Lifebridge Church Blog

“Hey, how are ya?”
“Good, you?”
“Oh, pretty good. Busy, but I can’t complain.”
“Great, good to see you.”
“Yeah, you too. Have a good one.”

What we really wanted to say was this.
“Hey, how are ya?”
Honestly, I’m dying. This morning my wife and I just had a knock down drag out argument that ended with slammed doors and words that never should have been spoken. I hate my job, my kids are so busy with school stuff I hardly see them. At least the Celtics won last night, because that’s about the only good thing in my life right now. You?”
“Right there with you man. Different plots, but the same story.”

As a pastor, I get a rather unique glimpse into the lives of people, and one of the things that I’ve learned in 15 years of ministry is that there is a LOT of hurt in the lives of most people. Behind the clean faces and nice clothes that we present to the world are all sorts of addictions, struggles, wounds, and sins.

It really shouldn’t surprise us. The Bible tells us that “Satan prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.” (I Peter 5:8)

So often we only see the surface battle (the argument with our family member, the co-worker who is being a jerk, the battle over the inheritance, etc) God reminds us to look deeper.
“Our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” (Ephesians 6:12)

The real enemy is not your family member or co-worker, it’s Satan, who is out doing all that he can to tear you down, destroy all that is good, and turn your life into a pit of despair.

One of the images that the Bible paints of the Christian life is an image of war or battle. Satan is out to destroy and wreak havoc on people, while God is at work to bring healing and hope and life.

At LifeBridge, we just started an 8 week Sunday morning series that is going to look at that battle we face every single day. What does it look like? Where can we expect Satan to attack? (Good news here — the devil is remarkably uncreative and he uses the same bag of tricks over and over again.) What are some basic soldier skills that every follower of Jesus needs to have as we live out our Christian life? What does victory look like?

If you are in the area, we’d love to have you join us — 9:30 every Sunday morning at Warner Elementary in Cypress. Go to the LifeBridge website for info and directions.

If not, can I suggest an “oldie but goodie” book for you to read called This Present Darkness by Frank Peretti. It will change the way you look at the battles in your life.

A word of encouragement from God’s Word you face life’s battles. Jesus said, “In this world you will have trouble, but take heart for I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

I’m writing this blog shortly after coming home from our Good Friday worship service, where we gathered around a cross and heard once again from Scripture about the arrest, suffering, crucifixion and death of Jesus Christ. It is a somber, reflective time, as we ponder all that Jesus went through for you and me.

At our service this evening we talked about death. Jesus’ death of course . . . but also our death. I spoke briefly of Layla Grace, and how she was the very first funeral that LifeBridge has done (our church is only a year and a half old). Many more are certain to come though . . . unless Christ returns and the world ends, every one of our lives will end in death.

I continue to receive a lot of comments from my previous blogs, and a common theme emerges in a lot of the responses. “Why?” Why did Layla have to die at just two years of age? Why did she have to suffer. Why didn’t God just heal her and make everything right?

This evening, as we gathered around the cross and remembered the suffering and death of Jesus, I was reminded of the lengths that Jesus went to do just that. On the cross, everything is made right. Satan is defeated, sins are paid for, our relationship with God is restored, and we are given the promise that through faith in Christ we will live forever. We believe all this by faith . . . Layla sees it with her own eyes. So very soon we will transition from this life to the next, and we’ll experience that “rightness” that we so long for. But, until then, we remain in our fallen broken world for a purpose. Jesus could have come back today and ended all the wrong, but he didn’t. Why not? Because there are still more people that need to come to faith and believe in him. He sees the big picture, the eternal picture, and he simply calls on us to trust him in the midst of a world that is often falling apart.

Here’s an image that resonates with me. Picture a woman who is making one of those hand stitched rugs. In and out her needle goes as she blends in all the various colors. She’s sitting on the back side of the rug, though, where all the cuts are made and knots are tied. From the back it looks terrible — frayed edges and bulky knots in seeming disarray. But the artist knows what she is doing, and as her expert hands make each stitch she is creating a beautiful work of art that will only be understood when you look at it from the front side.

That’s how life is. So much of what goes on doesn’t make sense or even seem right. All we see is the back side. But God has a plan and a purpose that goes far beyond our individual lives and circumstances. It is a plan done out of love — we know that because of the great lengths he went to save us. Tonight as our little mission church gathered around the cross of Jesus to remember his suffering, my overwhelming emotion was “thank you Jesus.” Thank you for suffering right alongside with me. Thank you for carrying a burden that I could not carry on my own. Thank you for giving me hope in the midst of some really tough things in life.

