Mark's Blog

A church's long shadow

2010-12-28T18:37:00.000-08:00

I spent some time today with a member of ClearView that feels God may be calling him to some kind of vocational ministry. I began thinking through those God is raising up in our church to take this same path. We have at least a half dozen who are currently studying for a ministry role of some kind. This is a great indicator of God at work through the church.

It has caused me to reflect on the church I consider my "home church" which is First Baptist Church Lilburn, Georgia. My dad was pastor of that church in the late 70's and early 80's. Only eternity will reveal the full impact of the ministry of that church during that time. The church grew rapidly and baptized many. However, I think her greatest impact is in the number of people sent FROM that church into vocational ministry.

When I was in seminary, I know there was at least a half dozen of us that were there at the same time all from FBC Lilburn. There are 4 of us I can recall quickly who are currently serving as pastors ... all in different parts of the country. Another is a seminary professor. Not everyone called into ministry through that church took off to seminary. There were at least three "older" men 'called' to ministry during those years (one a barber and another a painter). Two of those men quickly became pastors of churches. The third came on staff at FBC and now serves on the staff of one of the larger churches in Florida.

FBC Lilburn no longer is one of the larger churches in the state. The area around the church has transitioned dramitically and her ministry has shifted. But her impact stretches far beyond the geographical area where she is located and the decade of the 70's. If added together, the ministry of this church now impacts thousands through those serving churches and and teaching in a seminary.

It dawned on me the man I sat with today is in some ways a "grandchild in minstry" of a church he knows nothing about ... a church I call "my church home". Thank God for a church that saw it as her mission to send people out long before church planting was popular. May her ministry continue to multiply through ClearView as we make it our mission to "grow 'em up and send them out"!!

$44 Mission Trip

2010-11-15T15:11:00.000-08:00

I need 50 people from ClearView to take a $44 mission trip in the next 2 weeks ... and you won't even have to leave home! I need you to take 100 envelopes and letters to stuff and stamp to help launch a church we are supporting in Hendersonville.

Ed Stetzer blessed us during my time of surgery and recovery. He is planting a church in Hendersonville, TN. Now we have the chance to walk alongside him as he did for us. The letters are to introduce the community to the new church he is planting. We will need to have them stuffed and stamped by the first week of December (something with eternal impact you can do while you watch football Thanksgiving day :-)).

I will go first. My family and I will do 100. Now I need only 49 more. We will have a sign up sheet Wed. night and Sunday. If you want to respond on facebook or at pastor@clearview.org I will get your name on the list.

Guest blog from my oldest daughter

2010-11-11T07:35:00.000-08:00

This is the third and final guest blog from my family. Tiffany is my oldest daughter. When I asked, "What did you learn from our experience?", this is her response ...

So I’m the one who gets to follow up behind Mom and Britt’s blog. I hope your expectations aren’t too high. 

Going into the surgery, I didn’t even begin to consider that Dad may not make it out of it. It’s like it wasn’t even an option. Even after the arteriogram scare, I just couldn’t even let the possibility of Dad not making it through the major surgery even cross my mind. I think that’s part of my personality. I am definitely a “don’t worry about it till you have to” kind of person. So walking into Vanderbilt the morning of the surgery, my plan was this. “I’m not going to expect anything but a good outcome, and if anything happens, I’ll deal with it then.” My job was to be strong for my family. I could deal with my emotions later.

After Dad’s surgery, they took him back to the ICU. Once he was settled, they allowed family to go back and see him. As I walked in the room, all of a sudden this wave of emotion welled up inside me, and I could no longer hold it in. I stood by his bed and lost it. He didn’t look like my Dad at all. He was pale, on a ventilator, and his head was wrapped up in a blanket to allow his body to warm back up from induced hypothermia. My Dad, my strong, invincible father was helpless. Logically, I knew he was ok then. He had made it through surgery. The worst part was over. But for me, it was just now all sinking in. My Dad, who I depend on so much, now had to depend on a machine to breathe. His life that day, under the ultimate authority of the Lord, was dependent on surgeons, nurses, and technology. I will never forget that moment. And I will never forget what the Lord whispered to me: “I will be with you.” (Is. 43:2) As much as I don’t like to admit sometimes, I depend on my Dad so much. I depend on him for wisdom, strength, and affirmation. As silly as it may seem to say this hit me AFTER his surgery, in that moment I realized that my dependence should only come from the Lord. All things on this earth, including parents and family, are temporary. It was a reminder to me that He is the only one worth placing my trust in. That is a lesson I’m continuing to learn!

I also learned so much about God’s character displayed through others. I could go on and on forever about how many people came around us and supported us through this whole process. First of all, I realized just how blessed I am to have the family I have. So much of my extended family (aunts, uncles, cousins, etc.) are full of solid believers. We had family come in from everywhere to support us the day of the surgery. Their love and presence was such a blessing.

I learned SO much from my Granny. This Godly woman truly displayed His love, kindness, and patience as she poured her care over my Dad during his recovery time. Spending time with her for two months I truly saw what a woman of God she truly is. Seeing the fruit of the spirit so clearly evidenced in her challenges me so much. Granny, I pray I can be half the woman you are in my lifetime. I will consider that a true accomplishment.

I also learned so much from my church family. I saw grace in an entirely new way. Your prayers, gifts, and meals mean more than you can imagine. Every encouraging word spoken via social medial, text, or in church Sunday morning showed me the true picture of a faith family. You truly became the church as your wrapped your arms around us. Your kindness is true evidence of the Holy Spirit, and we are all so thankful for you.

I continue to learn so much from my Dad through all of this. Seeing him grow in his walk with the Lord is the neatest thing of all for me to see. Even today as I was sitting with him watching TV, I heard his heart thump from his mechanical valve. I asked him if it bothered him, and his response was, “I have nothing to complain about.” I continue to glean so much from his wisdom coming out of this. And I am so grateful that because of this my family is now closer than we have ever been. God is good.

My youngest daughter's guest blog

2010-11-07T17:10:00.000-08:00

I had asked my wife and daughters to write a guest blog regarding what they learned from our recent experience. You will find my wife's below. This one is my youngest daughter.

My sweet Daddy has asked me to write a blog sharing what I have learned over the last several months as we have walked this incredible journey together. I choose the word “incredible” because that is what it has been. Looking back, this experience has made me rely on God like never before. I have been through various trials, but none like this one…none that have taught me more about God’s character. I have “seen” Him in a very real way (Job 42:5).

For me, the journey began at camp this past summer when I got the news that Daddy was in the hospital in Orlando. I wanted to be there more than anything, but I had to trust that God could take care of him and comfort my mom better than I ever could. Little did we know what the future would hold.

When Tiff and I got home from camp, Daddy had his follow-up with the cardiologist. We met for dinner that night and he told us the news. The following weeks would be full of fear and uncertainty.

I began getting ready to head back to school, cherishing every moment with my family. I pondered the thought many times of taking the semester off, but Daddy reassured me that things would be back to normal soon. Move-in day was the hardest day for me (next to surgery day, of course). Some amazing men from our church family helped me get settled in, as Daddy couldn’t lift anything. I held it together the best I could, but when my family left that day it was very hard. I would travel back and forth many times in the following weeks, but again had to trust that God could take care of my family better than I ever could.

A couple weeks later we would get the news that surgery would be delayed. Then came the day for the arteriogram. Mom and Dad had assured me that there was no need to come home that day. I got a call later that afternoon from my Pop telling me that all was well and there were no blockages. I didn’t even know about the cardiac arrest until the next day when Daddy called to tell me. They weren’t going to tell me until I came home that weekend, but he was afraid I would find out through twitter (oh the joys of technology). The logical part of me thought: “well, Brittany you’re talking to him now and he’s fine…so it’s no big deal.” But the more it settled in, the more real it was to me that this was a serious thing we were about to do. The heart is fragile, and one slip could change everything. I called my dear friend Shelbi Turner. She immediately dropped what she was doing and came over. She cried with me and prayed with me (that’s a true friend!) I have had many instances like that over these past few months where my sweet friends have walked with me. Thank you to you all.

The night before surgery was a sweet time for our family. Some dear friends of ours came to pray over us that night. This is when everything hit me. The reality of him not making it through became very real to me. I hugged him before going to bed that night and told him how much I loved him. I wanted him to know that just in case that was the last time I got to say it.

The next morning we woke up very early. Upon arrival at the hospital we found out that we would need to say our good-byes then because only Mom was allowed to go back with him for the surgery prep. Tiffany and I got the chance to pray over him and hug him one last time. This is when I experienced an amazing amount of peace rush over me. Part of the curriculum that Tiffany and I taught at FUGE this summer was Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego out of the book of Daniel. King Nebuchadnezzar threatens the men and tells them if they do not bow down he will throw them into the furnace of blazing fire. And he asks…”and who is the god who can rescue you from my power?” They respond by saying that their God CAN rescue them, “BUT even if He does NOT, we want you to know that we will not serve your gods or worship the gold statue you set up.” Little did I know how much that passage would speak to me. I knew my God had the power to save my Daddy that day, but even if He chose not to, I would still praise Him and Him alone.

That day was the hardest day of my life. I relied heavily on my family. My sweet sister was always checking on me and showing me scripture. I love that girl. My mom, as much as she was worried, checked in with us often to make sure we were ok. And the love of our extended family and church family surrounded us that day as well. I knew it was in God’s hands, but I also was unsure of His plan. The moment the surgeon came out and told us that the surgery went “perfectly” I felt 1 million pounds lighter. Thank you, God for sitting with us that day, while guiding the hands of the surgeon in the operating room.

A couple hours later we got to see Daddy, and though he looked like he had just had open heart surgery  I knew on the inside God had healed him. The next morning I went in to visit with him for a few minutes while he was sitting up in his chair. Mom had stepped out for a minute so it was just him and me in the room. He looked up and asked “are you okay?” I just laughed and said, “You’re the one who just had open heart surgery!” He then asked “were you scared?” To which I responded, “DUH! Yes! I’m so glad you’re ok.” So then, as any pastor/father would, he asked me what I learned from this. I shared with him what I have shared with all of you. He just smiled and nodded and closed his eyes again. Though he would not remember that in the days that followed, I will cherish that moment forever.

A few days later I had to leave to come back to Jackson. It was hard to leave knowing he would still be in the hospital for a while longer, but I KNEW and had SEEN how God would be with my family. I wasn’t worried one bit. I love sharing this story because I’m reminded how real my God is. I should not worry. Worry is a sin. The Bible tells us: “Don't worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God” (Philippians 4:6). Why worry when God has it all planned out? Trials are inevitable, but so is God’s plan; and His peace surpass all understanding.

Guest blog from my wife

2010-10-30T14:40:00.000-07:00

I asked my wife and daughters to share their perspective of the events of the passt few months by way of guest blogging. Here is Leigh Ann's ...

Mark asked me the other day what I learned through this experience. Wow…how do I put that in words and sum it up in a few brief paragraphs? Most people see this as something that just began in August when we found out that Mark would need open heart surgery. For me, this journey began back in June when Mark got pneumonia while attending a meeting in Orlando. Mark never gets sick…during our 26 years of marriage He has been with me through numerous surgeries for endometriosis, kidney stones (ouch!), premature labor with both children, two c-sections, a hysterectomy in my thirties, etc. He has always been right there beside me as my “rock”….I just assumed I was the “needy” spouse and He would forever be the healthy one. Then, one call from Associate Pastor John Duval telling me I needed to get to Orlando…he didn’t think Mark sounded good…changed the direction of our lives for weeks to come…we just didn’t know then how much….and how God would use a near death experience with pneumonia to make us aware of a more potentially life threatening condition that would require an extremely risky surgery in the future.

Before I go any furher, there a couple of things you may not know about Mark. He is the “stubborn” one in our relationship. (Couldn’t resist …He would argue differently!) As soon as he got sick in Orlando, I was calling every few hours begging him to go ahead and get to a quick relief clinic of some sort. Well, as most of you know, He did not listen to his wife’s advice (lol!) and ending up being taken by ambulance to a hospital in the Orlando area. He was trying to keep from me from realizing just how sick he was but thank goodness John Duval had the wisdom to put things in motion and get me on a flight to Orlando. When I arrived at the hospital in Orlando, I was met by a nurse who told me that Mark was being transferred to the Cardiac floor…his cardiac enzymes were elevated and they wanted to keep a close watch on him. We would find out later that this was really not even necessary, but was God’s way of opening our eyes to a life threatening condition which was discovered initially by the cardiologist and would eventually lead us to Dr. Prudoff here in Franklin who discovered the aneurysm and other abnormalities that would require a very complex and life threatening surgery.

One of the routine procedures that would need to be done before Mark’s surgery would be an arteriogram. I have seen both parents as well as Mark’s dad go through this with flying colors…so, no big deal, right? I mean, compared to the surgery he had coming, this was a piece of cake! I should have known something was wrong when the doctor came in and wanted to “pull up a chair” to tell me about a little problem they had…Mark had experienced a cardiac arrest, but they were able to “bring him back” and everything would be fine.

I remember a flood of uncontrollable tears which began at that moment and which unfortunately would stay with me off and on until after the upcoming surgery. The first compelling thought and question I had for the cardiologist was “How could this happen?” The next question was…”If this abnormality they discovered just caused a cardiac arrest during this simple procedure…how would he ever survive an eight hour surgery to repair an aortic aneurysm? Everyone around me was trying to console me, including my father-in-law who was trying to help me understand that Mark had a cardiac “arrest”, not a heart attack. At the time, the only thing I knew was that his heart had stopped and I had just been faced with the complex reality of Mark’s mortality. The man of my dreams that I thought I would grow old with just had a cardiac arrest of the age of 48! Mark’s Mom was there by my side trying to be strong for me even though she had just been faced with the reality of losing her only son. The cardiologist then looks at me, as if to reassure me, and tells me that what had just occurred is very rare and only happens in a very small percentage of the population Well, the surgeon that would be performing the upcoming surgery had already told me that Mark had a 10% chance of not making it through the operation. At the time, I remember thinking “10%”….hmmm….odds are WAY in our favor….but then another thought popped into my mind…..Mark’s newly discovered “abnormality” just placed him into a much higher percentage rate of potential complications!

You know, all these years I have watched people I love go through terrible tragedies and illnesses..but somehow, you think it will never happen to you. All of a sudden the little things that used to annoy me about Mark, didn’t annoy me anymore. (I know, none of your spouses have any annoying habits, right? I found myself watching him sleep at night and wanting to just make time stand still. I even tried to bargain with God during my quiet time….guess what, Leigh Ann was not in control of this. Maybe that was just one of the many things God wanted to teach me…that my hope was not in any earthly thing or person, my hope was in HIM. He would never leave or forsake me and He would never give me more than I could bear.

Shortly before the surgery, Mark and I had to take Brittany back to college. With the help of some church members, we loaded up a few cars and headed to Jackson. Mark and I were in the car alone for two and a half hours and boy, what an intense conversation it was. It was a conversation we needed to have…you know, the one about “what if you don’t make it through this?” I had been afraid to even talk about it but Mark knew we needed to talk about it…so, we did. We had a conversation that really brought reality home to me. With tears streaming down both our faces, we talked about the mighty God that we serve. Mark told me if God was ready to take him now…then He was more than ready to go. As much as he would miss me…once he got to heaven….there would not be one thing about life on this earth that he would miss. Ladies, I have to tell you…that was not one of the more romantic moments in our marriage…lol! But, you know…Mark was right! As much as I wanted to believe that He would miss me like crazy, I knew that he would be having WAY more fun there than he would be here with me. He wouldn’t have time to think about me…He would be too busy worshipping our Lord!

Well, I’ve already been too transparent, but there it is. I don’t know what seemed longer…the days we had to wait anticipating the surgery, or the actual day of surgery itself. The morning I kissed Mark good bye as they wheeled him off to surgery the day that followed was probably the longest 8 hours of my life. But there I was, surrounded by so many people that loved me…my precious two daughters, my Mom and Dad, my brother, my aunt and my best friend from Atlanta. In addition to them, Mark’s family was there…His Mom and Dad, his sister and his aunt and uncle. If you were looking at us from the outside you would have thought we were having a party in the waiting room. We had more food than we knew what to do with and took up half of the waiting room! But, we all made it through it together, with God right there by our side. I now know what It means to really depend on God. For those of us who think we really have it “all under control”….I’m here to share with you that God is on his throne and He knows what is best for us even when we don’t agree with Him!

Well, you know the rest of the story…Mark is back in the pulpit tomorrow and will be sharing from his heart what God has taught him through this experience …I can’t wait to hear his story! I’m also very glad that God has given me the “gift” of having Mark as my husband for a little while longer on this earth. I am truly blessed with a man after God’s own heart!

Thanks Mom

2010-10-21T15:34:00.000-07:00

My recent surgery (see posts below) has brought many blessings my way. I won't rehearse all of them in this post, but I do wish to highlight one that I will cherish for the years God gives me on this earth.

In late July or early August I made a phone call to my mom and dad to inform them of the news the cardiologist had just given me. We knew there would be a surgery in the near future that would require some time to recover. Within a couple of weeks after this initial call we had a surgery date (which would later be delayed 6 days).

My entire family (immediate and extended, including my in-laws) began clearing calendars for the days surrounding the surgery. They would all be here. What a blessing!

But there is one I have to mention especially ... my mom. When I left her in Georgia this morning to return to Franklin, it dawned on me this was the first time she has not been under the same roof with me (car or home) since I came home from my surgery almost 6 weeks ago. I REALLY don't want to go through an experience like this one again, but I am quickly reminded I would not have had a chance to spend that kind of time with my mom at my age (48). She has been by my side hour after hour and day after day for all these weeks. There is nothing I needed that she was not right there on the spot to provide it.

To say I am grateful for her help and loving care during this time is a dramatic understatement. I will always cherish the time we have had over these weeks. Sometimes in great conversation. Often I would awake from one of the many naps in the early weeks to find her sitting next to me keeping constant watch over me. Always making sure I got my meds on time. Driving me to get my blood drawn twice / week and to rehab before I was allowed to drive. But more than all of the things she DID, most important, she was just there!

I am not surprised by any of this because that's the way she has always been. We live far enough apart these days we only see each other 2 or 3 times each year. So I am grateful for this pause God put in my life that allowed me such precious time with the woman who raised me, has consistently prayed for me, spoken quiet wisdom in my life, and led me to Christ.

Mom, I know you will read this (that's right, my soon-to-be 70 year old mom follows my twitter, is on facebook, and reads my blog :-)). Thanks for everything. You know I love you (and I don't tell you enough)! And I will forever be grateful for this time we had.

