Honoring our Co-Laborers in Christ

If you were at service this last Sunday you were made aware of the tragic deaths in a house fire of our dear friends Steve and Patti Gray, the pastors of International Christian Fellowship in Padova, Italy. Many of you know of our special relationship with this church and these co-laborers in Christ as a result of our annual missions trips to minister to the church but many of you do not know the profound role this church and these ministers played in the formation of Mercy Hill Church. 

In 2003 I found myself between positions with no clear direction of God’s calling for the next stage in our ministry (or if there even would be a next stage). Pastor Steve called and asked us to come fill in at ICF-Padova for several months while he and Patti were back in the states raising funds. God used this time in our lives, along with Pastor Kevin, to birth in our hearts the church that would become Mercy Hill. 

I wanted to share with you an email Chris Peterson, who is one of our elders, sent to the elder board in the wake of the Gray’s passing because I think it beautifully captures the profound relationship that can exist between two communities of faith separated by many miles.

Brothers,
 
Steve & Patti Gray went to sleep today but will be raised again by our Lord Jesus Christ. Thanks be to God for our sure hope!
 
Over the centuries our God has moved by His Spirit to proclaim the Good News to people in darkness. Many years ago Steve invited Tommy to come to Italy to help him care for the church there for a season. This happened at just the right time that led to (Pastor) Tommy and (Pastor) Kevin sitting around and talking over cappuccinos. It was there in Italy that the Holy Spirit chose to birth the idea that has now become Mercy Hill Church. So you see, Steve & Patti were key people God used to create the circumstances where step-by-step later Mercy Hill came into existence. I say it was just at the right time for Tommy too, having just been rejected by all so to speak, and was alone with Elise and a couple of others. God knew before the foundation of the world and had a plan to start Mercy Hill Church and it is clear Steve & Patti were part of that plan to help Tommy be where he needed to be at just the right time.
 
I wanted to share with you fellow elders that we at Mercy Hill owe honor to Steve & Patti for by His grace God used them in part to bring to pass the Mercy Hill blessing we see today. I support whatever God puts into Tommy heart to do to bless the Gray family and the church there in Podova that fittingly honors God’s vessels He used to bless us so profoundly. I know it may seem like a small part they played in Mercy Hill coming into existence but I suggest there would be no Mercy Hill Church today without Steve & Patti. Something else for sure, but not Mercy Hill as we know it today. 

The Corinthian church in a sense owed the first church at Jerusalem (2 Cor 7:13-9:1) for the gospel came to them via that church.
 
Please join us in lifting the Gray family and the family of ICF-Padova in prayer before the Lord as we all mourn the passing of these dear friends to whom we owe such gratitude. It will be our calling to continue to honor Steve and Patti by blessing this precious church however we can in the days and years to come. 

Giving Thanks

I love the stretch of time between Thanksgiving and Christmas. I love everything about the holidays: the time with family and friends, the football, the gift-giving and, of course, the food. This last week I was reflecting on all of the things for which I'm thankful, and I found my mind drifting to the church. 

I've been part of Mercy Hill Lake Country since the summer of 2009. From the time we first arrived my wife and I fell in love with the people, mission, and philosophy that we discovered. We found a church home that faithfully proclaimed the Gospel and sought to dwell in deep community with one another. In 2011, I was asked to come on staff. In 2012, I was called to the teaching pastor role in Delafield. 

Since my time as teaching pastor began I've seen God do amazing things. I've seen people from all walks of life called to salvation in Christ. I've seen more than 50 people from Lake Country be baptized. I've seen marriages restored and lives changed.

And all of it is due to the work of Christ in the lives of His people.

---

In addition, I've witnessed as our church grew from a 10 person core group to the 250 people who now call Mercy Hill "home". 18 months ago we added a second service. Now both services are filled, and our current location is at its limit.  Even though the philosophy and mission have stayed the same, we find ourselves needing to go through changes.
 

Beginning on December 11th we will be holding Sunday service at Lake Country Lutheran High School in Hartland.  In some sense this can feel like a difficult step: we will have to setup and tear down each week, leave a location that we truly love, and re-establish in a new (though very close) community. But the benefits far outweigh the costs.

With one service, our hospitality and children's areas will be able to more easily staff their needs. For the first time in 18 months we'll all be together in one service again. We'll have enough space so that visitors and congregants don't have to struggle to find a place to sit. Perhaps most helpfully, we'll be able to spend time at the new building before and after services. My hope is that this will help people more easily engage in relationships and find entryways to deep, meaningful community.

I give thanks for the opportunities the Lord has provided for us and I'm excited to see how He will use the next stage of our church life for His glory and for the joy of His people.

For all members of our church family, across all three locations, I ask that you please join us in praying for God to continue to move during this time of transition. For those of you who call Mercy Hill Lake Country your church home, we look forward to seeing you on the 11th!

The Desires of the Heart

In 2010, my husband Brian and I felt called to become foster parents. A year later we were blessed with the adoption of our son. A few years later we believed we were called again to become the adoptive resource for a little girl, but it quite painfully did not work out. Since then, we feel we are not able to foster or adopt again, although we are open to whatever God has planned. 

Last year we were at Mercy Hill during Orphan Sunday and Pastor Tommy shared about Living Hope International and the orphans they serve in Puebla, Mexico. Immediately, my husband and I looked at each other and in that silent language we have, decided we were going to get involved. We began sponsoring a little girl and felt this was part of God's plan for us as a family. 

When I heard Mercy Hill was considering a mission trip to visit the orphanage, I was so drawn to go but I didn't think it would really be possible for me. I knew we couldn't go as a family and I had a laundry list of fears but I wanted to go so badly. I couldn't imagine our Mija knowing a team from my church would be there, and I wasn’t. At the same time, I had to contend with the idea it might not be part of God's plan for me to go. 

During the week leading up to the deadline to decide, we got our 1st handwritten letter from her. In the letter she said "God bless you and remember that you are really special to me. God has a special plan for you." Now this is a little girl who just turned 10, she'd only been at Living Hope for a few years, she'd been neglected and abused before coming and yet in the short time there she was developing a faith where she is sending us letters of encouragement. I didn't want to read into her letter though it felt like a record-scratch moment and deepened my desire to go.

From making the decision to join the team until we left there was doubt, anxiety, spiritual attack ... but always this strong desire to go, to meet her. I even dreamt about it, waking up with the smell of fresh grass. A week before the team was leaving we got another handwritten letter from her and she said "God loves you and takes care of you under His shining wings." Once again, like a bread-crumb trail from God, it was what I needed to hear. 

I cannot stress enough how awesome it is to know Living Hope’s commitment to building a foundation and relationship for the kids with Christ. These children come from some of the darkest situations, abuse, neglect, rescued from the streets, from child trafficking ... it is beyond heart breaking to imagine let alone to convey the stories. To share in the work being done there and share the love of Christ with everyone at Living Hope is a gift I will truly treasure.  To see for yourself, the smiles and hear the laughter.  To get a hug, when one takes your hand or to be invited to sit with them for a meal ... to see the light of Christ beaming in their eyes, is beyond precious.

