Spoiler Alert - Here is my article for Mt. Pleasant's newsletter, RIght Hand of Fellowship for June 2016

“I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom:  2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.  3 For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions,  4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.  5 As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. “

(2 Timothy 4:1-5  ESV)

               

            I am grateful for some thoughtful people in my life who first encouraged, and then made it possible for me to attend the Pastor’s Conference at Moody Bible Institute.  I am further grateful to the congregation I currently serve, the Mt. Pleasant Church of the Brethren, for continuing to make it possible for me to attend this great conference.  Year after year, I am encouraged, even exhorted to follow the counsel given to young Timothy, Paul’s son in the Lord, and companion in the work of the gospel of Jesus Christ, to “Preach the Word”. 

            In a day when preaching the Word of God has come under fire, and probably become more so in the years to come, given the current cultural shift going on around us, we who have the privilege of serving as pastors, preachers and teachers also bear the responsibility to remain faithful to the inerrant Word of God, as given to us in the Holy Scriptures.  One speaker at the conference remarked about this text saying in reference to verse 2, “Preach the Word when it’s popular to do so, and when it’s unpopular to do so.”  There are some in the pulpit today who, in an apparent effort to get more people into their churches, are willing to water down the Word of God, to create the image of a god who neither hates sin, nor will he punish anyone for sinning.  To many in the world today, sin is such an offensive term, and turns people off, they would suggest that we should use more accepting terms like poor choices or unacceptable behavior.

            Paul makes a statement in his first letter to Timothy, in the early part of that letter that is something that all of us can, or at least should identify with.  I know I can.  “The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.  But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life.” (1 Tim. 1:15-16)

            In another letter, Paul wrote, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Rom. 3:23)  There are no exceptions to that save one, and that is Jesus Christ.  All of the rest of us are sinners in need of a Savior.  Why do we need a Savior?  Because without someone else to take the punishment for our sin, which is death—eternal separation and punishment, we will have to face Him one day on our own merits. 

We will stand before the most perfect Judge ever, one who knows the thoughts and intents of our hearts—one who knows what no one else can know and that is the condition of our heart.  Will we stand on our own, covered in the garbage, filth, and rebelliousness that comes from a life focused on pleasing only ourselves, or will we come before Him dressed in the starkly white clothing of His own goodness and rightness of the perfectly obedient life of Jesus Christ, Himself, because of our complete faith in Him?

As long as He continues to give me breath, a place and an opportunity to share, I promise to continue to “Preach the Word”.

                       

By His Grace Alone,

Pastor Bruce Jacobsen

Here is my Pastor's Desktop Article for May 2016.

“Therefore, since through God’s mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart.  Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God.  On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.  And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing.  The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.  For we do not preach ourselves; but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.  For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.  But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. “

(2 Corinthians 4:1-7 NIV)

               

            For the past few weeks, on Sunday mornings, we have been looking at the subject of “The Power of The Gospel”.  We have used a variety of passages to look at how the gospel is about a righteousness from God, not of our own doing, that it is foolish in the eyes of the world, but it is a gospel of the truth about God and His effective plan for our salvation through His Son, Jesus Christ.  It is a gospel that we proclaim as effectively as we can, whenever we can, but the power in its being understood comes from God, the Holy Spirit. 

            To further make the point that the power in the effectiveness of the gospel is from God, and not from us, we can remember this passage from 2 Corinthians 4.  As a pastor, and minister of the gospel, I am often reminded that no matter how badly I might want to have someone grasp and receive the message that I share on any given Sunday, (or at any other time for that matter), the power to cause them to grasp and understand the message does not lie with me. 

            Paul, in rather humbling terms, describes how the power of the gospel lies with God, and not from us.  We are but weak, fragile vessels in the process.  While a clay jar was an important part of their everyday lives, they did not stand up well when dropped or knocked over.  While they might have a beautiful design on the exterior, or be kept for special purposes, they were still to be handled carefully.  Given our weakness, and our likeliness of failure, it’s amazing to me that God is even able to use us. 

            We are instructed elsewhere to remember who has made the clay jar, and that it is He who gets to determine its purpose and use.  It is He who makes our work effective, and fruitful.  The “god of this age” (the devil) has blinded many eyes from seeing the light of the gospel, but when the light of God’s Holy Spirit shines through, and spiritual awakening happens, it is a glorious thing—a true work of God.

            It is to the glory of God that He awakens us; that He allows His light to shine in our darkness.  It is good for us to remember that the power of the gospel resides in the One who originated the whole plan of man’s redemption.  The power does not rest in the messenger, but in the one who sent him; not in the vessel, but in the one who made the vessel and filled it with living water.

            So we are to carry the message of the gospel, to proclaim it regularly, and then pray!  Pray that God will make that message powerful and effective so that lives can be transformed, and changed forever.  We should pray that He would be glorified by using these weak, fragile vessels to carry this life changing message.