Grateful to be your son,

Mark

P.S. We already miss you around here.

Scars and a new sound

2010-10-14T17:22:00.001-07:00

There is a story found in Genesis 32 that I am sure I don't understand all of its implications and applications. It is a story I have been drawn to often over the past few weeks. The story is of the time Jacob wrestled with God. It was out of this unique encounter with God Jacob received his new name ... Israel. And the rest is history as they say.

The reason I continue to return to this story is that Jacob came away from that enounter with God with more than a new name. He definitely received a special blessing. But he also walked with a limp from that point forward. I imagine with every step Jacob took he was reminded of that night with God. He was reminded of a time that though he wrestled with God, he was blessed by God in a way that changed his life dramatically and permanently.

I have a few new scars I received from surgery just over 5 weeks ago. I look in the mirror now and realize I have some permanent reminders. I also have a new click. I now have a mechanical aortic valve. When the room gets quiet I sound like a clock ticking. It is the sound I hear as I drift off to sleep each night.

The scars and the clicking are sweet reminders of God's providence and blessing in my life. Do I want to go through any of it again? NO WAY! But what a time of wrestling with God. It is a time I will never forget ... and a time that has changed my life dramatically ... all for the better.

The story of Jacob ends like this:
30 Jacob then named the place Peniel, “For,” [he said,] “I have seen God face to face, and I have been delivered.”
Gen 32:30 (HCSB)

I will forever be grateful for the scars and the clicking!

Thank you God for your providence and protection.

A word to the people of ClearView

2010-10-06T12:40:00.001-07:00

I came a across a passage of Scripture in my study today that I must share with the people of the church I serve. I was reminded that when a pastor goes through a trial like the one I have been walking through with my health, an entire group of people are affected. It is a test for more than just the pastor. Since the day I found out about the surgery I was to have this has been a truth that has been on my mind. I had to turn that over to the Lord early.

When you have a mission and a clear vision God has laid on your heart for a group of people, you don't want to go through a period that seems like you are simply spinning your wheels. You want to keep moving forward ... and the faster the better! No breaks. No waiting times. No times when you are not running on all cylinders. The pages of the calendar are turning and you are not seeing advance as you would desire as a leader. But, God had a different plan. My surgery and recovery has called for a different pace. I can only trust God is at work in the lives of the people for whom He has given me responsibility.

So many have prayed for me. So many have ministered to me through cards and meals. Saying "thank you" seems so inadequate.

As Paul ministered among those in Galatia he obviously suffered from some type of serious illness. Look what he told them in his letter regarding his illness and their responnse to it:

Galatians 4:12-14 You have done me no wrong. 13 As you know, it was because of an illness that I first preached the gospel to you. 14 Even though my illness was a trial to you, you did not treat me with contempt or scorn. Instead, you welcomed me as if I were an angel of God, as if I were Christ Jesus himself.

I want to thank the people of ClearView for your patience as I recover. "You have not treated me with contempt or scorn". Quite the contrary ... you have treated me in such a way as to spoil me :-). For all the cards, facebook messages, and other expressions of love you have sent my way, you have treated me "as if I were an angel of God ... as if I were Christ Jesus himself". I am honored to be your pastor. I will see you all soon!!

Update 17 days after surgery

2010-09-25T09:13:00.001-07:00

I know. It's been awhile since the last update. Honestly, there is not a lot of new to add each day as most days are like the one before or the one after. Things continue to progress as well or better than I expected. I can walk the distances each day the doctors require. I can still get tired easily, but the pain is minimal. God's sustaining grace continues to provide. I am so grateful for minimal pain and the energy I do have. I have taken a trip to the mall to walk a short distance as the heat outside has not allowed me to walk outside. I have also gone to the grocery once with my mom in order to get some walking in.

These first 2+ weeks post surgery have been a bit of a blur but I am beginning to feel a little bit "normal" as the pain meds are reduced more each day.

My family and I continue to be blessed as so many of you continue to minister to us and especially those who continue to pray for us. We have said many times since this began, "I would not want to go through this without the church family of ClearView."

Thank you all so much for your love and concern. I will see you all soon.

Mark

One Week Today

2010-09-15T16:27:00.000-07:00

I don't have a great deal of strength, but thought I would post. Today is one week ago I had surgery. I think I am a bit ahead of the curve for recovery.

God is SO good. He has been gracious to take me through a challenging and complex surgery. He has been gracious to help recovery start well to this point. He has been gracious to provide me with more brothers and sisters in Christ praying for me than I could have possibly imagined.

I will never be able to thank all of you enough for prayers and other support given. I will write more, but it will probably be a week or so before I do. Still gaining strength, but so far so good. Doctors and nurses have been amazing. I am grateful for their job well done. But we know, all they can do is support the body as it heals. More than that we know it is God who does the healing. Thank you for your continued prayers in asking God to do what only He can do.

You are all incredible. I love you!

Mark

Update: Monday 9/13 - GREAT NEWS

2010-09-13T13:02:00.000-07:00

Great News: This is John Duval for Mark. Mark was able to go home this afternoon from Vanderbilt. He looks great, but is very tired. He was told that even though he was going home he is still under the care of Vanderbilt. Please pray that his recovery continues to progress as well as it has the past few days. Also, pray that his immune system will remain strong being in a new environment.

Mark, Leigh Ann and the family are so thankful for the continued prayers. Tracey Parker, Pastor’s Ministry Assistant, is collecting cards and notes of encouragement that will be delivered to Mark. Those can be sent to: Mark Marshall, 537 Franklin Road, Franklin, TN 37069, emailed to tracey@clearview.org or comments sent to the blog.

Verses to ponder: Psalm 121:3-8 (Holman Christian Standard Bible)
3 He will not allow your foot to slip; your Protector will not slumber.
4 Indeed, the Protector of Israel does not slumber or sleep.
5 The LORD protects you; the LORD is a shelter right by your side.
6 The sun will not strike you by day, or the moon by night.
7 The LORD will protect you from all harm; He will protect your life.
8 The LORD will protect your coming and going both now and forever.

Day 4 - Update 9/11

2010-09-11T15:20:00.000-07:00

Update: Saturday, September 11, 2010
This is John Duval for Mark. Mark has had a very good day and his progress is right on schedule. Today is Leigh Ann's birthday and they have enjoyed their time together as a family. Sometimes it is not where you are or what you are doing to celebrate, but that you are together with those you love the most…in sickness and in health.

As a church, ClearView will gather together tomorrow for worship and Bible study, but we will also continue to rejoice in how God has been with our Pastor this week.

The dr. continues to request no visitors for the next 48hrs to ensure the recovery continues as planned.

Day 3 Update - Friday, September 10

2010-09-10T12:26:00.000-07:00

This is John Duval for Pastor Mark. Mark is doing well, but in great pain today. White blood cells up slightly. He began rehab today by walking on a treadmill.

Besides Leigh Ann and the girls by his side, Mark is very fortunate to have his father, Rev. Carl Marshall and his mother by his side. His parents are a great source of Godly encouragement for their son and the whole family. Mark encourages so many of us through his preaching and words of affirmation, but it is good to know that during these days his family is a great source of spiritual encouragement. I have seen firsthand how God’s word has been the foundation for Leigh Ann, Tiffany & Brittany. Thank you for your continued faithfulness in praying for Mark’s healing. He is doing very well.

Dr. has extended no visitors for next 72 hrs. in order that his recovery will stay ahead of pace. I know he would love to have a roomful around him, but right now he needs the rest. I know you understand.

" LORD my God, I cried to You for help, and You healed me." Psalm 30:2

Day 2: Update on Pastor Mark - 1:00pm

2010-09-09T11:22:00.000-07:00

This is John Duval for Pastor Mark: Update 1:00pm/Thursday, September 9

The doctor just visited with Mark and his family. He said that Mark is doing exceptionally well and affirmed the success of the surgery. He explained that it was a very complicated surgery, but expects a full recovery. Mark did sit up in a chair for 4hrs earlier this morning and they will attempt to walk with him later today. He will be moved to a step-down unit later as well. With that said: Mark is in some pain and the doctor has requested no visitors (except family) for the next 48hrs so that his energy can be used to recover. Please continue to pray for him, Leigh Ann and the family during these days.

We all rejoice for the answer to our prayers for a successful surgery and now we pray for the physical healing. In true Mark fashion he was already witnessing to one of his nurses and inviting her to ClearView.

“Now this is the confidence we have before Him: whenever we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears whatever we ask, we know that we have what we have asked Him for.” 1 John 5:14-15

Surgery went perfect...God is great

2010-09-08T13:22:00.000-07:00

This is John Duval – 3:12 pm update on Pastor Mark: God is good, God is great! The doctor just spoke to Leigh Ann and the family to let them know the surgery went perfect. It was a very difficult surgery that did require the circumvent procedure and required the use of some of the donated blood. But, it was successful. Mark is now in recovery. Around 5pm – Leigh Ann will be able to see him. Thank you for the prayers – it was just what we had all prayed for – perfection. These next 3-4 hrs are critical in recovery – so your continued prayers are needed. Thank you, Lord.

1pm update on Mark

2010-09-08T10:57:00.000-07:00

This is John Duval - 1pm update on Pastor Mark: he is still on the by-pass machine; vitals are good, surgery going as planned. Please pray during these critical hours. Thank you.

Surgery has begun...

2010-09-08T08:25:00.000-07:00

This is John Duval for Pastor Mark: Mark arrived at the hospital at 5:30am this morning. They started anesthesia around 8:15am and surgery began around 10am. We have been told to expect a 7 hour surgery. Please continue to pray.

Leigh Ann shared the following with family: “I have a scripture I would like to share with you. I have always found the PSALMS to be of great comfort, but especially so through these last few days.”

'Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help , Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.'
Psalm 27:1

Final Pre-Op Post

2010-09-07T11:06:00.000-07:00

Well, tomorrow is the surgery. There are certainly lots of thoughts that run through your mind once inside the 24 hour window. But honestly, I have such a peace. I wonder how much better life would go if I could learn to completely let go of control to the Lord 24/7 like I have regarding this surgery. You see, I don't have an option. I can't do the surgery on myself. I can't control the recovery and healing. It really is all in His hands.

I have thought ALOT about life after surgery. It will take me a few months to back to complete strength. I will count this as my mid-life crisis. Most men (or women for that matter) are not given the opportunity to push the pause button at 48 with the incentive I have been given to consider ... really consider ... what is important during the second half of life. I have been given just such a privilege.

No doubt, I will not be the same. I have said a few times I was afraid I would not be the same after this surgery. Now, I would say, I would fear being the same. I want to walk through all the changes God has for me. I want to be in a position for Him to use me more than before. Why else could I or would I ask for health beyond September 8? The only reason I desire health is to be better able to serve Him.

To all of you who read this who are part of the ClearView family, we are blessed to have capable and Godly staff who will continue to lead in my absence. I thank God for all of them. In order for me to heal as quickly as possible, I must trust them to continue leading. I do so without hesitation!

I thank God I am pastor of such a great group of people. If a guy has to walk through this kind of situation he could not ask for more support and prayer than I am receiving. We have heard from many of your personally and I know there are many more. We are being lifted up in prayer by churches and individuals all over the world. I have heard from Africa and from Australia, as well as many around the USA.

You should continue to have updates posted here in the days ahead. Thank you all for your prayers. Thank you for the support we have been and will continue to receive.

You will hear from me again as soon as they will let me back on this thing :-).

I love you!

Mark

Greatest Fear

2010-09-04T12:52:00.000-07:00

I would be lying if I said I have had no anxiety at all about this upcoming surgery. I have had some of the thoughts and feelings you might imagine. I have had some of the "what-if's" any human being might have.

Of course, one of the initial thoughts was, "There is a chance I don't make it through surgery". But as honest as I know to be with myself, I have dealt with those feelings and death is not a threat for a Christ follower. Would I want to die? No. I have the same desire and drive to live as anyone! Do I fear death? Absolutely not. Just so I am clear, I am going into Wednesday with no thoughts of not coming out of surgery.

So, do I have any fear(s) going into this "procedure" and recovery? I do. My greatest 'fear' (if that's what it would be called) is that I would fail to learn all God has for me to learn as I walk through this. This is the biggest opportunity for growth in my life (to date). God is sovereign. This test was custom designed for me from before the beginning of time. After all, I was fearfully and wonderfully made. I don't want to waste it. I surely do not want to repeat this one :-).

What do I need to learn about God? What do I need to learn by experience that I currently only know intellectually? How can this make me a better husband? Father? Pastor? Preacher? Obedient follower? Most of all, how can I learn through this to bring great glory to God?

1 Peter 1:6-7
6 You rejoice in this, though now for a short time you have had to be distressed by various trials 7 so that the genuineness of your faith —more valuable than gold, which perishes though refined by fire —may result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

What trial is distressing in your life? It will prove the genuineness (or lack of genuineness) of your faith. It will drive you to what God has for you ... or away from Him. Ultimately, as Christ followers we want our trials to result in praise, glory and honor of Christ.

Grace for today

2010-09-03T14:48:00.001-07:00

When most people think of grace they think of saving grace. That is, it is God's grace that saves us. True. And for those of us who have trusted Him for that salvation, what a truth it is!!

But there is more to God's grace than the moment of entering His Kingdom. It is called sustaining grace. It is the grace we need to walk through the difficulties of life. Paul spoke of it when he said in 2 Corinthians 12 he had a thorn in the flesh he had asked God to take away 3 times. This was God's answer: 2 Cor. 12:9 "But He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.'"

Can I just be honest and say I would prefer God's power be perfected in some other way than my weakness? But, I know it to be true: It is when I am the weakest I become most aware of His power, because it is at those times I am most dependent on it. It is at those times I experience God's sustaining grace that gives me the strength (power) to see see Him do His greatest work in me.

I was reminded a few days ago in a piece written by John Piper in his book A Godward Life that you and I are only given enough grace for today. We are only given enough resources for today. This is why it is foolish to worry about tomorrow. We haven't been given those resources yet.

Now within 5 days of surgery, I know I will need more of God's sustaining grace each day before me. If I try to jump ahead and worry about tomorrow today, I am not given that grace yet, thus leading to anxiety. I am grateful for the grace of God in my life to allow me enough for today. I will have what I need each day that stretches out before me.

Lamentations 3:22-23
22 Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.
23 They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.

Whatever you are anxious about facing in the days ahead, you can know God is already there and He is waiting with all the mercy and grace needed to face your challenge. Trust Him in this and you will find a supernatural peace that goes beyond understanding.

The Game Slows Down

2010-09-01T10:52:00.000-07:00

Sports announcers and coaches often talk about the game slowing down for their quarterback. The more playing time a player gets, the more he understands the game and he can see things develop around him. It certainly doesn't mean the other players play at a slower pace. It simply means the quarterback has a different perspective and he can see things more clearly than before.

Well, my diagnosis and pending surgery have slowed the game down for me. Suddenly, there are things that might have distracted me a few weeks ago that do not seem like a big deal any more. My thoughts seem clearer. My focus is sharper. My time with the LORD is sweeter. My prayers are more God centered. My Bible study is more meaningful.

I think maybe part of what God is doing in my life through this detour is slowing the game down for me.

I pray for this kind of clarity of mind and focus to carry through beyond recovery.

While I Am Out

2010-08-30T06:48:00.000-07:00

No one was more surprised by this forced "sabbatical" due to my health than I have been. Simply put, I don't like it. It seemed we were just beginning to see some things click. As I have said publicly, I have no doubt this time away has been God-ordained and designed. That being said, I have given some thought to what I am praying for during this time ... for me and for the people called "ClearView" I have come to love so much. Pray with me along these lines as well as whatever God may bring to your mind to pray during these weeks.

For ClearView:
1. Fresh wind of God's Spirit. It is easy to get in a rut and expect "more of the same" week by week. When it comes to God's work in our lives, that is dangerous. While God's character is consistent, He so often moves in different ways in our lives. Always consistent with His written Word, but always fresh. I am excited to see what God will do in fresh ways in the lives of the ClearView family during these days.

2. Be reminded of a lack of dependence on any human leader(s). I have said I would be honored if people would forget my name and remember God's work in their lives. My desperate prayer is that people see God at work in their lives and not Mark. The mission and ministry of ClearView must never depend on one person or even a small group of people for that matter. I fully expect the ministry of ClearView to thrive during this time I am away. It was thriving before I arrived 3+ years ago and it must continue to do so now. ClearView has strong leadership at all levels that will continue to lead.

For me:
1. A reminder it is not all dependent on me. It is easy to get a Pastor's complex that more depends on me than it really does. This is a time I am forced to step back and allow God to do what alone can do. At times, I tend to get in the way. This is a great time for me to learn again, "He must increase and I must decrease." I desperately want to learn what that looks like.

2. A time to reflect. I have already had a couple of experiences over the past few weeks that have caused me to reflect in ways I haven't reflected before. At the risk of being a bit melodramatic, a cardiac arrest (see post below) does get your attention. I have preached about the brevity and fragile nature of life before, but I can assure you it has never been more real to me than it is now. I have never had to take a break for this length of time. And I have never taken a break of any length when God has had my attention to the degree He does on this one.

My desire is to grow exponentially spiritually during this time. So my prayer is God will do a work in the heart of this pastor and the people I am called to shepherd so we may see greater miracles in the future than we have seen in the past ... all for His glory!

Change of Date

2010-08-26T13:38:00.000-07:00

Well, it seems my surgeon will be out of town on Sept. 2. That will make it impossible to do the surgery :-). We have had a last minute change of plans. THE NEW SURGERY DATE IS SEPTEMBER 8.

That gives all of us more time to pray, right? [I am trying to see the positive in this] It has always been my opinion when something like this happens, God is moving it for a great reason we will probably never know.

As of this moment, all plans at ClearView will remain the same. Ed Stetzer will begin preaching this coming Sunday (August 29) and I will return to the pulpit October 31. We will do so under doctor's supervision and counsel.

Thank you for everyone's patience with this shift in plans.

Grateful!

2010-08-26T12:32:00.000-07:00

I was not able to make it to the prayer service last night. My church family (ClearView Baptist Church) had a special time of prayer for me as I approach surgery. I was saddened I could not make it, but I am SO grateful for the time they spent lifting me up in prayer. I have heard from several what a special time it was. My family and I are truly blessed to serve with this group of believers.

We also put the word out we would like a few blood donors to contribute before I head into surgery just in case there is a transfusion needed. About 20 volunteers with my blood type stepped up immediately. As one who gets squimish when giving blood, I am humbled by that response!

