SIMPLE TRUTH

The other day I was talking with a friend who is at the “tail end” of a difficult time in his marriage.  As he shared some of the conflict he and his wife have experienced, I thought of the reasons for their struggles.  I saw some relational patterns they had each developed.  I reflected on the reasons for these patterns.  I knew that if they became aware of these flawed patterns, considered the source of their strategies, and applied Biblical principles to their individual lives, they would experience a much deeper relationship.  But I just listened.

My friend then told me what had helped them turn the corner.  He spoke of another couple, Gary and Lisa, who had been married for many years.  Gary told my friend that he wasn’t sure he really had anything to help my friend but he would listen.  Eventually Gary explained his relationship with Lisa.  He said, “One day we just decided that we were going to be best friends.”  This simple insight brought light to my friend and empowered him and his wife to move out of their darkness.

I guess sometimes it is just simple truth that changes us.  I love how God works.

AMAZING GRACE

Amazing grace how sweet the sound, giv’n to a wretch like me.

I once was lost, am still unfound, was blind so I can’t see.

     I was meditating on God’s grace today.  God’s people long to exalt God’s grace.  This has always been the case.  Whether it is the Apostle saying, “By grace you have been saved…”, John Newton penning the words, “Amazing Grace” or Churches with names like Grace Community, we revel in God’s unmerited favor for us.  Sometimes our desire to glory in grace leads us to exalt grace by belittling its recipients.  I would suggest that instead, we should glory in the power of grace to effect change.
     In Newton’s familiar hymn, he mentions being a wretch, being lost and blind.  However, it is not his wretchedness, lostness or blindness that is his focus.  Grace is glorified by God loving the previous rebel, by rescuing the lost and providing sight to the previously blind.  Grace is a powerful force that gives us a very real and present salvation.  The power of grace extends to our sanctification in that grace empowers us to live for God and His glory—which was something we could not do before “His grace appeared.”
     I want to find joy in the grace of God.  That joy is not in the fact that God’s grace touched me and left me the same but in the reality that His grace set me free from sin and death (Romans 6:2. 12-14, 18; 1 Corinthians 15:55-58) and thereby gave me a relationship with the living God.

Amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me.

I once was lost but now I am found, was blind but now I see.

Remembering Cindie Pike

This was taken from the Mission to the World Website.  I thought it beautifully honored Cindie, so I wanted to re-post it here.

Remembering Cindie Pike

“Please don’t send me to Africa” is usually the first request to God when the idea of becoming a missionary comes up. Behind that request is our desire, should God call us to missions, to retain our comfort level, proximity to family, and access to peanut butter that we currently have; a shortage of any of which would go in the “suffering for Christ” category. We make ourselves available in a very contained, controlled, and constricted way, yet hope that we can be used “powerfully”. Thanks be to God that some answer the call of God with no strings attached. They answer yes to God— access to modern amenities, constant internet, and peanut butter notwithstanding. 

In 1998, soon after Ukraine opened up as a mission field, there was a meeting to decide who would move to the small city of Kherson to work with the emerging church plant there. The city’s residents are wonderful people, but the city itself was a holdover from communist days, with little in the way of appealing architecture, or natural beauty. There was running water twice a day for a few hours, the internet was constantly spotty, and the electricity would often be so weak that the lights would dim and the microwave wouldn’t work. The first hands to be raised at this meeting were that of Mel and Cindie Pike, and for the next fifteen years they lived there with weak electricity, water shortages, and on-and-off (mostly off) internet. During the years that Mel and Cindie lived in Kherson they saw the church plant grow into a church and joined with others in ministering to the many street children in the city. Cindie taught Sunday school to the children from a local orphanage regularly, and the Pikes were used by God to bring many to himself – many of whom began calling Mel and Cindie their “American Mom and Dad.”
 

All of this took place until Cindie’s sudden death. While out walking with Mel, she took a hard fall that broke her replacement knee and caused bleeding that she never was able to recover from. She was never able to be evacuated to Western Europe, and died in the city that God had called her to, where she lived for a decade and a half without complaint or conditions. Judging by the reactions I heard from Ukrainians since her death, I can say that she truly fulfilled her call to love and serve those around her.
 

In the week before Cindie’s death two significant things happened. First the heat in their apartment building went out. In the middle of winter, with cold radiators, they used space heaters to bring the temperature into the fifties in their apartment and used the oven a lot to keep the kitchen warm. The other significant event was the ordination service for the pastor of their church. A turning point for the church and one of the last steps before the Pikes’ departure.

In the days before her death when I talked to Cindie, she beamed and boasted about the pastor's ordination and said nothing about their apartment being as cold as a refrigerator. May we all answer God’s call in the way that Cindie did, and may our obedience to Christ follow her pattern of joy amidst suffering. 