As a former foster parent you hear terms like trauma informed care, special needs, etc. Here in the U.S. a child can "age out" of the system. But at Living Hope they are planting seeds of faith, helping the kids grow into a plan for their future. And no one is ousted once they turn a certain age. The staff and dorm supervisors are not on payroll, they do not punch a clock and leave but rather the dorm supervisors live with their littles and often do double duty to help things run smoothly throughout. They have a missionary school there. At any given time you can round a corner and find someone praying. You wake up to hear songs of praise, as clear as a recording, from the La Viña students or the Nacione's worship band. 

I felt like God's fingerprints were everywhere ... it was awesome, amazing, wonderful. 

Mid-week I got to spend a little one on one time with my Mija and she asked if she could pray over me. As she was praying she said something about me having been scared about coming. I got goosebumps. After the prayer I hugged her, and over her shoulder mouthed to her supervisor "how did she know!?!" Because I had never told anyone at Living Hope especially her ... but God knew. 

I told her later that I was never afraid to meet her but that it was my desire to meet her that motivated me to come and that God had helped me every step of the way. I also encouraged her to continue to stay close to Him. That her prayer was proof to me of His love. 

I thought that would be the high point of the week, but it was just one of many. Later, we had a time with some of the teens girls living at Living Hope and they asked the team our testimonies. I froze. What do I say? Do I talk about being a foster/adoptive mom? That seemed insensitive since they will not have the opportunity to be adopted. Do I talk about myself being a spiritual orphan? No again seems insensitive. To be honest, I worried into the next day about how I'd handled it. 

But, then on Thursday I was working in the field and God said to me "I didn't give you your testimony yet, I couldn't, wouldn't let you really tell them (the kids) how much I love them until you believe finally for yourself, how much I love you." God said "Do you remember when you were 15 and wanted to be a missionary? You may have forgotten but I didn't. My word says I will give you the desires of your heart and I am a faithful God." Then He took me through how he'd given me a 2nd chance at love/marriage, a beautiful child not of my own body and now I am here, at Living Hope. On the flight home He said what I thought was my testimony was all about me and I'd been "white knuckling" it for too long now. The testimony He gave me is all about Him and for His glory. 

I can say 100% that my time there was like the Scripture about the fruit on the vine, it's not about works, not about me ... the Holy Spirit came and bloomed inside of me. It was a beautiful time there and I was sad to leave. You think you'll want to take the kids home with you but God is so present you kinda wanna pack up and move there. 

But you don't have to share my story. You can be like the couple that snow birds there in the winter. Or someone interested in becoming a missionary who wants to go to the school or intern there. You can be like the cement workers who found out about the amazing work being done for the kids and go just to use your trade to help. Really though, you don't have to be any of those things. And you don’t have to be rich. You don't have to speak Spanish. I don't think you even have to be a "kid" person per say ... you just have to be willing, to answer the call. The call may come like a gong or a whisper. God knows where you're at. 

You may want to start by finding out how you can help equip the K-12 school they're building onsite. You may want to become a sponsor...there are 2 campus', Puebla where we visited and Matamoros, which is in a rougher area so they don't mission there but there are kids and staff that can be sponsored. You may want to join the 2017 team and experience for yourself.

Last but certainly not least, you can pray. We all can pray. We can lift up Living Hope International/Esperanza Viva, the beautiful kids and amazing people serving there. We can thank God for such a place and pray for His kingdom to come so that we need not have a use for the word "orphan". Pray for a time when we will hear Jesus himself say "let the little children come to me" ... and we will all come running.

To learn more about sponsoring a child or Living Hope, visit: http://lovehopemercy.org/ 

To learn more about Mercy Hill’s 2017 trip to Living Hope visit: https://www.mercyhill.org/missionstrips/

Stir Up to Love & Good Works

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works,  not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.      

Hebrews 10:19-25

And let us consider how to stir up one another in love and good works not neglecting to meet together. That is quite an encouragement for the church. It is easy to see church as something you go to but here the author of Hebrews points us to a path that is not simply about attending a service but about engaging in a way that is intimate. Encourage one another, stir up in love with good works, these are not admonitions that are fulfilled at a distance or by simply attending a service. These require us to be together in close proximity sharing experiences, even working together.

When I look at the goals of Mercy Hill Church as a local expression of God’s global community my desire is to see us come together in this type of fellowship. In this type of community. In this type of koinonia. To stand alongside one another unified for the purposes of love and good works in community. 

It  is for this reason that we seek to have members of the Church engaged. Not simply in attending a community group (although EVERYONE should be attending a community group) but also involved in some form of ministry. You see for us the ministries of greeters, or hospitality, or Children’s church, or worship or whatever else you can think of is not simply about performing a task but is ultimately about building relationships. To provide opportunities to stir up one another, to love one another, to do good works side by side motivated by the truth we are united in our love for Christ and His church. Every position of service at MH is intended to provide the opportunity to build relationships. 

If you have not found a place of ministry yet, DO IT! Don’t see it as simply a task to perform but cherish it as an opportunity to build relationships with brothers and sisters as you serve God’s people. Not only will the church be blessed but you and those you serve alongside will see the Spirit of God stirred up in your lives. 

Willing to Go, Willing to Serve

Written by Bob Dienhart

Why go on a short term mission trip? Can a week of ministry in a foreign land really do that much good? Wouldn’t it easier, better, and far more efficient to simply send the money invested in all the travel to the people being ministered to? Who really benefits?

Those are good questions, questions that I once asked.

I’ve been on six short term mission trips – three to Rwanda and three to Italy – and through experience I have found the following answers.

First, if you are simply able and available then you should go. I recommend a short term mission trip to witness God working in ways that you may never experience by staying in your comfort zone. God may not give you a distinct “call” to take part in a short term trip; you just need the willingness to go and the courage to seize an opportunity to be stretched. Doing so will expand your perspective, overcome some fears, and introduce you to more of God’s greater family, and bless you with new and deeper friendships.

Second, a week of ministry may seem too short to do anything of obvious significance. Of course, you may experience some amazing things. But that’s not the goal. The goal is to be Christ’s hands and feet living out the Gospel message, to show the love of Christ to hearts and souls in need, and to be encouraging image bearers of Christ to those you encounter. God will definitely use you to touch the hearts and souls you minister to and to glorify His name - in His time. We need to trust Him with our work.

Third, yes, it would seem easier to just send money. But money sent has no soul, no witness, and no relatable identity. I once asked ‘John’ Gakwandi, founder of Solace Ministries Rwanda, if it wouldn’t be better for the money spent on a team’s travel to be sent to his ministry instead. His response was a very emphatic “No.” He told me that a team willing to travel to Rwanda builds hope in his people, affirms their significance and worth, and encourages his ministry team to stay the course in the challenging work that they do. This is most likely true for our Mexico and Italy ministry partners, as well. 

