Just Wrapped Up a Great Conference!

Today we hosted the Children's Fellowship of India annual conference. Those who attended heard about the point of light in the heart of India where needy boys are sheltered, fed, clothed, and introduced to Jesus Christ. I came away tired but inspired. Although I cannot do something for every impoverished child in this vast world, I can do something for the 137 boys who call CFI their home - and especially for a boy named Surag (the boy wearing the Penn State cap) whom my wife and I have been supporting for the past 7 years.

Friends, for just $30/month you can support a boy at CFI. In exchange for your $30, that boy will receive all that he needs. Better yet, if you are part of a church community other than Grace Church at Willow Valley, approach your pastor and ask if he would sit down and talk with Philip Dongre, the Executive Director of CFI. With more boys soon to be added to the 137 already on campus, CFI is in need of expanding its ministry support base. You can contact Philip at cfinidia.org.

On behalf of the boys and staff of CFI, thanks for caring! And thanks for stopping by . . .

pj

A Lesson I Learned 21 Years Ago - and Am Still Learning!

This morning I picked up a journal that I was keeping way back in 1987. At that time, I was pastoring in the Pittsburgh area. Sharon and I had been married for 9 years. Our daughter, Emily was 8, our son, Tim was 5 and our youngest, Kate was 3.

As I browsed through the journal, I read the following entry from July 10th:

"Last night - fishing with Tim (now remember, he is five!) I saw how selfish I can be. He got his line caught in a tree, on branches in the water, tangled in his reel -- he needed bait, etc. I was getting frustrated!!! But then the thought struck me - I was there to SERVE him and how is he ever going to learn to fish if I never take the time to teach him? So I learned some hard lessons about myself and I trust I will profit from them." (Written Friday, July 10, 1987)

Hmm. That was a lesson I needed to learn then -- and one I need reminded of again 21 years later! Life is NOT about me -- I am here to serve God and others! (Thanks, God for this timely reminder!)

Thanks for stopping by . . .

pj

PS - And please - No emails asking what happened to all the hair I once had!!

Eighteen and a half years and counting . . .

The other day someone asked me how long I have been pastor here at Grace. When I responded with 18 1/2 years, their eyebrows raised in surprise as they said, "That's a long time!" Yes, it is a long time. According to the Barna Group, the average tenure of a senior pastor is about five years. So as you can see, it is no wonder the person with whom I was talking was surprised. This person then went on to ask me how much longer I was planning to stay. My answer, of course, was to say I will stay as long as God leads me to stay - which I might add, I hope is a number of years longer!

Grace has been a truly wonderful place to serve Christ. The people here are loving and growing in their faith walk. God has blessed us in many ministry endeavors over the years (to cite just one example - we have a unique partnership with Willow Valley Resort and Conference Center which allows us to demonstrate the love of Jesus to many people). The church staff consists of a gifted group of Christ-followers who love what they do. Our elders are godly men who desire to see us as a church fulfill our mission of developing our love for God, nurturing our love for others and addressing our world's need for Jesus Christ.

I could go on and on and on about how the Grace family is a great family. But let me wrap it up by saying this: There is no other place that I can think of where I would rather be serving Jesus Christ than right here! I love the people of Grace!

Thanks for stopping by . . .

pj

Are YOU the Real Deal?

Recently I talked with someone who had visited our church. She told me that everyone she met and talked with was genuine and authentic. I must admit I was encouraged to hear that from an outsider to our church (and I did point out to her that our people are still a work in process). I pray regularly that I and our church family would be genuine in our relationships and authentic in our faith. There is way too much superficiality and phoniness in our society. The world needs to encounter REAL people. People who aren't hiding behind masks or self-built walls. People who care passionately about God and their fellow man.

How about YOU? Are you real? Genuine? Authentic?

Thanks for stopping by . . .

pj

What's for Supper?

The answer to this question may depend on whether you are a man or a woman. According to a recent study of 14,000 men and women, the sexes differ as to their eating habits. Men eat more meat, women eat more fruits and vegetables. Now that surely does not surprise me. But what does is that men are more likely to eat Brussels sprouts and asparagus than women. Well I want you to know that even though I enjoy most veggies, Brussels sprouts and asparagus are not on my list of "must-have" vegetables!

For me, this study simply illustrates that there are indeed differences between men and women. We communicate and think differently (check out the book, Men Are Like Waffles--Women Are Like Spaghetti: Understanding and Delighting in Your Differences for a pretty fair treatment of the differences between the sexes). We respond emotionally differently. We relate to others of our same sex differently. And I could go on and on and on. These differences make a relationship like marriage both frustrating at times, and fascinating at other times. And it is because of these differences that husbands and wives must learn patience as they seek to understand one another.

I hope if you are married (or engaged to be married) that you will strive to do your best to understand your partner. Ask God for his insights (remember he is the designer and creator of both men and women). Get a book (like the one I mentioned above) and read it with your spouse. But most of all, enjoy the way God had made both you and your spouse - differences and all!

Thanks for stopping by . . .

pj

Easter Sunday: Did Jesus Really Rise from the Dead?

"He is not here; he has risen. . ." (Matthew 28:6) These powerful words refer to one of the greatest turning points in history. The one who had been so cruelly beaten and violently killed had come back to life a mere three days after his death. And this Jesus lives today, offering the forgiveness of sin and new life that ONLY he can provide.

Now, how can we know that Jesus is alive? I mean, the resurrection of Jesus occurred some 2000 years ago. So how can we know it really happened?