Jonathan Eide, MTW Country Director, Ukraine 

Depending on Jesus

     Earlier this week, I read an article in which the author warned against preaching that focuses on obedience more than on the finished work of Jesus.  I appreciate the author’s concern for moralistic sermons that treat Christianity as a list of duties.  This is precisely what the prophets consistently opposed.  This article led me to ask another minister, “What does it mean to ‘depend on Christ?’”

     All too often, I am reading  Christian ministers with good intentions who treat the idea of obedience as if it always involves legalism—an effort to gain acceptance with God through strict adherence to God’s rules.  Philosophically, I believe that the current fear of legalism comes from a confusion of the doctrines of justification and sanctification.  We have treated the words “righteous” and “holy” as if they were synonymous.  My conversation regarding depending on Jesus helped me focus on the practical aspect of the current discussion.

     Consider Jesus’ invitation from Matthew 11:28, “Come unto me all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.”  Jesus' invitation seems to match the Spirit’s words in Hebrews 11:6, “And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to Him must believe…”  Depending on Christ involves faith.  We have a tendency to assume that a person who is working hard is depending on himself and not Jesus.  I am not sure if that is necessarily true.

     “Faith without works is dead.”  “Take my yoke…” “Applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence…”  God continually links obedience and faith.  He shows us that to truly believe is to make decisions and take actions based on the truth we believe.  Because I depend on Jesus’ active power in my life (Ephesians 3:20-21) and His promise that I need not give in to temptation (1 Corinthians 10:13) I can resist the urge to entertain a lustful glance, or a judgmental thought.  Because I depend on Jesus to meet all of my needs (Psalm 73:25), I can remain faithful to my wife, even if she is unresponsive and harsh.  My action is directly driven by my dependence on God and His promises in Christ.  I depend on the faithfulness of God’s word that the Ten Commandments are actually beneficial in my life (Mark 2:27, Psalm 119:165, and Romans 7:12).  I do not view them as some arbitrary bondage placed on me by God in an effort to control me.  Instead, I see them as a good gift that enriches my life. I therefore order my life in obedience because I want to do the good God enables me to do (Ephesians 2:10).  I depend on the fact that God accepts me in Christ and I depend on the fact that such acceptance empowers me to do the good.

     I want to depend on Christ more fully.  I want to preach the whole counsel of His Word which sets us free from sin and enlivens us to the good.  I want the cry of my heart to be, “How blessed are those who observes His testimonies, who seek Him with all their heart.”

Overcome the Thorns

Cursed is the ground because of you;

In toil you will eat of it

All the days of your life.

“Both thorns and thistles it shall grow for you;

And you will eat the plants of the field;

By the sweat of your face

You will eat bread,

Till you return to the ground,

Because from it you were taken;

For you are dust,

And to dust you shall return.”

We live in a sin-cursed world.  The world itself is not sinful; it never disobeys the commands of God.  It is under the curse because of man’s sin.  Even so, inherent in God’s curse, is a blessing.

To the man in Genesis 3, God initiated futility of labor.  The curse brought thorns, thistles, sweat and eventual physical death.  God graciously allows man to still bear fruit upon the earth, but after our sin, it will always be borne in the midst of thorns and thistles and always with much labor.

The eyes of faith then must look beyond the curse to the promise.  Frequently we focus on the thorns which prick our skin.  We complain about the difficulty of the task and the smallness of the harvest.  Our eyes are fixed on the curse, not the promise.  Christian, expect the thorns.  Endure the sweat.  Pursue the fruit.  God will bring a rich harvest.

I want to specifically address missionaries.  The most common reason for missionaries leaving the field is conflict with their team—sounds like thorns to me.  There is much that is wrong with every missionary endeavor.  It is staffed by individuals who still struggle with sin.  It is engaged in attacking the strongholds of an angelically powerful force of wickedness.  It is occurring in a world that still falls under the curse of God.  However, such obstacles have not eliminated the harvest.  God has promised that we will eat the bread.  He will still provide the harvest we desire.

     Dear missionaries, please look past the curse and see the great good that God is doing even in the midst of the curse.  Focus on the objective—Matthew 24:14—and keep your hand to the plow.  We who have sent you will pray for power in your life.  Please stick with the task.

November 26, 2012

Merry Christmas!

            Despite the gaudy light displays, the smarmy TV specials, and the unchanging music, we love Christmas.  For the most part people are kinder and the message of all of the above mentioned traditional annoyances is one of love and hope.  This makes sense because Christmas is a celebration of love.  The Eternal God entered time; the Infinite One became a tiny baby; and the immutable Creator chose to grow from a baby to a man.  He did all of this because of His love.  He wants us to be close to Him.  It is no wonder that we see kindness at Christmas.

            During this last year, changes have abounded for the Woods.  We began the year with Michael starting his second semester at Covenant College in Georgia, Robin assisting a Kindergarten class and Vince selling paint in Florida, Britney teaching high school and Patrick assisting a third grade class in Colorado.  But much of this changed.

