Sorrento, God of creation, saying Goodbye for now, but not forever

We took a ride around Sorrento, where my mother grew up and where she currently resides in a 12x16 house that I built for her a few years back. We will be staying a few days, visiting my father nearby in Gouldsboro, and taking a bit of a break and catching up with some family needs.

Today, we plan to visit "Birds acre" in Ellsworth, with its walking trails and serene surroundings, we hope to get a good close up look at God's creation and spend some time thinking about the Creator God that made all things and wants a relationship with us individually, what we should be doing for His glory every day of our lives.

Yesterday we went to a beach in Sorrento to pick up shells and play in the ocean water. The kids gathered

Walmart parking lots are encouraging mostly!

Today, I was in the Walmart parking lot and a car pulled up next to me. A man rolled down his window and said he liked my Van, but that I had an error in the wording. This is a common occurrence since we installed the decals on the van a year ago. 

I am often laughed at, sometimes the van is mocked or spit on, but more often than not, you will see someone driving down the road, reading it, and nodding or putting their head down knowing that God's Word brings conviction of sin. 

Reaching the world- what about bikers?

On our most recent trip to Richmond, Kentucky we met a man named Brian Wilson. Brian happened to have his parents motorhome for sale by the side of the highway, and we love to see RVs and meet new people. So, I  went inside to ask about the RV and ended up talking about the Lord, as pretty much happens every conversation I have, I  hope.

So, while we talked RVs and God, I quickly learned that this man is a brother in Christ. It didn't take long before we were discussing evangelism and the lack in many churches of a concentrated effort to go out and reach the world with the Gospel. I encouraged him that he was not alone.

Do you support Hollywood?

This video from Ray Comfort speaks to how Christians spend their  money, what they fill their minds with, and whether God is pleased with our entertainment choices. Ray asks some probing questions and this video has gotten him in trouble with some folks for his boldness and call him legalistic. What do you think?

Pictures and "images resembling men and creatures"

We have to thank our many friend/photographers for capturing our "good side" often, giving  us updated pictures of the kids and even us to share with others. You can view our family pictures at this link, Cowperthwaite family Picasa albums.

Sara Hemphill , Pamela Scarbrough, Holly Ames-Allan, and a few others have been patient enough to take pictures for us, and we so appreciate it. Getting 4 children to stand still, smile, and avoid picking their nose for a moment to pose for a picture is a bit of work, as any of you with children know.

Mark takes many of the other pictures in our albums, as we travel around we have had some beautiful displays of God's creative handiwork captured on our camera. Still, just a picture could never convey all the color and sense of awe that creation holds.

A truck stop worth stopping at.

Davey Lugibihl, TFC chaplain, Beaverdam, Ohio

We had a good visit with Davey Lugibihl and his wife while we were in Ohio. Davey is the chaplain at the Beaverdam, Ohio Transport for Christ trucker's chapel. Davey is a faithful encourager and a servant of the Lord for many years.

A visit to Ohio just wouldn't be complete without getting to see Davey. Of course, David Samuel Lugibihl and Samuel David Cowperthwaite had to get their picture taken together.


If you ever do find yourself traveling near Beaverdam, Ohio, stop in to the chapel for encouragement or prayer, maybe share a passage from God's Word with the chaplain on duty and pray together.
There is a group of faithful Christians that labor in this truck stop chapel (and many others like it across the country) to reach lost truckers with the Gospel message, to encourage Christians that are on the road, and to be a lighthouse for the Lord there at the Pilot truck stop in Beaverdam. If you ever get the chance, don't forget to ask to meet Davey. Just tell him that Mark Cowperthwaite sent you, and see his face light up.

Mark

Maine plans and updates

After a few hard days on the road, we made it safely to Sara'a parents home in Thomaston, Maine. We then had the blessing of gathering with the saints at Grace Fellowship Bible  Chapel in Union, where we had a blessed time remembering our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. Ethan Hall then shared a message from God's Word considering the parable of the sower and the children of Israel when they were led out of Egypt by Moses.

