Mark marks the Spiritual Spot … a lesson in servant-hood and sacrifice

It had been a great week in Crown Point, Indiana taking care of our grandson, Hudson but it was time to head on back to Nashville in time to rest a few hours before Sunday’s responsibilities.  So, Julie and I headed back to Nashville on Saturday around 3 PM.  Expecting to arrive home around 9 PM and have time enough to prepare for the Sabbath.

But, God had another plan and a huge reminder for us both.  About 2 hours down the road just north of Indianapolis our car broke down.  Traveling South on I-65 just cruising along all of the sudden the motor just quits.  I immediately put the car in neutral and made several attempt to crank up the engine to no avail.  Coasting now, slower and slower I headed towards the next exit praying that we could make it off of the interstate and its dangers.  Coasting up the exit ramp (uphill) our car just made it to the top … without another turn of the wheel left … caught a downhill turn to the right and coasted all the way to a truck stop at that exit.  WOW … what a miracle to go that far and be at a place where we could get some help.  Nothing is worse than being on the side of the road and not knowing where you are or how to get help.

Anyway, working through a number of scenarios I called Dustin (our son who lives in Crown Point) and let him know what had happened.  He tells his choir about our situation (they have a Saturday night service) and the piano player tells her husband – Mark.  Mark finds Dustin and tells him he’d be glad to drive down to Indy and pick up our car, bring it back to Crown Point to repair it and leave us his Suburban so that we could get back to Nashville so I could be in the pulpit Sunday morning.  After much debate, Julie and I agreed on Mark’s offer … little did he know of the events to follow on this night.

Two hours later Mark and Stephen pull up to the truck stop where we were waiting and proceeded to load up the mustang. He told us to take the suburban on to Nashville.  Off we went.  Traveling to Nashville we got about 3 hours down the road and what happened…. just South of Louisville the suburban broke down.  It’s about midnight and we are on the side of the interstate (I-65) completely baffled at our circumstances.  Not only has our car broken down but now a car we borrowed broke down as well. Ok, what are the odds of this happening?  We later found out that both cars needed a fuel pump … so now we have two cars within hours of each other breaking down with the same problem.  What are the odds of that?

Sitting on the side of the interstate I called Mark.  Mark, you won’t believe what has happened … the suburban has broken down … no really it has … Mark’s immediate response was — I’M COMING! What, no way.  We can get the car towed to a safe place and get a hotel room and talk about what to do tomorrow.  Mark said, no I’M COMING! Without any hesitation, it was settled.  Now remember he has just arrived back to Crown Point.  He has driven 2 hours to pick up our car … driven 2 hours back to Crown Point … and now is immediately coming to us 3 hours away.  Mark said I’M COMING … he told me to get a place to stay and he’d fix the car over night and have it ready for us to drive home on Sunday morning.

The next morning I get up and Mark is calling me.  It’s 8 AM.  He has picked up two friends, driven to Louisville, KY, found where the suburban is located, towed it to a Dollar General parking lot and replaced the alternator, battery, and the fuel pump in the parking lot and has it ready for me to pick up. Amazing!  While I was sleeping at a friend’s home he was traveling, fixing, working, and now ready to drive back 3 hours just in time to pick up a group of students at church and drive them to camp!  What … yes it’s true.  When Mark got back to Crown Point he immediately left with a bus load of students to take them to camp.

As I reflected over this event it continues to amaze me, concerning the servant heart and sacrificial lifestyle of Mark.  He does not even know me. We’ve only met very briefly a year ago when I had the joy of preaching in his church.  He knew my son, Dustin.  Dustin is the worship director at Mark’s church … Bethel Church.  Because Mark knew the son he dropped everything to come along side the father.

Is there a spiritual correlation? I began to think.  Because I know the SON I should have the same kind of servant spirit to come along side the Father to see how I might help. Honestly if I’d been Mark … I probably would have tried to think of another way to help.  Ok, help once but now at midnight … help again?  Without hesitation Mark did … would I? Conviction came over me for sure.

BOTTOM LINE: Father I need to have more of a servant spirit like Mark.  Because I know the Son I should be willing in a moments notice to drop what I’m doing to be apart of what the Father needs!

Thank you Mark for reminding this Pastor that Biblical maturity shows up in servant-hood and sacrifice.

What suggestions would you have on how to encourage others in their personal life?

God has given every Christian an enormous privilege and gift:  the power to speak his life-changing word into the lives of other people. There’s no reason at all for there to be ‘passengers‘ in a church:  every Christian can change the lives of those around them through knowing and telling the message of God’s grace, whether in front on a group, in a hand-written note, in a one-to-one conversation over morning coffee, or in a thousand other ways.  Every Christian can be a channel of encouragement.

