What has God given you that makes you happy?

The three year olds at St. Mark said, “Playing with Toys; Gummies; Mom; Dad; Grandma and Grandpa; Friends; Babies; He’s nice; the purple guy on the racing game.” The six year olds said, “God, clothes, family, cross, food, Jesus, faces on pumpkins, baby cousin, Bible, and Daddy.” One seven year old described how God worked in her life this way, “I wanted a baby sister. But I got a baby brother instead. God knew I would love him.” Cute, isn’t it? Children have an innocent, simple view of God. This view of God tends to disappear through the years as we get older. As adults we spend most of our time thinking about what needs to happen or what we don’t have yet or what’s been taken away rather than seeing all we have been given. Two close friends of Jesus knew exactly what this was like.

As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. ³⁹ She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. ⁴⁰ But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”

⁴¹ “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, ⁴² but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:38-42)

You can imagine the preparations that needed to be made. Jesus and his 12 disciples came to her house – a great blessing, but more than a little stressful. If you’ve ever entertained 13 or more in your home you know it isn’t easy? It takes cooking, cleaning, and work. It’s understandable that Martha would be rather anxious – not to mention that this was her Messiah that came to her house. I can only imagine how I would run around prepping if Jesus walked through my door. More than a few things would get shoved in the closet.  ;-)

Funny that Martha had been given such a great blessing but only focused on the stress of what needed to be done and who wasn’t helping. Have you ever been there? We spend so much time with the stuff, people, jobs God has given us we can easily lose sight of why he’s really given us those things in the first place. Thankfulness and focus is replaced by stress and worry. Jesus answered an overwhelmed Martha and us with these Words:

“You are worried and upset about many things, ⁴² but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

There is one thing needful and it will not be taken away. Reexamine your priorities and choose to follow the One who is better than what has been drawing the most of our attention. Don’t let your blessings or your challenges rob your joy but grow closer to Jesus especially at times that are rough, busy and overwhelming. Listen to Jesus’ Word’s of forgiveness, love and peace. Focus on his voice in the Bible. He has given us his very life in our place on the cross how will he not also lead us through what we face today. We are richly blessed and cared for by our loving God. Give thanks in all circumstances! 

What are you thankful for today?

-Pastor Eric Hansen, Discipleship Pastor

Guest Blogger - Response to "God is Pro-You"

This is a response to Pastor Johnson’s “God is Pro-You” blog, from the perspective of someone who had an abortion…

“Pastor Johnson’s blog has led me to share my story with you and the awful effects it has had on my life.  It’s been approximately twenty years of pain since I had an abortion.  I was young and foolish, but that doesn’t excuse what I did.  I committed murder.

Before you ask the question, “How could she?”  Let me share with you some of my story.  My dad had left when I was 9, so I didn’t have a loving and spiritually mature man to lead me closer to Jesus and to help me figure out life.  I started running away from home at age 15, because I wanted to run away from the pain.  But there was no relief.

I began to look for love in all the wrong places.  I was a partier.  I was involved with drugs.  During that time I was raped.  My life was a living hell.  I don’t blame my parents, but the reality is that they didn’t pattern Jesus Christ for me.  So I looked for love in all the wrong places.  Boyfriends, drugs and parties were what I turned to, but still…there was no relief from my pain.

I grew up going to church.  I turned to the church for help, but there was none, only judgment.  I knew there was a god, but I was convinced that he didn’t like me because of all the things I was doing, so I just did them more to try to drown out the pain and the voice of disapproval.  I was looking for love, but not finding it.

Then I got pregnant.  When I found out…everyone, including my abusive boyfriend, told me that I should get an abortion.  They convinced me that it was the right thing to do.  At that point in time and for many years after I thought of the abortion as just an act, not a person whose life I had no right to end.

I am so guilt-stricken.  I am so ashamed.  I suffer in silence.  I wake up at night in terror hearing the cries of children.  I’ve spent 20 years hiding this horrible dark secret from my friends.  Very few people know this about me.  I’m still…so ashamed.  Every time I see a pro-life bill-board, or commercial or, in this case, Pastor’s blog, I’m reminded of what I did.

The pain continues.  However, here is what I am slowly beginning to realize through Christian counseling from my counselor and my pastors.  I can grieve the loss of my baby.  Yes.  It’s my fault.  Yes.  I made the choice.  Yes.  I am living daily with the consequences of my sin.  But, this is what the Lord is leading me to realize.  I can live daily in the reality of what Jesus said from the cross, “It is finished” (John 19:30).  That means that my sins are paid for…all of them.  “The blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin” (1 John 1:7).  I am loved.  I am forgiven.  I am reconciled.

