Big News: Into the Mission Field

Posted by Michael Breznau on 10:11 pm in Devotionals, Discipleship, Mission | 0 comments

[Video of my message “MISSION: Vitals (part 2) – Mark 8:22-35 with some big news, along with some information and a prayer from two of our elders] 

The first message I preached at Mayfair Bible Church was entitled “Following the Mission of the Messiah” from Mark 8:22-38. This beautiful, thought-provoking passage describes Jesus’ healing of the blind man from Bethsaida in two-stages. The scene is rather peculiar and urges us to ask, “Why a two-step healing?” But Christ – in His sovereign knowledge – delivers two key questions, “Who do people say that I am?” and “But who do you say that I am?” (v. 27, 29). Meanwhile, the Savior led the disciples to Caesarea Philippi: a set of villages named after a Roman emperor, the furthest point away from Jerusalem in their travels, and most certainly not where they would have chosen to go.

Peter, ever the spokesman for the team, jumps up with the answer to the second question, “You are the Christ!” (v. 29). However, something is blurry and skewed in their vision of Jesus’ identity and mission. Therefore, Jesus begins to explain how he must “suffer many things and be rejected . . . and be killed…” (v. 31). But all this was too much for Peter to grasp. So, the one who just proclaimed Jesus as the Messiah now begins to rebuke Jesus. I can almost hear Peter screaming, “What!? This is not the plan! Talk about terrible PR! No way we’re moving forward with this messaging!”

But grace. Christ, in His patience, rebukes Peter (v. 33). God’s kingdom advances not by man’s interests but through God’s agenda. Jesus showed them a two-stage healing to ask those two vital questions and trotted them all the way out to Caesarea Philippi to teach them the key lesson: “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it.” (v. 34b-35).

Lose your life to discover Life.

“He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.”       –  Missionary Jim Elliot

This powerful narrative leads us to at least two trail-markers on the path of following Jesus:

1. God will take us where we would not choose to go in order to open our eyes to what we could never see on our own. Even those heart-penetrating questions!
2. God will take us where we would not choose to go in order to produce in us what we could never achieve on our own. Even Caesarea Philippi… and the Cross!

Today, God is calling my family and I to follow Him down a turn in the trail… into the mission field. Over the past year-and-a-half, God the Holy Spirit has been pressing on my soul to follow Christ’s mission on a path largely unknown and even terrifying. When I first sensed the gentle nudge of the Spirit on my heart, my response went like this, “No! No. No way!” Every time the call to this mission field bubbled up, I continued, “Certainly not. We enjoy Your work here, Lord. We love Mayfair Bible Church. We love Flushing. Our kids are in great schools. You’ve given us a lovely home. You are working in wonderful ways here!”

Yet now for more than a year, Stephanie and I have been praying and no longer can resist God’s calling for us to be on mission with Jesus…in the United States Air Force. Specifically, to serve as an active duty chaplain to pastor, counsel, and disciple airmen and their families with the gospel of Christ.

Christ is re-teaching us to believe He takes us where we would not choose to go in order to open our eyes and adjust our agenda on His mission. His plans are far better than ours. Today, we are saddened at the prospect of not being here with you. Yet we are also excited by what lies ahead in this new mission field with Christ our Savior.

 “When you can say with entire truth and with a whole heart: ‘Lord God, lead me wherever Thou desires,’ then, only, do you deliver yourself from servitude and become really free.”

– Leo Tolstoy

Therefore, I am resigning as your lead pastor effective Sunday, March 26^th 2023. Upon the recommendation of the elder board, I am also humbly requesting your partnership with my family and I by sending us out as a missionary family of Mayfair. We love you, Mayfair Bible Church. You are our spiritual family. We desire for Mayfair to be our church home and family for decades to come.

Every single one of the past 268 weeks as your pastor has been a sheer delight. We feel zero pressure from anyone to leave. In fact, quite the opposite. We have never been more loved by a church and we deeply love all of you. You are our family. Yet God’s call upon us into evangelism and discipleship in the field of the USAF is so clear. We must joyfully obey Christ and step out in faith.

Our desire before the Lord is to…

• …continue as members of Mayfair as a missionary family to the military.
• …contribute to the work of the Lord at Mayfair for the furtherance of God’s kingdom.
• …return frequently for holidays, summer camp with our kids, mission conferences, etc.
• …receive the support of prayer, encouragement, and accountability through you.

We praise God for what we’ve been able to be a part of by His grace:

• Receiving the gift of so many meaningful, deep relationships with you. You aren’t just “church members”. You are our friends, brothers, sisters, confidants, and family.
• Preaching the Word each and every Sunday; it has been an overwhelming joy and honor.
• Loving the flock of God through many baptisms (especially baptizing my daughter Everlynn and son Hudson!), weddings, funerals, hospital visits, and counseling meetings.
• Experiencing surprising doors open for relationships in the greater Flushing area with neighbors, business owners, other pastors, local government officials, and the chamber of commerce.
• Hosting “Church @ the Park” for 4 years in a row with great weather (wow!) and being invited to do so by the Flushing Chamber of Commerce (double wow!).
• Watching God grant us a beautiful, additional facility with the donation of the Thrive Center.
• Moving from being a loosely affiliated ‘sponsor church’ to a deeply involved member church of the Flushing Christian Outreach Center (FCOC) and seeing them move into our Thrive Center.
• Observing God direct us forward on His mission through leadership training weekends with people like Pastor Doug Schmidt, Pastor Nick Boring, Dallas Gatlin, and others.
• Seeing deeper relationships develop between Mayfair and other local para-church ministries such as: Genesee Christian School, Life Challenge-Flint, and Carriage Town Ministries.
• Going through the process of ministry evaluation and refreshed mission and vision statements with our leaders.
• Watching life-transformation happen at two Camp Barakel Men’s Retreats and also at a Father-Daughter Retreat.
• Experiencing the incredible blessing of traveling to India for a 2-week mission trip with Dan Neumann and Lois Montague.
• Rejoicing as God provided the launch of Celebrate Recovery and GriefShare to minister to a wider sector of our community.
• Seeing God faithfully lead us through the COVID pandemic with unity, peace, and even joy.
• Watching God grant us new opportunities for reaching our community with the message and mercy of Jesus, such as: the Friday Food Hub for 3 months as a part of the Sheriff’s Community Care Task Force, prayer gatherings with local officials, and more. You served with such enthusiasm!
• Praising the Lord for the opening of the Thrive Center and accompanying ministries such as: Connect with Coffee, Pilates and Praise, and a laundry ministry to families in need.
• Seeing God provide joyful, peaceful ministry transitions for Pastor Dean, Pastor Keegan, and Pastor Dale.
• Standing shocked and amazed by God giving us our beautiful baby son Jack, by adoption.
• Celebrating as God brought Pastor Steve Ford and Pastor Angel Garcia to us with their families.
• …and many other reasons to praise Him!

