2009-01-06T00:52:45Z Pastor Mark Jappe Copyright 2009, Pastor Mark Jappe SPHPBLOG How wonderful to remember what brought us together in the first place. The love and tenderness expressed by Janet saying one year how I melted her heart like chocolate left on a dashboard. My best lines have been far less eloquent, “Hey Babe, I think you’re hot.” But the meaning is the same; we’re crazy about each other, as God intended husband and wife to be.
We also spend time on our anniversaries planning for the future. Our 26th will be especially memorable, because a new phase of life has come our way. Rachel is settled into a new routine as a freshman student at Dallas Baptist University. Our son Caleb has celebrated his first anniversary with his lovely wife Kayleigh, the new Mrs. Jappe. And Jonathan, soon to be home from Iraq, moves steadily along in his engagement to Miss Emily Hansen. They are planning a May wedding. God is correct from the beginning, it is NOT GOOD for man to be alone, and so He created these beautiful and wonderful help-mates for us. Yeah God!
When the last child leaves home and the dog dies, one is truly in the empty nest. Well, our children are all gone, but cousins now occupy their rooms, and the Shih Tzu dog Zacchaeus Duke is still very much alive, but a new chapter is certainly upon us. My greatest desire is to spend these last years God gives to us, serving God’s people at Gateway Church and continuing our international ministry that has been so fulfilling to our soul and useful to His kingdom. We also want to be open to wherever God leads. Our newest challenges with the KPRZ radio ministry and Janet’s recording project add some exciting possibilities of reaching new and more people for Jesus. We are so happy to be a part of your lives, as you attend Gateway Church or are part of our listening audience at Share the Joy. Thanks for your prayers. We are praying for you. If you are in a marriage relationship, we pray that God may strengthen your commitment and love. If you are single, but desirous of a marriage relationship, let God know about your hopes. He understands your heart’s desire. And if you are brokenhearted, God hears your prayers; only He can meet your deepest needs. (Psalm 34:18) How blessed we all are as we continue to trust Our Savior and Lord, laying before Him our hopes, our dreams and our futures! (Psalm 13:5). God bless you!
]]> http://gatewaychurch.avsembackup.com/blog/index.php?entry=entry080828-180700 2008-08-28T00:00:00Z 2008-08-28T00:00:00Z As we continued to talk, the time simply flew by. They invited us to share their delicious lunch; Sandra took us to my great grandparent’s home place, and then we discussed the possibility of seeing the Matterhorn. For awhile, it seemed like some of Switzerland’s great jewels was going to be a causality of our crowded itinerary, too far out of the way and remote. And then, Sandra said, “Why don’t you just take the car train and just go through the mountain?” “Where and how do you do that?” She showed us every step of the way how to save time, money and energy and reach Zermatt, the town just below the Matterhorn. Having mentioned that it was going to be spectacular because of the conditions of the weather, we invited Sandra and we were off on this trek together. It could not have been better. Here we were being united as a family, seeing God’s beautiful creation, and getting the local knowledge on everything: from the least expensive fuel, shortest route, most efficient use of time. Every hour was a blessing. Thank you, Cousins Urs & Irene and little Sarah. And here’s to you, Sandra! And God bless you all, my dear extended family. ]]> http://gatewaychurch.avsembackup.com/blog/index.php?entry=entry080714-212112 2008-07-15T00:00:00Z 2008-07-15T00:00:00Z Through over 2000 miles of European highway, we turned, whipped through the roundabouts, backed up, stopped to get “reorientated [sic]”– as I would jokingly say and even on a couple of occasions had the locals tell us, just to follow them, as they merrily led us in the direction we wanted to go. It was all delightful. We of course found that the God-made sites were far more beautiful than the man made ones. The tower at Pisa still leans, the churches and sculptures by Donatello, Raphael and Michelangelo are incredible, but they certainly don’t come close to the mountains that God made. Further north, outside the beautiful city of Innsbruck, we had one of our best days of the trip. A real vacation simply driving until you don’t want to drive anymore, pulling in to a charming 3star (reasonably priced) Austrian gasthof or inn, and taking one of the most wonderful walks through the Tyrolean Alps one could imagine. Wunderbar! Everything was going so well that I hardly needed to use my Swiss Army knife at all; and then came the moment. The hinge on Janet’s prescription sunglasses came apart. This can be frustrating for long drives through the countryside, especially when navigation is needed. Finally, I came up with the solution. Using my ever trusted Swiss Army knife, I took parts from my fully functioning Raybans and repaired Janet’s sunglasses. Wow, did that score some points! “Honey, you would do this for me? Now I can read the map again! O, you are so resourceful…blah, blah, blah.” I was basking in my greatest victory of the trip. Sacrificing my own comfort for my wife Jan. The rest of the trip was filled with stunning beauty, memorable bonding moments with the young Rachel, who will soon be leaving us for Dallas and college in the fall. And we, Jan and I are back, serving Jesus and our church family in wonderful SoCal. ]]> http://gatewaychurch.avsembackup.com/blog/index.php?entry=entry080708-011733 2008-07-08T00:00:00Z 2008-07-08T00:00:00Z


