our need and ask God for our daily necessities. There’s a part of me that finds this kind of odd. Think about it. God already knows everything about us (Psalm 139); God knows our hearts (Proverbs 21:2, 1 Kings 8:39); God knows our thoughts (Psalm 139, Psalm 94:11); He knows what we need BEFORE we ask (Matthew 6:8, Luke 12:22-34). God knows exactly what we are going through (Hebrews 4:15) and what we need before we tell him about it. So then, why are we instructed to pray for our “daily bread” or these “necessities” of life. Here’s what I think:

It’s less about the actual “bread,” and more about acknowledging the provider and sustainer of life itself: God himself in Christ Jesus.

By making the petition for “daily bread,” we are acknowledging that He is the giver of all things, Jehovah Jireh - my provider, and we need him to sustain us in all things. We are acknowledging his Lordship and his beautiful roles as Father and Shepherd.

Please take note that it is “daily” bread, that is, bread enough for the day. The Greek word used here in Matthew is an interesting one and is only used here and in the parallel passage in Luke 11. It means “a daily and needed portion of food, that which suffices for each day.” We are to not live in need or in want, nor are we to live in excess, but as the Psalmist writes in chapter 23, “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want.”

HE IS ENOUGH. He shall supply all my needs.

So today as we go to prayer, I’d like us to examine our hearts and ponder a few things:

• Is Jesus your provider, your sustainer and your Bread of Life (John 6:48)? Have we surrendered to his Lordship and provision in all things?
• Before we assume we know what we need, let’s ask God to reveal our deepest, truest needs.
• With thanksgiving in our hearts, let’s bring our requests before God (Philippians 4:6), asking for our daily bread.

FERVENT PRAYER: DAY 2 - "Your will be done"

"Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven." Matthew 6:10 (NKJV)

Today’s verse for fervent prayer week is one of immense value for us living today. First, it points towards a future time where Jesus returns, rids the world of sin and death, and rules for an eternity of peace. (Isaiah 9:6-7) Following this model prayer can bring us great hope for the future despite the dismal outlook of news stories, terrorist attacks, mass shootings, and other symptoms of the world spinning out of control. It is good and vital for us to pray and remind ourselves that through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, our sins have been paid for, and our lives bought through his sacrifice. That, though we still live on this earth, we look forward to and pray for a time that He returns and the great spiritual war that we are in the midst of finally comes to a complete and total end. Yet until that time we find ourselves as appointed ambassadors of Jesus, representatives and living testimonies of the great hope and peace that He will bring, advocating to anyone that will listen to turn to Jesus and find hope (2 Cor 5:20). And in this role as ambassadors we find the second application of this verse to be of immediate value to our lives here on earth.

In our verse for today the english word for “kingdom” doesn’t completely portray the full meaning of the Greek word “basileia”. This word has a deeper meaning of royal power, kingship, dominion, and rule. It doesn’t mean the “kingdom” in the medieval castle-type sense, but rather the right and authority to rule over a kingdom. Thus when we pray “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven”, we are praying that the authority and ruling power of God would be recognized and obeyed on earth the same as it is in heaven.

In his sermon “ A Heavenly Pattern for an Earthly Life”, Charles Spurgeon had an interesting concept to ponder. He wondered what sort of life a person would lead if they had spent time in heaven and came back to earth. Take a moment to think about that. You’re standing in heaven, surrounded by the heavenly hosts, angels and saints. Joining with them you glorify God, worshipping him, crying out “Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord God Almighty”. Then looking at you directly, Christ on the throne asks you to go and complete some task. Any task…. Do you hesitate? Do you question? Or standing in the full glory and presence of God, would you immediately obey? How do you think someone having experienced the full glory of God would live here on earth? What would their priorities be?

Now come back and consider our present lives on earth. Do we have that same obedience? Do we have that faith? If God asked us to complete a task would we obey without question? What if He asked us to lay down our lives? What if He asked us to sell everything and follow him? What if He asked us to be generous? To feed and clothe the poor? To be kind and loving towards one another? To forgive? To be selfless?