Mayfair, thank you for granting me the joy and privilege of serving as your lead pastor. We will never doubt God’s providence and grace in leading us to you and you to us. A bright future awaits Mayfair Bible Church as we march forward with bold reliance on God’s Word and humble dependence on God’s Spirit. To God be the glory for the great things He has done and will do!

Love in Christ,

Pastor Michael 

Want the Full Low-Down?

Here’s a PDF document link to our full Missionary Prospectus:

Here’s a short video announcement we made with our 4 kiddos:

Nuts and Bolts

The Ministry of an Air Force Chaplain

The call involves training for and accepting a commission as an officer to serve as an active duty chaplain. An active duty USAF chaplain serves in three primary roles:

“A pastor to some and a chaplain to all.”

1. Vitalizing and pastoring the church community on base. This mission is in the vein of church-planting to cultivate a worshipping, serving community of like-minded faith and practice, to include weekly preaching, worship leading, kids and youth programs, Bible studies, relational evangelism, community outreach events). Many “base chapels” offer AWANA, youth groups, men’s and women’s Bible studies, VBS, fall festivals, and more. Worship services are usually small gatherings of 50-150. We would serve together as a family for many of these ministry activities.
2. Offering confidential counseling to any airmen in need. The door opens when good, Jesus-loving chaplains serve among the airmen and build relationships in their workplaces. Opportunities for relational evangelism abound in this setting.
3. Providing leadership advice and professional counsel to the commanding officers on matters of ethics, morality, integrity, and teamwork.

*Deployment overseas = 24/7 on-call missionary. Based on the current tempo of operations, active duty Air Force chaplains deploy every 3-4 years for a period of 6 months +/-.

“So many churches are stuck in “come to” and have missed the “go to” mandate of ministry. We must be missionary, not stationary, people.”

– CJ Rhodes

A Missionary Family of Mayfair to the Military

• This is not a typical pastoral resignation, but rather a ministry transition for us to be sent out as a missionary family of Mayfair into the vast spiritual need of our nation’s military. I will no longer be your lead pastor, but a mission extension of Mayfair.
• We need and wholeheartedly desire a sending, supporting church. We cannot imagine our home base of support through prayer, encouragement, and accountability being any flock other than Mayfair Bible Church. You are our church, family, and home. Although we will not require monthly financial support like other missionaries, we certainly need your spiritual and friendship support.
• We plan to remain members of Mayfair sent out as missionaries. We look forward to financially giving toward the ministry of Mayfair for years to come and can’t wait to see that mortgage disappear this new year! Our prayerful desire is to keep our home in Flushing and affordably rent it to a local pastor or Christian family in need.
• We enthusiastically encourage all of you to stay in this family. In fact, we are! I urge you to stay and thrive in your membership to Mayfair. We’re staying as members of Mayfair and will be very much a part of this family, even though we’ll be a mission extension of you outside of this location. We envision ourselves returning for summer camp with our kids, holidays with our extended family, and future mission conferences.

My Testimony of Calling into this Mission Field

The shocking thing to me is, “Why is God impressing this on our hearts when we’re serving in such a wonderful church as Mayfair?”

We deeply sense your love and we treasure you very much. We have so many reasons to praise the Lord. We, as a congregation, have weathered the past two and a half years of COVID with incredible unity, growth, and diligence in the gospel. I, frankly, have no personal desire or need to leave my role as lead pastor. And I know of no one here who would want us to leave. We are enjoying a season of renewal, fresh growth, and joy.

Yet we’re unable to shake away from the Lord’s direction to serve as missionary-pastor-chaplain in the Air Force. So, we’ve simply taken small, incremental steps forward and have been met with green lights at each juncture. Through much prayer, counsel, and conversation, my wife and I have arrived at 3 key reasons why we believe God is calling me into the Air Force as an active-duty chaplain:

1. A Pull in My Heart. While a student at Dallas Theological Seminary, some of my closest friends were veterans, some of whom were heading into chaplain ministry. We talked frequently and openly about serving as a chaplain during our morning runs, workouts, and small group Bible studies. They encouraged me to consider my interest in military chaplaincy.
   • During that time, 14 years ago, my wife and I discussed and prayed about Air Force chaplaincy – we specifically remember doing so during a Valentine’s weekend getaway. I sensed a call to chaplaincy at that time. Yet after praying and discussing, the direction seemed unclear. I still had some time left in my seminary degree, as well. And, before I graduated, I was offered a full-time pastoral position back in Michigan. Yet the pull in my heart has not diminished but grown since then. 7 years ago, I again sensed a push in my heart to pursue USAF chaplaincy. I spoke with several friends who are active duty Army and Air Force chaplains and submitted some initial paperwork and transcripts to the recruiting office. Those I spoke with in the Air Force chaplaincy office were enthused and so were we. I received my ecclesiastical endorsement, etc. But just before I moved deeper into the process, several churches began actively and intensely seeking me as a lead/senior pastor. After much prayer and counsel, we decided that God was calling me back into local church ministry. Our calling led us to Mayfair Bible Church where I have served since that time. We are so deeply blessed, joyful, and fruitful in my current role.
   • However, the desire to serve as a chaplain in the Air Force never left. In fact, over the past year the draw toward this ministry has grown stronger than ever. Now over the past year, everywhere I turn and during every morning run, I cannot escape a pull in my heart toward USAF ministry. My wife and I began seriously praying about it again and resolved upon the fact that God was calling us to step forward in faith.

