Walking In Wisdom

I got even better news then last week -- when I was told that I did not have cancer - Praise the Lord. I met with a wonderful (and very too the point) Pulminary specialist Dr. Eshelmann yesterday. He was an interesting character. 67 yrs old - 40 years in pulminary work - former Air Force Surgeon inn Viet Nam.....  He was a "Sarcoids Specialist." He has been following the disease for 40 years. Basically he affirmed what the internet told me - not sure where it comes from, it has been in you for a long time, decided to show itself now, could and most likely can have a spontaneous remission." All in all he said i was in the 45% where by I got it and it will go away.  I DO NOT have to take steroids because it is not a major concern. I have to go and see an opthamologist -- yup an eye doctor. Crazy thing is that sarcoids affects the eyes usually after the lungs - weird huh? And I wants me to see an allergist and narrow down the fact that allergies set the thing off.

So why did I get this??? The doctors have no clue -- but i do....or at least i beleiev i know why God allowed this in my life.

1) God did not want me to go to Asia. Either he was protecting me from something; or he wanted Young and Brue to face it alone or the pollution would have really affected me. the fact is I am convinced God did not want me to travel there.

2) Right when I would have been away, discussions and negotiations with a church in Quarryvillle heated up with the net result in that this church is voting to merge with us and it will now give us a facility to operate our new church plant from -- what a blessing. Pray for the church as they vote this month about this merge.

3) Just as I was going through this trial I started preaching on James and the whole idea of trials and tests from the Lord. It gave me the opportunity to live out how you are suppose to respond when adversity comes your way!

Best case scenario is that the sarcoids will just go away. Netter case scenario -- the lessons and illustrations it has served in my life will be with me forever!

I heard one news commentator - a Republican - say that the recent faux pauxs by Obama and Hillary is like watching a good movie.... "I have made some popcorn and put my feet to enjoy all the action!" Well it might not reesemble Rambo or Rocky, but the recent Dems Duke-it-out is pretty fascinating in that they probably were set to take back the White House but that certainity has been dissolved and now we have a horse race.

If you have missed what has happened....last week the TVs were on fire with the discovery that Obama's pastor has a long standing position of racism and preaching hate filled messages about white people as well as speaking obscenities against the United States in a vigorous manner. Obama when confronted about his spiritual mentors positions claimed that "he was never in the pew when he said those things." That denial was short lived when he said a day or two later that he did hear them and he catagorically disagrees with the statement BUT he is not diavowing his pastor, to do so it would be "like disowning his white grandmother who was a TYPICAL white person and fearful os black people." I hope he does not expect an Easter bunny from grandma this year. Obviously NO MATTER what Obama says -- he knew what his pastor had said, he knew his position, he attended that church for 20 years, he has continue to take his children to be exposed to such vial and venom....who is he kidding?  My words to him -- LIAR LIAR!

Now Hillary is no better. It was discovered that for the past few years has she tries to build a case that she can handle the job of Command in chief, she described a very heroic moment when she visited Bosnia as First Lady and had to run for cover under sniper fire. A matter of fact she told this story over and over and over. The problem is that this week the VIDEO of her landing in a very peaceful Bosnia and calmly walking across the pavement and kissing an eight old child and leisurially talking with officials and military people. When confronted by this fabrication, she said she misspoke, she remembers being told that where she was landing dangerous and there had been sniper fire. The problem Mrs. Clinto is that a possiblitiy of danger and running across the airfield with your head down, running for safety is very different then what you experienced.  Unless you tell falsehoods so often and with such desire that it will be true that you BELIEVE it really happened. Psychoilogist call that "delusion" -- I am not sure a delusional president is what we need. It might be the same "delusion" she ascerted 10 years ago when she stood up for her husbands immoral discretions and claimed that it was a "vast right wing conservative christians conspiracy." i have been waiting for an apology for all these years. But then again she would say -- I misspoke.  My word to her -- LIAR, LIAR.

