Overcoming Fears and Obstacles

Dear Crosswalkers,
We praise God for last week’s wonderful celebration of what God has done through Crosswalk Church in the past 10 ½ years!  I extend a great thanks to all who made it such an awesome day of praise and worship and celebrating!

This Sunday we jump back into our “Heroes by Faith” series, a study through the famous faith chapter of the Bible, Hebrews 11.  We will be looking at how BY FAITH, the walls of Jericho came tumbling down.  In this passage we will see some practical lessons for overcoming fears and obstacles in our lives.

Joshua was the leader of God’s people at this time.  He was a wonderful military champion because by God’s grace he overcame his fears and saw obstacles as inconsequential to those who live by faith.   This is what God says to Joshua:

“This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the

Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” – Joshua 1:9

Years back, there was a survey taken of what pests we fear most – #1 for men was wasps and bees.  The #1 fear for women was rats and mice.  What unites us is our fear of snakes.  Ophiophobia is the irrational fear of snakes.  David Shepherd, a professor at Southeastern University, did an experiment regarding people’s fear of snakes.  On a highway in Louisiana, he took rubber lifelike turtles and placed them on the highway.  All the motorists would swerve to miss the turtles.  Then he placed rubber snakes in the road, and found that not only would people not hesitate to run over the snakes, but they would even swerve out of their way to run over the snakes!  When the snake was placed off the road on the shoulder, some motorists even drove off the road to run over the snake!  One driver ran over the snake, stopped his car, backed up over the snake again, opened the car door and made sure his rear tire was on the snake, and then peeled out.  But even more interesting was a police officer.  He ran over the snake, backed up, ran over the snake two more times, then got out of his car, drew his service revolver and shot the rubber snake.  We all have fears.

The only way to overcome fears and obstacles is to face them BY FAITH!  This Sunday, I pray that God will help us overcome our fears and the obstacles that are always between us and God’s best for our lives.  As always, this is a great day to invite others to come and worship the Lord with you.  Good things are happening at Crosswalk!  Invite others to share in what God is doing!

Please pray that the Lord would propel us into the future and that all real and perceived obstacles will become irrelevant by virtue of our strong faith!

Love in Jesus,

Pastor John Christie

P.S. Thanks for everyone who brought rice and pasta in September for our partnership with Sunnyvale Community Services in feeding struggling familes in our area.  In October, we will collect Halloween candy for our Community Trick or Treat Outreach Event!


UPDATE ON PARKING LOT FUND!
Thanks to some additional gifts, including a generous gift from Sunnyvale Christian School, we have now received a grand total of $20,009.25 to our efforts to remove trip hazards and improve our parking lot!  For this we heartily praise God!  We actually have enough to do the minimal repairs needed to take out the hazards, but of course we would like to do the complete job, which would require between $8-10 thousand more.  We are over two thirds of the way there!!!

More than You and Me

Dear Crosswalkers,

Abraham Maslow was an American psychologist who seemed to specialize in original thought.  While most psychologists were studying mental illnesses and emotional problems, Maslow focused on happy people.  He wanted to know what influenced a person to be joyful and productive (what he called the "self-actualized" person).  Of course, volumes have been written about this, but I want to share with you one of his quotes that sums up his studies:  “Without exception, I have found that every person who is sincerely happy and radiantly alive is living for a cause that is greater than themselves.”

I am convinced that God made us for more than ourselves.  Jesus came to earth to save us from ourselves and our sin, and to introduce us to what he called the abundant life.  This is life in the Spirit of Jesus, a life of being connected to God and to others, and a life devoted to a cause greater than ourselves.  That cause is the Kingdom of God.  That cause for us is making Jesus known.  It is outreach, faith sharing and missions; and it is the only cause bigger than ourselves that is worth our absolute allegiance.  There was a book written several years ago on building strong marriages entitled More Than You and Me.  The premise is that successful marriages have a mission.  There is more to life that just you and me.  There is God’s mission to this world. 