My family and I have all said several times over the past few days we are blessed to be a part of this church family. We love you all!

Eventful arteriogram

2010-08-25T16:07:00.000-07:00

The end result of yesterday's arteriogram was exactly what we wanted. We have clear arteries with no sign of cardiac disease / blockages as we go into surgery next week. My cardiologist said my heart is strong and my blood vessels are all clear.

However, we did have an incident during the test. It seems there was a place the dye they inject blocked some blood flow to the heart. I have an unusual layout for my arteries. I am not sure I even understand all the "why's" of what happened. But if your blood flow is cut from your heart you move into cardiac arrest. That is exactly what happened yesterday to me. I was in cardiac arrest for something around a minute. The cardiologist and nurses did all they were to do to revive me as soon as possible. So, I am able to sit here today and write this blog :-). I will be releasing my new book "Ninety Seconds in Heaven" soon. LOL

I want to be clear. I could not be more thankful for the doctor and nurses who knew what to do and acted on their training! But we know the One who deserves our highest praise is the Maker of Heaven and Earth ... God Himself!!! Every heartbeat is in His hands. Let's just say we had a praise time at our house last night.

For those of you praying between 7:30 and 8:00 yesterday morning you were spot on with your timing :). I will never forget the feeling coming back to consciousness. Many thoughts run through your mind, but the one I continue to sense above all of them is, "God has something more for me to do". So I will warn you, I will bringing some serious intensity and focus coming back at the end of all this.

John Duval is sharing this news with the church gathered to pray for me tonight as I type this blog. I want all of you to have accurate information.

Thank you for praying and thank you for continuing to pray.

Mark

Today's Surgery - Update

2010-08-24T07:49:00.001-07:00

This is John Duval on behalf of Mark. This morning Mark had a successful heart catheterization. His arteries are fine and the doctor gathered information which will be helpful as Mark prepares for his open heart surgery on Sept. 2nd. He is in recovery and expected to go home later today. Mark and Leigh Ann are very grateful for your prayers today.

The ClearView Deacon’s will lead out in a prayer time for Mark on Wednesday August 25, 2010 at 6:00 PM in the worship center. We will use this time to pray for Mark and his family as he prepares to go through his open heart surgery and the recovery process.

Surgery date and recovery period information

2010-08-19T19:21:00.000-07:00

Well, we now have a surgery date. The surgery is set for September 2. There are a few hoops to jump through between now and then. The biggest one will be a heart cath August 24. This is routine for any open heart surgeries.

Now for the hardest news of all for me. I will out of the pulpit for 2 months. I will miss preaching / teaching the people of ClearView.

However, I am excited to announce my friend Ed Stetzer will be preaching all but 2 of the Sundays I am gone. Ed is one of the most sought after preachers in the country. Ed is President of LifeWay Research, conference speaker, consultant, and preacher. He will do an extraordinary job of teaching God's Word every week. I am honored he is willing to help during this time.

On Wednesday evenings, we will have 2 solid teachers leading us. Dr. Micah Carter and Jedidiah Coppenger will be leading our Bible study times in the main room. Both men are good friends and exceptional teachers.

I have said all along this journey is for my growth without a doubt. But I also know it is for the flock I shepherd. I want to encourage you to make an extra effort to attend. God will deliver strong messages through these men during this time. He has something He wants to say through voices other than mine.

Update

2010-08-16T18:16:00.000-07:00

I MUST start this with a huge "Thank You" for all the prayers and support. I told the surgeon today we (he and I) had 3000 - 4000 people around the country praying for us.

I hesitate going into much detail. I guess those that are interested in those kinds of things can take this bit of information and piece it together. We are definitely headed into surgery. I have two pre-surgery tests / procedures I must complete before surgery. We hope to complete these this week or early next week. We will be setting these dates tomorrow. Upon completion of these 2 items, we will be going into surgery asap. We plan to have the surgery no later than 3 weeks from now.

The surgery will be to replace the aortic valve and the ascending aorta. It turns out this is going to be a bit more complicated than I first anticipated. The surgeon was clear this is a "complex" surgery we will be doing. Leigh Ann and I liked the surgeon. We have confidence he is qualified and competent to do what is needed. But, as all of you who read this blog know, our confidence lies in the Great Physician. This is all in His hands! When He knit me together in my mother's womb, He was fully aware this would be an issue for me to deal with some day. This is all a part of transforming me into the likeness of Jesus Christ.

When we have an exact date for the surgery we will let you know. It will be much sooner than later. For those of you who are part of the ClearView family, I will see you this Wednesday night or Sunday morning.

Update

2010-08-14T13:56:00.001-07:00

There is not really much to update here. I do have a surgeon's name. My surgeon (at least for now) will be Dr. Greelish. We will meet with him Monday. I have a long list of questions to ask. After that meeting I hope to have dates and timelines, etc. for surgery and recovery.

I do want to say again just how much my family and I appreciate all of your prayers, cards, emails, facebook messages, and tweets. We are blessed to serve such a church family and to have so many friends around the country lifting us up before the throne. We are still at great peace about all of this.

Mark

Update and Next Steps

2010-08-06T07:24:00.000-07:00

I want to first of all thank all of you for praying for me and my family. You cannot know the encouragement you have been to all of us.

The results from the tests this week are back and I just spoke with the cardiologist. The MRI / MRA confirmed what we thought we saw in an earlier echocardiogram. I have a bicuspid aortic valve which has a minor leak. However, this is not the primary concern. The primary concern is an aortic anuerysm on the ascending aorta. That's more medical information than most of you want to know :-).

I apparently have a collagen problem in this part of my heart / aorta that is the cause of both the bicuspid valve as well as a weakened aortic wall. Due to some high blood pressure the wall of the aorta has been under some pressure for a period of time, thus compromising the aorta itself. Blah, blah, blah ...

This "fix" is surgical. I won't bore you with the details. I will be meeting with a cardiac surgeon some time after next week. I had planned on a few days with my parents in S. Georgia and the doctor has given me the go-ahead to make that trip.

Again, thanks for all your prayers. We still have another pre-surgery test or two. I do not have any dates or timelines. I will let you know as I have those.

Test Update

2010-08-04T19:02:00.001-07:00

I don't really have much to update, but I know many of you have been praying for me today so I thought I would add a thought or two.

First, let me say, I have been overwhelmed by the number of people indicating they are praying for me, Leigh Ann, and Tiffany and Brittany. We are a blessed family to have so many who love us.

The test this morning went fine. I guess I know for sure I am not claustrophobic :-). The results have been sent to my cardiologist, so now we wait for his call to give us next steps. I take it from no call today that there was not anything imminent. So, I took today's no call as positive.

I will update you when we have more information.

Health Report

2010-08-02T15:24:00.000-07:00

I shared with my church family yesterday I was going through some health challenges related to my heart. I will do my best to keep you updated through this blog.

I contracted pneumonia while at the Southern Baptist Convention (insert joke here :-)) in Orlando in June. While in the emergency room, they apparently tested me for things completely unrelated to my illness. That has turned out to be providential. As a result of some things they saw in the tests, I followed up with a cardiologist after returning to Franklin.

Last week the cardiologist in Franklin did an echocardiogram which indicated a problem. As it turns out, I have had a congenital heart problem that has impacted my heart in a negative way as I have grown older (that sounds so ... old). Anyway, I will be going in for more tests this coming Wednesday (August 4) morning. If those tests confirm what the cardiologist believes is true, the next step will be to visit with a cardiac surgeon.

I will post the official diagnosis on this blog when I know. This could be as early as late on August 5 or as late as August 11.

How can you pray?
1. I would love to walk out of the test Wednesday with the doctors confounded that they cannot find the problem and thus the first test was in error.
2. Assuming we find what is believed to be the problem, pray for wisdom for the doctors. I can add here, I am so grateful I live in 2010 and not 1910. The medical advances are amazing.
3. Pray for healing however God chooses to do so. Doctors and medical advances are great, but we trust God as our Great Physician.
4. Pray for my family (wife and two daughters). It is always harder on the family members than it is the patient. They are all strong in their walk with the Lord for which I am grateful. Pray for peace of mind.

To my church family, thank you for all your emails, fb messages, etc. confirming what I knew to be true ... you are praying for me.

Finally, I would share with you the verse the Lord gave me through my friend James MacDonald for this time.

Isaiah 26:3 says, "You keep in perfect peace the mind that is dependent on You, for it trusts in You."

For my Pastor friends ...

2010-06-25T17:39:00.000-07:00

Backstage: CJ Mahaney from SBC Greater Things 2010 on Vimeo.

Update and thank you!

2010-06-21T11:00:00.000-07:00

First of all, thanks for all the prayers over these past few days for all of you who have been.

Second, a brief update: While in Orlando for our denomination's meeting, I began feeling chilled and a bit achy Wed afternoon (I was to return to Nash Thursday morning). By the time I went to bed Wed night I knew I would not make that flight. But I did not realize I would not make it for 4 more days. The symptoms had taken a dramatic downturn. Thinking I had the flu (VERY bad self-diagnosis), I took some flu medicine and went to bed about 9:30. By the early hours of Thursday morning, I was feeling the worse I could ever remember feeling. This stuff (whatever it was) was moving fast.

Then I made the first of some bad personal health management decisions. I thought to myself, "I will rest here all day and stay on this flu medicine and I will feel better in 24 hours or so". I should have sought immediate medical help (that would come later). [See Leigh Ann, I admitted it] Very high fever, the worst aches I can remember ever having, and severe dehydration took over to a point by Thursday noon (I think) I was not completely rational (I know, some of you think that's my permanent state of mind).

Long story, short ... Friday morning I received help from some hotel personnel who got me to the medical help needed. This resulted in a 2 1/2 day hospital stay. I was diagnosed with bacterial pneumonia (thus the ineffectiveness of the self prescribed flu medicine :-)). Pumped full of antibiotics and fluid. My wife flew in to assist me (she's the best!!). I was released yesterday (Sunday morning)and flew home with Leigh Ann today (Monday). I am home now and will require several more "at home" recovery days. Needless to say, I am feeling much better and getting stronger each day.

I am grateful for the prayers and support of my family and my ClearView church family. I will see all of you soon.

Easter Dance

2010-06-03T21:16:00.000-07:00

Africa Update

2010-05-24T07:07:00.000-07:00

Here is an update fresh from the field on our work in Africa. We have a friend on the field who recently visited with the group of people we (ClearView) has been working with. This is her description of that visit.

Early Monday morning, myself, the Hickmans (a volunteer couple that is here), and a translator headed out to visit ‘Chewy’ and the close-by village for now we will call the ‘New’ Village. We stopped in Segou to pick up our friend and translator Yac, and headed on out to the village. We arrived in ‘Chewy’ about 5pm, and did all of our greetings and then sat down with the chief to catch up. That night after dinner and baths, Yac, the chief, and another young man sat down and discussed how to study the Word. No one else gathered but later in the night (probably around 10:30-11p) the chief told Yac a man had come to hear stories because he had never heard them before. We looked at the man, who was now sleeping, and said we could tell him stories but he is sleeping. So, the chief woke him up. I told the story of the Demon Possessed Man, and we discussed it some. The next day we were able to discuss with a couple of the blvrs about why they had not been around very much... Jo and Rob. Jo had been very discouraged as one of the two that can actually read and teach. He did not feel he was getting the respect he thought he should get, and for Rob, we found out he is actually of a different background. He has been a blvr for awhile but with a different denom. He was wrshpng with the blvrs there but they were not accepting that he was from a different background, also he feels like there is no structure in the ch, which right now is actually all new blvrs who are still trying to figure out how to be blvrs. We were able to discuss with them some on what it means to be a blvr and encourage them that do not have to rely on others to be able to wrshp Father. After hearing the story of Abraham, Jo said it taught them to love their neighbor as themselves and to love their enemy, which I believe is something they are struggling with in the body of blvrs. The next day the Hickmans went to a market via horse cart with the chief and another man, while Yac and I stayed behind. That was the same day that the local Pas (also from another Denom.) came to visit. Yac stayed and visited with him, and the chief’s wife wanted me to go visit her friends and family with her, so that is what I did. That night we had another opportunity to story, so we told two David stories, and discussed them. There was some good discussion but they were all very tired. The last full day in the bush we decided to go visit the new blvrs in ‘New’ Village. We walked for about an hour before reaching the village and when we arrived the blvrs from ‘Chewy’ had already set up and starting wrshpng. They asked the new blvrs to stand up and 12 men did, after that Yac was able to tell the C2R story and asked if anyone wanted to follow. Five women came up and said they did, so we prayed with and for them, and then sang a few songs and were getting ready to leave when one women stood up and said there are more that want to follow but were afraid to come up. So, 4 more women came up and we did the same. When we stood up to leave the second time, some of the women wanted their babies given blvr names. So, we named them. The first girl that came, I was given the privilege of naming, so I did. Her name is Rachel, which is pronounced Rachelle in French. After this it was getting late, and we still had an hour walk back to ‘Chewy’ so we asked for the road and headed out. That night in ‘Chewy’ everyone went to bed early because of the traveling, and the next morning we headed back to Bamako.PRYR Request:New Blvrs in ‘New’Encouragement for the blvrs in ‘Chewy’Planting and Harvesting as the Rainy season is approaching

ClearView and 2010 Flood

2010-05-02T18:13:00.000-07:00

This post is specifically written to and for the great folks of ClearView.

We have no way of knowing exactly how many people who are a part of ClearView have had flooding in their home or property due to the flood. We do not know to what extent they may have suffered damage. Our congregation lives in a wide geographic area in middle Tennessee. My guess is there are more who have been negatively impacted than I know.

Some of you have already asked how you can help. I love that about you! Until we get specific names and needs we can't answer that question (we already have some). One thing we know for sure is that we are here for each other and we will indeed help those who need it.

So, here are next steps and how you can help.

1. If you need help (moving furniture, pulling wet carpet, etc.) please send an email to pastor@clearview.org. In the subject line type: NEED HELP. In the body of the email please give some details of your situation that will help us know how we can help. Also please give us contact information. If you know of a ClearView member who needs help but can't contact us, please let us know.

2. If you can help please send an email to pastor@clearview.org with a subject line I CAN HELP. In the email please let us know when you might be available to help. Also please give us contact information.

We will begin to match people who need help with those who can help some time in the morning. For now, we will limit our help to physical help. We may need financial help later, but until we know what we are facing we will hold off on collecting funds.

It will take until at least late morning on Monday for us to begin to sort what we have so you won't hear from us before then.

Reading Luke weekly

2010-04-15T05:41:00.001-07:00

Part of sermon preparation each week for me is to read through the entire book of the Bible through which I am preaching. I will read through that book every week at least once. I began a series I am calling Investigating Christ which will take us through the Book of Luke over the next year or so.

I challenged the congregation to join me in reading through the Book of Luke each week. If read silently, the average reader can read through the book in approximately 2 hours. I have had many who have taken the challenge. Yes, it's early, but I believe we will see many carry through. If you are one that has taken the challenge, I can say with confidence God has some amazing things He will teach you through this book on this life of His Son. If you miss a week for some reason, don't let that get you down. Pick it up again the following week.

I got several emails about this challenge, but I wanted to share one with you that can help you with the project. I received this from a member of ClearView. It really helps to break reading up into smaller, bite-sized pieces.

"How can I possibly find time to read thru the entire book of Luke every week for the next year?"
24 chapters; 4 chapters a day for 6 days with Sundays off ; 2 chapters in the morning - 10 minutes; 2 chapters in the evening - 10 minutes.

"But my day is already too full; I just don't have 20 minutes to spare"
Get up 10 minutes earlier and go to bed 10 minutes later; Your body will never know the difference.
Turn off the news after the top stories; You'll be back before the weather.
Read it on the treadmill; You'll be done before you break a sweat.
Download it to your ipod and listen on the way to work - http://www.freeaudiobible.net/ ; They're going to play the 3 songs you missed 5 more times today.
Facebook junkies: Read it online - bookmark http://www.biblegateway.com/ ; you're 3 clicks away and you'll be back before your chat friends notice you're gone.
Do you REALLY want to be the one who doesn't raise your hand when Mark asks who read thru Luke this week?

Thanks Todd!

Reflections on Piper's decision

2010-04-01T17:16:00.000-07:00

I have admired John Piper's ministry from a distance for some time. Anyone who can plant his life in a church for 30 years has some things to teach us all as pastors. Last Sunday John Piper made an announcement to his church that he is taking an 8 month leave. You can read about it here.

I have a desire to stay where I am pastor for at least a couple of decades. So, I have reflected on this decision by John Piper more than once over the past few days. Here are a few random thoughts as I have done so.

1. My family (especially my marriage to Leigh Ann) is front and center. If I lose my marriage, I lose my ministry. More than that, if I lose my marriage I lose my most prized earthly possession. I must be intentional about cultivating my relationship with my best friend.

2. Guard my heart (soul). John doesn't share details but he does point to pride in his soul. What a wake-up call. There is a great nugget in Proverbs 4:23 Guard your heart above all else, for it is the source of life . I am still working through what this means.

3. The church is more than one man. Trust me, no one is more keenly aware of this than I. However, I sometimes catch myself, in weaker moments, thinking "it all depends on me". If someone of the stature and visibility of John Piper can step away, it is obvious he has done a good job of leading a group of people to not be dependent on him, but on the Lord. That is my heart's cry for ClearView.

4. Accountability is vital to long term health of a leader. I would add, especially a pastor. The elders of Bethlehem have obviously been a major part of helping John make his decision. A man who stands alone will not stand for long.

5. Transparency. John has been transparent with his church about the fact that he is working through some things. There is a delicate balance a pastor must walk. Share enough that people understand you are human (which should keep you humble). Yet, not so much that people think your life is falling apart. A humble strength. I think this is what is termed "meekness" in Scripture. I am still wrestling with what to do with this one, but transparency for John is a part of who he is as a pastor / leader. John mentions a culture of transparency at Bethlehem. How do you create that? Is length of time as a pastor a factor in doing so? Trust is obviously a key factor. You can't be transparent with someone if you think they are going to hit you over the head with it.

The primary lesson for me is not to fall asleep at the wheel of my own life. I admire John for sharing this with his church. And I appreciate his church for being an example of what it looks like to want the best for her shepherd.

God bless you John. And God bless you Bethelehem Church.

Responses to Discipleship Questions

2010-03-02T07:51:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, I had someone send me an email with 4 questions regarding discipleship and my thoughts on the subject. This was an interview they were doing for a class at a University. I thought I would share what I shared with this person. The 4 questions were:

1. How do you define being a "disciple"?
2. What is your vision for how Clearview can "make disciples" (strategies, methods, materials used, etc.)?
3. How do you evaluate success on an individual or corporate level?
4. What advice would you give to a minister just getting started and designing a discipleship program?

