Why Christmas Eve is So Important!

Dear Crosswalkers,

According to recent reports, Toys “R” Us wants to take over Christmas!  Well, maybe not replace Jesus or anything crazy like that, but according to USA Today they do plan to “invade the mall this holiday season, opening 600 ‘Express’ stores in malls and other shopping centers around the country, more than six times last year’s count, and hiring 10,000 seasonal workers.” CEO Gerald Storch said, “We’ve been very aggressive during the economic downturn, and this is another aggressive action.”

Consumerism is by nature aggressive.  How aggressive should the church of Jesus be in sharing good news at Christmas?

Here’s something to think about:  There are really two big Christian holidays:  Easter and Christmas.  Easter always falls on a Sunday.  Christmas has never been Sunday-specific.  Following a tradition that goes back to the Puritans, Christmas is only celebrated on Sunday when the calendar dictates it.  But Evangelical churches have by tradition and practice chosen Christmas Eve to celebrate the birth of Christ.

One writer put it like this: “Christmas Eve services are a last bastion against the rampant materialism and secularism that threatens to overwhelm the true meaning of the season, keeping the birth of Christ in the center of our hearts and celebrations.”

Given these cultural realities, it is imperative for us to prioritize keeping Christ in Christmas and worshiping the Lord on Christmas Eve.  It is a way for us to leverage the positive pull of the season to glorify the Lord.  That’s why we make invitation cards for our Christmas Eve service.  Would you please invite friends and family to join you in church on Christmas Eve?  You can trust it will be a lovely and elegant service, and the gospel will be presented in a compelling manner.  The service will be on Friday evening, December 24, at 5:00 p.m.   We will conclude within an hour.  See you there!

Here is a lovely Christmas prayer I found, written by an anonymous believer from the 10th century:

Lord Jesus Christ,

You are our eternal salvation,

The unfailing light of the world.

Light everlasting,

You are truly our redemption.

Grieving that the human race was perishing through the tempter’s power,
without leaving the heights You came to the depths in your loving kindness.

Readily taking our humanity by Your gracious will,
You saved all earthly creatures, long since lost,

Restoring joy to the world.

Redeem our souls and bodies, O Christ,
and so possess us as Your shining dwellings.

By Your first coming, make us righteous;
At your second coming, set us free:
So that, when the world is filled with light
and you judge all things,
We may be clad in Your spotless robes
and follow in Your steps, O King,
into the heavenly hall.

May God possess us as his shining dwellings!!!

Merry Christmas!

Love in Jesus,

Pastor John Christie

Good for Goodness Sake?

Dear Crosswalkers,
Are we to be “good for goodness sake,” as the Christmas carol implores, or is there something deeper behind the goodness we see in the world, especially around Christmas time?

Chuck Colson wrote an article entitled “The Problem of Goodness,” in which he explores this theme.   He writes, “The same person who cut you off in traffic last month may be ladling soup at the local homeless shelter …  Our favorite Christmas movies and stories are rife with examples of generosity.” He goes on to struggle with the reason behind the goodness of the season.  Why do we do good?  Here’s an example he gives from his own life:

“I was struck by this when attending a special-needs basketball game for my autistic grandson, Max. He played alongside about 30 children who suffered from autism, Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, and other conditions. The gym was filled not just with parents, but with volunteers and coaches who donated their time for these kids on a regular basis. But why are they doing this?”

He then draws from Darwin’s theory of natural selection to question our goodness by noting that natural selection can’t explain why we’re kind to others with special needs.  ”According to this theory,” He writes, “so-called weaker ones like these children would have been eliminated.” Instead, Colson notes:

“Christians understand that while all of us are born with the capacity to selfishness and cruelty, we are also capable of caring for others. Because we are created in the image of God, we not only don’t have to struggle against our neighbors for survival, we can love them and even willingly die for them.”

Along the same lines, what explains our generosity, especially at Christmas time?  Research conducted by Harris Interactive in the last quarter of 2010 shows that while Americans are continuing to tighten their financial belts, they are still finding ways to give where it counts. For example:

Nearly 7 in 10 adults (69%) say they will spend less money on holiday presents this year. In 2009, only 57%said they would be spending less.
Yet 48% of Americans are still willing to donate their time and money to causes they believe in.
31% say they will give smaller amounts to charities this year.
About half of Americans (51%) say they are now more likely to give a charitable gift as a holiday present.
71% say they plan to increase their giving once the economy improves.
This report is clearly a mixed bag.  However, the point is that we are inclined to give financially as well as do good at Christmastime.  Why?

Could it be that, as the Bible says, we are created to be like God?  Could it be that our culture is still influenced by the one whose birthday Christmas celebrates?  Could it be that our call is to give and do good deeds, not for goodness’ sake but for Jesus’ sake?    About Jesus, the Bible says,

“Because of God’s tender mercy, the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us,  to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, and to guide us to the path of peace (Luke 1:78-79).”