I can only pray that my story helps you.  If you are a woman contemplating an abortion, don’t do it.  If you are a woman who has had an abortion like me and you are suffering in silence, then take it to Jesus.  He loves you.  He loves your child.  You are forgiven.  Believe in Jesus and trust Him.  As Pastor Johnson said, “God is definitely pro-you…no matter what you’ve done.”

God is Pro-You

38 years ago, my mom was told by her doctor that if she did not abort her baby and begin treatments that she had a slim possibility of beating her cancer.    She and my dad prayed and they decided that they would leave her and their baby in God’s hands.  They decided that they would not abort the baby and not begin treatments until after the baby was born.  She carried her baby to full term.  He was born and baptized.  Then she began her treatments. 

My mom was very ill throughout much of her son’s childhood.  Surgeries, chemo treatments and radiation were a regular part of their life.  For 15 years she battled cancer, but with God’s help, she beat it.  Here’s the wonderful reality of my mom’s choice to put herself in God’s hands and trust His will for her life: today, my mom is alive and well and so am I.  You see, I was the one whom the doctor recommended that she abort.  I’m glad she didn’t.

Do you realize that in six days from today, our nation will be celebrating the 40^th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 U.S. Supreme court case that made abortion legal in all 50 states?  Do you realize that an estimated 54 million abortions have taken place in the U.S. since 1973?  Do you realize that there is a tremendous misalignment of values in our society?  We try and convict Scott Peterson for the death of his wife, Laci Peterson, AND his unborn child and yet, we don’t stop to think of all of the murders of unborn children due to abortion?  Why is it wrong in one case, but not in all the others?

Our nation is divided on this issue.  Some are pro-choice.  Some are pro-life.  Others don’t care.  I guarantee you, God is pro-life.  Because He is pro-life, he’s pro-you!  Look at Jeremiah 1:4-5, “The word of the LORD came to me, saying, ‘Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you, before you were born I set you apart…”  God is pro-you.  Before you were even formed in your mother’s womb, God knew you.  At the moment you were conceived, God cared for you.  As you were growing in your mother’s womb, God loved you…and still does!

You have value, wouldn’t you agree?  So do unborn children…all of them.  At conception, God made it possible for life to start.  At the cradle, God made it possible for life to be seen.  At Jesus’ cross, God made it possible for our sinful life to be forgiven.  At Jesus’ empty tomb, God made it possible for life to be eternally saved.  My friends, it’s time that we step up and point out that God is pro-you.  Everyone has value.  The bloody cross and the empty tomb prove it!

During this “right-to-life” month, here are three things I would like us to do.  First, intentionally pray that God would protect the unborn.  Second, intentionally pray for those who help protect the unborn such as our Bay Area Life Center pregnancy counseling here in Green Bay.  Third, I’m asking you to assist me in putting together a diaper drive for the Bay Area Life Center.  If you are interested, please e-mail me at chris.johnson@stmarkpartners.org and put in your subject heading: Life Center Diaper Drive.  And remember, treat everyone with value, because God is pro-you.

-Pastor Chris Johnson, Outreach and  Young Adult Pastor

Sometimes “new” Gets Old

Like a mosquito to a bug zapper so also the common male is drawn to the promise of the “newest” digital deals. More pixels, brighter display, thinner, handier, 1080p, 1.21 gigawatts, and in a “new” color; I think I could go on and on.

After the Christmas season settles how long do those precious gadgets keep our attention?  Maybe your wife would wish not too long. :-)  In reality all she has to do is wait a couple months until the technological marvel loses its luster and we long for the next upcoming “new” thing.  You ever get disgusted at trying to stay on top of the “new”, the “latest”?

There is a message in the Bible that has withstood the test of time.  A message that has drawn the attention of kings (Matthew 2), inspired life long commitment to a cause (Mark 1:14-19), drawn crowds (Matthew 14:13-21), and even overwhelmed our innate desire for self-preservation to share a message no matter the cost (Acts 7).

The all-knowing, all-powerful, ever-present, perfect in justice, perfect in mercy, perfect in love, creator God became one of his own creation and in the most humble of ways the God who has always existed was born.  I’m always looking for a different or interesting way to celebrate Christmas and the New Year but can think of no other way to improve on what some shepherds heard while out on the hill watching their sheep.  “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.  Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:10-11)  There are certainly some things that do not need to be new or improved and that endure longer than a new smart phone.

This New Year I encourage you to look over the Christmas story of Luke 2 and consider what parts of this story will apply to you in 2013?  How is God’s love not “new and improved” but still amazing?  What part of the miracle of the Christmas story will inspire you today? 

-Pastor Eric Hansen, Discipleship Pastor