Because, you have to remember — Jesus rose. He came back to life. His journey involved suffering, but it didn’t end there. That’s our hope! No matter how bad or hopeless or non-sensical things seem to be, it doesn’t end there. At the end of life, there’s still more life. How do we know? Because Jesus already made that journey. And he promises that for us as well. That’s why we can thank God for the life, and the death, and the life of Layla Grace and all those who die in faith.

I pray that as you celebrate Easter this year, you will understand the depth of God’s love for you in a whole new way. You are precious to him.

Happy Easter

Pastor Michael
www.lifebridgecypress.org

Tuesday morning we all heard the news that our hearts had sensed was coming. Our sweet little Layla Grace has died and is now with God in heaven. I know we all join together in praying for Ryan and Shanna, and sisters Jenna and Claire.

As Layla’s pastor, I’d like to share with you the hope that we have as Christians, and what that means for Layla and for you. First, let me express my sorrow to each of you as well – even those of you who never knew Layla personally are certainly experiencing tremendous loss. I weep with you. Layla is a precious girl with an amazing spirit, and she will be deeply missed. But, in the midst of your grief, let me share a word of hope from the Bible which tells us “we don’t grieve like those who have no hope.” We grieve . . . but we grieve with hope – Hope in God’s promise that Layla is now in heaven with Jesus where there is no more sorrow, no more pain, no more cancer. Hope that even though we die in this life, we live again, forever. Hope, that even though we will no longer physically have her in our lives here on earth, she will be forever in our hearts . . . and when we someday face our last breath that we will have the opportunity to see her again.

We’ll have time in the coming days, and especially at Layla’s funeral, to reflect on the many different emotions and questions that will almost certainly be raised through Layla’s life and death. I will do my best as a humble servant of God to bring you the hope and the peace that God wants for you in this time. For now, though, let me simply share with you a few Bible verses for you to cling to and cry over. May God be with the Marsh family and with each of you.
– Pastor Michael

Jesus said “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. – John 11:25-26

(Jesus said) “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” — John 16:33

When Mother Theresa first visited the streets of Calcutta, her heart wept over the deplorable conditions that people lived in. Disease was rampant, people were starving to death, women and children were mistreated and abused. If you had the misfortune of being born as a Dalit (Untouchable), you were considered even lower than an animal. Suffering was everywhere.

No doubt she cried out to God to intervene in these situations, and He often did . . . through her. But, the bulk of her ministry was simply loving people in the midst of their suffering. She created a place where the gravely ill could come and die with dignity. She would sit with them, do all that she could to ease their pain, stroke their hair and hold their hand, and let them know that God loved them dearly. Very rarely did God take away their suffering in this life . . . but through Mother Theresa, He let them know that they were dearly loved and that their suffering did not go unnoticed.

Ever since I started writing about precious little Layla Grace and her battle with cancer, I’ve been struck by one question that keeps coming up again and again — Why does Layla have to suffer? In the words of one reader: “Pastor Michael, I too have been following Layla’s story and it has touched some very deep issues with me. I’m struggling to find some meaning. I understand what you’re saying, but it still doesn’t explain why God is allowing her to SUFFER so much. I understand that we can’t take our time on earth for granted, because God could call us home at any time. But why the suffering?”

I wish there were easy answers, and at times my best answer to this is “I don’t know”. Like many of you, I’ve been through some pretty serious stuff in life, and I’ve seen and experienced a lot of suffering. And, like you, I’ve struggled to make sense of it. I don’t have all the answers, but this I know . . . God suffers, too. He doesn’t just watch from far off as our sin infested world wallows in suffering. No – he let go of heaven, came down to earth, and suffered with us. The Bible describes Jesus as “a man of sorrows and familiar with suffering” (Isaiah 53:3) Jesus wept at the death of his friend Lazarus, he knew what it was like to be rejected by his closest friends, he suffered and died on the cross for the sins of the world, and most difficult of all was when he was forsaken by his Father in heaven. We may still shake a fist at God and cry out “Why?!”, but we aren’t yelling at a far off cruel God. We cry out to a God who willingly walked the road of suffering with us.