 

What a weekend we had last week! It started with over 600 walking thru our art exhibit depicting the life, ministry and death of Jesus Christ.  It was awesome -- probably 400 of them were visitors. What a great outreach. My contribution was to lead 16 communion services through the evening. As I mentioned that night, that many communion services has me at POPE status.

Then on Sunday we enjoyed a day focused on the Living Hope we have through the resurrection. 120 attended the sunrise service. We were able to fellowship after the early service and then the Tsunami hit! We had over 500 for the 9:30AM service. Chairs in the lobby, every seat taken, chorale sung and we even got to introduce little Titus Lingenfelter - one of the pastors' newborn to the congregation!  What  a blessed day

Well sports fan the greatest sport of all time gets rolling again for another 162 game season on Monday. As has been the case for the last 6 years, I will be carefully and comfortably positioned in my favorite seat, in the most awesome ballpark in the country on Monday for opening Day at Yankee Stadium. The hurler of the hour, lovingly known as the "China-man" Wang will don the mound. In the dug out, a new face, another JOE - Joe Giradi will lead the beloved Pinstripes as our new Skipper. The rest of the cast of characters will be thre as well - Jeter, A-Rod, George Posada, Wild man Damon and the rest. It looks like it will be a great year. So here is my prediction. The Yankees will not win the AL East, though it will be close. The Red Sox will again beat them out by 2 games. However, this will motivate the Yankees -- like almost beating the Patriots was just what the doctor orderfed up for the Giants -- or should i re-phrase -- "Super Bowl Champs" Giants. I predict that the Yankees will meet the Mets in the World series this year and it will go seven games. Yankees snatch the victory. Jeter will be WS MVP and A-Rod will again be the season MVP. This is a perfect wy to end the run that the House that Ruth built has enjoyed all these years. The "LAdy" will be knocked down next year for a new and improved model.

One of the main theologians who impacted my life through his writings was Francis Schaeffer. In the 70-80's Schaeffer force evangelical Christians to put away their ideas (false ones) that there is such a division in the world of secular and sacred. The fact is all things on this earth can be used for evil - to do harm - to promote sin....but conversely -- all things can be used to promote righteousness, to proclaim God's power and grace -- you share the gospel. No job or profession is more sacred then another...no activity is more holy then the next.

One of the areas of life he was passionate about was the arts and music. he use to say that the Arts use to be used for4 worship, to communicate the creative majesty of God and to declare the beauty of God's holiness. It has been hijacked and corrupted by the evil one. It is time we reclaim the arts for the glory of God. Tomorrow night -- one of the most holy nights in traditional Christian circles - Good Friday, our church is using the arts to point people's hearts and minds to the person of Christ. Our church has been transformed into a walking art gallary. Talented artists in our church has been used to create pieces of work to tell the story of the Savior. The culmination of the night is landing in our new lobby where they will be able to watch a live potter at work and asked to reflect on the evening and consider who Jesus is. then they will be ushered into the sanctuary for communion. What an evening -- pray that as Schaeffer desired the arts would be reclaimed for the glory of God!1

I should have given this review a month ago, but the pastors and i went out to see the Bucket List with Jack Nicholsen and Morgan Freeman.  My word...FANTASTIC! What is really funny...now its funny....is that we went and saw it the night before I got the original word that I might have cancer. Morgan and Jack are two old guys who hear they have cancer and have months to live.  They construct a list of all the things they want to do. Morgan plays a middle class auto mechanic who has deep values and virtues in his life. Jack is a flithy rich - unethical, immoral, arrogant businessman. The mix of their characters, the context of the story and the ultimate ending is priceless!  There are a lot of vulgarity but not outrageous (especially with Jack in the mix).  I recommend you to go  -- especially a few men going together and then discuss the movie over a cup of coffee and start writing you list.  I did!

