The Pastor's Study

ACTING OUT: BECOMING THE CHURCH GOD DESIRES US TO BE

2012-01-27T14:39:00.000-08:00

In light of my new sermon series (check out sermon #1 here) this video is a good reminder and challenge.

ONE PERSON CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

2012-01-25T18:58:00.000-08:00

AS THIS PAST SUNDAY'S FORTY-NINERS LOSS CAN SADLY PROVE: ONE PERSON CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE! (I use the word "sadly" rather than "tragically" because after all it was just a football game)

Our sermon text for this coming Sunday (January 29, 2012) is Acts 1:12-26. (The second in a new series: "Acting Out: Becoming the Church God Desires Us to Be") In this text we listen in on the conversation amongst the Apostles about the need to replace Judas, since, well how can we nicely say this, he didn't get the picture about who Jesus was until it was a little too late.

Judas made a difference, just one guy, but he made a huge, albeit negative impact. Now the Apostles were looking for someone to replace him. That someone had to meet certain qualifications, and then be "voted" in by the casting of lots with the belief (faith) that the Holy Spirit would show them the correct individual.

As I was pondering the text my mind drifted to the many who made a difference in my life. Thankfully, there were more good difference-makers than bad. And this got me wondering if those of you out there in blogland would be willing to share with us those who made a positive impact in your life?

So, what say you?
Care to share?
I would love to hear your story.

SO . . . I WAS WONDERING . . .

2012-01-17T19:14:00.000-08:00

THE CHURCH IN THE WORLD TODAY finds itself at one of greatest crossroad since possibly the days of the Reformation. (That is in my humble opinion.)

The church in the North and in the West is finding itself more and more stuck between being meaningless or marginalized within the culture wherein it finds itself.

The church in the South and in the East is finding itself more and more running between being a persecuted church or a populated & popular church.

Therefore, the question I would put to you, my readers is, "How do YOU see the church today within your given culture?" (I know this blog is read within various cultures) and an even more vital question would be, "What is the purpose of the church?"

Your answers will help me as I lead our church family through a study in the Book of Acts. I do hope and desire for you to respond. At least, thanks for giving it a thought, and maybe even a prayer!

I KNOW I'M ASKING FOR TROUBLE

2012-01-10T14:25:00.000-08:00

BEGINNING JANUARY 22nd I HOPE TO EMBARK UPON A NEW SERMON SERIES walking us through the ACTS OF THE APOSTLES, or is it the ACTS OF THE CHURCH or is the ACTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT? I'm never quite sure what to call that book in the Bible, which in its simplest sense is call ACTS.

The working title for this new series is: "Acting OUT: Becoming the Church God Desires Us to Be"

Here's where the trouble starts. I would like YOU to be part of the "action." I would like to hear your thoughts and musings. I would like to place before you a question that I am seeking to answer;

"If we were to start a church today what would it look like, be like, sound like, feel like?"

So, there you go...it's your turn...how would you answer that question?

I am eager to hear your response!

PS: Need more food for thought? Check our Skye Jenthani's blog on a Recipe for Church

The Religious Views of 20-Somethings, Part 1 | Out of Ur | Conversations for Ministry Leaders

2012-01-03T14:16:00.000-08:00

I would love to get your responses to this article on the views of the 20-Somethings. Especially those who fall within that age group, or are at least closer to it than I am. ;o)

The Religious Views of 20-Somethings, Part 1 | Out of Ur | Conversations for Ministry Leaders

THE CHRISTMAS STORY

2011-12-22T16:14:00.000-08:00

OVER THE PAST WEEKS I HAVE BEEN PRESENTING THE ADVENT EVENTS by giving us the opportunity to see that event "Through New Eyes." Through the eyes of the Angel Gabriel, Joseph, the Inn-Keeper, and on Christmas morning through the eyes of the Shepherd.