But for some this is a great challenge.  Some people just have the natural tendency to walk into a room and notice everything that needs to be changed or alter in some way in order for it to improve.  They see the world from an “I can fix it” mentality.  Therefore, their suggestions or corrections to them seem to be encouraging but if they are not careful their input can bring more of a dark cloud than an encouraging word.

Whether encouragement comes to you more naturally or you need to work on it … it is an area that every believer should desire to improve.  We live in such a discouraging world.  The people of God should be those who look to offer encouragement, love, and grace in all walks of life.

How can I be a better encourager?

1.  Watch those around you whom you see as a good encourager.  What do they say?  How do they say it?  Make a mental mark to attach their encouraging methods to your life.

2.  Pray that the Lord work on your heart to the place that encouragement becomes more natural to you as a supernatural work of His Spirit reining in your life.

3.  Ask some of your closest friends to watch you …. and remind you when you words or actions may need some improvement.  Let them be fair and honest with you … but remember you ask them to do this.

Scripture that may assist you in becoming a better encourager:

2 Chronicles 30:22 – “And Hezekiah spoke encouragingly to all the Levites who showed good skill in the service of the LORD.”

Acts 13:15b – ““Brothers, if you have any word of encouragement for the people, say it.”

Acts 15:31-32 – “And when they had read it, they rejoiced because of its encouragement. 32 And Judas and Silas, who were themselves prophets, encouraged and strengthened the brothers with many words.”

Romans 1:11-12 – “For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you— 12 that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine.”

Hebrews 10:24-25 – “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 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.

Daniel Webster left his country home and went to Boston to study law. He entered, without invitation, the office of Christopher Gore, then head of the Massachusetts bar. There he was looked upon as an intruder, and nobody paid any attention to him. One day Rufus King saw the lonely, solitary student. He warmly shook his hand and said, “I know your father well. Be studious and you will win. If you need any assistance or advice, come to me.” Years later, after he had achieved greatness, Webster said: “I can still feel the warm pressure of that hand, and hear those challenging words of encouragement.”

Word and actions together are a powerful tool! May we join together in asking the Lord to allow our words and actions to speak encouragement to those around us everyday.  So many are hurting and in need.  Sometimes that gesture, look, word, or actions will be all they need to experience Life-Change through Jesus Christ.

Do discover more about Hermitage Hills Baptist Church go to www.hhbconline.com or check out our latest Heartbeat Newsletter at:  http://www.hhbconline.com/downloads/Newsletter071510.pdf

Dr. Poly Rouse

What does the Bible mean by: “be away from the body and at home with the Lord”?

2 Corinthians 5:8

“Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord.” (ESV)

Dr. John MacArthur in his book:  “The Glory of Heaven” says that this was not a morbid death-wish on Paul’s part. He was not saying he was fed up with living and eager to die. Rather, he was expressing his confidence that earthly existence is not the end of life at all for the Christian. Death immediately ushers the believer into a fuller, higher realm of more abundant life—in the very presence of the Lord.  If you are a Christian, trusting Christ alone for your salvation, Scripture promises that the moment you leave this life you go to heaven. To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. To depart this life is to be “with Christ” (Phil. 1:23). “To live is Christ, and to die is gain” (v. 21).

A number of speculative views have been proposed to attempt to answer this question. With regard to the state of Old Testament believers, for example, some teach that in the Old Testament, Hades (the realm of the dead) was divided into two sections—one for the wicked and one for the righteous. They suggest that Old Testament saints who died went to the realm called “Abraham’s bosom” (cf. Luke 16:22–23)—a sort of holding tank for the righteous. According to this theory, these believers were not brought into heaven until Christ conquered death in His resurrection.

Most of that is sheer conjecture with little, if any, real biblical support. Wilbur Smith writes, “However abundant the Scriptural data might be regarding the resurrection of believers and their life in heaven, the state of the soul between death and resurrection is rarely referred to in the Bible.” Scripture simply does not give much information about the intermediate state. But what we do know from Scripture is enough to debunk wrong theories.

Everything Scripture says about the death of believers indicates that they are immediately ushered consciously into the Lord’s presence. In the words of the Westminster Confession of Faith, “The bodies of men after death return to dust, and see corruption; but their souls, (which neither die nor sleep,) having an immortal subsistence, immediately return to God who gave them. The souls of the righteous, being then made perfect in holiness, are received into the highest heavens, where they behold the face of God in light and glory, waiting for the full redemption of their bodies” (32.1).

To read more about this topic I would encourage you to get the book by Dr. MacArthur:

MacArthur, J. (1996). The glory of heaven: The truth about heaven, angels, and eternal life (71). Wheaton, Ill.: Crossway Books.

Go to: http://www.amazon.com/Glory-Heaven-Truth-Angels-Eternal/dp/1581340346 to order your personal copy.