There Is a Jesus Christ

In 1897, the New York Sun received a letter from 8 year-old Virginia O'Hanlon asking if there really was a Santa Claus. Francis Church answered her question in a famous editorial that first appeared in the newspaper on September 21, 1897. I would like to adapt Virginia's question and Church's response and share it with you in this blog.
"Dear Preacher: I am 8 years old. Some of my friends say there is no Jesus. Please tell me the truth, is there really a Jesus Christ?"
"Dear Virginia,
As surely as there is you and me, there is Jesus Christ. Your friends do not believe in Jesus because they cannot see him. It is a small mind which chooses to believe only in that which it can see. For in this great universe of ours, man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect, as compared with the boundless world about him. Regardless of the amount of intelligence we have, it takes an open mind to grasp the whole of truth and knowledge that God has blessed mankind with.
Yes, Virginia, there is a Jesus Christ. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, for it is out of him from which they spring. Alas! How dark and meaningless life would be if there were no Jesus. Our existence here would be at best tolerable, our existence in the hereafter impossible.
Not believe in Jesus Christ! You might as well not believe in life, love, or in goodness. Some of the most real things in life are those that we cannot see, or define, or understand. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world.
No Jesus Christ! Thank God he lives and he will live forever! A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay, ten thousand times ten thousand years from now, he will continue to make glad the hearts of children and adults alike."

My good friends, Christmas is not Christmas unless Christ is in it. May you have a blessed Christmas and a Christ-filled New Year. As you gather with family and friends, find ways to honor the Christ child whose birth we celebrate and the love of the God who sent him.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Isn't it amazing how powerful the two little words, "thank you" are? Regardless of what we've done, how much time it took us to do it, or what it cost us financially to help someone else, a sincere and heartfelt "thank you" means more sometimes, than material reimbursement. As a husband, I love hearing those words from my wife. As a father, I love hearing those words from my kids. As a preacher, I love hearing those words from those I serve.

Nearly 2,000 years ago, Pilate asked Jesus, "Don't you realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you?" Jesus answered Pilate by saying, "You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above" (John 19:10&11). Moses reminded the people of God before they entered into a land of wealth they had done nothing to earn or deserve; "You may say to yourself, 'my power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.' But remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you the ability to produce wealth" (Deut. 8:17&18). "Don't be deceived, my dear brothers. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father...." (James 1:17). Who is the source of all we have? Who is it that blesses each of us and all of us much more than we deserve? The answer is, "God!" "The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it" (Psalm 24:1). So, "what do you have that you did not receive (from God)? And if you did receive it (from God), why do you boast as though you did not?" (I Corinthians 4:7).

Thanksgiving is much more than simply saying "thanks" to one another. It is thanking God for one another. Thanksgiving is more than acknowledging we've been blessed. It is acknowl-edging the One who has blessed us. Thanksgiving is more than thanking God for being with us in the past. It is thanking God for being with us in our future. Don't be like the nine ungrateful lepers who failed to thank the One who healed them (Luke 17:17&18). Thanksgiving is more than a holiday. It is an attitude God desires for us to live in 24/7. "Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus" (I Thessalonians 5:17). You'd be surprised how blessed our Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer is to hear you simply and sincerely say, "Thank you, God!"

Many years ago I had some church leaders who accused me of having too much power in the church. After consulting a dictionary, I discovered that "power" is defined as, "the possession of control, or authority over others." Their accusation seemed odd to me since the Lord himself said, "You know that the rulers of this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many" (Matthew 20:25-28). In other words, Christ-followers are not seeking positions of power they can then use to control people's actions. But, Christ-followers should be concerned about the influence they exert because "influence" is defined as, "the capacity to effect or sway others." When Jesus said that Christ-followers are, "the light of the world" (Matthew 5:12), he was saying that true light always influences the dark (John 3:19-21). My response to them was, "all those who worship Jesus Christ should be influential. But, power is not a position Christians intentionally pursue."
Over the next three weekends, I am preaching a series of sermons entitled, "Our Amazing Influence." I don't think many of us understand just how far our influence reaches and we need to know that we are influencing other people, whether we realize it or not. The only question is, "how are we influencing people?" Are we influencing them for the good, or for the bad? Here are the titles for my sermons:
10/31 & 11/1 - - "The Amazing Influence of a Godly Man"
11/7 & 11/8 - - "The Amazing Influence of a Godly Woman"
11/14 & 11/15- - "The Amazing Influence of Godly Parents"
I hope to see you at one of our weekend worship services. For times, go to our church website at: www.newhopechristianchurch.net If you attend worship somewhere else or are unable to be present one of these weekends, you can listen to the podcast of each message by going to the same website. Let's ALL be the godly influence God has called us to be.