I am so proud of my son Jonathan Jappe for joining the United States Navy. He took the position of Religious Programmer, commonly known as Chaplain’s Assistant. His desire is to serve the Lord as he ministers with the Navy chaplains. I also was filled with admiration and nervousness as he set off for his first tour of duty in Iraq. He sent back this wonderful message from Al Taqaddum Airbase, 2006 …..


Finding Beauty in Iraq
By RPSN Jonathan Jappe, USN

Someone asked me what is beautiful out here in Iraq, stating that because God has made this part of the world as well, that it could not be devoid of all beauty. I can't deny the argument, because God did look down on all that He had created and said that it was good. There is some beauty in the sunrise and night sky, the way the light streams into the back window of the chapel and creates a powerful image of the cross. The landscape however is devoid of all beauty, and the reason for this is plain. This land is one of, if not the oldest piece of inhabited land on the planet. It is postulated that the Garden of Eden was somewhere in the area. Abraham started his story in modern day Southern Iraq or Kuwait.
The point I am getting at is that Iraq is a huge example of human stewardship at its worst. This land has been in human hands since the beginning of time with the instructions to care for it, and man has done a poor job of it. My area of the base is near a lake which gives us the name Lakeside. It is a lake that could have been tapped for irrigation to make the desert bloom. Oil was found here, a commodity which could have sent Iraq into the first world, but instead added to the personal wealth of evil dictators. Even now, as a free and democratic Iraq is beginning, there are those who would send it back into the Stone Age. Small craters have been formed by explosions caused by Improvised Explosive Devices, IEDs. Black smoke fills the sky as a truck that once held a group of Marines in it burns. Iraq once held wonders of the ancient world and now the civilizations of Babylon and Persia are used for cover from AK-47 fire. In the end, Iraq has no beauty that is unique to itself except for the smile of a young girl who is going to school for the first time, except for the joy in the faces of a group of boys playing with a brand new soccer ball, given to them by a service member. The sense of accomplishment of a woman who holds up her thumb covered in ink to prove that she has voted for the leader of her choice, and a father’s sense of relief knowing that his children have a chance of better life than he did. The land of Iraq is pitiful, but its people are its true beauty.


And now, the second tour, this one was optional. Jonathan had trained with the Combat Logistics Battalion, and he did not want to leave them in the lurch, so he decided on a second tour. Now he is stationed in Falujah approaching his half-way point, one of the toughest places to be: not at the starting line or close to the finish. The sacrifice for our country in facing this war is real. Our family members, fathers & mothers, sons & daughters, husbands & wives, sisters & brothers, and fiancés serve us every day in an often forgotten and complicated conflict. My hope is that we will remember them, first of all, in our prayers for victory, secondly, in our hopes for their safety, and thirdly, in our gifts for their support. Marriages have been strained, and many need counseling. Physical wounds need repair and psychological trauma needs our love Remember that a small act of kindness can go a long way. So, just the other day as I was standing in line at a Subway restaurant waiting for my sandwich to be made, I observed the lady in front of me, noticing she was an officer in the Navy, and I simply asked her, “May I buy you lunch today?” She said, “Oh, you don’t have to.” But I responded, “It would be my privilege for all you do to serve and protect us. Let me buy your lunch and say thanks.” She appreciated my gesture. It was a far cry from the response our service members received after Vietnam, and I say, it should be that way. Let us never forget that this is a time to pull together and support our troops.