And my 4 responses were:

1. A disciple is one who has chosen to follow Christ, taking seriously what Christ said as well as what Christ did. If a person's life has not been changed and if it is not being changed daily by their relationship to Christ, they cannot call themselves His disciple. I would add something here we miss badly in American (Western) Christianity. If a person is not reproducing themselves in others they cannot call themselves a disciple. This is the entire meaning of the Great Commission. The Great Commission was not given to an organiztaion (the church) it was given to each of us as individuals.

2. Disciples are made through various types of accountable relationships focused on God's Word as the content of discussions as people do life together. This may be through 1 on 1 mentoring. This can be in a small group of people who know, love, and trust one another. Currently, we have a number of various kinds of these groups taking place in the life of ClearView. One thing for sure, discipleship is not a simple program. It is life on life. As far as curriculum is concerned, it must be Scripture driven if it is going to make disciples. I have seen a lot of topical stuff that is like eating cotton candy (and it gives the same result). I am not saying you can't start with a topic, but it must drive the person / group to dig into The Word or it is useless for discipleship. Discipleship is not about having some good "discussions" about our opinions. It must be about finding God's heart on the matter which can only be done by digging into God's Word.

3. This is tough. Evaluation of a heart is something only God can do. At best, we can observe behavior. For example, we still do not see the level of personal evangelism (a behavior of a disciple of Christ) on a broad basis that we should see. I still see individuls, families and marriages struggling in ways followers of Christ should not struggle. We have pockets of health, but overall, we have a long way to go as a church. One thing for sure, I do not consider numerical growth in any program (Bible studies or SS classes) as an accurate measure of discipleship. However, I do long to see MORE people involved in these opportunities that may help in discipleship. Hope that makes sense.

4. Start everything with HIGH accountability. We do not set the bar high enough as we begin discipleship. Jesus set the bar at the top when He said, "If you want to be My disciple, you must take up your cross daily ... you must hate mother, father, brother, etc. ..." We have dumbed down what it means to be a true Christ follower and as a result we have anemic churches made up of people who will one day cry out, "Lord, Lord, we cast out demons in your name ..." and He will say to them, "I never knew you". In my opinion, everything a church does depends on its intensity of its disciple making.

Africa Report

2010-02-28T12:45:00.000-08:00

Six of us returned from our most recent trip into Africa. What a week. Many of you know I went to a village in West Africa this past October. On that trip, we baptized 19 new believers. With limited contact with the village, we have not known the strength of the believers we left behind. Well, the Holy Spirit has been at work big time. When we arrived this past week, we asked the believers what they had been doing with their new faith. They gather to worship and pray together and tell stories every Sunday. We asked if they would have a worship time Tuesday evening this week for us to be a part of.

Wow! Did they worship! They sang and danced for 4 hours ending some time after midnight. They have created some worship songs that include the stories we told from God's Word. They dance to all their worship music. It was an experience I will never forget as they did this under the moonlight that night.

They have begun to spread the word of God's love and desire for a relationship with people in other villages. We were asked if we would visit one of these villages with one of the believers from our village ("Chewy"). We did so as we left our first village. We brought greetings to the second village and told stories from God's Word. Five men responded that they would like to become Jesus followers.

I know the men that went with me will agree. This was another unforgettable trip. What a privilege to be used by God to make Him famous to the ends of the earth!

Prayer for Africa

2010-02-16T09:26:00.000-08:00

I know many of you will be praying for the group that leaves for Africa this coming Saturday. Here are some specific ways you can be praying.

1. Safe flights and smooth passes through customs at all points
2. Safe travel to and from the villages with no vehicle problems (i.e. flat tires, engine problems, etc.)
3. Restful nights so our bodies can be replenished for each day of sharing in the village
4. That we know what to say in the village … questions to ask and stories to tell
5. Recall of stories memorized
6. Openness to the stories by others who have not yet chosen to follow Christ
7. That we will be open to and aware of the guidance of the Holy Spirit
8. That our driver and translators will be open to the stories about Christ (we just found out they are not believers)
9. That the believers we found in October will be strong in their faith and will bring new persons to the story telling times
10. That we begin to discover new villages of our people group
11. That we have no delays in travel coming back to the States.

Haiti Relief / Tennesse Baptists

2010-01-21T08:02:00.000-08:00

I know many of you that are part of ClearView are anxious and desirous of going to Haiti to help with relief efforts. This is the latest news I received as of this morning (January 21)

Many people are eager to respond to the heartbreaking disaster in Haiti. There are serious infrastructure and coordination issues that are hampering the disaster relief response. Tennessee Baptist Disaster Relief continues to be in daily communication with our partners: Baptist Global Response (Southern Baptist Entity with primary responsibility for International disaster response), the Florida Baptist Convention, North American Mission Board and our sister state conventions. BGR, Florida Baptists, IMB and North American Mission Board now have personnel on the ground in Haiti and are feeding information back to us on conference calls daily.

A primary hindrance to Southern Baptists sending in teams is the transportation issues. The airport in Port-au-Prince is still closed to commercial flights. The 200 mile trip from Santo Domingo to Port-au- Prince that would normally take 7 hours to drive now takes 18 hours. All roads are heavily damaged and vehicular travel is very slow and extremely hazardous. Another issue is the safety and security of volunteers. There are no secure areas for teams to sleep. When teams are deployed, they will more than likely be sleeping in tents.

At this time Tennessee Baptist Disaster Relief is not collecting any items to be shipped to Haiti. The docks at Port-au-Prince are expected to be closed for up to 90 days and non-governmental air cargo is very limited. Our Southern Baptist leadership has requested that money be given to be used to buy items needed in bulk. We are praying that shipping ports will re-open soon and more supplies can be sent.

BGR and NAMB are telling us that it could be 90 to 120 days before Disaster Relief teams are needed in Haiti. When called upon the teams that will go will be food distribution, medical, restoration, rebuild and chaplains. It is anticipated that this response to Haiti will last three years and perhaps longer. We as Southern Baptists want those people in Haiti to know we will be there for the long haul. Thank you for your continued patience as we seek the best way to respond to the needs of the people of Haiti.

For now, we hope you will continue to pray, give, and prepare to go.

Tour de Romance - February 6, 2010

2009-11-23T17:46:00.000-08:00

February 16 is a day you want to circle on your calendar. Just married or married for 70 years, this will be a great evening for you and your spouse. Whether you are in a great season in your marriage or you are in a season of struggle, this will be a meaningful evening for you. For less money than 2 tix to a movie, a babysitter, and a decent dinner you will remember this evening for years to come as a great date. The evening is $50 / couple. I want you to watch the video preview below, then go to this link to purchase your tickets.

Praying for your pastor

2009-08-21T19:30:00.000-07:00

I came across a post by Ligon Duncan, Pastor of the First Presbyterian Church in Jackson, MS. I could not say it better myself. Some who read this blog are members of the congregation I serve as Pastor. If that is you, I could not do better in listing my requests for you to pray for me. If you are a member of another congretation, I encourage you to pray these prayers for your Pastor every week ... or better yet, every day.

Because I have a congregation that loves me more than I deserve, I am often asked by them: "how can I pray for you?" I've tried to put some thought into how I answer that question. So, maybe these ideas will help you pray for your pastor, or tell others how they can pray for you.

Pray -

1. That [your pastor] would know and love the living God, would have a saving interest in Christ, being purchased by His blood, and thus would be bound to the Lord by the indissoluble bond of the Holy Spirit.

2. That [your pastor] would know, embrace and ever more deeply understand the Gospel and be shaped by it in life and ministry.

3. That [your pastor] would be useful servant of the Lord, that he would know and love God's word, God's people, and God's kingdom; that he would be used to build it up and so that it prevails even against Hell's gates.

4. That [your pastor] would study, practice and teach the Word of the Lord, by the grace of the Holy Spirit.

5. That [your pastor] would love to pray, because he loves to commune with his God, and that he would be a man of prayer, characteristically.

6. That [your pastor] would be ever dependent upon and filled with the Spirit; and that he would possess true Spiritual wisdom.

7. That [your pastor] would be holy unto the Lord. That his tongue and heart would be wholly God's.

8. That [your pastor] would be kept from pride, and especially spiritual pride. That the Lord himself would be gracious to slay pride in him, and that your pastor would endeavor to always be putting pride to death, by the grace of the Holy Spirit.

9. That God would give [your pastor] guidance as to where to focus his efforts in ministry.

10. That He would protect [your pastor] from himself, from the enemy of his soul, and from all earthly enemies.

11. That no decision which [your pastor] ever makes or desire that [your pastor] ever pursues would restrict his ability to pour his whole soul into the Gospel ministry.

12.That many would be converted and many built up under [your pastor]'s ministry, to God's glory alone.

13. That the Lord would bless [your pastor]'s wife, [. . . ], with holiness and happiness, Gospel assurance and Gospel rest.

14. That God would make [your pastor] a decent husband and father.

15. That [your pastor] would be a good friend to his wife, and love her self-sacrificially,

16. That [your pastor] would be a good daddy to his children. That they would love God, their parents and the church.

17. That [your pastor] would be a testimony in the home so that his wife might be able to respect him when he is in the pulpit, and so that [your pastor] will be able to feed her soul, along with the rest of the congregation.

Dinosaurs?

2009-08-18T16:10:00.000-07:00

I have had several questions since last Sunday’s message about dinosaurs. Did they really exist? Didn’t they supposedly predate man?

Let me give a few brief answers. As I stated in my message, I would be considered a “young earth” guy. In other words, I do not believe the earth to be billions or even millions of years old as evolutionists or even theistic evolutionists believe it to be. I won’t go into detail here. I believe the earth to be somewhere between 6000 and 10,000 years old, based on geneologies found in Genesis 5 and 11. You can hear my comments on this from this past Sunday’s message on the podcast if you would like. But I did not address the issue of dinosaurs.

I will say up front that yes, I do believe there were animals we refer to as dinosaurs that once lived on the earth. And I believe Scripture bears this out. We have some Hebrew terms that are translated as “Behemoth” and “Leviathan”.

The word “behemoth” is found in Job 40:15-24. It is even described in detail to eat grass like an ox, the tail is like a cedar tree, the bones are bronze tubes and his limbs are like iron rods. Some translations will translate this “elephant” or “hippopotamus”. But with the discoveries made today of the various bone structures, we can easily see what was being described in Job 40 as a type of dinosaur.

The Leviathan has the following description in Job 41, Psalm 104:25-26, and Isaiah 27. He is described as a twisting serpent and the monster that is in the sea. This animal has limbs and a double layer of armor, horrific teeth, and scales. You can read more in these passages. It is not a stretch at all to see this to be a sea monster. And this will test your belief in God’s Word … this animal snorts “flashes with light” (flames) and “flaming torches shoot from his mouth”. Sounds a lot like a fire breathing dragon of some type that lived at sea.

I don’t make the news, I just report it .

Well, didn’t they live millions or billions of years ago? Paleontologist Mary Schweitzer has discovered soft blood vessels, proteins, and various blood cells inside fossilized dinosaur bones. It is well established in the scientific community that such biological structures and molecules should not last more than a few tens of thousands of years. And it is not possible for them to last millions of years.

For more on this and other creation questions you might want to visit http://www.icr.org/

I am living my dream ...

2009-08-16T16:47:00.001-07:00

Growing up, I can remember only two things I seriously wanted to do the rest of my life. First and foremost, I wanted to coach basketball. John Wooden was my hero (yes, I'm that old). At a young age, I was amazed at how he could take such a variety of personalities and skill sets and blend them into a true team which consistently won championships.

But if I could not be a coach, I wanted to be an attorney. Actually, I didn't want to be an attorney as much as I just wanted to make the closing arguments. I guess I watched too much Perry Mason during my early years, but I just loved to watch how the attorneys would close out the case.

It had not dawned on me until this morning, that I am getting to live out my childhood dreams as a pastor. God did not call me to be a coach or an attorney. But, as a Pastor I have the opportunity to coach a great team of staff and volunteer leadership team ... trying to blend personalities and skill sets. Oh, and did I mention the worship room in which I speak every week is also a gym, with lines on the floor and everything?! How cool is that! And in many ways, I get to make the most significant closing arguments one could make every week. These closing arguments are not to put some criminal behind bars or to gain my client a settlement in a law suit. Rather, there are people seated in that room every Sunday whose life hangs in the balance as I have the privilege of sharing the Gospel with them.

I am living my dream!

Observations after 2 years back ...

2009-07-28T19:08:00.000-07:00

As many of you know, I stepped out of the role of being a local church Pastor for 10 years while serving at LifeWay Christian Resources. After growing up as a Pastor's Kid (PK), I had also served as a pastor for 12 years prior to going to LifeWay for a decade. ClearView called me to serve as Pastor beginning May 1, 2007 which means I have been back "in the saddle" for just over 2 years now (and loving it, by the way). In various settings I am asked questions about my observations since returning. Several questions are asked often:

1. What has changed most about Pastoring over the 10 years I was not serving as Pastor?It all has to do with technology. When I left the pastorate in 1997 the internet was in its infancy, email was not widespread, mobile phones were rare and then usually a cumbersome phone in a bag in the car, and social networking was not even a dream.

The result? In a word ... accessibility. With a blog, a facebook page, a twitter profile, a blackberry never further than a few feet away, and a church website with my email listed, I am accessible like never before. Please don't get me wrong, I love it. I enjoy reading twitters on the way to lunch every Sunday with feedback on the message for the morning. By late afternoon on Sundays I am usually checking facebook for those that check in through that channel. Then it's on to my email at pastor@clearview.org (try it now if you would like).

All of these channels help me as a pastor. In a church the size of ClearView there is great value in having the opportunity to follow the twitters of those in ClearView who use it, thus getting to know them in a way I could not otherwise. Through facebook I feel like I get to put faces with names and keep informed on activities members of ClearView. [More on the use of technology in ministry in a later blog]

Of course with the advantages comes danger ... the danger of never being unplugged. I try hard to stay completely unplugged on Thursdays during my most intense study time ... and on most Fridays (my day off).

2. What has not changed? People's need for Christ and the part Christ followers must play if more people are to be introduced to Him. I suppose it could be argued it is more difficult than ever to spread the Good News. I don't really think so. It's always been a challenge.

3. What has surprised me? Because of the position I served at LifeWay I don't think you could say I have been surprised by much. But one thing that has been so encouraging is the hunger the people of God seem to have for the Word of God ... at least at ClearView. I will call it a surprise ... and a pleasant one!

Maybe you have questions you would ask of someone returning to Pastor after a decade in another type ministry. You have the email address above or the comment section below. Fire away.

Fifty Year Anniversary - Honoring My Parents

2009-07-20T18:46:00.001-07:00

No, it's not my fifty year wedding anniversary. It is my parents'. This past weekend we celebrated my parents' 50 year anniversary as well as 49 years in ministry. This was obviously a time of reflection for all of us. Given the task of "saying a few words" Sunday afternoon at the reception I tried to narrow it down to one meaningful word for each of them. So the question I asked myself was what one word best described each of them. Since you could not all be there, I thought I would share a bit of what I shared with the group gathered.

For my mom I chose the word "wise". If you don't know my mom, she is the quiet one in the family. She has always been most comfortable behind the scenes and out of the spotlight. I almost chose the word "servant" because she never stops doing just that ... serving. But the word that came to mind most was "wise". Mom is one of the wisest people I know when it comes to relationships, which is the toughest area for most people to deal with in a wise manner. Mom always seem to have something wise to share with me growing up whenever I found myself struggling with a relationship.

For my dad I chose "faith". As I told the crowd Sunday afternoon, I have at times referred to it as "crazy faith". Dad's level of faith would cause some surrounding him over the years to think it to be irrational. When I was in junior high school (7-9 grades) Dad "resigned" his salary saying we were going to believe God to meet our needs. I could not understand how we were going to eat or buy clothes, but God did just as dad believed He would. We never missed a meal and we certainly never went without clothes :-). We lived "by faith" as a family for months, led by the faith of dad. Oh yeah, the whole time, the guy in charge of looking after the "gifts" given to our family during that time by faithful and caring church members was stealing from the account!! And God still provided.

Funny thing, when I take spiritual gift inventories, to this day two of the gifts that tend to rise to the top consistently are: wisdom and faith. I don't know this to be a fact and I don't find it in Scripture, but I have to wonder if somehow the spiritual gifts of the parents are somehow embedded into the children.

Congratulations again to my mom and dad (Sally and Carl Marshall) on this milestone.

A word about mentors

2009-06-09T14:14:00.000-07:00

I know. It's been too long since I have posted. May was a month that got away.

Anyway, I traveled to Chicago with a good friend of mine (David Landrith)Sunday and Monday. The purpose of the meeting was to meet with another good friend (James MacDonald). If you know me personally or read this blog very much, you know that James has had a profound impact on my life. It was through a series of conversations with James that I felt the Lord leading me back to local church pastoring after being in a parachurch ministry for a decade.

Funny thing is, we talked very little about the specific subject of me making that change. But God used conversations with a man so passionate about the church and so passionate about doing it right by building it on the Word that I could feel something begin to burn inside me that had not burned in quite some time. I never want that flame to burn low again. So, I made the journey to spend a few hours with the instrument God had used to re-ignite my passion for preaching and people.

I know we all have people we learn from and some we might even put on the level of "mentor" as I do James in my own life. Let me suggest a few things to think about before you assign someone the role of mentor in your life.

1. Do they point you to Christ? At the end of the day, it's all about becoming more like Christ. If that person makes you want to become more like them than they do about Christ, something is missing in you (the one being mentored) or in them (the mentor).

2. Do they stretch you? If you come away from time with that person, or if it is a distant mentor (author, etc.), is your thinking challenged? Do they force you to look at yourself and ask some really tough questions? I don't want to stay as I am. I want to grow and change as needed for God to use me in ways that will bring Him maximum glory.

I thank God for bringing the right mentor at the right time in my life.

Proud of the Worship Ministry

2009-05-04T20:02:00.000-07:00

I could not have been more proud of the worship ministry of ClearView than I was this past Saturday night. Here is why.

We had a worship time planned (A Night of Hallelujahs) for Saturday and Sunday evenings at ClearView for both evenings. The full choir, band, and orchestra had prepared for months to lead us in this worship time. We are blessed to have some incredibly gifted musicians and vocalists. I could tell at the Saturday morning rehearsal this was going to be a great time of worship for our church family.

