The Chimes: Ringing to God's Glory

By David Pagenkopf

Jesus often met with his disciples during the forty day period between his resurrection and his ascension into heaven. It was vital that they knew precisely what he wanted them to do after he was gone. He also wanted them to understand that he was leaving them with an advocate, the Holy Spirit, who would be their resource and guide in his absence. And, most importantly, just before his ascension, he charged them with his Great Commission to go and make disciples of all the nations.
As believers and, indeed, as Christs new generation of disciples, we must accept this same challenge and continue to grow His church. I believe thats what he has put us here for. It is toward that end that I have written this book. And, praise God, he has given me a diverse group of helpers to bring it to pass. You will meet them in the pages of this book. Allow me to introduce you to just a few of them.

You will meet an enchanting three year old girl with Jesus in her heart; and
You will also meet an atheist who invites you to follow him around the world as he seeks answers and finds them,
You will marvel at the extraordinary achievements of a Christian role model named Oprah.
You will meet a Catholic priest and another young man as he makes a decision for Christ.
You will tag along with a young high school student as he ventures into Philadelphia housing projects, intent upon saving others and, in the process, is saved himself.
You will read a nurses personal story.
And you will be inspired by a future Hall of Famer who has placed Christ first in his life.

These and many others from all walks of life are featured among the new disciples you will find in the pages enclosed.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Balboa Press
• Release date: Apr 13, 2018
• ISBN: 9781504395304

David Pagenkopf

David Pagenkopf was born January 10, 1930 and raised in River Forest, Illinois, just West of Chicago, where he lived with his parents and three older siblings. He was baptized and raised in the Trinity Lutheran Church in Oak Park, Illinois. Dave graduated from Lake Forest Academy and went on to Brown University. Soon after the Korean War started in 1950, he enlisted in the USAF and served his Country for almost five years. Dave married, returned to college at the University of Illinois, and graduated with a degree in Business Administration. He worked as a Human Resource Executive until he retired in 1994. Dave has been married for 63 years; has three children; seven grandchildren (three are married) and one great grandchild. Dave has been a very active member of St. Pauls Lutheran Church in Hainesport, NJ for over fifty years.

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Copyright © 2018 David Pagenkopf.

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Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The author of this book does not dispense medical advice or prescribe the use of any technique as a form of treatment for physical, emotional, or medical problems without the advice of a physician, either directly or indirectly. The intent of the author is only to offer information of a general nature to help you in your quest for emotional and spiritual well-being. In the event you use any of the information in this book for yourself, which is your constitutional right, the author and the publisher assume no responsibility for your actions.

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ISBN: 978-1-5043-9529-8 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5043-9531-1 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-5043-9530-4 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2018900983

Balboa Press rev. date: 07/28/2018

CONTENTS

EVERYONE

Christ At Heart’s Door

Compound Interest

What On Earth Are We Here For?

Choices And Consequences

A Man Who Came Home

This Is Most Certainly True

Outreach Defined

Excuse Me! Are You Jesus?

One - Stop Shopping

Courage

Sharing Your Faith In Daily Life

Peter’s Counsel

Here I Stand

The Keys Of The Kingdom

A Business World Faith Story

You Are There

Angela

The Mark Of Zorro

Ask Not What Your Church Can Do For You….

The Carpenter’s Apprentice

Jesus’ Healing Ministries

Called To Be Evangelical

Courage Revisited

Good News! – Where To Seek It, And Find It

Thank God We Have An Empty Tomb

The Good News And How To Share It

A Day In June

Understanding Scripture

Imagination….One Of God’s Most Precious Gifts

A Christian Profile

Christian Strong

A Thirteenth Disciple

Christ’s Most Powerful Witness

The Green Paper Bag

Edward Kimble

The Impact Of Pentecost

Intentional Evangelism

Job Instructor Training

Going The Extra Mile

It’s Only A Quarter

A Lifetime Guarantee

New Covenant Ministries

Oprah — Role Model And Difference Maker

A Simple Act Of Kindness

Our Witnessing Dna

A What If Situation

El Hombre

Peter’s Miracle

Evidence Of Jesus’ Divinity

Positive Impacts On Humanity

Evangelism From A Different Perspective

How We Glorify God

A Prodigal Son….Retrieved

Sex-Trafficing Shelter Filled With Survivor Tales….

The Rain In Spain

Promises Fulfilled

She Said ‘Yes’

Don’t Let Your Heart Be Troubled

God’s Gifts

The Ethiopian Eunuch And Philip

God’s Not Dead – Get The Word Out

The First Concern Of The Church

Starting A Conversation

The Virtuous One

Everything

Why Me Lord?