That is a good question ... and a reasonable one! If you want to study this question more in depth, I would suggest you check out http://www.leestrobel.com/ or articles at http://www.leaderu.com/everystudent/easter/articles/josh2.html or http://www.geocities.com/athens/delphi/8449/res.html.

But for now, consider the following lines of evidence for the resurrection of Jesus Christ which show that the resurrection of Jesus Christ was one of the greatest FEATs* of all time:

Fatal torment: There is no doubt that the gospel record clearly indicates that the torment (scourging, beatings, crucifixion) Jesus suffered resulted in his death. For example, when the criminals who were crucified on either side of Jesus had their legs broken (this cruel act was practiced to hasten the death of crucifixion victims), they did not break Jesus' legs. Why? Because it was clear that he was already dead. And just to be sure, a soldier pierced the chest of Jesus. Out of the wound flowed a mixture of blood and water, physiological evidence that he was indeed dead. So since Jesus suffered fatal torment, this rules out the "anti-resurrection" theories that state he did not really die on the cross - and when the disciples saw him later, it was a "revived" Jesus they were seeing and not a resurrected Jesus!

Empty tomb: The gospel record clearly indicates that the tomb of Jesus was empty. Because the tomb was empty, the enemies of Jesus who were behind his crucifixion were forced to come up with an explanation. This led them to concoct the story that the disciples came at night and stole the body (see Matthew 28:11-15). That a group of "running-scared-for-their-lives" disciples would have had the courage to steal a body guarded by a group of battle hardened and well-equipped and trained Roman soldiers is just too much to believe! Not to mention the fact that the disciples would have had little reason to do so in the first place! The evidence is clear - Jesus' tomb was empty because he had risen from the dead!

Appearances of the resurrected Christ: Jesus appeared across the course of many days to scores of followers. Sometimes he appeared to just one. At other times he appeared to groups of disciples (one group numbered 500! - read 1 Corinthians 15:3-8). During his appearances, he gave many convincing proofs that he was indeed alive! This leads then to the final line of evidence.

Transformed lives of the disciples: Consider Peter. The night of Jesus' arrest and trials, Peter denied Jesus three times. Two of these denials were to a servant girl! He was afraid for his life and wanted to be totally disassociated from Jesus. However, a mere fifty days later on the Day of Pentecost, before a crowd numbering in the thousands, Peter stood and boldly proclaimed Jesus and his allegiance to him! In a matter of just a few weeks, Peter was transformed from a wimpy, spineless abandoner of Jesus to a bold, fearless preacher who proclaimed that Jesus Christ was alive and Lord of all. How do you explain that radical change apart from the resurrection? You don't! Peter came to realize that Jesus once crucified was indeed alive forevermore! And it changed his life forever!

I trust you will have a great Easter celebrating one of the greatest moments in human history - the resurrection of Jesus Christ. He is risen! He is risen indeed!

Thanks for stopping by . . .

pj

*The FEAT acronym is Hank Hanegraaff's (see http://www.equip.org/)

Today - Good Friday!

Jesus Christ loved us so much he was willing to face His Father's wrath for OUR sin! During the six horror-filled hours that he hung on the cross, he spoke seven times (as recorded in the gospels). Today I thought I would survey these "Seven Sayings of the Cross" to help anyone who stops by today to spend some time reflecting on the cross.

Saying #1 - "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." (Luke 23:34)

Saying #2 - "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise." (Luke 23:43) - spoken to the repentant of two thieves crucified with Jesus.

Saying #3 - "Dear woman, here is your son," and to the disciple, "Here is your mother." (John 19:27) - spoken to Mary, Jesus' mother and the disciple whom he loved (most likely John).

Note the common thread in these three "sayings." In each, the focus of Jesus is on others: those who crucified him, the repentant thief, his mother. Amazing how in the midst of great personal pain and trauma, Jesus is still thinking of others! What a savior!!

Saying #4 - "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?"—which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (Matthew 27:46)

Saying #5 - "I am thirsty." (John 19:28)

In these two "sayings," Jesus' pain is very evident. In the first, it is the pain of his soul as he experiences for the first time in all of eternity a "separation" of some sort from the Father. In the latter, it is his physical pain that he references as he cries out "I am thirsty!" The thirst he experienced was far more than what we experience after cutting the lawn on a hot sultry day. His state of dehydration would have been extreme at this point considering the huge volume of blood he had lost. He was willing to go through all this suffering for us undeserving sinners! What a savior!

Saying #6 - "It is finished." (John 19:30)

Saying #7 - "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit." (Luke 23:46)

In these final two "sayings" we can see that Jesus was in control right up to the very end. It was HE and HE alone who determined when the end had come. And when he knew that the debt of our sin had been paid for, that God's wrath had been satisfied, it was then that He said "It (his mission to give his life a ransom for many) is finished." And with his mission accomplished, he gave up his spirit to the Father and died. What a savior!

On today, this Good Friday, rejoice with me in the One who loved us rebels enough to die for us! Please take a moment to reflect on the following words written over 100 years ago by Philip Bliss:

“Man of Sorrows!” what a name

For the Son of God, who came

Ruined sinners to reclaim.

Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Bearing shame and scoffing rude

In my place condemned He stood;

Sealed my pardon with His blood.

Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Guilty, vile, and helpless we;

Spotless Lamb of God was He;

“Full atonement!” can it be?

Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Lifted up was He to die;

“It is finished!” was His cry;

Now in Heav’n exalted high.

Hallelujah! What a Savior!

When He comes, our glorious King,

All His ransomed home to bring,

Then anew His song we’ll sing:

Hallelujah! What a Savior! "

Thanks for stopping by . . .

pj