If you have not heard the name Jeremiah Wright this weekend -- you are probably experience an electrical blackout or you gave up TV for Lent. Pastor Wright is the controversial leader of the church that Barack Obama attends - Trininty UCC of Chicago. Over the years, Dr. Wright has been a spokesmen for the Black liberation theology movement which basicly views the Bible and the gospel through the eyes of the discriminated and oppressed African American. Basically the gospel is seen not as the way to be freed from the penalty of sin and to escape the wrath of God but that true redemption is becoming free from human suffering that was afflicted from racial prejudice. What happens is that a militant and black racism occurs and the gospel's forgiving, loving, peaceful and integral power is forgotten!

Somewhere actual video of Dr. Wright spewing his hatred and flammatory statements about causcasians, the US government, The President and others were paraded across the TV screen primarily to make Obama look bad and to force him to speak out. The problem is that when speaking out -- instead of completely denouncing Wright and the Black Liberation Theology Movement -- he said that "he was not present when these statements were made....and if I was I would not have stanyed at the church."  WAIT A MINUTE>>>>  are you telling me that you attend a church 20 years...you are married by the man...you heard the other 45 weeks a year and you did not know he is an angry, anti-American, racist liberational theologian.  People who have attended our church for 2 years can tell you what I believe and especially what is really passionate in my preaching! Obama has an intergity problem.

But more so we again are forced to ask the question -- is this man truly a believer?  If he is a christian, how does he justify his non-biblical ideas on how believers - no matter the color of their skin -- act towards each other? He has a lot of answering to do. And he has a lot of answering to his church.  The message from their pulpit this week was -- "Why the Black Church will not be Quiet?" Wait a minute when I came to Christ, I became a member of the "Body of Christ."  One Lord, One Faith, One Birth....ONE CHURCH.  I know that the white church has to answer for its prejudice, bigotry and segregation.  But the New Testament Church was a completely intergrated church - jew-  gentile - free - slave - man - woman...all in one accord, praising God together!

What is wrong with Wright...? He is doing exactly what white separatist did -- keeping the church from becoming what God wants it to be - ONE BODY UNDER CHRIST!

CAn I tell you that there is NO service that sets me on fire like our baptism services. Yesterday we saw ten people give testimony and follow the Lord Jesus in obedience and be immersed in baptism.  It was really special for a number of reasons. One was hearing watch good friends of ours Chris and Kelly Kerner declare their faith for Christ. What a joy. It all started when i went to up my life insurance and the company i used had Chris as a rep. He couldn't help me with insurance but we became friends!  What an absolute joy to watch God work in their hearts since Mother's Day 2006. Then to hear the story of Paula Nihb a wonder Cambodian woman. Paula wrote this heart wretching recounting of her hellish life as she escaped from the killing fields of the Khmer Rogue. What a thrill as i got to read it for her - there were not too many dry eyes in the house! There were two great guys from Water street Mission. A young couple who's faith was re-ignited at a wedding that I had the pleasure to conduct last summer. What a day.  It was a great start for this Passion Week!!

I was given indication by the surgeon last week that my lymph nodes were not maligeant. However you don't completely start celebrating until you see the pathology report. Now we can rejoice! I was clear of any cancer and the diagnosis is SARCOIDOSIS.  In laymen's terms, its the inflammation of the lymph nodes around the lungs - duh? They really don't know where it came from nor how to get rid of it! But its not fatal and it can be treated. This month has been completely surreal. From hearing your doctor tell you it might be a tumor, hogdkins or lymphoma and I had to cancel my long awaited mission trip to Asia. Nevertheless, God's faithfulness to me and the wy He used this situation will be a highlight in my life and ministry. Not to mention the way he used this situation to amplify my preaching on trial from James. Certainly as I have entitled this series - "Fuel for Our Faith" -- He has done it to my faith! Thanks to all that have prayed - i hope you faith has been fueled by the way I have tried to handle it. All praise and glory and honor belongs to the Lord God!