And fourth, both sides benefit. But they benefit differently. The receiving side benefits from caring smiles and warm greetings, the Christ centered teaching and lived out example a team brings, affirmation of their value to the team and to a loving God, and perhaps tangible work that is done with them for their benefit. It’s hard to measure the final value of what a team gives them because the results are ultimately up to God. Those going, however, can benefit immensely and that is the real strength and blessing of a properly done short term mission trip. Within every team new friendships start and existing friendships get stronger as the team bonds in the context of a shared experience that God uses to His glory. Leaving home to serve in a different place broadens perspectives, tears down biases, deepens one’s sense of mission, and awakens an awareness of the amazing diversity of God’s family. During a short term trip members become isolated from their normal distractions and defenses and are thrust into an environment that necessitates adaptation, graciousness, and vulnerability. God uses this openness to reach team members in ways that are unavailable to Him in the home comfort zone. And this leads to amazing encounters with our very personal God.

The secret to an effective short term mission ministry is repeated visits to serve with a purpose of building relationship with those being served. That is the “secret sauce” that makes short term missions work. Good relationships require time and it is in those kind of relationships that the work of the Gospel is best accomplished. This is the Mercy Hill approach to short term missions.

So, should you go on a short term mission trip? Absolutely! If you are well enough and available you should definitely go. If you want to grow in your relationship with Christ in new and exciting ways you should go. If you want to be stretched and maybe really called into His service you should go.

A Reasonable Response - Everything

So often, when we think of worship, mistakenly our mind goes to the moments of musical worship on Sunday morning where we, His Church, sing together before we hear from God’s Word.  However, worship is so much bigger.  It is the response, the offering, given to God by those who have “tasted and seen” that He is good (Psalm 34:8).  

Sometime, like with King David, that response is in song or even shouts of acclamation: 

Shout for joy to God, all the earth; sing the glory of his name;
    give to him glorious praise! Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds!
    So great is your power that your enemies come cringing to you.  All the earth worships you and sings praises to you; they sing praises to your name.”  (Psalm 66-1:4)

But here’s the thing, I am far less concerned with the “style” of our expression of worship than I am with the depth of our worship, that is, the weight, sacrifice and sincerity of our response.  I can’t help but think that if we were to contemplate and meditate more often on the weight, sacrifice and sincerity of Christ’s love for us that drove Him to die in our stead, our response - our worship - would deepen far past a few songs we sing together on a Sunday morning.  The words of Romans 12:1 would start to ring true… 

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship (“reasonable service” in KJV).

…and we would sincerely give our lives, all of us, as an offering to our God.  For Him to use as He decides for the glory of His name.  When we relegate worship to the few minutes of music and song we sing on Sundays, we’ve lost the costly nature of worship as a life offered to God in response to Him and His great love for us.  

The only appropriate response to who Christ is and His amazing work on the cross is everything: Our lives laid before God as a sacrifice; dead to ourselves and alive to God; for His glory.

 This IS worship. 

How Do You See the Harvest?

“But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.” ~ Matthew 9:36-38

Whenever I read these verses especially verse 37, I picture a beautiful gold field of sun glistening wheat that gently moves from the summer breeze. As a matter of fact, this is where many Christians unknowingly make a disconnect, especially how Christ sees the plentiful harvest and how we see it.  

I understand that Christ used many farmer analogies and parables, let's face it; farming was a very common and popular occupation.  However, as I dig deeper into these verses, I couldn’t help imagining being the real farmer in this reading. Just thinking of a field full and plentiful of wheat ready to be picked and not having enough workers to pick the crop.  What would I do? Would I panic as I seek for laborers to help me pick the harvest? Would I be disappointed? Is that what Jesus did?

I would imagine that as a farmer, I sacrificed much to sow and work the land and then to have the crop go bad and destroyed and scattered; would make me feel sad and moved with compassion for the loss of my crop. However Jesus said to his disciples “The harvest truly is plentiful..” there seems to be a feeling of desperation and urgency as he saw all the multitude of people weary and scattered, like sheep without a shepherd. 

But what I find interesting in this reading and this time of urgency, desperation and compassion, was that his command to his disciples was not to start another evangelistic ministry, or ask for special offering collection to rescue the multitudes, instead Jesus told his disciples to PRAY, and although evangelistic ministries and special offerings are not necessarily bad, Jesus knew that nothing moves without first praying to the father because he is the Lord of the Harvest!!

How about you? How do you see the harvest? What are you doing when your heart is full of compassion as it breaks for the harvest?  Sometimes the harvest is as near as our own family, such as a wayward son or daughter that is lost in a addiction, a family member that doesn’t know Christ. But where do we go first when we are experiencing these terrible predicaments? Many of us try to roll back our sleeves and do all we can humanly do, and if it doesn’t work then we pray to the Lord of the Harvest as a final result.  

Do you see the importance and priority to prayer that Jesus expressed? Jesus knew that regardless how bad things look we need to start with prayer, and he demonstrated that in his own life while he was on earth.  

Finally, how do you see the plentiful harvest? Does it move you like it continues to move Christ? I’m reminded of a song by Hillsong that says “Open our eyes, to see the things That make your heart cry..” I truly believe that if we see the harvest as Christ sees it we wouldn’t want to stop praying!

Mercy Hill Church and the Mercy Hill Prayer Ministry would like to help you see the harvest as Christ sees it. There are avenues for you to connect with our prayer ministry at each of our locations. For more information, email our prayer team at prayer@mercyhill.org.

The Heart Behind Benevolence at Mercy Hill

Recently, I was curious to hear how other churches handled their benevolence funds and how they provided financial support to those who are in need in the church. I turned to a group of authors who are on the leading edge of how to best help people, and I thought they’d be a good start. So when the book arrived, I eagerly dove in.

But it only took me a few pages to realize something. The book was less about how to help other people, and felt more as plan for how to protect the church from being taken advantage of. This feeling raised a question: What is the heart behind benevolence at Mercy Hill?

Thankfully, the answer is not a heart that is guarding and fearful of being taken advantage of.

As the person handling finances at Mercy Hill, I’ve had a front row seat as to how benevolence requests are handled here at Mercy Hill. And the heart behind benevolence is simple:

“This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.” (1 John 3:16-18 NIV)

Benevolence at Mercy Hill starts with the proper perspective that we were once given grace and mercy ourselves, without earning or deserving it. This is incredibly important because it is very easy to slip into a patronizing tone and perspective when helping those in need. Going back to the book I was reading, it suggested requiring pages and pages of paperwork for someone in need to complete. What may be intended to help can inadvertently turn into a series of litmus tests.

Building on this proper perspective, you get to the heart of benevolence at Mercy Hill which is a sacrificial love to those we call brothers and sisters. While our human sense of justice may kick in and say, “why do I have to give up what I earned to help someone who hasn’t earned it?” the Gospel steps in and calls us to say, “I am bound to you as a brother and sisters in Christ, and we will walk through this together.”

