MBBC's FIRST ANNUAL SPRING FLING!

Spring is the season in which the dormancy and deadness of Winter gives way to an explosion of life. Tree limbs are heavy laden with buds, flower beds are a profusion of color, the grass is green again! Spring and every season stands as an annual testament to the reliabilty and great goodness of God. The words from Thomas Chisolm's song Great Is Your Faithfulness come to my mind, "Summer and winter and springtime and harvest, sun, moon and stars in their courses above join with all nature in manifold witness to Your great faithfulness, mercy and love."

WHY THE SPRING FLING?

Because as recipients of God's grace we have passed from the deadness of Winter to the life of Spring. In Ephesians 2:4 and 5 we read, "But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ— by grace you have been saved." Our Spring Fling is an opportunity for us to roll out the red carpet in Jesus name to our community. The Spring Fling is an event through which we the church family can focus all of our energies upon holding up the banner of Christ and His love and His mercy and His goodness to all who will come to the church campus. The Spring Fling is a minstry event in which every member of MBBC ought to participate.

We know with certainty that Jesus died in the Spring. He was laid in a tomb dead! How do we know that He died in the Spring? Just hours before Jesus was laid in that borrowed tomb he shared the Passover meal with His first followers. The Jewish Passover was and still is observed in late March or early April. Easter is the time that we as believers accentuate the truth of the Gospel as found in 1 Corinthians 15:3 and 4, "Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures." We serve a risen Christ who has charged us with being His witnesses.

So, as we host the Spring Fling we will enjoy great, God-honoring music, we will have many family friendly activities, and lots of opportunities to enter into meaningful discussions. Let's do everything we do on that day with purpose and resolve.

1. Why will we have music? Because He has placed a new song in our mouths, "He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the LORD" (Psalm 40:3). Because we are to sing to the Lord and to one another, "Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, (Ephesians 5:19). We are a singing people.
   
2. Why will we have the "Resurrection Egg Hunt?" Because we will create the opportunity to tell the resurrection story using eggs. The children will hunt for eggs and gather to hear the story of the life, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. Pray for God to work in the hearts of the children and parents who hear the Gospel on March 22nd. May they have ears to hear and respond to the life transforming, eternity impacting Gospel! And the use of eggs ties us to the Jewish Passover feast. A roasted egg can be found on the Pasover Seder table. We are a witnessing people.
3. Why will we have a lamb rather than a bunny? Because in Exodus chapter 12 we read the account of the very first Passover in which God instructed the children of Israel to take a lamb for each household. The lamb was killed and some of the blood was placed on the doorpost of the house. Whereever there was blood on the doorpost the promise of God as found in Exodus12:13 applied, "The blood shall be a sign for you, on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you, when I strike the land of Egypt." John the Baptist had this to say concerning Jesus, "Behold the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1:29). The writer of Hebrews descibed Jesus as the one "who offered Himself without blemish to God" (Hebrews 9:14). Bunnies have much to do with pagan fertility cults and nothing to do with Christianity. How I pray for many to ask, "Why are you using a lamb?" So that we can respond that the lamb reminds us that Christ paid the price for our sins as the lamb who takes away the sins of the world. Yes, and that God is our shepherd, "He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young." (Isaiah 40:11). Jesus Christ is shepherding His lambs.

Plan to participate in the Spring Fling. Experience the joy of God working through you. Witness men and women pass from the bleakness of winter into the promise of spring. Watch 2 Corinthinians 5:17 unfold in you and others, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!"

