"A Day to Remember!"

“Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.”  

John 15:13

I am writing this article on Memorial Day 2017, so please indulge me the privilege to write on the meaning of this day.

Years ago my family had the opportunity to go to Arlington National Cemetery on the Fourth of July.  What a great, but somber experience.  If you have ever been, and I know many of you reading this have, it is something you will never forget.  The pictures I’ve included here are all pictures we witnessed while there.  I remember seeing the caissons with flag draped coffins pass by and was moved to tears.  Approximately 6900 funerals are conducted annually.  Over 400,000 grave sites currently exist.  It is simply a breath taking site and I mean that literally. 

We stood and watched the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.  During the ceremony, someone was talking and the soldier in charge stopped and called him out.  Thank you Sir for the reminder of the respect due!  These soldiers weather the rain, wind, storms, even past hurricanes to guard the tomb.  You ought to take the time to read about these soldiers and what they sacrifice to serve in this capacity.  It is amazing.

All that to say, having taken that oath myself, to protect and defend the United States of America, this day has special meaning to me.  I served with men and women who served in Vietnam.  Listening to stories of their friends who lost their life protecting them was moving.  My own father was in Pearl Harbor and on duty when it was bombed on December 7, 1941.  He could not talk about that day without breaking down in tears for the lives of friends that were lost that day.  Sacrifice has meaning.  I served in a time of peace, but there is something that happens when you don the uniform of the United State Military.  Only those who have worn it can truly understand that statement.  Each Memorial Day I have to pause and remember.  Each Memorial Day I am reminded that my freedom came at a cost.  And each Memorial Day I know, except for the Lord’s return, more lives will be lost to protect those freedoms.

The verse above was stated by Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world.  While it applies to anyone who would give their life to SAVE another, Jesus Christ gave His life so that all who would believe might be SAVED.  He loved me so much, He died for me!  If you have problems reflecting on Memorial Day, try reflecting on your own eternal state.  His death gives you life!  Because He conquered death, you can too.  If you BELIEVE!  Now that is love!!!

Blessings my friends,

Pastor Marty Duffell, Pastor HOPE EPC Raleigh

Worship - Grow - Serve

“The Ascension”

“And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.”

Act 1:9

This Thursday, May 25, 2017, is Ascension Day.  In many churches, the Sunday after Ascension Day is celebrated as Ascension Sunday.  The question is why celebrate Christ’s ascension at all?  First, let’s take a quick look at the days before His ascension.

After Jesus’ resurrection He spend 40 days on earth before returning to heaven.  During those 40 days He appeared to His disciples on several occasions and to as many as 500 followers at one time (1st Corinthians 15:6).  He had already opened their minds to understand the Old Testament message about Himself (Luke 24: 44– 48), but there were other lessons they needed to learn before they could set out in their new ministry commissioned by Him.  One was, the reality of His resurrection.  By His appearances, inviting them to touch Him, see Him, eat with Him, hear Him teach them, those that were with Him were assured, the Jesus who died had been resurrected (Acts 1:2-3).  He also discussed with them the coming Kingdom (Acts 1:6).  They wanted to know when His kingdom would be restored.  His response was, not that the kingdom wouldn’t be restored, but it was in God’s time.  Until then, be patient.  Then he reiterated the promise from the Upper Room discourses (John 14 - 15) of the coming of His Spirit, the Holy Spirit to dwell in them.  With this power they would be witnesses to Him to the world (Acts 1:7-8).

Then in verse 9 (as quoted above) Christ ascended into heaven.  Jesus ascension into heaven was an important part of His ministry, for if He had not returned to the Father, He could not have sent the promised gift of the Holy Spirit (John 16: 5– 15).  Also, in heaven today, the Savior is our interceding High Priest, giving us the grace that we need for life and service (Hebrews 4: 14– 16). He is also our Advocate before our Heavenly Father, forgiving us when we confess our sins (1 John 1: 9— 2: 2). The exalted and glorified Head of the church is now working with His people on earth and helping them accomplish His purposes (Mark 16: 19– 20).  So as you can see it is a good thing that He ascended.

There is one more thing I want to mention here though.  As the followers were standing and watching His ascension, two angels and appeared and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky?  This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.” (Acts 1:11)

As Jesus appeared and disappeared during those forty days the believers never knew when He might show up. It was excellent preparation for the church because the days were soon coming when He would no longer be on earth to instruct them personally.  Their ministry to a lost world was about to begin.  The Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ was about to gain the power needed in just 10 days from then.  He’s ascended and will come again!  When?  No one knows!

