“Imperishability”

50 “Now I say this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 53 For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this moral must put on immortality.”                                                                 1st Corinthians 15:50;53

If you have been reading the HOPE Connection for any length of time you know that I often use my life experiences to make application to our walk with Christ.  Today’s rendering is no different.  So bear with me.  I’ll make the correlation.  

4 Years ago I purchased a used 2005 truck with around 83,000 miles on it.  For the most part it has been a dependable truck.  But once it passed the 200,000 mile mark it seems old “Blue” (yes, my daughter names all our vehicles) decided, “I’m done.”  After putting several $1000 into it over the past 2 months, finally the transmission issues caused me to admit, it was time for “Blue” to go.  So last Monday I traded “Blue” for “Babe” (yes the name of my “new” truck) a 2008 truck with only 71,000 miles.  I’m praying this one will last 4 or 5 years too.

There is more though, that caused me to use this experience in this article.  Having just dealt with my truck issues, this past Saturday night, checking the oil in my 2006 Honda Pilot, it was not only low on oil, but it did not even show on the stick.  Even with 307,000 miles on it, yes 307,000, it has never needed oil between oil changes.  Then yesterday while I was driving the Pilot home from church, my wife was following my in my truck and when we got home she said, “Marty, you are NOT going to want to hear this, but the Pilot (which by the way is named “Bessie”) was smoking from the exhausts on the way home.”  REALLY?  GREAT!!!!  Now I’ll have to figure out how we replace this car.  I will have to say, “Bessie” has been a great car and has served us well for over 10 years.  I cannot complain with 307,000 miles.

On Sunday night I was thinking about this situation I now find myself in, and as usual, my mind drifted to God’s Word.  I know, I’m crazy, but it just seems to happen to me often.  I have just finished preaching through 1st Corinthians 15 in January and I thought, I will be sooooooo happy when the perishable puts on the imperishable.  Ok, I know Paul is talking about humans, not inanimate objects, but look folks, the longer we stay on this earth, we are perishing.  I am looking forward for many reasons to Eternity, but one of these is for this perishable body to put on imperishability.  

I don’t know about you, but even at 59 years of age, with all I’ve done in life, my body aches.  Joints with arthritis and energy levels below my expectations make me realize that I want to feel 30 again.  With the beautiful weather this past Saturday I worked all day in the yard and let me tell you when I got up Sunday morning, I could feel it.  Not good!

With the “Fall” of mankind, death entered the picture and our bodies began to fail.  But God had a plan.  It was a twofold plan to make the perishable imperishable, all through His Son, Jesus Christ.  If you come to faith in Christ, truly accept Him as Savior and Lord of your life, then if you die before His second coming, you will put on the imperishable.  Glory!!!  Oh, I’m ready to go, but hoping to have a long life.  Second, when He returns all those who remain will be caught up with Him and will put on the imperishable.  I am looking forward to that also.  So whether in death, or His second coming, we are secure in Him and will put on “IMPERISHABILITY.”  We will have a body that is perfect, a body that does not wear out, a resurrected body with no more pain.  Hallelujah!  Until then, we will live in the world of the perishable.

I will have to deal with my car situation.  Not sure how yet, but have no doubt, God will provide a way.  As far as myself, God created me, God saved me, and God will sustain me through the power of His Holy Spirit.  I’m going to claim and live into Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”  But I’ll have to say, I’m looking forward to eternity!!!!

Blessings my friends,

Pastor Marty

Worship, Grow & Serve 

                     

“The Hallmark Affect”

Yesterday was Valentine’s Day and I hope you shared your love for your love ones.  Gentlemen, it is too late to get that special person in your life a card now.  I hope your didn’t forget.  The Hallmark affect is significant.  Only behind Christmas does Valentine’s Day Card purchases fall for holidays.  Of course the most cards sold are your daily birthday cards.  But there were, on average, 144 million Valentine Cards sold by yesterday.  