From Andrew Murray's The Master's Indwelling

The question comes again: Why is it that God's people do not know their God? And the answer is: They take anything rather than God,—ministers, and preaching, and books, and prayers, and work, and efforts, any exertion of human nature, instead of waiting, and waiting long if need be, until God reveals Himself. No teaching that we may get, and no effort that we may put forth, can put us in possession of this blessed light of God, all in all to our souls. But still it is attainable, it is within reach, if God will reveal Himself. That is the one necessity. I would to God that every one would ask his heart whether he has said, and is saying every day: "I want more of God. Do not speak to me only of the beautiful truth there is in the Bible. That can not satisfy me. I want God." In our inner Christian life, in our every-day prayers, in our Christian living, in our churches, in our prayer-meetings, in our fellowship, it must come to that—that God always has the first place; and if that be given Him, He will take possession. Oh, if in our lives as individuals every eye were set upon God, upon the living God, every heart were crying, "My soul thirsteth for God," what power, what blessing and what presence of the everlasting God would be revealed to us! Let me use an illustration. When a man is giving an illustrated lecture he often uses a long pointer to indicate places on a map or chart. Do the people look at that pointer? No, that only helps to show them the place on the map, and they do not think of it,—it might be of fine gold; but the pointer can not satisfy them. They want to see what the pointer points at. And this Bible is nothing but a pointer, pointing to God; and,—may I say it with reverence—Jesus Christ came to point us, to show us the way, to bring us to God. I am afraid there are many people who love Christ and who trust in Him, but who fail of the one great object of His work; they have never learned to understand what the Scripture saith: "He died, that He might bring us unto God."

Piper's got it right: "God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him."

God create an unquenchable hunger in our hearts for You!



Eric

My wife and I recently contacted a company concerning some investment opportunities. We strolled into this company via their internet website. You know the drill. We filled out the form, hit the send button, and received an automatically generated email response.

Within twenty-four hours of our initial contact with this company, a gentleman named Aaron telephoned us. He wasn't the least bit pushy, but he was certainly interested in us. "I see you are interested in an IRA." "Have you had an opportunity to use some of the educational tools on our website?" "Did you find it helpful?" "Can I have a specialist contact you to outline the steps you would take to start investing in that direction?" "What is a good time for you?" "Do you have any additional questions?" "One more thing before we say 'Goodbye.' Would you like me to send you a reminder email for your 5PM telephone meeting on Tuesday?"

I was impressed with Aaron. He promptly and personally contacted me. He was intentional without being intense. He was focused without being pushy. He was well informed about his company and the products they had to offer. Yes, I know he makes his living by selling his company's investment products. That's when it struck me. Those of us who are followers of Christ believe that he makes a life whole. Jesus in us transcends the realm of making a living, he makes our lives! He is the source of light and life!

How many people come strolling onto the Martin Bluff Church campus longing for something far more important than a temporal investment opportunity? Are you extending a red carpet kind of welcome to everyone you encounter on campus? Yes, you! The fields are white unto harvest and every time our building doors are open God is extending opportunities for us to be his ambassadors. At Martin Bluff Every Member is a Minister!

Willow Creek Church/ DuPage

Thursday, November 15th, 2007

Spent the late morning and early afternoon travelling to the Chicagoland area. Northwest Flight 932 touched down at O'Hare International Airport one hour behind schedule. I had expected to arrive at 4PM with plenty of time to fight Chicago's rush hour traffic in order to attend a Willow Creek New Community service in Wheaton at 7PM. Could I make it to Wheaton Academy the location of Willow's satellite church service by 7PM?

Fighting rush hour traffic made worse by road construction, I made it to the service at exactly 7:20. Upon entering the Wheaton Fine Arts Auditorium, I heard the praise band. I thought to myself, "This is going to be an awesome experience!" The lobby was pulsating with the energy of the praise music spilling out of the worship center. I was shocked as I rounded the corner to see 3 huge screens and 3 massive speakers serving as the conduits for the music. The praise team was wrapping up their final song as I was getting settled into my seat.

The screens went blank and the music stopped as a gentleman took the stage. I don't know who he was. He had some announcements and he walked the people assembled through the Thanksgiving Holiday schedule. Speaking of the people assembled , there were about 75 in attendance. This satellite church with a budget of 1.6 million dollars, had at most 100 people in the midweek service designed to teach devoted followers the Scripture. The man talking finished up, by saying, "Here's Randy Frazee, let's listen"

All at once the screens and the speakers came back to life projecting the image and the voice of Randy Frazee, a Teaching Pastor at Willow. He wasn't with us. He taught this message last night at the main campus. We were watching a recording. I found my mind momentarily racing with questions, but I took a mental pause and asked God to speak to me through His word and His messenger. "Thank you Father that I have no responsibilities in this place. They're all being taken care of by someone else. Quiet my heart, teach me." And, He did!

The title of the lesson was " Full Out: Run with Passion and Purpose" and the text 1 Corinthians 15:38-58.