Ryan and Shanna showed me another truth about suffering . . . without even realizing it. Until the last couple of days, Layla was held almost non-stop by one of her parents. Every time I went over to the house, she was pressed against either Ryan or Shanna’s chest. If they moved at all, she’d say “I want to eat” (code for “don’t set me down”). And they didn’t. They simply held her, loved her, and showed her a compassion and care that words can’t adequately describe. As I watched them love this precious little girl through her suffering, I saw a glimpse of God’s love that could never be seen in good times. Layla wasn’t just wrapped in the loving arms of her mom and dad . . . she was held very closely in the arms of her Father in heaven as well. There is a side of love that can only be seen through suffering.

When you have about 10 minutes, can I ask you to do something? Grab a box of Kleenex and watch the Rob Bell “Nooma” video below, which is a short modern day parable that talks about the storms and sufferings of life. It doesn’t answer all the questions about suffering . . . but it gives us a glimpse of God in the midst of those sufferings. Thanks for all your comments and prayers, and for walking with Layla on her road marked with suffering.

Why doesn’t God just heal her? He could, you know. In the Bible he healed all kinds of sicknesses . . . even raised people from the dead. All it would take is one word and Layla’s cancer would be gone. One word and ALL cancer could be gone. And AIDS, tumors, hunger, divorce, war, rape and murder as well. If I were God (scary though that may be), I think I’d be inclined to take all these wrongs and make them right. Every person would live a healthy, prosperous, joy-filled life til the age of 87, then die peacefully in their sleep and go to be with Jesus.

But I know me. If I knew I had 87 guaranteed years, I would live 86 years and 364 days primarily for myself. The night before my time was up, I’d get to my knees and get things squared away with God. Truth be told, it’s often the uncertainties of life and the ugliness of the world that forces me to deal with the deeper spiritual things NOW rather than later. There’s a passage in the Bible that says “Lord, teach us to number our days, that we may gain hearts of wisdom.” (Psalm 90:12) I’m still praying that God will do a miracle and heal Layla, but the reality that she could die at the age of 2 reminds me that I’m not guaranteed to live to 87. I may not make it to 50. I may not make it to tomorrow. I need to have my spiritual house in order TODAY.

The Bible tells a story about a man who was so consumed with worldly riches and pleasures that he failed to take time to tend to his relationship with God. He had made all kinds of plans for the years of his life that lay ahead . . . but those years never came. That night he died in his sleep. The word God used to describe him was “Fool”.

I’ll be honest – it hasn’t been easy watching Layla struggle the way she has. I’ve been there up close and personal when she was throwing up bile and crying out in pain. I’ve watched her beautiful face and body slowly wither away into skin and bones. I’ve cried out “why God?” just like you. But I always come back to the same truth: God is good. Even in this terrible situation, we have the promise and confidence that “in all things God works for the good of those who love Him.” (Romans 8:28). Layla’s journey, difficult though it has been, has done so much good. She has reminded us to treasure every day, because each one may be our last. She has reminded us to seek after eternal things, because the earthly ones ultimately don’t last. She has reminded me not to make an eternal “fool” of myself. Thank you God, even for the struggles.

“He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.”

I can’t help but smile to think that sweet little Layla Grace may have already done more good in her 2 short years of life than I have done in the 40 years God has given me. As a pastor, I spent 4 years in college, another 4 years at seminary, and the past 15 years working 50-60 hours a week in full time church work . . . all this for the sake of Jesus Christ and all that He means for me. Layla has never worked a day in her life, never earned a dollar, never won a game, never done any of those things that we normally use as markers of “success”. But, the impact of her life leaves me speechless. Because of Layla, how many of us parents have held our children closer at night? How many people have cried out in prayer to their God . . . maybe for the first time in a very long time? How many people have paused to ask those deeper questions of life and faith that often get lost in our busy and noisy world? Because of Layla, how many people will haltingly reach out to God and ask for forgiveness through His Son Jesus Christ?
That’s how God most often does His greatest things – He chooses the weak, the simple, the seemingly insignificant things of this world to make the greatest impact. He’s done that through Layla, this precious two year old who has captured the hearts of so many of us with her strength, her courage, and her dependence on God in her battle against this nasty disease of neuroblastoma. She has taught us so much. Without doing anything, she has made a “Texas size” splash in the hearts and lives of so many people.
Thank you Layla Grace, for letting God’s strength shine through your weakness.

Like many of you, I have been touched in recent days by a little 2 year old girl named Layla Grace, in a fight for her life against neuroblastoma lymphoma cancer. Doctors have done all that they can and have now sent her home on hospice care to simply keep her comfortable in her final days. We, of course, continue to pray that God will choose to intervene and do for her what medicine cannot do. God has, and can, heal — and we will pray boldly for that as long as Layla has a breath in her body.

