Churches In Missions

Greetings All!

     This week's "thought" comes to you from a newsletter I received from a man named Paul Hatmacher (seen below with his wife Barbara) who serves as president of an organization called, "Churches In Missions."   I received his Christmas Newsletter and thought that the story he shared was encouraging enough (and challenging enough) to pass it along to you.  As one who has met Paul I can tell you he loves the Lord, is full of faith, and exudes joy. This is the story of his recent bout with pneumonia just after Thanksgiving and his determination to be a missionary even in the hospital.  Enjoy.

     "Speaking of the pneumonia invading my lungs one doctor said: "I've seen ugly CT scans, but yours is among the ugliest."  On the way to the emergency room, I prayed, "Make me a blessing through all this."  The way the Holy Spirit guided me was to thank everyone for anything they did and never complain, whether it hurt or not, and even when they awakened me at 5:45 a.m. to be weighed. I was in the hospital for 12 days, received excellent care and endured some of the strongest medications. But we dare not overlook the blessings that have resulted: The staff constantly asked, "Why are you so thankful and kind?"  That was the Lord's opening for me to share what the Lord means to me and has allowed me to experience.  I shared that in our missionary experiences, we were among people who had nothing, yet they showed joy and gratefulness for everything.

     I related that we had been so blessed with their care and God's blessings that I just had to say "thank you."  I related that I was cured of complaining with a chorus I learned in Sunday School. Every time I begin to complain, I sing or hum the chorus, "Count your blessings, name them one by one."  Can you believe it, for the next few days, every time one of the nurses walked by my room they hummed or sang that chorus! 

     I had the joy of witnessing to at least 4 MD's, and every nurse and aid -- and everyone said: "you are a different kind of patient."  One nurse, after midnight, checked on me and as she was tucking the blankets she began weeping and said, "my life's a mess." I invited her to return when she could and I had the privilege to hold her hands and through her tears lead her to trust Jesus as her Savior. 

     I still have a visiting nurse three times a week and a therapist twice a week and praise the Lord I am getting stronger and the x-ray I had today will reveal the pneumonia is gone... I wouldn't want to go through this again, but it taught me that being a missionary isn't just when we cross the ocean or preach from a pulpit.  We are to be salt and light whatever the circumstance... P.S. - Upon being dismissed from the hospital the Director of that division came by to thank me personally for being an encouragement."

     I share his story because as a pastor I visit hospitals a lot and often hear patients, family members, and the like, expressing just the opposite.  I myself have not always been the most thankful or cheerful of patients. Yet, Paul challenged me to consider that even my hospital stays can be opportunities to be salt and light.  Seeing his joyful demeanor (even when not feeling well) made a nurse comfortable enough to open up with him and give him the opportunity to share about Jesus and lead her to Christ. I wonder if that's not how it should always be for a believer. 

     Too often we can be so focused on the care we get, or what we think it should be as opposed to what it is (especially in light of the cost), that we are led to complain instead of thanking our caregivers.  We look to be served instead of seeking to see it as an opportunity to serve as missionaries in that place.  It would be helpful on such occasions to remember how blessed we are, and that many people around the world would give anything just to have a hospital to go to, never mind the level of care we have here in the States.  So, as a reminder of what we are called to, and the difference it can make if we just determine to respond differently, I pass his story along to you. After all, it is all about what we can do for Jesus and His kingdom.

To God Alone Be Glory,  Pastor Jeff

Over-The-Top Grace

Greetings All,

     This week's 'thought' comes to you from a man named Barnabas Piper.  It is taken from the ebook, "Be Prolific."
     Piper lives in Nashville, TN, with his wife and two daughters, and works as the brand manager of 'Ministry Grid.'  (Should you desire to do so, you can follow him on Twitter@BarnabasPiper). This selection is entitled: Over-The-Top Grace.  Enjoy.

     "God is over the top.  Really.  He goes too far, in every direction, including dimensions we can’t even fathom.  His grace is just too much.  By definition we don’t deserve it and by nature we can’t get our heads around it. We can define it. We can describe it in part. We can see it here and there. But think on this for moment with me:

Nothing we have - was not given to us.

Nothing we are -  we were not made into.

Nothing in our sphere -  is actually in our control.

     We came from a family in a place with a race, none of which we chose. We meet we did not choose to meet. We have jobs we “earned,” but how many “connections” and fortuitous happenings got us there?  These are the signposts of common grace, the kindness God pours out on the world day in and day out and without which no one could survive.  Do we see it?

     Often when we think of grace we think of God’s specific grace, the kindness of saving us by sending his Son to live a perfect life and die a sinless death in the place of sinners like you and I. Indeed that is grace, and even that, for all of the tomes and volumes written about it, is scarcely understood.  The reality of God’s grace is the same as the reality of God:  if we could truly understand it then it would not be worthy of our wonder and thanks.  It is so much more than that.  It shows itself in shocking places and when we think we've reached its limits, we crest a hill and see it stretching beyond the horizon.

   So take notice of it this year. Look high and low and listen closely. It will appear where you never saw it previously. Record it. Write it down in a journal or an iPhone or make a voice memo or something, anything. Just make a note you can revisit at those times grace seems to have disappeared. Reflect on it. It is hard to be thankful for those things we barely notice. When you record something, come back to it, mull it over, see its aspects and angles and connections. There are no simple graces; let your mind be blown and your heart grown. Then share it. Tell a friend, tell your small group, write a blog, tweet a tweet, not every time, but when you are overwhelmed or struck.

   In taking these steps the expanse of God’s grace will become more real to us and to those we share it with. What is more, God’s grace will show itself through us and impact others. More than anything, as we see the prevalence and necessity of grace in every part of life, we will find ourselves overwhelmed by gratefulness for it."

     He is right. If there is anything we need to reflect on more it is the grace of God -- both His common everyday grace and His particular saving grace. His grace in the ordinary, and His grace in the extraordinary. The expressions of His can't-deny-it grace in the miraculous happenings of life, and the expressions of His grace in the unnoticed beating of our hearts and breathing of our lungs.

   It's all grace. That's why Paul could write in I Corinthians 4:7: "Who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive [and he means, 'as a gift from God']?"  And what's the answer Paul expects to those questions? 1.) God, and 2.) Nothing! He makes that clear in Acts 17:25 where we read of God: "He Himself gives us life and breath and EVERYTHING else."

     Every time I breathe, or feel my heart beat, it is a reminder to be thankful to the Creator and Sustainer of all life.  And that is the purpose of reflecting on grace -- it produces within us (or should produce within us) an habitual attitude of gratefulness.

     How could one ever pause to consider what they as a sinner deserve, look at what they as a sinner have received, and not be grateful?  Although one could look at all they received and not be grateful if they simply remove one word from that sentence - the word "sinner."  For that one word removes every person on earth from the category of being "deserving," and places them into the category of "undeserving."  Remove that one word from the mix and I suppose people could look at all they've received and justify bickering and complaining instead of being thankful for God's incessant, everywhere, in-your-face, over-the-top grace.

To Him alone be the glory,  Pastor Jeff