2. An Unshakable Awareness of the Need. In each church I’ve served, I’ve worked closely with veterans – they often become some of my close friends. Some suffered injuries in combat, some manage war-related disabilities. All of them drive home the need for humble, heart-focused, hard-working chaplains who meet men and women where they’re at. I believe discipleship happens through relationship. This, I believe is what chaplaincy is about – a presence among airmen, an involvement in their lives, a genuine care for their concerns, a visible reminder of the Holy – God, our Creator, who cares for us and loves us. Again, seeing the airmen and soldiers serving in the recent Afghanistan exit and the Ukraine-Russia war has flooded my mind with the reality of what they were facing and what they have to process. They need counsel, a listening ear, someone to weep with them, comfort them, and pray with them. The spiritual needs are vast. God has placed this weight on my soul for the men and women of the USAF.

3. A Unique Background and Skill Set.
   • My inter-denominational family: My family comes from a variety of backgrounds, which are most evident at our Thanksgiving dinner table. You see, both of my parents were raised devout Catholic, later becoming evangelical in their faith. My grandparents, much later in life, became ordained Episcopalian priests, one uncle is a United Methodist pastor, and the other uncle is Independent Baptist, with my immediate family being non-denominational conservative evangelical. Yet we all confess and love Christ. So, we’ll smile and say, “who is going to say the prayer for the Thanksgiving meal?”  And we all sing the doxology together. Now this doesn’t mean we each do not have our personal convictions, our genuine sincere beliefs, some of which differ from each other. Yet I’ve learned conviction with compassion. This is the model of Christ. I see how this unique upbringing prepares me to be “a chaplain to all and a pastor to some” and also for the joy of compassionately working alongside chaplains from other faith traditions, while at the same time serving with my own conviction about the person and work of Jesus Christ.
   • God has provided me with great teachers and mentors who’ve equipped me with skills to preach, teach, lead music, launch new programs, and more. My wife and I enjoy new changes, new places, new faces, and like launching new ways to love and help people. We see how the needs and pace of Air Force life fits within how we’re wired in the “sweet-spot” of our ministry. My wife and children are naturally congenial, musical, and make new friends easily. We carry the gift of hospitality everywhere we go.
   • I’m also thankful for the good health and athletic passion God has placed within me. I love to run, hike, mountain bike, rock-climb, and even though I’m 39, I can still keep up with the 18-year-olds on the ice hockey rink. 🙂 I hope that my passion for athletics will allow me the opportunity to meet airmen where they are at during morning PT and other physically rigorous events.

I will count it a great honor and privilege to serve God and our nation together with the Air Force Chaplain Corps.

United States Air Force Demographics

The following Air Force/Space Force active duty demographics information is current as of 30 September 2022. These statistics are from the current inventory and does not include the Guard, Reserve or Air Force Academy (approx. 4,000 cadets).

Snapshot of the Air Force & Space Force

328,517 Active Duty

82,308 Reserve

Breakdown of Active-Duty Members:

263,576 Enlisted

64,941 Officers

There are 12,279 pilots, 3,313 navigators and 1,365 air battle managers in the grade of lieutenant colonel and below.

There are 26,806 nonrated line officers in the grade of lieutenant colonel and below.

Age 35 average age of the officer force

29 average age for enlisted force

37% are below the age of 26

43% of enlisted are below 26

14% of officers are below 26

FAQ

Adapted from https://leadwiththeleft.com/frequently-asked-questions-on-military-chaplaincy/

Are Chaplains’ rights being restricted?

“Usually when people ask this, they’re assuming that a chaplain can’t preach the tenets of his or her religion with freedom and/or has to conduct the religious services for other religions. This is not the case. I can preach the Bible in my service with no problems. I can lead a Bible study to teach what is consistent with my faith group. I can pray in Jesus’ name in any of these settings plus any settings where people are attending voluntarily. I just have to be tactful when I am speaking in front of an audience at mandatory-attendance events. Really, I personally just adhere to rules of good public speaking: do not betray the trust of the person that invited you to speak by speaking about something unexpected, consider your audience, and keep the Chaplain Corps mission of protecting EVERY Airman’s right to free practice of religion.

“Every Airman is free to practice the religion of their choice or subscribe to no religious belief at all. You should confidently practice your own beliefs while respecting others whose viewpoints differ from your own. Every Airman also has the right to individual expressions of sincerely held beliefs, to include conscience, moral principles or religious beliefs, unless those expressions would have an adverse impact on military readiness, unit cohesion, good order, discipline, health and safety, or mission accomplishment.”
– Air Force Instruction 1-1, 2.11

Do you have to do things you don’t believe in to be a chaplain?

As an Air Force chaplain, I exist in the military for one reason: to protect EVERY Airman’s constitutional right to freely exercise his or her religious beliefs. Chaplains are commissioned officers primarily to have the power and authority necessary to protect the rights of Airmen and their families. A little-known fact is that the Chapel program is actually the Commander’s responsibility. Chaplains are simply the subject matter experts that run the commander’s program. This ensures that the program gets done and is prioritized high enough to be done well. Chaplain care meets the needs of ALL Airmen on one of three levels:

1) Provide
I serve all Airmen in some capacity even if they are not from my faith group; I just serve them differently. I am a Protestant Christian. This means that I “provide” what the Protestant community needs. I can preach in chapel, teach a small group on Christian theology, provide confidential pastoral counseling, run a retreat, baptize new believers or anything pertaining to the Protestant Christian community.

2) Provide for
The second level is for those airmen with religious beliefs that differ from mine and may need some help from another kind of clergy. I will never be forced to do something I do not believe in or that conflict with my faith or endorsing body’s standards, but if someone in the community needs someone to do one of these things, it’s up to me to find someone (another chaplain or a civilian) who can do these things for them. I do not personally do anything for the Airman, but I find someone who can to support that person’s right to free practice.