Practically speaking, yes, this means that Mercy Hill’s benevolence fund is primarily available to and for individuals who call Mercy Hill Church their church home.

But more importantly, it paints the picture that benevolence is the act of the body of Christ being engaged in each others lives and generously giving time, support, prayer, resources, and much more. Not only supporting through action, but also bringing truth in love to see restoration and redemption in our church family. When we ignore this call and simply resign the church’s benevolence activities to a form to fill out and a check to cut, then frankly, we’re doing it wrong.

Does this mean that at some point, maybe we will be taken advantage of? It may. Will this more personal touch make it messier? Sure. But when we were broken and lost, God came down and walked with us, took our burdens, and stepped into our messes. If that is what God has done for us, how can we do anything less for our brothers and sisters?

That is the call from John the apostle, and that is the heart behind benevolence at Mercy Hill Church.

The benevolence fund at Mercy Hill Church is supported through the generous donations made directly to the fund by individuals and families. To make a donation to the fund, visit www.mercyhill.org/give and on the payment page select “Benevolence Fund” from the reference drop down menu.

The Death in Baptism

"What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? 3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life."  (Romans 6:1-4 ESV)

As we have been going through the series Death of Me, exploring the call of dying to self as it relates to the me-centric culture in which our churches are being formed, it’s appropriate that we will pause on August 28th to celebrate with members of our church as they follow Christ in baptism. I say it’s appropriate because baptism has always been meant to be a declaration to all that I am embracing the death of me. That we are saying not simply that we are following Christ by that we are dying to self. That we are no longer serving selfish wants and desires but being given over completely to Jesus.

To really understand how deep that commitment went in the first century, when Paul wrote this to the Roman church, you have to understand the deep meaning of baptism in that day. Too often tradition and ritual become devoid of their meaning over time and being reminded of the depth of baptism’s historical significance on the eve of this event is helpful. 

Robin M. Jensen in Baptismal Imagery in Early Christianity: Ritual, Visual, and Theological Dimensions writes that there were five truths being expressed by the church in early baptism: First, baptism cleansed from sin and sickness, “washing away external impurities and internal ones.”  Second, baptism conveyed the gift of the Spirit and his illuminating and sanctifying roles.  Third, baptism proclaimed the church’s hope for restoration in the new creation. Fourth, in being baptized, the new Christian experienced death (to self) and rebirth. And finally, baptism symbolized entrance into the community of saints, the church.  In baptism, Christians became part of an “exclusive group that functioned like a family and provided them with spiritual nurture and support. 

The last expression, the symbolization of entrance into the community of saints, is the one which has most lost it’s meaning for the American church and that we must most reflect on as we see baptism as an expression of dying to self. You see, in the first century publicly declaring your commitment to Christ and the church was an announcement that would not only symbolize your spiritual death to self but might also bring about your physical death. Entrance into the church was a dangerous business, a fact the Paul the former persecutor of the church was well aware of as he wrote Romans 6. 

There was no question to those being baptized that this was a selfless act initiated by the work of the Holy Spirit as it revealed to the heart of the elect the inescapable truth of Christ as Lord and King. That in spite of the personal cost there was no choice but to be joined with the Body of Christ because He is Truth, He is life and He is Savior. That no matter the personal sacrifice, even if it meant the sacrifice of life, Jesus represented the greatest hope of real Salvation. 

As we contemplate the coming baptism service may we reflect on our own baptism and renew the depth of that commitment which calls us to completely and utterly die to self. In the midst of a culture that cherishes self realization and self actualization may we who are baptized into Christ’s death stand as expressions of selfless sacrifice for the sake of the Cross regardless of the cost. In this way we truly emulate the work begun by the church 2000 years ago and bring about the death of me. 

On Mission To the Least of These

In Matthew 25:31-46 as Jesus was in the last week of his earthly life before the crucifixion, he speaks of His 2nd coming and how he will judge all peoples.

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats” (vv. 31-32).  

Jesus goes on to explain that he will put the sheep on his right and they will go onto eternal life and the goats on his left and they will go on to eternal punishment.  What is the criterion used to determine whether a person will be judged a “sheep” or a “goat”?  

It will be how they treated “the least of these.”  Jesus says “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me…Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me” (vv.35-36, 40).  

Now, at first glance this sounds like our eternal welfare depends on what we do.  A salvation based on works?  We know, however, from the whole of Scripture that our salvation is based on our faith, faith in the atoning work of Jesus Christ on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins.  But what Jesus is explaining here is that (along with James) true faith is always accompanied by righteous works. Works empowered by God’s Holy Spirit.  

And who are “the least of these”?  The word means “pertaining to being lowest in status, of very little importance, insignificant, trivial”. Unimportant, worthless, dispensable people.  You can put in your own examples: homeless, mentally disabled, addicts, etc.  Jesus always has a way of showing that the kingdom of God is quite the opposite of the kingdom we are used to living in.  The question we must ask then is, “Do we love the least of these?”  

That would lead us to another of Jesus’ teaching during his last week of life on earth. A littler earlier in this week Jesus was being approached by the Pharisees to try to trick him and test him.  In Matthew 22:34-40 an expert in the law approaches Jesus and asks “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”  So Jesus sums up the vast amount of Old Testament teachings in two sentences.   

You may also recall a similar answer by another expert in the law when he asks Jesus how to inherit eternal life in Luke 10:25-37. Jesus responds to this question with a question of his own, “What is written in the law? How do you read it?”  The man responds with “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” Jesus agrees and says “…do this and you will live.” And in a divinely inspired desire to justify himself, the expert asks “And who is my neighbor?” We know the rest of the story of how the least likely of all heroes, a culturally despised Samaritan helps the beaten Jew at the side of the road.  He takes care of his “enemy” by showing compassion and mercy.  He takes care of and loves his “neighbor.” Again, the kingdom of God is very unlike the kingdom of man.

So the question behind the question is “Do we love God with all our heart, with all our soul, with all our strength, and with all our mind?”  If we do, then there will be no question that we will love our neighbor as ourselves and will love “the least of these”.

So what does all of this have to do with missions?  We know from Scripture that God desires to be worshiped by people from every nation, tribe, and tongue that he has created  and that he will, indeed, be the Eternal King for all those who believe in His son from each nation (Ps 22, 67, 86; Rev 7).  

God’s desire is that people from all nations would love Him with all their heart, soul, strength, and mind. John Piper has put it this way in his book Let the Nations Be Glad “Missions is not the ultimate goal of the church. Worship is.  Missions exist because worship doesn’t.  Worship is ultimate, not missions, because God is ultimate, not man.  When this age is over, and the countless millions of the redeemed fall on their faces before the throne of God, missions will be no more.  It is a temporary necessity.  But worship abides forever” (p. 11).  

Our love for God drives our desire to see Him lifted up not only in our own lives but in the lives of those around us.  We desire to see Him be made famous before the nations as the true and righteous King that He is.  Our God, our King, our Savior.  He is the beautiful One, full of grace, compassion, and mercy.  May more and more people in this world come to know Him and love Him with all their heart, strength, soul, and mind!