Today I came across this re-telling of the Advent event is a new and fresh way...that is through new eyes. I hope you'll take the time to watch it, and to take time, once again, to imagine the wonder of the Gift of God. Emmanuel, God with us!

ACTING OUT! GOD'S DESIGN FOR THE CHURCH

2011-12-16T17:06:00.000-08:00

STARTING JANUARY 1, 2012 WE WILL BE STARTING A NEW SERIES OF MESSAGES. Pastor Ron will be leading off the first three weeks with some critically important messages about being the church taken from such texts as 1 Peter 3 and Ephesians 3 and 4. I hope you will sent your heart, mind and spirit to join me in the opening weeks of the new year.
     Starting on January 22, I will continue in looking at God's design for the church in a series I am calling, "ACTING OUT! God's Design for His Church." In will be a study through the Book of the Acts.
     I know our lives are busy, and that the pressures of the world push down around us, but the mandate from our Lord and Savior is strong and clear, "Go and make disciples..." (Matthew 28:19-20).
     Therefore, I am placing before you right now the invitation to join me and Pastor Ron and the Ministry Team as we are seeking God's heart for His plan worked out in and through us. It might not be too early to make that New Year's Resolution. One that states, in 2012 I am going to keep Sunday's sacred and be part of Christ's Body the church, joining our hearts and hands together as we seek to be God's people in God's world, doing God's work.
     Come and join us! Let's work to help fulfill God's Great Commission (Matthew 28:19:20) through carrying out God's Great Command (Matthew 22:37-40).

This is Discipling from The Foursquare Church on Vimeo.

WONDER!

2011-12-03T08:31:00.000-08:00

WHAT MAKES YOU STAND IN WONDER? A beautiful sunset? The powerful cascades of a waterfall? The birth of a child? A relationship you have with someone who knows all your faults and still chooses to love you?

Wonder comes in all shapes and sizes. Wonder can overwhelm us, when we are least expecting it. Wonder has the power to move us from the place of being saturated with self doubt to the place where we are filled to overflowing with with heart-felt gratitude.

Wonder comes when we discover that the payment for our sins (Romans 3:23) has been completely paid for by God Himself (Romans 6:23). Wonder comes when we realize that God visited us in the flesh, as a baby, in order to accomplish His grace-filled love of forgiveness 30 years later upon the cross. (Philippians 2:5-11)

This is the wonder of the Advent Season. This is the wonder that the angels proclaimed to simple shepherds the night that Jesus, the Messiah, was born. (Luke 2:8-20)

How's your wonder-quotient this Advent Season? Are you so caught up in the rush of life that you have lost the ability to wonder? If you feel that is true, then I invite you to attend a church service this weekend. Hear again the Christmas story and join in the wonder of wonders, God, born as a baby to bring salvation to those who will believe.

Oh, the wonder of it all!

IN MEMORY OF DR. JOHN STOTT

2011-11-22T14:24:00.000-08:00

I encourage you to take a break and listen to Tim Keller's memorial message to honor John Stott. As a young evangelical I know that Dr. Stott has touched my life and ministry more than I realize. We have much to learn from our brother and one of the saints.

Here are the main points of Tim Keller's message:

We need to be convicted by his kingdom vision.
We should be cautioned by his cultural learning curve.
We should be chastened by his leadership controversies.
We need to be instructed by his great innovations: 1) expository preaching; 2) invented the modern center-city church; 3) willing to organize and use institutions and organizations to put Evangelical Anglicans on the map; 4) forced Evangelicals to deal with social ethics social justice issues; 5) created Evangelicalism, the great center between fundamentalism and liberalism, he was prophetic from the center.
We should be empowered by the knowledge of his present glory.

THE ORIGINAL HALLELUJAH CHORUS!

2011-11-07T15:20:00.000-08:00

Image via Wikipedia

LAST ADVENT SEASON Linda and I had the privilege of joining a couple from our church for dinner in San Fransisco and then to attend the San Fransisco Symphony's Christmas production of Handle's Messiah. It was a grand evening. We were blessed!