“The Air Force Chaplain Corps provides spiritual care and ensures all Airmen and their families have opportunities to exercise their constitutional right to the free exercise of religion.”
-Air Force Policy Directive 52-1, 3.1

3) Facilitate
The third level is “facilitating.” Facilitating occurs when another clergy member is not necessary so I provide space and material. I would not personally participate in the service or ceremony, but I would make sure the Airmen have everything they need. One Christian chaplain I met gave me a good example of this when he was at a training base: he got a request from an Airman that practiced Wicca. The Airman was in field training during the summer solstice, which is a major Wiccan holiday. The Airman told the chaplain what they needed and what kind of space they needed for their ceremony, and the chaplain procured space and made sure they had the supplies they needed to practice their faith.

I can already hear the objection many of you have as I type: “You’re in the military! If a superior gave you an order to do something that would cause you to violate your faith, you would have to do it, right?!”

WRONG! Here is why: Every chaplain is an officer that is sworn to protect and defend the constitution of the United States, but that commission is contingent on our good standing with our endorser. Endorsers are essentially representatives of different faith traditions that are recognized by the Department of Defense. They tell the Chaplain Corps that a chaplain teaches what they believe and they approve of them. This means that if I start doing things that they don’t approve of, they can pull my endorsement and, suddenly, I am no longer a chaplain nor an officer. Because endorsers have that power, I can tell a superior officer that my endorser will not allow me to do that thing that would violate my faith, and then they can request a letter to verify that my endorser in fact does not approve.

“When you’re coming into your worship services, I need you to be authentic to who you came from. You need to preach and teach the word as you were raised to do, as your endorsers want you to do, as the community needs you to do. And do it in such a way that is loving and respectful… If you’re a Lutheran, be a Lutheran. If you’re Baptist, be Baptist. If you’re Roman Catholic–if the Pope walked in, he better say, ‘That’s exactly who I wanted.’ …We need to be authentic for our folks so they can practice their faith and grow and be strong on this military journey.”
– Chaplain (Brigadier General) Ronald M. Harvell, Air Force Deputy Chief of Chaplains, Basic Chaplain Course Graduation, 25 June 2019

Sources/Further Reading:
Recruiting sites:     Air Force   |   Army   |   Navy
Air Force Policy Directive 52-1 – Chaplain Corps
Air Force Instruction 1-1, 2.11 – Free Exercise of Religion and Religious Accommodation, 2.12 – Balance of Free Exercise of Religion and Establishment Clause
Air Force Instruction 36-2706 – Equal Opportunity Program, Military and Civilian
The Chaplain Kit – military chaplaincy history

2 Vital Guides for the 2023 Trail

Posted by Michael Breznau on 4:12 pm in Devotionals, Discipleship | 0 comments

I love to hike through forests, across mountain tundra, and along crystal-clear bubbling streams. A highlight of this past summer was my hike (and mild climb) to the summit of Byers Peak outside of Fraser, Colorado. The air was crisp, the snow was white, and the sun was bright. A picture-perfect, beautiful day for time on a well-worn trail!

But I would never begin a hike up a mountain without two guides: A map and a trail. In the mountainous, treacherous, and exciting trek of life, God provides two essential guides for His children.

Photo on the hike up Byers Peak

PRAYER and WORD 

Without question, the two most vital ways for us to engage with and immerse in God’s grace are His Holy Word and Prayer. We’re soon embarking on a journey into 2023. Let’s pause to consider these two means of growth in Christ’s unmerited favor and kindness.

On Prayer

As Peter Deyneka, the founder of the Slavic Gospel Association, often remarked, “No prayer, no power. Little prayer, little power. Much prayer, much power!” James the apostle wrote a short, power-packed letter that closes with a call to persevering prayer (James 5:13-20). He gives us at least 6 reasons why we should pray: 

1. Prayer changes our perspective (1:5; 5:13)
2. Prayer leads to praise (5:13b; cf. Acts 16:22-26; 1 Thess. 5:16-18)
3. Prayer restores the sick (5:14-15)
4. Prayer demonstrates our faith (5:15a)
5. Prayer results in forgiveness (5:15b-16a)
6. Prayer unleashes God’s power (5:16b-18; cf. 1 Kings 8:37-42)

On the Word 

Let’s believe afresh today that God’s Word is the steadfast, trustworthy light for our path. Our world is filled with a slurry of voices all trying to demand our attention and devotion. The voices come from all angles in our culture: social media, movie and TV-streaming services, internet ads, billboards, convincing friends, and more. But we follow God’s Word as our perfect guide for His design in every circumstance of life (check out Psa. 19:7-9, 119:9-11, 105-107; Isa. 40:8; Jn. 17:17; Acts 20:32; Eph. 6:17; 1 Pet. 1:24-25; 2 Tim. 3:16-17; Tit. 1:2-3). Pastor Phil Thompson wrote this past Monday about the discouragement that some of us encounter through our failed attempts at reading straight-through the Bible in a year. His brief article includes inspiring, new approaches for diving into the water of the Word in the New Year. He writes:

“Time and again, I’d attempt the one-year journey only to find my bookmark stuck at the beginning of Leviticus when the Christmas tree was coming back out again. For a few years, I battled discouragement and frustration.

But thankfully, the past decade has been a process of reengaging with Scripture and the God of Scripture—and meeting a lot of dear friends who are on the same journey. Here are four redefining elements of my Bible study over the past decade that have restored both my joy in and practice of yearly Bible reading.”

• Click HERE to access his article and the links/options for Bible reading: “Help! I Failed My Year-Long Bible Reading Plan”

• Here’s another resource: an interactive PDF for reading through the Bible. The title is humorous, too. “Bible Reading Program for Shirkers and Slackers”: CLICK HERE 

God Provides

God, in the riches of His kindness lavished on us, provides all we need to walk in the steps of His Son. Our flourishing in Christ is not without a hiccups, trip-ups, and questions. But the Father, Son, and Spirit are perfectly united in their redirecting, correcting, and guiding love over us.

Today and on into the New Year, let’s continue diving daily into the waves of God’s grace through the Word and prayer. Each immersion into God’s resources increasingly conforms us into the likeness of Christ.