My Life Story

I mentioned in my sermon this past weekend (10/17&18/09), that sharing our faith with others involves knowing God's Story and knowing our story, as well (you can listen to the podcast of this message at http://www.newhopechristianchurch.net/). I Peter 3:15&16 says, "you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it. But do this in a gentle and respectful way. Keep your conscience clear. Then if people speak against you, they will be ashamed when they see what a good life you live because you belong to Christ." The question put to the congregation was, "How many of you know your story? How many of you can gently and respectfully share with others what your life looked like before you met Jesus Christ and what your life looks like after you met Jesus Christ?" I gave an assignment that everyone write down this week their life's story in 100 words or less and bring it next weekend to church. Our life story becomes the bridge God will use to transition from the everyday conversations we have with people, to the deeper spiritual conversations we need to have with people. If you'll also listen to the first two messages of this series (preached the first two weekends of October), you will know that we should pray and listen to God's Holy Spirit for the right time to share our life's story. Here is my life's story as an example for you in writing yours:

"I grew up with a tremendous need to please other people; to be affirmed, accepted, and appreciated by everyone. Consequently, I strove for excellence in everything I did; athletics, school, church, Boy Scouts, etc. But, no matter how many times I was affirmed by others, it never seemed to be enough. When I discovered Jesus Christ as my savior and friend, I also found the only affirmation I really need. My life now revolves around pleasing him not to earn his acceptance, but because he already loves me, forgives me, and accepts me the way I am."

I look forward to reading and hearing some of your life stories, as you prepare to always be ready to give a reason for the hope you have in Jesus Christ.

"What Am I Doing Here?" That is a question we all ask ourselves at one time or another. It is also a question that has haunted Jason ever since he heard his dad utter it just prior to his death several years ago. Fresh out of law school with an upcoming bar exam to prepare for, the highly motivated and strictly disciplined Jason returns to the small southern town he grew up in, to spend the summer studying. He reconnects with Paul (a 'shoulda been' actor who has just returned from Los Angeles) and Layla (an old friend who is engaged, but whose childhood crush on Jason suddenly reappears). But, it is a chance encounter with David (a pastor at a local church) which changes his life forever. David offers Jason a part-time summer job as a youth pastor, and Jason reluctantly accepts, caving into Layla's pressure and a need for cash. But, as Jason gets to know the youth and their struggles, he discovers a passion within that he didn't know was there. "The River Within" is a family movie shot on location along the Spring River in beautiful northeast Arkansas. The movie explores the idea that each of us has a purpose for our lives whether we know it or not.
The movie will be shown at the Plaza 9 theaters here in Marshalltown from October 23-29 and it will be the only showing in Iowa. It features Craig Luttrell, who once lived here, as Paul, the 'shoulda been' actor from LA. I'm sharing this information with you because Hollywood produces so many movies filled with either immoral sexual situations, extreme violence, demonic messages, and more that when a "family friendly" movie comes out, Christians need to support it. Our attendance at wholesome movies sends a signal to Hollywood that there are many out here who appreciate and attend movies with a good message. Grab the family and tell others to see, "The River Within".

I Choose Life

Life Chain was started in 1987 with over 2,000 participants in the sister towns of Yuba City and Marysville, California. By 1992, there were Life Chains held in more than 800 United States cities and towns with a participation of over 975,000 people and an additional 80,000 participants in 97 chains across Canada. In 2008, there were over 1,600 Life Chains in 1,400 cities and towns across North America.

These Life Chains are held the first Sunday in October and people are invited to stand on a designated sidewalk, holding signs such as: "Jesus Forgives and Heals," "Adoption: The Loving Option," "Abortion Hurts Women," "Life - - the First Inalienable Right," "Lord, Forgive Us and Our Nation," and more. While holding these signs, participants are encouraged to silently pray, personally repent, and carefully analyze one's level of commitment to ending abortion in our nation. It is sad to see how the Church of Jesus Christ has become so silent while over 45 million preborn Americans have been cruelly and methodically killed by mutilation, chemicals, intentional neglect, and surgery.