Please consider two things:

1)   Invite someone to church with you, especially on Christmas Eve.  We have Christmas songs, a devotional, and a wonderful candle lighting ceremony.  No offering will be taken.  Invite your friends and family to come, and come early because this tends to be a full house.

2)  Give a special Christmas gift to honor the Lord.  At Crosswalk, we have been able to barely stay in the black through November this year.   The emphasis is on BARELY!  December brings a lot of end of year expenses.  If you could give a Christmas gift to the Lord through his church, it would help us immensely as we continue to reach out to a needy world in the name of Jesus!

This Sunday we will see that Christmas is a time to rebuild family relationships, and then Christmas Eve will show us that Christmas is a time to renew our faith.

Love in Jesus,

Pastor John Christie

MENS MINISTRY EXCELS!
Last Tuesday, the Crosswalk men served at Sunnyvale Community Center by stocking pantries, distributing food, and greeting needy families.  We had 20 men participate in this service, and the director of SCC had nothing but glowing admiration and appreciation to the enthusiasm our men brought to the task.  Thank you, men!!!  Our men will be meeting for breakfast this Saturday, Dec 18 at 8:30 a.m. for the best darn breakfast in town, plus an inspiring program! I hope to see you there!!

How to Defeat the Darkness!

Dear Crosswalkers, C.S. Lewis began the third book in his Narnia series, "The Voyage of the Dawn Treader" with these words: "There was a boy called Eustace Clarence Scrubb, and he almost deserved it."  Immediately the reader is drawn into a wonder filled story of fantasy that very much speaks of reality.  Leanna and I went to a special screening of the new Dawn Treader movie a couple weeks ago.  Admittedly, I have a bias toward these stories as I read them when I was in college and then again to my children when they were young.  Frankly, while I enjoyed the first two films of the series, I also thought they were flawed in their presentation.  This third film of the series is by far the best.  The special effects are great, the story moves along nicely, and the Christian message, while somewhat understated, is nevertheless there for the discerning moviegoer to absorb.  The story goes like this:  Lucy and Edmund Pevensie return to Narnia in the splashy beginning of the film with their cousin Eustace.  There they meet up with King Caspian for a trip across the sea aboard the royal ship “The Dawn Treader.”  Caspian is sailing to the Lone Islands in search of the missing seven Lords of Telmar.  They journey on an island hopping adventure, meeting dragons and dwarves as they get closer to the foreboding Dark Island.  Along the way, the kids face various temptations:  Edmund by greed and power, Lucy by beauty.  They must overcome the temptations, and the evil powers of the Dark Island, in order to journey on.  Eventually, their voyage leads them to the end of the world:  Aslan’s country!  (For those who are unschooled in the ways of Narnia, Aslan is a regal lion who is a Christ figure).  I highly recommend this movie, even though parents should be aware that some of the battle scenes on Dark Island may be too intense and scary for very young children. Meanwhile, in the real world, there are competitors for your entertainment dollar.  Some of these competitors remind us of the darkness in our world.  For example, the nominees to receive the most prestigious awards in the music industry, the Grammy Awards, were recently announced. Among the five nominees for Record of the Year is a song titled "F--- You," with the F-word, of course, spelled out and pronounced.  It is a song that also contains the S-word and the N-word.  Honestly, how does a song like this get nominated for the highest of awards in the music business?  Social commentator Dennis Prager says it’s because many of those in the entertainment industry are “dedicated to lowering that which is elevated, destroying that which uplifts, and to profaning that which is held sacred.” Adding to the decay is this news item:  A week ago, CNS News' Penny Starr wrote about an exhibit in Washington DC: "The federally funded National Portrait Gallery, one of the museums of the Smithsonian Institution, is currently showing an exhibition that features images of an ant-covered Jesus, male genitalia, naked brothers kissing, men in chains, Ellen DeGeneres grabbing her breasts and a painting the Smithsonian itself describes in the show's catalog as 'homoerotic.'" Other commentators reported on the vulgar and shocking nature of this exhibit, funded by your tax payer dollars!  Reacting to this news were Congressmen John Boehner and Eric Cantor, who strongly suggested the exhibit could imperil Smithsonian funding.  Apparently, Money talks!  The Smithsonian promptly removed the exhibit and I believe it is now featured in a private art museum nearby.  There is a lot of darkness in the world today.  But this darkness has always been with us.  It was there in the garden when the Tempter whispered, “Did God really say…?”  It was there on the first Christmas, where a hate filled King Herod slaughtered the baby boys in Bethlehem in a mad desire to extinguish the light of the world.  How do we overcome the darkness in our world?  This brings us back to the “Voyage of the Dawn Treader,” where one of the characters gives this wise advice:  “To defeat the darkness out there you must first defeat the darkness within yourself.” This is possible only with divine help.  What are you feeding your soul?  This Christmas, let’s agree to focus on letting the light shine into our darkness.  This Sunday we will have a great day of worship.  Our series continues with “Christmas is a time to let go of our fears.”  Pastor Mike Jones is preaching in our 9:00 a.m. service on that theme, and in our 10:35 a.m. service the children are presenting a musical “MK Christmas.”  There is something for everyone this Sunday!! Love in Jesus, Pastor John Christie

What do Do When You've Dropped the Ball!