If you are like me, you will find yourself struggling with some of the above, perhaps at times with all of them. Partially this is because we do not see the full glory and presence of God, but rather dimly while here on earth (1 Cor 13:12). The core reason that we hesitate, rebel, or ignore the things that God is calling us to do through scripture is because of sinful and selfish desires. It is because of the idols that we place ahead of Jesus in our lives, such as financial security, personal safety, comfort, or even entertainment.

It is for these reasons, that in the model prayer, Jesus taught us to pray “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” In praying this we ask for God’s help, strength, conviction, grace, and mercy as we desire to be obedient ambassadors here on earth. Ambassadors that obey the rule and reign of Christ, with the same faith and fervor that the heavenly host has. To be sure, this can only happen through the assistance and power of the Holy Spirit, and it is for this which we pray today and every day.

Fervent Prayer: Day 1 - "Hallowed be Thy name"

"After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name." Matthew 6:9

“Our Father which art in heaven”
The Lord’s Prayer begins with one of the most well-known lines in all of Scripture. For some, these words present a familiar comfort. For others, they carry little more significance than the rote, bedtime prayers of their childhood. Yet, Jesus begins His instruction on prayer by saying that we are to “pray like this”. Of all the concepts and truths with which Jesus could have begun His prayer, why did He begin like this?

It shows us our identity
In verses 7-8 Jesus draws a distinction between the religious, who believe that the number or intensity of their prayers is what causes them to be heard, and those who are true children. Jesus is indicating that your ability to go to God does not rest in your religious devotion, but in your accepted position as a child of God. In Matthew chapter 6 Jesus makes twelve separate references to God as “Father”. Not king, not ruler, not creator; though all those titles would be accurate. Of all the titles that Jesus could have instructed us to use, He chose “Father”.

Because of Jesus’ sacrifice in my place on the cross I am made perfect and righteous in the sight of God. I am accepted and and adopted as His child. So if someone is struggling in their prayer life they should first ask, “What is the basis for my acceptance in the sight of God?” If my acceptance is conditional, based on my achievement, then I do not have a familial relationship with God, but a business relationship. Prayer for the Christian is not a transaction wherein my behavior is exchanged for God’s attention; it is the humble call of a child to a father.

“Hallowed be thy name”
To hallow something is to treat it as sacred and set-apart. For the Christian there is awe at the idea of being God’s child. Many Christians struggle with this concept because of the messiness of their own lives. There is a fascination at the idea that we are known this deeply and still loved so perfectly.

It gives us our confidence
Our identity as children of God grants us a very special confidence when we pray. In Matthew 6:8, Jesus says that we are to pray knowing that, “your Father knows what you need before you ask him.“ Is there anything more emboldening than to understand that God knows everything I need before I even go to him in prayer? God sovereignly begins to work on my behalf before I even ask. Yet, God still invites me into the process. Jesus’ statement is reminiscent of what God said in the book of Isaiah, “Before they call I will answer; while they are yet speaking I will hear” (Is. 65:24). Before I open my mouth with a request God is already working to bring out his perfect will in my life, that through his plan I may find joy in Him.

If you are struggling in your prayer life you may have lost sight of your basis for going to God in the first place: that you are an accepted son or daughter with an open invitation to share your need with a loving Father. And that your loving Father has a hallowed name: the name of God who knows our deepest needs and has the ability to work in them before you even ask.

But this is much more than a declaration of the holiness of God. When Jesus says that we are to pray that God’s name be hallowed, He is suggesting that we plea for this understanding in our own life. That we would be struck by the wonder and grandeur of our God. That we would see God for who He truly is. To see God’s name as hallowed will lead us to boldness in our prayer life.

Written by: Jonathan Mosier

How you can help spread the gospel in Rwanda

We have exciting news! God has presented us with a unique opportunity to support our 2016 Rwanda team and the ministry they will be providing. An anonymous donor approached us and informed us that they will match every donation made to support Mercy Hill's 2016 Rwanda trip.