Hallmark, still a privately owned company, has the market for cards.  If you watched the Super Bowl on February 5th, you saw a Hallmark commercial celebrating the love of one for another across the different classes, races, and sexual orientations.  Here are just a few statistics taken from Hallmarks 2015 report.

Total number of Hallmark greeting cards purchased in 2015 was 4,750,000,000.  Total annual revenue for Hallmark Cards was $4,250,000,000.  Number of languages Hallmark Cards are printed in 30.  Total number of countries Hallmark cards circulate in 100.  Total number of year round design selection for Hallmark card 21,000.  Total number of Hallmark Cards made specifically for Valentines day 1,400.  Total number of worldwide full-time Hallmark employees 13,000.  Total number of new and redesigned greeting cards each year 10,000.  Total number of Hallmark products available at any one time 49,000.  Total number of Hallmark retail outlets in the U.S. 38,000.  

The Holidays ranked in order: 1. Christmas (including boxed and individual) 1.5 billion.  2. Valentine’s Day (including boxed and individual) 144 million.  3. Mother’s Day 133 million.  4. Fathers Day 94 million.  5. Easter 57 million.        6. Halloween 20 million.  7. Thanksgiving 10 million.   8. St. Patrick’s day 8 million.  These are some significant numbers both in dollars and number sold.  I would say Hallmark has a market niche and has capitalized on it.

Why is this so?  Why are we compelled to buy a Hallmark Card for someone?  I believe there is only one reason, only one!  It is our desire to show someone else our love/care for them.  There is really no other reasons to spend on average $2 to $4 for a Hallmark Card.  And Hallmark knows that and has magnificently captured that market.

Why bring this up, except for the fact we just celebrated Valentine’s Day yesterday?  Good question!  I’m glad you asked.  The “Church” should learn from this marketing genius.  We could learn from the “Hallmark Affect.”  The church, the very body of Christ, has a wonderful story of “Love” to tell.  We the church, have a story of love that pales to any other story, any other relationship, any other possible future outcome of this relationship.  We have a wonderful card, “The Bible” to share with others.  We can give it away, share it personally, lift out excerpts for almost any occasion.  If someone is down, there is a card in scripture for that.  If someone is grieving, there is a card in scripture for that.  If someone is celebrating, there is a card in scripture for that.  If someone is lost and has no direction, there is a card in scripture for that.  

Here is the thing folks, the Card for God has been written for every occasion, but unless we share the card with our love ones, our friends, those we meet, it is but a card left on the shelf.  But when we share the love that is in this card, when we share it passionately from our heart, the Hallmark Affect takes over.  You see, when we share God’s love from His special “CARD” to us and do so in love, then we just sit back and watch it work.  Oh, sometimes it is not immediate.  Sometimes it takes time, but His special Card to us has power, has a way of sticking to us as His Holy Spirit works.

Probably one of the most quoted verses in all of scripture is John 3:16.  We see it on signs at sporting events, on the side of walls in cities across America and yes even on greeting cards.  But it tells the story.  Maybe we need to re-instate the verse in our vocabulary.  It is a very powerful statement of the love God has for us.  Remember:  “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”  

It is really very simple!  Share what God has done for you!  Share His “Love Letter” (Scripture), His Card, with those you love, for this “Card” can have eternal affects.

Just a closing question.  If we are willing to spend 4.2 Billion dollars on 4.7 Billion Hallmark Cards, then can’t the church share with those they love the one love letter/card that makes an eternal difference in a life?  Just saying!!!

Blessings friends,

Pastor Marty

Worship, Grow & Serve 

                     

“God’s Propensity to Detail”

“Then have them make a sanctuary for me, and I will dwell among them.  Make this tabernacle and all its furnishings exactly like the pattern I will show you. 

(added underline)  Exodus 25:8-9

If you have ever questioned God’s propensity, his focus on detail, you need to read Exodus 25 and 26.  In these two chapters God tells Moses and the Israelites ,exactly to the inch, how and what they are to do in building HIM a Sanctuary/Tabernacle.  He details the exact size, the exact materials, the exact colors, the exact wood, even the exact construction methods.  You read these chapters and think, WOW, God has a plan and wants it to be exact.