35 But someone may ask, “How will the dead be raised? What kind of bodies will they have?” 36 What a foolish question! When you put a seed into the ground, it doesn’t grow into a plant unless it dies first. 37 And what you put in the ground is not the plant that will grow, but only a bare seed of wheat or whatever you are planting. 38 Then God gives it the new body he wants it to have. A different plant grows from each kind of seed. 39 Similarly there are different kinds of flesh—one kind for humans, another for animals, another for birds, and another for fish.

40 There are also bodies in the heavens and bodies on the earth. The glory of the heavenly bodies is different from the glory of the earthly bodies. 41 The sun has one kind of glory, while the moon and stars each have another kind. And even the stars differ from each other in their glory.

42 It is the same way with the resurrection of the dead. Our earthly bodies are planted in the ground when we die, but they will be raised to live forever. 43 Our bodies are buried in brokenness, but they will be raised in glory. They are buried in weakness, but they will be raised in strength. 44 They are buried as natural human bodies, but they will be raised as spiritual bodies. For just as there are natural bodies, there are also spiritual bodies.

45 The Scriptures tell us, “The first man, Adam, became a living person.”^[h] But the last Adam—that is, Christ—is a life-giving Spirit. 46 What comes first is the natural body, then the spiritual body comes later. 47 Adam, the first man, was made from the dust of the earth, while Christ, the second man, came from heaven. 48 Earthly people are like the earthly man, and heavenly people are like the heavenly man. 49 Just as we are now like the earthly man, we will someday be like^[i] the heavenly man.

50 What I am saying, dear brothers and sisters, is that our physical bodies cannot inherit the Kingdom of God. These dying bodies cannot inherit what will last forever.

51 But let me reveal to you a wonderful secret. We will not all die, but we will all be transformed! 52 It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever. And we who are living will also be transformed. 53 For our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die; our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies.

54 Then, when our dying bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die,^[j] this Scripture will be fulfilled:

“Death is swallowed up in victory.^[k]
55 O death, where is your victory?
O death, where is your sting?^[l]”

56 For sin is the sting that results in death, and the law gives sin its power. 57 But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ.

58 So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.

Randy opened his talk with the questions posed by Paul in verse 35, “How will the dead be raised? What kind of bodies will they have?” In order for a plant to grow, Paul explains, A seed must first be placed into the ground. From that seed a new and living plant grows! When we die, our bodies are placed in the ground! . . . . to be continued.

Exhaustion Abounds!

We live in a 24/7, globally connected age. In the 50's Chicago may have been "The City that Never Sleeps," today we live in a world that never sleeps! Our endless quest to do more in less time with less sleep may result in short term spikes in productivity, while exacting a dear price over the long haul. What are we to do?

At the risk of sounding simplistic, I suggest embracing the "Sabbath Principle" and following the example of Jesus.

The Sabbath Principle:

By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. 3 And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done. (Genesis 2:2-3, NIV)

The bible reads that "on the seventh day he (God) rested from all his work." In the creation narrative we see "rest" built into the created order. We need to observe regular times of "Sabbath Rest." Our rest needs to be more frequent than the annual family vacation and our rest needs to include elements of very intentional Godward worship. After reading that God rested on the seventh day we read that God made the seventh day "holy." God literally set the seventh day "apart." He made it a special day. Are you engaging in the discipline of the "Sabbath Principle?"

The Example of Jesus:

Before emabrking on His earthly journey of intense ministry, Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness for a 40 day fast (Matthew 4). He was alone, communing with his Father. Throughout the Gospel of Matthew we read of Jesus' compassion for people and their overwhelming response to Him. We also read of him getting into a boat and leaving the crowd. Surely there were people who needed him and there was much work to be done, but he got into the boat and left. We sometimes need to get into our "boat" to spend time with God. We need to get into our "boat" and spend some time alone. Yes, much needs to be done, but so much more can be accomplished by our Father through prayer. In Matthew 14 we read, "After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone." After an intense season of ministry Jesus retreated by himself to spend time with God.

If Jesus (the God-man) "retreated" often, we probably need to retreat more!

Are you following the example of Jesus?

I think we would accomplish more and have more energy to do it, if we'd observe the Sabbath Principle and follow the example of Jesus.