Well the ordeal of a biopsy is completed and I am on the mend. Monday morning I was at the hospital at 6AM. LGH is a fantastic hospital and quality people in every way. To my surprise, they preparaed me for "open heart surgery" in the event that the doc nicked my lung or a blood vessel. That was comforting! It also meant that I had to have a breathing tube, which to be perfectly honest was the worst thing of the whole procedure. It took me three days before my thraot stopped throbbing. Well i went in to the OR, they gave me the loopy juice, which in turn in my stooper state ask, "are any of you guys Red Sox fans? And if so is it too late to get a substitute?" They knocked me out completely! I was in the recovery room less then an hour later. Dr, Cope who is a gem, talked with Kris and he was convinced that it was NOT maligenant.  He senty the tissue out to pathology, I will get the results next week. BAck to work....and rejoicing for the wonder medical care I received and the wonderful God who walked me through the major ordeal!

I was thinking yesterday about Easter and the different aspects of the Passion Week. One of the true villians of the Passion of Christ is obviously Judas, the Lord's betrayer. How many messages have I heard (and delivered) over the years making Judas the bad guy!  Here's a twist.....reasons to thank Judas for his role in EAster.

1. He proves that "close proximity" to Christ and Christianity does not make one a believer.  He traveled about the country side with the Lord -- saw all kinds of miracles -- and still did not surrender completely to Christ.

2. Anyone of us have the capacity to turn on Christ. Certainly Judas is a perfect illustration of man's depravity and power of sin when it grips a life. None of us should ever say -- I would never do that -- instead we should say... "By Hisd grace, I would pray that I would remain faithful."

3. He gives a stunning picture at how far the lack of forgiveness, shame and guilt can drive you. he ultimately committed suicide. If anything should shake us to our core about the importance of repentance from sin and the need to confess our guilt and shame -- where it took Judas should affect us!

4. In the heart of all men is the greed and self-centeredness that can drive us to do horrible things. There was a moment where he tried to reverse his actions but the deed was done. Frighting!

5. he fulfilled the prophecies of God and ushers in the greatest event of all human history - the death, burial and resurrection of jesus Christ.  Without him doing what he did, Christ would not have been found out and arrrested and ultimately went to the cross. Now I understand that God's purposes would be fulfilled with or without Judas, but he was a real historical figure that played a role in completing redemptive history.

All in all Thanks Judas for the tremendous spiritual lessons we can learn from your life and help us remain faithful to the Lord of Glory.

We were very grateful yesterday to meet with Dr. Jeffery Cope, a renown thoraxic surgeon.  He was very encouraging and surprisingly started the conversation by saying.... "Rev. Mitchell I do not believe you have cancer!" WOW - that was surprise. We have heard through the grapevine that this guys is the :mac daddy" of heart and kung docs.  A matter of fact two Sundays he was front page of the Sunday News for saving the life of a F & M Univ. professor!!  He was gracious to make it possible for me to go in on Monday March 10th at 5:45AM and have the biopsy. Even better news is that it will be out patient.  So we would continue to covet your prayers. God's sovereignty is every where. The reports from Veit Nam is that the pollution and humidity are at an all time high. Those conditions with my lungs the way they are would have landed me in the hopsital in Ho Chin Minh City for sure. Thank you Lord.  In addition, the Sunday that I would have been in Japan - I was home preaching on James 1 and overcoming temptation. In the service was a young person who really needed to hear what God laid on my heart. In addition, being home I have been able to assist our church planter with the launch of our new church plant. His ways are certainly higher then our ways!  I am so thankful that God controls every move and with eternal purposes behind everything He does. Until next week, pray and wait and watch - Psalm 5.  JM

Sad to say that Bubba packed up and sent off in the friendly skies his Gussie! She went home on Saturday after a wonderful week with us. What a pleasure. We laughed and laughed at everything and everyone! She hung around the church and saw all that goes on there. And she finished off the Jude manscript.  Now I have to get it cleaned up for a second draft and then its off to the publisher! I talked with Gussie today. She was already volunteering at her church. What a Saint.  Maybe we could coax her up for Memorial Day???  Until Gussie comes to Lancaster again....