The Goossen Grapevine

Boundaries

2010-05-07T15:07:00.002-05:00

ON DAY THREE

As land emerges from the watery depths, GOD decrees its BOUNDARIES:

"And here your proud waves must STOP."
~ Job 38:8-11

"You have set a BOUNDARY that they may not pass over that they may not return to cover the earth."
~ Psalm 104:5-9

Consider now GOD's spiritual BOUNDARIES:

"I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life."
~ John 5:24

YOU ARE EITHER LIVING IN ETERNAL LIFE
or
UNDER CONDEMNATION

The Title Deed . . .

2010-05-06T00:37:00.000-05:00

The TITLE DEED

Q: Who owns the earth?

"God called the dry land earth."
~ Genesis 1:10

"The earth is the LORD's."
~ Psalm 24:1

"Who laid the foundations of the earth?
~ Psalm 104:5

"While as yet HE had not yet made the earth nor the fields."
~ Proverbs 8:26

"All things were made by HIM."
~John 1:3

"The worlds were framed by the WORD of GOD."
~ Hebrews 11:3

". . . by HIM were all things created."
~ Colossians 1:16

"Thou hast created all things."
~ Revelation 4:11

A: GOD OWNS IT!!

Division . . .

2010-05-05T17:27:00.002-05:00

DIVISIONS:

In Creation, we have divisions:

Day & Night

The Waters Above & the Waters Below

The Land & The Sea

These divisions are necessary for our life on earth.

Consider now CHRIST:

"He became us who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners."
~Hebrews 7:25

The WORLD's RESPONSE:

". . . there was division because of HIM."
~John 8:43

THE ULTIMATE DIVIDER "separates them as a shepherd separates sheep from goats."
~Matthew 25:32

PROMISE TO THE BELIEVER:

What can separate us from the LOVE of GOD?

LIGHT!

2010-05-03T11:05:00.002-05:00

DAY ONE:

The unapproachable LIGHT creates light in the dark chaos.
~I Timothy 6:16

GOD sent JESUS to be the LIGHT of the world in the sin-darkened world.
~John 8:12

. . . But the dark world comprehends it not.
~John 1:5

Satan blinds people to the LIGHT.
~II Corinthians 4:4

Jesus commands believers to be LIGHTS (Matthew 5:16) in a crooked and perverse nation (Phil 2:15).

IF you believe the LIGHT of the Gospel you have LIFE & IMMORTALITY!
~II Timothy 1:10

The Brooding Spirit. . .

2010-04-30T10:53:00.000-05:00

THE BROODING SPIRIT

“The Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.”
~ Genesis. 1:2

The imagery is that of a mother hen BROODING over a nest of young.

“. . . under His wings shall thou trust.”
~Psalm 91:4

“Whose wings thou art come to trust?”
~Ruth 2:12

Consider now the words of JESUS:

“How often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings.”
~Matthew 23:37

ARE YOU UNDER HIS WING?

DNA & Creation . . .

2010-04-28T11:02:00.003-05:00

DNA & CREATION

DNA is a substance found in EVERY living thing.

It does NOT arrive by chance.

It has a Source. The Source IS an Intelligent Designer.

Hence: Evolution is a spiritual, not a rational choice. Evolutionists do not want to be morally accountable to a personal/Holy Creator.

GOD’s WORD: “All flesh is not the same flesh; one kind of flesh of men; another kind of beast; another kind of fishes; another kind of birds.
~ I Corinthians 15:39

Void & Dark. . .

2010-04-27T11:42:00.003-05:00

WITHOUT FORM. . .
and VOID & DARKNESS
WAS UPON THE FACE OF THE DEEP

Such was the earth till the Spirit of GOD moved and the voice of GOD began creating.

SO IS EVERY SOUL -- We are Void & Dark until the regenerating Spirit of GOD works and the soul receives the incorruptible Word of GOD.

"For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God."
~ I Peter 1:23

“Therefore if any man be in CHRIST he is a new creature:old things are passed away; behold all things are become new.”
~II Corinthians 5:17

. . . in HIS Hands

2010-04-26T11:42:00.002-05:00

HE’s GOT the WHOLE WORLD in HIS HANDS

“Who hath measured the waters in the hallow of His hand, and meted out heaven with the span…”
~Isaiah 40:12

Now consider where the believer is:

“…they shall never perish neither shall any man pluck them out of my Hands. My Father, which gave them Me is GREATER than all. . . . no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s Hand.”
~John 10:28-29

ARE YOU IN GOOD HANDS?

A Higher Education . . .

2010-04-23T11:41:00.003-05:00

HIGHER EDUCATION BEGINS LOW

"By humility & the fear of the LORD are riches, & honor & life.
~ Proverbs 22:4

Consider John the Baptist:

"He must increase, I must decrease."

Consider Job:

"I abhor myself."

Consider Isaiah:

"Woe is me."

Consider the Beatitudes:

"Blessed are the Poor In Spirit & Blessed Are Those Who Mourn."

Do you find yourself among these?

Brevity vs. Eternity. . .

2010-04-22T11:40:00.002-05:00

BREVITY vs. ETERNITY

About GOD: From everlasting to everlasting THOU art GOD.

About man: The days of our years are three score & ten.
~Psalm 90

As Moses witnessed daily the death of his people in the wilderness, he was greatly impressed with the brevity of life.

But the GOD he met at Horeb, Sinai, & Mt. Nebo was eternal.

WISE APPLICATION: Teach us to number our days.

Use your brevity to prepare for your eternity.

Creationism Rx. . .

2010-04-21T11:30:00.003-05:00

GODLY Rx:
a BIG DOSE of CREATIONISM!

When faced with life’s most horrendous trials & blamed by friends for his dire lot, Job turns his anger on the ALMIGHTY.

In patience, the LORD teaches Job who's REALLY in charge of all CREATION:

From the Cosmos to the Creatures -- from the inanimate to the animate.

Job repents, is restored, a new chapter opens in his life.

He is never the same.

Are you struggling?

Try a BIG DOSE of CREATION!

Regrets. . .

2010-04-20T11:25:00.002-05:00

THE OLD SAGE & HIS REGRETS

“Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth.”
~Ecclesiastes.12:1

In his search for satisfaction, Solomon pursued every interest under the sun.

. . . wine, woman, wealth, music, etc…

Without God in life’s equation, all was “vanity of vanities.”

In his aging, worn-out body, he delivers this conclusion:

“Fear God…”

Do not pursue things “under the sun,” but HIM who is over the sun.

Is HE Welcome?

2010-04-19T11:18:00.003-05:00

THE CREATOR. . .
Is HE a Welcomed Visitor?

Psalm 8 says. . .
“When I consider THY heavens, the work of THY fingers… the moon & the stars, which THOU hast ordained… What is man, that THOU are mindful of him? Or the son of man that THOU visitest him?

*For the Christian, HE makes His abode within (John 14).

*For the Laodicean church He is knocking (Rev. 3).

*For the godless world, a dreadful day of visitation awaits (Psalm 2).

Sacred Scriptures vs. Scoffers. . .

2010-04-16T15:07:00.003-05:00

SACRED SCRIPTURES REFUTE the SCOFFERS

The Scoffer’s Argument:

"All things continue as they were.” (i.e. Uniformitarianism)

The Scripture’s Answer:

“They are willingly ignorant…”

The Cosmos is Divinely Created and Divinely Controlled; the Sovereign Creator can interrupt the Cosmos with catastrophe and bring Creation to a Divinely consummated end.
~II Peter3:1-14

Is God slow to show His promises?

He wants people to REPENT.

Everything From A to Z . . .

2010-04-15T14:58:00.004-05:00

EVERYTHING FROM A to Z

“I am Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.”

These two titles constitute the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet, hence our LORD’s application,

"I am the first & the last."

But HE is not only our A and Z. . .

He is also everything in between:

Creation --> Revelation --> Redemption --> Personal experience -->

Jesus is the beginning and the end.

None is before Him as A. . .

None can follow as Z. . . .

Creation's Verdict. . .

2010-04-14T14:50:00.004-05:00

CREATION’s Verdict

“For the invisible things of Him from the Creation of the world are CLEARLY seen being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and godhead; SO THAT THEY ARE WITHOUT EXCUSE.”
~Romans 1:20

To reject the truth of Creation is a certain pathway into depravity.

(See the remaining verses of Romans Chapter 1 --> HERE.)

Creation's Endless SERMON. . .

2010-04-13T14:43:00.000-05:00

Creation’s Endless SERMON

“The heavens DECLARE. . .
the Glory of God.

The firmament SHOWS. . .
His handiwork.

Day unto day utters SPEECH.

There is no speech nor LANGUAGE where their VOICE is not heard.

Their LINE is gone out through all the earth, and their WORDS to the end of the world.
~Psalm 19:1-4

Creation speaks 7/24/365!

Nondiscriminatory, multi-lingual, & universal!

What is the message?

“The Hand that made me is DIVINE.”

Evolution & Foolishness . . .

2010-04-12T14:30:00.001-05:00

“The fool has said in his heart, ‘there is no God.’"

~Psalm 19:1

“Evolution is as irrational as it is amoral. In place of God as Creator, the evolutionist has substituted chance. . . . Chance is the engine most evolutionists believe drives the evolutionary process.”
~ John MacArthur

“By the word of the Lord . . . were the heavens made.”
~Psalm 33:6

“…but He that built all things is God.”
~ Hebrews 3:4:

The Origin of the Universe . . .

2010-04-09T14:23:00.000-05:00

The Origin of the Universe

Big Bang or Big GOD?

The Book of Genesis emphasizes "FIAT" Creation: The Omnipotent ability to bring someting into existence out of nothing.

"By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the WORD of GOD, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible. (Hebrews11:3)

Genesis 1:1 . . .

2010-04-08T14:19:00.000-05:00

The first ten words of Scripture defy all human philosophies, (i.e., atheism, pantheism, materialism, evolution, humanism, fatalism, etc. . .)

If you do not accept Genesis 1:1, you cannot accept John 1:1-3.

And therefore you cannot accept CHRIST.

"In the beginning was the WORD, the WORD was with GOD, and the WORD was GOD. The same was in the beginning with GOD. All things were made by HIM...."

2010-04-07T13:45:00.001-05:00

The Cry of the True Christian

The unceasing and unpleasant task of warning the wicked of their doom.

"Are we beseeching them in God's stead to be reconciled to Him?" (II Cor. 5:19-21)

. . . If only ours could be a passionate passion for souls! Tell some perishing soul today that Jesus died to save from sin and hell. . . .

Good Friday . . .

2010-04-02T13:37:00.003-05:00

GOOD FRIDAY

An historical event?

A tragic end to a great prophet?

OR . . .

GOD's plan to redeem YOU!

"For He hath made Him (CHRIST) to be sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him." (2 Cor. 5:21)

The blood that flowed from the Cross was the precious price of our redemption.

Have you applied it by faith to your life?

BEHOLD THE LAMB
THAT TAKETH AWAY THE SIN OF THE WORLD!

Folly . . .

2010-04-01T12:53:00.003-05:00

FOLLY OF MAN

Imagine telling CHRIST:
"Thanks for dying for me; but it's not enough."

GOD's WORD

"But to him that works not, but believes on Him." (Romans 4:5)

"Not of works lest any man should boast." (Ephesians 2:9)

"Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to HIS Mercy." (Titus 3:5)

"And if by grace, then it is no more of works." (Romans 11:6)

". . . if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain." (Galatians 2:21)

Passover . . .

2010-03-31T11:55:00.001-05:00

FIRST PASSOVER

An innocent lamb's blood was spilled, spread upon the doorpost . . . and it brought protection.

BELIEVER's PASSOVER

CHRIST - God's Lamb - spills His blood and repentant sinners are protected!!

"...Christ our passover is sacrificed for us." (I Cor. 5:7)

"....our Lord Jesus ...through the blood of the Everlasting C...ovenant." (Hebrews 13:20)

"...worthy is the Lamb that was slain." (Rev. 5:12)

Nonexistence. . .

2010-03-30T11:18:00.005-05:00

NONEXISTENCE IS BETTER THAN ETERNAL HELL

"Jesus said , It would have been good for than man [Judas] if he had not been born." (Matt. 26:24)

"What shall it profit a man if he gain the whole world and lose his own soul." (Mark 8:36)

"I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if you believe not that . . .I am He, you shall die in your sins." (John 8:24)

Resurrection Day & The Disciples

2009-05-19T00:56:00.002-05:00

Resurrection Day & The Disciples

Mary thought the gardener so unscrupulous;
Cleopas thought the stranger so clueless;
Peter and John thought the woman's tale truthless;
Thomas took security in his doubts and being faithless,
The disciples in their fear were braveless.

But the truth of the resurrection transforms . . .

Mary falls down worshipfully;
Cleopas' heart burns passionately;
Peter and John testify boldly;
Thomas follows reverently;
The disciples cowardice is turn to hope gloriously,

The Church marches on triumphantly.

~ Mark E. Goossen
© 2009 The Goossen Grapevine

These are the Days of . . . Enoch

2009-05-17T23:58:00.000-05:00

These are the Days of . . . Enoch

Genesis records,

That it didn't take mankind long
To fill the earth with corruption and all its wrongs.

God raised up a voice to preach to the ungodly throngs . . .
Enoch.
Seventh from Adam, that generation he belonged.

Father of Methuselah, received a new direction so strong
Walking with his God, his true heart song.

Fulfilled His purpose and translated home to heaven
Where he really belonged.

By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God. But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
~ Hebrews 11:5-6

~ Mark E. Goossen
© 2009 The Goossen Grapevine

Paradise: The First Victim

2009-05-11T00:03:00.001-05:00

Paradise: The First Victim

In the beginning:

God made the world perfect and so pure,
With its paradise and its pleasures.

Down came the tempter and all its devilish lures,
The first couple chased after its foolish allures.

Puffed up by pride their purpose became blurred,
Man became a sinner with its penalty so sure.

Man needed a remedy for its condition and a cure,
God moved with wisdom and love without measure.

God provided a lamb to cover man’s sinful nature,
To forever teach us this Gospel Truth and treasure.

…the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world…
~ John 1:29

~ Mark E. Goossen
© 2009 The Goossen Grapevine

The First Son - Cain

2009-05-01T00:14:00.000-05:00

The First Son-CAIN

There is a lesson to be learned from Cain;
The first child born to a mother’s labor and pain.

Childhood lesson of the lamb that was slain
But not in Cain’s memory retained.

Set off in a course that was so vain;
Seeking a righteousness that He could obtain.

Forfeiting God’s provision that was made plain
Seeking by his work and effort to gain;

He became the object of God’s disdain
Because of his pretense and righteousness he feigned...

But in truth Cain became a murderer so insane.

Take heed sinner:
Though our righteousness are filthy and stained.
Jesus Christ, the lamb of God, is our only claim.

Jude 11:
Woe unto them! For they have gone in the way of Cain . . .

~ Mark E. Goossen
© 2009 The Goossen Grapevine

Eve & The Church

2009-04-23T22:41:00.004-05:00

Eve & The Church

Bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh.
She shall be called woman because she was taken out of man.

Adam in the dust did sleep
And from his wound so deep

A bride was fashioned for Adam to keep,
Journey together and all bounties to reap.

Be fruitful and multiply the mandate to meet.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

From the miry clay, church elect did sleep,
The wounds of the Savior so deep.

Redeeming blood purchased His bride to keep
To share His glory for the Church to reap. . .

To spread His Name is our joyful mandate to meet.

~ Mark E. Goossen
© 2009 The Goossen Grapevine

Two Passovers

2009-04-11T17:59:00.000-05:00

Two Passovers

Father spreads the Lamb’s blood profusely;
Elder brother says, "do it liberally!"
Children cry and ask “why?” inquisitively;
Sisters wonder why the herbs are done distastefully.

Mother bakes the unleavened cake hastefully
And the lamb is burnt completely.
The captives wait for redemption eagerly.

Fast forward 32 A.D . . .
God the Father sheds the Lamb’s Blood unsparingly;
The Lamb tastes the dregs of death submissively;
The disciples flee in hiding fearfully. . .

. . . as the Unleavened bread from Heaven become leaven.

Why?
Sinners can be redeemed.

~ Mark E. Goossen
© 2009 The Goossen Grapevine

The Substitute

2009-04-09T17:58:00.001-05:00

The Substitute

In the fullness of time
God sent His Holy substitute
To give His life for a depraved multitude.

With a purpose so resolute
He faced Golgotha with fortitude.

He died with a humble servant’s attitude
On Calvary's cross in the darkness of solitude.

Salvation accomplished.
He can bring the sinner to heaven’s altitude
To forever fill heaven with the magnitude
Of His praises.

~ Mark E. Goossen
© 2009 The Goossen Grapevine

One Son Spared - Another Not

2009-04-02T19:50:00.004-05:00

One Son Spare - Another Not

By faith Abraham took his son
to Moriah's Hill

Carrying the wood to the altar, Isaac was bound
and then laid still

The father raised the dagger to the Promised son
to kill

An Angel of the Lord intervened
and made him still

Abraham, the righteous man submitted
to the Father's will

The son was spared; a substitude ram
did Issaac's place fill
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

God the Father brought His only begotten Son
to Moriah's Hill

The Son carried His cross as He submitted
to the Father's will

Drinking the bitter cup of death
that was filled

He suffered the Divine vengeance of sin upon Himself;
He paid the sinner's bill

The Father's son was not spared
but will impute His righteousness to the sinner still.

He that spared not His own son but delivered Him up for us all . . .
~ Romans 8:32

~ Mark E. Goossen
© 2009 The Goossen Grapevine

What is Faith?

2009-03-08T17:55:00.001-05:00

What is Faith?

To a philospher: a blind leap in the dark.
To a psychologist: build up your self esteem.
To a humanist:belief in the human potential.
To a self made egotist: a false crutch for the weak-minded.
To a religionist: have faith in God (but demons do and they tremble).
To a scientist: the power of a rational mind.
To a educator: an enlighten mind.

I have a simple faith.
In a substitute Savior who shed His own life blood;
Who rose again to seal my justification.

I HAVE A SIMPLE FAITH
IN THE ALL-SUFFICIENCY OF THE WORD OF GOD
IT WILL RENEW AND TRANSFORM YOU.

I HAVE A SIMPLE FAITH
THAT WHETHER BY DEATH OR THE SHOUT
I WILL GO TO HIM.

For you see my faith is not in self but only upon the Promise of His own word

~ Ephesians 2:8-9

~ Mark E. Goossen
© 2009 The Goossen Grapevine

Soon

2009-03-01T17:55:00.003-06:00

Soon

In the twinkling of an eye
We shall meet the LORD in the sky
And be forever by His side.

Take heart believer --
though you be tried or denied --
That His coming is very nigh…

~ Mark E. Goossen
© 2009 The Goossen Grapevine

Rapture

2009-02-15T17:54:00.000-06:00

Rapture

There is a growing anticipation among the saints
That the Lord’s coming is near.

In that glorious moment
The Lord shall appear
To claim the ones
He holds so dear.

The trumpet and shout we will hear;
To go to Him for eternity years.

He will make it clear
As He wipes away every tear

That Only in Him
A true heart yearns
As He reveals His glories.

~ Mark E. Goossen
© 2009 The Goossen Grapevine

Ashamed

2009-02-08T17:30:00.003-06:00

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

~ Romans 1:16

Ashamed

How could I ever be ashamed
Of the ONE
Who took my ignominy and shame?

For unto us the depraved; should forever
Be blamed.

From henceforth make it our aim
To speak boldly for that Name.

~ Mark E.Goossen
© 2009 The Goossen Grapevine

The Cities of Refuge

2009-01-11T17:57:00.001-06:00

The Cities of Refuge

Flee guilty one, thou hast offended.
Flee covetous one, you worship your self.
Flee hater, you committed murder.
Flee blasphemer, taken God’s name in vain.
Flee adulterer, you have lusted.

Flee to the city for you will be safe
As long as the High Priest liveth.

Oh sinner! your High Priest Jesus Christ died so that
You can be forgiven and live.

All glory to God.

~ Mark E. Goossen
© 2009 The Goossen Grapevine

The Floods

2009-01-10T17:59:00.002-06:00

The Floods
Genesis 6

In the early pages of the Holy Writ
Moses of old did write;

That God would send a universal deluge;
To whitewash the world and renew.

One man through grace did find a refuge
While the world thought it so askew.

The message is simple and no delusion
Is that God can send a flood - 'tis no lie.

But the flood of iniquity that drowns man into partition
Should not be denied.

The Flood of DIVINE GRACE is Man’s only
Reliance.

~ Mark E. Goossen
© 2009 The Goossen Grapevine

Our Family's Christmas Card. . .

2008-12-13T16:29:00.000-06:00

The Special Ornament

by Mark E. & Esthermay Bentley-Goossen

‘Tis the season to lavish the tree,
And watch small eyes twinkle
With excitement and glee
As trimmings and lights adorn that lush tree.
Oh what a glorious sight that we see.

A mother beckons father to come very near
To adorn their grand tree with that last special ornament:
The one the family holds dear.

But lest we forget. . .
Another Father had placed on a tree
An ornament of extraordinary beauty and grace.
To make provision for Adam’s fallen race,
And cancel sin’s debt without even a trace.
To redeem unto Himself a Bride so chaste.
That we may each gaze forever at His dear precious face.

That special ornament is the Lamb. . .
Jesus Christ.

How's The Water?

2008-09-13T12:40:00.003-05:00

I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.

-Rev. 3:15-16

We all know what the word lukewarm means. It’s the transitional condition of having been warm or hot, but now being neither cold nor hot. This word-picture would have had an immediate take-hold comprehension for the Laodicean Church because the water they drank every day was indeed lukewarm.

The nearby city of Hierapolis was famous for its hot springs. Nearby Colossae, noted for its cold, refreshing mountain stream. But Laodicea had dirty, tepid water that flowed for miles through an underground aqueduct. Visitors, unaccustomed to it, immediately spat it out. Jesus used this situation and said, “Just as the water you drink is disgustingly lukewarm, you are lukewarm. . . .”

In the spiritual sense, lukewarmness is a picture of indifference and compromise. It pictures churchgoers who try (sometimes with great pride) to play the middle-ground, having just enough of Jesus to satisfy a craving for religion, but not enough to bear fruit or offer eternal life.

