Author: Chris Luzio

I guess it shouldn’t surprise us that good news is quickly followed by bad news. Shortly after an angel declared, “I bring you good news of a great joy which shall be for all the people,” and the magi came from the east asking, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews,” Herod was moved with jealousy and lied in an attempt to remove the King he thought to be a threat to his throne.

I’m sorry to have to report that in similar fashion, the good news we received from Haiti has been followed by what appears on the surface to be bad news. I wouldn’t even share it with you during this time of year, but everyone who is supporting a student at Haitian Christian Ministries has probably received a letter that makes serious charges against the current leadership of the mission.

Shortly after we started supporting the mission, the founder, Manno Laguerre, unexpectedly passed away. For a time the leadership passed to his widow, Prisca. When the board noticed a lack of transparency and accountability in the finances of the mission, Prisca was asked to make some changes. She refused to do so, and was eventually asked to step down from leadership.

When Mark and I met with the chairman of the board and the two lead pastors a couple of months ago, we were thrilled to hear of the progress the mission was making. Not only are more children being served, but new churches are being planted in Northern Haiti. We were impressed by the straightforward answers to the questions we asked by the chairman and Pastor Paul, who is now heading up the mission in Haiti. We are confident that the mission is in good hands.

The letter that many of you received from Prisca is apparently the result of hurt and bitterness, and after conferring with Mark Zimmerman, who is on the board, we can assure you that the accusations are a misrepresentation of the facts. We are very thankful for the opportunity to be supporting a very effective ministry in Haiti, and appreciate your confidence in the elders who oversee the generous mission giving of our congregation.

God Bless, Rick

I have an offer for the first eleven people who take me up on it. And of course, like every offer that gets made on TV, this one comes with strings attached. But unlike the free offers on TV, there are no handling and processing fees hidden in this offer. All it will require of you is a commitment of 15-20 minutes a day for the next year.
If you haven’t guessed what this is all about, it’s about reading through the Bible in a year. But even more, it’s about reading through a Bible that I will personally buy for you. I know that’s hard to believe, especially the “that I will personally buy for you” part, but it’s true!

A couple of years ago Marilyn, Nikki, and Grace all read through The One Year Chronological Bible and really enjoyed it. This year I’m doing so, and I really love it…even though it isn’t in my favorite translation.

A chronological Bible is one that attempts to put the books, chapters, and even verses of the Bible in the order that related events actually happened. It puts everything in chronological order so you can follow the flow of history and see how everything fits together. It also means that accounts that were recorded more than once can be read together, the psalms that express what David is feeling are placed in the midst of what he’s going through, the prophetic messages are pronounced in their historical context, and the epistles are integrated into the book of Acts.

Like the girls, I am really enjoying reading through the Bible in this way, and I can’t wait to start again. Only this time I won’t be reading it in the NIV! It’s not available in the NASV, so I will be reading it once again in another translation, which really isn’t a bad thing. The additional options are the New Living Translation, which I like even less than the NIV, and Tina’s favorite, the New King James.

I’ve ordered a dozen copies in the NKJ, and they should be here this Sunday. The first eleven who ask for one, and promise to read it, will be given one. In case you were wondering why only eleven, the twelfth one is for me.

God Bless, Rick

I’m not sure it’s the best way to prepare for possible bad news, but I tend to go to the worst possible scenario first. I don’t want to live in denial, and then be devastated. I’d rather think through how I would deal with really bad news, and then be grateful if it doesn’t come to pass. A case in point has been my recent vision problem.

I’d noticed the newsprint was getting blurry in the mornings, and had started rubbing my eyes a lot, thinking they were having a hard time getting cleared in the morning. Then I noticed that the sight picture on my pistol wasn’t a sharp as it should be. I figured it was just bad lighting at the range. Then, while waiting for Anna’s basketball game to start, I noticed faces weren’t as sharp as they should be across the court. For some reason I covered one eye, and then the other, and discovered that my right eye was the culprit. Once that was discovered, I started closing one eye and then the other while trying to read road signs. The left eye was clear, the right not so much.

I had had an eye exam and had gotten new glasses in February, so I went back to see if things had really changed as much as I thought. The optician was shocked by the change in just one eye, and after examining it and seeing nothing wrong in the eye itself, suggested I go to my medical doctor to see if there was a problem behind my eye.