Tradition has it that when you get to the Hallelujah Chorus the audience is supposed stand, and stand we did. Truthfully, I don't know how one could sit through that inspiring selection. It certainly moves the heart.

This coming Sunday's message is on Revelation 19:1-21. Some might say herein lies the basis for Handle's Hallelujah. It is here that we read, "Hallelujah! For the LORD God Almighty reigns!" (Revelation 19:6) And later we read that written upon the Messiah's robe and thigh is the declaration of His name, "King of Kings and Lord of Lords!" (Revelation 19:16) John records of his vision that a great multitude stood and declared these truths, and the sound of their proclamation was like that of the rushing of many waters and loud peals of thunder (Revelation 19:1 & Revelation 19:6) Is it any wonder that even today, in an auditorium in the center of San Fransisco, a place I am sure was filled with people from a multiplicity of belief systems, we all stood in honor, respect, and for some even declaration of the truth being sung about the One who is the Truth.

This Sunday's message will focus upon that truth, that the Lord Almighty reigns. Sometimes we fail to live under that truth. We are overcome by the hard times in which we find ourselves. We even find ourselves believing that the "other side" is winning.

Well, if chapter 19 has anything to remind us, it's that we are not only going to see victory, but the victory is already ours!

Here's a question for you to ponder, or even respond to if you so desire, "What gives you reason to stand with the multitudes and declare, 'Hallelujah, the LORD Almighty reigns!'?" As Advent season again approaches, ushered in by this month when we focus upon thanks-giving, what better time to stop and "ponder anew what the Almighty can do" (Praise to the Lord, the Almighty).

Hallelujah! What a Savior! I am looking forward to what God will have to say to me this week as I prepare for this message? I wonder what He will have for all of us?

CHRIST CHANGES THINGS

2011-10-20T13:36:00.000-07:00

WHILE SPENDING SOME EARLY MORNING READING TIME with author Richard Foster (Sanctuary of the Soul: Journey into Meditative Prayer) I was moved by Foster's statement, "We are enabled to give up our need to watch out for number one because we have One who is watching out for us." (p. 63)

It got me thinking just how much the One, that is Jesus Christ, changes lives. Consider my tiny list and feel free to add your own ways in which you see Christ changing things. My list is pretty much just what Jesus did while He was with His disciples 2000 years ago, I know I could add even more personal encounters, but this is at least a starting place.

So here's the list, thus far:

Water to Wine

Sightless to Seeing

Broken to Bound up

Storms to Stillness

Lame to Leaping

Fearful to Faithful

Sorrow to Security

Forsaken to Forgiven

Hurting to Healed

Longing to Loving

Floundering to Found

Life-less to Life-filled

A LESSON FOR ME...FOR ALL OF US

2011-10-20T10:09:00.000-07:00

I BELIEVE THAT SETH GODIN IS ON TO SOMETHING. Too often, within the context of the church, we don't rise up to meet the need. We say "we can't" because we are not called or gifted or as Godin points out in his blog, we think we are too stupid. But is it stupidity or is it laziness? As I think over my own life I must admit that many of the times I did not "rise to the occasion," was not because I lacked skill, rather I just did not want to make the effort. In other words, I was lazy.

So, when we are called to serve in God's Kingdom, let's not use the excuse that I just don't have the gifts, or that there is somebody better than me, let's just get up and answer the call. Remembering in all things we are weak, even the things we do best compared to God are weak. So, let's not give the excuse, but rather let us give the energy that God provides.

Let us remember the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel,

"'Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,' says the LORD Almighty." (Zechariah 4:6)

THE POWERFUL WORD OF GOD!

2011-10-16T21:39:00.000-07:00

IT IS THE WORD OF GOD THAT CHANGES LIVES. Here is a sermon, no more than that, here is the Word of God recited as it was meant to be heard.