There is probably no greater barrier to evangelism than the curse of empty religion. There is no soul harder to reach than the one who has just enough of Jesus to think they know it all. The church of Laodicea is a perfect illustration of this. The harlots of the day were more open to Jesus than the scribes and Pharisees -- in very much the same way today that it is easier to reach an un-churched and completely biblically illiterate sinner on the street with the message of salvation than it is to reach the religious sinner sitting in a pew with a fifth-grade knowledge of Scripture. In the time of the Laodicean Church – and today -- Satan prizes a lukewarm religious person far more than a cold-hearted sinner. He can do far more damage to God’s Church with a religious person.

Are you a lukewarm Christian? Lukewarm people rarely share their faith with their neighbors, coworkers, or friends. They do not want to be rejected and they do not want to make people uncomfortable. Lukewarm people gauge their morality by comparing themselves to others. They are satisfied to compare themselves to other people rather than see themselves in the light of God’s Word. Lukewarm people feel secure because they attend church, made a profession of faith at a young age and were baptized. Some lukewarm Christians feel secure because they come from a Christian family or simply because they live in America.

Matthew 7:14 remind us how prevalent the problem of lukewarmnes is:

“Because strait is the gate, and marrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.”

Are you a lukewarm Christian? What’s the water temperature like in your life. Would people unaccustomed to it – like the visitors to Laodicea -- immediately spit it out? How about Jesus? Would He spit you out?

- Pastor Mark E. Goossen

Is Preaching All That Important?

2008-08-06T11:15:00.004-05:00

This post re-published (with loving permission) from my wife's website,

The Heart of a Pastor's Wife.

"Word and worship belong indissolubly to each other. All worship is an intelligent and loving response to the revelation of God, because it is the adoration of his Name. Therefore, acceptable worship is impossible without preaching. For preaching is making known the Name of the Lord, and worship is praising the Name of the Lord made known. Far from being an alien intrusion into worship, the reading and preaching of the Word are actually indispensable to it. The two cannot be divorced. Indeed, it is their unnatural divorce which accounts for the low level of so much contemporary worship. Our worship is poor because our knowledge of God is poor, and our knowledge of God is poor because our preaching is poor. But when the Word of God is expounded to its fullness, and the congregation begins to glimpse the glory of the living God, they bow down in solemn awe and joyful wonder before his throne, It is preaching which accomplishes this, the proclamation of the Word of God in the power of the Holy Spirit of God. That is why preaching is unique and irreplaceable."
- From "I Believe in Preaching" London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1982), p. 82

Teaching historical and sound doctrine should be the passion of every church. A generation has arisen that seeks answers. And real answers are not found in a cursory understanding of God’s Word. Yet a generation has arisen that does not grasp simple Biblical concepts. A generation has arisen that has not been taught sound doctrine. A generation has arisen that cannot even sit still long enough to hear and listen to a sermon or Bible lesson and when they do, they hear topical sermons that with only a glance into God’s Word for a simple answers to complex contemporary issues. This produces superficial Christians who are no better than the world we are instructed to “go into.” (Matthew 28:19)

Defining Expository Preaching
Let me define expository preaching: Expository preaching is a kind of preaching that expounds upon the meaning of a particular text or passage of Scripture. It gives full meaning -- in context -- to what God's Word actually says and what it actually means. The defining characteristic of expository preaching is that it does not dwell on non-biblical examples. It does not focus on stories, jokes and anecdotes. Instead, it seeks to stay focused on Biblical text. In other words, expository preaching brings God's Word alive! It applies God's Word to today! And because every word of Scripture is God-breathed, expository preaching is the only avenue by which we really know God's heart. Don't you want to know all about Him?! Or do you prefer an out-of-context-soundbites understanding of the creator of the universe?

Let me make a comparison: I am homeschooling my children. At this point, they understand basic math: 1+1=2, 2+2=4, 4-1=3. I would not attempt at this point -- and no teacher begins -- teaching math by explaining long division or calculus. You need to understand the "whole counsel" of math beginning with counting to ten before you can solve quadratic equations.

In the same way, you cannot understand perplexing difficulties in your life or your children's lives or the life of your church if you simply open your Bible to one passage and rely solely upon it to address and solve the problem. Yet we do this all the time! We take pieces of Scripture -- out of both textural and historical context -- and attempt apply it to our lives and circumstances and we wonder why God doesn't bless us. Christians need the whole counsel of God's Word.

Studies prove that most "Christians" do not read their Bibles. To say that Bible illiteracy is rampant in America is black eye for a nation that thinks of itself as Christian. Sixty-five percent of Americans agree that the Bible "answers all or most of the basic questions of life." Amazingly, 28% of Americans who believe the Bible “answers all or most of the basic questions of life” say they rarely or never read the Bible. Therein lies the problem. An even smaller number actually study the Bible. The percentage of frequent readers, those who read the Bible at least once a week, has decreased from 40% in 1990 to 37% today. Only one American in seven reports an involvement with the Bible that goes beyond reading it (The Gallup Organization, October 20, 2000). These statistics are nearly a decade old! You know that they can only have gotten worse in the society in which we live.

So they're getting fed in church. Right? Think again. Most church members frown on the idea of studying the Bible in depth. Contact any church and ask about the attendance at its mid-week Bible Study. Or its Sunday evening service. It is a fact born of study and statistics that the majority of "Christians" in America prefer a feel-good-about-myself sermon about "God's Love" over an expository study of -- lets just choose . . . the Book of Romans or I Corinthians. And even then, the preaching should never come before or take precedence over the music/worship/drama portion of the Sunday morning church service.

The preaching in most churches is a secondary portion of the service when most people feel it's okay to leave either early or altogether. Yet -- for those who want the feel-good sermon about God's Love -- what a far more astounding understanding and grasp of "God's Love" when we understand the depths of ugly that He overlooked when bestowing such Love! The "Love of God" has profound and inexpressible meaning once you've read and fully understand the entire story! Have you ever read the book of Hosea in the context of a lesson on John 3:16? A good expository preacher has. If you have a good expository preacher, you have. The vast majority of Christians have not. And the vast majority of Christians don't care to read it either. They want sermons fed to them that make them feel good about themselves. They want sermons that do not offend anyone. They want a watered-down doctrine that does not confront or label or condemn. The sorry news for these people is that the Bible absolutely does confront and label and condemn.

Paul addressed this in II Timothy: "For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths." (II Timothy 4:3-4)

Here's what Martyn Lloyd Jones says about expository preaching: "One advantage in preaching through a book of the Bible… is that it compels us to face every single statement, come what may, and stand before it, and look at it, and allow it to speak to us. Indeed it is interesting to observe that not infrequently certain well-known Bible teachers never face certain Epistles at all in their expositions because there are difficulties which they are resolved to avoid."

e.g. Preaching Romans. . .
"Bible teachers never face certain Epistles at all in there expositions because there are difficulties which they are resolved to avoid." That's interesting. No wonder people are so Biblically illiterate. Pastors are afraid to preach God's Word! My own husband faced criticism when he preached from the Book of Romans. (Any surprises here?) Sadly -- so sadly -- people just didn't want to hear what Roman's had to say to them. Romans is but one example. And denominational boundries and theological differences are illigitimate arguments when people are unhappy over Scripturally-based preaching. When a body of belivers is confronted with the Truth of Scripture, troublemakers always rise to the surface. It's an old preachers' saying that "when you throw out the Word of God, the ones who 'yip' are the ones that got hit." Whether you're Methodist or Baptist or Lutheran -- Calvinist or Armenian, God's Word is God's Word. Truth is Truth -- and but for a few churches which could be categorized as cults, the entire Bible -- from Genesis to Revelation -- is still God's Word. (And "troublemakers" aren't so much troublemakers as they are blinded by satan to the Truth of God's Word.)

For Christians, an understanding of the Book of Romans is the crucial hinge on which Salvation rests: If you don't understand the book of Romans - you're not intellectually capable of understanding salvation. That's sounds more complicated and harsh than it is. And this is not to say you must sit and read vast passages of this Book everyday and study and research the original Greek meaning of every word in every passage. But. . . it is the very simple and elementary understanding that being human equals being full of sin, that makes the entire plan of salvation even necessary. How can you be saved, if you don't know what you are being saved from? But people don't want to hear about sin. Most pastors who've been preaching for a while will tell you that it is easier to reach an un-churched and completely biblically illiterate sinner on the street with the message of salvation than it is to reach the religious sinner sitting in a pew with a fifth-grade knowledge of Scripture. Maybe because sin is embodied in many activities which are practiced so readily in churches: envy, strife, deceit, malice, gossip, slander, insolence, arrogance, pride. Romans tells us that people invent ways of doing evil, that they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. (Romans 1:29-31)

Maybe its the gossip or envy part people don't like because they're engaged it . . . For whatever reason, something just hits too close to home and people get uncomfortable -- then they get angry -- then they gossip more -- then they begin to feel arrogant and heartless -- then they begin to slander -- and then they begin to invent ways of doing evil -- and before you know it, the preacher has created strife in the church. If the pastor just wouldn't preach from the Bible - none of this would happen.

Feel Good Sermons
"I fear that sometimes people in our church. . . want to be flattered more than they want to hear the truth. When you go to the doctor, do you just want a good report so you feel good when going home or do you want the truth?"

-- Mark Dever, Capital Hill Baptist Church, Feb 26, 2008, Southeastern Seminary Chapel

"The early church was met with persecution. Modern churches are met with a yawn."

-- Frank Page, SBC President and pastor of Taylors First Baptist, Taylors, SC, Feb 12, Southeastern Chapel

Modern day church-goers simply don't want to hear anything negative. My father (a pastor) was reprimanded once by a woman after he preached a sermon about hell! She thought it was wrong for a pastor to be so negative. Quite honestly, there's more negative in God's Word than there is positive when it comes to the human condition. And -- news alert! . . hell is real!

If pastors have to avoid expository preaching because -- as Martyn Lloyd Jones puts it -- "there are difficulties which they are resolved to avoid," what does that say about the future of the church? If pastors are having to water-down their messages to keep church attendance up, what does that say about the future of that rising generation with all the questions -- those in their teens and twenties who have little or no grounding in the Truth? And what happens when members of this rising generation are put into positions of leadership? It is a sad realization and a sad fact that pastors and ministries everywhere are attacked when the full Truth of God's Word is preached. As a result, ministries are abandoned, pastors leave the ministry, leaders and teachers leave churches. And in many cases, God's Word is compromised -- a divine calling ignored -- and a pastor caters to church members who want "Love of God" sermons to the exclusion of the other 90% of Scripture that might actually bring about revival and change in the church.

And How Does This Apply to Me?
"All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." (II Timothy 3:16-17)

Sounds like the role of the church is to equip us. Yes, there is room for worship... Worship is scripturally based, however, churches should not be so concerned about drawing crowds with -- or losing people because of -- a certain type of worship style: Contemporary, Classical, Heritage, Hymns. . . you know what I'm talking about. Google "Worship Wars," and see what I mean. (The worship wars are for another time and another post.)

If you're in ministry: Preach the Word! "Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction." II Timothy 4:2.

If you're a church member: tell your pastor you'd like to hear more expository preaching.

If you're looking for a church: ask if the pastor preaches topically or expositionally.

If you're more into the worship part of Sunday morning than you are the preaching: re-read the entire post!

Acceptable worship is impossible without preaching. The two cannot be divorced. Indeed, it is their unnatural divorce which accounts for the low level of so much contemporary worship. Our worship is poor because our knowledge of God is poor, and our knowledge of God is poor because our preaching is poor. But when the Word of God is expounded to its fullness, and the congregation begins to glimpse the glory of the living God!

- Esthermay Bentley-Goossen

The Gift of Reconciliation. . .

2007-12-02T18:19:00.000-06:00

"Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things are passed away;
behold, new things have come."
- 2 Corinthians 5:17

Most of us like things that are new, especially useful things. We like new cars, houses, clothes, gadgets and so forth. I think this passion for all things new is especially widespread at Christmastime. Not just in the sense of buying and receiving material gifts, but -- most central to our lives -- in the realm of Christian fellowship.

The word "new" is used many, many times in the New Testament to describe various aspects of Christian life. We read of the new covenant, the new man, the new commandment, the new heavens and new earth, becoming new creations. And the message of the entire New Testament is to show us how to have "a new beginning". It’s through this new beginning that we come to possess several things as a result of God's grace. Of the greatest of these is, of course, Love. Romans 5:5 tells us that “the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit.” Love is our greatest gift and Scripture shows that the first and greatest commandment is to love God, the second one is to love our neighbor as ourselves (Matthew 22:36-40). Yet sometimes we bless God while simultaneously cursing others and gossiping about others and continually judging and forming negative opinions of men and women who are made in His image and likeness (James 3:9-10). We can't seem to let go of regrettable past occurrences. How is this any different than not knowing Christ at all?

“Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ, and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation."
- 2 Corinthians 5:18,19

Reconciliation to God goes hand in hand with reconciliation to others: “But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. (Matthew 6:15). Only God through Jesus Christ can help us fully separate ourselves from past misfortunes and past hurts involving others. God's intervention in our lives is the only path to true reconciliation with others. Our fellowship with each other has to be firmly based on a right relationship with God. (See 1 John 1:3-7).

Like God's first human creatures, Adam and Eve, God's "new creatures" are created in perfect fellowship with God. They are created in His image and are created to do His will (Colossians 3:9-10 and Ephesians 2:10). So many things are made new and Ephesians 2:10). So many things are made new when this happens. We receive a new life; we live by a new standard; we have a new purpose; we have a new perspective; we are called by a new name and we look forward to a new home.

We are not reformed, rehabilitated, or reeducated – we are re-created. We truly are the new! This happens because God has reconciled us by blotting out our sins and making us righteous. We are no longer God’s enemies, or strangers or foreigners to him. And we have the privilege of encouraging others to do the same, and thus we have the word of reconciliation."

If you are not a new creation in Christ this Christmas, the gift of reconciliation is yours through Jesus Christ. Believe in Him. Accept Him. Become passionate about being a new creation! If you are a new creation and are not yet reconciled to others, make this season a time for reuniting, resolving, and reconciling with those who have hurt you as well as those that you have hurt. Sunday, December 2nd has been set aside for a tangible expression of this. Rev. Ron McClung will be our guest this day to encourage us, support us and urge us on to true Christian reconciliation. It is my hope and prayer that many will join us – if only for this one Sunday – to make all things new through the gift of reconciliation.

-Pastor Mark E. Goossen

Restoring The Heart of Worship...

2007-11-04T14:34:00.001-06:00

Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ. - 1 Corinthians 11:1

We all have someone or several people in our lives to whom we look to for guidance in one way or another. To be a leader is a big responsibility. And when writing to the Corinthians, Paul knew this. He knew that people imitated him and heeded his teachings. For this reason, Paul wanted to make one thing clear: that he should not be followed in word or in deed unless he was in accordance with what Jesus Christ would do or say.

Today, we are looking at Restoring the Heart of Worship. And in the context of I Corinthians, Paul was witnessing the worship of the church becoming a chaotic and charismatic exhibition that did not edify. In the last part of the Book of I Corinthians, Paul sought to restore the proper order to worship. To very-much simplify his teaching: True worship has nothing to do with attending a church service and everything to do with a personal response to God’s work in an individual’s life. In today’s world, Paul’s teaching suggests that worship on a Sunday morning is an end result of our walking with God Monday through Saturday. It has absolutely nothing to do with what today’s church refers to as style.

We don't have to look far to discover how sensitively God measures the worship of Himself. In Genesis, Cain was rejected by God and turned over to his degenerate and murderous heart all because his worship was wrong—in motive and in method. A bit further we find Nadab and Abihu severely judged with instant death for offering "strange fire" at the altar—an offense so serious to God He did not allow their father Aaron to mourn their death, but rather commanded him to mourn their great sin against a holy God. And then there is Uzzah, killed in an instant for touching the ark of God. And add Eli who, along with his entire descendency, was condemned for honoring his worship-despising sons rather than honoring God. In actuality the entire decline and subsequent captivity of Israel and Judah were primarily due to rampant false worship among these chosen nations. Looking further, we see Jesus Himself never more visibly full of animated wrath than in His "cleansing" of the temple—the place of His Father's worship, now corrupted by those who valued other things more highly. All of these examples, reveal to us that worship—including how, why, and whom we worship—very nearly tops the list of things God holds dreadfully I important.

And yet, we live in an age and culture whose church is as confused and varied in its choices for worship as it is over carpeting its rooms and painting its walls. For many churches, designing worship has become most closely associated with that which will best suit the attendees or best attract the hesitant church-goer or best reach the youth of society, rather than that which is most pleasing to God. What are the motives and methods that govern much of what we do in worship today? Are they Scriptural or are they merely self-seeking? Does our worship emphasize the way in which we appear to men, or is it solely concerned with how we appear to God? Does our worship tend to secularize the sacred in an effort to bring God down to man's level? Is our worship intended to soften nonbelievers into "liking" Christians and Christianity? Is our worship based on a philosophy that follows "the tradition of men" and "the basic principles of the world"? Is our worship designed in such a way as to make the nonbeliever feel comfortable, accepted, pleased, even entertained? Does our worship seek the participation of those who neither know God nor love Him? Is our worship exclusively led by, and does it exalt, those whom the world considers successful, attractive, "together," happy? Is our worship Christ-like? In posing these questions, I hope each of us search our own motives and ideas about worship and respond honesty.

I like this about Paul: He humbly recognized his faults (Read Romans 7:14-25) but still took great care to do the right thing and he wanted to make sure that first and foremost people were following Jesus. That is the essence of what Paul wanted. He wanted people to follow Jesus. I want to be like Paul. If what I say or do does not line up with what God says in His Word, than I don't want to be followed. Always test for yourself what I say, write or live, by the truth of God's word. Open your own Bible and read about the false worship in the Old Testament. Read Paul’s instructions to the Corinthians about the heart of true worship in I Corinthians.

Following Jesus takes work. Following Jesus is more than going to church and getting an emotional high with hands raised while singing a favorite praise song. Sure, that may be part of worship, a part that I believe cannot fully take place without some relationship with God. However, the heart of worship is more than an emotional response to an inspirational message or song or specific style of worship designed by a local church to evoke a reaction in the hearers. True worship is defined by how we live our lives in the day to day grind. True worship is seeking God through the pages of the Bible even when we don't feel like it sometimes. True worship is reading a passage of scripture and applying it to our lives even though we don't like how it makes us feel. True worship is a life of surrender, following the true Leader, no matter the cost.

One more question for thought: Put yourself in the Apostle Paul’s shoes: Would someone following you be following God as well? And how many times per week do you examine your life in light of what the Bible says?

Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ. - 1 Corinthians 11:1

- Pastor Mark

Giving Thanks In All Things. . .

2007-11-04T14:20:00.000-06:00

As I write, it is a beautiful October morning. The sky is clear, the temperature is in the mid-60’s and the leaves on the trees lining Bergen Street where I live are vibrant with gold and red and orange. It is one of those days you would like to save in a bottle and set on your desk. That way you could pull it out and look at it in the middle of March when winter still has Minnesota in its grasp and spring seems an eternity away. It’s easy to be thankful on such a beautiful day. It’s hard to be thankful when the clouds roll in and the grayness holds on.

Besides admiring the view outside my window this morning, I just finished an introductory paragraph for the new church directory and I find my thoughts and memories split. It’s hard not the consider the clouds that have rolled in over the last years for Crane Chapel. Yes, it’s wonderful to reflect on the colorful mosaic of the body of Christ reflected on the pages of a new church directory. But there have been some dark days in Crane Chapel’s recent history. Days of warmth and fellowship were repalced for a season by the frigid air of broken relationships and divided loyalties. The horizon today is still clouded with the haunting memory of an arson fire, and the bittersweet sorrow over the passing of our beloved Pastor Joe Matt, Jr. The body of Christ is often hidden by what can only be characterized as frivolous and inconsequential in the grand scheme of God’s Eternal Plan. Yes, the clouds will roll in…. Nothing in Scrip ture supports a constant state of picturesque October mornings. But we serve a living and loving God who asks us to give thanks in all things: “In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God….” (I Thessalonians 5:18).

So in this season of Thanksgiving, I am very thankful as I reflect on the body of Christ represented by this congregation. Despite the clouds, Crane Chapel is a vibrant, living, breathing part of the Body of Christ! I hesitate to enumerate specific ministrires, but some just stand out to me this morning: We have an exciting and effective AWANA ministry and I can only be reminded of John Hormel’s vision for a ministry reaching the children of northeast Austin. I am thankful for Paulette Lewis’ heart for ministry and her dedication to leading AWANA. And this past September, we launched a Wednesday night Soup Supper and with each passing week we serve more soup that the previous week and we reach out even further into the community. Again fullfilling the vision of John Hormel. And I am thankful: Thankful for Carol Tracy’s commitment to and enthusiasm for this ministry – along with the many hands of our Helping Hands Ministry. Our Teens are growing too. Both in numbers and in service to others. And I am thankful. Thankful for Amanda Kuns and her zeal and energy to lead our young people to the Lord. Our worship team has taken on new leadership and a new look. I am thankful for Vern Dunham’s heart for worship and his passion to be sensitive to God’s Spirit and presence in our worship services. I’m also grateful for the addition of an organ to our new building donated by Daryl and Nada Kilgore and the talent that Myrtle Bentley brings to the keys of this beautiful instrument.

Yes, God has more than blessed us and He continues to work in His people here at Crane Chapel. People are growing spiritually. People are seeking Biblical anwers to life’s troubles. People are getting saved! Crane Chapel is a living part of the Body of Christ! And in this – we ought be very thankful!

As we celebrate Thanksgiving this year, let’s be reminded that Thanksgiving is not a reaction to the realities of life, but a choice of the soul. As such, true Thanksgiving can only come from a soul given wholly to Christ. Let’s choose this season to follow Him completely and be truly and exceptionally thankful.

- Pastor Mark E. Goossen

A More Excellent Way. . .

2007-10-29T21:42:00.000-05:00

I doubt there are too many church-goers who have not heard of the “Love Chapter.” What I do suspect is that that word love is perceived by many as merely a friendly feeling or a pleasing emotion to be expressed by fellow Christians to fellow Christians. Love is much, much more than a sentimental emotion. It’s more than “Kum-bay-a” Christianity or “Precious Moments” faith. In fact, real love is not at all sentimental. Sentimentalism makes love out to be about niceness rather than gentleness, acceptance rather than kindness, cowardice rather than patience. Sentimentalism is deadly to the church. It means looking not for service and truth to God, but for a good-vibe feeling, for everybody to just be happy and get along. This is not the Love that Scripture speaks of at all! But I suspect it’s what most churchgoers envision when we speak of “Love.”