Mercy Hill we be sending a mission trip team to Esperanza Viva Youth Home in Puebla, Mexico in August to participate with God in loving “the least of these.”  

Esperanza Viva Youth Homes rescue, train, nurture, and rehabilitate underprivileged, orphaned, abandoned, and street children and youth whose families are unable or unwilling to provide for them.  

If you’d like to support this team and/or ministry or learn more about it, there will be a fundraising concert on Sunday August 7th from 6-8PM at Mercy Hill Lake Country.

Walking with One Another

One of the staples of life in Jesus’ time was travelling by foot with one another. In between each poignant story of the Gospel are hours, and sometimes days, of Jesus travelling by foot with the apostles. They experienced blisters, dirt, rain, danger, exhaustion, hunger and thirst together as they journeyed.

The image of a long journey by foot lends itself easily to be a metaphor about life as a whole.

It is no wonder that the phrase “Walking with God” became a prominent metaphor in Biblical times and remains today. But it isn’t just how we encounter God. Building on the metaphor, Paul calls us to similarly “walk” with one another:

“Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” (Ephesians 5:1-2 ESV).

So the question becomes, how can we walk with one another?

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The answer lies in digging deeper into that image of walking on a journey.

It can be taken for granted in our modern day with so many transportation options. I’m guilty of it myself - even though I live just a few blocks from my son’s school, too often I choose to simply drive him there rather than take the extra few minutes on foot. But there is something about those times I choose to walk with my son to school- a different pace, depth and different type of interaction with him, even in just a few short minutes of a walk.

The ancient and medieval churches knew this reality as well. It is why one of the prominent spiritual disciplines was that of pilgrimage. Walking on foot for hundreds of miles to reach a destination of spiritual significance. Over ten years ago, I had the opportunity to experience one of these pilgrimages myself in northern Spain.

The depth of the metaphor of walking with one another came alive for me during that time, although it was not my plan. See, I specifically chose winter to hike this particular pilgrim trail as it was the lowest traffic time. If I was lucky, I wouldn’t have to “put up” with anyone and get to hike it all by myself.

But soon I would find myself travelling with a variety of people from a variety of places. Some travelled with me for just a few days, and others for the majority of the trip. And through those long days of walking together the metaphor of walking with God and others took on a deeper meaning.

In our modern world we can become insulated by our modern conveniences. Easy travel, entertainment and a fast paced life have left our lives, as some say, “a mile wide and an inch deep.” You only experience things and people in glimpses. An hour on a Sunday, maybe another hour or two during the week or month, and a bit more through a well crafted social media post.

But when you’re walking with someone each day, all day, day in and day out, a much different picture can emerge. You’ve seen their best and their worst, and they’ve seen yours. You’ve seen exhaustion, injury, elation, excitement, and everything in between. And day in and day out you press on towards your final goal.

That experience has been a powerful image for me when it comes to how I view church. Just as I would not have been able to finish that pilgrimage journey without a community with me, the same applies to my life as a whole.

So maybe today you are at a place where you are finding being in community difficult- whether due to conflicts or other circumstances. My encouragement to you would be to take a step back and view that relationship within the larger story of the Gospel and God’s redemption of the world, and see that you are both on a journey towards the same goal.

If you’re in that place I was in when I started my hike, and you don’t see the need for others, my encouragement would be to reflect on your reasons why. Is it just a lack of desire, something you don’t see as useful? Is it a reaction from past pains or difficult relationships? Led God guide you to those thoughts and spend time with Him there and let His Word breath in those places.

And for those of you who want community or are in community, there is a way to experience that depth I described without all packing your bags and going on a hiking trip. There are lessons and wisdom that you can learn to help bring that depth to your smaller community within the larger body of Mercy Hill Church. To share these with you, we will be holding a special teaching time called Biblical Soul Care.

Biblical Soul Care is for anyone who is either in community or desires community to help develop the skills and knowledge that will help you walk alongside your brothers and sisters in Christ.

This summer the sessions will be held on the 2nd and 4th Sundays of the month at 6:30pm at our Bay View location. Childcare is provided. If you would like more information or to sign-up, contact Phillip Martinez at phil@mercyhill.org

Going It Alone - And Getting It Wrong

Several hundred years ago human history took an unexpected turn. Tinkerers in Europe’s glass shops began coating glass with a variety of chemicals, and by accident the modern mirror was born. Now mirrors existed for centuries, but they were always dull or distorted. But with the advent of such a clear mirror, we were able to see ourselves as never before.

And so the age of “me” was ushered in.

Anthropologists find it no surprise that following the invention of the mirror and several other inventions, history sees an explosion in individualistic thinking and philosophy. The groundwork of modern society was laid.

Fast forward a few hundred years and we live in an era of selfies, social media, reality tv, and movies. We live in a culture that tells us that “me” above all else - and the culture has infected the American church as well.

In recent decades church leaders, in an attempt to reach out to the “unchurched” transformed Sunday morning fellowship and worship into a time of anonymity and entertainment. Rather than calling them with the truly good news of the Gospel, they called them by catering to their brokenness and selfish needs.

And what we have now in many corners of the church is the belief that our faith and relationship with God is about “me.” It is for me, about me, and my primary concern is my own faith.

In many ways we have lost the true sense of community that first century Christianity experienced.

One of these ways is how we as modern Christians chose to go it alone in our faith.

I was talking with a friend at another church recently and he shared how a family left their church. I asked why and he said, “We got too close.” He said people in the church began to learn about challenges in the family’ lives. And when the people did, they stepped in to those places with love and grace. But, as our culture trains us, the family didn’t welcome such a step and they chose to go it alone.

As members of the same broader culture, we are each equally vulnerable to making such a mistake. It feels so comfortable to keep people at an arm’s length away. Enjoy a laugh, but not shed any tears.

But that is not what the Gospel tells us.

The Gospel calls us to an intimacy and authenticity not only with our Heavenly Father, but with one another. 

Paul describes this in Ephesians 4:1-6: “I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.”

At Mercy Hill Church, our desire is to see each person- from the youngest child to the oldest adult- be active and engaged in the lives of one another. Since such fellowship is not necessarily natural in our culture, we have provided several avenues to help facilitate these relationships. These include community groups and now our new mentoring ministry.

As you spend time in reflection and prayer this week, please evaluate your own engagement in the Mercy Hill community. If you haven’t connected with others yet, what steps could you take to move towards relationship with others? If you have entered into community, reflect on your view of those relationships, and whether they are casual and comfortable or if they are authentic and transformational.

Awakening Our Identity

I want to begin by asking a question that may seem strange in a post about spiritual warfare….

What determines your identity, who you truly are?

Now of course the Sunday School answer would be…. Jesus! (And you would be right)...

But at the same time, if we are truly honest with ourselves, we find our identity in a variety of places: family, relationships, money, our career, the list can seem endless.  We often put ourselves into these roles first, with our faith mixed in.  