The Four "P's" of Deacon Ministry at MBBC - The Person, The Purpose, The Priority, and The Practice of a Deacon

1. THE PERSON: Who can be a Deacon?

A person meeting the scriptural qualifications as set forth in 1 Tim 3:8-13 and Acts 6:1-7.

1 Tim. 3:8-13

In the same way, deacons must be people who are respected and have integrity. They must not be heavy drinkers and must not be greedy for money. ⁹They must be committed to the revealed truths of the Christian faith and must live with a clear conscience. ¹⁰Before they are appointed as deacons, they should be given other responsibilities in the church as a test of their character and ability. If they do well, then they may serve as deacons.

¹¹In the same way, their wives must be respected and must not speak evil of others. They must exercise self-control and be faithful in everything they do.

¹²A deacon must be faithful to his wife, and he must manage his children and household well. ¹³Those who do well as deacons will be rewarded with respect from others and will have increased confidence in their faith in Christ Jesus.

Acts 6:1-7

But as the believers rapidly multiplied, there were rumblings of discontent. Those who spoke Greek complained against those who spoke Hebrew, saying that their widows were being discriminated against in the daily distribution of food. ²So the Twelve called a meeting of all the believers.

"We apostles should spend our time preaching and teaching the word of God, not administering a food program," they said. ³"Now look around among yourselves, brothers, and select seven men who are well respected and are full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom. We will put them in charge of this business. ⁴Then we can spend our time in prayer and preaching and teaching the word."

⁵This idea pleased the whole group, and they chose the following: Stephen (a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit), Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas of Antioch (a Gentile convert to the Jewish faith, who had now become a Christian). ⁶These seven were presented to the apostles, who prayed for them as they laid their hands on them.

⁷God's message was preached in ever-widening circles. The number of believers greatly increased in Jerusalem, and many of the Jewish priests were converted, too.

2. THE PURPOSE: What is the Purpose of the Martin Bluff Baptist Church Deacon Ministry?

To under the direction of the Pastor express the love of Jesus Christ to the church family and the greater community in practical ways.

What Scriptures should guide a Deacon in service?

Jeremiah 22:16

He made sure that justice and help were given to the poor and needy, and everything went well for him. Isn't that what it means to know me?" asks the Lord.

Matthew 25:35-40

For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. ³⁶I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.'

³⁷"Then these righteous ones will reply, 'Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? ³⁸Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? ³⁹When did we ever see you sick or in prison, and visit you?' ⁴⁰And the King will tell them, 'I assure you, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!'

James 1:27

Pure and lasting religion in the sight of God our Father means that we must care for orphans and widows in their troubles, and refuse to let the world corrupt us.

James 2:20

. . . faith that does not result in good deeds is useless.

3. THE PRIORITY: What priority should a deacon give his ministry?

We live in a demanding age. The most precious commodity in our day is time. We must prioritize the use of our time. A person who accepts the office, ministry and responsibility of deacon is committing first to Christ and then to the church. The commitment will demand the investment of time. A deacon should expect to make a minimum investment of 4 hours per week outside of the Sunday morning worship hour to perform the ministry of deacon.


4. THE PRACTICE: What Are Some Practical Ways in Which Deacons Serve Christ and His Church?

Deacons support the ministry of the Word, work to maintain the unity of the church, and care for the physical needs of the church.

MBBC Deacons take responsibility:

For seeing that the sick, the grieiving, the aged, and the infirm receive spiritual and physical comfort;

For leading the hospitality ministries of the church;

For attending to the normal care and maintenance of church properties;

For receiving, holding, and disbursing a fund for benevolence, and for reporting from time to time on the use of such funds to both the Pastor and the church;

For attending to the accommodations for public worship;

For assisting in distributing the elements during the Lord’s Supper; and

For serving in other specific capacities as the church has need.

Join God's 110 Team

Together, we embarked on a monumental faith journey almost three years ago through our Building for His Future initiative. We believed God was calling us to make room for our neighbors, coworkers, family members and friends. So much has transpired over these past three years. We have participated time and again in God's grand plan of redemption as He has taken men and women, boys and girls who were ^"dead in their trespasses and sins" and made them "alive together with Christ" (Ephesians 2:1 & 5)— by His grace we have seen many saved. We launched our very first church-wide small group emphasis - 40 Days of Purpose - with over 100 people participating. We began our Upward flag football and cheerleading outreach effort. Our ministry to children ages birth through 5th grade on Sunday mornings has more than tripled in size! We lived through the worst natural disaster in American history and we moved into a brand-new, beautiful, state of the art 17,000 square foot worship center with an office and a preschool suite as well as several classrooms. The list could go on! Through it all, God has been faithful.