This Sunday we are celebrating some milestones in our church family!  Over the past 11 years, we have raised over a million dollars for missions and over a million dollars to repay our debt.  This is on top of our investment in local ministry!  We are a generous church, and we are a church family that is not inward focussed but outward focussed.  This is the secret of joy - investing our lives is something greater than ourselves!  God has honored our focus, and we must praise the Lord from whom all blessings flow!  Please join us for a fantastic morning of worship and praise to God for his faithfulness to us, followed by an all church lunch!  

Looking forward to celebrating with you,

Pastor John Christie

I Just Wanna Testify!

Dear Crosswalkers,
God has given us each a life mission.  It is both a common mission that is for all followers of Jesus, and a custom mission, which is unique to us.  Here is the mission Jesus gave us:  “You will be my witnesses”  (Acts 1:8).  It is unique to us because we each have a story of what God has done in our lives.  In many ways, Crosswalk Church is based on this mission!  So today I want to share FOUR PRACTICAL WAYS TO BE A WITNESS in today’s world:

1.     Keep a Positive Attitude

We live in a negative world.  We live in a world where people have been beat up, abused, hurt, and disregarded.  We live in a world where many people love to be miserable.  People notice those who have a positive attitude.  People notice those who are different because they care.

“Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may

become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked

and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as

you hold out the word of life.” – Philippians 2:14-16

This Bible verse says you will shine like stars if you can maintain a positive attitude.  If you really believe that God is in control, and that no one can take away the greatest thing in the world, your relationship with him.  Your joy will enable you to be a witness for Jesus!

2.     Do Quality Work

“Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the

Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” – Col. 3:17

You see, we can represent Jesus by what we say and by what we do.  Both are crucial.  God wants us to be audio visual Christians.  And sometimes your greatest testimony for the Lord will be to do your job well, with a positive attitude.  You may say ‘It’s so hard to be positive where I work.  I work in such a negative environment.’  I know.  No one said it would be easy.  But God will help you to do your best to represent him where you are.

3.     Invite Others to Worship with you

“The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him,

‘We have found the Messiah’.  And he brought him to Jesus.” – John 2:41,42

Do you know that the apostle Peter, whose name was originally Simon, came into the church because his brother invited him to see Jesus?  Most people in a church family are there because someone invited them.  If you invited someone to worship with you, what’s the worst thing that can happen?  The worst thing that can happen is they’ll say no.  The best thing is that you can help someone get right with God.

4.    Tell Others About the Good News

“If only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus

has given me – the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace.” - Acts 20:24

This is a major challenge for most of us.  I’m pleased that our missionary on home leave, Angel Hernandez, is beginning  a new class called “Reimagining Evangelism in Your Lifestyle.”  Here telling others is simply inviting friends on a spiritual journey.  I want to encourage you to consider being a part of this class beginning next Wednesday evening!  Linda Jackson is also teaching a class for spiritual formation called “The Critical Journey.”  Both these classes will grow your faith.  Come early for dinner from 5:30 – 6:15 p.m., and then the classes start at 6:30!

Love in Jesus,

Pastor John


PASTOR ED TAYLOR PREACHES THIS SUNDAY!
We are honored to have a gifted preacher return to our pulpit this Sunday!  Pastor Ed will be bringing an exciting message entitled, “When Moses Saw God!”  This would be a great day to invite a friend to worship!

JOIN US FOR OUR MILLION DOLLAR CELEBRATION ON SEPT 26!
Sept 26 is CROSSWALK’S MILLION DOLLAR CELEBRATION with an ALL CHURCH LUNCH after worship!  We will gather to praise God for what he has done for us during the past 10 years in allowing us to give over a million dollars to missions and over a million dollars to our debt repayment!  Dr. Al Vom Steeg will be our preacher, and we will have video testimonies from around the globe!  This will be a SPECTACULAR SUNDAY!

The Wrong Kind of Publicity

Dear Crosswalkers,
Two items of religious note have been flooding the news this past week.  One is the controversy surrounding the plan to build a Mosque/Islamic Community Center near ground zero in New York, and the other is the small Pentecostal Church in Florida that plans to burn copies of the Qur’an on Saturday, September 11.  There have been so many pixels produced about these events I hesitate to add more, but I see two very important biblical principles that should be applied to both these situations.