But I submit to you that this perspective is backwards. Instead we ought to place our identity as a follower of Christ first and foremost, with all other roles becoming facets of the diamond that is our identity in Jesus. Now, obtaining and maintaining this mindset is where I think that most spiritual warfare is engaged.

Too often we have either completely neglected the reality of spiritual warfare, or relegated it to an occasional, intense fight when things get really tough.  I think we have fallen into this complacency for two reasons.  Firstly, because our concept of war is based on our nation's history, where intense warfare sporadically interrupts periods of relative peace. And secondly because we are ignorant to the spiritual reality described in the Bible…

When we come to the point of salvation in Christ, we find that we are no longer slaves to sin and darkness. We are made spiritually alive as new creations through the power of the Holy Spirit, the same power that resurrected Jesus from the dead. This means that we are no longer considered to be citizens of this finite and worldly system. Instead we are aliens and strangers, living in a spiritually dark world where we fight against the spiritual forces of evil that rule this present darkness. We still live here in order to be ambassadors for Jesus on an ongoing basis, bringing the hope of the Gospel in everything that we do. We are living in a spiritual war zone…. daily. And we are called to walk by faith, fighting in that war and denying our own desires. . (Ro 6:6, 2 Cor 5:17, Eph 2:1-10, 1 Cor 15:20-21, 1 Peter 2:11, Eph 6:12, 1 Cor 5:20, Luke 9:23)

Now what would happen if we lived with that reality, the true reality of our spiritual identity found in Jesus?  What would change in our lives?

Would we approach our family, neighbors, coworkers, and friends differently?  Would the spiritual reality of your life affect the way that you see your job, finances, recreation, and hobbies?  

The answer is absolutely yes!

Now keeping this spiritual focus is not an easy thing to do. Which is why I contend that spiritual warfare is something that we need to enter daily, continually making our identity the one purchased by the blood of Christ.  We need to recognize that spiritual war is won in the thousands of daily battles against temptations, laziness, our priorities and reactions. Not just the occasional massive battle.  In order to be successful, we must equip ourselves every day for the fight against temptations, and to be ready to proclaim the hope of the Gospel to a dark, and sometimes hostile world.

The New Testament is full of references to this daily equipping, but perhaps none so clearly stated as that of the verses in Ephesians chapter 6:

"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. 14 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. 16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; 17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, 18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints". [Eph 6:10-18 ESV]

With this in mind, I am challenging myself to read, meditate upon, and pray through this passage in Ephesians for the next 7 days. Would you join me, and see what happens when we shift our focus from our earthly lives towards our heavenly calling?

If you do, I welcome you to share your thoughts and experiences in the comments here.  It is my prayer that through this week the Holy Spirit would work in our lives so that our perspective consistently becomes: I am a follower of Christ, and I will live for him as I do... everything.

Remembering Balaam and the Talking Donkey

Do you remember the story of Balaam and the talking donkey? No, I’m not talking about some some obscure character in the movie Shrek. What I am referring to is the tale of Balaam written in the Bible (Numbers 22-24). I came across the story of Balaam in preparation for preaching this week in our series “Seven Churches”. Here is the passage for this Sunday’s sermon:

"And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write: 'The words of him who has the sharp two-edged sword. "'I know where you dwell, where Satan's throne is. Yet you hold fast my name, and you did not deny my faith even in the days of Antipas my faithful witness, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells. But I have a few things against you: you have some there who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, so that they might eat food sacrificed to idols and practice sexual immorality. So also you have some who hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans. Therefore repent. If not, I will come to you soon and war against them with the sword of my mouth.  He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it."  Revelation 2:12-17 ESV

So in preparation I wanted to refresh myself with the story of Balaam, besides simply referring to the “guy with a Narnian donkey”.

In the book of Numbers we find that Balaam had a reputation of a being able to spiritually connect with God despite the fact that he was most likely a pagan diviner for hire. In these passages, we find Balak, the king of Moab, sent a message looking to hire Balaam to curse the Israelites. Initially, after hearing from God, Balaam refused to offer his services to the king. However the king persisted and sent messengers a second time. Balaam sought the guidance of God again and in Num 22:20 “... God came to Balaam at night and said to him, ‘If the men have come to call you, rise, go with them; but only do what I tell you.’”

Now instead of waiting for the men to come to call and see what Balaam’s decision would be we find in verse 21 that: “Balaam rose in the morning and saddled his donkey and went with the princes of Moab.” He took the initiative instead of waiting as God had commanded. Thus we find in verse 22 that God was angry at Balaam for not listening, and the story of the donkey who eventually talks is in verses 22-31.

After this incredible event takes place, Balaam now continues with God’s permission to go to Balak the king of Moab. Continuing on through Numbers chapter 24 ( and I suggest taking the time to read these) we find that Balak takes Balaam to 3 different locations attempting to have him curse the Israelites. Instead, Balaam blesses the Israelites at God’s direction. The king is upset at Balaam, and they part ways at the end of chapter 24.

Now at this point we might wonder why Balaam gets such a bad reputation in the Bible with passages like that above in the book of Revelation. The reason is...

The story of Balaam and Balak doesn’t end at the end of chapter 24. Instead, we find that because of a desire for financial gain Balaam returns to Balak with a plan to harm the Israelites without putting a curse on them. His devious plan called for the women of Moab to go to the Israelites camp and seduce them into idolatry and sexual immorality. And we can see the tragic story of them falling into this trap, with 24,000 Israelites dying in Numbers chapter 25.

Now how does this relate with the passage in Revelations for this Sunday’s sermon? And what does this have to do with us today and our church? Well… come and find out this Sunday at Mercy Hill!

God is Faithful - Pastor Gakumba's Testimony

We received the following testimony of a pastor from Solace Ministries in Rwanda who received your donations as a part of our Rwanda Pastor Support Fund. 

My Testimony

My name is Gakumba. I was born in Kibuye in 1955, in today’s Western Province of Rwanda. My father’s name was Nzaramba Gabriel and my mother Mukamusoni Generoza. 

My mother was surprised by my appearance when I was born.  She was probably very sad because my looking was different from what is known and seen for normal babies. I was told I cried a lot and could not close my eyes. 

She was always  scorned  by neighbours and I was taken as a curse by all. However, they did not kill me.  Many people were curious and wanted to see that kind of beast that mother gave birth to. Needless to say: My mother could not sleep.

I grew up excluded from other children. It was very hard. When I was 4 years, the persecution of Tutsi people started.  Our house was burnt and properties looted. In fact, my father had many cows. He distributed the cows one by one to neighbours to purchase our survival. Instead of keeping the cows, the neighbors butchered them and ate meat. We eventually survived the killings, but all cows were gone and eaten, and so was our livelihood.  At the age to go to school, I could not be taken there because I was blind. I hated everybody, I hated all things, I hated God.  I was not clothed like other children. I was given a dress like girls. Women who came to visit my mother used to say God was wrong to create me. Children were afraid to approach me because of my strange look. 