Dear Crosswalkers,

Steve Johnson is the star wide receiver for the Buffalo Bills football team.  He is having a great year.  In fact, I happen to have him on my fantasy league team.  Last Sunday, he had a perfect pass in his hands that would have given his team an overtime victory over the heavily favored Steelers.  He would be either the hero or the goat.  BAAAAA!  He dropped the ball!  Devastated, the 24-year-old watched in horror as the Steelers marched down the field for the game-winning field goal.  "I had the game in my hands and I dropped it," Johnson told reporters after Sunday's game. "Humbled. Humbled… I'll never get over it. Ever."

    What made even greater news is that after          the game, he sent a twitter message venting    his frustration and seemingly blaming God for    the dropped pass!  This is what he wrote:

    I PRAISE YOU 24/7!!!!!! AND THIS HOW YOU DO     ME!!!!! YOU EXPECT ME TO LEARN FROM THIS?     HOW?!!! ILL NEVER FORGET THIS!! EVER!!! 

    THX THO…

Interesting that he says at the end, “THX THO…”  Thanks for other blessings?  Or Thanks for nothing!  Only Steve knows for sure!

One skeptic commented that players often thank God after a victory, so it’s refreshing to see God get blamed after a loss.  But is it healthy to blame everything on God?  If we’re honest, privately we do wonder why God doesn’t bless us with victory after victory.  Or at least a respite from some defeats!  We do blame God.  We do have a natural tendency to deflect blame and responsibility from ourselves and shift it to someone else.  God is an easy target.

The NT says, If we say we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and refusing to accept the truth. But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from every wrong (1 John 1:8-9).

These verses say we need to be honest with God.  Then we can experience forgiveness and freedom.  The passage goes on to say that then we are also free to be honest with ourselves and with each other. 

It’s hard for some of us to do this.  There are two great obstacles to honesty:  One is growing up in a family where honesty wasn’t valued, but appearances were.  And the other is a fear of rejection, or a fear of being hurt again. 

The Bible says it’s best to be honest and admit where we are weak, where you have sins, where we’ve blown it.  Those of you who are in a recovery program know that you’re only as sick as your secrets.  This is what I love about NA and AA – you admit your weakness and get help from the group.  You say, “This is where I’m at,” and you admit it.  Well we’re all in recovery.  We are all SIN positive people and we all need the healing that honesty opens the door for. 

One Wednesday of this week, Steve Johnson talked candidly about his controversial tweet.  “God is everything,” he said. “I feel like he’s the Creator, and he’s 100 per cent good. I simply just asked ‘Why?’ I was not blaming him or any of that. Why would I? But it happened, and the way people took it, is the way they took it. They can say what they want, it’s fine with me. I’m still going to keep doing what I have to do to keep being a good receiver.”  Johnson went on to say he’s been getting a tremendous amount of support from his teammates, friends, family, and even Buffalo’s all-time leading receiver, Andre Reed, who called him on Tuesday.  What did the great receiver tell Johnson?  “He just said it happens to the best of us,” Johnson said.

This Sunday we’re beginning a new series of messages entitled “The Time of the Season.”  The New Testament says that “When the right time came, God sent his Son....” (Galatians 4:4).  Christmas is that magical place where time and eternity met, and the world has never been the same.  In this series we will see that Christmas is the right time to receive forgiveness, release fears, rebuild relationships, renew faith, and refresh hope!  We will kick it off this week by looking at Christmas being the right time to receive forgiveness,  and as part of our service we will celebrate the Lord’s Supper! 

Love in Jesus,

Pastor John Christie

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

The Most Precious Treasure!