The first is 1 Corinthians 10:23 - You say, “I am allowed to do anything”—but not everything is good for you. You say, “I am allowed to do anything”—but not everything is beneficial.

In this entire section, the Apostle Paul indicates that just because we are free to do something, or in American jargon, just because we have the right to do something, doesn’t mean we should do it!  The point is to act in love and do what is beneficial.  Of course in America those who want to build a Mosque near ground zero and those who want to burn Qur’ans have the “right” to do so.  But is it beneficial?  Here godly people can disagree, but in both cases, I would argue that it is probably not beneficial (although of course one cannot expect Muslims to apply biblical wisdom in their situation).

A second biblical principle is found in 1 Peter 3:15-16 – Instead, 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 news seems to change every day regarding the proposed Qur’an burning.  Will he or won’t he? is the question being asked of Pastor Terry Jones and his congregation.  As of this writing, the burning has been suspended.  Unfortunately, some other small congregations are taking up the slack.  One confused congregation plans to burn both the Qur’an and the American flag!  What happened to our charge to “love our enemies”? And what about the verse quoted above that says to explain your Christian hope to a confused world, but “do this in a gentle and respectful way”?  Burning the Qur’an is clearly disrespectful, and it not only dishonors our Lord and is counter-productive to an authentic Christian witness; but it puts the lives of missionaries, Jesus followers, and even American troops living and serving in Muslim countries at risk.

In our everyday lives, these are two lessons to live by:  1. Just because we have the right to do something doesn’t mean we should do it; and 2.  May we take our stand for Jesus in a firm, unyielding, but respectful way.  Then we shine with his light!

I hasten to add that while this Qur’an burning event is the wrong kind of publicity for the cause of Christ, there are opportunities here to show clearly the differences between Christian and Muslim worldviews.  Here’s just one example:  Muslims seem to hold that printed copies of the Qur’an are more holy than human life!  Riots and death ensue across the globe whenever Muslim sensibilities get offended.  Christians hold that the Bible is holy, but not the printed paper.  What is holy is the living and active word of God!  Human life is also holy, because people are made in the image and likeness of God.  Therefore when Muslims burn Bibles and crosses, there will be no riots and death threats.  Of course, there are many other points of contrasts as well.

May God bless our thoughtful witness for his glory!

Love in Jesus,

Pastor John


PARKING LOT PROJECT FUND GROWS
To date we have received $15,211.50 to our project to repair and recover our Parking Lot!  Praise God!!  Special thanks for those who have already given to this practical need!  IF YOU CAN HELP,  PLEASE EARMARK YOUR CHECK OR YOUR ONLINE GIFT (at crosswalkchurch.com) “Parking Lot.”

GREAT EVENTS!

The Brightest Star in the Heavens!

Dear Crosswalkers,
There is a new brightest star in the heavens!  Last month, Paul Crowther, professor of astrophysics from the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Sheffield, announced that he and his research team had discovered a star that is the heaviest and brightest ever found in all the universe.  The mass of the star is roughly 265 times that of our sun. But that’s small potatoes compared to the luminosity of this giant. How many times brighter is this star than our own sun?

Hold on to your hats!  The star is currently named R136a1, and it is not a hundred times brighter or a thousand times brighter than our sun. That would be remarkable.  It is not a million times brighter!  This newly identified star is ten million times brighter than our sun!  Unbelievable!!  A welders helmet and a thousand Ray Bans couldn’t help you gaze in the direction of this big boy.  How can anything be that bright?

Here’s a remarkable verse:

For at just the right time Christ will be revealed from heaven by the blessed and only almighty God, the King of all kings and Lord of all lords. He alone can never die, and he lives in light so brilliant that no human can approach him. No human eye has ever seen him, nor ever will. All honor and power to him forever! Amen. – 1 Timothy 6:15-16 (NLT)

It’s amazing to consider that R136a1 is a little black speck on the hindquarters of a field mouse compared to the greatness of the God we worship!

Speaking of worship, this Sunday our missionary from Paraguay, Angel Hernandez will bring a special message for us.  We will also hear from our mission team who has recently returned from Paraguay.  It will be a great Sunday!   See you then!