Time for the Saturday evening praise came ... the band, orchestra, and then the choir took their places right at 7:00. I stepped up to open the time with prayer before we began. One thought crossed my mind: "Where are the people?" I don't know if it was the monsoon we were having outside, proms, swine flu scare, or just Saturday night in Williamson County, but there was much less people than I expected. And I would say much less than many of the worship team was expecting as well. [The Sunday evening crowd was much better]

All of us know what it is like to have high expectations only to be disappointed. And in this setting it would have been so easy for the worship ministry team to have a big let down and just walk through the motions. But did they ever deliver!! They sang and played and just flat out worshiped as if there were thousands. Or maybe I should say, they worshipped as if it were only them and God!

As I sat on the front row, I could not have been more proud of every single person. You could see it on their faces and in their eyes. This was not about performing for some big crowd, this was really about them worshipping and inviting us to join. And from the downbeat of the first note to the last, that is exactly what we did.

Don't get me wrong. Sunday evening was awesome as well. But I will not soon forget that Saturday evening as the group did not allow poor attendance let them down one bit. The heart of our worship ministry was never more evident than this memorable evening of May 2, 2009.

Does theology matter?

2009-05-01T14:03:00.000-07:00

The root word of "theology" is "theo" which means "God". You recognize the rest of the word ... "ology" which has come to mean "the study of". It's original meaning is "speak". If you have ever spoken about God or thought about God you have practiced theology. Theology is of little value unless it leads one to know God ... the God of Scripture. A proper theology is also what drives our practice. In other words, what I believe about God will determine how I think and act in every area of my life. An impotent or inaccurate view of God leads to an impotent spiritual walk. A right theology leads to the approach to life that is pleasing to God (the only reason we exist) should I live out of that view.

There is good and bad theology. Good theology is informed by the Bible. Bad theology is informed by any source other than the Bible. This would be especially true should that theology be in opposition to or disagreement with good theology (found only in the Bible).

Where do you get your view of God? What informs your theology? This determines everything. But it especially determines whether or not we can honor and please God with our lives because it will not be the God of Scripture for whom we live, if our theology is not correct. It will be a misinformed view of God, which by definition cannot be the God of Scripture. When you find yourself in a crisis or when you open your eyes on the other side of eternity, you will not want a fantasy God; you will need the one true God. And the only place an accurate theology is in the pages of Scripture.

I will be preaching Sunday (May 3) from 1 John 2:18-27 which covers antichrists. Chapter 4 speaks of the spirit of antichrists. The idea John is conveying is any spirit which seeks to oppose or to replace the Christ of Scripture. I will use as illustrations some recent books and movies that make an attempt at theology (speaking of God). One book I will use to illustrate contemporary material with an anti-Christ message will be The Shack by Wm. Paul Young. Let me quickly say, I do not know Mr. Young so I will give him the benefit of the doubt that his intentions were good. He was not intending to lead people away from the God of the Bible. He simply does. I will give a point or two in the message tomorrow. There are many places Young speaks in a way that opposes Scripture and / or tries to replace the truth of Scripture with his fanciful imagination of the trinity. Not a good place to be.

The sad thing is many will read this and be led astray from the truth. You can only take one of a few positions related to the book. You can say, "Well, it is indeed bad theology and I see it as such."

You can say, "No, I think his theology is good" in which case I would challenge you to read it in light of Scripture rather than reading Scripture in light of Young. I would remind you the origninal sin of Eve eating the apple began with the question from Satan, "Did God really say ...?" and for the first time in history man subjected God's Word to man's opinion rather than man's opinion being subjected to God's Word. Again, not a good place to be.

Finally, there are those who would say, "It's only fiction". Part of me wants to say EXACTLY! It is especially fanciful and fictional when it comes to the nature and character of the God of Scriputre. It is one man's erroneous theology of the God of Scripture. The dangers in that are many. It confuses new Christians. It is being advertised as a life transforming book. There are many who do not know the God of Scripture at all that are being led to believe this view of God is accurate and therefore the God to whom they should trust their life. I have heard followers of Christ say, "It really helped me". My question would be, helped you what? Misunderstand God? Feel good about relating to a "God" that does not in fact exist? Get through a painful time by seeing God through heretical eyes?

Maybe you would say, "Mark, Young is close on his theology. He almost gets it right." I would argue differently, but let's assume you are right. Think about this quote from Spurgeon: “Discernment is not simply a matter of telling the difference between what is right and wrong; rather it is the difference between right and almost right.”

For a (theologically) solid review of The Shack go here. Challies is fair, giving what he sees as positive and what he sees as theologically askew in the book. He gives a more balanced view than I would and it keeps me from making this post that much longer if I don't try to give a complete theological review here :-).

One last thought. I posted a reply on another site when asked my opinion about the book. Let's just say, my view was not the popular view. I was accused, as a "pastor" (read with disdain) trying to tell people what they could and could not read. Well, obviously I can't do that. You will read what you will read. My role as a pastor however is well defined. Here is one such instruction given me:
28 Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among whom the Holy Spirit has appointed you as overseers, to shepherd the church of God, which He purchased with His own blood.
Acts 20:28 (HCSB)

If you must read The Shack do so with a biblical lens in place.

Hope in the Recession

2009-04-20T19:25:00.000-07:00

Join me this coming Thursday evening at ClearView for Town Hall for Hope with Dave Ramsey as our host. Get more information on the event here. Then join us here. Check out this promo video.

Wake Up Call for Southern Baptists

2009-04-18T13:18:00.000-07:00

This past Thursday Dr. Danny Akin delivered a bold message concerning what he believes must happen for the Southern Baptist Convention to be viable moving forward. Dr. Akin is President of Southeastern Baptist Seminary in North Carolina and the message was delivered in chapel at that seminary.

To say the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting is aging is an understatement. And for good reason. The purpose of this blog is not to write negative opinions and thoughts about anyone or any institution. For that reason and others, I will not share any negative thoughts I may have about the SBC. Instead I wish to AMEN! Dr. Akin's message. If this were baseball, I would say, "Touch them all Danny! You hit a homerun!".

I would only add: I have had the privilege spending time with Dr. Akin. He is one of those men you can sense from the moment you meet him, he is the real deal.

If you care to read his manuscript, you can find it here.

If you would rather listen, you can find it here.

Evangelism with Easter coming

2009-03-26T18:11:00.000-07:00

The graph just below is from a recent study released by LifeWay Research and referenced by Ed Stetzer. Just over a year ago I posted a blog related to evangelism at ClearView. When I mention red apples in the post, the graph demonstrates visually what I am talking about. We cross the paths of people all the time that are at those times in their lives when they are more open to the gospel / matters of faith. Please note Easter in the graph as we are only a couple of weeks out. Persons without Christ are more open to the gospel than we think.

Accountability: Working with a net

2009-03-26T17:40:00.000-07:00

To do life without some people you are accountable to is like walking a high wire without a net. I recently had someone ask me about the accountability group I meet with regularly and make a few suggestions here on the blog.

When I came to ClearView as pastor I asked the males on the Search Team to stay on to serve as an accountability group with whom I could meet once a month. I am so grateful to these men. They probably didn't expect to still be meeting with me monthly almost 2 years later, but they have remained faithful to do so.

This accountability group is not typical in that it is not technically mutual accountability. I am accountable to them, not vice versa. I ask them to feel free to ask me about any area of my life, personal or professional. They ask and I answer. Because of the wisdom and leadership of this group, I also take advantage of them as a sounding board. If I am wrestling with especially heavy decisions or decisions with widespread impact, these men are some of the first to hear and give me sound and honest feedback. We always end the meetings with them praying for my family, our church, and me personally.

I will say it again: To live life without making yourself accountable to a group of same gender peers is like walking a high wire with no safety net. Men, this is especially true for us. Satan's arsonal is too large and we are too vulnerable without it.

Suggestions:

1. The group should be no larger than 5. If the group is larger than 5, the depth of the relationships will not be what they need to be to develop the trust level needed.

2. Commit to long term. Trust takes time to develop. You will find the conversations don't begin to get below the surface until the group has been together for at least a year.

3. Please choose godly and spiritually mature group members. Don't cheat yourself here.

4. Be real. Be transparent. Be honest. Or don't waste your time. If you are not going to be forthright and truthful, it's all a game.

Upcoming Workshop

2009-03-23T18:11:00.001-07:00

I do not typically "promote" specific ClearView programs or ministries, but these are exceptional times and what I want to mention here will be a great help to all who attend. It is an understatement to say many have lost jobs or find themselves under employed ... or have seen dramatic downturns in their compensation. Maybe you are re-entering the workforce or simply wanting to upgrade your employment.

The Career Transitions ministry of ClearView is offering a free workshop for those that find themselves in this situation. The workshop is this coming Friday evening at ClearView. You can find more information on the workshop here and register here.

What's in a name?

2009-03-20T06:35:00.000-07:00

Christian? Christ follwer? Believer? Disciple? Saved? Born again?

All of the above (and more) are terms we might use to refer to someone who has embraced Jesus Christ as their savior, committed their life to Him and seek to obey and serve Him. Even defining it with the immediate preceeding sentence presents problems. The problem is that all the terms above have some baggage attached. Even the secular media is picking up on it.

The earliest Christian/Christ followers/believers/disciples/etc. were called followers of The Way. When Christ came He introduced a 'way' like none before. Those who chose that path were followers of The Way (praying for enemies, offering forgiveness unlimited, the last shall be first, and on and on). Some years later these followers were called "Christians" (little Christs) because they mimicked Christ. Those on the outside could see an obvious Christlikeness about them, they began to call them "little Christ's" as a term of derision. They meant it as anything but a compliment.

The word "christian" today has little resemblance to its origin. Any time I use the word to describe myself I feel compelled to describe what I mean. To say we are a "christian" nation is a great example of how little this word really means any more. We look and act nothing like Christ as a nation today. And many who apply the label "christian" as individuals could hardly be mistaken for Christ ... or even a cheap model of Christ.

Believer? James 2:19 says, "You believe that God is one; you do well. The demons also believe—and they shudder." To 'believe' is not enough if that belief does not lead to a life sold out to Christ that leads to transformation into His likeness.

Born again? Saved? These are terms only understood by those who grew up in church or hang around a church. "Disciple" falls into this category of church-speak as well.

I use the term "christ follower". This term has its short comings as well. Jesus was much more than a model to live by. He was the sacrifice made on our behalf. He was our substitute. I choose this term because the first call Jesus made to the first "disciples" was "Come, follow Me". Those that attend the church I pastor hear me say such things as, "genuine Christ follower" rather than, if you would like to be a "christian". The article in Newsweek referenced above is correct in that the terms we use carry so much baggage.

Then again, maybe that's not a bad thing. As we tell others we are a Christian/Believer/Disciple/Christ Follower/etc. we will need to go into an immediate explanation of what that means. What a great opportunity to share our faith!

25 Years

2009-03-15T17:25:00.000-07:00

There are a number of things I would do differently if given the opportunity. But marrying Leigh Ann Sessoms on March 17, 1984 is not one of them. I would do it again tomorrow. Tuesday of this week marks our 25th wedding anniversary.

I am so grateful to her and for her. A man could not ask for more in a wife. This is the best way I know to tell you about her and how much I love the woman who has been my life and ministry partner for the past 25 years:

Proverbs 31:10-12, 25-31

10 Who can find a capable wife? She is far more precious than jewels. 11 The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will not lack anything good. 12 She rewards him with good, not evil, all the days of her life. 25 Strength and honor are her clothing, and she can laugh at the time to come. 26 She opens her mouth with wisdom, and loving instruction is on her tongue. 27 She watches over the activities of her household and is never idle. 28 Her sons rise up and call her blessed. Her husband also praises her: 29 “Many women are capable, but you surpass them all!” 30 Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting, but a woman who fears the Lord will be praised. 31 Give her the reward of her labor, and let her works praise her at the city gates.

Leigh Ann, I love you and thank God for you. Thanks for sharing the past 25 years with me ... and many more to come.

The pupose of the church

2009-03-14T14:01:00.001-07:00

There is so much misunderstanding as to the purpose of the church these days ... and by church I mean any given local church. Paul was giving intructions to Timothy and the church in 1 Timothy 3. He had just given some specific intructions about elders and deacons. He then turns his attention directly to the purpose of the church.

15 But if I should be delayed, [I have written] so that you will know how people ought to act in God’s household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth. 1 Tim 3:15 (HCSB)

So, what is the church? It is clear it is the "pillar and foundation of the truth". What is the truth? God's Truth is clearly given in God's Word. It is the written Word and the doctrines taught in His Word.

We (church leaders) are tempted at times to make the church something other than the foundation of truth. We are tempted to entertain. We are tempted to give political information. We are tempted to give our opinions. We are tempted to lead a group of people to "just love each other and get along at all costs". We are tempted to focus on style over substance.

By God's grace I want to be able to look back on the span of the ministry God may grant and say, "above all, we were the pillar and foundation of truth.

Rating books I read

2009-03-07T13:24:00.001-08:00

I read. A lot. In fact, I am usually reading three or four books at a time. I have a system for rating the books I read. I primarily read non-fiction in the Christian genre.

The lowest rated category of books are ones I came across I thought I would enjoy or from which I could gain (or I would not have bought them). As I began to read the book I discovered it was not going to live up to expectations. They usually wind up in a stack in the storage room at my house or somehow get lost all together. At this point I would add something a seminary professor once told me that has stuck. If a book delivers even a single idea which you have never thought of before, it was worth the price you paid, no matter what you paid. I believe he was right.

The second level would be books I read that seem to hold my attention enough that I finish them, but I know I will likely never pick them up again. I also know I will never recommend them to anyone else. These usually go on my bookshelves some place to be filed away and soon forgotten.

The third level of book would be ones I underline in and think I might reference again some time later. I make sure they are filed on the shelves in a place I can easily find them if needed. This is the category into which most books I read fall.

The fourth level would be books I underline, write notes in the margin, and reread all or parts of. There are few. Two I would mention are: Crazy Love by Francis Chan and The Heart of an Executive by Richard D. Phillips.

There are a couple of categories that do not fall into any of the above categories. First are reference books. These are actually the ones I keep closest to me in my study. These rotate in and out depending on the study I am teaching at any given time. Then of course is the Bible. I keep a copy by my bed, another copy in my car, multiple copies (translations) in my study, one in my backpack, and multiple translations in my computer.

A story of God at work

2009-03-03T17:30:00.000-08:00

I don't typically share emails I receive after a Sunday, but I asked permission to share this one. The sender granted permission as long as God got the glory.

This past Sunday we saw God was in control even in a recession (times of adversity). There have been several who are part of ClearView who have found themselves without employment in the midst of these times. As encouragment as well as a praise I wished to share with all of you, here is the email I received:

Mark, Want to let you know about a PRAISE your sermon has been & how thankful I am for what you said. After thinking about what you said & my current jobless situation, I went home & prayed. I have had ALL doors closed on me within the last month, esp. the last week. I said, "OK, God, I will quit trying to take control of my future & leave it competely up to you. I have put in the applications, it's up to You to put me where you want me." So I relented all control & "worry" (which I thought I didn't have). Today, I was on the way back from Cookeville, TN (taking my daughter to TTU for a college visit) when I received a call offering me a job. It was a job I interviewed for about a month ago & was told it was put on hold at that time. They wanted me to come work tomorrow afternoon. I know it was because I finally gave up all my heart & put it all in God's hands, before He was going to show me that He really was in control. I continue to > marvel & stand in awe at His ways!

May God get the glory! And we continue to pray for all those who find themselves without employment at this time.

The Christian and the Recession

2009-02-26T18:38:00.000-08:00

You can't avoid hearing about it: the recession. Radio, TV, news web sites ... it's everywhere. Banks going under. Major companies folding. Massive unemployment. Record foreclosures. On and on the list goes.

As a Christ follower, how do we respond? What does God's Word have to say?

14 In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity, consider: without question, God has made the one as well as the other, so that man cannot discover anything that will come after him.
Eccl 7:14 (HCSB)

So, God is sovereign over our days of prosperity. And He is also sovereign over days of adversity? So He is in control. What could He possibly be trying to teach us? We will looking into this March 1 at ClearView. Learn more here.

Text-Driven (A peek into a Preacher's World)

2009-02-25T10:21:00.000-08:00

I am continuing to look for language to express what I feel and sense as a Preacher / Pastor. I cam across this video by another pastor (Matt Chandler, Pastor of The Village Church) that says so much of what I feel these days. In a brief 5 minute clip Matt shares advice to preachers. But I thought you might be interested in peeking over my shoulder as I hear advice from Matt.

One sentence you will hear early in the clip is that for many preachers, "preaching becomes just one of the things preachers do". Not the place a preacher wants to find himself. It is a constant battle to push aside other important things I could be doing in order to do the one thing no one else can do for the people of ClearView ... preach. I am re-discovering more and more that preaching is not something I do, it is who I am. I think you will understand what I mean as you listen ...

Lunch with a 7th grader (and her mom and dad)

2009-02-16T14:40:00.000-08:00

I had lunch today with a young lady who is a member of the church I pastor. She is in the 7th grade. (Or course, her mom and dad accompanied her) Seems the question was asked in her SS class if they could have lunch with anyone, who would they choose?

A few thoughts:

1. I can't think of a greater honor than to have a young student make such a request. Really, I was so humbled by this.

2. When told she could ask anything she wanted, her first question of me was, "Why is it true that once our names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life (her words) can it not be removed?" Talk about deep thinking! I almost didn't recover from that one. :) By the way, the major part of the answer has to do with God being a God of promise. He cannot break His promise and continue to be God. Let's just say in 7th grade, I was not thinking about these kinds of things ... and you probably weren't either.

3. Solid families tend to produce solid kids. When you watch moms and dads interact with their children, you can tell a great deal about what goes on at home. It was so obvious this mom and dad loved their little girl and she loved and respected her mom and dad. Combine that with the fact her mom and dad love the Lord and serve Him faithfully and you have a great combination for raising a Godly young lady. So encouraging to see these parents interact with and encourage their daughter toward godliness in a crazy world.

4. This is why I came back to pastor. I want to be around in this church long enough to see this young lady grow up chronologically, but most of all spiritually.

This is an open invitation for any students at ClearView that would like to hang out some time. Shoot me an email ... or give me a call ... or simply approach me at church some time.

Changing World; Changless God

2009-02-15T20:23:00.000-08:00

This video gives us a great picture not only of the changing world in which we live, but just how fast things are changing. The reason change leadership is so valuable today is because the speed of change is now exponential. It is in times like these we can rejoice our God does not change:

8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
Heb 13:8 (HCSB)

I did something dumb today ...