Dear Crosswalkers,

This past week I had the opportunity to congratulate one of our members on becoming an American citizen.  Over the years, a number of Crosswalkers have been granted citizenship.  It is a time of great joy!  At the same time, I came across a wonderful story written by former British Prime Minister Tony Blair in his 2010 memoir, A Journey: My Political Life:

A friend of mine whose parents were immigrants, Jews from Europe who came to America in search of safety, told me this story. His parents lived and worked in New York. They were not well off. His father died when he was young. His mother lived on, and in time my friend succeeded and became wealthy. He often used to offer his mother the chance to travel outside America. She never did. When eventually she died, they went back to recover the safety box where she kept her jewelry. They found there another box. There was no key. So they had to drill it open. They wondered what precious jewel must be in it. They lifted the lid. There was wrapping and more wrapping and finally an envelope. Intrigued, they opened it. In the envelope were her U.S. citizenship papers. Nothing more. That was the jewel, more precious to her than any other possession. That was what she treasured most.

That is quite a story!  This is what the Bible says:

But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives.  And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior! – Philippians 3:20

So this is our most precious possession:  Citizenship in heaven!  Every Sunday we get to celebrate our new home, our new reality!  This Sunday we will look at “Surprising Stories of Faith.”  It never ceases to amaze me that God delights in using deeply flawed and unlikely people to accomplish his purposes.  So often we want to disqualify ourselves when God delights to use people like us!  See you Sunday, and please remember to help  with our upcoming Community Trick or Treat event by bringing a bag of Halloween candy!

Love in Jesus,

Pastor John Christie

NEW CLASSES NEXT WEDNESDAY!

We resume our wonderful Wednesday evening dinners (from 5:30 – 6:20 p.m.) next week!  The children are rehearsing for their Christmas program entitled “Christmas Around the World!”  Adults have two classes to choose from:

1.  Building Bridges into Your Community: This class is led by Angel Hernandez and will help us practically to be known as people who care about those around us.  Jesus was a bridge builder, and so was the early church.  We can be too.  I personally want Crosswalk to be known as the church in Sunnyvale that connects with the needs of our community.

2.  A Deeper Look into the Trustworthiness of the Bible:  For those who are interested in the evidence for the reliablility of the Bible, this class is for you.

PARKING LOT FUND GOAL HAS BEEN REACHED!!

Many thanks to those who so generously contributed to this project.  Upon completion, this will make Crosswalk a safer and more beautiful environment for our guests, friends, school, and members!  YOUR GIVING IS APPRECIATED!

The Miracle of the Mine

Dear Crosswalkers,
It was compelling to watch the so called “Miracle of the Mine” rescue on the news this week!  On August 5th, a copper and gold mine in Chile caved in.  Thirty-three miners had miraculously survived the disaster and were trapped in a rescue chamber 2,300 feet beneath the surface.  The president of Chile, Sebastian Pinera, made it his government’s top priority to rescue the trapped miners, and technical help poured in from across the globe.  There was a “Paloma”, a small hole through which food and water could be sent to the miners (paloma is Spanish for “pigeon” or “dove”).  Meanwhile, work began to drill a 28-inch hole down to the rescue chamber to extract the survivors.

Here is some backstory:  The miners asked for a crucifix and other items associated with their Catholic faith to be sent down to them while they waited for rescue.  They told officials that they wanted to set up a shrine in the rescue chamber.  José Henríquez, one of the miners, is an evangelical Christian.  When José requested an evangelical pastor to aid the miners and their families at the site, Pastor Marcelo Leiva of Vallenar Baptist Church was contacted. The pastor arrived at Camp Esperanza (Hope) about two weeks ago, and began to minister to José and the other miners.  José believed God wanted him to encourage his co-workers as they struggled to stay positive during their confinement.  He held daily Bible studies for the miners as rescue efforts developed on the surface.

Using the Paloma, Pastor Marcelo and José exchanged letters.  Here’s what José wrote:  “Dear Pastor Marcelo …I thank you for each and every one of your words of encouragement directed to the 33. Tomorrow I will be reading your letter, which will certainly be a blessing. Thank you for writing in hopes that the Lord fulfills His purpose in us — as well as in you on the outside. … Well, pastor, may God continue to bless you.  We will be seeing each other soon.  Until soon, please excuse my handwriting, Jose Henríquez.”

Here’s another backstory:  As the tunnel was completed, and the rescue capule was made ready, the Chilean Health Minister, Jaime Manalich, told the AP that the miners “were fighting with [authorities] yesterday because everyone wanted to be at the end of the line, not the beginning.”  Isn’t that remarkable!  In a “me first” world, the miners were putting others first!  This is what being in connection with God does: It frees us to me like Jesus and put others first!

When the miners were delivered in the cool looking rescue capsule from their dark, 69 day confinement in the bowels of the earth, there was great joy!  TV stations interrupted regular programing to show the world the joy!  In describing what God has done for us in Jesus, the Bible says this:

For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins. – Colossians 1:13-14
I hope you have been inspired by the Miracle at the Mine to recommit yourself to the task of shining with the light of Jesus, sharing your faith story, and inviting people to worship with you so that the joy of leaving darkness and entering the light may be experienced by others!