Do You Know Jesus?

Another Look At The Lord’s Prayer

Witnessing – A Story Of Fear, Courage, And Love

A Life Transformed

Christ’s Gift Of Prayer

Forgiveness

The Greatest Of These

Jesus’ Commands

You Are Always Welcome

FAMILY

The Steth-O-Scope

Fishers Of Men

Youth With A Mission

Blown Opportunities

Learning Disabilities

Jane’s Faith Story

Getting To Know Jesus …. Really Well

This Little Gift Of Mine….Let It Shine

The Giver Of Good

A Care Package

A Caring Conversation

God’s Mysterious Ways

Blessed To Be A Blessing

Words To Ponder

The Unvarnished Truth

Great Joy

This Is My Story

CHURCH

Tell Everyone What He Has Done

First Time Visitors

Cookie Patrol

New Jerusalem

Beyond Membership

From Ordinary To Extraordinary

A Decision For Christ

An Alternative Gift

The Bethel Bible Series

The Challenge Of Discipleship

God’s People

Abudanza

Pentecost Set To Music

The Torn Curtain

What A Guy!

People We Don’t Even Know

Because You Invited Us

And You Were Part Of It

Smart Choices

Baptism- Rebirth As A Child Of God

That’s What I Want For My Child

Still Real! Still Relevant!

A Message From The Bishop

Just Like Jesus

Unsung Heroes

Good News From Camden

Monica’s Personal Story

Ever Alert

What Would Jesus Do?

Here’s The Proof

We’ve Got To Do It For The Kids

Being Evangelical

Oh, To Be Young Again

Two By Two

The Easter Story – One Worth Telling

A Bailout For The Needy

A Home Run Opportunity

LOVE

The Spectrum Of Love

Love And Evangelism – Good Companions

Unconditional Love

Love 101

Love In Action

God’s Immense Love

Hugs

Love 1A

What Did You Learn In School Today?

A Cure For Violence

Understanding God’s Love

I n the last chapter of Mark’s Gospel, we read of Jesus’ ascension into heaven. Gathered with him atop the mountain are his disciples; and it is at this time that Jesus makes known to them his Great Commission, wherein they are told to go into the world and make disciples of all nations. My Study Bible explains it this way: This is not an option, but a command to all who call Jesus Lord. That includes you and me, doesn’t it? While we may not be evangelists in the true sense of the word, we have all received gifts we can use to help fulfill this great commission that Jesus has given us.

For the last seventeen years or so, I have had the privilege of writing a column for our church’s monthly newsletter, called the Chimes. In each of them I have tried to focus my thoughts on the concept of evangelism. Why, you might ask, would I want to do something like this?

Let me try to explain it this way: I believe God has gifted us all in many ways; and I believe he expects us to use these gifts in a way that will glorify him and fulfill the purpose he has in mind for us. To some he has given the gift of kindness; to others the gift of preaching, or perhaps teaching; or care giving, healing or service. One could go on and on.

Some have said that I have a gift of writing. We’ll see. All I know is it has always been easier for me to express myself in writing than it has been to do it orally.

What follows is a list of some several dozen of these articles. In each of them I have tried to focus on what I believe to be an urgent need to tell others about Jesus Christ and what he has done for us through his life, his teachings, his suffering, his death on the cross, and, through his resurrection and his victory over death for all believers. The apostle, John, says it so beautifully in the third chapter of his Gospel (v. 16).

It made sense to me to separate these articles into groups, as opposed to chapters found in the table of contents of most books.

Some, you will notice, may be of interest to just about everyone; others relate more closely to family, or perhaps to our church family. Still others focus on the greatest historical event of all time, Easter. And finally, a few of my thoughts on the most beautiful of all things. - Love.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

O ne thing I have learned as a fledgling writer is that it can’t be done alone. Even before one gets into the intricacies of editing, marketing, cover design, publishing, and distribution, there is much more a novice needs – things like encouragement, inspiration, opportunity, constructive criticism, and much more.

Even if my writing is never published, it won’t be for lack of encouragement, especially from, my lovely wife Laura of more than 60 years, who has encouraged me to do what she knew I wanted to do. I also felt a reassurance from our three children, Linda, John, and Andy.

It was John who would say, Keep ’em coming. whenever he received a completed article.

Encouragement, indeed!

More encouragement and lots of help. Thank you Andy and Laura, I couldn’t have done it without you.

And it was Andy who first mentioned publication. More encouragement!