In February, Mercy Hill Church will be going to Solace Ministries in Rwanda, Africa to encourage and edify the widow and orphan survivors of the 1994 genocide as well as the pastors who serve them. 

In a place where resources and access to theological training are limited, these local Rwandan pastors have been inundated with materials saturated with prosperity gospel and other incorrect teachings. They hunger for the true Gospel and want to see God move in their communities.

In addition to the team supporting the work of Kwizera Ministries during the trip, Pastor Tommy Orlando will join the trip and be able to speak to the Rwandan pastors at a special conference and help deepen their understanding and ability to cling to the true Gospel.

We would ask that you prayerfully consider either joining this team or giving financially to help cover the cost of the trip and to provide for the Rwandan Pastor's Conference. This is a wonderful opportunity to come alongside local Rwandan pastors who live sacrificially to teach the Gospel in their communities - and for your financial support to be doubled by an anonymous donor.

We know that they will teach us just as much as we will teach them, and together we will see the Gospel advanced through the Holy Spirit!

Join the February Rwanda team

Is God calling you to experience missions? Our partnerships with Kwizera Ministries and Solace Ministries makes this trip a perfect opportunity for anyone who is feeling God calling them to experience ministry and missions overseas. Both ministries are very well organized and have a heart for building relationships and sharing the Gospel- just like our partners in Italy!

If you're interested in going on this trip the cost is $2,150 per person and a $1,350 deposit is due on January 13. To get more information please email Carol & Ray Gumm.  

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Your Support will be Matched!

If you aren't able to go, you have the opportunity to send others. Through January, your financial support of the Rwanda team will be matched by an anonymous donor. Click here to give securely and help the Gospel reach communities in Rwanda. (Please be sure to select "Mission Trip - Rwanda 2016" from the "Select Reference" dropdown menu.)

You can also give at church on Sunday by writing a check and including "2016 Rwanda Trip" in the memo line.

What is Baptism?

"There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all." Ephesians 4:4–6 ESV

One Lord, one faith, one baptism
The ordinance of water baptism is presented in the Bible as the first step of obedience for the Christian. In fact, baptism is so closely associated with the Christian walk that the Apostle Paul mentions it in the same breath as the centrality of our belief in God Himself. Given the sheer number of times that baptism is referenced in the Bible it is undeniable that it holds a central place in the life of the believer.

And yet, there are few issues so close to our faith that are surrounded by as much disagreement and misunderstanding. So how does Mercy Hill understand the ordinance of baptism and the role that it plays in the life of the believer and of the church?

An Example and Command 
The most obvious example of baptism that we see in the Bible is that of Jesus Himself (Matt. 3). In that case, baptism served as confirmation from God the Father that Jesus was, in fact, who He claimed to be. But Jesus didn’t stop at merely setting an example of baptism. He went on to command in Matthew 28 that Christians should go into the world, preach the Gospel and baptize believers. Therefore, baptism is not just a recommendation for the believer, but a command for all those who have been saved by the grace of God, put their faith in Him and desire to obediently follow the Lord.

A Sign and Symbol
Signs and symbols have great significance in our world. They provide warnings and directions. They tell us what is coming next or where to find something. But what makes a sign “a sign” is that it points to something outside of itself. In a similar way, baptism functions as a sign or a symbol for the Christian. Just as a stop sign has no ability to physically stop your car, baptism has no ability to provide the promises to which it points. This means that the symbol of baptism has no inherent power to bring us forgiveness of sins, acceptance in the sight of God or assurance of our salvation.

We do not believe then that baptism imparts grace or brings salvation to an individual. Nor do we believe that baptism is simply an empty ritual devoid of any meaning or effect. Rather, we observe baptism out of an obedient heart, understanding that baptism signifies the salvation that comes through Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection, and the future hope that we have in Him.