Love in Jesus,

Pastor John Christie

THIS SUNDAY:  How to Overcome Feelings of Inadequacy!
Our series entitled “Heroes by Faith” takes us on a visit with Gideon this Sunday!  The lessons Gideon learned about overcoming his weaknesses and feelings of inadequacy are spot on for today’s world.  Has anyone ever asked you, “Why doesn’t God do any great miracles today like he did in Bible times?” If so, invite that person to worship this Sunday!

PARKING LOT FUND NOW AT $29,472.98!!

Thanks to recent gifts plus a discovery of some seed money in our parking lot fund, we are now just $527.02 away from our goal of $30,000!  For the many who have given generously to this need, thank you!!  This week will be the last opportunity to give to this fund.  Any last gifts that would help put us over the top will be appreciated!  Thanks again for your generous response to this opportunity!

The Social Network

Dear Crosswalkers,
All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer… And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved. – Acts 2:42,47


Greetings to you in the name of Jesus our Lord!  Earlier this week, Leanna and I had the opportunity to see the new movie, The Social Network.  This is a compelling film based on the true story of the founding of Facebook, with some self admitted “dramatic license” by the film-makers.  Since for 2,000 years the church has been, and continues to be, a social network, this film was intriguing.  Now of course the church is more than a social network. Note God’s vision for his family, in the verses quoted above:

A CHURCH DEVOTED TO LEARNING (“devoted to the apostles’ teaching”)

A CHURCH DEVOTED TO CARING FRIENDSHIPS (“and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals”)

A CHURCH DEVOTED TO WORSHIP (“(including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer”)

A CHURCH DEVOTED TO MISSION (“the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved”)

Because the church is to be devoted to fellowship, the church is a social network!  Now there are a number of things we can discuss about the film and how social networking on the internet applies to our culture and our church.  Because many of you have not seen the film, but may want to, I will hold back on some comments that would be “spoilers” for the film and reserve those for another time.  Points of interest and lessons:

The writer of the script for The Social Network, Aaron Sorkin, is highly critical of Facebook!  He said this:  “It’s a device that’s meant to connect us, to bring us closer together. I think, and I know I’m in the minority, at minimum there are 500 million people who disagree with me, I think it’s pushing us further apart. I think socializing on the Internet is to socializing what reality TV is to reality.“  How can Facebook push us further apart?  If it takes the place of real face to face table-fellowship that includes learning together, worshiping together, and serving in mission together!
The founder of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg, is portrayed in the film as a person with some very anti-social and unfriendly tendencies!  The irony is stark!  He is portrayed as being duplicitous and even treacherous.  Some of this portrayal seems to be well documented in real life.  However, he is also protrayed as a bit of a loner who wants to be accepted, and has very human strengths and weaknesses.  Interestingly, as the movie was released, the real Zuckerberg went on Oprah and donated $100 million to the failing New Jersey pubilic school system!  Whether a PR move or a genuine care for schools, it is certainly a good thing to help our troubled schools!
All of Zuckerberg’s actions in the film were arguably legal.  Chuck Colson writes:  Similarly, virtually all of the practices that nearly wrecked the global economy back in 2008 were legal–all of which goes to prove that just because something is legal doesn’t make it ethical or right…  So the question isn’t “why?” but “why not?” If the only thing standing between you and millions, even billions, is other people’s disapproval, why not do what you want to do? Especially since you can subsequently buy their approval with a check and an appearance on Oprah?  Of course, if this becomes normative, then the kind of trust that makes free markets possible would dry up… My take is this:  Yes, being legal doesn’t make it right!  The ethical crisis in America is to be expected with the increasing secularization of our country!  As people get away from God, they get away from living a life accountable to God.  Ultimately the answer is the Good News of Jesus and a commitment to the social networking of Acts 2:42-47!
Obviously, Facebook is a great tool to get connected with people we haven’t seen in a long time, to stay connected when geography seperates us, and to communicate quickly and easily with family and friends.  For me, the film about Facebook’s founding is a much needed reminder of God’s plan for social networking based on doing the right thing with each other as exemplified in Acts chapter two!

Love in Jesus,

Pastor John Christie


THIS SUNDAY:  DOES RAHAB NEED REHAB?
Our series entitled “Heroes by Faith” takes us on a visit with Rahab the prostitute this Sunday!  She was living and working in the city of Jericho prior to it’s destruction.  In the New Testament, she is celebrated as a woman of great faith!  Come and see how her faith served her well in a time of great crisis.

Also, please begin bringing bags of Halloween candy for our October Outreach Community Trick or Treat Event!  Simply place them on the table in back of the worship center!  Thanks in advance for helping us bless our community!

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!!

It’s All About Confidence!