2009-02-05T12:46:00.001-08:00

OK, no snickers out there. Yes, I do something dumb most days ... but ...

Ever do something and as soon as it's done you think, "How stupid was that!" Well, today was one of those days for me. But what makes this even harder and more complex is that in the process I hurt someone that did not deserve to be hurt and I never intended to hurt.

The details of the event are private and there is no need to go into them. But the big picture is that I said something that got back to the person I was talking about that hurt them. The dumbest part of the whole thing was that I did not really even mean what I said. I apologized as soon as I heard of the hurt I caused. And this person graciously forgave me right away.

I have been sitting in my office the past hour or so (since the incident) unable to focus on the message for Sunday (Thursday is study day) because I just can't get this heart-sick feeling to go away. So I thought I would take a few moments and share some of my take-aways on this and hopefully help prevent you from being as dumb as I was today.

1. Words are powerful. Be careful how you use them. James warned us of this. James 3:5-6 So too, though the tongue is a small part [of the body] , it boasts great things. Consider how large a forest a small fire ignites. 6 And the tongue is a fire. The tongue, a world of unrighteousness, is placed among the parts of our [bodies] ; it pollutes the whole body, sets the course of life on fire, and is set on fire by hell.
I was careless today in my choice of words.

2. This one is for Pastors: We are to be most careful. I sense today that the hurt I caused was multiplied because this person is a part of the congregation for which I am given responsibility to love and shepherd. Today was a warning shot into my life as a Pastor that I am to be especially careful in this area. It seems my words are weightier in people's lives ... the good and the bad. All of us have the power to build up and the power to tear down, more especially for Pastors. In the very same passage James gives the warning above, he begins that chapter with these words: James 3:1 "Not many should become teachers, my brothers, knowing that we will receive a stricter judgement". As a Pastor, even casual conversations are being measured. That's not a bad thing, just a fact.

3. Technology is not the best way to communicate. Yes, we use it as naturally as breathing these days. But we still cannot communicate emotions and feelings as well through any form of technology as we can face to face. Nothing can replace face to face communications. My blunder was made via technology and it magnified the issue.

4. I am grateful for mature followers of Christ who can demonstrate grace. This person today was quick to forgive me, though I did nothing to deserve forgiveness. Grace. What kind of world would this be if there was never any grace extended? What kind of church would I be a part of if we did not extend grace. Not everyone gets this. But I thank God the person I offended today does.

Part of what has gone through my mind over the past hour or so is: To whom do I need to extend grace?

May this be a reminder: Think before speaking or typing. Guard your tongue and your finger tips on a keyboard. My mom always told me if I could not say something nice, don't say anything. Again, Mom was right.

Events of last week

2009-01-29T13:35:00.000-08:00

I am still thinking through the events of last week around ClearView. We began the week (January 18) by reading the Bible through as a church family. We did so by reading the entire Bible aloud. We started Sunday morning at 9:00 and read 15 hours / day each day of the week ending Saturday evening at 9:00. We actually read through the entire Bible by 9:48 Thursday morning. That is 60 hrs and 48 minutes if anyone is counting. We then started over at the beginning of the New Testament and read it through a second time. Then we started the New Testament again and read through to Acts 5. I have heard feedback from a number of families and individuals as to the impact of this experience. When each person read, they signed the Bible alongside the passages they read. This will be a keepsake Bible for years to come in our church.

We also signed up for prayer times in the new building with established prayer stations and instructions for prayer at each station. We finished the week with a 24 hour fast Saturday evening through Sunday evening to coincide with the end of our dedication service of the new building.

Simply put, this was a highwater mark for me personally as a Pastor. I don't know that I have ever been part of something that was so simple, yet made such an impact. We have as a core value the centrality of God's Word in all that we do and teach. This was a way to highlight this core value while making personal impact. To walk into the chapel at different times of the week and see and hear God's Word simply being read was just awesome!

This is a public "thank you" to all those at ClearView that personally participated in the reading, the prayer, and / or the fast.

Here are a couple of pictures of the new chapel for those that haven't seen it.

A Christian's Response During Economic Downturns

2009-01-16T06:05:00.000-08:00

A video posted by John Piper regarding how Christians should respond to economic downturns...

Getting the Word out ... for 100 years

2009-01-12T19:47:00.000-08:00

An organization that I admire is celebrating 100 years of ministry. The more I study it and the more I teach it, the more I have come to have absolute confidence in God's Word. The Bible has the power to change lives and the Gideons have seen this happen in the lives of thousands. If you have opened the drawer of the nightstand next to a bed in a hotel you have most likely come across a "Gideon Bible". But there ministry stretches around the world.

We have a number of men and their wives in our church who are invovled in this ministry. I want to say to all of them as well as the other approx. 175,000 who are part of this impactful ministry. Thank you for the unsung behind-the-scenes ministry you have provided over this past century. His Word will not return void. And you have demonstrated this to be true.

Happy Anniversary!

Update

2009-01-06T20:11:00.000-08:00

This will be an update to the immediate previous post. We will starting the prayer and Bible reading times on Sunday, January 18. More information coming Sunday, but I wanted you to be aware we are starting on Sunday rather than Wednesday. This will allow us to avoid overnight times which will be more secure for those involved. We will be starting at 6:00 am Monday - Saturday (Jan. 19-24) allowing some to come before work. We will going to 9:00 pm on the same dates allowing some to come after work. We will be signing up for 20 minute increments.

I would encourage you to think about doing this as a family or as Sunday School classes when possible. I believe it will be an amazing experience done this way. Also, feel free to sneak into the back of the room and listen to the reading if you would like.

We will have instructions as you arrive for your time(s), but one piece of information ahead of time: You will sign in the margin beside the passages you will read. This copy of the Bible will be kept in a special place upon completion of this reading.

More to come Sunday!

Special days just ahead

2009-01-01T08:44:00.001-08:00

For those outside the area local to the church I pastor, I apologize for the irrelevancy of this post. We (ClearView) has some very special days just ahead. I am asking all ClearView attenders and members to spread the word on this post. I will also be sharing some of this content this coming Sunday, January 4.

We will be having Open House and Dedication for the new building January 25. The Open House will be 2:00 - 5:00 that afternoon. We will be having a dedication service for the building with special emphasis on the chapel at 5:00 that afternoon.

Beginning Wednesday January 21, we will be reading the Bible through aloud as a church body. That's right ... Gen. 1 through the end of Revelation ... aloud. We will be providing opportunities for you to sign up for time slots. During the time for which you sign up, you will stand (or sit) on the stage in the chapel and read from Scripture aloud the text following the person that read just prior to you. If you don't like speaking or reading in front of people, don't worry there will be time slots available for which few if any will be present in the room. This will begin Wednesday evening and we will finish during the dedication service with the reading of the final chapters of Revelation. We will then place the copy of God's Word used for the reading in a special place.

In addition to reading, this will be a special time of prayer. We will be signing up for times to come to the chapel and pray during the same times during which the Bible is being read.

In the weeks just ahead we will be seeing the example set by the people of Israel after the rebuilding of the wall. A time for emphasis on God's Word and spiritual renewal followed the completion of the project of rebuilding the wall and to set the stage for God to work among His people.

As each of us prepare individually for this coming new year and the fresh opportunities in front of us, collectively God has granted us new opportunities as a congregation.

Resolutions or Recommitments or ...?

2008-12-26T18:16:00.000-08:00

Christmas is barely in the rearview mirror. And that means New Year is just ahead. One word we use at this time of year is "resolution". Probably overuse. We all know our tendency to make resolutions for the New Year only to come up short, then feel guilty, then quit, then ...

I am not against resolutions. If they can help you make positive change in your life, go for it. New Year is a good time to do some self-evaluation and make any needed adjustments. Rather than use resolution, I want to use a new word. Semantics only? Maybe. But I want to use a word that better fits my case. The word is recommitment. There are some things I want to which I want to recommit as I look ahead to 2009.

1) I want to recommit my life to Christ. I want my life to reflect the fact that I am His servant more than anything else. If called on to describe who I am, I want it to be true that the statement that best describes Mark Marshall is a "slave to Christ".

2) I want to recommit to my marriage. I want to continue to grow closer to the love of my life, Leigh Ann. I want love her as Christ loved the church. Am I daily laying down my agenda in order to meet her needs above my own? Easier said than done, but she deserves it.

3) I want to recommit to be a godly dad. My girls are getting older now (both in college). I've never been a father of girls this age before. I don't know all the how to's in being a father to girls this age. But, I do know (from God's Word) what it looks like to be a godly dad at any age. I want my girls to remember most about me: "He was a godly dad."

4) I want to recommit to be the best pastor I can be. A shepherd leader. A teacher of The Word. Obsessed with seeing the people God has blessed me to lead to walk closer to Christ, love Him with intensity, worship passionately, and live out their faith in the marketplace. I want to be wise and courageous in this assignment.

Now, I am accountable. Resolutions, recommitments, whatever you might call it ... tell others and suddenly you become accountable. Take stock of your life. What adjustments need to be made?

All I can say is "just watch"

2008-12-19T17:14:00.000-08:00

I first saw this on http://edstetzer.com

You wonder how a neighbor might respond if you shared Christ with them?? Well, listen to the viewpoint of this atheist.

Some things I learned tonight (or was reminded of)

2008-12-10T20:02:00.000-08:00

John Duval and I met tonight with about a half dozen members of Clearview that have lost their jobs as a result of the current economic situation. We wanted to assure them of our support as a church during this time of "transition" (a word I learned from one attending the meeting). We will be reaching out in the weeks and months ahead to support not only these but others that are going through a season of unemployment.

More on that as plans continue to develop.

But I want to share a few observations from our time tonight.

1. I was so encouraged by the faith of those around the table tonight. I cannot imagine all they are going through. I've never been there. But I heard faith in their words and saw it in their actions.

2. I was reminded again, our faith journey is not a solo sport. We were made for each other. The "one another" passages (love one another, pray for one another, bear one another's burdens, encourage one another, etc.) must be put in practice every day ... in a recession or not.

3. Prayer is critical. You may not know what to say to that person or persons you know that have lost their jobs during this time, but you can (and should) pray for them.

4. Everyone is hurting somewhere. I listened as some of the group said something like, "I don't want to burden others around me when they are going through difficult times in the families or health." (paraphrased) It is true that everyone is hurting somewhere.

5. This is a great time to be especially sensitive and thoughtful toward others. This of course should always be the case. But it seems the only messages we are getting these days are negative ones. Even persons with jobs are in fear of losing theirs at any time.

Let's look each other in the eye. Smile ... a lot. Do something nice for someone (that doesn't cost any $$). Say something nice. Refuse to participate in the constant negative talk. Talk only about those things that benefit one another. I guess, the best way to put it is to love one another and show it!

Moving toward preoccupation?

2008-12-02T14:56:00.001-08:00

I read this quote of A.W. Tozer on Michael Smith's blog several days ago and I can't seem to get it out of my mind. The quote is: "We are called to an everlasting preoccupation with God."

I started by looking up a definition of preoccupation. Here is some of what I found. Absolutely absorbed in thought. Engrossed. Mentally caught up in something. Lost in thought. I especially like that one ... lost in thought.

Of course, the direction this is taking is that I had to ask myself if I am absorbed or lost in thought about God and the things of God. I know what it's like to get lost in thought about me and my world. I know that it is to get lost in thought as I daydream about the beach or some of the amazing places God has allowed me to travel. I know what it is to be mentally caught up in every day problems and challenges. I just can't get them out of my mind.

But lost in thought about God? I have to admit I have much room for improvement on that one. It is easy to get preoccupied with the finite and the temporal. Why wouldn't I get lost in thought about the infinite and the eternal? I'm working on it. Join me? I'm having to start small. First try 10 minutes of thinking of nothing else but God ... who He is. Start with His holiness, which is the core of who God is. He is other. He is like no other. His power. His love. His wrath. His presence. His justice. His desire to know you personally. His forgiveness available that makes that possible. His gift of creation. His eternality. His mercy. His grace. Then move to longer periods to time. Be intentional about it.

You make a list. Then become preoccupied. When you daydream, daydream about Him. How would that change my attitudes? My behaviors? My responses? My relationships?

Let me introduce ...

2008-11-28T18:55:00.000-08:00

I have had the privilege of publicly introducing many people over the years. To be honest nothing makes me more nervous. You are given a minute or less to share with the audience information about the speaker that would make them like and want to hear the speaker. Some speakers I have introduced had been friends for years while others I had not met until moments before I was to introduce them.

So, let me challenge you to introduce someone close to you. Let's make it the person you love the most and knows you best. For most of us, that would be our spouse. Maybe a parent ... or a brother or sister .... or a best friend. You have less than a minute verbally or 250 words on the screen. They are about to speak to a group of your peers. What would you say about them?

For example,

"Today, I have the privilege of introducing my wife Leigh Ann. Leigh Ann is obviously beautiful on the outside, but she is most beautiful on the inside. She has been an amazing wife for almost 25 years and the primary reason our two college age girls have turned out to be caring, generous, God loving young ladies. An awesome mom! She is also a hard working and intelligent business woman and leader of over 2400 women as a National Executive Director with BeautiControl. Leigh Ann's greatest asset is her heart for others and a desire to minister in the name of Christ."

Now, you try it. You are welcomed to leave it as a comment below. Or, maybe you just want to keep it to yourself. Remember, you must be brief. This is the challenge. You cannot tell their life story. You can only hit the most critical of highlights. You must condense all you feel about a person into a few words. Your turn.

"I always thank my God ..."

2008-11-24T19:54:00.000-08:00

The Corinthian Church was a difficult church at best. Paul had planted a number of churches that had to be a greater joy to pastor than the one in Corinth. Early in the first letter to the Corinthians Paul had to confront them about divisions in the church (chapter 1). They were immature (chapter 3) and arrogant though foolish. Immorality was rampant (chapter 5). They were bringing lawsuits against each other (chapter 6). The marriages of its members were in trouble (chapter 7). They flaunted their freedoms in a way that was harmful to new followers of Christ (chapter 8). Idolatry was a problem (chapter 10). They had confusion in their worship services and showed up drunk for the Lord's Supper observances (chapter 11). They were abusing spiritual gifts and had gaping divisions (chapter 12). They apparently didn't even love each other (chapter 13). They could not even get the gospel right nor could they agree on the resurrection of Christ (chapter 15). They struggled when it came to giving in the church (chapter 16).

That's enough to send any pastor into depression. We (among the pastor brethren) call these kinds of churches "preacher killers". How frustrating! How difficult!

So, what did Paul think about this group of trouble-makers?

4 I always thank my God for you because of God’s grace given to you in Christ Jesus, 5 that by Him you were made rich in everything—in all speaking and all knowledge— 6 as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you, 7 so that you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ. 8 He will also confirm you to the end, blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God is faithful; by Him you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
1 Cor 1:4-9 (HCSB)

"I thank my God for you ..." Wow! Now that's a perspective. How? Why?

Because Paul chose to focus on the evidences of God's grace in their lives.

As a church staff, we have been starting all staff meetings recently with "evidences of God's grace". We share the little things (as well as the big things) we see God doing in and through our church. It's easy to get focused on the challenges and the things (and people) that are not meeting our expectations. So we are choosing to be intentional about looking for and celebrating and "always thanking our God" for all evidence of God's grace.

This year it will be easy to focus on all that is wrong / bad / negative in our lives. Why not look for those evidences of God's grace in our lives and celebrate those. We have much for which to be thankful. It's a matter of perspective.

Have a great Thanksgiving season and beyond!

The redundancy of "radical"

2008-11-18T12:28:00.000-08:00

Our mission statement at ClearView is: ClearView exists to make radical disciples focused on making God known to the ends of the earth. For churches to have mission or vision statements is really not needed since Jesus gave us clear marching orders. (see Matthew 28:19 and Acts 1:8 among other passages) But I suppose the exercise of writing (re-writing) our own words can be helpful.

Notice in the statement for ClearView the use of the word "radical". In thinking through the best way to make clear our mission this word kept floating back to the top of my mind. I hesitated using it for several reasons. First, because most people are fine with "status quo" but "radical" sort of turns them off. I understand that when it comes to "radical" tv watcher or "radical" mom or "radical" boss. It sounds strange in those contexts. We don't really want to stand out and to be "radical" by definition will cause us to stand out.

But the primary reason I hesitated using the word is because it is redundant when used with "disciple". Somewhere we lost the idea that being a disciple of Christ IS radical. To follow Him calls for us to be different (strange / radical) from the rest of the world. Our cultural christianity (whereby we say "I'm a Christian" enough that we think that makes us one without sacrifice or different world values or making other disciples) has lulled us to sleep. By (biblical) definition to be a Christian is to be radical. I guess we could have used words like "strange" / "different" / "weird" / "crazy", but "radical" says it.

Why is the church so anemic today? Because we are full of cultural Christians who look just like the people around them who do not even claim to follow Christ.

We need radical disciples. People who give sacrificially. People who share their faith boldly. People who make decisions based on a biblical worldview, not what their peers say is right. People who look different when you look them in the eyes (not based on what they wear). People who spend more time with their Bibles open reading it than they spend in front of the TV or on one of these things (computer). People who reflect God's character in their honesty / faithfulness / fairness / love. We need ... weird people for Christ ... but that doesn't sound good in a mission statement. So for now, we will use "radical".

A Wordle of Nehemiah 3 message

2008-11-15T17:43:00.001-08:00

Wordle is a toy for generating “word clouds” from text that you provide. The clouds give greater prominence to words that appear more frequently in the source text. If you click on the Wordle above you will see an enlarged Wordle of my notes for my message November 16 on Nehemiah 3.

My favorite worship song (this week)

2008-11-14T15:18:00.000-08:00

No comments to add. Just enjoy. I love the passion of this song.

Lisbon Trip

2008-11-11T06:28:00.000-08:00

This has been my view of the world from our hotel room each morning of this past week. Portugal is a beautiful old (very old) country. Our hotel was located in the heart of downtown Lisbon (the capital and city of 3,000,000). We saw a monestary, a massive cathedral, the world's largest collection of coaches (as in horse and coach) a beautiful port city, and lots of shopping. More than anything else, Leigh Ann and I had some great couple time making lots of memories.

Here are a few pictures (out of 200+).

Cloister in monestary

Monks are shorter than me :-). This is a door to one of their sleeping quarters.

The coach that inspired Walt Disney's Cindarella coach.

Two love birds in an incredibly romantic coastal city in Portugal.

