How an Athiest and a Christian give Thanks!

Dear Crosswalkers,

The great Christian writer from a previous generation, G.K. Chesterton, wrote this:

"The worst moment for the atheist is when he is really thankful and has nobody to thank! The converse of this proposition is also true … . The great saint may be said to mix all his thoughts with thanks. All goods look better when they look like gifts … . It is the highest and holiest of the paradoxes that the man who really knows he cannot pay his debt will be forever paying it … . He will be always throwing things away into a bottomless pit of unfathomable thanks."

In the Bible, we see that a distinguishing hallmark of those who love the Lord is that they have grateful, glad and generous hearts.  For example, in Romans 1 we read about those who have decided to say NO to God.  In fact, this is a description of those who the Bible says are wicked people, who intentionally suppress the truth about God: 

Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused.                    - Romans 1:21

Some people, instead of being grateful that God created them in his image, have decided to create for themselves a god in their own image.  This is what we see in our world all the time.  In fact there was an interesting interview done with a well known Christian evangelist who says that people in today’s world, for the most part, don’t disbelieve in God.  They just think the God of the Bible is morally inferior to themselves.  This blows my mind! In other words, many people are aware of passages in the OT where God commands Israel to wipe some people out, or they misunderstand the Bible’s teaching on hell, and they conclude that they are morally superior to the God who made them!  In 2 Tim. 3:2 we read this about what people will be like in the end times: 

For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred.                                                                                                             - 2 Timothy 3:2

Widespread ungratefulness is a mark of the moral decay which will be prominent during the last days.  By sharp contrast, throughout the Bible we are told that God's people are to be known for their thankful hearts.  A hallmark of biblical people, a core value and central characteristic of followers of Jesus is this:  We are grateful people!  The psalmist says,

I will praise the name of God with a song; I will magnify him with thanksgiving.                                                                                                                                          - Psalms 69:30 (NRSV)

This Sunday we will look at Hebrews 12:1-3.  As a result of our series, "Heroes By Faith" that we concluded last Sunday, this passage shows us some great things to be thankful for!  

May the Lord bless you and your family with a wonderful and happy Thankgiving celebration!  I am grateful for putting you in my life, and I hope to see you Sunday! 

Love in Jesus,

Pastor John Christie

How Important is Your Reputation?

Dear Crosswalkers,
A few years ago, Sports Illustrated magazine carried an interesting story about a seven year old first baseman name Tanner Munsey, who played T-Ball in Wellington, Florida.  Now what does it take for a seven year old to wind up on the pages of Sports Illustrated?

Here’s the story:  A kid hit a ground ball, which Tanner fielded.  He then tried to tag a runner going from first to second base.   Unfortunately, he missed the tag.  However, the umpire, Laura Benson, called the runner out.  Umpires are human!  Young Tanner immediately ran to her side and said, “Ma’am, I didn’t tag the runner.”   As a result of his confession, Benson reversed herself and sent the runner to second base.  Two weeks later, Laura Benson was again the umpire and this time Tanner was playing shortstop. Tanner again tried to tag out a runner going to third base, and Benson ruled that Tanner missed the tag and called the runner safe.  Tanner, obviously disappointed, did not argue the call and simply tossed the ball to the pitcher and returned to his position.  Benson asked Tanner what was wrong, and Tanner quietly said he’d tagged the boy.  This time, Benson shouted to the runner on third base, “You’re out!” When the opposing coach rushed the field to protest, Benson explained what had happened two weeks before, saying, “If a kid is that honest, I have to give it to him.”  He earned a good reputation, and then enjoyed the blessings of it!

This Sunday, we will be looking at the last two verses of Hebrews 11 –

All these people earned a good reputation because of their faith, yet none of them received all that God had promised.  For God had something better in mind for us, so that they would not reach perfection without us (Hebrews 11:39-40).

How important is it for you to earn a good reputation?  That is one of the questions we will consider as we look at these important verses!

Saturday is our Men’s Breakfast.  We are looking forward to an awesome time as we look at “A Few Good Men–On Mission!” This will be a great challenge for us, and we will enjoy a great breakfast in the process!  We start at 8:30 a.m. and encourage all men to be a part of this exciting ministry!

This Sunday at noon we are offering a lunch for all who are coming to the Welcome Class.  The class will begin at 12:30 and end at 2:30.  This is your chance to learn more about Crosswalk and how you can be a part of what God is doing in us and through us.  I will be teaching this interactive class!  You can reply to this email if you would like to come, or simply show up!  This will be the last Welcome Class for the year of our Lord, 2010!

Love in Jesus,

Pastor John Christie

“Pardon our Dust Once More”

This Sunday we will have one more day of minor inconvenience due to construction work in our parking lot!  Most of the parking spaces should be available to you, but please be careful to any areas under construction.

Relationships 101

Dear Crosswalkers,
This weekend Leanna and I will be leading a marriage retreat at Lake Tahoe.  One of the teaching points will be on the glaring need in marriage and in all relationship to become the right person, the person God wants us to be.