Love is the very heart of the Word – in the sense of both Scripture and Savior. In other words, love is about as important as you can get—so important, in fact that the Apostle John was so bold as to say, “God is LOVE” (1 John 4:8). In our culture, of course, “love” is a frivolous word. We associate love with desire, sexuality, and especially sentimentality. But if we’re paying attention to what the Bible says, particularly in First Corinthians 13, we find a radically different idea of what love really is.

Where did our culture get the idea that following Christ and being spiritually mature will make us feel all good and happy and warm towards each other? Do you think that Paul felt good and happy being flogged? Was Jesus all warm and cozy while he hung bleeding on the cross? Love takes action, and sometimes that action isn’t very pretty. Love is not embodied with hugs and tenderness.

Jesus told his disciples that by their love the world would know they belong to God (John 13:35). God’s love is an identifying characteristic of Christians. Everybody, saint or sinner, can have warm sentiments. Radical jihadists get along with one another and feel warmly toward their friends and family. Gangsters can be very affectionate toward their own. But not everyone has the Holy Spirit of God. And“Love” is the fruit of that Spirit (Galatians 5:22). You need the Spirit before you can have and demonstrate love. Christians don’t receive God’s love just by acting patient, kind, etc. Yes, we do need to act like we love one another. But love doesn’t come into our hearts through pretending. That’s hypocrisy. You have to have the nature. You have to actually be a Christian – you have to be born anew to have genuine Love (Romans 5:5).

Even when we are born anew, putting God’s love into practice is not automatic. It’s something we have to learn and practice. There’s no shortcut to discipleship. Paul’s words in I Corinthians 13 about love are actually a description of having already attained Christian maturity. (Remember: Mature Christians swim in the deep-end of the pool. They are not the noisemakers.) …And there’s no secret to it. Maturity arises from the same kinds of things we do from the very first steps of discipleship: studying the Scriptures alone and in the community of faith, worshiping God in the assembly, giving up selfish and sinful practices, beginning to do good for others. Those may be boring activities, but they bring about very un-boring results: joy, peace, patience, kindness, and most importantly, love.
When Austin looks at Crane Community Chapel, it will see a bunch of flawed disciples. (Because, frankly, that’s what we are.) But does it also see Love as the preeminent quality of God himself? In a very real sense, when the world looks at a church that loves, they see God. And what they see has the power to change the church and the world. Let’s pursue spiritually maturity so we can Love. That’s what the Apostle calls us to do. And as our Lord Jesus told us, what we pursue, we’ll find (Matthew 7:7).

- Pastor Mark

Which End of The Pool Are You In?

2007-10-15T16:06:00.000-05:00

When was the last time you visited a public swimming pool? Do you recall the high-pitched echoing of all those excited children -- different ages, varying swimming abilities? It’s deafening!! I’ve been there with my own high-pitched, screaming children. And I’ve tolerated it. But upon further observation, I’ve noticed something else. All the noise comes from the shallow end of the pool. The only sound coming from the deep end is the sound of experienced swimmers swimming with discipline and confidence. There is no yelling, no crying, no complaining, no evidence of fear or frustration. I conclude that all the noise comes from the shallow end of the pool because those in the shallow end of the pool haven't learned to swim with confidence and are not secure enough to venture into the deep water.

Churches today reflect this very clearly. The noise comes from the shallow end, not the deep end. The yelling and crying and complaining come from those individuals in the church who have not grown up spiritually. Conflict in churches very often starts off in the shallow end with immature Christians who just aren’t secure enough in the faith to see past material issues like…. (Well, you fill in the blank: _____________.)

Let’s look at current national statistics for church attendance: Church attendance is up. Excitement is up. But if you dig deep into those statistics, you do not find discipleship being up, nor do you find godliness up. You do not find prayer and Bible study up. We find a lot of people who are attending church but few people who are swimming in the deep end. The secular world has taught churches how to draw crowds with exciting programs and popular guest speakers and trendy music and non-stop activities. But the number of mature Christians in churches is not rising. The vast majority of people attending churches today maintain the same lifestyles and values as the rest of society. It’s sad. The trend in evangelical churches is that there are less and less spiritually mature Christians and more and more infants – baby Christians who refuse to grow up.

Now you may look at this collectively, or you may look at it in terms of our own congregation. . . either way this is precisely the issue that Paul is addressing with the church in Corinth: immature Christians who have no excuse for their immaturity considering that they have been taught God’s Word and should know better:

“I…could not speak to you as spiritual. . . but as infants in Christ.
I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able to receive it. Indeed, even now you are not yet able, for you are till fleshly. For since there is jealousy and strife among you, are
you not fleshly, and are you not walking like mere men?”
I Corinthians 3:1-3

Paul does use descriptive language here – perhaps quite harsh to his hearers – but he was speaking of their carnality. It was the carnality of the people that was indicative of their immaturity. They had no excuse for not being mature, since Paul implied that he should have been able to write to them as mature, in light of all he had taught them. Carnality produces the attitude of jealousy, a severe form of selfishness, which produces the action of strife and subsequent divisions in churches. It happened during the first century (A.D 55) in ancient Greece, and continues in 2007 across the United States and in Austin, MN too.

Can it be avoided? Certainly. And Paul tells us how in the remaining verses of I Corinthians 3. Churches that are built upon “great ideas” or “the latest trend” are doomed to die. Why? Because this is not the intended foundation for God’s Church. Paul said, and I paraphrase, "I gave you a good foundation, Jesus Christ. You build on Jesus Christ. And if you build with gold and silver or straw, it will fade. You must build on Jesus Christ." Jesus earlier said in Matthew 16, "On this rock (the confession of Peter) I will build my church." During his last week, he said to his disciples, "I am the vine. Ye are the branches." In other words, stay connected and bear fruit. If there’s no fruit –only jealousy and strife – chances are there’s no connection to Christ. And that is spiritual infancy.

A spiritually healthy and spiritually mature church does not function in the realm of ideas or programs or trends. Absolutely not! It functions and it spreads because Jesus Christ changes lives. Any other idea to grow a church will die. It may have its day, but it will die. There are popular trendy “mega-churches” out there whose members may argue differently, but unless they are 100% grounded in Christ alone – they will eventually die.

When we individually rediscover Jesus Christ as the only foundation, our belief will be strengthened and focused and we will mature. When the church rediscovers Jesus Christ, people may come because of great ideas or programs or trends, but they will stay and they will grow spiritually because Jesus Christ is the foundation and only He can change lives. And the only noise we will hear in church will be people swimming from the shallow end to the deep end of the pool because they feel safe in deep water. Which end of the pool are you in?

- Pastor Mark

Prescription For A Spiritually Healthy Church

2007-10-01T16:02:00.000-05:00

Nothing on earth is more valuable to God than His Church. He paid the highest price for it, and He wants it protected, especially from the devastating damage that is caused by division, conflict, and disharmony. If you are a part of God’s Church it is your job to protect the unity of your church. Unity in the church is so important that the entire New Testament -- with the exception of the Four Gospels and the Book of Revelation -- is written to churches in disunity and conflict! God deeply desires that we experience oneness and harmony with each other. Unity is the soul of Christian fellowship. Destroy it, and you rip the heart out of Christ’s body. I personally invite each reader of this newsletter to join us at Crane Chapel each Sunday morning in October as we share a four-part series on “God’s Prescription for a Spiritually Healthy Church.” We will look at principles for attaining church health taken directly from the Book of First Corinthians. If applied, these principles will transform and eventually bring about a spiritually healthy church.

As a pastor, I will someday stand before God and give an account of how well I watched over this body of believers called Crane Community Chapel. But so also much each member of the Body of Christ accept the responsibility to protect and promote the unity of the church. If we each put our full effort into it, God will be pleased. I don’t pretend for a minute that the task is easy. Doing what is best for the Body of Christ – not ourselves – is hard. It requires showing preference to others. That’s one reason God puts us in a church family – to learn unselfishness. Please join us as we seek “God’s Prescription for a Spiritually Healthy Church.”

Also, beginning on Sunday, October 7th at 6:30 p.m. is The Shepherd’s Hour. Starting off this very informal Sunday Evening Service is a study of the Book of Revelation. We’ll look at how God will consummate His plan for planet earth and, of course, the revelation of His Son. Plan to attend, participate, and ask questions! God bless you as you seek God’s Word and will for your life.

- Pastor Mark E. Goossen

God's Eternal Plan

2007-09-02T15:52:00.000-05:00

And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28) In context, Paul wrote these words to Christians in Rome who had to be wondering whether God was really even hearing their prayers in the midst of some very real suffering and affliction. Doesn’t every Christian sometimes wonder that same thing? Yet, Romans 8:28 is clear: in everything God works for good.

But I’d be quite a foolish preacher to stop there. It would do us well to skip verse 28 entirely until we fully understand verse 29. When you start with 8:28, you run the risk of turning profound biblical truth into a trite piece of conventional wisdom. I’ve heard many Christians mumble Romans 8:28 as a capsule of encouragement for life’s problems – sort of a theological version of the proverbial saying that “in every cloud there’s a silver lining.” To reduce Romans 8:28 to conventional wisdom would be to do a terrible injustice to Paul’s teaching and to rob God’s Word of its truth. Open the door with me to a better understanding:

Romans 8:29: “For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son…” The God who is at work among us is a God who is in control and who will surely bring about His intended purpose – His eternal plan. And make no mistake; this does not mean that God plays with our lives like dominoes for amusement. Neither does it mean that God is “letting be what will be.” God has an eternal plan and is working to bring about his saving purpose -- to conform Christians to the image of his Son Jesus.

Now think about the life of Jesus. He died between two thieves for us. That’s the journey on which the sovereign God is taking us . . . a death to self. So becoming in Christ’s image is by no means only on the heights but rather in the everyday depths near which we always find ourselves: stress, sickness, tragedy, suffering, broken relationships… There’s really not a lot of optimism here. It’s not as if “all things work together for good” means that there is some increment of good that is always being worked out in spite of appearances. That would be false hope. God’s Word does not do that.

When we start with Romans 8:29 and know that it is the image of Christ to which we are being conformed, it keeps us from reducing 8:28 to the idea that there is a hidden good in our present suffering and the evil that surrounds us… that “every cloud has a silver lining.” God’s eternal purpose is infinitely wider and deeper that platitudes that everything will be all right. God’s eternal purpose is not separate from but encompassing of our suffering and bitterness. God’s eternal purpose uses even the worst that sin, death, and Satan have to give us in order to bring about His eternal purpose.

What sustains us in our present suffering and bitterness is to know our prospect of a future glory and to know for certain that God is fulfilling His eternal purpose in our lives yet today but in His time.

- Pastor Mark

The Gain of Glory

2007-08-26T15:47:00.000-05:00

Adop’tion: “The process of accepting into one’s family and raising as their own, a child born of other parents.” Think of an adopted child or adult you know. (Might be yourself.) Consider how that person’s life would be different today had they not been adopted. Now consider that Christians are children of adoption in much the same way. And if you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior, consider how very different your life would be had you not been adopted by God the Father – the Almighty Creator of the universe to be His son or daughter. What an honor! What a privilege! It became possible through His Son, Jesus Christ. Consider what the Scriptures say:

“When the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive the full rights of sons.”
(Galatians 4:4-5)

“For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister
and mother.”
(Matthew 12:50)

“Those whoever are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you receive the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry ‘Abba, Father.’”

(Romans 8:14-15)

“Now if we are children, then we are heirs – heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also
share in his Glory.”
(Romans 8:17)

Hold on to that idea. The idea that we share in His Glory! . . The idea that we do not really belong to this present world at all. It’s one of the greatest ways our lives are different as adoptees of the Father. If you are a Christian, your citizenship is in heaven! When you look at the Romans 8 passage more fully, you see that Paul is comparing the future Glory to be enjoyed by His adopted children to their present suffering, but saying that the Glory far outweighs their suffering. One preacher challenged his congregation with these words: “The great reality is the glory that is coming.” If you are a Christian, Romans 8:17 is the greatest promise in all of Scripture! And isn’t the glory to come worth anything we might be faced with here, however painful or distressing?

If we have accepted Jesus as our Savior, if we have truly been adopted into His Eternal Family, we will someday be united with Him. Our true reward as an adopted child of God lies beyond the present moment. And absolutely nothing comes close to the Christian’s Gain of Glory. It’s something that should – by all means – be shared! Figuratively speaking, the world is full of homeless, foster children. What are you doing to help the adoption process so their lives can change forever!

- Pastor Mark

Are You Walking in the Flesh Or In The Spirit?

2007-08-19T15:41:00.000-05:00

Several years ago, I saw a John Stossel piece for 20/20 on ABC that impacted me. Stossel interviewed a university professor whose recent study indicated that the majority of social-ills were the result of what he called “self-control failure.” Stossel decided he would test that premise with a group of four-year-olds with hidden video cameras. A teacher sat down with each child, one at a time, and placed two pieces of candy in front of the child. She told the child that she had to leave the room for ten minutes, but if the child could wait till she returned to eat the candy, she’d give the child five pieces of candy. Then she added, “If you can’t wait until I return, just ring this bell, and you can go ahead and eat these two pieces of candy.”

Did you see this news piece? Do you remember what happened? If you didn’t, you can about guess. After the teacher was gone, the camera showed the kids fidgeting and handling the two candies as if they were being tortured. One boy counted the candy—maybe to remind himself that five is more than two. One girl looked heavenward as she waited, as if she was asking for God’s help. Seven of the nine kids tested lasted the full ten minutes. Most spent some time with their hands hovering over the bell. Stossel concluded his 20/20 segment with the idea that if we’re concerned about raising children to be successful, happy and free of an epidemic of social-ills, forget about self-esteem and concentrate on self-control.

Well, God’s Word is way ahead of the professor and 20/20’s John Stossel. God has given believers the gift of the Holy Spirit to enable us to live the Christian life in such a way that we have this type of self-control without realizing that it is self control. It’s called walking in the Spirit. Every day you and I face temptations and challenges far greater than whether or not we’ll eat 2 or 5 pieces of candy. Will we tell the truth when a lie might make things easier? Will we give in to the pull of the world when it comes to deceit, disrespect, disobedience, envy, gossip, impure thoughts, pride, selfishness, sexual desires, vanity…? Will we discipline ourselves to study the scriptures to learn how to become more like the person God wants us to be? Or will we walk in the flesh?

The Apostle Paul frames this whole issue as a struggle between the flesh and the Spirit. He talks about it in Romans 7:18-20 and, frankly, it looks pretty hopeless. He’s saying that the influence that sin has over the flesh is very, very powerful. But he goes on to say that we have a powerful ally in our battle against temptation called the Holy Spirit. This Person of God is ready, willing, and able to help us to do what Christ did: overcome every temptation known to man. Here’s what he writes: “You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you….” (Romans 8:5)

The Christian life is certainly not a “walk in the park.” Rather, it’s a walk of faith following in the footsteps of Christ. And that’s why Christians are known by their walk: “By this we may be sure that we are in Him: whoever says, ‘I abide in Him,’ ought to walk just as He walked.” (1 John 2:5-6)

- Pastor Mark

No Condemnation

2007-08-12T15:33:00.000-05:00

A cure for cancer would be a wonderful thing. So would a cure for the struggle against sin. It would be nice to be able to take a pill which would instantly free us from any sort of struggle with sin. And if you’re honest – you’ve struggled with it. Often! To be instantly freed from sin’s influence would be a marvelous thing. Last week, we saw very clearly that the Apostle Paul had come to the end of his rope with the sin struggle: “What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?”(Romans 7:24) Paul struggled with the same sin conflict we do today, but through his transparency, he was in deed seeking to encourage his readers and us. We just have to disregard the Chapter division and keep reading on into Chapter 8 ….

Romans Chapter 8 is one of the most blessed, encouraging and thrilling chapters in the Bible for those who are "in Christ Jesus" (that is, those who are saved). The chapter begins with “no condemnation” (verse 1) and it ends with “no separation” (verses 35-39). The key word for the entire Chapter is the word "Spirit." It occurs 20 times. Life in the Spirit is the key to being free at last! It’s the “cure” for sin; and it’s the series we’re moving into next in the Book of Romans.

But first things first: we need to understand is that sin cannot claim us. The first several Chapters of Romans has taught us pretty clearly that we are condemned because we are sinners. We definitely deserve judgment. But Paul is telling us now that when we come to Christ, we are forgiven. The guilt of sin is lifted. We are now free. But knowing we are free, and walking in that freedom is difficult. Very difficult. Look around. How many Christians do you know (including yourself) who are touched by, affected by, influence by, pressured by, even somehow perversely motivated by, sin? Sin is and always will be a problem because until we leave this earth, we will have to deal daily with the old nature. It’s this daily struggle that causes a true Christian to feel condemned. But Paul says in verse 1 of Chapter 8: “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” Here’s what that means:

Christians need to forget the whole concept of feelings and emotions. We’re dealing with Truth here. We may feel condemnation, but the truth of Scripture is that in Christ we have been set free. There is no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. Why? Because Christ condemned the sin, not the sinner. By Christ’s work on the cross, He judged sin. He paid the penalty for sin. He released us from the condemnation of sin by His death. In verse 3, Paul says that ”for what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did…”

It’s Scriptural Truth. It’s Scriptural fact. Whether you feel it or not. God is not calling us to act on our feelings or our emotions. He is asking us to rely on His Word. The rest of Chapter 8 will tell us precisely how; and it requires no pill. . . only a Life in the Spirit.

- Pastor Mark

Every Believer's Battle

2007-08-03T19:02:00.000-05:00

As we have been working our way through the Book of Romans, I hope its message is becoming more and more clear -- that Jesus Christ sets people free! Free from sin! That is, freedom from self-centeredness, freedom from hostility and bitterness, freedom from anxiety and all kind of fears, freedom from bondage to evil habits of any type – just plain Freedom! Christ has come to release us from “a generation of crooks and perverts” (as Paul describes it) and be “shining lights in the darkness of our day.” (Philippians 2:15)

This brings to mind the phrase “dead to sin.” What does that mean? When we think of the death of someone, we immediately think of their separation from this present world. We think of their spirit being separated from their physical body and entering into eternal life. So how does that fit into the whole concept of sin? Is a Christian really completely and totally separated and forever free from the power of sin? Or is sin a constant battle? And if it is a battle, how does a Christian deal with it?

Unfortunately, there are Christians whose attitude is that God, in His grace, will forgive us, so why not indulge in sin. It’s one way to deal with the struggle and it’s actually very common. But altogether un-Biblical. Romans 6:15-22 tells us that if we do live like this, sin will enslave us, it will shame us, it will limit us, it will defile us, it will bring corruption and death. And although we may be Christians, we will have a very unhappy, miserable life because we cannot give way to sin without being enslaved by it.

Another approach to the battle is that we attempt to handle sin by trying our best to do what God wants. We use discipline and dedication and determined willpower to live according to the Law. It sounds like a far more suitable battle plan, but it’s what the Bible calls legalism. The beginning verses of Romans Chapter 7 describe what happens when we become legalists: we become defensive, self-righteous, critical of others, proud of our own record. We become bored, dull, discouraged, depressed, and even despairing. That’s basically the story of Romans 7.

So what’s the answer? Paul’s own words reflect the dilemma: “In my inner being, I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?” (Romans 7:22-24)

Paul’s dilemma is the human dilemma. It’s every believer’s battle. But in verse 25 we read this: “I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.” Perhaps you think this a bit simplistic – but the Gospel of Jesus is simple. What verse 25 is telling us is that the sin battle is nothing more that a Grace vs. will power battle. And it is the same faith that brought us to Christ in the first place that we must rely on to separate us from sin. Every believer’s battle is won by relying on Christ and Christ alone by the indwelling of His Spirit. And this is the beginning of Sanctification!

- Pastor Mark

Following the SON. . .

2007-08-03T17:34:00.000-05:00

I love sunflowers. I always have. There’s something about that long, powerful stalk and the huge seed-filled disk with bright yellow petals that cleary enchants me; and there’s some- thing both scientific and spiritual that captivates me too: Sunflowers demon- strate phototropism, the ability to rotate their head so that the face of the flower always faces the sun even though the angle of the sun’s rays on the flower constantly change. That means that the face of the flower faces east as the sun rises, and follows the sun across the sky so that at sunset it is facing west; and by its very existence, God is praised! As a pastor I can only liken this process to Christians following the Son of God and the responsibility to see my own life -- as well as to envision the body of believers entrusted to my leadersip -- as a field of beautiful, hardy sunflowers.

On July 17, 2007, Dr. Jerry Pence, the General Superintendent of the Wesleyan Church, and Rev. Ron McClung, our District Superintendent , along with other pastors from the Iowa/Minnesota District of the Wesleyan Church, laid their hands upon me and in a public display of “setting apart,” ordained me to the Gospel Ministry. It was an emotional time for me as I was comprehending the full impact of what was taking place in my life.

Suzi Swarthout’s solo hymn “Be Thou My Vision” seem to set the theme of the entire evening and I was captured by Dr. Pence’s powerful message on the calling of Saul of Taursus in Acts 9. But it was as I was kneeling at an altar being challenged to take charge of the ministry God had given me, that I was moved to tears. The event has caused me to look both back at my life and forward to the days the Lord has given me yet to serve.

Looking back, I am thankful: Thankful that God’s salvation reached me at an early age. Thankful for the example of my parents who lived their faith out and were excited to read the Word, evangelize and attend a Bible-believing church for fellowhip with other believers. Thankful for the nudging of the Holy Spirit that opened my heart to preach His Word. Thankful for the multitude of instructors along my path: pastors, youth leaders, Sunday School teachers, AWANA leaders, college and seminary professors who faithfully taught God’s Word. There are so many others - too many to enumerate.

When I look forward, I do wonder how much time I have left. . . Will Jesus come back in my lifetime? How much time to I have to fulfill the ministry God has given and entrusted me? These questions, I cannot answer. The call on my life is to be faithful. . . To follow the Son!

Think of the giant sunflower – it has a long, strong stalk and when it blooms, it’s huge, it has edible seeds, it’s beautiful to look at, and basically, this flower is completely useful. This I my desire – to be useful to God wherever He puts me. I think of the sombering words that aged apostle Peter gave to the younger men in I Peter Chapter 5. This is my #1 agenda as your pastor:

*Feeding the flock with God’s Word.
*Taking oversight of the Flock.
*Doing it willingly, not by constraint. . .
*Not for monetary gain.
*Being ready to always serve – not dictate.
*Being an example to the flock,
*Clothed with humility. . .
*Casting my cares upon the Lord.