Detail is not only in these chapters, though some of the most detailed instructions in all the Bible, God is very detailed in most of His instructions.  Beginning with Adam and Eve, He gave explicit instructions on what they were and were not to do in the Garden of Eden.  To the Israelites explicit instructions were given on sacrifices that were to be offered to Him.  To the prophets He gave explicit orders on what and when to talk to His people.  God is even in the details.  His plan is perfect and I believe He often is seen making divine appointments.  What do I mean by that?  I believe God puts people in our path, has situations come our way at the right time and in the right way, that reveal to us (if we are looking), “I’m here, I’m working, it’s my plan!!!”

Let me give you an example of this happening on Monday.  As many of you know, HOPE Church lost one of its members this past Saturday night.  Terry came to Hope on August 21st of last year.  He was a practicing Hindu and surrendered his life to Christ.  I’m not going to go into any more details on that now.  That can be for a later date.  I visited his family this past Monday night and Terry’s sister had indicated over the phone that though they were a Hindu family, they wanted to celebrate Terry’s life as a Christian by having the HOPE family and me, as his pastor, lead a Christian service of celebration for him.  I went over to share our condolences and to pray with the family along with talking about their desires for this service.  One of Terry’s sisters said, “You won’t believe what happened today.”  Here is her story.

“My sister and I were running errands this afternoon and we had looked up a few funeral homes to visit to see which would work for us for Terry’s service.  We had narrowed it down to one we felt would be big enough and work for us.  As we were on the way to that appointment, we were on Millbrook Road and were passing another funeral home.”  She said, “I yelled to my sister, “Pull in here!  I saw that one on the internet.  Let’s check it out first.”  

Her sister had to cut across the lanes of traffic to get into the parking lot and said,  “I was so thankful that no one was in those lanes or we would have wrecked.”  The two sisters walked into the funeral home and a gentleman walking down the hallway greeted them.  One of them said, “We need to see about making arrangements for our brother’s funeral.”  He made a couple of inquiries as to their needs, and then asked their brother’s name.  They gave his proper Hindu name and the man’s response was, “Your brother is Terry.”  To that they said they broke down and cried, for they realized, “Here is someone who knew our brother.”  Here is the back story to this divine appointment as the sisters called it.

Elder Bill Joyner of HOPE Church is a Funeral Director.  I had texted him at lunch and asked if he could find out which funeral home Terry’s family was using.  He texted back and said that he could not find where they had chosen one yet.  He said he was leaving to go down to St Mary’s street from his location and he would check again later.  About an hour later I received a text from Bill saying, “Divine appointment!  I just met with Terry’s family.”  You see Bill, who knew Terry, worshiped with Terry, had a relationship with Terry, was the man who greeted Terry’s sisters.  The sisters told me the minute that Bill said Terry’s name they knew it was a divine appointment and had been orchestrated by God.  God’s propensity to details shines again.  I love how God works.

As I stated earlier, throughout the Bible, God gives us details.  One place in the New Testament, though there a many, Jesus gives detailed instructions for His disciples and ultimately for all who would believe.  In Matthew 26:26 Jesus says, “Take eat, this is My body.”  In Matthew 26:27-28 He says, “Drink from it, all of you; for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins.”  In Luke 22:19b “Do this in remembrance of Me.”  Details!!!  Remember!!!

Are you seeing God in the details?  He is there.  As you read His Word and grow in knowledge of Him, as you Worship Him, as you serve Him, you will begin to see Him more clearly and yes, even in the details of your life.  He is the ever present, ever with us Father and His Holy Spirit is present in us.  Divine appointments happen!  Watch for them and then act upon them and see what God will do!  You will be amazed.

Blessings my friends, 

Pastor Marty 

Worship, Grow & Serve