Dear Crosswalkers,
During the past four decades, the Gallup Organization has evaluated the public’s confidence in various public institutions. Their most recent survey on this matter showed that Americans are continuing to slowly lose confidence in churches and various religious groups.  For many years, churches were among the most revered organizations in the land (in fact topping the list some years).  Sadly, we are now in a situation where less than half of all adults (48%) have “quite a lot of confidence” in churches.  It used to be that 75% of American adults had a high degree of trust in religious institutions.  Why has this happened?

The answers are surely many.  Certainly the growing secularism of the culture in the US has played a major role in the decline of trust.  The highly publicized abuses in the Roman Catholic church have left many feeling shocked and betrayed.  Militant Islam has definitely had an effect on those who indiscriminately lump all religions together.  And then, honestly, in the evangelical church we have had our share of periodic scandals.

From a leadership perspective, the effect of losing people’s confidence is devastating.  People need to have confidence in their church family if they are to effect meaningful change in people’s lives and in their community.  At Crosswalk, we have worked hard to earn your trust.  We are not perfect.  But we will strive to be people of integrity, reliability, and trust in all our endeavors.

Of course, it all begins with our confidence in the Lord.  The NT says this about the ministry of the apostles to the churches: “We are confident of all this because of our great trust in God through Christ.  It is not that we think we are qualified to do anything on our own. Our qualification comes from God” (2 Cor 3:4-5).

This Sunday we will look at a fascinating passage in our Heroes By Faith series.  We will answer this question:  How can we have a faith that blesses others, now and after we have passed from this earth? See you Sunday!

Love in Jesus,

Pastor John Christie

UPDATE ON FACILITY NEED
We are beginning a new fund to repair our parking lot, which needs to be repaired and recovered as it is posing a tripping hazard for our members and guests.  We have already received $2,700 into this fund from last week’s email appeal, and this Sunday we will make special mention of it.  Please consider a gift to this much needed project.  We will need $19,000 to do the minimal repairs, and nearly $30,000 to do the complete job.

IF YOU CAN HELP WITH THIS PROJECT, PLEASE EARMARK YOUR CHECK OR YOUR ONLINE GIFT (at crosswalkchurch.com) “Parking Lot” and we will put it to good use.  Many thanks to those who have already contributed!

IMPORTANT UPCOMING DATES!
This Saturday @ 8:30 a.m. we will have another great Men’s Breakfast!
Aug 28 – Women’s Brunch in our gym – this Sunday is the last day to purchase tickets
Aug 29 – All Church Picnic at Las Palmas Park
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!

The Akedah – Life’s Greatest Test

The Akedah – Life’s Greatest Test

Dear Crosswalkers,
In our series, Heroes By Faith, we come this Sunday to the Greatest Test of Faith in the entire Bible.  Historically, it has been known as The Akedah.  Akedah is the Hebrew word which means “to bind” or “to tie up.”  It is used in Genesis 22:9 of Abraham binding Isaac to offer him as a sacrifice to God, in obedience to the divine command.  According to the story, Abraham sets out to obey God’s instructions without questioning.  This is significant because earlier, when God was going to destroy Sodom, Abraham questioned God relentlessly!  Now, he simply trusts.  After Isaac is tied to an altar on Mt. Moriah, the angel of God stops Abraham from going through with the sacrifice.  Then Abraham discovers a ram caught in some nearby bushes, which sacrifices the ram in Isaac’s stead.

This is one of the greatest acts of faith of all time.  Yet it is a tremendously controversial passage.  Rabbi Yosef Ibn Caspi, who lived in Spain, early in the 14th century wrote what many hope to believe, namely that Abraham’s “imagination” ran away with him, and fooled him into believing that he had been commanded to sacrifice his son. “How could God command such a revolting thing?” asked the rabbi!   We will see how and why this Sunday!

Love in Jesus,

Pastor John Christie

UPDATE ON FACILITY NEED – CAN YOU HELP?
I have written about the great need to repair and resurface our parking lot as it is a liablilty issue.  The tree roots have broken through and created a significant trip hazard.  We would hate to have anyone fall in our parking lot and hurt themselves.  We have received 4 of 5 bids for the job, and basically the cost will be $19,000 to do what is minimally needed, and $30,000 to do the complete job including repairing the cement curbs.  Obviously, we would like to do all we can.

These are troubled times, financially.  Crosswalk Church is feeling the pinch, just like many of you are.  But if you can help with a SPECIAL GIFT at this time, it would be most appreciated and it would greatly benefit our ministy to our own family as well as guests.  We want to be a safe environment for everyone who sets foot on our campus!

IF YOU CAN HELP WITH THIS PROJECT, PLEASE EARMARK YOUR CHECK OR YOUR ONLINE GIFT (at crosswalkchurch.com) “Parking Lot” and we will put it to good use.  Many thanks to those who have already contributed!