As far as we have come, much remains to be accomplished. Our mission as a church family is "to turn seekers of God into servants of Jesus Christ." Accomplishing our mission is arduous work. Those far away from God must be evangelized. New believers need to be discipled. Leaders are to be raised up and unleashed to do ministry. Healing is to be administered to the hurting. Every Christ-follower at Martin Bluff is to be equipped "for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God" (Ephesians 4:12&13).

For the past three years much of the energy of our church has been invested in the constructing of a building. Today, we are in the building! It is time for us to join hands and in partnership with Jesus Christ build His church. Remember the church is not a building, the church is you and me and all the believers who are a part of Martin Bluff. While the building is built, it is not paid for. Many of you participated in the Building for His Future Campaign. In April of 2005 you entered into a 3 year commitment of giving above and beyond your tithes and offerings for the construction of the new facility.

In September we are transitioning from the Building for HIS Future Campaign to the God's 110 Team Initiative. God's 110 Team is a 3 year campaign beginning October 1, 2007 to pay the mortgage for the new building. God's 110 Team members will pledge to pray for the church three times a day and to give three dollars a day for three years. Every one of us can pray at least three times a day for the growth and well-being of our church. Through 1 Thessalonians 5:17 every believer is instructed to "pray continually. " God hears and responds to the prayers of His people. And, many of us can give three dollars a day or more to ensure we meet our monthly mortgage obligation. What is the significance of the number "110?" One hundred and ten units of $3 equal $330 a day. The daily mortgage expense of the new building is $330.

So by setting aside the cost of 2 Cokes, or 1 gallon of gas, or a movie rental every day, you can make a big difference. We built the building as a ministry tool. We have an opportunity to take care of the expense of the building, so that we can focus on doing the work of the ministry. I do hope you will join me on the 110 Team.

September Declared "Catch-Up" Month

As discussed in last Sunday's Church Town Hall meeting, the financial leadership team of the church, Vernie Sullivan, Lee Countryman, Linda Crigler and I, believe the church should strive to have one month's budgeted expenses in reserve. We began the year with $20,000 in reserve. As we have wrapped up the construction project and moved into the new ministry space much of the reserve has been spent. At the end of July the reserve balance was $17,500. The current reserve balance is $2,000.

After reviewing the church's financial statement, Mrs. Wanda McKissack made the motion that September be declared "Catch-Up Month." She recommended the members of the church be encouraged to give above and beyond their regular tithes and offerings to "Catch-Up" the reserve fund. The motion was seconded and was unanimously passed by the members present. The "Catch-Up" goal is $25,000. The church family will receive a "Catch-Up" report every Sunday morning in September. Please clearly designate the "Catch-Up" amount on your offering envelope or the memo line of your check so giving can be accurately tracked.

Please stay tuned for information concerning a church-wide yard sale, bake sale and car wash. The "Yard Sale, Bake Sale, Car Wash Extravaganza" is being coordinated by Linda Bowker, Annisia McBeath, Bobbie Johnston and Linda Swain. The Extravaganza will be a great opportunity to reach out to our community and celebrate what God has done through us.

Rhonda and I continue to thank God that He invited us to participate in what He is accomplishing through His church known as Martin Bluff. Your generous, Christ-like spirit encourages us daily and is making an eternal difference in our community.

Warmly,

Eric

PS. Enclosed you will find a God's 110 Team pledge card. Please fill it out and place it in the offering plate on Sunday or mail it to the church office. You can also drop it off during church office hours or register on-line by clicking the "God's 110 Team Link" found on the home page of our website www.mbbchurch.com.

I'm pro-choice!

God is dressing down His people through the prophet Micah when He asked:

And what does the LORD require of you?

The answer:

To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God.

Therefore, I choose 1. to act justly, 2. to love mercy, and 3. to walk humbly with God.

Like I said, I'm pro-choice! Every one makes choices! Our lives are not determined by fate. Each one of us day by day choose to be just and merciful and obedient or not!