Vessels of Honor 2010 available online

I received this email recently and wanted to share it with our readers that may be interested. 

2010 Vessels of Honor Conference
NEW TESTAMENT POWER
RENEWING A PASSION FOR CHRIST 
Speakers this year were Mike Attwood, Scott DeGroff, Jesse Gentile and Joe and Ann Reese

Eating from the trash can and other displays of God's providence

Trash Can Dinner
Today we had lunch with Sara's grandmother here at Maplecrest Senior Living Village in Bluffton, Ohio. We often have meals in the dining hall with Grandma Niswander, but today there was special preparation made. The meal was called "Garbage Can Dinner", and at first I was skeptical. You see, some folks in the area are well known for this special preparation. I quickly went from skeptical to fan of this special food preparation apparatus.

Anticipating the wedding

In a few days, here in Richmond, Kentucky, many people will gather on a hillside farm to witness the union of a man and a woman in marriage. Months ago, a date was set and many arrangements were made to prepare for this public profession of love and commitment between Josiah Morrison and Rachel Harmon. This couple has known each other for years, yet each day their bond is stronger, and with each day that passes into the future, their  hearts will become more and more united.

This is the way God has planned marriage to be, and gives a beautiful picture of the future of Christians and their beloved Savior. These young folks have been friends and companions, but soon they will be one flesh, united and bound to each other. As with the Christian walk, it is not a matter of forced compliance, but of love and desire to give of oneself for the benefit of another. What a beautiful picture from God!

Those that have called themselves by the name "Christian" have chosen to take on the name of their Beloved, much like Miss Harmon will soon take on the name of her beloved and become Rachel Morrison. For the Christian, as with the bride, the new name will be written down and kept on record. God intends marriage to be forever, again picturing the Christian life. 2 Corinthians 5:17 tells us that "if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature. The old has passed away, behold all things have become new." A new family will be born right here before our eyes, praise God!

The marriage ceremony will be marked by witnesses, in a public place, but becoming united to another person in marriage is a simple thing. The ceremony is not necessary for one to become married, in fact in most places only the couple and a witness or two must be there. The couple that is married by a judge in a courthouse with no witnesses is no more or less married than the couple that has thousands in attendance. Such is the commitment of one's life to Christ, whether you are in a church building, sitting on the side of a mountain by yourself, or a friend sat by your side and witnessed your vow to God to repent and follow Him, the commitment is just as valid. It is not necessary to stand at the altar, but it is a joy for others to be able to share with you in the joy of seeing such a blessed union start.

I think of the ordinance of the church we call baptism. Those wishing to identify with Christ do so in a public setting, proclaiming their devotion to their Beloved Savior, and want the world to know. In the wedding, vows are exchanged, signifying promises of commitment, and in baptism we are proclaiming our love in public, in the presence of witnesses, whether two or two thousand in number.

So as we all go about the busyness of preparing, building,  painting, cooking, and making this old farm look new again, many have labored together to get it all done. Many have worked countless hours that those gathered will never know about, but their reward is not in the praise of people, but in serving. As we serve the Lord, our Beloved Bridegroom, we also ought not be looking for praise but serving out of love.

Often we labor in the Gospel, meet the needs of the poor, visit the sick, and labor endlessly, and it may seem that nobody notices. We know that the Lord sees our labor, for Him, and He provides the fruit at harvest time, in the time He chooses. We look forward to seeing fruit for Him as we prepare for the coming of our wedding day, when Christ will come to gather His bride. He will adorn us in pure garments that He has prepared, and we will forevermore be with our Beloved. What a glorious day that will be! 

So, while we are awaiting a wedding here on a hillside farm in Kentucky, I see so much more going on. We tend to get tied up in our work  and lose sight of why we give our lives for the labor. All one must do is step back and see the beauty of the sunset as we work, to see the smiles on the faces of the bride and groom and all the others as we anticipate the culmination of our work. True beauty is in the unity of so many laboring as one, anticipating the day when we will be united with Christ.