The Summertime Blues

Dear Crosswalkers,

I’m writing this from Redwood Christian Park on our last full day of Church Camp.  It has been a fantastic week, with many Crosswalkers in attendance.  Camp has been a great cure for the Summertime Blues.  But earlier this week, some news brought some of those unwelcome blues back into my life.

As you know by now, a federal district court judge named Vaughn Walker ruled that Proposition 8, which defines marriage as the union of one man and one woman, is unconstitutional.  Two years ago, you may remember, California’s Supreme Court ruled that denying same-sex couples the right to marry was in violation of the state constitution.  So those who believe that marriage is properly between a man and a woman patiently followed the democratic process by gathering enough signatures to place an amendment to the state constitution on the ballot.  The voters strongly affirmed that marriage should be defined as the union of one man and one woman.

Again, the opposition turned away from the people and to the courts.  In this case, one man, Judge Walker – an openly gay federal judge – dismissed the hard work of so many, will of the people of California, and over five thousand years of human tradition!  It is a sad but remarkable example of judicial overreach, which is becoming more and more common as our county is becoming more and more polarized.

How should we respond?  Well, the Bible’s teaching regarding marriage is crystal clear, and because we love all people we should rightly wish society to reflect what is best for our national community.  Of course the legal battle will continue.  Those who carry the biblical standard will not give up easily.  Hopefully, our biblical heritage will prevail, and hopefully it will do so in a way that shows love and grace to gay people.  We do not want anyone alienated from the good news that Jesus came to bring.  However, if the biblical definition of marriage does not prevail, there is no need to panic.  The church of Jesus has endured much worse than this!  Perhaps God’s purpose is for there to be a clear distinction between his church and the world, between truth and falsehood, the secular and the sacred, light and darkness. Our challenge is to stand for our biblical values while showing great love and respect for all people.

Which brings us to this Sunday.  People of faith know this world is not their lasting home.  We are strangers and sojourners on this planet.  We learn this from Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as well as from the New Testament.  The ultimate cure for the Summertime Blues is to know that God is still ruling this universe, and that our real home is with him!  This Sunday, we will continue our study on the faith of Abraham, who was looking for his eternal home.  We will also celebrate the Lord’s Supper, which is meant to be a sample of the promised heavenly banquet.  See you there!

Love in Jesus,

Pastor John Christie

What We REALLY Love

Dear Crosswalkers,
According to a recent study, as much as people love money, we love something else even more: security. According to a 2009 survey by the Pew Research Center, 59 percent of U.S. adults prefer a job that offers better security over one that offers higher pay but less stability (33 percent). Researchers insist this value isn’t driven by the current economic crisis, either. A General Social Survey in 1989—a year of economic expansion—produced similar results.  We crave security more than success!  What we REALLY love is security!

The shocking reality is this:  The God who made us calls us to forsake our earthly security for the sake of heavenly security.  God calls us to let go of our imaginary securities and embrace the adventure of faith!  God calls us to leave our sense of security and follow him on a journey of faith!  This Sunday we will focus on the father of all who have faith, a man named Abram.  Later, his named was changed to the more familiar Abraham.  God called Abram to leave his home, his culture, his roots, his belief system, his country, his security; and to go to a place where he did not know the language and where would forever be a stranger in a strange land.  It’s an amazing story of faith!  This would be a great Sunday to invite a friend or family member to come and worship with you as we begin to look at the faith of our father Abraham!  SEE YOU SUNDAY!

Love in Jesus,

Pastor John Christie

Black Sheep Ride In this Sunday!

It’s a Matter of Perspective

Dear Crosswalkers,

Recently, I came across some great puns regarding romance.  At first, they were from the perspective of someone who has been hurt in a relationship.  But then there was added the perspective of someone who was optimistic about the relationship. The optimist is in italics.

What happens when you fall in love with:

A chef? (You get buttered up.)  Or, how about, “He spices up your life”?

A chauffeur? (You get taken for a ride.) Or, how about, “In his eyes, you take a back seat to no one”?

A gambler? (He cheats on you.)  Or, how about, “He bets his Heart on you”?

A telephone operator? (He gives you a phone-y line.) Or, how about, “You always have a special connection”?

A garbage collector? (He dumps you.)  Or, how about, “He refuses to let you go”?

A clockmaker? (He two-times you.)  Or, how about, “He always makes time for you”?

A pastry cook? (He desserts you.)  Or, how about, “He spends all his dough on you”?

A shoe salesman? (He walks all over you.) Or, how about, “Your sole is lifted up”?

An artist? (He gives you the brush.)  Or, how about, “He gives you a peaceful, easel feeling”?

