Two non-Church-related items to open our time this week:

First, Shaun Kiel and I want to invite the men of Life Answers to BW3 for 1/2 price wings this coming Tuesday evening. We'll meet at the BW3 in Streetsboro at 7:00 pm. Some in our number claimed that a previous man-visit to Panera was a little sissy. Nothing sissy about BW3! Hope to see you there.

Secondly, because Matt mentioned it in class, here's the Veggie Tales rendition of the history of St. Patrick's Day:

Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus and, after digging through it, lowered the mat the paralyzed man was lying on. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven."
Mark 2:4-5

Last Sunday's ABF Recap:
rg & mk

Mark 2

We began with a short review of how to study the Bible that we began last week. The better our Observation of the scriptures is, the better we'll be able to Interpret (What was the Author saying?) and Apply (How does this work in my life?) the scriptures.

During the course of our time together, three of the Classical Spiritual Disciples emerged as underlying themes: Study, Solitude and Meditation. Meditation is where the work of studying the Bible is found. Not eastern mediation, but spending time contemplating the Word. Solitude is getting away from busy-ness and spending time with only the Holy Spirit and the Word (we touched on this at the beginning of our Death By Suburb series). You'll notice if you follow the links above that Richard Foster's book, Celebration of Discipline, is mentioned several times. If you read Death By Suburb and you wanted to dig deeper into the material that David Goetz touched on, Celebration of Discipline is the next step.

As I read the story of the paralytic there are a number of things that come to mind. In particular, how do we come to Jesus?

The first way that we come to Jesus is as an individual (v.1-3). There is an important comparison between the Paralytic and the crowd. The crowd is mentioned forty-plus times throughout the book of Mark. It is always portrayed as passive and fickle; it never believes; and it is generally obstructive. However, the Paralytic's encounter with Jesus is extremely personal. You and I must deal with Jesus on the individual level. Christianity cannot be some 'cultural' thing. Don't just be another face in the crowd.

The second way that we come to Jesus is in a position of desperation (v.4-5a). The friends of the paralytic are willing to do anything to get to Jesus. Yaconelli states, "The New Testament is filled with desperate people—people who barged into private dinners, screamed at Jesus until they had his attention, or destroyed the roof of someone's house to get to him. People who are desperate for spirituality very seldom worry about the mess they make on their way to be with Jesus."

Finally, we come to Jesus with a longing for hope (v.5b-12). While the paralytic desires that Jesus would heal his physical need, Jesus addresses a much deeper problem. He forgives his sin. In essence Jesus is saying, "Hold on a minute. You're physical state matters, but you have an even greater need. I could simply heal you, but you'd find yourself still in want. The void would still exist. However, let's deal with your core problem. You are a spiritual wreck!" If you are like me, I pray for things that I think I need. Maybe for you it's that new job, new car, or getting married. There's nothing wrong with any of this, but it's not your greatest need. Whether you realize it or not, you are desperate for Jesus.

You can't come to Jesus in your own self-reliance. We come to Jesus out of total desperation; when we come to the end of ourselves; when we realize that we can't do it on our own. This is the position that Jesus honors throughout the New Testament -- those who realize their own need. It is the religious elite who frustrate the basic kingdom reality of desperation. Therefore, we come to Jesus in our defeat rather than in our victory. That is to say, we approach the King on our knees (or in this case, our mat) not in our chariot.

Read Mark 2-3 for next week. (Click here for Mark 2-3 from The Message.)

From the Cultural Observation file:

Barna: Changes in Worldview Among Christians over the Past 13 Years

Varying numbers of Americans embrace the different aspects of biblical worldview thinking. The survey found that:

• One-third of all adults (34%) believe that moral truth is absolute and unaffected by the circumstances. Slightly less than half of the born again adults (46%) believe in absolute moral truth.
• Half of all adults firmly believe that the Bible is accurate in all the principles it teaches. That proportion includes the four-fifths of born again adults (79%) who concur. Just one-quarter of adults (27%) are convinced that Satan is a real force. Even a minority of born again adults (40%) adopt that perspective.
• Similarly, only one-quarter of adults (28%) believe that it is impossible for someone to earn their way into Heaven through good behavior. Not quite half of all born again Christians (47%) strongly reject the notion of earning salvation through their deeds.
• A minority of American adults (40%) are persuaded that Jesus Christ lived a sinless life while He was on earth. Slightly less than two-thirds of the born again segment (62%) strongly believes that He was sinless.
• Seven out of ten adults (70%) say that God is the all-powerful, all-knowing creator of the universe who still rules it today. That includes the 93% of born again adults who hold that conviction.