            In April, Robin and Vince moved to Lander, Wyoming, as Vince was invited to be the Interim Pastor of Covenant Presbyterian Church—Britney’s home church.  A part of the agreement for Vince’s position was that he not apply to become the full-time pastor.  This meant that he continued to search for another permanent call.  Some dear friends suggested that Vince apply to a church in York, Pennsylvania.  Lo, and behold, Vince was called to be the Pastor of Providence Presbyterian Church.  We will move during the first week of December. 

            We are sad to leave Covenant Presbyterian Church.  We experienced the healing power of love from this kind group of Christians.  Even so, we are thrilled to be a part of Providence.  In many ways, Providence is the church we have sought to build for the last nineteen years.  She has planted two churches in the last ten years.  She has a passion for missions and outreach.  She has elders and a staff that is truly longing to make disciples, not just cultural Christians.  We know that we will have to rely on God’s Spirit, and that is the most exciting part of the whole move.

            During the last year, Robin found a position decorating cakes at a local grocery store.  In addition, she has returned to her easel.  She began studying a new watercolor technique.  She wants to explore more opportunities with her art.  Her first projects are African animals photographed during our two trips to Africa.  Hopefully, we can find some way to market her art work. 

            Michael has about three semesters left to complete his degree in Biology with a minor in Spanish.  His experience at Covenant has stretched him in beautiful ways.  He is gaining a clearer perspective on who he is and how God intends to use him in impacting this world.  Please continue to pray for Michael as he makes decisions about his future.

            Patrick taught at the elementary school until around April.  In June, he went to work for a company that blended a blues/oldies/big band musical group with electronic installations.  It was a very eclectic and great experience for him.  He is now trying to establish himself as a piano/guitar teacher while developing Log Cabin Gaming.  At the same time, he finally started his book on music theory.  Britney continues to teach at James Irwin High School.  She loves teaching.  They continue to find ways to be more involved in their church, Westminster Presbyterian.  Please ask God to guide Patrick and Britney into how they might best use their gifts for God and His kingdom.

The future is filled with hope, because of God’s love.  We would be grateful if you would pray for us.

In Jesus’ love,

Vince, Robin and Michael

Love is Patient

     I want to begin with a mathematical equation. If God is love and Jesus is God, then Jesus is love. In addition if the law of God is fulfilled by us loving, then we can conclude that Jesus gives us the example of what it means to love. That is not to say that we need to do everything that Jesus did, like cleansing the temple or raising Lazarus. We do need to look at how Jesus loved. 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 describes loving actions. Therefore, we should be able to find examples of these loving actions in the life of Jesus and emulate those examples.

      Love is patient. Therefore, we should develop patience. Patience, in the context of 1 Corinthians 13, literally means long suffering and is expressed in relationship. Love is relational. The patience, long suffering, mentioned in 1 Corinthians 13:4 is patience in our relationships with others not just with our circumstances. It is not the patience of Job, who endured tremendous suffering. It is the patience of our Savior, who endured the sins of His people every day of His life.

      Consider the patience of Jesus. He knew the hearts and minds of those around Him. As He walked through the crowd, He was aware of the lustful glances of His own disciples; the judgmental and critical disdain in the hearts of many Pharisees; the lack of faith in those who just wanted a handout. Jesus washed His disciples feet, served them the New Covenant meal of communion, expressed His love for them and then, while Judas was running to the priests to betray Him, heard the rest argue about who was the greatest. In all of this, Jesus was patient. He did not blast them. Usually, He did not even correct them. He simply suffered long. Keep in mind that Jesus is God, so every one of these sins was directly against Him.

      People are not where I think they should be. I have two sons. Throughout their childhood, I pushed them to excel. When they accomplished something I would praise them and then give them a higher standard to pursue. I am not convinced that this was either helpful or destructive. What I do know is that in my heart, I can usually see a higher standard that people can reach. Most of us have a standard that the people around us have not reached. They shouldn’t gossip as much as they do. They should pray or witness or come to Sunday school more. Our list is seemingly endless. Sadly, our lack of love is expressed by criticizing, chastising, and judging them. We then make our sin worse by assuming our criticism, chastisement and judgments are loving. But in reality, they do not look much like Jesus. We see the rare occasion of Matthew 23, when Jesus rebukes the Pharisees and we make that the standard instead of the exception. We jump up to call people broods of vipers because Jesus did—especially while writing in blogs or on facebook.

      I want to develop in my heart, and encourage you to develop, a love like Jesus. People are not where we think they should be, but God is sovereign. He is also active in their lives. Jesus knew what His Father was doing in the life of each person. I need to ask God that more often and then look to see where He is leading them. Maybe I need to rebuke less and prayingly wait more. As I read books that disagree with me, (I worded that carefully for emphasis on my own self-focus), I need to see the good in them instead of the few points where they may err. As politicians and other celebrities fail, I need to pray for them, not point the finger. When a person has a different position, I need to hear them out and understand how they came to their position rather than assume they are ignorant or evil. After all, love is patient.