Love in Jesus,

Pastor John Christie

UPDATE ON FACILITY NEED
Special Thanks for those who have already given $5,559.00 to our Parking Lot project!  IF YOU CAN HELP WITH THIS PROJECT, PLEASE EARMARK YOUR CHECK OR YOUR ONLINE GIFT (at crosswalkchurch.com) “Parking Lot.”

BIG ANNOUNCEMENTS!!
Aug 28 – TOMORROW!  Women’s Brunch in our gym!
Aug 29 – SUNDAY!  All Church Picnic at Las Palmas Park – We provide BBQed hot dogs, plates and fixings, and a variety of beverages.  YOU NEED TO BRING:  A SIDE DISH TO SHARE, and if you wish, your own meat for the BBQ.  We will have a relaxed time together with some cool games and great fellowship!
Sept 12 – CROSSWALK’S CORE CLASSES
Sept 26 – CROSSWALK’S MILLION DOLLAR CELEBRATION with a catered Lunch after worship!  This will be an awesome celebration of what God has done through us during the past 10 years!

Moses & Superman!

Dear Crosswalkers,A few months ago, Psychology Today magazine carried a story entitled, Moses and Superman? In it, the new book America's Prophet, by Bruce Feiler is highlighted.  The book explains how Moses has been used to promote American ideals for centuries.  From the Pilgrims to the Civil Rights movement and beyond, Moses provided a narrative for escaping oppression of all kinds. The article focuses on the influential use of Moses in pro-American propaganda through the character of Superman, who went from comic book hero to TV star to movie star.  The creators of Superman, Jerome Siegel and Joseph Schuster, were Jewish kids who apparently used their knowledge of Hebrew history to create a modern "Moses."  Psychology Today, predictably, says Siegel and Schuster were "channeling their religious anxieties through comic books." Anyway, here is the points of contact: 1) Moses born into a world where people faced annihilation; Krypton (Superman's home planet) also faced extinction; 2) Baby Moses is put into a small basket and floated down the Nile by his mother; Kal-El (Superman's original name) is put into a rocket ship and sent to Earth by his father; 3.) Moses is rescued by a daughter of the pharaoh; Kal-El is rescued by Martha and Jonathan Kent; 4.) Like Moses, Superman is raised in an alien environment where he must conceal his true identity. 5.) Moses receives a calling from God through a burning bush to liberate his people from tyranny; young Clark discovers the green crystal in the shed in Smallville, it "calls" to him and bids him trek north. The crystal creates his home where he learns who he is and receives direction from the spirit of his father, Jor-El.  He uses his powers to liberate humanity from evildoers. Another key point:  The book and article point out that Moses is the leader of Israel or Yisra-el in Hebrew---translated as "one who strives with God." El was a common name for God, and appears in the Bible as Elohim, El Shaddai, and many other such designations. Kal-El, in the Superman comic book means "swift God" in Hebrew! This Sunday we will look at the faith of Moses!  Not only is Moses a "super hero" to generations of Hebrew and Christian families; not only has he been an amazing part of American culture; but his faith can help us become heroes of faith to our generation!  THIS SUNDAY is a great day to invite friends and family to join you for church! Love in Jesus, Pastor John Christie

PARKING LOT PROJECT GAINS TRACTION!To date we have received $13,524 to our project to repair and recover our Parking Lot!  We are halfway there!!  Special thanks for those who have already given to this practical need!  IF YOU CAN HELP WITH THIS PROJECT, PLEASE EARMARK YOUR CHECK OR YOUR ONLINE GIFT (at crosswalkchurch.com) "Parking Lot."

GET CONNECTED THIS SEPTEMBER!This is a big month for us.  Sept 12 features our CORE CLASSES; Sept 19 will be a BAPTISM SERVICE; and on Wednesday, Sept 22 we will reignite our Midweek Miracle of Dinner for All, New small groups and teaching groups, and our children's Christmas musical celebration program.  At the end of the month, on Sept 26 is CROSSWALK’S MILLION DOLLAR CELEBRATION with a catered Lunch after worship!  This will be an awesome celebration of what God has done through us during the past 10 years!  Plan to get connected this September!!