Conference yukon::christian_v7

493.0. "Farewell from Markel" by CHTP00::CHTP04::LOVIK (Mark Lovik) Fri Jun 03 1994 14:25

    As I leave today, the thing that is heaviest on my heart is not leaving
    Digital, but leaving this conference behind.  It has been a source of
    great blessing and encouragement to me, and a source of contact to have
    been able to meet some of you during my travels.  Many places can
    provide an interesting job and a paycheck, but few can add the
    opportunity of this kind of fellowship along with it.  It has been a
    privilege sharing with you, meeting many of you, and hopefully being an
    encouragement to you during my time here.  Now is the time for me to
    move on.

    There is something that has been much on my heart in recent weeks that
    I would like to leave with you as my parting thoughts:  "What is most
    important?"  Hopefully the way a Christian answers this will be quite
    different from the answer of a non-Christian.  "But seek ye first the
    kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be
    added unto you" (Matt 6:33).  But I want to get beyond that matter. 
    For a Christian, what is most important?

    Is it maintaining a "good Christian life"?  Indeed, the Bible tells us
    things that are to be a part of the Christian life as well as things
    that are never to be a part of it.  However, there is a danger in
    setting up a "list" of rules and saying that "this is the Christian
    life", for in doing so we have established another "law".  "What is
    most important" is not a list of do's and don'ts, so that we can feel
    comfortable if we are doing the do's and not doing the don'ts.  I am
    not against standards (I believe that the apostle Paul had standards he
    expected for those associated with his ministry), but the Christian
    life is far more than standards.

    Is it knowledge of the Bible?  Anybody that knows me knows that I place
    a high value on knowing what the Word of God has to say.  However,
    there is also a danger here if we allow it to become knowledge for
    knowledge's sake.  Consider this:  when Adam and Eve sinned, they
    partook of the knowledge of good and evil.  I recently heard it
    suggested that in Eden, there was the knowledge of evil, and at Sinai
    there was the knowledge of good.  ("The law is good" -- Rom 7:12, 16,
    etc.)  But even knowing the good is not enough (as is evidenced by
    other portions of Romans 7).  Knowledge alone will make us nothing
    better than modern day Pharisees.

    "What is most important?"  To me, it is beautifully summed up in a
    phrase from Colossians 3:4, "When Christ, who is our life, shall
    appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory."  Leaving out the
    italicized words from the KJV, the phrase reads "Christ, our life".
    What is most important is coming into the reality of this phase: 
    Christ our life.  If all our Bible knowledge does for us is become a
    basis for argument and being "right", it becomes dead knowledge. 
    However, if knowing the Bible leads us into a deeper appreciation of
    who our Lord is, and of knowing His will and direction for our lives,
    and living our lives for Him, then it is Christ, our life.  The will of
    the Lord Jesus was to do the will of His Father, and as we enter into
    knowing and doing His will, it is Christ, our life.  This is not
    something automatic that we can claim "because we are a Christian."  It
    requires death to ourselves ("For ye are dead, and your life is hid
    with Christ in God." - Col 3:3), diligence, obedience, pursuit,
    suffering, repentance, contrition, yieldedness, and probably far more. 
    This may sound costly, but it is only costly to the old man.  But for
    the new man, it results in the wonderful "...nevertheless I live; yet
    not I, but Christ...." of Gal. 2:20.  (Interesting thought:  the old
    man never says "yet not I" -- this is the cry of the life of Christ.) 
    Our knowledge of the Bible becomes "If so be that ye have heard him,
    and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus" (Eph 4:21). 
    Indeed, our lives become truly fulfilled.

    My prayer and encouragement to those of you who will continue to
    participate in this conference is that above all you will be seeking
    Christ, our life.  And if it be so, I look forward to the day when the
    future part of that verse becomes fulfilled, "...shall appear, then
    shall ye also appear with him in glory."  I look forward to seeing many
    of you appear with Him in that day.

    In our Savior's love,

    Mark Lovik, or, on a friendlier basis, Markel
    
    p.s.  I don't currently have any Internet access, but if/when I do,
    I'll be sure to pass it on.  In the meantime, there's always
      Mark Lovik
      840 S. Lathrop Ave.
      Forest Park, IL 60130
      (708-771-2841)
    and if any of you are passing through the Chicago area, give a holler.
    

    Amen Markel!  What a wonderful note to leave us with.  But I just still
    ache knowing your leaving.  
    
    This note is well worth reading and reading again as time passes, a
    great reminder.
    
    Your Sis,
    Nancy

 Thank you Markel....maybe that's what I need to use in my Sunday
 School devotion Sunday? :-)





Jim

Now we have yet another thing in common: Former co-mods.
Peace and blessings!

    Fare thee well (oh yeah - and send the instructions to the rubber band
    trick ;-).
    
    
    Shalom,
    
    
    Steve

    Take care and God Bless, Markel.  Always remember these 2 words:
    
    GO SUNS!
    
    Mike ;-)