Typical street in Sintra ... much shopping, so Leigh Ann loved it.

Trip to Portugal

2008-11-02T18:41:00.001-08:00

This post almost didn't happen. I hesitate to mention it, but Leigh Ann and I will be leaving for Lisbon, Portugal tomorrow morning for a week. I hesitate to mention it because this one is not a mission trip, but a pleasure trip. I feel a bit awkward as a Pastor at times taking such a trip. But this is a trip Leigh Ann's company has given us as a reward trip for Leigh Ann's hard work this year. We have been on several of these annual awards trips and they are always a real blessing. I have posted photo albums on my facebook page from previous such trips.

I think there will be some long periods of silence on this one. Our itenerary tells us that the first night will be some kind of music concert at which it is rude to talk. Then one afternoon we visit a monastary (which I am fired up about no kidding!). We will see other sites. Lisbon is known as the city on 7 hills. It is the western most capital in Europe which means our flight will be a bit shorter than some previous trips.

Anyway, I wanted you to know why I was going silent for a few days. See ya when we return. Thanks to all of you stop by on a regular basis.

Teens dropping out of church

2008-10-29T08:58:00.000-07:00

I was reading Essential Church by Thom and Sam Rainer (father and son). Both men do extensive research on the church today. The overall theme of this book is to reveal the research done on why we lose so many young adults to the church between the ages of 18 and 22. Many of them dropping out long before that. Obvisously, the book speaks to leaders of churches as to what churches can do, but as a Dad as well as a Pastor I was struck by chapter 4 (A New Spin on Hypocrisy). The big idea of the chapter is that no matter what the church does, it stands little chance of holding on to this generation during these years if there has been a disconnect between what the parents say they believe about church and God and what they live. Most of us would guess church attendance by the parents would directly impact the church attendance of their children as they leave home. To some degree they found this to be true. However, if the parents attend church and speak positively about the church, but do not live out their faith and talk about their faith in the home, we lose astounding percentages of these kids when they become young adults. It's not just church attendance, but it is a life that demonstrates that church makes a difference in the lives of the parents.

Watch this video and be reminded ...

The gift of tongues

2008-10-25T14:47:00.001-07:00

I apologize it has been so long between posts. We will pick up the pace with these three behind us. This is the third and final post in a trilogy in response to some questions my cousin in Australia asked: Alcohol, role of women in the church, and the gift of tongues.

The “gift of tongues” has been a matter that is as disputed as any in the church today. More than any other area people tend to rely on experience over the authority of God’s Word when determining what they believe about tongues. This is a great reminder that no matter what our experience, we stand under the authority of God’s Word, not over it.

I would also remind us before looking into question of speaking in tongues, this is a disputable matter. There have been bible believing Christians with various views on this subject. So, as a disputable matter, we will have grace with one another as we deal with this one.

What is the meaning of “gift of tongues”?
In the New Testament there are two lists of “gifts” listed in which the gift of tongues is included (1 Corinthians 12:8-11; 1 Corinthians 12:28-30). These gifts of the Spirit are distributed at the discretion of the Holy Spirit. While all Christ followers receive the gift of the Spirit, individual Christians do not have all the gifts of the Spirit.

The term that is used to identify the tongues movement is “glossolalia,” made up of two Greek words, glossa (language or tongue) and lalia (speech). It therefore means speaking in languages or tongues. Glossology is that department of anthropology which has to do with the study and classification of languages and dialects. The Holman Christian Standard Bible most often translates this word “languages”. The only time Jesus mentions “tongues” or “languages” (Mark 16:17) He adds the adjective “new”. He predicted there would be those that would speak new languages. If I were to say Portuguese is a “new language” for me you would understand it is a language that is not native to me and one I am having to learn. Acts 2:4 uses a different adjective when it says the spoke in “different languages”. It simply means different from what they normally spoke. Context confirms this interpretation (Acts 2:6-8).

The problem with this interpretation is a bit more challenging when one reads many of the translations of 1 Corinthians 14:2, 4, 13, 14, and 19. Many translations insert the word “unknown” into the English text. The problem is that “unknown” is not in the original text. In every place the word is used it means “languages”. The Greek word “laleo” always means “speech”. It is never used to mean unintelligible sound(s). Therefore it is a strange interpretation to make the speaking of “tongues” in the New Testament anything other than someone speaking in a language other than their own.

Is speaking in tongues proof of baptism by the Holy Spirit?
No. Scripture is clear that every believer has been baptized by the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:13). When the question is asked in 1 Corinthians 12:30 if every believer is to speak in tongues (“languages”), it is obvious the answer is “No”. We need to be careful we do not confuse baptism by the Spirit with “being filled with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18).

Related to this question could be a discussion of the fruit of the Spirit. The fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) are evidences of being filled with the Spirit. However, as no “gift of the Spirit” is ever listed as evidence of being controlled (‘filled’) with the Spirit this would include the gift of “tongues” or “languages”.

Does the gift of tongues still exist today?
This is where much of the controversy exists in the church over this subject. Persons that hold that the “sign gifts” (tongues, healing, prophecy, etc.) do not still exist today are known as Cessationists. I do not consider myself a pure Cessationist. However, I do believe the sign gifts we see listed in 1 Corinthians 12 are not in the same form we see them in the New Testament. For example, the gift of healing as displayed in the “in-the-name-of-Jesus-rise-and-walk” in Acts were not widespread as we see that only in the lives of the Apostles. We see less of this in the later chapters of Acts as the church became more established. But I do see certain individuals that seem to have a gift of praying for others in a way that leads to healing more often than others.

The reason for the lengthy discussion in 1 Corinthians 12 related to tongues is because this was an area the Corinthians were having difficulty. It was dividing their church. They were lacking in the fruit of love (see 1 Corinthians 13). Paul explained in this chapter that love superceded all the gifts.

1 Corinthians 13:8 is a bit problematic for non-cessationists. It says, “as for languages (tongues), they will cease”. It will come to an end. Cessationists believe that time has already occurred. Others believe that time will not come until the return of Christ. I have already explained my view in this post. Maybe you can see the need for grace in all such discussions. It does seem there would be no need for such a gift today if the understanding of the term is one of “new language”.

Well, how do we account for the widespread use of unintelligible tongues we see today? I would offer three possibilities. They can be self-induced, group-produced, or Satan-induced. Satan has been actively attempting to divide the church in any way possible. We are to be about the business of edifying the church.

The Church of Jesus Christ does not need a new Bible, nor new apostles, nor new faith-healers, nor new charismatic movements, nor self-styled miracle workers. What the Church needs is to return to the Word of God and proclaim the whole counsel of God in the power and love of the Holy Spirit.

Women's Roles in the Local Church

2008-10-11T16:02:00.001-07:00

OK, I know it has been too long since my last post. But I knew I wanted to get this one behind me, so I waited as I prepared. It's a little lengthy, but the subject demands some length. Here goes.

Let’s begin by affirming the role of women in ministry throughout all of history. I have said publicly several times I thank God for women picking up the load on a number of fronts in the church throughout history. And I don’t just mean exercising the gifts of diaper changing and kitchen duty. From a human standpoint, they have kept the Church of Jesus Christ moving forward at times when men have taken a passive role.

If Scripture (not culture or human opinion) is our authority (and it is) we want to think biblically about all areas of our lives and churches. What is the role of women in the church? Does Scripture in any way limit the role of women in the church?

There are two primary camps related to this topic. The Egalitarian camp believes women are equal to men in both essence and function. The Complementarian camp argues that women are equal to men in essence, but that men are to be the leaders in the church. As with most controversial issues, you have extremes of both camps.

Please allow me to be clear early in this post. This doctrine (role of women in the church) is not a cardinal doctrine. In other words, no one’s salvation hangs in the balance based on their view. However, this issue is very important to the health of the church (the Bride of Christ). In other words whether or not one holds an egalitarian or complementarian view, you may still be saved. But whether or how much growth can take place is in part due to how you handle this issue. What you believe about when the Rapture will take place has no impact on how we are to serve and minister together in the local church, but what we believe about this issue directly impacts how we behave in the local church.

The primary passages in question in most discussions on this topic are Galatians 3:28; 1 Timothy 2; and 1 Corinthians 14:34. Egalitarian tend to hold to what is called Trajectory Theology, which in brief, is a method of interpreting Scripture which finds progressive change in application of Scripture in the trajectory of time beyond the completion of the New Testament. That simply means rather than interpreting Scripture in light of it’s historical setting, they believe it should be interpreted and applied in light of the current culture. In light of that, they believe Galatians 3:28 was Paul’s “prediction” of the ultimate goal of men and women equal in essence AND in function. Trajectory Theology is full of holes. What is the finality to which we are to take the passage? Who has the authority to make these decisions?

On this issue specifically, there are several difficulties with this view. One of the major problems an egalitarian would have with trajectory theology related to Galatians 3:28 is that Galatians was not the last letter Paul wrote. In fact, many believe it to be the first letter he wrote. So his latest view would be 1 Timothy since it was written at a later date. But an even larger problem is the context of Galatians 3. The passage is obviously speaking of equality in salvation. All Jews and Gentiles, men and women are all one in the way we are saved and the opportunity to be saved. The entire context of Galatians 3 is access to God through faith. Our access to God has no distinction by class, race, or gender! To make Galatians 3 an argument for no role distinction is to take one of the great cardinal doctrines of Scripture and dims it’s meaning by using it to argue for a lesser issue.

Further, if this passage erases social hierarchies then logic would take it to all social hierarchies. Therefore children would not need to obey their parents. But even egalitarians won’t accept such an application. Though their logic calls for it.

For the sake of space, let me state my position (obviously not egalitarian) and reasons why I hold this position. It can be effectively argued that a woman may hold any position in the local church other than that of elder. No matter ones view of elders almost no one will argue that Senior Pastor is not an elder. See 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1 for clear qualifications of elders. I will not go into the entire list, but only those which relate to this discussion.

Ephesians 5, 1 Peter 3 and other passages give us instructions that clearly indicate the male is the head of the household. 1 Timothy 3:4 and Titus 1:6 speak of an elder as one who manages his own household well and is the husband of one wife. Both impossible for women in the biblical structure of a home. One additional note here: While some women did prophesy in the Old Testament, never did a woman serve as a priest, which according to Leviticus 10:11; Deuteronomy 21:5; and Malachi 2:6-7 is where the people go to receive authoritative instruction. There are a number of arguments for male eldership in the local church which I won’t try to go into here due to space.

But there is one characteristic germane to the discussion of the roles of women in the local church and teaching. First of all, keep in mind the spiritual gifts are given by the Holy Spirit without regard to gender. This would include the gift of teaching. So what is the meaning of 1 Timothy 2 related to women and teaching? Keep in mind the bigger context. In the very next chapter (which was not originally in place) Paul goes into a long section of the letter on qualifications of elders. I believe Paul is setting up some of the argument he is going to make for male elders in chapter 3. I Timothy 3:2 says elders are to be able teachers. We know from Acts 15 that the elders were the ones to make doctrinal decisions for the body. This level of teaching and exhorting for the entire body is the responsibility of the elders. This expands the idea given in I Timothy 2:11-12. Women, whether in the home or in the church are not to be the ones with ultimate authority. Those roles are reserved for men.

What about 1 Corinthians 14:34 that states women are to be silent? Let’s keep in mind the Corinthian church was a mess! They had chaos in every area. They were drunk at the Lord’s Suppers. They had divisions over leadership. They had confusion in their public worship services related to speaking in tongues and apparently the women were usurping the authority of their husbands in the public setting of the church.

The leadership of each local church must wrestle with these issues. In our church we do have women that teach mixed gender classes. As long as it is under the authority of our elders with me (as Senior Pastor) leading I think we have biblical reasons for favor to do operate in this way. I will say however, if the men of the church use this as an excuse not to teach, it is not healthy for a church. But nowhere in Scripture can we make an argument for women as elders which includes Senior Pastor of a local church. While this is not a complete discussion of the issues, I believe it will sets our position clearly.

One more thing ...

2008-09-29T19:55:00.000-07:00

I guess I'm going technology crazy. I am adding one more application to this blog. If you scroll down you will find an area in the right hand side bar I am calling Sunday evening reflections. When I get it all figured out you will find a brief (less than a minute) audio recording here. I will post a new one each Sunday evening. It may simply be a reflection of something from the services that morning. It may be a reminder of something important for our church family. It may just be to tell you how much you mean to me. Who knows? (I don't ... yet).

I am making an effort to communicate with each of you as often as possible and as clearly as possible. The application I am using is called Utterli. You do not have to be a subscriber to utterli to hear these postings. When I get it functioning, you can click on the play button directly on this site and listen. Again, these will be VERY brief each week.

What the Bible Says About Alcohol?

2008-09-21T19:32:00.000-07:00

I have an extended family member who is a missionary. Recently, she hit me up on Facebook to ask me some questions about what the Bible says about 3 areas. I have been scrambling to find the time to respond. Since I write here about different issues, I thought I would answer her questions on the blog (my cousin reads it regularly). I thought some of you might find the answers helpful as you wrestle with some of these questions. I will warn you, these are not 3 easy areas to address in today’s society and church. So, I will stick with what the Bible says on each subject. This will be a short series on this blog. The three subjects: Alcohol, role of women in church, and the gift of tongues.

One request: Please read all the way to the end of each post, no matter your view. I will add some personal thoughts at the end.

Let’s start with an easy one (LOL): Alcohol. So, what does Scripture say about alcohol?

Let me get this part on the table right up front. Nowhere does the Bible prohibit the use of alcohol in all circumstances. In other words, nowhere does the Bible say you are to avoid alcohol completely. However, Scripture gives a number of very strong warnings about its use.

Let’s begin with this thought. Drunkenness is a sin, not a disease. We talk about those that regularly overindulge in alcohol as if they are simply ill in the same way we might speak of someone with cancer or heart disease. What does Scripture say?
1 Cor. 6:9-12 9 Do you not know that the unjust will not inherit God’s kingdom? Do not be deceived: no sexually immoral people, idolaters, adulterers, male prostitutes, homosexuals, 10 thieves, greedy people, drunkards, revilers, or swindlers will inherit God’s kingdom. 11 Some of you were like this; but you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. 12 “Everything is permissible for me,” but not everything is helpful. “Everything is permissible for me,” but I will not be brought under the control of anything.
Drunkards (we use the term alcoholics) is listed right up there with thieves and the sexually immoral. Not that everyone who drinks is a drunkard, but where there is no alcohol, there are no drunkards / alcoholics.

Second, alcohol impairs wisdom.
Prov. 31:4 4 It is not for kings, Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine or for rulers [to desire] beer
Those with big responsibility (kings) were forbidden to drink all forms of alcohol. Why? Think it through. They had the greatest of responsibilities. At no time would they wish to be in a state of mind where they could not make clear decisions. The next verse says:
Proverbs 31:5 Otherwise, they will drink, forget what is decreed, and pervert justice for all the oppressed.
I would take the position that too much is dependent on the wisdom of all of us. OK, so you are not a king. Maybe you are “just” a father or “just” a mother.
The Old Testament is clear the priests were not to drink (8 The Lord spoke to Aaron: 9 “You and your sons are not to drink wine or beer when you enter the tent of meeting, or else you will die; this is a permanent statute throughout your generations. Lev 10:8-9 (HCSB)}
Those taking a Nazarite Vow were commanded not to drink (When a man or woman makes a special vow, a Nazirite vow, to consecrate himself to the Lord, 3 he is to abstain from wine and beer. He must not drink vinegar made from wine or from beer. Num 6:2-3 (HCSB))
John the Baptist (forerunner of Christ and great prophet) was forbidden to drink. (15 For he will be great in the sight of the Lord and will never drink wine or beer. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit while still in his mother’s womb. Luke 1:15 (HCSB))
Scientifically, we know that even small amounts of alcohol slows response times. One ounce of alcohol slows decision making time by 10%.

Next, alcohol is an unnecessary drug. An informed debater would point out Proverbs 31:6-7 which says, “6 Give beer to one who is dying, and wine to one whose life is bitter. 7 Let him drink so that he can forget his poverty and remember his trouble no more.” What is the meaning of this passage? Sounds like we should be handing out alcohol. A couple of thoughts. First, notice this is not for individual consumption where a person might down with a 6 pack or a glass of wine at the end of a hard day to take the edge off. This person referred to in Proverbs is “one whose life is bitter”. It’s the kind of experience like losing a child, or just finding out you have terminal cancer, or having your house burn to the ground losing all your personal belongings. This is not someone who had a bad day at the office. Keep in mind, this was before the days we would prescribe drugs for such things. The command is that we are to share alcohol with one who desperately needs it to get through a mind altering event. Not as a regular nerve drug. However, today we have medications that can be accurately prescribed with accountability for such things. An interesting note here is Jesus’ response at the point of greatest personal pressure in all of history: His death on a cross bearing the sin of the world. (34 they gave Him wine mixed with gall to drink. But when He tasted it, He would not drink it. Matt 27:34 (HCSB)) The single greatest coping mechanism known to man is the peace that comes through knowing you are in the center of God’s will, which Christ clearly was.

Next, alcohol is destructive. It cannot be argued that alcohol can lead to some diseases. (Of course, this could be said of many things we consume :-)) (1 Corinthians 6:19-20 19 Do you not know that your body is a sanctuary of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body) Paul could have said, "Your soul" or "Your spirit" is the sactuary of the Holy Spirit. But he did not. He said "your body" (physical body).
Alcoholism is a factor in 30% of all completed suicides. 7% of those with alcohol dependence die of suicide. Some estimates are as high as $100 billion / year to society in alcohol abuse related expenses. Alcohol related accidents cost taxpayers 21 – 24 billion dollars a year in America. Some estimates are much higher. This does not include higher insurance premiums we all pay due to the problem.
Enough statistics, what does the Bible say? (Proverbs 23:29-30 29 Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has conflicts? Who has complaints? Who has wounds for no reason? Who has red eyes? 30 Those who linger over wine, those who go looking for mixed wine) There are 6 results of alcohol use in these verses. None of them are good or positive in any way.
But he goes on: Prov. 23:31-34 31 Don’t gaze at wine when it is red, when it gleams in the cup and goes down smoothly.32 In the end it bites like a snake and stings like a viper. 33 Your eyes will see strange things, and you will say absurd things. 34 You’ll be like someone sleeping out at sea or lying down on the top of a ship’s mast.
Maybe I’m a bit weird (OK, so I am a bit weird), but I don’t really like being bitten by a snake or a viper. And I know, many who may read this would say, “But I don’t abuse alcohol.” I’m sure that is true. It is certainly possible to consume alcohol and not abuse it. But it’s a dangerous game to play to say, “how close can I get to the edge and not fall over it?” Maybe if you take a drink every now and then you are probably 99% sure you will not fall off the cliff. But if I never take a drink I can assure you I am 100% sure I will not fall off that cliff.