This is the charge I strive for. Pray for me as I serve you in this regard. In His Service,

- Pastor Mark E. Goossen

Whose Slave are You?

2007-07-27T15:06:00.000-05:00

I heard an illustration recently about a man walking down a street in a major city with a sign on his shoulders. The front of it said, “I’M A SLAVE FOR CHRIST.” On the back of it, as he passed, you read, “WHOSE SLAVE ARE YOU?” It is a good question because all of us are slaves to one or the other of two masters: Sin or Righteousness -- Sin or Christ. We have no other choices in life. By the very nature of being human, we are made to serve something beyond our power and be cont rolled by the same. We are either slaves to Christ; or slaves to sin.

If you recall, Romans Chapter 6 began with the question, “Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase?” (verse 1). And the question was asked again in verse 15: “Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace?” And if you’ll further recall, the answer to both questions was a resounding no!

Now, read the last verse of Romans 6: “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (verse 23). This is Paul’s final argument for why we should not, and cannot go on living in sin or being ruled by sin.

Let’s break down this verse. “The wages of sin is death.” This is God’s unalterable law. The creator of the universe demands that the penalty for sin be eternal death. Just as the law of gravity demands that what goes up must come down, so sin must bring death. The Greek word translated “wages” was commonly used of rations that were given to soldiers in military service. It was compensation for services rendered. Just as someone today receives wages from an employer. If you earn death by your sin, you will certainly receive it. God pronounces eternal hell on unbelieving sinners because they have earned it.

“…but the gift of God is eternal life.” This is the other side of God’s unalterable law. If God gives sinners their due wages, then a believer receives something they do not deserve: eternal life. Eternal life is not a wage, but a gift. You cannot earn it because you do not deserve it. It simple cannot be earned or purchased by good works, church attendance, giving money, or even religious rituals. You will find nothing in Scripture to come close to suggesting this. Eternal life is the free undeserved gift of God! “By grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God -- not of works, lest any man should boast” (Eph. 2:8-9).

So why is a gift so much better than a wage? Because earning wages depletes us and we hope that the wage will make up the depletion. But getting gifts depletes no one. Wages imply that the master needs our work, and so he has to pay for it. Gifts imply that the master does not need our work and does not have to pay a thing. Bottom-line: Being a slave to Christ is the sweetest slavery in the world. Whose slave are you?

– Pastor Mark

A Yielded Life

2007-07-23T14:47:00.000-05:00

Have you had any trouble with sin this week? “No,” you say? You are also a bit arrogant then because you know very well that you’ve had trouble with sin. As a matter of fact, if you say you haven’t had trouble with sin, that is proof that you have had trouble with it.
I John 1:8 says if we say we are without sin, we make God a liar! If we are saved, God has delivered us from sin by His grace. But we still live in human, fleshly bodies and that is what causes us problems with sin.

If we are Christians, then inwardly we are cured of the sin dilemma. But we have choices to make everyday in a world that is ruled by sin. In Romans 6:11-23, the Apostle Paul shows us that God did not come into our lives to improve us. He came in to replace us! And that happens only when we live a yielded life:

“Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.” – Romans 6:13

What does that mean? Too often we read a passage of Scripture and we believe it simply because it’s God’s Word, but we haven’t a clue what it really means. Right? Well, when we realize that in our human, fleshly bodies (which are dying) lives the inordinate flesh that seeks to influence us to sin, we make a choice not to allow that and that’s called salvation. That’s step-one. Paul is telling us that we need now to consider the members of our bodies: hands, feet, eyes, whatever you want to call a member of your fleshly body. Paul calls it a body of sin. And we’re told not to yield it anymore as an instrument of unrighteousness.

Sometimes we forget what the word “yield” means. It’s not just traffic terminology. It comes from two Greek words. One word means “alongside,” and the other word means “to place yourself.” The picture Paul is drawing here is amazing! Paul is saying, “Don’t keep putting yourself in a position where you can be overpowered by the flesh. It’s just waiting for you to do that. Don’t keep yielding yourself. Don’t keep putting yourself “alongside” that kind of thing. (That thing could be pornography, gossip, unwholesome entertainment, non-Christian friends who negatively influence us, alcohol, television, you –fill-in-the-blank _______.) Instead of yielding ourselves to that, instead of accommodating the flesh, Paul says accommodate God: Yield yourselves to God. That’s how he replaces us. And that word “yield” is aorist active imperative. That means that grammatically it is a command! The aorist tense means DO IT! Just do it. If you’re saved – you need to train your senses to line up under Christ. Accommodate yourself to Christ. Put yourself where you can be influenced by the Sprit of God and not by the flesh. What does that mean for you this next week? -

Pastor Mark

Death to Sin . . .

2007-07-07T14:11:00.000-05:00

Sin is something we’ve known about since childhood. Our parents and Sunday School teachers instructed us regarding the sins of stealing and lying; and as we grew into young adults, we added alcohol and premarital sex to the list. Pastors and evangelists warned us that other things were sins too: failure to evangelize our neighbors and feed the hungry. What’s sad is that this is the entire scope of far too many people’s understanding of SIN.

We cannot begin to confront SIN until we really understand SIN as a singular entity. SIN is something quite different from that of a bad deed accomplished or a good one neglected. Sin is a universal and willful refusal of human beings to acknowledge that God is God! Even if we could find a way to conquer individual sins – subduing our tongue, our passions, curbing our appetites, meeting the needs of those far and near - we would still not have escaped the power of SIN.

The purpose of salvation is that we might be reconciled to God and be delivered from SIN. God wants us freed from SIN so we can fellowship and commune with Him. SIN needs to die. Throughout Romans Chapter 6, Paul gives several analogies of the death of SIN: baptism, being buried, being planted, crucifixion, slavery and widowhood. There are great contrasts in each of these analogies. And Salvation vs. SIN needs to be the same way. Each Christian should have two volumes in his or her life story: Volume I - Before Christ and Volume II – After Christ. Salvation in Christ is that powerful that it literally brings death to SIN.

Incredible as it may seem, God seeks our fellowship and our communion. He wants to dwell among us. This is why God went to all the trouble to build the temple in the Old Testament – so that He might “dwell among us.” (Exodus 25:22) God wants us to be able to “see” Him and “experience” Him. (As Job did. Remember our study of Job?) The first step is Death to SIN. But it does not end there. In order for this to occur, purity and holiness are required. As Hebrews 12:14 says, “Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.”

Sanctification is the procedure by which we become holy. It’s the means by which we are set apart, separated and consecrated from anything that is unholy. One has likened sanctification to a new government. (Think Iraq here.) There’s a new governing body, but there are still insurgencies and uprisings. Same with life after salvation. Sanctification is a process that God has designed to conform us into Christ’s image so that we can reflect Him in all that we do. It does not happen automatically. It all depends on our own moment-by-moment choices – Faith choices, non-feeling choices where we say, “not my will, but Thine,” -- are the only choices that allow sanctification and a complete and full Death to SIN.

- Pastor Mark

The Road Ahead . . .

2007-07-01T10:52:00.000-05:00

Throughout history, Christians have pondered the road ahead of them, contem-plating God’s plan for His people. And many times, that road was not as appealing as poets portray. Nowhere and at no time has God promised clear blue skies and flower-strewn paths to enfold us all our lives through. Not at all. What God has done throughout history is teach His people to trust and to come humbly prostate before Him. He has taught His people “not to lean on our own understanding,” and that He “shall direct our paths.” (Proverbs 3:5-6)

In Scripture, we meet some of His people who faced some obviously uncomfortable roads. We meet people who fought Giants, crossed the Red Sea, crossed over the Jordan River, wandered in the wilderness, were held in captivity, thrown into burning furnaces, and tossed into a lions’ den. But what does this have to do with Crane Chapel?

I’d like us to ponder the road ahead for Crane Chapel in this last half of 2007 and on into the future. In doing this, we must consider the mandate and the last words of Christ to both His disciples and to Christians today: “Go and made disciples.” When Christians recognize and appreciate that this is our primary and foremost purpose, God promises both His power to do the job and His presence to support and encourage us.

Crane Chapel needs to engage in the “Go…” We need to go down the road of making disciples. The creative energies, the wide-open opportunities and the existing ministries of our church need to center on the “Go.” The body functions best when all its members are engaged in what it was designed to do. And evangelism is best accomplished when all of the the church has a genuine desire to seek the lost for Christ.

Crane Chapel has a Divine purpose. The road ahead for Crane Chapel -- no matter what lies around the turn – needs to be one of uplifting and encouraging one another to “make disciples.” That’s our mission. The charter has been set by the Lord of the Church. Let’s “Go!”

- Pastor Mark E. Goossen

God's Infinite Grace . . .

2007-06-24T10:38:00.000-05:00

How often we say, "What is this world coming to?" in realization that sin seems to be growing worse with each passing day. Anyone turning on a television news program or opening a newspaper is confronted with it: Sin. It’s everywhere and often masquerading in far more complimentary terms. But sin is SIN. (We covered it in Romans Chapter 1. Remember?) And Paul points out that God's Grace is far, far more abundant than man's sins.

“. . . But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.”
- Romans 5:20(b)

But back-up to the first half of that verse: "Moreover, the law entered that the offense might abound." Paul is telling us that one crucial function of the law (and remember, we’re talking about the Old Testament law here) is to turn Adam’s and Eve’s original sin into actual violations of specific commandments. Each of us is (#1) sinful by nature through Adam, and then (#2) the Law confronts us with our specific sins against God: "Do not steal. Do not lie. Do not bear false witness. Do not covet…” The Law of Moses was given to increase the transgression of Adam into millions of specific acts of transgression in all of us who resist submitting to the Law of God because of our rebellious nature. And the effect is that it turns men and woman who are sinful by nature into real bona fide sinners who commit very specific sins. One writer said it well: “the Law makes little Adams out of us all.”

Now back to God’s Grace: “. . . But where sin abounds, grace did much more abound.” This free gift of grace appears as a result of all these specific sins. It is not the law (i.e., specific sins: stealing, lying, gossiping, coveting…) which ushers in God’s Grace. Rather, the law reveals sin. The point of the opening pages of the Book of Romans is that people might become increasingly conscious of their sin when seen against the standard of God’s holy law—that sin might be seen for what it actually is! SIN! Remember how you felt the first time you read Romans Chapter 1? That’s the convicting power of SIN vs. GRACE.

So, how is God’s Grace personal to you? What will God’s Grace do for you? Can He truly be gracious enough to forgive you of your sins?Though we be like Rahab the harlot or King David of the Old Testament, or like Zacchaeus or Saul of the New, or like the worst of all sinners of all times - God's grace super-abounds where sin can only abound! Literally, in the Greek, the idea is fortified with the double occurrence of the word which means "super-abounds". Paul wanted to be clearly understood that God's grace is far more extensive than our sins. God’s Grace is INFINITE!

- Pastor Mark

Prepared for Growth...

2007-03-30T15:59:00.000-05:00

Our rich Minnesota farmland frames my view of Highway 56 everyday on my way into Austin and every spring I watch as farmers prepare their fields for planting. The final remains of the previous year’s crop are turned under the ground as the large tractors “disc” the ground. The soil is worked over and over as the farmer breaks up the ground hardened by winter’s snow and ice. It amazes me that the farmer knows just the right amount of turning that the soil needs to open itself up to the seeds he is planning to sow. The ground must be made ready in order to receive and grow the crop. Year after year, the soil produces a crop, but only after the farmer has removed all the barriers to growth. During the summer months, the mixture of sun and rain, cultivation and care, and work and rest produce the harvest we enjoy in the fall. It is an amazing process.

The farmer’s process in the field is not unlike God’s process in our lives. There are seasons of icy, wintry winds that harden our souls. We feel hurt, wounded, bitter, and cynical. But then God begins to “turn the dirt” in our soul. He removes the remains of our past experiences and breaks up the hurts, wounds, bitterness, and cynicism that have infected us. He prepares our hearts to be ready to receive the seed He wants to sow in us. We are nurtured by His Holy Spirit so that we grow into the people He designed us to be. It is an amazing process.

By the time this newsletter circulates, Crane Chapel will have celebrated its first Sunday service in almost two years back on our property in a brand new building. As a church body, our soil has been worked over, broken up, and hardened over the last two years. Individually during that time, there have been hurts, wounds, bitteness and cynicism. In a word, Crane Chapel has been in the process of cultivation. But this spring we are prepared for growth.

Our sermon series in the Book of Romans can be likened to this cultivation process. God starts with the incorruptible seed of the Gospel and plants it in individual hearts that are open, receptive, and teachable. Once received, a transforming power begins to sprout called salvation. And when the new sprout begins to grow and become fruitful, we call it sanctification. Ultimately the purpose of broken soil, cultivation and growth is the harvest – meant to feed and produce future seed for yet another harvest. And in God’s husbandry, this step is called service. Romans 12:1-2 tells us to “present your bodies as living sacrifice...which is your reasonable service.” I am excited about our study in Romans and what a true understanding of the Truth will do for you and me. You must understand the entire book of Romans to understand God’s perfect will. God’s purposes always work together for good to them “who are called according to HIS purpose” (Romans 8:28). Don’t miss the last part of that verse. God can take the hard winters and bring life out of the soil, but it happens when we serve HIS purpose.

It is an amazing process. Where are you in the process? Are you just beginning to understand salvation? Are you growing in Christian maturity? Are you ready to serve humbly and bring the Gospel to many people? Are you prepared for growth?

- Pastor Mark E. Goossen

The Faith of Father Abraham

2007-03-25T09:43:00.000-05:00

The Apostle Paul assumes we know the Abraham story because he uses the life of Abraham as an Old Testament illustration of faith in Romans Chapter 4. Faith is the theme of this chapter and even though the Jews to whom Paul was speaking were authorities on the Old Testament, they took it for granted that Abraham was justified by his faith. They most surely believed that Abraham had earned his righteousness through his good works. Abraham was a good man who did good things, but this has never been God’s way to salvation. Never in human history has GOD saved someone by his or her works.

Paul has already made and sustained the charge that all mankind is guilty; we have all ”sinned and fallen short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Our works mean nothing to God when it comes to our status before Him. He sees each of us as a sinner. The good news is that God took care of this sin problem. His Son Jesus bore our sins in his own body on the cross, and by believing in Him through faith, we are delivered from our sin. We are declared, “Not Guilty!” and given the gift of righteousness. Faith and faith alone is what saves us.

Abraham’s faith is illustrated in verses 18–21:

Against all hope, Abraham in hope believe and so became the father
of many nations, just as it had been said to him, “so shall your
offspring be.” Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that
his body was as good as dead – since he was about a hundred years
old – and that Sarah’s womb was also dead. Yet de did not
waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but
was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being
fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.

Here we have an illustration, an instant replay as it were, of Abraham’s state of mind when God promised him that he would be the father of many nations and that the entire world would be blessed through him. Reading between the lines, we’re given five characteristics of Abraham’s faith: #1 He believed in GOD. He did not believe in his own faith or his own human ability. His faith was in GOD. #2 He believed against all hope. #3 He believed despite his circumstances. #4 He believed without wavering. And finally, #5 Abraham believed GOD could perform.

It isn’t merely Abraham’s faith that Paul is concerned with here. It‘s our faith. The whole Abraham story, like all of Scripture was written for us. The same God who counted Abraham’s faith as righteousness will count righteous to us if we believe and have faith. How’s your faith? Some of you might be living in a situation similar to Abraham’s. Humanly speaking, all you have is faith because things seem impossible. Maybe you struggle with habitual sin. Maybe you’re at the end of your rope financially. Maybe you suffer physical or emotional pain that seems endless. Do you have faith that “momentary affliction is producing eternal glory” (II Cor. 4:17)? And more importantly, do you have faith that God will count you as righteous and declare you “Not Guilty” if you only have faith in Him?

- Pastor Mark

Classic Illustration of Justification by Faith

2007-03-20T09:38:00.000-05:00

In the first three chapters of Romans, Paul pounds and pounds the idea that every one of us, every man and woman, is guilty before God. Whether we are Jews convicted by the Law, Gentiles convicted by God’s imprint on our consciences, or modern day “religious” people who busily engage in church work as a way to be seen righteous, we have all sinned. We all live in darkness. In Chapter three, we began to see a way out of that darkness. Now in chapter four that way becomes clear. This chapter focuses on the patriarch Abraham, who was counted as righteous before God centuries before Romans was even written. Abraham was counted righteous some 2000 years B.C. in the same way we can be counted righteous in A.D. 2007 – through faith.

Think for minute about this patriarch we call Father Abraham. He is indeed honored as the man from whose genealogy came three of the world’s great religions: Christianity, Islam, and Judaism. It would be difficult to find a man who has influenced the world to this day more than he has. God had promised to bless Israel and the whole world through Abraham and his descendants. Abraham was one of the most respected figures, not only among the Jews, but in the entire ancient world. Tales of Abraham and his works have been known to circulate the ancient world for centuries. And in the first century, Abraham was one of the Jews’ biggest “claims to fame.” This is probably the very reason Paul chose to highlight Abraham in this section of Romans. See, the common perception among the Jews (and many “Christians” today) was that justification before God was the result of good works, and therefore, “justification” was grounds for boasting.

If the Book of Romans were a work of music, the idea of boasting over works would be the melody line, repeated over and over. Boasting is just what people do – whether outwardly or privately. And Romans 4:5 finally sets the record straight: “However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness." Then Paul uses the Jews’ own scriptures to make this point when he quotes Genesis 15:6: “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” Abraham’s righteousness was something not earned, but given to him by GOD. If you go back and really study the life of Abraham, you will see that he had no grounds to boast of righteousness, either before man or God. Abraham lied. He committed adultery. His own family tree traces back to idolaters. He was a sinner. But his faith made him righteous. Not his works.

Works don’t work. We cannot fool God with works – we only fool ourselves. What do you find when you look at your works? Are they enough to save you? If you are honest, the answer is NO. But many people never come to that point of total honesty. We live the “works” way because the world lives the “works” way. God pays no attention to works. He looks at our heart and when he does, He looks at why we do what we do. He sees selfishness, jealousy, anger, manipulation, fear, callousness, coldness, envy, and unkindness. He hears the secret thoughts we think when we know no one else can hear us and He listens when we mumble under our breath. Bottom line: GOD knows why you do what you do. Nothing is hidden from Him!

What do you want credited to your account? Do you want God to credit you with what you are owed according to your works or do you want Him to credit you with righteousness for your faith?

– Pastor Mark

Self Help or GOD's Gift

2007-03-09T21:51:00.000-06:00

The self-help industry is one of the biggest money generators in our society. And the biggest problem in the self-help industry is that many (not all) promoters make false promises. They promise hugely unrealistic results, as if reading a single book or attending a single seminar will produce all the permanent changes you need to make your life absolutely perfect. Yet people still buy these products because they really want to believe the marketers are telling the truth. And probably more notably, people are keenly aware that they do indeed need help.

Today, I want to focus on Romans 3:23-24. Verse 23 lays out for us that universal need for help: “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God...” And verse 24 gives the all-sufficient remedy for that need: “…and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Jesus Christ.” What these two verses say is more important for your future that 10,000 self-help books to help you solve your problems. These are the words of God spoken through the Apostle Paul. They tell us our true condition as human beings. And they tell us what God has done to save those who put their trust in his Son, Jesus.

The whole point of Romans 1:18 – 3:20 is to show us that each of us -- without exception – is a sinner. And the outworking of being a sinner is that we fall short of God’s glory. “Falling short” is literally “lacking.” We lack ever seeing or experiencing GOD’s Glory.

Verse 24 is the greatest “self-help” statement ever spoken or written. Reason being, it requires no self! What is so great about this verse is that it is all about what GOD has already done to save us.

The first phrase is “being justified . . . ” This isn’t something we do. God is the actor here. God is justifying us. And it does not mean that God makes us righteous. Not at all! He declares us righteous. Justification is not a change of our nature or state, but a change of our standing before Him.

Second “as a gift . . . ” The point here is we are declared righteous in such a way that we cannot pay for it. Ever! We cannot purchase justification. It is a gift. It’s free. There is no payment we can make. We cannot buy or barter or rent it. God’s act of justification is a gift.

Third, “by His grace. . .” Getting something by grace means we cannot work for it. Grace is that you get from someone who owes you nothing. So not only can we not pay for justification, neither can we work for it.

Fourth, “through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus.” Redemption means “deliverance at a cost” or “release by payment.” Think of it in terms of a ransom. Jesus was the ransom. He gave His life so there could be deliverance and release from the universal problem of vs. 23!

There are some truths that are so foundational and so central that we should literally build our lives upon them. Romans 3:23-24 are such verses. Base your life on these verses and ground your hope on it.

- Pastor Mark

But Now . . . an Open Door

2007-03-02T19:02:00.000-06:00

If you’ve been attentive over the last several weeks to our study in the Book of Romans, it ought to be very clear that all human beings, of every race and rank, of every creed and culture, Jews and Gentiles, the immoral and the moral, the religious and the non-religious, me and you, are without any exception sinful, guilty, inexcusable and speechless before God. We are all full of sin and sin is the culprit behind the trying situations in our lives. The Apostle Paul’s description of this terrible human predicament in Romans 1:18 - 3:19, leaves absolutely no ray of light, no flicker of hope, no prospect of rescue. Furthermore – and no doubt – some of you have also been offended at various levels that this has been pointed out so openly and purposely. Perhaps you’ve been stirred to reply somehow with passion in your own defense. Here’s what GOD’s WORD says in Romans 3:19, “… every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held guilty before God.”

From a human point of view, this is an enormous and infuriating dilemma. How can we as sinful beings ever be made righteous in the sight of God? How can we get the effects of sin out of our lives? The answer to that question is found in the next section of Romans. Look in your Bible at Romans 3:21 - 8:39. Note that the passage begins with the words “But now. . .” Paul takes out a new brush here – he’s painting a brand new scene. Obviously, something new and exciting is coming. Different Bibles have differently worded divisions, but let’s call this next section “Salvation in Christ Jesus.”