“For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn [first in rank and honor] among many brothers and sisters.” (Romans 8:29)

Soli Deo Gloria,
Pastor Michael 

We Adore | Christmas Poem 2022

Posted by Michael Breznau on 10:41 pm in Devotionals, Podcast, Story Time, Videos, Worship | 0 comments

This past week, I penned a poem to point my heart back toward the great and grand story of the Christ.

Christmas poems are something I enjoy sharing with my friends. So, here’s a video of this spoken word piece I’ve entitled “We Adore.” I’m praying you, too, are pointed near to the heart of God’s redeeming grace.

We Adore

By Pastor Michael J. Breznau  | Christmas Eve 2022

Christmas is a season brimming over with lore

Happy carols resound and wreaths grace each door

Tinsel and chestnuts, presents and lights

Fruitcakes and chocolate cherry bites

The eyes of young children sparkle with glee

They wonder what they’ll find under the Christmas tree

Of all these we say, “Oh how we adore!”

But the wallets of parents fill up with receipts

They dread their next bill with its high-interest fees

We hope for snow to arrive on Christmas Eve

Yet please don’t our travel impede

And surely be gone by New Year’s Eve-Eve!

We want all our wants wrapped up with a bow

So, with peace we can rest by a fireside with faces aglow

Perhaps even catch a kiss under the mistletoe

Of all these gifts we say, “Oh how we adore!”

But what of Jesus the Christ

The Child born to the humble, outcast, and poor?

His arrival was stressful

Arduous days of travel

Marching under taxation gloom

Only to find no space in the guest room

His birth included no tinsel or LED lights

No chocolates or fruitcakes or Turkish delight

A draft of cold blew through the air

No one was hoping for snow then and there

Joseph and Mary cuddled their baby as he nursed and cried
Strips of cloth for lambing season lay nearby

To keep Him warm they’d suffice

So, they wrapped Him like a lamb prepared for Temple sacrifice

He’d come to save His people from their sin

Even if there was no space at the inn

Then fast asleep they laid Him in a straw-filled manger

A stone feeding trough to guard Him from danger

Silence. Rest.

Weary from the journey. Worn from the labor

The young couple beheld the face of their Redeemer

On a nigh hillside the sky broke open with God’s messenger

The King’s coronation carol echoed across the pasture

To shepherds: the humble, outcast, and poor

Most thought they were closed off to God’s door

But they ran to the Baby-King pell-mell

Bubbling over with a story they couldn’t help but tell

Everyone stood in wonder at the news

Considering all the prophetic clues

Today, He is the One to whom we bow

In reverential awe we vow

He has come to restore

Granting us life forevermore

So, open your heart’s door

To the One we worship and adore

This Infant unlike any other

He was born to be our Brother

Reconciling God to humankind

The Perfect One, holy, divine

He was born to the displaced and disgraced

So that all may come to Him and receive God’s redeeming grace.

“And all who heard it wondered at the things which were told them by the shepherds.

But Mary treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart.

The shepherds went back, glorifying and praising God

for all that they had heard and seen, just as had been told them.”
(Luke 2:18-20)

ADORATION |  ad•o•ra•tion  [1535–45; < Latin]

1. 1. the act of paying honor, as to a divine being; worship. 2. reverent homage. 3. fervent and devoted love.

Don’t Praise God for the Flu but…

Posted by Michael Breznau on 3:42 pm in Devotionals, Discipleship, Pain and Suffering | 1 comment

Last month, of course, was Decision 2022. Newsmedia syndicates are aiming to keep the interest churning for at least another several weeks. But looking back, certain anxieties, concerns, and opinions welled up in our minds leading up to election day. Yet we, as followers of Jesus the Lord, pivot to prayer – the act of demonstrating our dependence on the One who is sovereign and coming again.

The results of the election may not have panned out the way we hoped and prayed. I was particularly grieved by the passage of Proposal 3 here in Michigan, which swings the floodgates open to abortion-on-demand – even to the latest point of pregnancy. Circumstances like these concern and sadden us. Yet let’s tune-in to a familiar passage from Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians:

“Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thess. 5:16-18)

Following on the heels of our national election cycle was Veterans Day. We are certainly grateful for the men and women who selflessly serve to preserve and protect the peace of the USA. Thanksgiving Day arrived soon after with many opportunities to remember God’s faithfulness and love toward us. We give thanks to Him for His great grace over our lives. Yet soon after influenza A barged into our house without an invitation. My family was knocked out by that nasty flu for 10 days. Argh!

But are we to thank God for the tragic, sad, or grievous situations of life?

Take a closer look at the passage above. We are not commanded to give praise and thanks for every circumstance but in all circumstances. Suffering, pain, illness, and loss set-off many conflicting emotions within us. Suffering is a reality that dates back to The Fall (Gen. 3). Death, disease, and rampant sin have been a part of the world ever since. We don’t praise God for these pangs of brokenness. We don’t thank God for influenza A. However, we – through Christ Jesus – are called to give thanks to Him in the middle of it.

Why and how can we take such a counter-intuitive step?

Two truths to put into action today:

• God arranges all things together for His glory and our good (Rom. 8:28). If we are called by God’s grace according to His redemptive purpose and love Him who has saved us through the Son, then we recognize this is ultimately, eternally true. We can bank on God’s promise for the future because the past proves He is faithful. Therefore, we give Him thanks – even amid trial and trouble.
• Our momentary affliction will serve to amplify our future joy (2 Cor. 4:15-18). All the suffering, enduring, and waiting in this life produces “for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison” (v. 17b). We are prone to lose heart in our natural perspective (v. 16). Our bodies are wearing out. Life hurts. But just like running through the pain and agony of a 26.2-mile race (a marathon!), the exhilarating joy at the finish line intensifies with each “light affliction” along the way (v. 17a). And Jesus is guiding us through the race and all the way home. Glory! So, we give thanks to Him who is the Author and Finisher of the race. He is the one who has drawn us in by grace.

Stay on the path of gratitude in grace. Finish well, my friends.