                       

By His Grace Alone,

Pastor Bruce Jacobsen

Mt. Pleasant Newsletter Pastor's Desktop article for April 2016

“If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose.  Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.  Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. “

(Philippians 2:1-4 NIV)

               

            Life is hard.  That’s why it is so important to be a part of a local church body.  Anyone who has ever gone through a hard time, and has through that time felt the compassion and support of their local church can testify to the tremendous help and encouragement they’ve felt through that time.  In any given week, someone may be dealing with health issues of their own or of a close family member, there may be a job change/loss, there can be tensions in family relationships, death, divorce, misunderstandings, gossip, jealousy, and I’m sure anyone reading this could list twenty more things.  The church is not immune to problems like these because they are part of our human existence.  I say that not to minimize anything anyone is going through, just to say that, in general, life a various points along the way is hard.

            So what is the answer?  There is no simple or easy answer to the long list of things we will have to go through in our lifetime.  But when we know that there is someone who will let us spill our guts to them, and not be judged by them, or to commit to help pray for us through a difficult spot, or to just be there with us, is a great help.  Sometimes, it’s not something special that someone said along the way, it’s that they were there along the way, helping to bear our burden just by being there with us through it.

            That’s at least part of what Paul is writing about to the Philippian church in this passage.  If we are Christians, (united with Christ), if we are comforted by the love He has shown us, if we have the Holy Spirit living within us, if we have learned tenderness and compassion through our relationship with Christ, then live into that by being united in mind, in love, in spirit and in purpose.  Don’t just look out for your own interests, but also for the interests of others.

            Sometimes the best therapy for being lonely or down is to set our sights on helping someone else.  When we are extending genuine compassion to others because of what they are going through, sometimes our problems seem to fade into the background, and we are blessed by being a blessing to others.  I can’t tell you how often I’ve made a visit or had a conversation with someone that I hope to cheer up or encourage, and found myself leaving that occasion being encouraged and blessed myself.

            Life is hard.  If you’ve not found that true just yet, count yourself fortunate for now, and don’t be overwhelmed when it comes, because it is common to our existence here on earth.  The uncommon thing is how the church can be a source of support, encouragement, love and compassion when the church is truly extending the love they’ve received from their relationship with Christ, and passing it along to others who need that shoulder, that gentle hug, that kind word. 

            Paul is really just calling us to be an extension of Christ’s love in this world.  Not because someone deserves it, but because they need it.  One day you’ll need it, and you’ll be glad to know its there for you too.

                       

By His Grace Alone,

Pastor Bruce Jacobsen

Mt. Pleasant Newletter Pastor's Desktop Article for March 2016

“On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross, the emblem of suffering and shame; And I love that old cross where the dearest and best for a world of lost sinners was slain.  O that old rugged cross, so despised by the world, has a wondrous attraction for me; For the dear Lamb of God, left His glory above to bear it to dark Calvary.  So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross, til my trophies at last I lay down; I will cling to the old rugged cross, and exchange it some day for a crown. “

(The Old Rugged Cross, George Bernard)

               

            I’m not sure how often we consider the irony of the cross.  There was one of the most cruel forms of execution ever devised, and it has become a symbol of hope for so many for now more than 2000 years.  It is indeed a symbol of suffering and shame, but it is also, for those who trust in the Christ of that cross, the symbol of a sacrifice paid on our behalf that has purchased our salvation.

            In nearly every Christian church you will find a cross.  It may be on a steeple on the roof, it may have another prominent place on the outside of the building, and likely you’ll find it inside too, maybe as decorative pieces here and there, but always as reminders of what was done out of God’s incredible love for us.  You’ll see a cross on a necklace for many people, some who may have little understanding of what that symbol means, but it is there nonetheless.

            We’ve refined it, smoothed it out, covered it with brass or gold, and made it look beautiful.  There are stunning images of crosses that are incredible works of art, but they are still crosses—still what was once one of the most crude cruel forms of execution ever devised. 

            Since our narthex remodel project a year or so ago, we have had a rather crude, rough large wooden cross hanging on the wall at the top of the stairs of the main entrance.  As you look up the stairs, you can’t miss it.  It is a reminder of the price paid for us so that we don’t take that act for granted.  That’s the purpose of the cross today—to help us to remember.

            The first two verses are quoted above.  Here’s the third verse:  “In the old rugged cross, stained with blood so divine, a wondrous beauty I see; For ‘twas on that old cross Jesus suffered and died to pardon and sanctify me.”  Jesus went to that cross, and His only apprehension that we find was when He prayed in the garden, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” (Luke 22:42)  He went to the cross in obedience to the Father, knowing the love of His Father for we who would be His children who desperately needed someone to pay for our sins.

            There is great irony in the cross.  The cross, that old rugged, crude, horrible, blood stained, wonderful, sin pardoning, life-giving, life changing cross.  I hope when you see it, whenever or wherever you see it, that you remember, and take even just a second to whisper a prayer of thanksgiving to God for what it means,--for what it means to you individually.  One day, we will exchange it for a crown.  I look forward to that day.  I hope you do too.

                       

By His Grace Alone,

Pastor Bruce Jacobsen