In Christ, Pastor Mark
]]> http://gatewaychurch.avsembackup.com/blog/index.php?entry=entry080603-005010 2008-06-03T00:00:00Z 2008-06-03T00:00:00Z And let me tell you, these gentlemen know how to sing! They sang as little guys in an orphanage in Port Harcourt to forget how hungry they were. Can you imagine us doing that? God used this most difficult of circumstances to mold and shape them into the men that they are today, never bitter, but thankful to God for their life and their liberty and their salvation in Jesus Christ! You will not be disappointed, in fact, I think if you listen in your heart, you will hear God's angels joining in the celebration. This is a little taste of Heaven, to sing God's praises among the nations!
We have much to be thankful and praise God for. Here is what the psalmist says in Psalm 57: "My heart is confident in you, O God; my heart is confident. No wonder I can sing your praises! Wake up, my heart! Wake up, O lyre and harp! I will wake the dawn with my song. I will thank you, Lord, among all the people. I will sing your praises among the nations. For your unfailing love is as high as the heavens. Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.Be exalted, O God, above the highest heavens. May your glory shine over all the earth." Psalm 57:7-11
If you are available this Saturday night, May 31....come to Gateway Church at 1280 North Johnson Avenue in El Cajon. The concert at 6PM is free, but there will be a free will offering taken to benefit Project Nigeria, a ministry of Gateway Church to the children orphaned or abandoned in that country.
Hope to see you there! Bring your clapping hands, joyful voices and smiling faces!
Joyfully His,
Janet]]> http://gatewaychurch.avsembackup.com/blog/index.php?entry=entry080529-062934 2008-05-29T00:00:00Z 2008-05-29T00:00:00Z When LT was 12 years old and growing up in Waco, Texas, he had an opportunity to go to a football camp put on by Emmet Smith of the Dallas Cowboys, and now every year, he wants to give back what he received when he was young. For this reason and others, I am a LT super fan! I have been wearing his jersey at the stadium and even while watching the games at home. It was so cool just to be standing on the same field with him, to see him interact with these young kids gathered at Hoover High School going through football drills and seeing the 2006 MVP up close. And then when he was walking by, I had my moment to speak with him; all I could say is, “I am a super fan.” He smiled and nodded; he understood.
See, I believe LT is somebody who could be admired, not only for what he does on the field, but what he does off the field. As a Christian he knows that all of his talents and skills come from God, and that he has to give Him the credit and that it is a responsibility to give back to the community. He also lifts his other teammates and challenges them to do the same. I got to speak to Jacques Cesaire, Matt Wilhelm, Jeromey Clary, and the voice of the Chargers, Hank Bauer. It was a great day to be with the young kids, learning about life, learning about football, and finding out again that somebody cares.
And can I tell you, that Jesus does! He knows your pain, He knows whether you have a parent in prison, or if it just feels like it because of your situation. God loves you. Receive His love into your life, but don’t just keep it. Be like LT, and pass it on to the next generation.
In Christ,
Pastor Mark
]]> http://gatewaychurch.avsembackup.com/blog/index.php?entry=entry080529-060813 2008-05-29T00:00:00Z 2008-05-29T00:00:00Z Years ago, Janet and I took our one and only cruise with Chuck Swindoll and his Insight for Living ministry team. Janet’s parents, Harold and June Hankins, graciously invited us to accompany them, as they also have appreciated the Insight for Living radio ministry. It was a blessing to hear Pastor Swindoll preach about the significance of lighthouses as a metaphor of the Christian experience. Every day we would catch a glimpse of these historical keepers of light along the Eastern seaboard, from New York along the inland passageway to Montreal, and every evening we gathered together to hear the preaching of God’s Word. I was thrilled just to be in the same room with this Champion for Christ, and now to be on the same station, is a true joy for me.
Another KPRZ pastor that is one of my favorites is Haddon Robinson, one of the best preachers of our generation. I first heard him through the cassette tape ministry of Leadership Magazine, and his message and style of preaching rings in my heart and head.
A local friend of mine, who I rooted for during his Charger days, is Miles McPherson, pastor of The Rock. He is quite an evangelist, and a great guy, building a super church right here in Point Loma. He came to speak at Gateway Church during a youth ministry night, and we saw our highest attendance of students. Over 140 came to hear Miles, as he just gives his time away over and over to those trying to build God’s kingdom. That is why God has blessed him so greatly, because he gives of himself continually.
I also have to point out John MacArthur. I first heard him at a Youth for Christ Breakaway at Grossmont High School and later at the Greek Amphitheater of PLNU when I was 16 years old. What a mastery he has of God’s Word, and a legend in building a strong church as well.
Of course, there is also Dr. David Jeremiah, just down the road at Shadow Mountain, one of my favorite preachers to listen to. He is articulate, insightful, and biblical; what a blessing!
In short, these heroes of the pulpit have been blessing the lives of people for years, and I feel encouraged as well as challenged to this great lineup of Godly men rightly dividing the Truth each day. Please pray for Janet and me as we look to God’s guidance to make this ministry, Share the Joy, something that touches you each day.
In Christ,
Pastor Mark
]]> http://gatewaychurch.avsembackup.com/blog/index.php?entry=entry080527-011419 2008-05-27T00:00:00Z 2008-05-27T00:00:00Z