The answer to this enormous and infuriating dilemma is Christ Jesus!! Romans 8:1 says, “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus.” This is the very heart of Romans. It’s the very heart of the Gospel and the very heart of the entire Bible! As we study this next section of Romans and come to comprehend, understand, and appreciate Salvation in Christ Jesus, there are some crucial concepts with which we need to become familiar. They are:

JUSTIFICATION: God’s act of declaring us “not guilty” for our sins. (Romans 4:25 – 5:19)

PROPITIATION: The removal of God’s punishment for sin through the perfect sacrifice of Jesus. (Romans 3:25)

REDEMPTION: Jesus has paid the price so we can go free. The price of sin is death and Jesus paid it. (Romans 3:24; 8:23)

SANCTIFICATION: Becoming more and more like Jesus through the work of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 5:2; 15:16)

GLORIFICATION: The ultimate state of the believer after death when he/she becomes like Jesus. (Romans 8:18, 19, 30)

Read Romans 3:21– 8:39. Memorize the above concepts. Then read the passage again. And again. There is hope for the human dilemma. And there is hope for your dilemma. There is beauty in this passage of Scripture. God has offered an open door to free each of us from the enormity and infuriation of sin. This open door is called Salvation in Christ Jesus. Have you found it?

– Pastor Mark

The World at Our Doorsteps

2007-02-26T12:46:00.000-06:00

Within days of the writing of this newsletter, Crane Community Chapel will open the doors of a brand new church facility to the community. Consider for a moment the mission statement of Crane Chapel: “. . . to win the lost and erring to Christ. . . to spread the knowledge of full Salvation at home and abroad.” Sounds a lot like Matthew 28:19: “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations….” Let’s be honest. Our world is becoming smaller. Advancements in technology allow us to live in a world where global connections are literally at our fingertips. The tapestry of humanity has become so interwoven that information travels instantaneously. Cultures connect at every level of our lives. Diverse languages, foods and lifestyles are all around us, and if you haven’t noticed it here in Southeastern Minnesota, then you obviously don’t get out much. Last week, I sat with my wife at the Chinese Buffet here in Austin between a booth full of people speaking Spanish and a table where a Sudanese family was sharing a meal. I thought to myself, “So much for taking the Gospel to the world. The world has come to us!” But the more powerful and thought-provoking reflection was this: “What is Crane Chapel doing with this opportunity?” We don’t even have to leave town to make disciples! How much easier could it get?! Especially with a brand new church building. It’s a new beginning for us!

The foundation of Christianity in the Gospel of Jesus Christ and it must be preached if people are to be saved. This has been the church’s mandate for centuries. It’s why we exist. True Christianity has always taught this. If people don’t hear the Gospel, they can’t be saved. We have greater means and potential to share the Gospel today than any other time in history. We have sophisticated technology in every imaginable medium. Here’s the tragedy: Satan has cranked up his effort to pull the plug on the Gospel. The enemy is busy confusing the church about what the Gospel is! And many have fallen victim to the confusion.

What good is a new church building if we don’t understand the Gospel? In our series in the Book of Romans, we are coming to what many throughout Christian history have called the Heart of the Gospel: Repentance of sin and justification through grace alone through the death of Jesus Christ. It’s our mission to know this – to understand this – to embrace this – and to share it! As a church-body, let’s not become shallow in our mission. Let’s not become so concerned that we might offend someone, that we leave the Gospel of Salvation fall aside and instead focus our effort on making church fun and entertaining. Let’s immerse ourselves in the Book of Romans and set our eyes on the beauty of the Gospel. The Gospel is the Good News that only Salvation can transform sinners and only Salvation can reveal God’s righteousness (Romans 1:16-17). Let’s become thoroughly acquainted with the message and learn how to share it as laid out so effectively in Romans. Because the world is literally at our doorsteps.

- Pastor Mark E. Goossen

The Charge, The Indictment, The Defense, The Verdict. . .

2007-02-17T13:54:00.000-06:00

Perhaps you missed some important matters in the news over the last many days. First there was the diaper-wearing astronaut out to get her romantic rival. I listened to one “expert” explain (rationalize) that something simply went terribly wrong in this poor woman’s brain when a runaway chemical just skipped a circuit causing an otherwise nice lady to turn into a malicious crazy women. Then there was the whole drug-infested tale of the Marilyn Monroe wanna-be. Regarding her life and untimely death, I heard another “expert” say that there was no redeeming feature of this woman at all, except that she was a nice person.

If anyone cares to hear the Truth, the bottom line of both stories is SIN. Know what else? You share the same family tree with these two human beings. So do I. From a Biblical standpoint, there are no redeeming features in you or me. And none of us has any excuse. Chemical imbalance or otherwise. Regrettably, we all like to believe that we are nice people and that belief is continually reinforced by psychologists, counselors, self-help books, “experts,” and a great many religious leaders. Unluckily for those who’ve bought into it, it’s as far-off as you can get from God’s Word!

That’s why Paul begins his letter to the Romans with a long discussion of the doctrine of human sin. For nearly three chapters he has been building slowly to a great climax. Like a prosecuting attorney, he has laid out the facts one by one. Thesis: The whole world in under the wrath of God (1:18). Fact #1: The Gentiles are guilty (1:18-32). Fact #2: The Moralists are guilty (2:1-16). Fact #3: The Jews are guilty (2:17-29). Fact #4: No excuses will be accepted. (3:1-8)

Now the time has come for the final argument and the case goes to the jury. The charge is SIN. SIN is the problem. It’s not a symptom – it is the cause. In Romans Chapter 3, Paul lays out an appalling picture of the human race. He does it by stringing together a number of Old Testament passages which, taken together, establish his point “beyond a reasonable doubt.” In legal terms, it’s a prima facie case (i.e. Paul has more than sufficiently established the facts). It is the most condemning and offensive indictment imaginable. You have to conclude that sin has not only affected every person, but it has affected every part of every person: Sin is in our character (vs. 10). Sin is in our mind (vs. 11). Sin is in our heart (vs. 12). Sin is in our lips (vs. 13-14). Sin is in our feet (vs. 15-17). Sin is in our eyes (vs. 18). We are totally depraved! Understandably then, the stuff we hear in the news makes total sense!

Sin has affected every part of every human being – our minds, our emotions, our will, our intellect, our moral reasoning, our decision making, our words and our deeds. Total depravity means that sin has so affected our lives that any attempt to please God on our own is doomed to failure. We have NO DEFENSE and the indictment applies to every one of us whether we admit it or not. And the verdict is . . .

- Pastor Mark

The False Security of the Religionist...

2007-02-10T13:43:00.000-06:00

Reality TV is huge. People who watch reality TV are supposed to feel like they are being let in on real relationships, real drama, real life, real, authentic situations faced by real, authentic people. Groups who study generational trends say that the main thing that the younger generations want is authenticity because authenticity lessens the sense of vulnerability. In other words, reality equals security. Personally, I think everyone wants authenticity and everyone wants security. So… being real is “in.”

The sad truth is that authenticity is very hard to come by. Even in churches. And that’s the problem. This is precisely what Paul addresses in Romans 2:17-29. Specifically, he says that circumcision of the flesh does not make a real Jew – rather circumcision of the heart. (vs. 25-27) Paul is speaking directly to the Jews who believed they had an authentic relationship with God based on the outward act of circumcision and the outward appearance of following God’s law. Not gonna’ do it, Paul says. What matters is the heart. You can clean up the outside and be hiding all kinds of filth on the inside. It’s called being phony!

Of course, this is not just about Jews in Paul’s day. It’s about you and me today. It’s fair to substitute “Christian” or “churchgoer” for “Jew” in this passage, and “baptism” or “church member” for “circumcision.” A fair interpretation of the passage might be something like this:

“You call yourself a Christian and you’re so sure you’re right with God because you were baptized as a baby and you went to Sunday School and you went to AWANA too and one time you had a strong emotional feeling and gave your life to Christ. You go to church and Bible Study a even serve on a committee and you brag to yourself that you’re not like your friends and co-workers who don’t understand the Bible and live for the party scene.

“But so what if you’ve been baptized? Has there been a real change in your life? Do you have a real, authentic, internal relationship with God that changes your external life automatically? Has your heart truly been affected? What kind of person are you when nobody is watching? Are you real with yourself? Are you real with God? Are you really secure?”

Honestly, we are so whacked out by sin in our culture, that we have a terrible time allowing Truth to permeate us sometime. Do you understand what this passage is saying? It’s saying that a lot of religious people who call themselves Christians spend their entire lives as phonies. Some are easy to spot, others not so easy. Getting real is actually pretty simple. It’s about telling God frankly and sincerely who you are, rather than whom you think you should be. Forget reality TV. Until you’re real before God, He can’t begin the work of changing you into who you should be. And until you’re who you should be in Christ, you can accomplish nothing for Him. In essence, until and unless you are real. . . you are a fake! And your security in Christ is artificial too.

– Pastor Mark

The Critic Meets the Judge...

2007-02-03T08:49:00.000-06:00

Several years ago there was a book written called I'm O.K., You're O.K., which became very popular. What I hope we’ve seen from our study in Romans Chapter 1 is the message that says: "I am not O.K. You are not O.K. No one is O.K." This may sound like bad news, and it is. Even those of us who regard ourselves as religious, spiritual or moral are far from God’s idea of O.K. We’re all a mess!

It’s at this point in Paul’s letter to the Romans, that many of the self-righteous Jews -- and Christians as well -- were probably shouting a loud “Amen” to the condemnation of sinners in the first Chapter. But in Chapter 2, Paul turns to these religious and morally superior types and points the finger at them: “You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things.” (Romans 2:1)

The focus of Romans Chapter 1 is that none of us have any excuse: we are all sinful. The focus of Chapter 2 is that GOD alone is the Judge. Nobody is entitled to judge. By the very act of judging someone, we acknowledge that there is a standard not being met. But that same standard applies to us as well. The truth is that we do not live perfectly by any standard. We are all self-righteous and -- again -- without excuse.

When we judge others, we aren’t just wrong in assessing the moral standing of others but we are also wrong in assessing our own moral standing. When we act self-righteously, we make two grave errors: we underestimate the height of God’s standard of righteousness and we underestimate the depth of our own sin. It is a universal temptation to exaggerate the faults of others while minimizing our own, to notice the small speck in someone’s eye, but not the log in our own. (Matt. 7:1-3)

“. . . And we know that the judgment of God rightly falls upon those who practice such things. . .” Do you understand the intense scrutiny and thorough intensity of God's judgment? Let's turn for just a moment to that judgment: God will judge according to Truth (Rom. 2:2). His judgment will be inescapable (vs. 3). God’s judgment will be according to our deeds (v. 6) and without partiality (vs. 11). Finally, God’s judgment will be according to the Gospel (vs. 16).

None of us will be able to stand before God and open our mouths to say a thing in our defense. False morality will be exposed for the hypocrisy that it is. What a scary thought. Everything we’ve done in secret, every thought, every sinful desire we’ve indulged, every evil word spoken or even thought, every sin will be revealed. What a mess! We certainly are not O.K. But. . . this is why Paul gives us this teaching in Romans. Even though this doctrine of God’s judgment seems like bad news, it is in fact very necessary information that we should be glad to know. Why? Stay Tuned to Romans….

-Pastor Mark

God Gave Them Up. . . to Depravity

2007-01-27T12:57:00.000-06:00

Last week, we settled the question of the responsibility of all people when it comes to knowledge of God. Every human being living on planet earth has had the same revelation of God. It is the evidence of creation. If a person can look out at the created universe and fail to see the power and divinity of God, that person is knowingly and willfully refusing to see the truth -- not because they cannot see it, but because they are unrighteous and full of pride.

Today, we are going to look at God’s wrath and the reason why I deserve it, you deserve it, and every person on earth deserves it. Romans 1:18 says, “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness…” and verse 21tells us why:“ For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened.”

Now stop for a moment and think of what it means to have a “darkened heart.” Are you thinking along the lines of hardened criminals? The men we see in the news – murderers, child molesters, rapists? Here’s the Bible’s portrayal of a darkened heart: “Professing to be wise, they became fools,” (rationalizing their sin, forming their own ideas about God and the world) “…and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image…” (idol worship. History is full of idolatry – even today, people you may know worship “nature” over God.) Are you thinking that these things really aren’t that extreme? Well, the darkened heart is only the first step. It’s at this point that God reveals His wrath.

How did God inflict His wrath? Romans 1:24: “God gave them up...” Verse 26: “God gave them up....” Verse 28: “God have them up....” Basically, God gave up!! He abandoned them. Read Romans 1:24-32. These verses describe the downward spiral of depravity in a person whom God has abandoned. Sure, some of the ramifications include murder and sexual sin. But the list also includes greed and envy. And strife (dissention), malice (spite), gossip (rumors), slander (insults), insolent (disrespect), arrogance (self-importance), boastful (proud), inventors of evil,
disobedience, without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful… Verse 32 says these things are worthy of death. I dare say, every person reading this is guilty. That said, I am - you are - we all are depraved. All mankind is depraved! And you may be uncomfortable and even provoked that I’d come right out and say it.

Consider the story of the modern day prodigal that came to the reading of his father’s Last Will and Testament. The young man stormed out of the lawyer’s office as the document was being read. See, the father began the Will by unfolding and recounting his son’s lifetime of bad behavior and wrongdoings. Being full of pride, this provoked and infuriated the son. So he walked out. Unfortunately, for the son, he missed the last paragraph of his father’s Will. See, the father had left his beloved son a very large estate and a few million dollars! The son failed to hear the whole story.

Yes, each of us is on that downward spiral of depravity unless and until we reach God’s grace and redemption. We need to hear and fully understand God’s plan of grace and redemption. We need to hear the whole “Will” of God for our lives. Please listen to all of what Romans will teach us.

-Pastor Mark

Rediscover God's Word. . .

2007-01-23T17:16:00.000-06:00

Discovering something for the first time is an experience of awe and wonder. The sheer adrenalin rush of a fresh encounter is almost addictive.

But rediscovering something you have lost is an even deeper experience. In addition to the rush of awe and wonder, there is the deep sense of comfort and stability that lets us know that some things never change. They can be trusted.

God’s Word is like that. It can be trusted. The Bible reminds us that God cares about this world. He cares about us. Our lives may be entirely frenzied, but God’s Word is sustaining. It brings comfort and stability to chaos.

I invite you to Rediscover God’s Word here at Crane Chapel. I hope you are as excited as I am as we begin studying the Book of Romans together. Each time I dig into this portion of God’s Word, I am truly inspired! Romans is a masterpiece of truth. It outlines some of the greatest themes in the Bible: The Gospel of Truth, Grace, and Redemption.

The Book of Romans underscores that living a Christian life is so much more than doctrine. Romans is an essential roadmap for daily living. It has answers for all of our human dilemmas. Romans unfolds God’s plan for each of us to live a stable, fruitful, and joyful life. It can bring comfort and stability to our frenzied lives and our chaotic culture.

If you made any New Year’s Resolutions -- and you’re like the majority of Americans -- you’ve already broken them. Am I right? Resolve to make a new resolution: Rediscover God’s Word. And invite someone to join you.

Very soon we will be in a brand new sanctuary! I encourage you to extend a personal invitation to a friend, neighbor, co-worker, family member, or former Crane Chapel member. What a great opportunity for the entire community to Rediscover God’s Word!

- Pastor Mark E. Goossen

Without Excuse...

2007-01-23T17:12:00.000-06:00

I remember the day my son Shepard was born. Dr. Strobel and I were standing there at my wife’s side passing time, hammering out and resolving a whole throng of theological issues. I do recall my wife interrupting a few times whining about something. (I’m sure her recall of that day is altogether different.) But little Shepard came! I’ll never forget that moment. I stood there, Dr. Strobel sang the Doxology, and what I wanted to do more than anything else was worship, just worship because I saw what God can do. I was Without Excuse.

You can argue about a lot of things, but you cannont argue about the birth of a child. Anybody who has ever witnessed the birth of a child knows there is a God. There is no other way. There is no other answer. There is nothing else you can say.

Romans 1:20 says, “Since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.”

So basically, the atheists in this world (and sadly, a lot of religious people too) are lying to themselves! That’s what Paul is saying here. Every single human being has witnessed God’s eternal power simply by existing on earth! God has put Himself on display. You don’t have to have much of a brain to understand that there is a God. Science can come up with and create many things, but it has yet to create something from nothing. A farmer can plant a seed, but he can’t make the seed grow. And how about an ocean tide? A sunset? Falling leaves? Migrating Geese? A Minnesota snow storm? These are the things that only God can do. By virtue of simply living on planet earth and having a conscience, we are Without Excuse!

Even those in far-off cultures who have never had an opportunity to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ are Without Excuse. They too have received clear witness of the existence and character of GOD from nothing else but observing creation. They may be spiritually dead, but they are Without Excuse when it comes to understanding God’s power and nature. Here’s the key: A person needs to respond. If a person responds to God’s natural revelation, God will provide a means for that person to hear the Gospel. Remember the Ethiopian Eunich (Acts 8:26-39)? How about Cornelius (Acts 10:1-48). They were “good” men, but they were both spiritually lost…. until they responded.

And if we don’t respond? Romans 1:21 say, “For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their thinking and their foolish heart was darkened.” There ya’ have it! Paul revealed the secret to the Romans and it’s ours for today: Reject the clearly identifiable light God gives – and it leads to greater darkness and depravity. Read the rest of Romans Chapter 1 to see exactly how. We really are Without Excuse.

-Pastor Mark

The Significance of the Book of Romans

2007-01-15T23:15:00.000-06:00

There is no book of the Bible which has been so instrumental in changing lives and in impacting the church as Paul’s Letter to the Romans. Most, if not all, of the great revivals and reformation in the history of the church have been directly related to the Book of Romans. I don’t often list a great deal of historical quotes and facts here. But as a pastor, my calling and my life’s goal is to see the Word of God change people’s lives. More than any other Biblical passage, Romans does that! Read on:

In 386 A.D., Aurelius Augustine received Jesus Christ as his Savior after reading a passage from the Book of Romans. He went on to become one of the church’s most outstanding leaders and theologians.

A thousand years later, Martin Luther wrote, “Night and day I pondered Romans until I grasped the truth. I felt myself to be reborn. This passage of Paul became to me a gateway to heaven.”

Several centuries later (May 24, 1738 to be precise), a minister named John Wesley wrote this about his study in the Book of Romans: “I felt my heart strangely warmed. I felt I did trust in Christ, Christ alone for my salvation; and an assurance was given me that He had taken away my sins….”

In assessing the importance of the Book of Romans, John Calvin said, “When one gains a knowledge of this Epistle, he has an entrance opened to him to all the most hidden treasures of Scripture.”

The famous sixteenth-century Bible translator William Tyndale wrote of Romans: “It is the principle and most excellent part of the New Testament... No man can read it too oft, or study it too well; for the more it is studied, the easier it is; the more it is chewed, the pleasanter it is. . . the more it is searched, the preciouser things are found….”

It has been said that Romans will delight the greatest logician and captivate the mind of the consummate genius, yet it will bring tears to the humblest soul and refreshment to the simplest mind. (Are you excited yet? I am!)

As a congregation, we’ve just come out of a wonderful study in the Book of Acts where we were introduced to the Apostle Paul. There is no dispute that Paul wrote the Book of Romans. Probably while in Corinth on his third missionary trip. His primary purpose in writing it was to teach the truth of Grace to new believers who had never really heard it. So Romans is primary a book of doctrine and contains little historical material -- but it does answer a lot of questions about man and God: What is the good news of God? Is Jesus really God? What is God like? How can God send people to hell? Why do men reject God and His Son? Why are there false religions and idols? What is man’s biggest sin? Why is there evil in the world? What is the standard by which God judges people? How can a person who has never heard about God be held spiritually responsible? Who is a true Jew? Can any person keep God’s laws perfectly? How can a person know he is a sinner? Where can people find real peace and hope? What exactly is grace? Why is living a Christian life such a struggle?

If you’ve ever asked questions like these, this sermon series from the Book of Romans is for you! Stay tuned. We’re just getting started!

- Pastor Mark

The Redemption Story Continues. . . Lessons from Noah's Ark...

2006-12-13T17:01:00.000-06:00

Ever listen to a three-year-old tell a Bible Story? The details are there, but the chronology is wide of the mark! A few days ago, I overheard my daughter Selah telling her brother about the shepherds and the baby Jesus sitting down to eat dinner with the disciples before they helped Zacchaeus climb down from a tree. Cute and amusing, huh? Well, I’m about to recount the story of Noah’s Ark and the Great Flood along with the birth of the Savior. No, Selah is not writing my sermons for me this month. There are many reasons why the story of Noah’s Ark is significant to the Advent of Christ and valuable in understanding the Why of Christmas. Let’s look…

First, Jesus told us that what characterized the times just before the flood will characterize the times just before His second coming: “As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.” (Matthew 24:37) So, what characterized the “days of Noah”? Scripture tells us it was a time when “men began to increase in number” (Genesis 6:1); and “the earth was corrupt” and “full of violence” (Genesis 6:11). Read a newspaper or watched the television news lately? Sounds current to me. The world needed a Savior in Noah’s day just as much as it did some 2000 years ago in Bethlehem and just as desperately as it does today. (Do you see the connection to the manger yet?)

Another reason that it is worthwhile to revisit the flood along with the Christmas story is that the Ark is an example of the judgment of God. (Yes, He is a God of judgment – not just grace and mercy and Christmas love.) In Genesis 7:16, we read that it was God who shut the door to the Ark. God had appointed a particular day of judgment. He had been longsuffering, waiting for many years. Sadly, only eight people were inside the Ark. You can almost hear the sound of the door banging shut against the side of the Ark. Perhaps the echo from that sound resounded in the ears of thousands (even millions) of people who looked on and mocked Noah. But as the door shut, judgment had arrived. Only those who had gone through the doorway could be saved. Fast forward now to II Peter 3:5-7 where Peter tells us that just as God sent a flood to destroy the earth because of the wickedness of man, one day there is going to be a final judgment. This time by fire. And God’s Word is clear: “If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.” (Revelation 20:15) (Is the Why of the baby Jesus coming into focus?)

One last reason why the flood is almost a prerequisite lesson for the Nativity story is that Noah’s Ark is actually a picture of salvation. The Ark is representative of our salvation through Christ. God has provided an Ark of salvation for each of us. It’s the baby Jesus!! Jesus said, “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved.” (John 10:9) Just as Noah and his family had to go through a doorway to be saved, we need to go through a doorway – the Lord Jesus Christ. He is our ark of salvation.

… Now, why did Jesus come to earth as a tiny baby? He came to offer that Salvation to each one of us. The event of Noah’s Ark and the Great Flood is a sobering warning to each of us that we need to be saved too! And that’s the essence of Christmas: We can be!