Next, alcohol, by its nature is addictive. Prob. 23:35 35 “They struck me, but I feel no pain! They beat me, but I didn’t know it! When will I wake up? I’ll look for another [drink] .” The writer of Proverbs is saying the danger is that one given to drink will turn to alcohol in a time of stress. Why would one who belongs to Christ need to turn to anything other than Christ Himself?

Finally, wisdom calls me to set it aside. (Prov. 20:1 1 Wine is a mocker, beer is a brawler, and whoever staggers [led astray] because of them is not wise.) The Scripture does not prohibit its use, but it does recommend we avoid it.

This is what Scripture says. My conclusions for why I don’t use alcohol at all are as follows based on what Scripture teaches.

Life is full of choices to be made between good, better, and best. I’ve tried to be fair in stating that Scripture nowhere prohibits alcohol use in all circumstances. (There, I said it again J). I simply believe, based on what Scripture teaches it is the best choice for all the reasons above. I am fully aware there many devoted followers of Christ (some in the church I pastor) who do not see this the same way I do. Let me be clear: THIS IS NOT ONE OF THE ESSENTIALS of the faith. Therefore, it is certainly not a basis for parting fellowship. But I continue to come back to the question of, not what Mark thinks, but what does Scripture say?

I also do not drink alcohol because it’s not about me. We all love that line when it's about something that doesn't affect me personally. But really, it's not about me. Paul said it like this: Romans 14: 15-17 15 For if your brother is hurt by what you eat, you are no longer walking according to love. By what you eat, do not destroy that one for whom Christ died. 16 Therefore, do not let your good be slandered, 17 for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.
Romans 14:2121 It is a noble thing not to eat meat, or drink wine, or do anything that makes your brother stumble.
As a mature believer, we make choices not for what is best for ME, but what is best for others.

I am fully aware it is in vogue today to speak of our liberties (freedoms) as Christians. It has become in vogue for church leaders (i.e., some pastors) to take a different position than I do on this one. Some of them are my friends. And our different positions on this one does not hinder that relationship. In the essentials, unity. In the non-essentials, liberty. In all things, charity.

Great Opportunity - Fireproof, the Movie

2008-09-20T14:46:00.000-07:00

SOLD OUT - that had to be close to a record!
We have a great ministry opportunity at ClearView. Actually, it's not AT ClearView, it is AT the Carmike Thoroughbred 20 - Cool Springs movie theatre. You can see the details below, followed by a movie trailer. I would love to see the place packed with ClearView folk bringing their friends and neighbors

A heroic fireman (Kirk Cameron) in a failing marriage takes up his father's challenge to be part of a 40-day experiment designed to teach both husband and wife the real meaning of commitment.
ClearView is sponsoring two nights of the new movie by the producers of "Facing the Giants" on Saturday, September 27 and Sunday, September 28.

When: Saturday, September 27 and Sunday, September 28 at the 7:00pm showings ONLY

Where: Carmike Thoroughbred 20 - Cool Springs

Tickets: ClearView has purchased a limited supply of advanced guaranteed tickets

Cost: $5 per ticket - non-refundable (reduced from $9.25)

Purchase point: ONLY in the ClearView atrium Sunday, September 21 & Sunday, September 28 or through the church office during the week. First come first served basis.
Special offer: If you take an unchurched friend to either of these showings, then their ticket is free as long as supplies last.

Special Childcare offer: ClearView will offer free childcare (birth-5th grade) on Sunday, September 28 from 5:00-9:30pm for those attending FIREPROOF. Enjoy a night out - dinner and a show. ADVANCED childcare reservations must be made by Noon on Thursday, September 25. Childcare reservations can be made when receiving your tickets.
This movie is rated PG.

Cancellation of second service ...

2008-09-15T12:52:00.000-07:00

This is the text we are attempting to get out to all the ClearView membership. In case you miss it ...

The first line in the message in the first service yesterday was to welcome everyone to a record setting day at ClearView. The line referred to the fact that we would cover 3 chapters in one message. Little did I know it would be an unusual day in more ways than one. As most of you know we had to cancel the second service due to a power failure.

We now know the power failure was due to a blown transformer in the area. In case you are curious, the power was restored at 11:31 according to the clock in the worship center. We made the decision to move forward with the cancellation of the service for several reasons. We did not want children in a dark building to feel any unnecessary uneasiness. With the construction of the new building several of the windows in the children and preschool area are boarded up. Obviously, this makes for very dark rooms when there is no power.

In addition, we knew the temperature in the worship center with no air conditioning would quickly become unbearable. If you were in the room when we made the decision to cancel the service you know it was already rising. With the numbers we were anticipating in worship we would have gotten to a very uncomfortable temperature in a short time. As an aside here, by all indicators we were heading for a record setting day in more ways than one yesterday. I believe we would have hit the 1600 mark in worship for the first time ever on a non-Easter Sunday. (bummer!)

The information we had from the electric company indicated it would be some time before power would be restored. All things considered I felt we made the right call. This leaves us with a couple of housekeeping matters.

First, let me give a big “thank you” to all the preschool and children’s teachers that were “in the dark” (pun intended) for a few minutes as to next steps. They stayed calm and I was told did an excellent job in keeping our children safe and secure as we thought through our options.

Second, if you were in the second service at the time of the announcement you know we did take an offering at the doors as we exited. However, we know we missed some that would have given. If you did not have the opportunity to give your offering, you can mail it to the church (537 Franklin Road, Franklin, TN 37069) or you may give on line at http://clearview.org.

Third, the message preached at the 9:30 service can be found on the internet at: http://www.clearview.org/custpage.cfm/frm/11320/sec_id/11320
If you do not have internet access but would like a CD of the message we will provide one at no cost. You can order your copy by emailing tanya@clearview.org or by calling the church office at 794-5488 and speaking with Tanya Jones.

Fourth, if you were to be in the second service you missed an important announcement that October 5, 2:00 – 4:30 the staff will be giving tours of the new building. We will have to ask that this be for middle school ages and up. Middle School kids must be accompanied by their parents. The building is safe enough for tours, but not safe enough to have children walk through. I hope you will all take advantage of this opportunity to see what is coming together on our front lawn!

Finally, thank you for your patience and understanding yesterday. Some have asked about generators. Well, ClearView has lost power on a Sunday only twice in the past 10 years. To power the entire campus with generators is cost prohibitive (though we are checking one again) for only two occasions per decade. The emergency lighting system does allow for a safe evacuation as we experienced yesterday.

God bless you. Have a great week. I will see you Wednesday or next Sunday.

Mark

Change

2008-09-14T19:23:00.001-07:00

I sent a tweet earlier today with a brief comment that Facebook and iTunes have made dramatic changes in their look recently. The Tennessean had an article today about the changes facebook recently made to their site. The title of the article is: Backlash Begins on Facebook's New Look. I almost had to laugh out loud. I have a facebook page. I have been one to click to change back to the old look every time I've had an option. But I think it is funny that the generations that use this site are the very ones that are supposedly the generations that have lived with change all their lives and therefore the generations that embrace change. What are we doing?

iTunes released iTunes 8.0. I downloaded it yesterday. It's very different from the previous versions. My first thought was, "Why did they change it? I like the old one just fine." Then I caught myself. What was I doing griping about change?

I've spent my entire adult life leading groups to make changes. I can't remember a single change I have asked people to make that I did not believe was going to beneficial to them or to the mission to which we had been called. Yet, my first thought when change was "imposed" on me was to ask, "What am I losing?" Why didn't I embrace these changes with gratitude that the leaders of these two tools were obviously making changes that they believed would enhance my experience with their offerings? But that's just not human nature.

I will get accustomed to the new changes made by facebook and iTunes. I will even like them better, no doubt, once I get used to them. I will even soon forget what the older looks were like.

The statement I made in the twitter was that change is not optional. It is a matter of survival these days. This is one of the reasons I most love God. He is unchangeable (I love that line in the worship song). When everything else around me is spinning seemingly out of control, I know God is always there and He never changes.

The world is changing. Expect it. Accept it. Deal with it.

God will never change. Know it. Count on it. Rejoice over it. Live at peace because of it.

Reluctant leadership ... just wondering

2008-09-12T07:14:00.000-07:00

Many of the leaders we see in Scripture were reluctant leaders. Moses is a case in point. When God gave Moses his assignment as leader of the Exodus, Moses began a fast backpeddle. To say he did not want the job as leader is an understatement. David was not looking for a leadership role when God brought Samuel into his life to anoint him the next king of Israel. Abraham was minding his own business when God told him to move out of Ur and head west. Peter was a fisherman when he was called to be one of the 12. A move that would later thrust him into the spotlight as a leader in the early church. The list goes on.

In thinking about this I have wondered why this is. There are many who long for a leadership role. In fact, they are almost obsessed with it. Do those that see leadership as something to be desired or a goal to obtain make better leaders? Are those that are reluctant weaker leaders? Are those that are reluctant more aware of their own blindspots and therefore make more effective leaders? How do reluctant leaders find themselves in leadership? Shouldn't anyone in leadership deeply wish to be in leadership? What % of people in leadership sought out that leadership position? What drives some to seek leadership?

The reluctant leaders mentioned in paragraph 1 above seem to have done quite well though reluctant when initially given their assignments.

Remember ...

2008-09-11T08:19:00.001-07:00

Just a reminder

2008-09-09T19:57:00.000-07:00

Are you giving it your best today or are you settling for less?

Spiritual leaders give it their best every day. The mission is too critical not to.

Kudos!

2008-09-07T19:03:00.001-07:00

I am sending out a shout-out to Robert Grimes and his Sunday School class. I have sent a soft challenge to those at ClearView reading this blog for some to sit in the two side wings on Sunday mornings. These are not the choicest seats in the house. They are too close to the front for one thing. Baptists just don't sit that close. But they are also on the side so that it feels like everyone is watching you (though they are not). Bottom line: Robert Grimes has led his class to sit in this section two Sundays in a row. We asked them to move to front and center Aug. 31 due to 140 middle schoolers who were out that weekend on a retreat.

Two words for Robert and his class: Thank you!!

One great day on a Labor Day weekend

2008-09-02T14:22:00.000-07:00

I confess, I really don't like Labor Day weekends as a Pastor. Just about the time you get a little momentum going as kids go back to school for the Fall, it's like someone suddenly lets the air out of the balloon. "Where did all those people go?" And you know it's coming every year.

But this year at ClearView was different. Yes, we were down a bit (OK, a lot) in attendance. But then came our day at Camp Widjiwagan. Wow! We still don't know how many ClearView-ites and guests showed up at this YMCA camp 35 - 40 minutes from our campus, but it was ginormous.

When John Duval first approached me with the idea of doing this churchwide event at the YMCA camp several thoughts crossed my mind. 1) It's too far, 2) It's Labor Day weekend for Heaven's sake, 3) Nobody does this kind of thing any more 4) But what do we have to lose ... maybe a couple of hundred will show, and 5) I'll get to go down the famous Wet Willy slide! But then John added something to it. He said, "Let's do a baptism service while we are there". Then I knew he had lost his mind for reasons 1-3 above.

I am thrilled to say I was wrong on all fronts. People turned out in numbers WAY beyond our expectations. The atmosphere was incredible. I watched as people interacted with others they had not seen in awhile or maybe never before due to our 3 Sunday School and 2 Worship Service schedule. It was obvious people were having a blast. Kids all over the place, banana boating, the blob, kayaking, canoeing, water slides, swings in the water as well as out of the water, and more. But best of all, we BAPTIZED 20 during our baptismal service at 5:00. With the 2 we baptized that morning at ClearView that is 22 BAPTISMS IN ONE DAY!! A record for ClearView. AND IT WAS LABOR DAY WEEKEND??!!??

To all of you that were there, thanks for making the trip. If you weren't there, we are still working to edit the video of the baptism service. Keep watching this blog. As soon as I get it, you will see it.

To Journey Johnson and his staff, thanks for an awesome day. And to John Duval, great idea!! (as I said all along :-)) I could grow to love Labor Day Weekends.

Ten thousand

2008-08-27T13:09:00.000-07:00

When I started this blog just a few days before the end of this past February, I had no idea that anyone would visit and read. But a number of you have been faithful to visit often. This has given me an opportunity to share my heart and vision on various issues. As we approach the 6 month anniversary of this blog it appears we will surpass the 10,000 hit mark some time in the next 24 hours. You can watch for yourself with the counter at the bottom of the page.

I just want to say "thanks" for stopping by. I really have no idea whether this number of hits in this amount of time is high or not as compared to other blogs. It doesn't really matter. I'm grateful for all of you who make this a regular part of your week. So, this if for you ... all of you.

Men and the church

2008-08-25T12:51:00.000-07:00

Speaking on leadership from Acts 20 yesterday I made some pretty pointed comments to the men related to their role as leaders in every area of life, including the church. I want to follow up a bit on those comments.

USA Today came out with an article last month on the discrepancy between the % of men v. women in churches today. ClearView is stronger in this area than the average church. We have a healthy ratio, I believe, in men to women.

I have heard several comments on this since the release of the article by USA Today and other media. I was in Belize this past March on a mission trip. We saw an extreme example of the problem of fewer men in church, but I believe it gives us some insight into what is going on here in the states in the same arena. In Belize, we might have had 20 - 30 adults inside the church building during services. Maybe 4 or 5 of those would be men. However, if you looked just outside the door of the church there would be another 10 - 15 men sitting in bicycles listening to all that was going on. I saw that as a snapshot of what is going on in the church in America.

Why would these men simply sit outside during service and not enter the building? Were they afraid of the building? I don't think so. We had a men's dinner one night and 45 men showed up to eat dinner in the very building they would sit outside of on Sundays and for other worship services.

But the decorations inside the church screamed, "this is for women only". They had flowers on the podium and lace curtains (big ones) behind the pulpit. The night we had the men's dinner they brought out some speakers and played (very loud) some contemporary christian music (it was in Spanish, but I asked and they said it was Christian) the guys could relate to. I asked why they didn't play the same music for their worship services. Never really got a clear answer to that one. But I can't tell you how often someone there bemoaned the fact that so few men would come to church.

With leadership in the church having been abdicated over the centuries by men to women, we have seen a feminization of church. I have preached in hundreds of churches over the past 20 years. Many of the dying churches especially decry the lack of involvement by the men in the church. Many were smaller and struggling churches. Women had taken most of the leadership roles. So guess what services felt like? They felt like women designed and produced them. There would be flowers in the front of the church. The choir wore robes with stoles (I think that's what you call them) that matched the carpet and walls. On a couple of occasions I had to politely refuse to wear a flower if I were asked to preach on Easter. The worship folder covers (bulletins) would have pictures of flowers or some open field with ... flowers. [As a side note, please don't send flowers to my funeral. Give $$ to a ministry of some kind if you feel the need to give something.] Words like "precious" and "sweet" are thrown around in music and sermons. Great for women but men don't use that kind of language in their every day lives. And then we wonder, "Where did all the men go?" "Why don't more men come to church?"

This is one reason I love preaching in a room that transforms into a gym during other days of the week. It doesn't feel so ... well ... feminine. Along the same lines, I am grateful for a worship leader who is a man's man. Michael Smith leads worship that men, as well as women, can relate to. Drums and guitars are simply more masculine than a pipe organ.

Men, God called us to lead. So let's lead. As we learned yesterday, we lead with a humble spirit, with compassion and love for those God has placed in our care. Men's men stepping up to the plate will propel any church into a better future for Christ. Reach the men and the family will follow.

I would end with this. Thank God for the women who have and who do step up. Without them, no telling what kind of mess we would be in our churches. I am appreciative of all they do and will do. This is not about women backing down from all they do. This is about men stepping up to what we have been called to do ... lead!

To twitter or not to twitter

2008-08-21T20:10:00.000-07:00

That is indeed the question. I've answer it for now. I am twittering. For some of you twitter is a familiar word. For others it is new.

Here is the statement from twitter.com web site related to the purpose of this somewhat new technology:
Twitter is a service for friends, family, and co–workers to communicate and stay connected through the exchange of quick, frequent answers to one simple question: What are you doing?

In layman's terms it means intermittently throughout the day, I will "twitter" what I am doing at that moment. What I am thinking or doing at that moment. Now, I will warn you, I have followed a couple of twitters for several weeks. It can be funny. It can be informative. It can be downright silly at times. It can even be annoying. You can sign up by going to the twitter website here. You can have the twitter sent to your web only. Or you can have it sent to your mobile phone as well as the web. It will come in as a text message. For those that follow my facebook page, my status will now be updated via twitter ... I think (at least I tried to set that up).

I will be learning to send photos via twitter when I get my email fixed on my blackberry. So from time to time you will get a candid shot with comments. It's still new technology to me so I will be learning for a few days.

One more thing. When you sign on and search for me under my name. There are currently four Mark Marshalls (who knew?). Mine is mxmarsh.

Why do I feel between facebook, the blog, ClearView's site, and now twitter I am walking into the heart of the Matrix. If you like communication and information, here it is :-).

Two great Sundays

2008-08-19T19:24:00.001-07:00

The past two Sundays were just incredible at ClearView. When we had over 1540 in worship August 10, I wondered if we could better that on the 17th. Well, we hit over 1570 in worship on the 17th. Wow! These are record breaking back to back Sundays. The only time we have had larger crowds has been Christmas and Easter. We have never had two weeks back to back like this. I am so grateful for all God is doing. More than the numbers in worship have been the numbers responding that they wish to become members of CV and / or know more about a relationship with Christ. We had several families and individuals respond via the famous "tear offs" over the past few weeks.

If you are reading this as a member of CV I need your help. We have a couple of wing sections of seats down front near the stage. Maybe you could talk 10 or 12 of your closest friends to join you in sitting in them. I know, I'm asking a lot of my favorite people (my blog readers :-)). Really, I won't call on you or spit on you if you choose to sit down front.

Also, we definitely went over time this past Sunday during the first service which created a MAJOR bottleneck in the hallways. We will aim at getting out much earlier this week and eliminate this problem. Please spread the word.

If you get this before tomorrow night (Wednesday night) we think we have solved our space challenges we have encountered on Wednesday nights. Who would have ever thought we would have space issues on Wednesdays. You guys are awesome!!! I can't wait to see you tomorrow night!