Baptism is a symbol of the promises of God. It serves as a testament to the covenant that is part of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. It represents the promise that we are forgiven through Christ (Eph. 1:7), that we will never see death (John 8:51) and that we will live eternally with our Savior (John 14:1–3). So while baptism is not necessary for salvation, a Christian who refuses baptism is living in disobedience to the command of Christ and is neglecting to publicly acknowledge the immeasurable promises of God.

Baptism is also an outward sign of our inward change. It serves to demonstrate that a person has put their faith and trust in Jesus alone for salvation (John 14:6), that they have received the grace of God through Jesus sacrifice on the cross (Eph. 2:8), and that they desire to follow Jesus example in baptism (Matt. 3:15–17). It signifies that their former way of life has been put to death (Rom. 6:3–5) and graphically illustrates the freedom from slavery and the new life they have received in Christ (Gal. 3:27; Col. 2:11–12).

Identification with the Church
The purpose of baptism is not limited to demonstrating the covenantal relationship between God and man. In addition, it symbolizes the Christian’s entrance into the universal body of Christ and demonstrates the unity of the church (Eph. 4:5). For this reason, water baptism is done publicly as a testimony to the work of Christ in one’s life.

This public recognition gives the local church an opportunity to witness this step of obedience and encourage the believer in their walk. Baptism allows the Christians to publicly identify as a member of the local church and demonstrates their commitment to their community of faith.

Isolated and Alone, at Church?

This last weekend was the Fourth of July. It was a beautiful weekend full of cookouts, family, fireworks and freedom. I hope that your weekend was safe and enjoyable, and that you found time to reflect on our freedoms; both in this country as well as in Christ. I think that it was a remarkable coincidence that the sermon series at Mercy Hill Church was focused on freedom this last Sunday. The passage that we studied began with the words:

Gal 5:1 “For freedom Christ has set us free...”

If you haven’t listened to the messages yet, I encourage you to find some time to listen to and reflect upon this statement. (mercyhill.org/media) The concepts of this statement, if truly grasped, are life changing and eternity-driven.

However, my purpose for writing this week is not to reflect upon the sermon from last Sunday, but to share an observation and lesson that I learned on the 4th of July.

The neighborhood that I live in has a tradition on Independance day that has been running for the last 48 years. Each year on the 4th the whole neighborhood gathers together at the local park for a small breakfast followed by a parade. In the parade children ride bikes, adults wave flags and the procession ends with singing patriotic songs at the local assisted-living community. This year was the first year that I have been able to attend. While I was excited to attend and participate, it turned into a frustrating experience that I was tempted to simply walk away from. Why you ask?

Simply, I felt isolated and alone. My wife and daughter were with me and as we milled around in the middle of 60+ people (all our neighbors) only 4 people that we already knew approached and talked to us the entire time (about 5 minutes each). Now, I must admit that we have only lived in the area for the last 2 years, and do not know many of the neighbors yet. Also, I must admit that some of that is on us not stepping forward and making connections. However, on that morning I looked for connections to make. But as I looked around all I saw were small groups of people already established in conversation. I felt that it would be rude, as a stranger, to insert myself into the middle of a family group or a group of close friends. As Angie and I looked around it seemed that everyone was already engaged in conversation with the people that they knew and were comfortable with. The morning ended up with us hanging out as a 3 person family group with little interaction with others. As I stated before, I was nearly tempted to just go home.

What struck me that morning was that this often is the experience of visitors to our church. They may come not knowing many people and have the same feelings that I had this last weekend. If we as a church are too busy or too engaged with our friends to notice visitors and connect with them, they may simply leave and never return. Sometimes our natural response to this is that they need to take initiative and connect. There is a small weight of truth to that. However, if our posture is in small closed groups of people that we are comfortable with we will seem closed to the people that are outside of that group, unapproachable, unfriendly or unloving. This may not truly be the case (or it may be) but it is their perception and experience, and they will react to this.