Love in Christ, 

 Pastor Michael 

The 3 Advents

Posted by Michael Breznau on 4:31 pm in Devotionals, Discipleship, Eschatology & the Kingdom, Worship | 0 comments

ad·vent
/ˈadˌvent/ Advent 
noun

1. the arrival of a notable person, thing, or event.
   appearance
   dawn
   birth
   coming
   nearing
   advance
2. the first season of the Christian church year, leading up to Christmas and including the four preceding Sundays. The coming or second coming of Christ.

Most of us are familiar with the season of Advent leading up to Christmas Day. A quick stroll through the grocery store proves that Advent calendars are more associated with gobbling up chocolates hidden behind little cardboard windows than they are with Christ. Here’s a picture of my kiddos’ devoured Advent “calendar”  (left). But what is the meaning of Advent and how is it intended to work down into our everyday lives?

Various dictionaries offer general definitions for Advent, such as “arrival,” “coming,” or “appearing.” The word, of course, is most commonly utilized in Christian theology and worship to connote our celebration of Christ’s first coming and our anticipation of His return.

But more is discovered beneath these surface investigations. Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153 AD), a long-ago leader in the Medieval church, described not just two but three Advents through his deep study of Scripture.[1] Centuries later, Martin Luther, the great Reformer of the 1500’s, echoed the same teaching.

First Advent

The first draws our attention and celebration toward Christ’s incarnation: “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). Christ’s arrival as an infant proclaimed the clearest sermon on humility the world has ever heard. Jesus came as God-in-the-flesh, fully divine and yet also fully human.

He had every holy right and prerogative to reside in the glories of heaven. Yet He voluntarily and lovingly showed up in the middle of humanity’s mess. He arrived as a dependent infant to be the Savior of a beautiful yet broken world. He “emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men, being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Phil. 2:7-8). Our baby King was swaddled in strips of cloth, which may also have been used for unblemished lambs raised for temple sacrifice (Luke 2:12). So as we gaze upon our baby-King Redeemer, we are called to clothe ourselves with the same humility and self-sacrificial love toward one another (Phil. 2:3-5).
Our worship at the manger beckons us to ask: Is Christ’s humility and sacrifice shown each day in my life?

Second Advent

The second points our hearts toward the hope of Christ’s return. Today, we live with the birthpangs of sin-riddled world. Suffering is a daily, universal reality. All creation groans and longs for the day of final, full redemption (Rom. 8:18-25). But at His appearing, Jesus will make all the sad things come untrue by redeeming and reconciling all things to Himself. His Kingdom rule will be consummated on earth in power and great glory. Perfect justice and righteous will reign and our tears will be wiped from our eyes (Rev. 21:4). Satan and his hoard of fallen angels will finally be conquered by the “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS” (Rev. 19:16b, 20-21; 20:7-10).

The power and presence of sin will be no more. No more disease or death. No more distrust, division, or war. Peace will cover the earth because the government will rest on our Savior’s shoulders (Isa. 9:6-7).
Our hope-focused worship invites us to ask: Is Christ, the Blessed Hope, changing how I consider suffering and pain? Is Christ’s any-moment return governing my peace and outlook right now? How are my decisions of work, time, money, service, and family storing up eternal treasures in heaven? Is His not-yet Kingdom already my rule-of-life right now?

Third Advent

The third and less familiar opens our understanding to the experience of Christ’s presence in our hearts. The disciples were anxious and worried about Christ’s departure on the eve of His crucifixion (Jn. 14:1, 27). We, too, often fret and worry about the challenges, decisions, and difficulties of the day. Yet Christ’s promise to His first-century followers also holds true in the twenty-first century: The very presence and power of Christ is with us anytime – anywhere – by the indwelling Holy Spirit. Has not Christ said, “and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matt. 28:20b)? His commitment of presence to us comes through the Helper, who is given by the Father and the Son to be in us: “the Spirit of truth . . . He abides with you and will be in you” (Jn. 14:17, cf. v. 16).

Therefore, we have peace in the middle of any circumstance: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you” (Jn. 14:27a). The presence of the Spirit continually advances the arrival of Christ’s grace and truth upon our hearts. We experience Him in our prayers, reading of the Word, gathering in worship, observing baptisms, receiving the Lord’s Supper, in our rising and our lying down, indeed, in every facet of life. He is ever near.
Our Advent worship of Christ guides us to ask: Is my heart resting in the truth that Christ’s presence is with me wherever and in whatever circumstance? Is my soul troubled and worried so that I’ve forgotten to run to the ever-present Christ?

Today, dear brothers and sisters: 

Rejoice in the humility and sacrifice of our Savior. Remember the hope of the glory yet to come. Rest in the advent of His ever-presence.

Celebrating, Anticipating, and Resting in the Advents of Christ,

Pastor Michael 

____________________________

FOOTNOTES

1. St. Bernard of Clairvaux (Sermo 5, In Adventu Domini, 1-3: Opera Omnia, Edit. Cisterc. 4 {1966}, 188-190. It appears in the Office of Readings for Wednesday of the First Week of Advent.  
2. Martin Luther wrote, “For God’s ancient people that time was fulfilled with Christ’s advent in the flesh, and in like manner it is still being fulfilled in our daily life, whenever a person is illumined through faith, so that our serfdom and toil under the Law come to an end. For Christ’s advent in the flesh would be useless unless it wrought in us such a spiritual advent of faith. And verily, for this reason He came in the flesh, that He might bring about such an advent in the spirit. For unto all who before or after believed in Him thus coming in the flesh, even to them He is come. Wherefore, in virtue of such faith, to the fathers of old His coming was ever present.
   From the beginning of time to the end of the world everything must needs depend upon this coming, this advent, in the flesh, whereby humanity is set free from bondage, whensoever, wheresoever and in whomsoever such faith is wrought. And the fulness of time is come for every person when we begin to believe in Christ as the One whose advent was promised before all times and who has now come.” – Sermon for the Sunday after Christmas, 1522

If You Came Out of Hiding

Posted by Michael Breznau on 4:51 pm in Devotionals, Discipleship, Worship | 0 comments

If you came out of hiding

What would you find there?

Who would others see?