This year's Life Chain will be held October 4th. Locally, registration begins from 1:00-2:00pm at the First Nazarene, Redeemer Lutheran, or Saint Henry's churches. There will be signs at these churches which participants choose to hold and our prayer time will be from 2:00-3:00pm on Center Street from Olive Street to the north. Refreshments will be served at Redeemer from 3:00-4:00pm. You would be wise to bring a lawn chair and an umbrella if it looks like rain. You can park in the church lot where you register. While some cars drive by and honk in support of our cause, others drive by and passengers yell obscenities. Our response is always to silently continue praying. One year there was a young woman we know of who changed her mind and chose to give birth to her child rather than abort her child because she saw our silent protest on Center Street.

Total attendance from all churches in our Marshalltown Chain has varied between 100-150 each year. Our pro-life committee at New Hope has set as a goal 250 from our congregation alone and 50 have already signed up and committed to be there. All ages are invited to participate, but dogs will not be allowed. If you would like to sign up or have further questions, please call the New Hope Christian Church office at 752-1612.

Before he died and turned the responsibility of leading the Israelites into the Promised Land over to Joshua, Moses gave these parting remarks to the people he had led and loved for over forty years. "What I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you......This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live.....For the Lord is your life....." (Deuteronomy 30:11,19&20).

Upward Basketball

Upward Basketball evaluations have started at New Hope, marking the tenth year of this program for boys and girls in grades 1-6. In the previous nine years, we have grown from 60 children in 2000 to over 320 children last year, on 50 different teams; including teams in the West Marshall, East Marshall, BCLUW, and South Tama, as well as Marshalltown school districts. There are many factors which make this ministry so unique; the most important of which is that Jesus Christ is the center of the program. Coaches treat every child as a special creation of God. An effort is made to insure that teams are evenly divided, even if it is not an exact science. Guidelines for equally dividing up playing time among the team members are followed by the coaches. Coaches and referees work together instead of against one another. Bible devotions are given by the coaches at practice and by volunteers at halftime of the games. Each participant is given a packet of memory verse cards, a reversible game and practice jersey, and a neat gift at the completion of the season.
The program involves over 100 coaches, 30 referees, and others from several different churches who volunteer because they love Jesus and they love children. Many are the positive comments we have received from players and parents alike. Practices begin the week of October 12th and games are on Saturdays from October 12th through December 12th. The deadline for registration is September 15th so call today (752-1612) or pass this information on to some boy or girl in the 1st through 6th grades you think would benefit from a safe, fun, and Christ-centered environment.
Kerry

Now I See

When Jesus healed a man who had been born blind; a man who had never seen a human face, green grass, blue skies, a star-filled night sky, a baby, a sunrise or sunset, one would have thought that everybody would have been elated with him and for him. But, the Pharisees did not believe in Jesus so they had to offer an explanation for this miracle that didn't include Jesus. They grilled both the man and his parents. They doubted whether the man had really ever been blind. They questioned how Jesus could possibly be from God since they said he was a sinner. They cursed the formerly blind man. They said evil things about his mother. And when they pressed him to tell them the truth, this man said, "all I know is that once I was blind, and now I can see" (John 9:25).

There are living, breathing, walking miracles all around us; addicts who have been set from their addictions, once unfaithful spouses who are now madly in love with only their husband or their wife, angry skeptics who are now committed Christians, convicted criminals who have completely changed, and many more. And the secular world that doesn't believe in Jesus must try to offer up an explanation for these miracles that doesn't include Jesus. But, they can't. These are people who would say with the blind man, "once I was blind (spiritually), but now I can see." They are people who have been given a brand new heart by Jesus Christ (II Corinthians 5:17), and who have been set free from their old ways of thinking by the truth of Jesus Christ (John 8:32). He is the One who called himself, "THE Way, THE Truth, and THE Life" (John 14:6). I believe him!

Welcome to my blog. I have found what real life is about in Jesus and it is my desire to disseminate truth through this blog that will help others find life in Jesus, as well. May the "words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer" (Psalm 19:14).