We believers today never know when our Lord may return, so our situation is somewhat similar to theirs.  As believers, we have received the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit.  We have received the command to also GO and share the Gospel.  We have been called to be faithful, righteous, disciples of Jesus Christ.  We cannot be complacent.  We cannot say, “Oh, I’ll let someone else do that.”  We are ALL called to be His witnesses until we go to meet Him or He returns for us.

He has ascended!!!  But folks, don’t be like His disciples, standing and gazing into heaven, wondering when (by some people’s testimony, if) He will return.  Claim and live into the power He has given you as a follower of Jesus Christ.

Thursday, May 25, 2017 is Ascension Day and I am thankful, for Christ is doing exactly in heaven what He promised to do for me.  No doubts at all!!!  The question is, am I?  Think about it!

Blessings my friends,

Pastor Marty Duffell, Pastor HOPE EPC Raleigh

Worship - Grow - Serve

“A Man (Woman) of God”

In my morning devotional reading I am in 2 Kings.  In addition to the Bible reading list that we use at HOPE Church I use a “read the Bible in one year” guide for myself.  In that guide I am in 2 Kings/Luke.  As many of you know, 2 Kings is where Elijah is taken up into heaven and Elisha takes over as the prophet of God.  In chapter 2 before Elijah is taken up in the whirlwind, He asked Elisha what he would want from God and Elisha asked for a double portion of Elijah’s spirit.  Elijah states, that if you see me leave you, your request will be given.  And it was so, for after Elijah had departed, Elisha took up Elijah’s mantle that had fallen to the ground, struck the Jordan River, the waters parted and he walked across on dry land to the men they had left on the other side.  As they saw Elisha coming towards them they said, “The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha” and they went to him and bowed on the ground before him.

As I have continued to read 2 Kings over the past number of days I’ve noticed that the Holy Scripture has given a title to Elisha.  The first time it is used is in 2 Kings 4 as Elisha deals with the Shunammite woman in Shunem.  She wanted to make a place in their upper chamber for Elisha to live with them when he was in town.  As she is telling her husband her plan she refers to Elisha as “a holy man of God” (4:9).  Now as Elisha’s story begins to unfold this title begins to be used more and more as people reference him.  Verses 4:16, 4:21, 4:22, 4:25, 4:27, 4:40, 4:42, 5:15, 6:9, 6:10,7:2, and there are many more as you read through 2 Kings refer to Elisha as “the man of God.”  They say; “…go get the man of God,” “…here comes the man of God” over and over again.  So much so that I began to look for that title as I read each morning.  Saying: “I wonder what ‘the man of God’ is going to do today?”  

Then something happened where I was taken aback, actually it brought me to my knees spiritually.  I was teaching our adult Sunday School at HOPE and following the class a member came up to me and said, “My husband just said to me ‘Marty is truly a man of God.’”  I wanted to say, “Whoooooo!  Wait just a minute!”  But instead said, “Thank you.”  But later that day as I was reflecting on that comment, I thought I certainly desire to be a man of God.  I want to be a man of God.  This is actually who God, Himself, has called me to be.  How am I really doing?  Am I faithful in “All” things?  Have I gotten lost in my faith in Him, entirely to the point, that I process everything in life through His lens?  Is that me?  Is that who I am?

My answer is that I try to be that person, but I have a long way to go.  My desire is to be a true “man of God” in such a way that my actions and my words are always pleasing to God, my Lord and Savior!  I try hard, but fail at times.  And to be honest with you, I think when I get to heaven and sit down to talk with Elisha about this title of his, he would say that he too was humbled by it and was not always faithful to it.  The great thing is this, God still referred to him as “a man of God.”

So how can you and I become a man/woman of God? Of course, the obvious thing is first you have to give your life to Him, surrender yourself to Him as Lord and Savior.”  But having become a Christian man or woman, how do you become truly a man or woman of God?  I believe it is very simple yet very hard.  Are you ready for it?  Here it is!  You must LISTEN to Him.  You must listen to His Holy Spirit that dwells in you and follow His ways.  When we fail to do that, self, our own ways, our own thoughts begin to take over and then we become a man or a woman of this world, not of God.  You know when you have said or done something wrong.  You know when you have sinned against Him.  His Spirit tells you.  “Respond!  Repent!  Ask Him for forgiveness!  Don’t do it again!”  