Linda often passed on to me reaching-out stories of her family and church, several of which I have included in the finished manuscript.

My columns would never have been written had it not been for the energy and passion for outreach felt by our two pastors at St. Paul’s – the Rev. Dr. David Jost and Rev. David Stoner. What a privilege to hear them lead worship on Sunday morning and Bible studies during the week. I am so grateful to Pastor Jost for allowing me to write for our monthly newsletter, the CHIMES. Encouragement, in and of itself!

And so many thanks to our church secretary, Corrine Mattson, for her patience and acceptance of my articles, even when they were late or too long.

My dear friend, Eva Priestley, richly deserves my heartfelt thanks for her skillful editing of my manuscript.

My sincere gratitude to former pastors Roy Christensen and David Mangiante, and also to many members and former members for their uplifting comments over the years.

And to all my church family which I’ve called friend throughout the years, you’ve made this journey very special.

Thank you.

INTRODUCTION

I t all began many years ago during a Wednesday morning Bible Study with Pastor David Stoner. For the life of me, I can’t recall the context in which he said it; but, what he said has stuck with me ever since. He simply said, The reason we are here on earth is to glorify God. Now I may have been told this before; but it never registered with me the way it did that Wednesday morning. To be honest, I couldn’t remember ever feeling a need to glorify God; but as I think back, I probably heard similar admonitions such as being reborn or transformed in some way. Bottom line! From that day forward, I began to feel a real urgency that it was time to begin putting Christ first in my life.

About that same time, I was asked by one of my church friends if I would consider joining his evangelism team. Realizing that this might be part of God’s plan for me, I accepted his invitation. Soon afterward, my lovely wife, Laura, asked if she could help out; and we both became quite active, she perhaps more than I.

To keep our members informed of our outreach activities, the team decided to introduce an article into the church’s monthly newsletter, the Chimes. Having once been awarded an A for writing a one act play in high school, I was assigned the task.

As the months passed, I became more comfortable with writing. Several of our friends at church were very kind with their remarks, and I even heard from some former members who were on the church’s mailing list. As much as I appreciated their kindness, I had to confess to them that it was really the Holy Spirit’s work, not mine.

If you will turn in your Bible to the last chapter of Matthew, he records two extraordinary events that took place soon after Christ’s death on the cross: the first, of course, being his resurrection from the tomb in which he was buried just three days earlier – arguably, the greatest historical event of all time. Don’t be afraid, the angel said to Mary Magdalene and the other Mary having come to visit the tomb. He isn’t here. He is risen from the dead, just as he said would happen." (Matthew 28: 5-6)

The second event may not seem quite as sensational; but, in my mind, at least, is of momentous importance. I am referring to the Great Commission which Jesus gave to his twelve apostles. (By this time, Mathias had been chosen to replace the deceased Judas Iscariot, who had betrayed Jesus). And the twelve were no longer referred to as disciples, meaning follower or learner, but were now full-fledged apostles; that is, messenger, or missionary. Jesus tells all twelve he wants them to go and make disciples of all nations…. baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Jesus adds, Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you."

Now that’s quite an order, isn’t it? But, then Jesus states. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age." (v. 20) Of course, this is precisely what these men did as they reached out to people around the world as it was known then. They told the Good News story of Jesus, his birth, his life, his teachings, his miracles, his suffering and death, and, with his resurrection, his victory over death for all believers. They brought people to Christ. They started churches and nurtured them, fully committing their lives to the Lord and growing his kingdom.

For more than two thousand years, Jesus’ disciples have been bearing fruit for him. They have been making disciples who, in turn, have been making more disciples. Let us not forget we are Christ’s church; and I believe he wants us, you and me, to continue to grow his church.

And that brings me to the purpose of this book.

When the lord says to me go…. as he did to his original twelve, I believe he is asking me to become a fisher of men just as he said to Peter and Andrew as they were mending their nets on the shore of Galilee. They were just ordinary guys like me and you; but Jesus had plans for them. For the next three years he would have them to himself, equipping them to fulfill his purpose – the making of disciples. It is my hope and prayer that, through the writing of this book, I might fulfill his purpose for me. And, I thank Him for giving me the time to do it.

I’m getting a late start, so let’s get going.

EVERYONE

CHRIST AT HEART’S DOOR

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L isten! I am standing at the door and knocking. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to you and eat with you and you with me. It is this verse from Revelations 20:3 that inspired the memorable painting of Warner Salman, Christ at Heart’s Door.

