Preaching Christ: Power Made Perfect in Weakness

July 11, 2006
Dear Friends,
“What we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord” (2 Corinthians 4:5). Over these last months while finishing up a sermon for my extended Gospel Communication class at Westminster Seminary here in Glenside, PA, I have been reminded of just how costly the grace of Christ is. But at the same time I have come to grips with how selfish my own heart is, so much so that if I don’t remind myself daily of Jesus’ death and resurrection on my behalf, I will undoubtedly take the opportunities He gives me through my disease for my own gain instead of His. The Lord of all glory has already sacrificied the very life of His only Son that I might spread His redeeming glory to all I meet! How could I ever be tempted to forget Him in the sufferings of daily living in a weak body? My vision of Christ as my only hope, purpose, and joy in life has been sharpened by the hardships this disease has brought upon me and my family.

I have also come to realize each day that Jesus is really all that I need. As Rebecca and I have had to trust the Lord to meet our physical needs of health and finances, we have also come to see how dependent we really need to be on Him for our spiritual vitality as well. Dear friends, do you know how active the Lord is in this world today? We have seen His worldwide church, spread everywhere from Jordan to Australia to our own backyard, be moved by the Spirit of God to provide for our financial needs and emotional encouragement at just the right moment countless times! Yet while our needs have been met, we have never been able to boast of it being from our own doing. Thank you to all who have been used by the Lord to take care of us!

FINANCES
Rebecca is now working part-time as an independent sales consultant for Xelex Digital, LLC, which averages 20 hours/wk, gives us high speed internet, and allows us to stay in touch with all of you. Food stamps have been providing most of our grocery money since April, but have now dropped down to $85/month because of the income of Rebecca’s job. Medicaid has provided me with low co-payments on my prescriptions since May, though it has been difficult to get prescriptions that are on the formulary list. My application for Supplimental Security Income has been denied because we now make too much money, though soon we will receive a couple of the lost months retroactively (more government paperwork). This month I start on Social Security Disability which will bring in $441/month. We are very thankful to be able to utilize these resources.

ON THE HOMEFRONT
The kitchen and office were organized beautifully last month while Rebecca’s parents relieved her for a week of caring for me, and she was able to do the majority of her correspondence course from Moody which she will complete next Thursday. What would we do without family and friends? Though gifts from friends have relieved much of our rent, electric, transportation, and health insurance costs, Dad and Mom Knaebel continue to pay whatever has remained. They have also lent us their mini-van indefinitely because it is easier for Chris to get in and out of, being higher off the ground than our Accord. We have truly been blessed with families who really do reflect for us the loving care that our heavenly Father has for each of His children.

While being virtually homebound these last five months, Rebecca and I have come to enjoy our oppportunities to have friends over for meals and visit with them. Sunday afternoons have become a treasured time in our weeks as we have begun to have both neighbors and church family into our home. I, Chris, have also had the privilege of mentoring a younger believer. What a joy to see another growing more to mirror the character of Jesus!

SCHOOL
My Westminster coursework for the spring was finally complete as of June 30th! Thank you all for your many prayers on my behalf. I even passed Greek with a high enough grade to not be re-examined when I take my ordination exams to become a pastor! The Lord truly is faithful, and apart from His sustaining grace, I know there is no way I could have done so well with all that happened this semester. Rebecca has only one more month left of her online Environmental Biology course. Continue to pray for her exhausting schedule of: working 20 hours/wk, caring for me & for the house, as well as completing these last couple of courses. She starts her final undergraduate class online in August, being completely finished college-- Lord willing-- in December.

My fall semester at Westminster begins September 7, and I’m registered in faith for a full load of 12 credits (including ancient Hebrew). The current Chancellor and former President of Westminster, Dr. Sam Logan (member of our church) recently agreed to be my advocate/mentor for the remainder of my time at seminary. He has already provided me with a backdoor library employee access card for easier wheelchair access and offered a helpful critique of my most recent sermon manuscript. How exciting to see the Lord continue to open doors for my return to seminary! Also, through a series of scholarships which I have received, the upcoming semester will be paid for, provided that I am able to continue as a full time student (taking at least 12 credits). It is possible to be granted an exception to this rule if I ask for it. Currently, I do not have the physical strength to be able to attend classes and keep up such rigorous coursework, so pray that if this be the Lord’s will for me, He will provide me with the ability to get well enough to return to school (in some fashion).

HEALTH
My neurologist at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia has not been impressed with the response to the oral steriods he has given me to treat my Dermatomyositis. Though we had seen significant improvement in strength during the first month after my hospitalization in February, it seems to have been only because of my alternate, one time in hospital treatment of IVIG. So, beginning in June, he ordered three additional IVIG treatments. The second round of these 14 hour treatments over two days will be next Wednesday and Thursday, the 19th & 20th. He is very hopeful that my strength will significantly improve following these very pricey treatments. As God would have it, insurance covers them all (anywhere from 8 to 20 thousand dollars each) as well as providing the treatments out of my home, complete with a nurse staying with me the entire time! This not only allows for a very comfortable environment and a more beneficial response to the treatment, but also allows Rebecca to continue her daily routine and work, uninterrupted! Praise God. So far it seems the first treatment has brought increased strength and energy. Also, the Lord kept both Rebecca and I from sickness, as well as safe, on the road as we traveled much these last months.

While in Seminary I have come to see my life verse from high school, 2 Corinthians 12:9, anew. Through my physical battle and the limitations that this has brought me, I now know Christ is my sufficient grace in physical weakness. I had always thrived on serving people with my hands, and thus was continually frustrated last semester as I helplessly watched my muscles waste away. His power really was made perfect in weakness. I now see Him teaching me the greater gift: looking beyond the physical acts of service and towards true spiritual needs. It was only through my physical immobility that the Lord gave me eyes to recognize the spiritual needs that have been surrounding me all along (e.g. hospitality to neighbors and mentoring a younger believer), while I am encouraged through the worldwide prayers of believing hearts. Like the Lord said to the apostle Paul in his weakness: “‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:9-10).

The Joy of the Lord is our Strength,
Christopher & Rebecca

P.S. Check out our pictorial recap of these last months: http://flickr.com/photos/chris_rebecca_knaebel/