At 10 years,  just to be useful, I was given to guard the crops in the fields of cereals against birds, just waving my arms here and there continually.

One day,  when I was in a sorghum plantation, wicked people shouted that the birds have eaten up all the sorghum of Nzaramba. I immediately bent to pick up stones or anything else at hand to throw to the birds I could not see. A stick pierced my useless right eye. I could not remove it and needed help. And the eye kept on leaking for many weeks.  Since that time, automatically my lids were closed to this day. 

In 1973, I was staying at my grandmother’s house. It was burned as troubles against Tutsi people resumed.  This was done at night. I was the one who woke up to realize that a lot of smoke was in the house. I woke everyone for his or her lives. 

They were all saved. From that time, they believed that I can also be useful to something. 
Eventually, I attended the Church though blind. I became a Christian and received Jesus in my heart, but my troubles did not end.

I came to Kigali to visit a relative. This one used me to go to the highway and the market place to beg. “have pity to the blind” is what I had to say.

Later I heard a voice saying:  Do not allow Satan to manipulate you that way; instead tell people about me. I am Jesus. I will care for you.

I started to preach in the market place, preaching Jesus who saves and who gives peace.  The whole market moved. People were astonished. Jesus enabled me to memorize the Bible. 
I have preached in many places not only in my Church but also in other denominations.

Sometimes I had no food, but kept strong. I could fall in trenches but I was not discouraged. I spoke to myself saying that even those who have sight fall let alone me, a blind. 

The Genocide  

For me, God is the same in 1959, 1973 and  in 1994. It is a miracle the way we survived.
In 1994, I was in Kigali and was under the service of the Lord. God promised to protect me with my wife.  I was for almost one year married  and my family was surprised  that I could marry.  This way all shame was removed and they all started to consider me with a sense of respect. My wife was pregnant and at the last stage because our baby was born on May 8, 1994.
During the genocide, I was taken to the mass graves several times and killers retracted to kill me every time. Once I went to also hide at a church. Killers came and killed everybody and yet I was spared.

After the Genocide

A blind man and yet I was the only survivor of my family of 6 children and parents who all were killed.          

Now I want to preach the Gospel and I am invited into Churches, conventions, evangelistic crusades, in prayer cells, in different ministries and at every occasion. I like to go everywhere to proclaim the Good News.

God is faithful. I have no salary, but we have not died of hunger. Through his servants God has always provided as He knows our needs.  As an example, I am surprised that someone is going to help me with health insurance.  My wife and I suffer also from diabetes and need frequent medical visits. How wonderful the  way the Lord cares!!

I thank Solace not only for the advocacy they show me today with the provision of health insurance but also for the children they support for education. 

To give to our Rwanda Pastor Support Fund visit www.mercyhill.org/give and click "give online" and select the fund from the drop down menu.

Love God, Serve His People

When my oldest son, Tommy, was born it was obviously life changing. I think for most of us, the birth of a first child does that. There are so many new experiences, new emotions, new feelings that suddenly take you by storm. So much so, that quite honestly you yourself feel new.

For me, in that season, one of the coolest new experiences was bedtime. It was that end of the day, quiet moment when you had the opportunity to take inventory of your life and to look into the face of the newest gift that life had brought. Looking at that child in the stillness of that moment reminded me how much I loved my wife, Elise, how blessed I was with the family that I had grown up in and the legacy that I could pass on to my son. It caused me to reevaluate my life and who I was and how I could become a better man that my son would be proud to call dad. And after all that, when he had finally closed his eyes and slipped into sleep, to gently lay his little body in the crib was a satisfying experience. It was a special moment. But in that season, for me it didn’t end there. Every night when he was finally asleep and before I would go to bed I would lean into his crib, kiss him on the cheek and say, “Your Daddy loves you. Love God and serve His people.” For the first two years of my son’s life this is what he would hear every night as he would dream.

I know that is probably an unusual ritual but as I think back I know exactly why I did it. The day Tommy was born, and the doctor handed him to me so I could see my son for the first time, I was overcome with one image and one thought: “This boy is a blank slate and what you and Elise do and say will do more to define who he will become than anyone or anything else in his life.”  From that moment to this I am deeply aware of my responsibility to all my children to help them become everything that God intends and desires them to be. To help them to be good men. To help them be Godly men. To that end I am convinced nothing will be as effective as if they learn to love God well and serve His people faithfully.

The first instruction, to love God, for Christians is probably self evident. We know the greatest commandment, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind and soul,” but for some the second is less a conviction. The call to serve the church, God’s people, is a decision that is quite often dictated by schedule, by easy opportunity and personal feelings. This is unfortunate because it is my belief, born of experience, that there is very little that will serve to stoke your love for God and expand your faith the way serving His church will.  

This is the reason we at Mercy Hill emphasize the importance of finding a place of ministry. When you engage in ministry it goes a long way towards developing in you spiritual principles that cannot be discovered in any other way.

Engaging in ministry develops community amongst the members of the church like no other activity can. You meet people in ways you otherwise never would. Each of you working toward very real tangible goals, and as such, sharing new experiences, facing new challenges and seeing new victories together. Not simply for personal benefit but for the cause of Christ. This community happens whether you are working in the kids areas, greeting or leading outreach ministries. Sharing a common desire for a Kingdom purpose and practically working that out together fosters a community that can not be replaced.

Engaging in ministry builds personal faith in a way that cannot be duplicated by living a Christian life that shuns ministry opportunities. When you see God use you to encourage someone who has come to church and has felt alone, you learn in your own life to more deeply value the community you have. When you see God use you to teach a young child a deep truth about the beauty of Christ and see his face light up with that knowledge your appreciation for God’s word grows exponentially. When you, in prayer, carry the burden of a brother or sister in Christ and see God’s miraculous answer come, your faith in God-possibilities soars!

Engaging in ministry reminds you daily that God is STILL working in your life. That he has a purpose for you that goes beyond your own life and he is not finished with you. The trials and tribulations of this life can be overwhelming but engaging in ministry puts it in perspective. I have seen the grace of God restore marriages, I have seen His love bind up hearts - hearts so broken that they would self-mutilate. I have seen Christ’s power break addictions and I have seen Him miraculously heal bodies. When you step into the ring of ministry and see the hand of God at work it makes it all worth it.

The greatest lessons of my Christian life I have learned through the lives of others as I engaged them in my call to ministry. If you desire to grow deeper in your faith, if you find yourself struggling to have faith, to be encouraged, to mature in Christ, then my advice is this: Love God and serve His people.

The Last Taboo

A couple years ago, a journalist from Reuters called money “the last taboo.” I think we all could agree with this statement. We avoid the topic of money because it in fact reveals a bit about us that we aren’t too comfortable revealing. That said, the following are a couple good reasons too keep in mind when giving.

First reason: God gave first

A verse often associated with poster boards held up at football games near the end zone, John 3:16, shows us something very fundamental about the image of God. John 3:16 says: For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son. The emphasis here is that God gave. God is the epitome, the ultimate example and original cheerful giver. Therefore, we give because we are made in his image, and that image is of the one who is generous and loving.