As a church, we are called to be the body of Jesus Christ here on earth, reflecting the Gospel to those that are in need. Yes, we are called to edify and uplift one another within the church, but we need to serve all with love and sacrifice, even if we are uncomfortable approaching those that we do not know. In the passage from the sermon this last Sunday there was a verse that addresses this quite well:

"For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. 14 For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." Galatians 5:13-14 ESV

Are we free to engage in conversation with our friends at church? Yes.

Are we free to be ministered to by others in the church? Yes.

However, we are not to use the freedom that we have to selfishly consider only our needs, wants, desires and friendships. We are to serve others through love. The perfect example we have of this is Jesus himself:

"Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross." Philippians 2:3-8 ESV

As imitators and ambassadors of Christ we are called to set aside our desires and needs to serve others. We are called to step out of our conversations and comfort on Sunday mornings to greet and engage with visitors and those that we do not know. To reflect Christ to them, to love and serve them, to edify them. To do this, we need to get to know them, do life with them and learn of their struggles and needs, praying with them and helping whenever possible.

Is this easy? No. Is it what we are called to do? Yes. And because we are called to do this we are empowered to do this by the Holy Spirit through faith and love. And if we do this we will be used of God to grow his church, his body. And as we do this, we ourselves will benefit and grow as we come to a deeper understanding of God’s love for us as we sacrificially serve and love as Jesus did.

The End is Coming

I woke up this morning to the news of 3 terrorist attacks on 3 continents in the span of 7 hours yesterday. ISIS related attacks killed 37 people on a beach in Tunisia, 25 at a mosque in Kuwait, and a factory explosion in France.

I sit here stunned, wanting... wanting for this violence and terror to end, and wanting words to express my sorrow, anger, and mourning over the condition of this world that we live in. As I cry out to God in anguish, am reminded of Jesus words in Matthew 24:

"4 And Jesus answered them, "See that no one leads you astray. 5 For many will come in my name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and they will lead many astray. 6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are but the beginning of the birth pains. 9 "Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name's sake. 10 And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. 11 And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. 12 And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But the one who endures to the end will be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come." [Matthew 24:4-14 ESV]

Nearly 2000 years ago, Jesus foretold the direction that the world would go, as well as the atmosphere of society. We live in a global community that is filled with selfishness, isolationism, greed, corruption darkness and evil. Where love and concern for our fellow human beings has grown cold as people seek success at the expense and exploitation of others. A world where evil men strive to create terror and fear. And in the midst of this darkness, the bright hope of Jesus shines forth. For we are promised that there is a time coming where

"...the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away." [Rev 21:3-4 ESV]

This miracle will take place when Jesus Christ comes back to the earth to eradicate evil and sin. Because of this, today I pray, “Come quickly Lord Jesus.” And because of the increasing darkness of our world, I become increasingly resolved to share the great hope of have in the grace filled Gospel of Jesus Christ.

The world we live in is spinning out of control because those living in it are placing their trust and security in either themselves and in their own constructs of morality. We must find our hope and security in something outside of humanity. Humans have failed, will always fail. We are destructive to ourselves. We must find our hope, identity, security and trust outside of humanity and in something perfect and eternal. That hope and trust is found in God alone through Jesus Christ. We need to repent of our efforts to trust in ourselves, and creating our own morality and security. And we only find the ability to repent and trust in Jesus through the gracious, merciful, forgiveness of God, purchased by the sacrificial death of Christ.

This is the hope and light of the Gospel that must be shone forth in this world to provide an answer to those that are asking “when will this ever end?”

The end is coming.  We may not know when, and while we pray for Jesus to come quickly, we proclaim the grace filled hope of Jesus wherever and whenever we can, despite any persecution,  opposition or discomfort. We do this because the hope of Christ is the perfect and eternal solution to ending the evil in this world.  And because we want to share the hope that we have been lovingly and mercifully given.

I am in prayer for the family and friends of those who lost their lives in yesterday’s terror attacks. And because these are only the latest events in a marathon of evil and oppression, I pray for those in despair over the darkness of this world. And because evil will continue until Jesus returns, I pray that many will come to know and trust Christ, and that he will come quickly.