- Pastor Mark

The Redemption Story. . . A Tale of Two Prototypes. . .

2006-12-04T20:54:00.000-06:00

Ever miss the first five minutes of a movie and remain pretty much clueless for the whole movie? I have. Well, the Christmas story is kind of like that. Only instead of a missed five minutes, many people have likely missed 4000 years! This Advent Season, we are looking at the Why of Christmas. Why did Jesus have to come to earth as a baby? To fully understand the unfolding Why of the Christmas story, we have to go back 4000 years to Genesis – to the very beginning.

Last week we stopped in Genesis 3 and looked at the story of the Fall of man where, in such pristine surroundings, our first parents exercised their volition to defy God’s one command. This blatant disobedience changed the world forever and loosed upon the world an avalanche of evil. But amidst the curse, God offered hope: He offered redemption. In Genesis 3:15, He proclaimed that the seed of the woman would crush the serpent. Satan would be bruised and hurt in conflict and ultimately receive a fatal blow. Adam and Eve are then expelled from the Garden of Eden and the story continues….

In Genesis Chapter 4 we come to the story of Cain, the first person ever born. (Adam, you remember, was created and Eve made from Adam.) Next we have Abel, the first sibling and the very first family. Then, sadly, we have the first family tragedy. Cain kills his brother Abel… And the Redemption Story is just beginning.

As we look at this passage in terms of that 4000-year preface to the baby Jesus story, Cain is the first non-believer. He is the prototype of the lost and doomed sinner. God always has clear purpose when He records for us stories in the text of Scripture. There are two kinds of people in the world: believers and non-believers. The account of Cain is given here in some detail in order that we might get a complete characterization of the typical unbeliever. From a general glance of the Chapter, we see that Cain harbored hatred in his heart and his actions were self-centered and godless. Cain had killed off the other possible prototype (the believer), so we’re left to wait for yet another offspring to embody the believer…

…and she called his name Seth: for God said she hath appointed me another seed instead of Able whom Cain slew. (Genesis 4:25) And here we have our believer. It’s through Seth’s progeny that we have a group of God-fearing people who will present the truth to a corrupt generation. And it is through Seth’s lineage that Jesus will be born 4000 years later.

The passage in Genesis rolls on almost like a movie until suddenly it stops and focuses on one man. That man is Enoch – the great, great, great grandson of Seth. Genesis 5:24 tells us that Enoch walked with God. Enoch was the very first prophet of the coming of Jesus: “And Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these saying, ’Behold the Lord cometh with ten thousands of His saints to execute judgment upon all and to convince all that are ungodly among them of their ungodly deeds…’” (Jude 14)

And the question lingers. Which prototype are you? What are you doing in this godless generation? Are you self-centered/harboring hatred or are you walking with God?

- Pastor Mark

A Sweet Aroma. . . .

2006-12-04T07:55:00.000-06:00

Who doesn’t love the smell of something wonderful baking in the oven? I know I do! The aroma of anything baking in the oven brings me from any part of our house to the kitchen with a yearning to taste what has produced that wonderful aroma. I don’t want to talk about the bread or the pie or the cookies. I want to eat the bread or the pie or the cookies! I want to enjoy it. It’s the way God made me.

I believe God’s activity in His people has the same effect upon our souls. When God’s people are about their Father’s business of living in His mercy, growing in His grace, sharing His love, and spreading His Word there is an aroma that fills the air. It wafts across a city, a county, a region, and even the world with a fragrance that draws people. They come with a yearning to taste and see what God is doing. They don’t want to simply talk about mercy, grace, love, and God’s Word. They want to enjoy it. They want to experience it. It’s the way God made us.

This past year, God has been baking in the kitchen called Crane Community Chapel and people are being drawn by the fragrance It’s a joyous thing for a pastor to see. It’s even more thrilling getting to personally know the people who have been drawn to Crane Chapel and learn that they’re not attracted by beautiful facilities or impressive programs or a certain style of music. What I see are new Christians and newcomers who are drawn by a spiritual hunger that is only met by the discipleship of fellow-Christians and solid Biblical teaching. As a pastor,
this is my burden and my ministry: To preach the Word of God as faithfully as it is written and to see that new Christians are discipled. It is a joy to watch the incorruptible seed take root and come to fruition. Seeing people hungry for the Word of God is a thrill!

To each of you who’ve had a part in bringing new believers to Christ in 2006 and for discipling them in the Word: Thank You! To each of you who’ve shown His mercy, grace and love throughout this past year in ways only seen by Christ Himself: Thank You!

God is definitely at work among us. There is a wonderful aroma coming from the kitchen of Crane Chape. The meal is prepared. The table is set. Invite a guest so we can Spread the Good News of Jesus Christ! That’s the purpose of the Church and that’s the meaning behind Christmas!

- Pastor Mark Goossen

The Why of Christmas. . .

2006-11-27T09:46:00.000-06:00

Much of the beauty of Christmas is found in its sameness. The same traditions. The same food. The same hymns. The same biblical account of the Baby Jesus in Bethlehem with shepherds and angels. Yet each Christmas is a little different. Sometimes that difference is dramatic. Sometimes it is subtle – delicate and quite and kept in our hearts to reflect on in times of peaceful silence.

This Christmas, I invite you to look at Christmas from a new vantage point. We’re all another year older and, hopefully, wiser and more mature in God’s Word. This year I want you to look past the story set in Bethlehem. Past the idea of the baby in a manger to the reason that God came to earth as that infant boy. Sure it was to ultimately suffer a grotesque yet passionate death on a rugged cross, but beyond that… Why did He have to die? Where did it all begin? I invite you to start at the beginning. Yes. The beginning. The Book of Genesis.

Genesis 3 is our point of origin. It is arguably the most important chapter in the entire Bible because it explains why the rest of the Bible was written. The entire Bible tells the story of redemption -- of salvation -- of deliverance from sin. Genesis 3 explains why the world needs this redemption.

It is impossible – and ridiculous to even try -- to understand the world. We’ve got people trying and supposedly coming up with solutions; but it is in fact impossible for humans to understand the cosmos, the ordered world of creation. It is impossible to understand the disintegration of matter. It is impossible to understand the collapsing world and universe and it is impossible to understand man’s behavior if you do not understand that everything that exists in the world today is a product of sin and that that sin is a result of what happened in the Garden of Eden.

The impact of the Adam and Eve’s sin – man’s fall -- has touched every part of the universe. It is accurate to say that absolutely everything wrong in our world is because of sin. When God made things he said, “…it was good.” (Genesis 1:31) But because of sin everything is very bad: from world wars, terrorism, mass murders, serial killings, plane crashes, auto accidents, fires, crippling and maiming of people because of accidents, nuclear reactor disasters, radiation poisoning pollution, cancer, heart disease, all illnesses, broken relationships, divorce, orphaned children, drugs, crime, dereliction in all forms, confusion, conflict, struggle, disappointments, anxiety, fear, guilt, depression, sorrow, failure, remorse, lust, selfishness, pride, hatred, covetousness, rebellion, murder, stealing, sexual immorality., irresponsibility, disobedience to parents and authority and gossip.

Now…why did Jesus come as a precious infant boy? Sure, it was to die on a cross. But why did He have to die?

- Pastor Mark

The Beginning of the End...

2006-11-20T16:39:00.000-06:00

One of the most operative words in today’s society is "interactive." We’ve got interactive books and videos and computer software and educational curricula that permit us to interact with an issue or topic by adding our own ideas and answers and endings. It’s just part of our postmodern world; the kind of thing that would make our grandparents smirk. But as we look at the way Luke concludes the Book of Acts, he is showing us in very much the same way that we are to interact fully with its message. Luke wants us to continue the story…

Last week we left the shipwreck survivors on the island of Malta where tradition says they stayed from mid-November till about mid-February. Then Paul and the rest of the assengers and crew put out to sea again (Acts 28:11). Verse 14 reads, “…we came to Rome. Continuing, we find out that some Christians in Rome had heard that Paul was coming, greeted him and provided a reception and escort fit for an emperor. What an irony: Paul
the imperial prisoner makes a triumphal procession to the capital of the Empire! …Paul thanked God and was encouraged (Acts 28:15). Why? From our study of Acts we know that one of Paul's long-standing desires was to bear witness in Rome. Well, he finally got there – in chains, through shipwreck, and with significant obstacles behind him – and once there, he preached! As Luke concludes the Book, he reminds us again that Christians were denounced everywhere by the Romans. He tells again how Paul persisted in using the Law of Moses to teach the Jews that Jesus was indeed Messiah. Some were convinced by what he said, but others would not believe.” (Acts 28:24) Read Paul’s response in Acts 28:28 and then read Acts 13:46. And with that account, Luke's story is pretty much over.

Luke’s literary artistry had certainly come full circle. Paul’s entrance into Rome is just the beginning of the fulfillment of Acts 1:8 -- that the Gospel would be proclaimed to the ends of the earth. Why does Luke end the Book of Acts so abruptly? The book is not so much about the life of Paul, but about the spread of the gospel. Now that the gospel had been established and preached in Rome - the world’s center of trade and government - it would definitely spread to the ends of the earth. It simply wasn’t necessary to write anything else about the continuing history of the Church. We are the Church. We are writing its history today. We are interacting with the message! Look at Luke’s final words in Acts 28:30-31: “For two whole years Paul…welcomed all who came to see him. Boldly and unhindered he preached the Kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ.”

Despite all the obstacles and the Roman government's attitude toward Christianity, Paul was unhindered. This message (the part where we are supposed to start interacting) is framed by one of Luke’s very last words: akolytos, “unhindered.” Paul was unhindered in his witness. It’s no different today. We’ve got obstacles. We’ve got a government that is more-or-less indifferent (often hostile) toward Christianity. Despite our postmodern world, things are still pretty much the same. But, as Christians, we’re called to be bold and unhindered as we interact with and continue the story. Where are you in this interactive story?

– Pastor Mark

The Shipwrecks of Life. . .

2006-11-12T16:28:00.000-06:00

Have you ever been so immersed in a storyline that you just had to see it to its conclusion? I hope today’s message is every bit as good as the last great television plot you followed. It is after all the conclusion to a great series. If television producers created TV programs based on New Testament history, the depiction of the Apostle Paul’s shipwreck would make a great reality series.

Here’s a thumbnail sketch of the story. Paul has been in prison for two years in Caesarea. He has appealed his case to Caesar so he is sent to Rome by ship. The final two chapters of Acts describe this journey. Everything seems to have gone wrong for Paul in these last two chapters. As a missionary, he couldn’t do too much preaching as a prisoner; and the journey to Rome was an utter catastrophe. Let’s look as Luke’s vivid chronicle of the journey:

“…the winds were against us. (27:4) We made slow headway for many days. . . (27:7) Much time had been lost and sailing had become dangerous…(27:9) A wind of hurricane force called the northeaster swept down from the island. The ship was caught by the storm and could not head into the wind. (27:14-15) We took such a violent battering from the storm that the next day they began to throw cargo overboard. (27:18) The soldiers planned to kill the prisoners, so that none would swim away and escape; but the centurion commanded that those who could swim should jump overboard and get to land.” (27:42-43)

There’s an old saying that man’s extremity is God’s opportunity. We, too, have shipwrecks in our lives – our careers, marriages, families, and hopes. So do those around us. We can draw enormous help and comfort from this story, because Paul demonstrates a God-honoring and practical way to respond to our own shipwrecks and the trials of those around us.

Paul was perfectly aware of the calamity around him, yet there is a quiet confidence, even joy, in his words and actions. Paul told the crew, “I urge you to keep up your courage, because not one of you will be lost; only the ship will be destroyed.” (27:22) And we read in verse 36 that “they were all encouraged.” Paul provided HOPE.

Up to this point, we’ve seen Paul’s leadership as an evangelist and a missionary. And while a shipwreck is not exactly the right time for evangelistic services, Paul looks for every opportunity to talk about his faith in God. When he ate food, he “gave thanks to God in front of them all.” (27:35) And in announcing that there would be a shipwreck, he explains, “I have faith in God that it will happen just as He told me.” (27:25) In the shipwrecks of life we, like Paul, can provide APPROPRIATE WITNESS.

During these nightmarish fourteen days, it’s very likely that most of the passengers were desperately seasick. Paul told them, “I urge you to take some food. You need it to survive.” Paul provided PRACTICAL ADVICE.
The lesson for us? Paul combined spirituality with sanity. Faith with works. He was a man of God and of action. A man of the Spirit and of common sense. We cannot avoid the shipwrecks of life. What we can do is use our circumstances to glorify God. We can stay the course and develop character. We can rest in God’s promises!

- Pastor Mark

The Search For Church...

2006-11-01T11:34:00.000-06:00

It's a simple childhood game taught by Sunday School teachers. It was an “interactive learning experience” before anyone had ever spoken that phrase. Standing before the class, a teacher would ask children to fold their hands together, interlocking their fingers. “Here’s the church,” she would say as two- and three-year olds looked curiously at their folded hands. Then, pointing the forefinger of each hand skyward, she would say, “Here’s the steeple.” Children would giggle as their pudgy fingers formed the shape of a spire pointing to the heavens. There would be a moment of anticipation as the teacher turned her folded hands toward the class and nodded toward her thumbs, which now formed the shape of a door underneath the finger steeples, and said, “Open the doors,” while turning her hands just the right way to make the previously hidden fingers visible, “and see all the people!” Across the room there’d be gasps of pre-school amazement and gleeful giggles.

I am always thrilled to see children learn the Biblical truth that the church is the people of God and not a building or a social agency or an historical institution or a even a babysitter! I’m even more thrilled when adults grasp it. I mean really grasp it. Sure, people make up the church, but people also make up the Chamber of Commerce and the Boy Scouts. The Church is a living, breathing, divine body made up of people who have surrendered their lives to Jesus – its head! Sadly for some, finding the Church can be a life long search.

Over the last few months, we’ve been on a journey through the Book of Acts. We’ve uncovered the beginnings of the New Testament Church and walked in the footsteps of the first missionary. We’ve discovered this living organism known as the Body of Christ. Unfortunately there are countless people living among us who still haven’t experienced church as the Body of Christ! They still only understand it as a New Testament narrative. As a pastor, I observe it every Sunday morning. I catch sight of it in the community everyday: People who have never been able to see and experience what the Body of Christ is really designed to be. As a result, some believe the church is irrelevant. Others decide to attend other churches that will, obviously, be better than what they have experienced in the past and will better fit their current needs. Others resign themselves to a spiritual stagnation and become content with the empty ritual of simply “attending” church instead of experiencing a vibrant relationship with God and His Family. And God is grieved.

Over the last (almost) eighteen months we’ve been on another kind of journey. A journey known in church circles as a “building phase.” We’ve been planning and constructing and waiting. And waiting. And the search for our church building is almost over! Drive near the 1100 block of Ninth Street NE and our new church building is instantly recognizable! Within weeks we’ll watch as that much-anticipated steeple rises into the sky and fine-tunes the skyline of Austin. I’ll probably be there. With a camera! See, as I’ve driven through Austin over the last few weeks, I’ve wondered to myself, “Will the steeple be visible from here? How about here? At what point on Interstate-90 will I see it? ” Have you done that too? Don’t get me wrong. I am just as excited as anyone else about our new building. It’s very important to have an attractive and functional building. People are far more likely these days to attend church in a nice building. Outward appearance is important. But . . . News flash! The church is not the building! Do I sound like a broken record? Good. If our new building defines Crane Community Chapel for you, perhaps you haven’t fully grasped that childhood game.

. . . Are you searching for Church?

- Pastor Mark

God's Will vs. Bad Counsel

2006-11-01T11:28:00.000-06:00

Beginning in Acts 21, we come to the “home stretch” of the Book of Acts. It’s here that Paul enters Jerusalem against the advice of many fellow believers, including his traveling companions. He is falsely accused, nearly killed, and then arrested (and thereby rescued) by Roman authorities. Sounds like quite a plot for a movie! But this isn’t Hollywood. No. We’re dealing here with the greatest missionary of all time, thus it was an occasion for Paul to -- once again -- proclaim the Gospel!

Paul had resolved to go on to Jerusalem while he was still in Ephesus, and along the way he met and fellowshipped with fellow believers. One would imagine these meetings to be very similar to what took place in Miletus. As they departed each city, they knelt together and prayed and said tender and tearful goodbyes. We’re also told in Acts 21:4 that “they repeatedly told Paul through the Spirit not to set foot in Jerusalem.” But Paul pressed on, rejecting the warnings, convinced that his suffering was the will of God. He is not only willing to suffer, but also to die for Christ. I don’t know about you, but I read this account with great admiration for Paul. I am amazed to find that some godly scholars have reached the conclusion that Paul was wrong, in his decision to continue on the Jerusalem.

Nowhere in Scripture are we told that Paul did wrong. The remaining chapters of Acts do not indict Paul for wrongdoing; they honor him for his faithfulness! And Paul’s words to Timothy strongly imply that he had not departed from God’s will, but that he had fulfilled it:

I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:
… there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me at that day… II Timothy 4:7-8

Here’s the scene once Paul arrives in Jerusalem: He’s falsely accused of a high Jewish crime, resulting in a riot in which he is nearly put to death on the spot. He’s placed under arrest. He shares his testimony with the some Jews. This results in another riot. In Chapter 23, we find Paul standing before the Sanhedrin. Realizing that there will be no justice here, Paul identifies himself as Pharisee, thus resulting in even more tumult. Paul is then confined to the military barracks for his own protection until they can decide what to do with him. (Talk about conspiracy!?) That night, Jesus Himself stands beside Paul and speaks:

Be of good cheer, Paul: for as thou hast testified of me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at Rome. –Acts 23:11

These are not words of rebuke. These are words of commendation. Paul, like Jesus before him, set out toward Jerusalem, knowing full well the turmoil awaiting him. (Compare Luke 9:51 and Acts 19:21.) So why does Luke record all the warnings from other well-meaning believers? Well, Scripture is full of advice on not taking advice from evil people. Luke’s account might just be telling us that bad counsel can come from those who deeply love us too. Our most intimate and trusted friends might be giving bad advice. Are you close enough to Christ – are you mature enough in your faith - to discern God’s will from bad counsel? Read Paul’s words in II Corinthians 1:3-6 and 4:17-18 before you answer.

- Pastor Mark

The Heart of Christian Work...

2006-10-23T16:45:00.000-05:00

One of the most exciting things in ministry is allowing God’s Word to speak over the current and dramatic moments in the life of a church. Our study of the early Church in the Book of Acts parallels our own church building project and that’s exciting because God’s Word really has been coaching us on the real mission of the Church body. (By now, I do hope you know the difference between the two.) Up until now, Luke has been narrating the work of the early Church along with the journeys and ministry of the Apostle Paul. But in Acts Chapter 20, Luke takes a twist and invites us into the heart of Paul the Missionary. It’s an especially poignant and tender passage. It speaks directly to those in ministry even though it applies to all of us. It speaks to the heart of anyone involved in Christian work.

Here’s the situation of the passage. The final dramatic events of Acts are about to happen with the Apostle Paul’s arrest in Jerusalem and his eventual appearance before Caesar in Rome. But on his way to Jerusalem, Paul spends some time with the leaders of the church at Ephesus. He sends for the elders and they meet just outside of Ephesus in a town called Miletus. Here Paul has some final words for them. He knows he will not see them again until they meet in heaven.

“You know how I lived the whole time I was with you, form the first day I came into the province of Asia. I served the Lord with great humility and with tears, although I was severely tested by the plots of the Jews. You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house. I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in
repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus.” - Acts 20:18-21

These verses are Paul’s summation of his life and ministry in Ephesus. What strikes me here is that Paul was a man sold out for Jesus and driven by a burden for people. His words clearly map-out for us the heart of Christian work and the necessary priorities. Look at the passage again. First: Paul served the Lord… no matter what! And he did it with humility and tears. Second: He did not hesitate to preach anything that would be helpful because building up the Church and reaching the unsaved was indeed the essence of his work. Paul’s needs and desires aren’t even mentioned. They of course came last in the arrangement of priorities. Quite a contrast from the “wisdom” of our day. We’re overrun with views and ideas and guidance on how to take care of “self.” Visit any bookstore and you’ll find an entire section called “Self Help.” Try to find a Bible in the same store. Not quite as big a section for God’s Word. That’s sad.

Back to my opening words: As a pastor it is both amazing and humbling to allow God’s Word to speak over the current and dramatic moments in the life of a church. In a few weeks, we will be in a brand new church building and the Celebration of Christ’s Birth will be upon us. Many will be occupied with details. Don’t let those details cast a shadow on the heart of your work as a Christian. Keep His Word – The Bible - your priority.

-Pastor Mark

The Power of the Gospel...

2006-10-12T14:06:00.000-05:00

Last week I told you that I believe there are people in Austin yet to be saved. There is work to be done in Mower County, and Crane Chapel has the mission, the people, and the resources to do it! Need some encouragement? In Acts 19, Luke gives a fascinating account of how the Gospel of Christ reached and affected an entire city and its surrounding area through a relatively small group of Christians. That city was Ephesus.

Ephesus was a luxurious city, but it was given up to the occult and black magic. The people cooked up mysterious formulas to give them wealth and happiness and success. Superstition, sorcery, and the worship of idols were very common. The Ephesians worshipped the Asiatic goddess Diana (or Artemis), the goddess of fertility. Their supreme glory was the temple of Diana, one of the Seven Wonders of the World. And a principal business of Ephesus was the making of small idols and shrines. Ephesus, like Corinth, was saturated with idolatry, witchcraft, riots and immorality. Enter: The Apostle Paul. (Doesn’t it seem as though Paul is somehow drawn to these kinds of cities?)

Paul stayed and preached in Ephesus for over two years. And Christianity became one of the most powerful influences in the city. Ephesus also became one of the most famous churches in the world. The Gospel so affected the city that its economy was actually disrupted! Remember: the production of idols and shrines was a major business here.