The loving-kindness of Jesus knocking on the door of anyone’s heart, seeking admittance, is almost too much to take in. Why would he do this? What is there about any of us that would appeal to Jesus? Aren’t we among those who sent him to the cross? The answer, of course: He loves us.

William L. Hogan said in one of his sermons that Jesus is interested in us and wants to be our friend. He draws his listeners’ attention to the painting and notes an intensely and insightful detail: no latch can be seen on the door. The artist is telling us that the door must be opened from within. Christ will not force himself upon us; but neither will he cease striving to gain entrance into our heart.

Scripture tells us that we should try to be more like Christ and that we should not be ashamed of witnessing to others of what Christ has done for us. Doesn’t this say that he would like us to finish what he and his disciples began years ago and continue knocking at the doors of unbelievers to light the way for them to find their Savior?

COMPOUND INTEREST

O ne of the most important lessons we can teach our children and grandchildren, I believe, is the concept of compound interest – that is, the manner in which money saved or invested wisely may compound in value many times over if left untouched.

As youngsters, most of us learned from our parents the wisdom of opening a savings account in a local bank, but I, for one, never fully understood until later in life how my savings would grow in interest earned over time. There was always something I needed right now like maybe new roller skates or a brand new Louisville Slugger baseball bat.

Jesus touches on this with his Parable of the Talents in the twenty-fifth chapter of Matthew.

Before leaving on a journey a property owner entrusted to three of his slaves a varied amount of talents to attend to during his absence. Two of the slaves exercised good judgment with the talents in their custody and were able to return to their master more than what had been given them. The master was so pleased that he committed even more things to their care in the future. But the third slave could only return the single talent he was given, and his master was very displeased.

Warren Buffett, investor and philanthropist, gives us a modern day example of how money, when managed wisely, can produce enormous results. As an eleven-year-old boy, Buffett made his first investment in the stock market. Some twenty-five years later, he owned his own company and, over time, he parlayed a $100 investment into a $40 billion net worth. And he did this while living a modest lifestyle.

What really made this man such a legend is his field, however, was evidenced when it became known that he contributed the bulk of his roughly $40 billion fortune to philanthropy, committing more than $30 billion to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, thereby doubling the foundation’s mission to improve global health.

I have gone into some detail here to try to illustrate how money, when managed prudently, can do some marvelous things. Now let’s see how we might apply this principle of compound interest to the realm of evangelism.

Jesus tells us in John 15, I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit…. In his Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible, Matthew Henry says that, as branches of this vine, we are to be fruitful by honoring God and doing good. How would you define being fruitful? Doesn’t it mean producing more buds – more fruit – more disciples for Christ?

And let’s not forget this principle of compound interest. If we can bring forth more believers, doesn’t it stand to reason that some of them are going to do likewise? Sure it does. By compounding, over time even more disciples will be brought to Christ.

But, you know what!? In order for trees and vines to grow and buds to blossom and flourish, they need nourishment, don’t they? They need water. Is Christ’s church any different? I don’t think so. The church also needs nourishment, and this nourishment issues from prayer. Jesus continues in John 15:7: If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. How’s that for good news?

WHAT ON EARTH ARE WE HERE FOR?

S ome months are more difficult than others for me to find something fresh and interesting to write about. As I lay in bed one morning last week, nothing suggested itself to me; so I got up, went into the den and picked up one of the books I had been reading — The Purpose-Driven Life by Rick Warren, the founding pastor of Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California.

Pastor Warren’s book takes us on a journey to find the answer to life’s most important question: What on earth are we here for? He tells us at the outset that God had a purpose for each one of us while we were still in our mother’s womb. As you might guess, His plan is to use each of us to tell others about the Good News of Jesus Christ. And we are to use the gifts and talents that God has given us to accomplish His purpose for us.

Nothing new really! We’ve heard this many times over the years from Pastor Jost, Pastor Stoner and Pastor Mangiante and all of their predecessors here at St. Paul’s. For that matter, everything written in Pastor Warren’s book we have already heard from Jesus - or from Paul or other writers of scripture.

But please! Take my word for it. You will never regret having read this book. Some have said that it is destined to be a classic on the Christian life — It is life-changing — a masterpiece of wise counsel. My thought on it: Pastor Warren’s light shines on every page.

All through school it was my habit to underline key points in the texts assigned to us. Every page of my book written by Pastor Warren is a mess with red underlines, brackets and notes written in the margin. It’s that good.

But it was in the 36th chapter last week that I found what I thought might interest you. Let me whet your appetite a little with a few of Pastor Warren’s insights. He tells us:

* we were