The real you

Your heart, mind true

Your past through all the distance, too

If you came out of hiding

Where would you go?

What place of quiet solitude?

What would you say?

Unloading all your fears, hopes, and sorrows

Who would you tell all your dark secrets to?

If you came out of hiding

How would others see you?

Their eyes might lower

Their opinions may sink about you

If you came out of hiding

Who would embrace you

With all your hurts, bruises, and pains

If you told them all you knew about you?

If you walked out of the darkness

What would God think of you?

He would see you and know you

Yet still love and embrace you

No matter…

…the mud on your skin

…the stain on your heart

…the stench of your past

…the guilt of your present

…the fear of your future

…if you feel like death

If you came out of hiding

He would find you there

And invite you to come and rest

To roll the burden off your heart

The weight from your shoulders

The pain from your soul

The shame of your mind

Grace and peace would find you there.

If you came out of hiding

Michael J. Breznau | September 1, 2022

 

“How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!
If I would count them, they are more than the sand.
I awake, and I am still with you.

Search me, O God, and know my heart!
Try me and know my thoughts!
And see if there be any grievous way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting!” 

Psalm 139:17-18, 23-24

 

“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and My burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)

Jack, Our Beloved Son

Posted by Michael Breznau on 11:58 am in Devotionals, Marriage & Family | 0 comments

This week, God gave us the most indescribable gift: the finalization of Jack’s adoption into our family.

My soul is so full as my arms wrap around my son, this child of my heart.

He is not of “my flesh and bone,” but by God’s unbelievable grace, he is now my very own.

I think of what Joseph, the adoptive daddy to Jesus, must have felt. Looking into those eyes, caressing His cheeks, and softening the midnight cries…

“How can this be?” he must have wondered.

And so do I.

God chose Jack for us. 

God chose Jack for us. We quietly knew this for months. But we privately, silently prayed in our hearts; still with undercurrents of fear and anxiety about what the future would hold.

But God provided in countless ways. 

• A wise and wonderful adoption attorney: Mary Conklin.
• A Jesus-loving adoption agency: Families Through Adoption.
• A giant team of friends and family who prayed, supported, and encouraged along every step of the journey.

And Jack arrived. 

Healthy and whole and now overflowing with effervescent happiness. And this glorious Tuesday, surrounded by family and friends, our dear friend, Judge Brian Pickell, pronounced him now and forever: Jackson Carter Breznau.

I am forever his and he is mine. 

So also God our Father embraces us as His own. Through the indescribable gift of Christ the Son, we – by grace alone through faith alone – are chosen and adoption into His family, the Beloved. God calls us sons and daughters.

We are forever His and He is our Father.

Adoption is the eternal gift that flows from the gospel. In this love and grace we rejoice!

“He predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will.”  (Ephesians 1:5)

 

“To redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.” (Galatians 4:5-7)

 

“But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” (John 1:12)

 

“For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ…” (Roman 8:14ff)

 

“For in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith…” (Galatians 3:26)

A Prayer for our Son

Thank you, oh Lord of mercy, for giving us Jack. Our hearts pour out in praise to You. 

Lead Jack’s heart to Your love. At a very young, early age, we ask that You draw Him to the rescuing, redeeming Truth of Jesus the Christ.

May He walk with you and serve you with joy all of his days.

May He wholeheartedly love you and draw many others to love you through proclaiming Your great grace.

Give us wisdom, knowledge, and insight to guide Jack in Your Word. For Your glory to be displayed, we pray.

Through Christ our Savior and by the power of the Spirit, we pray to You, our Father. Amen. 

Thank you, friends! We love you all!

Love in Christ, 

  Michael, Stephanie, Hudson, Everlynn, Carson, and Jackson Breznau

Lessons From the Mountain

Posted by Michael Breznau on 4:16 pm in Devotionals, Podcast, Sermons, Story Time, Videos | 0 comments

Summer-Time is Thinking Time

Posted by Michael Breznau on 3:56 pm in Bible Study, Devotionals, Story Time | 0 comments

Summer-time is Thinking-time

Alone.

Thinking.

Think about it: 

What “burning bush” sort of moments have you had with God? Do you remember a time when God clearly spoke to you about a key decision, a personal crisis, a sin conviction, a career change, or a new ministry endeavor? Perhaps an experience like this occurred years ago or maybe quite recently.

Now think collectively as the keepers-of-the-story here at Mayfair Bible Church (or your own local church): what kind of “burning bush” moments can you recall from the recent or distant past in Mayfair’s history? How did God attune you and/or the church family to His guidance?

Let’s take action by sharing a brief story or two about your “burning bush” moments or your family’s seasons when God quite literally shocked you with His gracious guidance and fresh direction. I can’t wait to hear what you’ll bring to the “campfire” this coming Sunday as you converse in the foyer, hallways, pews, or over Sunday dinner.

Anyone bringing s’mores?

In God’s Vineyard,
Michael

Striking Parallels: Why Jesus Died

Posted by Michael Breznau on 8:41 am in Bible Study, Devotionals, Podcast, Sermons, Videos, Worship | 0 comments

We live in a world darkened… stained by sin. Sin = anything we, as humans, think, say, or do that is contrary – opposite to God’s way of love and truth. We face the effects and consequences of sin – death and evil and destruction are everywhere. Depravity is, perhaps, the most empirically verifiable fact in the world.

            So, is there any hope? Is there mercy for broken, messed up humanity?

This One, Jesus, who spoke life, hope, forgiveness, and freedom… died. Why?

Tonight, let’s discover why through parallels – looking at lines from one Old Testament passage and crossing over to a New Testament passage. Exodus 24 and Matthew 26. Two men, two leaders. Moses. Jesus. Two tables. Two Covenants.

But first envision a picture frame around these two biblical passages with two short verses from the apostle Peter:

“Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who reside as foreigners/strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, who are chosen according to the foreknowledge of God through sanctification of the Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood: May grace and peace be yours in the fullest measure.” (1 Pet. 1:1-2)

What do all those words mean?! Sprinkling blood??