What was Paul’s secret? It is no secret. It is the power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It has the power to overcome Satan and all those things he uses to destroy us (witchcraft, etc.). Later in his letter to the church in Ephesus Paul would write, “For we are not fighting against people made of flesh and blood, but against the evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, and against wicked spirits in the heavenly realms.” (Eph. 6:12) And in his letter to the Corinthians he said, “We use God’s mighty weapons, not mere worldly weapons, to knock down the Devil’s strongholds. With these weapons we break down every proud argument that keeps people from knowing God. With these weapons we conquer their rebellious ideas and we teach them to obey Christ.” (II Cor. 10:4-5)

These passages remind us that we have an enemy. He isn’t our boss, or our spouse, but a spiritual enemy. The Bible clearly teaches that Satan is a manipulator. Scripture describes him as the “god of this world.” Until Paul’s arrival, Satan held Ephesus in bondage. The people lived in confusion and they indulged themselves in lust and desire and magic. We have our own form of magic today: The magic of money, or power, or possessions or human capability dominate the culture. But we are called to battle the stronghold. How? Several weeks ago, I challenged you to ask God to bring to your mind someone to share the Gospel with. Some of you have shared that you’ve taken up this challenge. As a reminder: This is why the Church exits – to rescue people out of Satan’s bondage. And believe me, Ephesus isn’t that much different from our culture today. The Power is in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Share it!

– Pastor Mark

Salvation in the Midst of Depravity...

2006-10-06T10:36:00.000-05:00

What's the mood…the atmosphere…the character of our beloved Southeastern Minnesota? You know what I mean: When folks from New York City visit, with what impressions do they leave? And how does a native of Southern California feel after a stopover in Brownsdale or Taopi? Well, I’ve lived in California and I’ve lived in rural Minnesota. Believe me. They’re two entirely different mission fields!

I think the Apostle Paul went through a much greater sort of culture shock when he left Athens and headed to Corinth. Athens was the intellectual capital of the Roman world. It’s where they had that entire amphitheater called Areopagus set aside just for intellectual and philosophical debate. Now Corinth is a beautiful city located about fifty miles west of Athens. It’s situated on a narrow neck of land between the Adriatic Sea and the Aegean Sea. And there was a great temple on Acrocorinth (the hill behind the city). Sounds magnificent, right? Here’s the not-so-magnificent part: Every evening a thousand-some priestesses would come down into the city streets to carry out their trade, indulging in lasciviousness, immorality, and depravity. The city of Corinth had the reputation throughout the whole Roman world as the center of sensuality.

Remember how troubled and offended Paul was over the worship of idols in Athens? Imagine his distress over the open depravity in the streets of Corinth? This was a definitely a low point in Paul’s life and ministry. He was alone on this trip. He longed for the companionship of Silas and Timothy. He was short on finances and had to enter the workforce as a tentmaker working with leather. He was becoming more and more aware of Jewish opposition to the Gospel. And he had just left Greece – an area he felt was an unproductive area for the message of Christ. Remember too that Paul grew up in a very religious and strict Jewish home. So he had to have been quite appalled and disturbed over the evil perversion running rampant in the streets of his newest mission field.

But let’s look at the text of Acts 18:9-10: “Then the Lord spoke to Paul in the night by a vision, ‘Do not be afraid, but speak and do not keep silent; for I am with you, and no one will attack you to hurt you; for I have many people in this city.’” Know what? Paul stayed another eighteen months! And if you know your New Testament Books, you know that the two longest Pauline Epistles were written to the people of this depraved city of Corinth. People were actually saved in Corinth.

Is there a lesson in this for us? Of course. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the same no matter where you go and to whom you speak. Californians need the Gospel of Salvation no more and no less that us Midwesterners. Never predict the outcome of your witness (intentional or unintentional). Just go ahead and share it!

- Pastor Mark

Help Me to Live for Others...

2006-10-04T11:21:00.000-05:00

“Others”
By C.D. Meigs

Lord help me live from day to day
In such a self-forgetful way
That even when I kneel to pray
My prayer shall be for – Others.

Help me in all the work I do
To ever be sincere and true
And know that all I do for you
Must needs be done for – Others.

Let “Self” be crucified and slain
And buried deep; and all in vain
May efforts be to rise again
Unless to live for – Others.

And when my work on earth is done
And my new work in heaven’s begun
May I forget the crown I’ve won
While thinking still of – Others.

Others, Lord, yes others
Let this my motto be
Help me to live for others
That I may live like Thee.

F rom the very first phases of our building project, we have make every effort to not overlook the vision and mission of Crane Community Chapel. And a recent visit by Della and Dave Matt reaffirmed that vision. On Sunday, October 1st, Della shared a beautiful poem entitled Others.

As we continue studying and understanding the birth of the New Testament Church in the Book of Acts, let’s continue to understand and appreciate how very important Crane Chapel’s heritage of serving others really is.

It was to serve others that Christ came down from His glory to clothe himself in human flesh. It was for others that He gave His life on a cross. It was service to others that drove the missionaries in the Book of Acts to distant cities and far-away lands to share the life-giving message that Jesus saves.

Yes. . . Others must be our passion and it must be the purpose for the very existence of Crane Chapel. Whether others be a toddler, an AWANA child, a teen, a single adult, a busy mom, a working man, a widow, a senior citizen, or a shut-it, we must be available for service to others.

"Others, Lord, yes others; Let this my motto be."

- Pastor Mark Goossen

Laughed Off The Hill...

2006-10-04T11:18:00.000-05:00

It doesn’t take too many clicks of your television remote, or even a trip through a grocery store checkout aisle to be convinced that we live in a time of “spiritual” exploration. In many respects, not unlike that of the pagan world of Greece when Paul preached in Athens. It was here that Paul became quite candid and outspoken over the worship of idols. It was the custom then, in Athens, for the philosophers of the time to gather at an arena near Areopagus – or Mars Hill -- for debate over philosophies and ideas. Acts 17:21 records Luke’s observations: “Now all the Athenians and the strangers visiting there used to spend their time in nothing other than telling or hearing something new.” The Greeks would like to have us think that they were seeking truth through their debate, but very much like today, “spirituality” was to great extent nothing more that a consumer item. A fad. Like Americans, the Greeks had a great attraction to novelty.

In that regard Paul found himself in a situation very much unlike any today. Rather than the message of Jesus being rejected because it was something people thought they had already heard, the Gospel was exciting to the Greeks because it was something “new.” Isn’t it interesting that Christianity is rejected so frequently in today’s society because people think they already know everything about it -- when in reality they don't have a clue? Well, in Paul's case, the Gospel was heard! The people of Athens recognized that this “philosophy” was something new and fresh. Something they did not know. But, oddly, Paul spoke to them as if they did in fact already know it. Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said, “I perceive that in all things you are very religious; for as I was passing through and considering the objects of your worship, I found an altar with this inscription: ‘TO THE UNKNOWN GOD.’ Therefore, the One whom you worship without knowing, Him I proclaim to you.” (Acts 17:22-23)

Paul began by directing their thoughts "to the unknown god" by speaking of the God the Creator: “God, who made the world and everything in it, seeing He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands. Nor is He worshipped with men’s hands, as though He needed anything, seeing He gives to all life, breath, and all things.” Well, the philosophers – being pagan philosophers – rejected it. They laughed Paul off Mars Hill. They especially didn’t buy the whole resurrection part!

Throughout history, peoples of all cultures and all religious beliefs have known something of God in the wonders of creation. They know God the Creator through his works and the sense of awe of His Creation. Paul wrote in Romans 1:19-20, “…what may be known of God is manifest in man for God has shown it to them for since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen being understood by the things that are made even His eternal power in Godhead so that they are without excuse.”(Romans 1:19-20) Sad part is, like the philosophers at Areopagus, people are still rejecting Him and laughing. What do you think? Is He the unknown God? “He was in the world, and the world came into being through Him; yet the world did not knowHim.” (John 1:10)

- Pastor Mark

An Unusual Place for a Hymn Sing...

2006-10-04T11:17:00.000-05:00

One thing pastors (and missionaries) learn fairly quickly is that ministry is not a nine-to-five job. That’s because the Gospel of Jesus Christ works twenty-four hours a day. Life happens twenty-four hours a day and people are touched and converted in very unusual circumstances. Sometimes we might avoid speaking about Christ because we just don’t think the circumstances suggest a favorable outcome. And we just might be making the wrong choice when we think that way.

Consider one such set of unfavorable circumstances: The time isn’t right. It’s midnight. The place isn’t right. The believers are in a dungeon-like prison, they’re physically wounded, and restrained in stocks. And the potential convert is a heartless, heathen jailer. (Sunday School recollection should be kicking in here…) The believers are of course Paul and his co-worker Silas. It’s Paul’s Second Missionary Journey and he had traveled to the city of Philippi in Macedonia to preach. Interestingly, this is the very first time that the Gospel of Christ is being proclaimed on the European mainland.

In Acts 16:14-15 we meet the first convert – a business woman named Lydia. She and all of her family believed and were baptized. Paul and Silas continued on preaching, and a servant girl who was controlled by an evil spirit began to follow them. Everywhere they preached, this girl would yell and cry out. She was shouting out truth, but it was so disruptive. See Paul was a very well-thought-out speaker. He was reasoned and logical. He really wanted people to understand and think about what he was saying. That was hard with all the disruptive yelling. So the evil was cast out of this girl. And everyone was happy. Well almost everyone…

“But when her masters saw that the hope of their gains was gone, they caught Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace before the authorities.” (Acts 16:19) The girl had been used by her masters to “tell fortunes” and so forth. People figured she had a “gift” and paid money for it. Paul and Silas were accused of throwing the community into confusion and they were severely beaten and thrown into prison.

In prison…in stocks…bruised and bleeding…and surrounded by criminals. What does one do? Pray and sing hymns, of course! Well, that’s not the usual thing to do, but these are not your usual prisoners. We all know what happened next….Sunday School recall! Earthquake…jailer wants to kill himself…and in the end the jailer washes the wounds of Paul and Silas and he and all his family believed and were baptized. (Read Acts 16:30-31)

Imagine the impact of the things said in prayer and hymns on the jailer and the other prisoners. It was a far cry from the threats and curses usually heard in such places. The message had its effect on the listeners. It always does. The gospel has the power to save souls, and we have the responsibility to teach it. The Gospel can work effectively in all kinds of circumstances. What are you doing with the Gospel?

- Pastor Mark

Snapshots From an Extraordinary Journey...

2006-09-08T16:34:00.000-05:00

Admittedly, family vacation snapshots are not standard fare for a church newsletter. Family photos just don’t mean much to anyone except the family members captured in them. But these snapshots might just be the exception to any such rule. See, our family’s ordinary journey to Indiana and Kentucky in August brought us face to face (literally) with Crane Chapel’s exciting future and it’s esteemed past. After attending a week of classes at FLAME (Fellowship of Leaders Acquiring Ministerial Education) in Frankfort, Indiana, we headed to Zionsville, Indiana to visit Joe and Della Matt along with Dave and Nancy. The Matts really do have a deep love for Crane Chapel and Crane Chapel has a rare appreciation, understanding and respect for the Matt Family. The Matts aren’t just former pastors. The Matts are Crane Chapel’s heritage. The Matt Family has truly influenced generations. And these particular family photos are priceless.

In much the same way, the snapshots of the early Church we’ve been uncovering in the Book of Acts are priceless and designed to instruct and influence generations of Christians. As Christians, these snapshots are our heritage. The Apostle Paul’s Extraordinary Missionary Journeys are no exception; and this is where we’re going next in our Building the Church Series. Paul’s first missionary journey starts in Acts Chapter 13, where we see the first powerful expansion of the Church. Acts 13:49 records, “…the Word of the Lord was being preached throughout the whole region.”

The Apostle Paul’s Missionary Journeys are not just a piece of New Testament history. Paul’s experiences are precious family snapshots. They are reminders that the same things experienced by Paul and his companions will happen wherever and whenever the Gospel is preached.

Our study over the next weeks should spur us to reexamine our own conclusions about what the church is and should be doing. The Church in 2006 – indeed Crane Chapel itself -- retains its legitimacy only in as much as it presents a continuum of the Early Church. The Church in Acts was not stagnant or self-serving. It was not a church gripped with too many details and social concerns. Paul told Timothy: “Preach the Word!” (II Timothy 4:2) This is what Church is all about. Too many modern churches have usurped Christ’s position as head of the Church and have allowed “the way we’ve always done it” or “this is what the community needs” to dictate the future. Let’s allow this study of Paul’s Journeys to really focus the true mission of the Church. These snapshots really are the framework for the Church for every generation.

- Pastor Mark Goossen

The Great Debate Over Grace. . .

2006-09-08T16:30:00.000-05:00

Crane Chapel is a very busy church. We have a lot of meetings! We’ve got AWANA Meetings, Trustee Meetings, Church Board of Administrators Meetings, Youth Worker Meetings, WMS Meetings, Planning Meetings, Worship Committee Meetings (the list goes on…). Well, Acts Chapter 15 describes the most important meeting of the Early Church. And the issue at hand is one that affects all of us today -- regardless of which meeting(s) you attend or don’t attend here at Crane Chapel. The future of the entire Church was at stake in Acts 15: Was it to remain a sect of Judaism, or would it allow uncircumcised Gentiles? Remember Christ said: “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations…” (Matt. 28:19) Let's look deeper at the controversy and how the Council of Jerusalem was formed.

“Some men came down from Judea and began teaching the brethren, `Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.' " (Acts15:1) They were saying that circumcision was required for salvation. They probably figured: Christians should obey God and God commanded circumcision. Paul and Barnabas had a very different opinion: "And Paul and Barnabas had great dissension and debate with them…”(Acts 15:2). How was the argument to be resolved? In the interest of unity within the Church, Paul and Barnabas were appointed, along with some other believers, to go to Jerusalem to see the apostles and elders over the controversy. And like most controversial meetings, it had a name: The Jerusalem Council.

Among the Council was Peter. (Remember good-old outspoken Peter?!) In the first of three speeches at the council, Peter began to scold those who wanted the Gentiles to obey the laws of Moses. His words amounted to one of the strongest defenses of salvation by grace alone contained in all of Scripture: “…why do you put God to the test by placing upon the neck of the disciples a yoke which neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? But we believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same way as they also are.” (Acts 15:10-11). This verse is the crux of the entire matter! Peter's point is that the “yoke” of Moses’ various laws were a burden that the Jewish people were – frankly -- unable to keep. No matter how hard people worked to keep those rituals, they could never be perfect. They showed that works can never lead to salvation. Salvation is attained in a different way. By grace. Grace alone. We cannot earn it. It must be given to us. Paul wrote in Ephesians 2:8, “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.”

Are you trusting in God’s Gift of Grace or your own “works?”

- Pastor Mark

Prejudice & The Great Commission

2006-08-03T11:48:00.000-05:00

Any doubts the disciples had during Jesus’ ministry of His concern for all people, should have been erased at His ascension when He gave the apostles and the Church their mission statement: “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19). But in very much the same way that prejudice separates people today, discrimination ran so deep in the early Church that conversion to the traditions of Judaism was almost a prerequisite for coming to Christ. So basically, up to this point in our study, the Church was an offshoot of Judaism.

The story of Cornelius changed that. But only through God’s direct intervention! The walls between Jews and Gentiles were just too rigid and formidable. Cornelius, a Gentile, is identified as a Centurion in the Italian Regiment and we’re told that he is devout and God-fearing. So it makes sense that God was working in his life and preparing him: It began on a certain day about three o’clock in the afternoon, which was a time of prayer for Cornelius. But on this particular day, he had a vision. An angel came to him and said, "Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God" (Acts 10:4). The angel was speaking in the language of sacrifice used in Jewish circles and the message was that God was pleased with Cornelius, and was ready to reveal Salvation to him. In preparation for this, Cornelius was instructed to send for Peter. And so he did.

Now while Cornelius was eagerly anticipating this meeting, Peter was a most reluctant evangelist. It took a direct edict from Heaven to lead Peter to change his view on Gentiles. Remember: Peter is a man with deep and abiding convictions, whether in the will of God or floundering against it. (This is the guy who jumped out of the boat after Jesus … then denied him three times!) …And so it was indeed in a dream that God prepared Peter: A dream about – of all things! – clean and unclean animals inside a large sheet held up by its four corners and being let down to the ground. And so after arriving at Cornelius’ home, Peter acknowledged that his coming was only at the Lord’s leading for God’s purpose: “God has shown me that I should not call any man impure or unclean” (Acts 10:28). After Cornelius shared with Peter the events of his angelic visit, Peter knew God sent him there for one purpose, to extend the gospel to Cornelius and all the other Gentiles present.

As we study this account today more than 2,000 years later, I hope we learn a valuable lesson from it. The story of Cornelius and Peter leaves no doubt of the Lord’s intent for the Church: The Gospel is for EVERYONE! The clash of Jews and Gentiles is not unlike the clashes of prejudice today. We must seize our opportunities to clearly convey the message of Jesus with whomever – whenever – and wherever we are given the opportunity. We cannot allow prejudice to obstruct the clear purpose of The Great Commission!

- Pastor Mark

Blinded But Enlightened ... and Transformed!

2006-07-28T11:17:00.000-05:00

…Suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the
ground and heard a voice say to him “Saul, Saul, why do
you persecute me?” “Who are you Lord?” Saul asked.
“I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting….”
Acts 9:4-5

The account of Saul’s conversion is dramatic and intense. It’s not a story that too many of us can entirely relate to since it’s doubtful that any of us have been knocked to the ground by a flash of light and a voice from heaven. But how many of us began as a vicious persecutor of Christians? Even so, Saul’s experience on the Damascus Road can teach us some very important lessons about the nature of transformation.

I’ve often heard people say about their conversion something like this: “I found Christ under such and such circumstances,” or “I came to faith in such and such circumstances.” That’s backwards! Sure we have free will to accept Christ, but it’s not too often that the needy, angry, self-destructive person is seeking to find Jesus. In the same way that Jesus found Saul in his circumstances, Jesus finds us in our circumstances. Jesus seeks us and gives himself to us. He did it when He died on the cross. … Let’s look at what happened next:

Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. So they led him by the hand… (Acts 9:8) The flash of light from heaven was so bright that it physically blinded Saul. Luke tells us that the men traveling with Saul stood speechless. They heard sound, but did not see anyone. Remember, it was Saul who was being sought by Jesus here -- not his traveling companions! -- and (here’s the tender part): That light was so bright that it penetrated the darkness of Saul's heart and filled him with the revelation that Jesus was indeed the Messiah. Paul wrote about this light from heaven years later:

For God who said, "Let light shine out of darkness,” made
His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge
of the glory of God in the face of Christ. (II Corinthians 4:6)

Saul's story really is the story of every one of us before we come to Christ. We are born as enemies of God, blinded by unbelief. We are born as grandchildren of Adam, depraved and lost. Some of us have pasts we are ashamed of (like Saul?)…. We were born into the world needing to be transformed!

Think about the words of John 3:16. Now think about Saul; and think about your own life. If you’ve already come to Christ and been transformed, your heart is filled with joy and thanksgiving. If you’re still resisting Jesus and looking for transformation through psychology or education or positive thinking, know this: Just like Saul – true transformation comes from a personal encounter with Jesus! Saul did not see a vision. He saw the Risen Christ Himself !

- Pastor Mark

Why Build a Church? ...Why Go to Church?

2006-07-28T11:12:00.000-05:00

"The grass withereth, the flower fadeth:

but the Word of our God shall stand forever."

Isaiah 40:8

Eighteen years ago George Barna wrote a book entitled Marketing the Church. In the book he wrote, “The audience, not the message is sovereign.” It’s a notion that thousands of pastors and churches have unwittingly swallowed as if it were Scripture. It has been parroted in virtually every major book on church leadership since; and it’s being taught in seminaries across the country. The basic idea is that people’s“needs” must shape the pastor’s message. Opinion polls and listener response become barometers that tell a pastor what to preach.

Now compare that with the words of the Apostle Paul, who said (in II Timothy 4:2-5), “The time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned to fables.” Do you think Paul would have agreed with Barna, who said we must adapt our message to the preferences of the audience at the risk of having them reject the message?

Absolutely Not! Paul told Timothy: “Preach the Word! …in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.” As your pastor, this is what I am called to do – not to follow the fads and fashions of our culture. Not even the evangelical fads that have assaulted the church in wave after wave over the last two decades. You know what I’m talking about: “What Would Jesus Do?” Bracelets, “Prayer of Jabez” stuff, Purpose-Driven merchandise (complete with the authorized trademark symbol.) Remember the “Toronto Blessing?” What about “Promise Keepers?” and all the Left Behind Books?

Why do I call them fads? Because that’s precisely what they are. They weren’t around thirty-five years ago, and they’ll be gone in ten. Why have Christians become so susceptible? Why are evangelicals so keen to jump on every bandwagon? In a word: simplicity. The fads water-down the Word of God: Scripture is more often than not out of context. The message is soft and generic and non-threatening so it doesn’t rebuke anyone’s sin; endanger anyone’s shallowness; threaten anyone’s comfort zone; or challenge anyone’s worldliness. The fads hardly ever take a stand on the controversial issues. God’s Word is unmistakably clear on today’s controversial issues!

I’m convinced that those who do not get back to the business of preaching the Bible will soon see their churches die – because the Word of God is the only message that has the power to give life!

Now. . . as the shepherd of a congregation in the midst of constructing a new church building, I’d be inconsistent – even remiss – if I didn’t challenge Crane Chapel to remember what the Church is all about! We’ve been working our way through the Book of Acts – the Building the Church Series - and I hope you’ve been listening. We definitely live in an entertainment hungry world with an increasingly entertainment hungry church. Christians today are having a harder time facing the serious stuff of life because they aren’t hearing the serious stuff of Scripture. Faith does still come by hearing, and hearing the Word of God! Why are we building a church? To preach the Word!!

Now. . . Why are you coming to church?

- Pastor Mark Goossen

"Heaven and earth shall pass away:

but my words shall not pass away."

Mark 13:31

Sensitive Hearts, Total Strangers & Revival

2006-07-28T11:11:00.000-05:00

There is a remarkable account in the Book of Acts where a man named Philip witnesses to a total stranger from another country and graciously guides the man to faith in Jesus! The story is set in Samaria and begins with what our culture would call revival.

There was great enthusiasm among the believers. Christians were proclaiming Christ from village to village. The mood was enthusiastic and contagious. Acts 8:25 brings us into the scene: And so, when they had solemnly testified and spoken the Word of the Lord, they started back to Jerusalem, and were preaching the Gospel to many villages of the Samaritans.

Suddenly God steps in and does something completely unexpected and out-of-the-blue. He sends an angel to redirect this man named Philip: But an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip saying, “Arise and go south to the road that descends from Jerusalem to Gaza.” And he arose and went…. (Acts 8:26-27)

Now…without thinking in terms of a dictionary, define revival. Are you thinking in terms of thrilling and exciting or are you thinking more along the lines of sensitivity and quite anticipation? Revival is both. But without the sensitivity to and anticipation of God’s direction, how would we know what His direction is!? His work would never be accomplished!