But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. – John 1:12

The keyword here is become.  In order to become the right person for someone else, we need to become the right person for God and for ourselves.  The first step is to become a Christian.  You will never find happiness outside of yourself, until you will find happiness within yourself.  It’s all about becoming the person God wants you to be, and it all starts by saying yes to faith in Jesus Christ.  There is a third person you need to help your marriage and your friendships to thrive, and that person is Jesus.  He can teach you how to forgive, and how to heal, and how to start over.  Most importantly, he can teach you how to love.  But it all begins with inviting Christ into your life.

For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son… – Romans 8:29

Again, our key word is become.  God’s plan for your life is to become more like Jesus.  It’s all about your character.  The key to developing a healthy relationship with someone else is that you are forever in the process of becoming the person God made you to be.

Dr. Les and Leslie Parrott wrote a book called, Relationships.  It’s based on a course they teach at Seattle Pacific University called Relationship 101.  It’s a very popular class.  Here’s what they tell the students on the first day of class:

“This class is pass/fail.  You don’t have to take notes.  But if you want to learn about relationships, here is one sentence we want you to write down.  It will affect every relationship you have.  However much you understand this sentence and apply it, all your relationships are transformed.  But if you don’t understand or are unwilling to do what this sentence says, your relationships will be dysfunctional.”  This is the sentence:

“If you attempt to build intimacy with a person before you’ve done the hard work of becoming a whole and healthy person, every relationship will be an attempt to complete the hole in your heart and the lack of what you don’t have.  That relationship will end in disaster.”

OK, it’s two sentences, but the second sentence is just a consequence from the truth of the first sentence.  Do you hear what they are saying?  If you are unhappy now, finding someone else will not make you happy.  What will happen is you will continually take and take from the relationship to fill your own emptiness and that will only make the two of you miserable.  The issue is to become a whole and healthy person, then and only then are you equipped to have a whole and healthy relationship with someone else.

Please be in prayer for us as we minister to marriages this weekend!  At Crosswalk, David Bolhorst will bring the message from Matthew 9:35-38.  Please read this passage in advance and come ready to hear the call of God on your life!

Also, we are beginning a 4 week drive to collect food and/or toys for the underprivileged this Christmas.  Please bring a jar of peanut butter or a can of tuna fish; or if you are a toy person, a toy for a boy or girl aged 7-12 sometime during the next 4 weeks!  Thank you for making Crosswalk a church who honors the Lord for our community!

Love in Jesus,

Pastor John Christie

P.S.  Thank you for your prayers for our Pastor to Children and Youth and their families, Peggy Graves.  She underwent successful surgery last Friday and is now on a strong antibiotic to fight the infection.  Please pray for her continued healing!  She hopes to rejoin us next week!

“Pardon our Dust”

This Sunday please avoid the construction work in our parking lot!  Most of the parking spaces should be available to you, but be sensidive to any areas under construction.  Inconveniences should be minimal.

Bieber fever?

Dear Crosswalkers,
Justin Drew Bieber is the latest in a long line of teenaged heartthrobs.  First there was Rudy Vallee, then Frank Sinatra, then Elvis, then the Beatles, then a long line of short timers, and the latest is Bieber. The Canadian Bieber was discovered in 2008 by Scooter Braun, who was searching You Tube for new talent and came across Bieber’s videos.  He was impressed.   Braun arranged for him to meet with Usher, and Bieber was soon signed to a recording contract with Island Records.  The rest, as they say, is history.

Bieber was raised by his mom to love Jesus.  Recently he was interviewed by the Associated Press, and asked how he reconciled his faith with the temptations of Hollywood.  Here’s what he said:

Hollywood is … a scary place. There’s a lot going on, there’s a lot of bad things, but there’s also a lot of good things. I’m able to live my dream, I’m able to do a lot of good things … I’m a Christian, I believe in God, I believe that Jesus died on a cross for my sins. I believe that I have a relationship and I’m able to talk to Him and really, He’s the reason I’m here, so I definitely have to remember that. As soon as I start forgetting, I’ve got to click back and be like, you know, this is why I’m here.

May the Lord always help us to remember why we are here!  Every Sunday we gather to remember.  The first Sunday of the month is especially a time to remember as we share in the Lord’s Supper together.

This Lord’s Day we will honor our Veterans, and we will continue our series entitled “Heroes by Faith.”  We will see that faith makes a difference in every aspect of our lives.  Here is a great quote from Benjamin Kwashi, Nigerian archbishop at the Lausanne Congress in Cape Town, South Africa:

“Whenever and wherever the gospel is truly lived, it must bring change in behavior, etiquette and character; it must bring change in health, in the environment, in education and the economy; it must bring progress and development to people and take the lead in community life and conduct for peace and justice.”

I hope to see you Sunday!