He has called you and me to be men and women of God.  We are a “new creation” in Him.  We are no longer of this world, only in the world.  We are His sons and daughters.  And with His adoption we are to grow up in Him as “men and women of God.”

How are you doing?  I’ve had to examine myself, especially when that title was thrown at me.  Let us all become more and more “A Man (Woman) of God.”

Blessings my friends,

Pastor Marty - Pastor of HOPE EPC Raleigh

Worship, Grow, & Serve

“Devoting Yourself to Prayer For the Sake of the Kingdom”

“Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving; praying at the same time for us as well, that God will open up to us a door for the word, so that we may speak forth the mystery of Christ, for which I have also been imprisoned; that I may make it clear in the way 

I ought to speak.”  

Colossians 4:2-4

What is your response?  How do you react when some else gets the promotion and not you?  What goes through your mind when it seems your neighbor gets all the breaks, new cars in the garage, no money worries, and just seems to be on top of the world and you are struggling?  The normal reaction might be, “Lord, I am trying my best to do the right thing here!  I go to church, give, serve, raising my children in the right way and in a Godly home.  Lord, I don’t get it!”  Many of you have probably had those thoughts.  I know I have.  Here is one of mine when a new church opens their doors around the corner from us and within a few weeks are bursting at the seams.  “Lord, What’s up with this?  I’m trying to be faithful to Your Word, preaching the gospel, teaching the scriptures, ministering to Your people, giving hours and sacrifice to Your kingdom and yet 8 years in, well Lord, we are not bursting at the seams.”

Isn’t that a selfish pray?  One of my mentors and friends has reminded me often, “We are not called to be successful, but called to be faithful.”

The Apostle Paul is in prison and is writing to the Colossian church.  Now it would have been easy for Paul to say, “Lord, I’ve done everything You’ve asked.  Why this fate?”  Paul could have prayed to the church and said, “Hey guys, pray for my release.  I’ve been imprisoned falsely and pray that God gets me out of here.  This is just not right.”

But that was not Paul’s prayer.  Instead, he focuses on the kingdom.  Paul asked them to pray that God opens a door for His Word.  Paul’s focus is for the expanse of the kingdom, not for his personal gain.  It is about God!!!  Oh, I need to hear this.

Remember when we were studying 1st Corinthians that Paul speaks to the division in the church.  Some were siding with Paul, others with Apollos saying he was greater and Paul answers: “What then is Apollos?  And what is Paul?  Servants through whom you believed, even as the LORD gave opportunity to each one.  I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth.  So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth.  Now he who plants and he who waters are one; but each will receive his own reward according to his own labor.  For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building.”  1st Corinthians 3:5-9

I read this and hear Paul say, “I’m nothing!”  But God on the other hand is everything!!!  He is the one that causes the growth.  Be faithful in all circumstances!  Point to Him in all cases!  Be thankful and give Him praise, even when the chains seem to bind you.  But Marty, come on!  You know that is hard!  That is not human nature.  Oh, you are absolutely right, it’s not a part of our fallen nature.  But folks, by Him, by Christ, we have been transformed into a new creation.  We are to die to self, and rise in Him.  By the transformation of your heart, you become new in Him.  You see, it is only by His power and His might that you can do this, not of yourself.

So let me go back to Paul’s first phrase, “Devote yourselves to prayer…”  You see, unless you are devoted to prayer, you will try to rely on yourself.  Unless you have a thankful heart, even in your current circumstances, you will only see the valley.  But when we fall to our knees asking God to open opportunities for us, not to succeed or stand above everyone else, but to further His kingdom, God honors that.

It’s not easy, I know!  I have to remind myself daily.  But I continue to pray for God to open doors for me to speak the mystery of Christ.  I continue to ask Him to allow me to be an example of faithfulness.  And quite honestly, there are times I continue to fail, only to say, “Why Lord?”  But the more I fall on my knees, the more I make this walk with Christ about Him, the more I feel His power, His strength, His might and man does that feel good!!!  Because I believe that there is nothing more powerful and faithful than my Father in Heaven.  And I know that nothing will separate me from the love that is in Christ Jesus my Lord.  And I know His Holy Spirit has hold of me.  With that, what can the world, Satan, or anyone else do to me?  

So I am committed to devote myself to prayer for the Kingdom!!!  How about you?

Blessings my friends,

Pastor Marty - Pastor of HOPE EPC Raleigh

Worship, Grow, & Serve