This morning, I was bemoaning the physical pain I deal with in this physical body. Then I picked up my Bible, and read the love letter my Groom has sent to me, to prepare for the wedding day. I considered Job when he lost his riches  and most of his family. I read of Paul sitting in jail, rejoicing  in the conversion of a runaway slave,  Onesimus. I see the willing sacrifice of my suffering Savior in the Gospel accounts.

I then looked at my profile picture on Facebook and remembered that Christ  is coming for me. He will give to me a new, incorruptible  body that will  know  no  pain. We will see glorious beauty that will make the beauty of a sunset in Kentucky pale in comparison. When I see the glory of the only begotten Son of God, full of grace and beauty, glory and majesty, it will humble the most prideful man to know that He is preparing a place for His bride. 

Saturday, the wedding will be beautiful, with flowers and dresses, a day of love and family, of joy culminating many days, months,  and years of preparation. Still, it is  just a little glimpse of what God has prepared for those that love Him and long for the appearing of our Savior, the  Messiah, the Holy One of God, our Bridegroom. Yes, marriage is forever and I am glad to have made the necessary preparations for the day He will come for me, to know that I know that I know that I am His and He is mine!

What are we really living for?

Considering discipleship in today's church, I have seen sometimes that things are done right(in God's eyes), but far more often there is something lacking. We have friends that do pioneer Gospel work, some that do itinerant Gospel work, and others that work with churches in dozens of other ways. Sadly, even though we have traveled extensively throughout the United States, the percentage of those serving the Lord full time is minimal. I wish that were because everyone pitched in to do all the work required to build up the local church and reach out with the Gospel. 

If everyone did take up their own part, the burden on church leaders would be much less, and allow them to be more effective for the Lord. Often, the jobs that God demands of elders and deacons are not done properly due to these men having to bear everyone's load. We are all servants of the Lord, not just those who receive pay, but every Christian is to be serving the Lord and others.

We need more young people that are willing to forsake all to follow Christ. Surely, it is not the calling of every young Christian to leave home and family to serve. I do believe there are far too many that are being called and refusing the call. There are many that feel called, but their elders or parents do not want to "lose them", thinking that leaving the comfortable surroundings of home to serve God is a curse, rather than a great blessing. We need a few (or more than a few) Timothys, but they are hard to find for a few reasons

1. 
   
   Parents don't want to let go, and trust God to guide their children. Rather they make their own plans and take God's leading out of the planning. We ought to be as Hannah, praying that God would give her a son, and before he was even born committing young Samuel's life to God's service. Hannah did not lose her son, she gained the blessing of seeing God use her son mightily.
2. 
   
   Church leaders are often not discipling the young people, but treating teens and college age students as children. The Bible never speaks of teens. There are children and there are adults. Let's make sure we don't stop our children from growing up, making decisions for their own lives, or guilt them into satisfying our dreams for their lives. Most young men and women in youth groups are not being fed the meat of the Word of God, but being bottle fed. Often, the reason for this is that we don't think they can handle meat, or that we don't want to lose them due to not being entertained. We go to church gatherings to worship and serve, not to be entertained.
3. 
   
   Young people have their own desires (job, home, pleasures) that keep them from even considering God's plans. Often, by the time one is done with college, there is enough debt piled onto them that they have no choice but to have full time secular employment. We ought not urge people to get into debt. The Bible tells us that the borrower is slave to the lender. And so it is, we want things we cannot afford, so we incur debt and become its slave for years to come. This model has no basis in Scripture.
4. 
   