Hold the thought. Keep that frame in view because Peter had a parallel of Scripture in mind. Let’s discover the parallels which reveal to us WHY Jesus died…

God led the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt via Moses. God gave them the 10 Commandments and additional laws for the functioning of the nation.  Then in Exodus 24 we see…

As Moses arose early in the morning and built an altar at the foot of the mountain with 12 pillars for the 12 tribes of Israel (v. 4), SO Jesus, in Matthew 26, built His mission on and communicated the New Covenant in His blood with the 12 disciples (Matt. 26:26-28).

As Moses sacrificed young bulls, took the book of God’s covenant and read it for all the people so that they might respond to God (v. 5-6), SO Jesus instituted the New Covenant with His disciples so that they (and we) could respond to God with faith in His promise.

As Moses took the blood and sprinkled it on the altar and the people, who had responded in confession with the covenant (v. 8), so Jesus symbolically held the cup up as the sign of the New Covenant in His blood, which is poured out for the forgiveness of sins.

As the Israelites responded with a promise to obey God (v. 3, 7), yet later failed, so now Christians have been chosen by God to the obedience of faith in Jesus Christ, and so are sprinkled with His blood, by which we’re forgiven (1 Peter 1:2) and He will not fail on His promise to us (Heb. 10:23).

The Israelites were considered cleansed within by being sprinkled with blood on the outside. OUTSIDE – IN. But not anymore! Jesus poured out His blood once-for-all to erase our debt of sin. INSIDE – OUT!

As Moses and the other leaders “saw the God of Israel,” yet did not die but instead saw God, and they ate and drank (v. 9-11), so Jesus the initiator and communicator of the New Covenant was God-in-the-flesh, and the 12 disciples gathered together with Him at the inauguration of the New Covenant and they ate and drank. Table fellowship with God.

And as Moses was called by God to go up a mountain to receive the Law of God on stone tablets, so Jesus the Son of God was called by God the Father to climb up another mountain called Calvary to be the Way of grace, to inaugurate a New and Living Way through the sacrifice of His body on the Cross (Hebrews 10:19-25), so that His Law could be written on the tablets of our hearts (Jer. 31:33-34; 2 Cor. 3:3; Heb. 8:10). God mediated His relationship with the Israelites through the Law of Moses, but the Law was never a way to salvation but only the way to demonstrate one’s faith in God and His promises.

Now in Christ, there is just one mediator, the man Jesus Christ, the one whom Moses looked forward to and anticipated (Deut. 18:15). “…the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ” (John 1:17). And all God’s promises are “yes and amen” in Him! (2 Cor. 1:20)

So, Jesus is Greater than Moses. Jesus Christ is the Ultimate Leader of His people. He is Prophet, Priest, and King. Jesus Christ is your hope and your inheritance.

            This is why Jesus died…

So that this world-changing, heart-redeeming good news is what we could be brought into! Therefore, Peter writes to Christians scattered around the ancient known world: “May grace and peace be yours in the fullest measure!” The world’s rejects are now God’s elect!

The parallels.

We discover through Exodus 24 and Matthew 26 framed around by other verses that…

Christ’s death – His blood poured out on the Cross – fulfilled the full picture of the Old Testament sacrifice to give us the New Covenant, the new promise, so that the world’s rejects are now God’s elect.

Chosen and cherished by God… so though our sins they are many, His mercy is more.

In God’s Vineyard, 

Pastor Michael 

Here is the slightly elongated version of this message as delivered on Good Friday 2022 at Mayfair Bible Church in Flushing, MI:

FOOTNOTES

As it turned out, Dr. Thomas Schreiner affirmed my findings: 

“To what does the sprinkling of blood refer? In the Old Testament the sprinkling of the blood is used for the cleansing of a leper (Lev 14:6–7), for the sprinkling of priests in ordination (Exod 29:21), and the sprinkling of the blood when the covenant with Moses was inaugurated (Exod 24:3–8). We can reject the sprinkling of blood in the ordination of priests immediately since the context suggests nothing about ordination. Grudem thinks the background is in the cleansing of lepers, arguing that it is an apt picture of the need of cleansing and forgiveness for the sins that disrupt fellowship with God after conversion.³⁴ In addition, he thinks a reference to sprinkling that occurs at conversion is unpersuasive since this sprinkling comes after sanctification and obedience.³⁵ Grudem’s view is possible, but once again it is ultimately unpersuasive.³⁶ His objection about the order of sanctification and obedience only stands if both of these terms refer to life after conversion, but I have already argued that both of these terms refer to conversion as well. Sanctification, obedience, and the sprinkling of blood are three different ways of describing the conversion of believers in this context. Further, Exod 24:3–8 is the most probable background to the passage.³⁷ The covenant is inaugurated with sacrifices in which blood is shed and sprinkled on the altar (Exod 24:5–6). The people pledge obedience to the God of the covenant (Exod 24:3, 7). The promise to obey matches the obedience Peter noted in the first part of the eis clause. Moses then sprinkled the people with the blood, stating, “This is the blood of the covenant that the Lord has made with you” (Exod 24:8). The blood of the covenant signifies the forgiveness and cleansing the people needed to stand in right relation with God. We see, then, that entrance into the covenant has two dimensions: the obedient response to the gospel and the sprinkling of blood. Similarly, God’s work of foreknowing and the Spirit’s work of sanctifying introduce the readers into God’s new covenant.³⁸ Believers enter the covenant by obeying the gospel and through the sprinkled blood of Christ, that is, his cleansing sacrifice.^[1]”

³⁴ Grudem, 1 Peter, 52–54.

³⁵ Ibid.

³⁶ For views similar to my own see Michaels, 1 Peter, 12–13; Achtemeier, 1 Peter, 86–88.

³⁷ Michaels also draws attention to the sprinkling of the ashes of the red heifer in Numbers 19 (1 Peter, 12). It seems unlikely, though, that this is the most natural background since Exod 24:3–8 relates more directly to conversion, to the inauguration of God’s covenant with his people.

³⁸ So Achtemeier, 1 Peter, 89.

^[1] Thomas R. Schreiner, 1, 2 Peter, Jude, vol. 37, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2003), 56.