Pew Research Center:
Losing Wealth, Finding God?

Contrary to recent media reports suggesting that the country's economic troubles have led to higher levels of church attendance, a Pew Forum analysis of polls by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press finds that while the Dow Jones Industrial Average has shed over half its value since October 2007, there has been no increase in weekly worship service attendance during the same time period.

• ~REPORT~: Continued prayer for Wyatt Hunter, and his parents, Patrick & Marissa McGlone. They ask specifically for "an easy transition to having him at home finally and Marissa's continued healing from her c-section."
• Several of our number have been laid off of work recently, and others are looking fore new jobs to take a pre-emptive strike. Pray for the LORD to provide both opportunity and encouragement.
• Aynsley's sister recently became engaged, and there have been some struggles with the engagement. Aynsley specifically requested prayer for the LORD to help her give good advice to her sister when she asks. ~REPORT~: Progress has been made! Aynsley thanks you for your prayers.
• Jessica Kiel's sister is due in April. Jessica asked for prayer for a healthy delivery.
• ~REPORT~: Staci Szugye thanks you for your prayers and asks for continued quick healing.
  Specifically from Staci:

  "Well the good news is the fracture still hasn't displaced which means it should heal ok. Bad news is the cast is on until the monday after easter - 4/13... Little did I know I would be giving up the use of my left hand for Lent this year..."

• My brother-in-law started a new business in January and I'm asking for prayer for the LORD to provide clients for him.
• Many marriages are represented within the ABF. Pray for healthy, God-honoring marriages.
• Matt Koons, and the rest of HCC's leadership.

Fear
Joe Coffey

There is fear in the air. If dogs can smell fear then the dogs in my neighborhood and in yours are probably getting a noseful. Along with the normal things people fear there are the added fears of an unstable economy and a shrinking job market. Fear can make you do things you would not ordinarily do. I remember walking along with my wife Karen years ago. We were holding hands and walking along the side of a road. I heard the faint jingling of metal and my mind searched to try to match the sound with something I could identify. I heard it again and this time it was closer. It finally hit me that the sound was the sound of a dog collar and it seemed like a big dog. I realized it must now be almost right behind us and I was hit with a full dose of raw fear. Without thinking I swung around to confront the dog. I swung in such a way that Karen was put directly between me and the dog. It was a tough thing to try to explain.

Fear can make you do things you would not ordinarily do. I have been thinking about I John 4:18 where John says, "Perfect love casts out fear." The thing that has hit me is that I am perfectly loved and if you know Jesus as your Savior you are too. This love is not based on my performance but on the sacrifice of Jesus which means I can never lose it. It is the God of the universe who has declared that I am the apple of his eye. I wonder if I would be concerned about the economy if Bill Gates was my dad. I doubt it. But the God of the universe, the One who makes Bill Gates look like a pauper, has said that I am His son.

I guess what I am saying is that my fear or lack thereof is directly connected to what I really think of God. As the economy shrinks my view of God has got to get bigger. My understanding of his love for me has got to become more realistic. He has said he loves me with an everlasting love and if that is true then what can possibly make me afraid. The economy may be jingling in your ear. It may sound like a big dog coming for you. But remember the hand you are holding is not mine but the Lord God Almighty. He has already shown he is willing to lay down his life for you. There is no way he will give you over to the dogs now.

Do not be afraid.

Whether you filled out your bracket stegically, or mentally weighed the strengths of an Aggie vs. a Cougar or a Bulldog vs. a Kangaroo, have fun over the next couple of days.

Enjoy your week. Send an encouraging e-mail to a friend.

RG