A jogger? (He gives you the run-around.) Or, how about, “He’s there for you when you’re run down”?

I hope these were good for a few chuckles.  There is a lot in the Scriptures that require perspective.  For example, this week we will look at the faith of Noah.  From one perspective, the flood was the terrible judgment of God on a depraved human race.  From another perspective, it was a demonstration of God’s patience and love for all people and an awesome act of salvation for a man and his family who had discovered the grace of God.

This Sunday we will look at Noah’s faith, and be blessed with a new perspective of the power of faith in the face of adversity.  I hope to see you then!

In other Crosswalk news:

This week we are mailing out our mid year giving statements with a full description of our financial situation after 6 months of 2010.  When you receive your report, please join me in praying over our financial situation.
Sunday will be the last day to sign up for our Wild Wacky Sports Camp for Kids!  Please sign up your elementary age kids and grand-kids, and then join us in prayer that the Lord would honor this Crosswalk Outreach Event!
Some wanted to know the cost of the two facility projects we are hoping to complete this year.  Resurfacing our Gym floor will cost $12,000.00.  We are waiting on our second bid and will get a third bid before we are able to ascertain the cost of what is a more significant and immediate need:  the repair and sealing of our church parking lot.  I will keep you informed as more information comes available.  We praise God for our church family, and for generous people who care and share!!
Love in Jesus,

Pastor John Christie

Money for Nothing! What?

Dear Crosswalkers,

Earlier this year, Newsweek magazine featured a story entitled, “Money for Nothing.”  Here’s what’s happening in today’s world:  Many use Facebook as a way to keep in touch with friends, but there is a growing trend among others who use it to play games that involve virtual pets, virtual wars, virtual farms, etc.  The remarkable thing about these games is that a person can buy virtual goods for these games—pets or guns or fertilizer or tools.  The kicker is this:  They cost real money!  Now of course these items don’t actually exist!  They are just little computer pictures from little pixilated stores.  So the player sends real money through a credit card account to a company like Playfish, whose website says, “You can now get Playfish Cash Cards in retail stores near you!  Cash cards are exchanged for Playfish Cash that can be spent in all our supported games.”

So in the Newsweek article, “Money for Nothing,” writer Daniel Lyons discovered that the total U.S. market for virtual goods was over $1 billion in 2009—twice what it was the year before.  Yes, we are spending, in these tough economic times, over $1 billion for something that doesn’t really exist!!  Here’s a great lesson about 21st century America:  People will spend real money for something that isn’t really there at all!  Now I know it might be argued that this is just one way to spend entertainment dollars.  Fine.  But the larger lesson is this:  What are we getting for our money?  What is our investment yielding?

The Bible tells us the greatest investment we can ever make is in the Kingdom of God.   Jesus told a parable about a master who entrusted money to his servants and how he expected them to invest his money wisely while he was away on a trip.  Here’s part of the story:

After a long time their master returned from his trip and called them to give an account of how they had used his money. – Matthew 25:19

God has invested in you.  He has given you money, abilities, property, cars, clothes, influence, friends, and he has considered you to be a good investment.  Now he expects you to produce a return.  Every human being will one day give an account of himself or herself to God.  We will all have a final exam someday.  God is going to ask: Did you follow my Son, Jesus?  And another question will be this:  What did you DO with what you were GIVEN?


Wise investments will outlast ourselves.  This is why God says to invest in eternity.  Now, like many of you, Leanna and I have seen some of our financial investments take a beating in the past couple of years.  But you know, the thousands of dollars we have invested in eternity by giving to our church, and supporting missionaries; those investments haven’t lost a cent.  In fact, those investments are compounding and growing, creating a treasure in heaven for us.  Praise God!

I share all this because right now, like many other churches and non-profits, our giving is down considerably.  We have some projects that are going undone.  For example, we need to repair and sluice our parking lot.  That is a big ticket item.  We also need to repair and resurface our gym floor.  There are some painting projects that need to be done.  We are prioritizing our funds now for ministry and outreach, but these are becoming great needs that we cannot ignore forever.  If you can bless your church with a special gift at this time it would be most appreciated.  You can give to our general fund, which also needs help, or earmark the gift “PROJECTS” and we will begin making the needed improvements.

Thank you in advance for investing in the church of Jesus!

Here are a couple of quick announcements:

MEN’S BREAKFAST  is this Saturday at 8:30 a.m.  Angel Hernandez will be speaking and you know it’s the best darn breakfast in town!  Invite a friend and come and hear an exciting testimony from one of our missionaries!
SPORTS CAMP is coming at the end of this month!  It is a great outreach event as we have over 20 kids from our community participating.  Sign up your kids for an awesome week this Sunday!
See you at Worship,

Pastor John Christie