Love in Jesus,

Pastor John Christie

P.S.  Please be in prayer for our Pastor to Children and Youth and their families, Peggy Graves.  An infection was discovered in the hip area where she recently had hip replacement surgery.  She is scheduled for surgery on Friday at noon to determine the extent of the infection and take the necessary steps to repair it.  Please Pray!

ELECTION 2010
I don’t know about you, but with all the negative ads I’m sure glad the political season is over, if only for a year or so!  Election time is always a time to remember to pray for our elected leaders, as the Bible instructs us.  Here are some election results from across the country that are related to faith issues, according to Focus on the Family:

In Iowa, three state Supreme Court justices who had previously ruled in favor of same-sex marriage, were removed. This marks the first time voters have rejected members of Iowa’s high court since the current retention system began in 1962.
Pro-marijuana initiatives in California, South Dakota and Arizona all lost. California’s Proposition 19 would have legalized marijuana for recreational use, making it the first state in the country to do so.
In Oklahoma, an amendment was approved by 70 to 30 percent, to prohibit the use of international law, such as Islamic Sharia law, in state courts.
In Colorado, a “personhood” amendment, that would have protected all human life from “the beginning of biological development”, was defeated 70 to 30 percent.
Interestingly, nine of the new House members are pro-life medical doctors.
PARKING LOT RENOVATION

Please “pardon our dust” as for the next 8-10 days workers will be repairing our Parking Lot!  During this time, many of the center parking spaces will be closed (but not on Sunday!).  The dangerous roots will be removed, and the concrete tree planters will be replaced, and new asphalt will be installed.  The parking lot will be level again and free from trip hazards!  Temporary parking lines will be painted.  Next spring, the project will be completed with an application of pavement crack filler, then an emulsion sealer, and lastly permanently painted parking spaces.  Sorry for any inconvenience this may cause.  Many thanks to all who contributed toward this project!

Halloween, Hell Houses, and Hope!

Dear Crosswalkers,

This Sunday is “All Hallows Eve”, aka Halloween.  Halloween’s origins date back to the Celts, who lived 2,000 years ago in the area that is now Ireland, the United Kingdom, and northern France.  The Celts celebrated their new year on November 1, because to them it marked the end of sun and summer and the beginning of the cold, dark winter.  It was a time they associated with death.  Celts believed that on October 31, the night before their “new year,” the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead became blurred. On that night they celebrated the festival of Samhain, when it was believed that the ghosts of the dead returned to earth.  Then Christianity began to have a greater influence in Celtic lands. In the seventh century, Pope Boniface IV designated November 1 “All Saints Day,” a time to honor the men and women of God who had been martyred or who had died.  The celebration was called All-hallows, and the night before it, the night of Samhain, began to be called All-hallows Eve and, eventually, Halloween.

Over the years, attitudes towards Halloween have been quite diverse among followers of Jesus.  Today, many Christians ascribe no negative significance to Halloween, treating it as a purely secular holiday devoted to harmless costumes and handing out candy.  These followers of Jesus are not in any way superstitious and to them Halloween holds no threat to the spiritual lives of children.  In fact, many use it as an opportunity to serve their community and potentially reach out to their community by providing a “safe and sane” way to celebrate.  They wish to model the hope we have in Christ by engaging the culture rather than doing battle with it.  Others take a more aggressive evangelistic approach and host “Hell Houses” that are meant to literally “scare the hell” out of people.  Evangelistic tracts are given to those leaving the “Hell Houses,” and opportunities given to make a commitment to follow Jesus.  Other believers have an understandable concern about Halloween, and may even choose to reject the holiday altogether because they feel it celebrates the occult.  Jesus is the author of life, and some feel it is not wise to participate in something that has its beginning as a pagan “festival of the dead.”

The attitude believers should have about Halloween is certainly something that is not taught in the Bible.  That makes it a “disputable matter” (Romans 14:1) in which we should “think and let think,” and understand that the faith we have, we have as our own conviction before God.  Therefore we exercise great love and forbearance toward differences in this regard.  At Crosswalk, we have chosen the first option presented above.  While we certainly agree that there are negative spiritual forces in the world that we battle every day, and that more aggressive evangelistic efforts are sometimes effective, we have basically chosen to allow our kids to have fun on this holiday and provide a Community Trick or Treat event for people to safely enjoy this cultural reality.  While candy isn’t healthy food, kids love candy and once a year to let kids dress up and get candy isn’t the worst thing in the world.  At our Community event we shun superstition and provide Bible themed carnival games and a good time.  It is also a chance for us to talk with others and share the hope we have in Christ.  Many thanks to all Crosswalkers who are helping with this event by bringing candy and volunteering to serve!

This Sunday morning is FAMILY DAY, which means our elementary kids will be in worship with us!  We will provide activity packs for the kids, and the message on the faith of David in overcoming the Giant Goliath (something of a ‘monster’ that fits in with Halloween!) will be kid friendly.  This will be a fun day at church, and I hope you will be there!

Love in Jesus,

Pastor John Christie