When I went to my doctor and explained the situation, he ordered blood work and an MRI. Thinking something might be wrong behind the eye took me places no one wants to go. I started thanking God for the privilege of preaching as long as I had, and thanking Him for a great life. I prayed that He would give me the strength necessary to deal with whatever might come, in a way that honored Him and accomplished His purposes.

When I shared that with the elders, Jack said he would simply pray for healing. The next morning I remembered Jesus saying we had not because we asked not, so I covered my bases and asked. I didn’t want to hear Him say in heaven that He would have healed me, but I didn’t ask.

Whether He did or didn’t, I don’t know. But the tests all came back normal, and, contrary to the opinion of some, there is nothing wrong with my brain. I still don’t know what caused the change, but a new lens seems to be working pretty well. Whether the doctor will want to look further or not, I don’t know. All I know for sure is that I’m very thankful.

Now it’s on to another challenge; a prostate biopsy scheduled for January because of an elevated PSA.

God Bless, Rick

While in Tennessee last Friday evening I received a text message from Tracy Formea telling me that Mary wasn’t lit up in the Christmas display, and it looked like Joseph was a single father! A quick text to Mark remedied the situation, but Tina did respond that a lamb had to be temporarily sacrificed in order for Mary to be seen.

If you didn’t make it to the Light Up the Park display last weekend, be sure to include it in your Christmas plans. Several churches in Chatham have joined together to provide a beautiful nativity located just outside the entrance of the park, and this year we added a shepherd, two lambs, and a donkey. The lights will be on from 6-9 on Fridays and Saturdays until Christmas. Don’t miss it.

And, since I’m thinking about Christmas, it’s time to start thinking about what you might do for our Christmas Eve service. The candlelight communion service is of course the bedrock of our traditional celebration, but we need individuals, ensembles, and children’s choirs to help fill the auditorium with Christmas music. If are willing to bring a musical gift to the babe in the manger, please let me know as soon as possible so a full program can be planned.

Since Christmas is quickly followed by a new year, it’s time to once again affirm the leadership and financial plans for our congregation. With that in mind, I’m pleased to announce that the current elders have all agreed to continue serving in 2018, and they will be re-introducing themselves for the sake of newer members this Sunday morning. The financial projection and proposed distribution for missions for the new year will also be presented. Everyone will then be given the opportunity to affirm the elders and the projection on December 17th.

One final note is that the Christmas mailbox is now open for the exchange of Christmas greetings. Feel free to put cards in the alphabetical slots, and be sure to check the box for card to you.

Tis the season. And I love it.

God Bless, Rick

One of the greatest blessings of group Bible study is gaining insight from one another. And I was surely blessed last Wednesday.

We were studying in the 14th chapter of Romans, which begins: “Now accept the one who is weak in faith, but not for the purpose of passing judgment on his opinions.” At first the general feeling was that Paul was talking about someone who is new to Christianity, and whose faith is therefore immature. One who perhaps might not understand there is no longer a need to observe some of the restrictions found in the Old Testament.

Eventually we broadened it a bit, and focused on the fact it had to do with opinions, and that perhaps the point had less to do with the immaturity of one’s faith, and more on the matter of personal convictions. Those convictions might come from a lack of understanding of what the Bible has to say, or they may simply come from a feeling that something might not be pleasing to God. Either way we are to accept the brother or sister without passing judgement on their opinion, or looking on them with contempt for refusing to eat something or observing a day differently than we do. And vice versa. Bottom line is that we’re not to sit in judgment over how someone chooses to honor the Lord.

That seemed to answer most of the questions that arose from the first 12 verses, but I still had a question about verses 7-9. Sure, it is true that if we live, we live for the Lord, or if we die, we die for the Lord, but why did Paul insert that in the midst of a passage about accepting a brother whose opinions differ from our own? I had tentatively decided that perhaps he was simply indicating that these weren’t matters of life and death, and we shouldn’t make such a big deal about them. But before I could share my thoughts, Rich asked Caroline to share something she had gone through with a friend.

Caroline proceeded to tell about the death of good friend who refused blood transfusions because of her Jehovah’s Witness beliefs. Caroline had done her best to convince her friend that a transfusion was not a violation of God’s will, but she couldn’t change her mind, and she died.

Wow! Now I understood that Paul may very well have been saying that even if someone held to an opinion that led to his or her death, if it was done to honor the Lord, it’s not our place to stand in judgement of their conviction.

If that’s the case, it should be obvious that differing opinions on eating, drinking, and the way we might choose to celebrate a day should never divide us.

God Bless, Rick