Lots of people have been touched by this precious girl, and there are understandably a lot of emotions, questions, and spiritual struggles from those who are following her story.   In the coming days, I’m going to share some spiritual thoughts and truths that I hope will be a comfort and encouragement to those who are following Layla. I pray that you find them meaningful — and ask that you join me in praying for this precious girl and her family.

– Pastor Michael Meissner

LifeBridge Church, Cypress TX

www.lifebridgecypress.org

This past Sunday in church I shared a blog from Hal Hammons that had particularly touched me this week — especially given all that is going on with our Haiti relief effort. Several have asked for a copy of it, so I thought I’d simply include it on my blog. Here it is:

MESSY

Some people are absolutely comfortable in their church home. They know their seats will be empty and waiting for them every week. Everyone knows everyone, and always has. The preacher will preach the same sort of lessons he always preaches, the same sort they’ve always heard. Everything is neat and tidy. Everything is in its place.

I feel sorry for those people. I really do.

I prefer messy churches. I want to be surprised constantly. I want to be inconvenienced. I want a different stranger to steal my seat every week. I want to trip over kids. I want to have to speak up so an older person can hear me. I want to battle through tough accents, burrow into tough Bible texts, field questions that have no easy answers. I want personal, social and spiritual challenges.

I know some of the issues in messy churches will be bad; some will even be tragic. Factions will arise and require exposure (1 Corinthians 11:19). Morality will grow lax and require correction (Galatians 5:16-21). It’s a hassle, no doubt about it. Lots of angst, lots of disappointment. But at least messy churches are alive. At least they have growth potential. I’d rather try to stave off false doctrine in a church than try to raise a church from the dead.

Proverbs 14:4 reads, “Where no oxen are, the manger is clean, but much revenue comes by the strength of the ox.” A lifeless church is a lot less trouble than a lively one, but you aren’t going to get much spiritual reward from working with a group like that. If I have the choice, I’ll exchange a clean manger for a sloppy one any day.

When a recent cold snap brought Houston temperatures down near 20 degrees for three nights in a row, the local Christian radio station started issuing pleas for listeners to bring coats, blankets, etc to the downtown shelters for all the homeless who would be seeking refuge. When my wife heard of their plight, she asked me “what are we going to DO to help these people?” I had already responded to several other needs that day, so in noble pastoral fashion, I responded, “Right now I’m tired of helping people. We’re not the only ones in the world. Let somebody else help them.”

Thankfully, my more Godly side won out and after a few phone calls, we ended up with a 7 month pregnant woman and her three sons who stayed in our home for several days until the cold had passed. They had no electricity, their car heater didn’t work, and they were in a pretty desperate situation.

Considering what it meant to this family, our sacrifice was well worth it. We spent a little money, prepared a bit more food, and the kids gave up their bedrooms for a weekend. No big deal. But the lessons we learned were invaluable. Lesson #1 — it’s not our house. God owns this house, and He has been good enough to let us stay here for a while. We’re just travelers passing through on our way to heaven anyway. So, if the house is His, what better way to use it than to help care for those that He cares about.

What if I viewed all my possessions that way? It’s not my car . . . it’s His. How does God want to use His car? To shuttle me back and forth to work — Yes. But how else? And that new lawnmower — it’s great for cutting my lawn . . . but does God have even bigger plans for it?

What would it look like if I’d tithe not only “my” paycheck, but “my” house and “my” car and “my” time as well? Food for thought . . .

It’s 3 a.m. and it is POURING. Normally, I’d just roll over and go back to sleep, but tonight the rain is a problem. Later on this evening we have our Christmas in a Barn. , so all this rain means that mud is going to be a major issue. Where do we park? How do we get people to the barn? Wh? . . . what a MESS.

And, therein lies maybe the most important message of all at Christmas. It IS a mess. The world is a mess. Our lives are a mess. Christmas is anything but neat and tidy. The whole reasons Christmas happened in the first place is because Jesus was willing to let go of the comforts and neatness of heaven to enter into a world where things always eventually end up going wrong.

A small part of me might be envious tonight as we slosh through mud while others get to worship in the comforts of a more predictable church environment. But, the deeper side of me is glad. Glad for the rain, the mud, the hay bales we’ll be sitting on. thankful for the messy reminder of why we needed a Savior in the first place.