   No model of service, plenty of models of careers that make no time for God. In your average church body, what percentage of adults work full time jobs and have no time for God's work? Surely, a man must work in order to eat, but much more often we work to have more pleasures and wants rather than see work as a means to provide for the necessities. We spent years getting out of debt, and God opened the doors that  our last year in secular work, I only had to work 38 hours per month (yes, that is month) to supply our needs. This freed up time to witness, visit and encourage Christians, provide practical help for others, spend more time in God's Word and with the family. Are we modeling this idea of work only as much as you need to, so that the time saved can be redeemed for the Lord's work? 

We pray the Lord of the harvest will send out workers. He hasn't stopped sending them, but many have refused to obey. Their examples are elders and parents who are too often the ones telling them to “stay by the stuff”. We must equip Christians to do God's work, give them opportunities to serve and to lead. We must challenge ourselves and each other to do more, giving our all for Christ, as was modeled by Paul, James, Peter, etc. 

If we want to see revival, souls saved, and God's Word spreading throughout the world, we must prepare people to go, and then send them out as the Lord leads. They won't believe in Christ if they don't hear. Paul sums it up well in the passage below.

Romans 10:13-15  "For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!" 

Mark Cowperthwaite

A little help is sometimes necessary.

Greetings in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, 

Our family arrived safely in Kentucky a week ago today, and we have been put directly to work in preparation for the wedding of a lovely young couple who are dear friends. With all the things that need to be done, it seems I have done more physical labor this past week than I have in a long time. This is a blessing as I have been able to do so with much less pain than I was experiencing just a month ago. My back continues to heal and I am learning to take it easy on the lifting, what I can/should do and what I must leave to others. I find myself asking for help often, and see more and more each day that there are some jobs you can not do alone.

This offered me a spiritual lesson also. Often, when we see a need in someone's life, or the local church, my tendency is to just jump in and fix it. Surely it is best to help wherever possible, but at times it is really not my place. I must qualify that statement, as I feel some may misunderstand. The default should be to help whenever and wherever a need is identified(not say, "it's not my job"), but we must recognize that we are not equipped with every spiritual gift necessarily, and that we must seek the Lord's leading as to continued involvement in these areas of help. God has placed elders, deacons and people of every spiritual gifting in the local church, and no church will function properly with a single person doing all the work that was designed by God as an interdependent body functioning together for edification and for God's glory.

We see this more and more since we travel to different cities, cultures, and churches. Sometimes the Lord already has folks in place to meet these needs, and I would be out of place to take over. Other times, God may have put us here, now, for the specific task at hand that we can help with. We must be willing  to do anything God calls us to do, knowing that if He calls us to do it, He will provide what we need to do the job. We also must be willing to allow others to step in and help. As we hear of strife and division in churches around the country, we are heartbroken, as is the Lord. God is shamed in public so often by folks that refuse to humble themselves and seek help, or by those who are motivated by pride and refuse to change or even recognize that they may be wrong. Issues of sin and such must be dealt with, but must also be bathed in prayer, not gossip.

Of course, all struggles within the church must be handled in love, with the goal of reconciliation. If there is sin to repent of, God will work in the hearts of those who are wrong. There must also be a willingness to forgive and restore a fallen brother or sister if they are willing to repent to God. We praise the Lord for the unity in most of the churches we visit, and are encouraged by the elders who take up the role of guidance and shepherding in accordance with the Holy Spirit's leading. We thank God for all those who walk in meekness and lowliness, willing rather to be wronged than to get vengeance for some wrong done to them. 

As we look into the future, we ask the Lord for His leading, for grace and supernatural love that transcends the bounds of denominationalism and division. We seek to be like Christ, to follow His example and His teachings.  My back is not strong enough to bear the load alone, and I praise the Lord for all those who come along to help shoulder the burdens. I also thank Jehovah Jireh for providing the strength and stamina to bear the load that He has laid on us. It is a constant reminder that we are nothing in and of ourselves, but only in Christ with His strength, His power, and the leading of the Holy Spirit. Spiritual work is not accomplished by physical strength, but in humble submission, allowing God to work through us for His glory.

Mark