Second reason: The Church is the hope of the world

Another reason why we give, is we understand the Church’s role in God’s work in the world. 1 Colossians 1:26-17 says: the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints. To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.  In the Church the world finds Christ, and his redemptive work. We are to give to build not a building or an organization, but a community of faith that is engaged in the lives of our neighbors.

Third reason: To help others

Matthew 6:33 says: But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. These things refers to the essentials like food, water, etc. A provision that is met through his people within the church. This reason for giving is evident in Acts, we are to give to help care for others.

How we give: Cheerfully, Sacrificially and Regularly

As we move forward in giving, a good barometer of a generous, genuine heart is giving cheerfully (2 Corinthians 9:7), sacrificially (2 Corinthians 8:2), and regularly. When discussing this topic with our family or those we're in community with, it's good to keep why we give within the this context. I encourage you this week to revisit these passages, reflect on what they mean for you, and discuss them with your family.

Where is Your Comfort Zone?

On Sundays we are working our way through the story of Joseph. One of the prevailing themes to the story is how God is able to use our circumstances to fulfill his redemptive purpose, no matter how difficult things get. Joseph endured abandonment, slavery, false accusations and prison as a part of God’s plan of redemption for Joseph’s family and ultimately humanity.

What was equally incredible, was Joseph’s consistency throughout the story. He persevered through each step of the story with integrity and remained faithful, no matter how chaotic his circumstances became.

Joseph’s response to his circumstances has repeatedly brought me back to another similar story.

In Matthew 8:23-27 we find a story of Jesus calming the storm.

The story can serve as such a relief to those who find themselves in the middle of a storm - whether career-wise, financial, spiritual or emotional. God has the power to calm even the mightiest of storms.

But there is a layer to this story that is often overlooked. At the very moment that the wind was blowing, the boat was being tossed in the waves and water was beginning to swamp the boat, Jesus was there - asleep. Now, you need to understand, these boats were not large by any means. It wasn’t as though Jesus was holed up in the presidential suite of a cruise ship.

In fact, in the 1980’s archaeologists unearthed a first century fishing boat at the Sea of Galilee. The boat was a mere 27 feet in length and did not have a cabin or any other similar features. To be in the boat meant you were exposed to the elements.

That is what makes Jesus’s response to the storm so remarkable. He slept. In fact, he slept so well, the disciples had to go and wake him up when the boat was being swamped with water. When he finally did wake up, his response was also remarkable. He rebuked them by saying, “Why are you so afraid, O you of little faith.”

In that moment we learn about where the disciples’ comfort zone is and where Jesus finds his. The disciples’ felt most comfortable when the circumstances in life lined up and everything was safe and going well. Jesus, on the other hand, was at peace when He was found in and with God. For the disciples, fear was always right around the corner. For Jesus, He knew God was in control and weathered the storm.

How they reacted to the circumstances around them was a direct result of where they found their comfort zone. So the question for each of us is, where is your comfort zone?

Prayer as Privilege

Ever try defining what prayer is to you? Prayer can be defined or described in so many ways! From talking to God, a petition to God, earnest request to God, to commune, supplicate, plead to a divine being, etc.

The fact is that we can come up with so many meanings and definitions for what prayer is and what it personally means to us, but can we actually agree with one particular word to describe prayer? I propose that one word best describes prayer, and that word is privilege!

I keep coming to this word when it comes to what I see prayer as! Why? Well, the fact is that anyone can define what prayer means to them, but when we actually label prayer as a privilege we personalize it, and it will have more of an impact to our prayer life (or at least it should).

Personally, it impacts my life because seeing prayer as a privilege moves my actions of prayer from “I got to pray” or “I have to pray” to “I get to pray” and “I want to pray”!

So knowing that prayer is actually a God given privilege and that we have a so called “open door” to God’s throne, and that the Creator of the universe delights in listening to our prayers, why is it so difficult to pray? In short, it’s all about relationship. Prayer will always be way simpler to communicate and share your heart with someone, especially when you have a great relationship with them.

Mercy Hill Church and the Mercy Hill Prayer Ministry would like to help you see prayer as a privilege. Here are a few of upcoming prayer events at Mercy Hill:

• Worship & Prayer Night
• At our Lake Country location on Wednesday, April 20 at 7PM
• The third Wednesday of every month
• A night of seeking God & lifting up needs
   
• Worship, Prayer & Fasting
  • At our Bay View location on Friday, April 29 at 6PM
  • Prayer team members present from 6PM to 12AM and a time of worship every hour
  • We invite you to also join us for a 24 hour fast starting and ending at 6PM
  • We will break the fast together with dinner at 6PM on Saturday, April 30 followed by Worship Experience at 6:30PM
     
• Weekly Prayer Meeting
  • Every Wednesday at 6:30PM in Bay View
    It is a time to come together to pray and intercede for the church

Finally, if you would like to reflect on prayer during your devotional time this week, I suggest you reflect on one of the following verses:  Jeremiah 33:3, Hebrews 4:16, Psalm 88:13, Psalm 99:5, James 5:16b, Matthew 26:41, Proverbs 15:8, Proverbs 11:27, 2 Chronicles 33:12

On Mission

There are moments when your personal theology meets reality and you find it lacking. For me it was early in my nonprofit career. 

I was working in a group therapy setting for children and teenagers. My role was to work with the children who would become disruptive and violent.

One day I was called in for a situation where a young six year old boy was having a violent meltdown. After gently restraining him and giving him time to calm down, the anger turned to tears. He began sobbing in my arms and crying out, “Mama, mom, mom.” But his mom wouldn’t be answering his call anymore, because she had passed away from cancer just a few weeks prior. 

And as I held him, I choked back tears and began thinking how on earth could a few hours per week of therapy fill the hole that this young boy now has in his heart.

In the following decade I would be confronted with these stories over and over again. Stories of broken men, women and children who have experienced loss, loneliness, belittlement, abandonment, addiction, mental illness, violence, abuse, rape, corruption, and much, much more.

Time and time again, I was confronted with the reality that the programs we created were never enough to heal this brokenness. But when I turned to my faith, I often also found my personal theology was equally lacking.

I would find myself believing that all I had to do is share Jesus, have someone pray a prayer, and that everything would be ok. Such a view was faithful and obedient to much of the Great Commission, but I was missing God’s heart for this broken world.

Over time, I have grown to see that the true purpose of missions is not only to obey, but to enter into the hurt and brokenness of those around me and work with God to see these people redeemed and restored through a life, relationship and hope in Jesus Christ.

If you joined us this last Sunday at Bay View, you know that this has also been Pastor Tommy’s experience, and is at the heart of how we at Mercy Hill view living “On Mission”. To listen to the sermon, click here.

As a part of this past Sunday's message, we also shared about our new Rwanda Pastor Support Fund. If you would like to donate towards this fund, click here and select it from the drop down menu.