When we’re sensitive to God’s directing it naturally follows that we will be available for whatever He calls us to do. So what did Philip do? …he arose and went. Look what happened next: …and behold, there was an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure…. He was sitting in his chariot reading the prophet Isaiah. And the Spirit said to Philip “Go and join this chariot.”

What a choice opportunity! Imagine being directed by an angel to a desert road – away from the rousing environment of a revival where you just happen to encounter a political leader from another country! The Secretary of the Treasury no less! And he’s reading Scripture! Now in today’s world, if you were to encounter someone reading their Bible, what would you do? Would you reflect quietly, “That person’s a Christian. That’s very special,” and continue on your way? Or would you sit down and initiate a conversation? Sadly, I think most of us would opt to continue on our way.

Philip opted instead to talk to the stranger. And Philip initiated the conversation. And the eunuch answered Philip and said “Please tell me, of whom does the prophet say this?” (Talk about an open door for witnessing!!) The government official had confessed his ignorance and he warmly accepted any teaching Philip could offer so Philip opened his mouth and beginning from this Scripture he preached Jesus unto him. (Acts 8:35)

Wow! When was the last time you witnessed to a complete stranger? When was the last time you were sensitive enough to hear and discern God’s direction to witness at all!? We do live in a superficial and fast-paced society. And we tend to think of revival in terms of old-fashion tent meetings and people on their knees pleading with God to do something. Here’s an assignment for you: Pray that you might be sensitive to at least one opportunity to witness and share Jesus this week. Revival begins with anticipation and a sensitive heart.

– Pastor Mark

Stephen: His Miracles, His Message, His Martydom

2006-07-28T11:10:00.000-05:00

We are first introduced to Stephen when the apostles informed the Church that is was not right that they neglect the Word of God in order to wait tables. Stephen was chosen as one of the seven to take up the work of serving the widows. He is described as a man who was both “full of the Spirit and wisdom” (vs. 3) and as one who was “full of faith...” (vs. 5). Stephen’s new ministry seems to have put him in contact with a great many people. And the mention of Stephen’s ability to perform “wonders and miracles (vs. 8) is very significant. It seems to imply that Stephen was, or at least functioned similarly to, an apostle. God had indeed purposed to make this man an apostle, in His own time, and in His own way. And – just like Peter – Stephen’s ministry incensed the Sanhedrin. So we find Stephen – just like Peter -- defending himself.

But Stephen’s defense before the Sanhedrin is really more of a sermon. It is the longest recorded sermon the Book of Acts. And Stephen’s sermon is Scriptural. One cannot imagine how any more Scripture could have been packed into one message. Stephen is not like so many contemporary preachers who begin with a Scripture text never again to return to it. His entire message was Scripture! And his conclusion was but an application of these Scriptures to his accusers. In spite of the fact that Stephen’s sermon had a very strong message of God’s judgment, it was motivated by a loving and gracious spirit. Yet the message was too much to bear. Just as they had done before, the Sanhedrin rejected God’s spokesman and they would do away with Stephen in an effort to do away with the message of Jesus.

The description of the crowd is one of near insanity. They were out of their minds. Logic and reason would have agreed with Stephen, for his message was merely a recitation of the Old Testament. But the Spirit of Christ was present; and the crowd would have none of Him “and they stoned Stephen…” (Acts 7:59). They drug him out of the city and stoned him, with the consent and assistance of Saul. Stephen, like his Savior, called upon God to receive his sprit. His last words, like those of Jesus, were words of compassion. He prayed for the forgiveness of those who had sinned by taking his life. The salvation of Saul, while it would be at a later time, was an answer to this prayer.

What an illustration of dying grace! We hear much about being “Spirit filled,” but we don’t speak of it in the context of death. Stephen’s death, because it was experience by a Spirit-filled man, is a model for all Christians. And there are more direct applications of this text to us. Just as Jerusalem was rushing towards its own destruction, so is our own world. The judgment of God is soon to fall on our world for the same reason that it fell upon Jerusalem – rejection of God’s Word. And finally, there is the lesson in how to use and interpret Scripture. Stephen’s message was drenched in Scripture. There was much of God’s thoughts and none of Stephen’s. Stephen had a grasp of the Scriptures, as a whole, and in large potions. May we imitate Stephen in his handling of the Word of God!

-Pastor Mark

Unity, Disunity, and the Church's Primary Purpose

2006-07-13T10:29:00.000-05:00

The Grecian Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews… So the twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, “It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the Word of God.” – Acts 6:1-2

Proclaiming the word of God is the primary purpose of the church and Satan will do anything to distract God’s people from that purpose.

A few years ago I came across some small dark pellets in the area underneath our kitchen sink. With my brilliant mind I deduced that a mouse had been present in the kitchen! In the same way, whenever we see certain droppings in the church we must deduce that Satan is at work.

In this passage we learn that there were “droppings” of disunity, unhappiness, complaining and murmuring among the disciples in the early church. Why were these droppings there? Because Satan was at work. Satan is always opposing the church. Sometimes he brings opposition from without and sometimes from within. Here we see Satan working within the church by causing the people to murmur against each other.

Satan was trying to distract the apostles from their primary work of preaching the Word of God by calling their attention to the need for social service within the church, specifically in the area of food distribution. But the apostles would not be distracted from their calling. Why? They were called by Jesus himself to preach the gospel . Jesus told his disciples to seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, not the things of the world. Why? Man’s soul is infinitely more important than his body. What does it profit if a man gains the whole world yet loses his soul? The only way a sinner can be saved is through the proclamation of the gospel. So, when they heard the disciples murmuring, the apostles established a certain organization to deal with food distribution in an equitable way and “this proposal pleased the whole group.”(Acts 6:5) There is a need for a certain amount (and the right kind) of organization in the church. “God is not a God of disorder but of peace. Everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way.” (I Cor. 14:33,40)

Acts 6 speaks directly to the re-organization and re-appointment of deacons in the church so that its primary purpose is uninterrupted. Up to this point the apostles were just preaching the gospel and caring for the poor. But the growth of the early church created administrative problems. Satan tried to use these problems to destroy the church by inciting the disciples to murmur and complain against each other over - of all things - Christian service!

Today, we definitely live in a work-ethic society where people are measured and tend to measure themselves in terms of busyness and service. God has called each of us to Christian service (I Peter 4:10), but He calls us first of all to know Him. It’s out of that personal relationship that He then calls us to serve. We do not serve selfishly as an escape from loneliness, unhappiness, or some underlying, compulsive need – That kind of service is a “dropping” on the church body and it does not serve to proclaim the Gospel. Satan’s attacks and droppings are discouraging and disheartening. But they can also be an exciting challenge because we can only reach unity as a body and win victories when we’re fighting battles!

-Pastor Mark

Encounters With Civil Authorities

2006-07-13T10:28:00.001-05:00

Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said,
“We ought to obey God rather than men.” - Acts 5:29

Peter and the apostles are in jail again being reprimanded by the Sanhedrin: “We gave you strict orders not to teach in Jesus name, didn’t we? Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to bring this man’s blood on us!” And of course, the apostles respond with civil disobedience by very straightforwardly announcing that they would obey God – not man!

The Sanhedrin neither liked nor did they welcome the apostles in Jerusalem because the reception of the Gospel by the multitudes was toppling their spiritual leadership. If the people had ignored the apostles’ preaching, the Sanhedrin would not have cared what the apostles did. But clearly the people were excited over the miracles and receptive to the message of Life in Jesus. Peter had become so popular among the people that the arresting officers were actually afraid to touch him. Now put yourself in Peter’s sandals and try to imagine a similar scenario today. Would civil disobedience be the “right thing to do?” What would you do?

Those who call themselves Christians today can harm the testimony of true Christianity by the way they behave toward civil authorities. Believers are to set their affections and priorities on Christ, and His Word, but they are also to be godly and obedient citizens in society. Sometimes it’s a fine line. Peter tells us (in I Peter 2:13) “Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human institution.” He was commanding believers to respect civil authority. And in I Timothy 2:1-3, Paul instructs us to pray “for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life.” Quite a contrast from Peter’s defiance toward the Sanhedrin. Where do you draw the line?

First, we need to acknowledge that God is in control of all situations and that He has ordained civil authority. (Romans13:1-7) So when a Christian submits to civil authority, he/she is obeying God. When civil authorities say, (for example) “We’re raising the Minnesota sale tax to 21.5% to fund highway maintenance,” and this does not violate the teaching of God’s Word, we should obey with meekness and without speaking evil of anyone. (Titus 3:1-3) It is sad when those who name Christ defy the very government He ordained. His Kingdom just does not benefit from disobedience. Even if we disagree!

The one exception is if civil authorities tell us to do something that would violate God’s Word. In Acts 4:18 the Sanhedrin commanded Peter and John “not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.” We know that Jesus told us in Matthew 28:19-20 that we have authority to teach and make disciples of all men.” And we know what happened to Peter. As Christians we must stand for Christ and His Word and be willing to suffer the consequences. But we must be careful not to go beyond the teaching of God’s Word. The early church did submit itself to the extremely pagan Roman government, realizing that God had ordained it. What about you? Are you willingly submitting to our God ordained government?

– Pastor Mark

(21.5% sales tax?! See Romans 13:6-7.)

Encounters With Sadducees

2006-07-13T10:28:00.000-05:00

Christians nowadays have it pretty easy. Not often will sharing the Gospel of Jesus send us to jail as it did Peter and John. Still we run risks in trying to win others to Christ. And while most of us might be willing to spend a night in jail if it would bring 5,000 people to Christ, shouldn’t we also be willing to suffer for the sake of one?

In Acts Chapter 4, Peter and John were sharing the Gospel of Jesus when – as scripture records – “The priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to [them.]” What we need to understand about this group is that they were members of a powerful Jewish sect that did not believe in the resurrection of the dead. They stood to gain financially by cooperating with the Romans; and it was they who engineered and carried out Jesus’ arrest and crucifixion. The Sadducees had almost unlimited power over the temple and thus they were able to arrest Peter and John for no other reason than teaching something that contradicted their beliefs. And they did!

Now Peter and John stood before the same council that had condemned Jesus to death. Peter and John were questioned and this whole incident is considered the first persecution of the Church. But. . . instead of being defendants, the apostles were on the offensive: boldly speaking out for God and presenting the Gospel. In Acts 4:12 we find the final thrust of Peter’s defense speech. As Peter stood before these powerful, sophisticated, cultured, wealthy rulers of the Jewish people, the Holy Spirit gave him these words: "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved."

Now, the Sadducees – along with many “Sadducees” of today -- reacted negatively to the fact that there is no other name than that of Jesus to call on for salvation. They say, "That’s too extreme. We believe in diversity and in accepting all “spiritual paths.” Surely Jesus isn’t going to send Indians, Chinese, Tibetans, and so on, to hell because they don’t believe in Jesus!"

Well, you may go ahead and call me a narrow-minded, extremist preacher! I will not apologize for preaching that there are only two paths: the broad way, which goes to hell, and the narrow way, which leads to eternal life with Jesus. You may accuse me of believing in this absolute truth that Jesus is the only Savior of the world. I do not mind because Peter’s statement is absolutely true: "There is no other name under heaven by which we must be saved." Peter did not decide this. The Church did not decide this. It is the specific teaching of Jesus himself (John 14:6).

As believers, we will encounter Sadducees. Perhaps you are a Sadducee – unwilling to accept that only Jesus saves. Be assured, Jesus alone saves! Not Jesus and Mary, nor Mary and the saints, nor our baptism as a child, nor “good works.” Whether we believe it or not, Jesus alone saves, and his purposes shall be accomplished! Are you willing to put yourself on the line for the gospel as did Peter and John? Are you willing to stand up to the Sadducees? Are you willing to stand up for Jesus when those around you start talking about “diversity” and accepting all “spiritual paths?”

- Pastor Mark

The NFL, Barnabas & Father's Day

2006-06-15T19:28:00.001-05:00

Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas - which means Son of Encouragement – sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles’ feet.”

- Acts 4:36

I read about a University football coach who each year would privately talk to a new player at the beginning of football season. He told him, “I’m very impressed with your ability. If you work really hard this year, I think you’re good enough to make it to the National Football League.” He told this to every player on the team! You know what happened? He had the highest percentage of players of any University to make it into the NFL.

We’ve all met people like that who believed in us so much that we began to believe in ourselves. The result was we tried harder and we did better. The Book of Acts introduces us to an early disciple who was that way.

We first meet Barnabas in Acts 4:36. He was a Levite from the Island of Cyprus and apparently had some wealth. The disciples called him “Son of Encouragement.” And his name definitely matched his character.

After the Apostle Paul’s conversion on the Road to Damascus, Barnabas came along side Paul when no one else would. (Acts 9:26-27). Why? Barnabas was a very kind-hearted, gentle, and easy-going person. He had great compassion. And we will discover that Paul - unlike Barnabas - was a very stubborn man. Paul was used greatly by God but he was a very strong-willed man. Barnabas overlooked Paul’s rough character and they made an effective ministry team.

When the church in Antioch began to grow, Acts 11:22 tells us that Apostles is Jerusalem sent Barnabas there to help out the new church. Why? “He was a good man, full of the Holy Ghost and faith; and a great number of people were brought to the Lord.” (Acts 11:24)

In Acts 15:39 we read about Barnabas and a young minister named John Mark. Barnabas was willing to work patiently with John Mark when Paul - in harshness and haste - saw no hope for the young man. Do you see a pattern in the life of Barnabas?

We need more Barnabas’s in the church today. For that matter, we need more Barnabas-like fathers in the world: Fathers who are good and full of the Holy Ghost and faith. Fathers who will overlook character flaws and demonstrate compassion. Fathers who will see the potential in the younger generation and encourage it.

If you’re a father, you’re probably going to get an “interesting” gift today. Your children may do something that really makes you feel like a king. Soak it all it, because you deserve it and it’s good for your children to honor you. But honor them too by letting some of Barnabas rub off on you. Be a “Son of Encouragement.”

-Pastor Mark

Witness to a Miracle

2006-06-15T19:28:00.000-05:00

One day at three o'clock in the afternoon, Peter and John were on their their way into the Temple for prayer meeting. At the same time, there was a man crippled from birth being carried up. Every day he was set down at the Temple gate, the one named Beautiful, to beg from those going into the Temple. When he saw Peter and John about to enter the Temple, he asked for a handout. Peter, with John at his side, looked him straight in the eye and said, "Look here." He looked up, expecting to get something from them. Peter said, "I don't have a nickel to my name, but what I do have, I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk!" He grabbed him by the right hand and pulled him up. In an instant his feet and ankles became firm. He jumped to his feet and walked. The man went into the Temple with them, walking back and forth, dancing and praising God. Everybody there saw him walking around and praising God. They recognized him as the one who sat begging at the Temple's Gate Beautiful and rubbed their eyes, astonished, scarcely believing what they were seeing.

- Acts 3:1-10 (MSG)

Imagine now that you are in the above passage. It’s a Sunday morning and you’re making your way from your car toward the front doors of the Labor Center. You do a double take because you see Peter and John walking ahead of you. You’ve heard so much about them and now here they are coming to Crane Chapel! You wonder what they are talking about...what they look like in person…what kind of personality each has. You reach those double glass doors and you see a man who is disheveled and crippled – probably homeless - stretched out in that little alcove and he’s calling out to everyone passing by. Everyone knows about this guy. He’s a nuisance -always begging for money. You’re uncomfortable and embarrassed. The anticipation of what will happen next grabs your throat. You see the crippled man reach out to touch Peter and John! Others have walked by and acted as if the crippled guy was invisible. What next?!

It’s a clear beautiful warm day and the sun is shining as if spotlighting the whole thing: Peter and John stop and reach down tenderly to the man. Peter speaks to him and offers his hand. The man takes Peter’s hand and looks intently into Peter’s eyes. You feel a strong sense of the Holy Spirit here and you watch in awe – with everyone else around you – as the man gets up off the ground, stands with help from Peter, becomes tall and straight, and starts walking! You can’t believe your eyes! You’ve never seen anything like this before and in an instant you realize that Jesus– through Peter- has touched the man with healing and grace and mercy! You’re numb. You make your way into the building in silent wonderment and take a seat. And there’s the crippled “nuisance” guy beaming, joyful, and totally healed! What are you thinking?

Now, think about what those who witnessed the experience at Gate Beautiful in Acts Chapter 3 were thinking. This was actually the very first miracle of the new Church in Acts. We read in Chapter 4 that five thousand people were added to the Church. Do you think those witnesses just went home and thought about it? …Had they, would those five thousand have been added?

- Pastor Mark

They Devoted Themselves...

2006-06-02T15:20:00.000-05:00

“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” - Acts 2:42

When you’re in the midst of a large project, every now and then you stand back and take a breath and look around. Sometimes in awe. If you missed the last few days at our building site you missed some awe. The foundation of Crane Chapel’s new church building is now standing - quickly erected over a period of just days! Milestones like this are good landing-places for us to consider again the mission of God’s Church.

In the Book of Acts, there are a number of such landing-places where Luke suspends the course of his narrative, in order to give us a general idea of the condition of the Church at the moment. Acts 2:42 is such a resting-place.

We’ve already seen how the early Church got its start with an encounter with the living God on the day of Pentecost. Luke records that thousands were brought to faith in Christ that day and were added to the Church. But their faith not only changed their destiny. It changed the way they lived!

What you believe affects what you do. This was certainly true of the first Christians. The text says that they devoted themselves. They devoted themselves first to the apostles’ teaching. In other words, they gave a high priority to understanding the Truth. Now that they had come to know Jesus, they wanted to know more about Him. They wanted to understand how to apply this teaching to their lives. Are you devoted to teaching?

The second thing they devoted themselves to was the fellowship. It is interesting how many people think that they really don’t need the fellowship of other believers. Not so for the early Church. They saw the need to continually devote themselves to a shared life with other believers. You can only experience true fellowship by giving diligent attention to meeting together with other believers. Are you devoted to fellowship?

Thirdly, they devoted themselves to the breaking of bread. Now this could mean one of two things – but probably both. It could mean that they shared their meals together. But it most likely meant that they devoted themselves to the ordinance of the Lord’s Supper. We observe this today.

Finally, Luke tells us that they devoted themselves to prayer. Their focus was heavenward, toward God Himself. They gave themselves to a life of prayer. … And so we see that God’s Church is a church in which people exhibit a deep level of commitment – a devotion to the disciplines of teaching, fellowship, breaking bread, and prayer. Let’s remember that. Our new building is only a physical structure – a place where we meet to express, share, and affirm our commitment to Christ.

– Pastor Mark

Building Foundations

2006-06-01T14:39:00.000-05:00

The first and foremost part of any building project, after receiving the blueprint, is the layout and installation of the foundation. All the tools and equipment and manpower are of no use until the foundation work is properly laid. And regardless of the efforts put into the construction of the foundation, the integrity of the foundation will be adversely affected by improper soil conditions. Those involved in Crane Chapel’s building project are very aware of these details. Bottom line: buildings need a well-thought-out, firm foundation and even the dirt has to be in good condition.

But let’s step back from Crane Chapel’s building project and consider another type of foundation. June is traditionally a month of weddings and wedding anniversaries and it’s a good time to reflect on the foundation of marriage. Much like the foundation for a building, marriage is the supporting building block of … well, human civilization! Read Genesis Chapter Two. After He created the universe, the first thing God instituted was marriage! God’s entire plan for human relationships begins with marriage. When we dismiss God’s plan for marriage, we undermine it altogether and society suffers.

Tragically, this is exactly what has happened over the last few decades. For the first time in its history, Western civilization is confronted with the need to define the meaning of the terms “marriage” and “family.” The loss of a true biblical understanding of marriage and family has led to a complete breakdown of the institution -- even among Christians.

Marriage is now easily severed by divorce. And even within traditional Christian marriages, couples refuse to acknowledge and accept their God-ordained roles and responsibilities. When marriage fails, the whole family falls apart; when the family fails, the whole society suffers. And every day the headlines are filled with society’s suffering. It may seem like an oversimplification of things, but the breakdown of marriage is a huge part of what’s going wrong in our world today.

So what kind of foundation makes a marriage work? In a word: God. God is the architect. He designed the blueprint for marriage and His Word addresses an entire spectrum of issues related to marriage and family. Issues from gender roles to human sexuality, reproduction, parenthood, and more. God’s design is that marriages are characterized by companionship, support, love, affection, full communication, understanding and mutual respect. Husbands and wives must fully realize that marriage is a life-long commitment regardless of wealth or poverty, health or sickness, or “irreconcilable differences.” Scripturally speaking there is only one (yes, one!) valid reason for divorce. So there’s the foundation: God’s Word.

Sadly, too many marriages have gone ahead and built on flawed foundations. They’ve ignored God’s blueprint or they’ve compromised it by selecting only the sections they like. And for a while (and in some cases many years) these marriages are maintained and they appear healthy. But over time, evidence of foundation failure manifests itself. The exterior structure deteriorates and a lot of time and effort are spent cosmetically repairing things rather than correcting the foundation. And what about the soil? (Crane Chapel’s building project was actually delayed because our soil samples exposed bad dirt!) What’s the condition of each spouse’s personal relationship with God? That’s the soil test of marriage! That’s where you have to start.

Ecclesiastes 4:12 says, “A cord of three stands is not quickly broken.” The rope-makes of the ancient world discovered that a rope made of a single or even a double stand of thread could be broken very easily; however, a rope made of thee stands was not so easily broken. The verse is not so much about ropes as it is about marriage. A person by him or herself, without companionship, support and love is like a cord of one stand. They are not very strong. Two people who support and love each other, like a rope of two stands, is stronger. A three-stand cord, however, is even stronger. In marriage a thee-stand cord is husband and wife and God. This sort of marriage is not easily broken.

There is no way to build a solid marriage without God. There is no way to sustain a marriage outside of His instructions. And while a solid marriage is built more quickly when both husband and wife accept and practice a Scriptural foundation for marriage, God expects each of us to respond to him regardless of the circumstances of our family. When only one spouse is committed to God, the union can still be blessed! The best part is that God allows and encourages us to turn from our past and begin following Him today.

How many cords are there in your marriage? What’s the condition of your foundation? How about the soil?

- Pastor Mark Goossen