Get yourself in a comfortable place. Quiet your heart. Set aside the next 46 minutes and let the Word of God dwell in you richly. For it is powerful. And it will change your life.

Hebrews Recited from Covenant Fellowship Church on Vimeo.

LIVING A LIFE WITH GOD

2011-10-11T09:55:00.000-07:00

HERE ARE SOME GOOD THOUGHTS for those of us seeking to live a life with God...

A CAUSE TO STOP AND CONTEMPLATE

2011-10-02T20:28:00.000-07:00

TODAY, AS I WAS OUT FOR A LATE AFTERNOON RUN, I was listening to Scriptural prayers on my iPod. One of the prayers came from 1 Kings 8:27 where Solomon prays concerning the temple for God He has built, he prays,

“But will God really dwell on earth? The heavens, even the highest heaven, cannot contain you. How much less this temple I have built!

Solomon knew that God was too eternal, too omnipresent, to glorious to dwell in anything made by human hands, no matter how large or glorious it might be. True enough!

As I was dwelling upon this portion of Scripture I was caught up with the reality, stated by the Lord Himself, that He now dwells within by the Holy Spirit. (John 14:26; Romans 5:5; 1 Corinthians 6:19)

Now consider this: if Solomon's glorious temple, covered with gold so that it almost glowed in the noonday sun could not contain God, then how can I? Little me. Marred, imperfect, and small, how can I be the dwelling place of the Most High God?

God! Get it? God, dwells within the life of the believer. How amazing is that?! Why don't I just explode?!

I encourage you to dwell upon that reality this week with me. God the Holy Spirit dwells within me, little ol' me. That must make an impact in and upon my life and upon those I encounter. Contemplate that reality of God in you, and ask yourself, how will it change my life today? This week? From now on?

A Nice Fresh Appoach to Prayer

2011-09-30T08:13:00.000-07:00

There are lots of ways to stay in communion with our Creator, here is a way that I have found difficult, yet very profitable.
Praying For The Weekend: Mindy Caliguire | Out of Ur | Conversations for Ministry Leaders

NOW THINGS GET REALLY INTERESTING

2011-09-28T10:02:00.000-07:00

REVELATION CHAPTERS 12 AND FOLLOWING REALLY start to get things interesting. You can hear my comments on Revelation 12:1-17 by listening to the sermon by the same title: "Now things get REALLY Interesting" and this week's text will surely not disappoint the theme as well.

In Revelation 13:1-18 we once again the Big Red Dragon, but this time he is joined by two cohorts in crime, Beast 1 and Beast 2 (Nothing like Thing 1 and Thing 2, thank you Dr. Suess.)

As I was continuing in my study of the passage this morning, not having a commentary in front of me to peruse (I was at my local Scotts Valley Starbucks) I was draw to the mockery and mimicry of Satan. He doesn't seem to have an original thought in his lowly bag of tricks.

Two things grabbed my attention this morning. First, we, like Adam and Eve, have a longing for a relationship with the Divine. Satan played into that God-created longing, by convincing those two "innocent" souls that the longing for the divine could be best met by "becoming divine" themselves, all they need do is to take that which they were specifically commanded not to take. (Genesis 3:1-19) In that longing which all of us have, we seek to meet that longing often with the very things that destroy our relationship with the One who is the Divine.

The second reality that struck me was that chapter 13 of Revelation establishes a mock kingdom. Satan once again gives a dark shadow of the real Kingdom which draws may astray. People still long for the divine, and Satan is more than willing to give the people what they want. Here, in Satan mimicry we see a king/ruler/political system (Beast 1) and we see the prophet/priest/religious system (Beast 2), all under the control of the "god" behind the scenes, Satan, that Big Red Dragon. The one hell-bent to deceive and destroy that which the true God, the God of Abraham, Issac and Jacob, originally designed for our good.

When will this mock kingdom be established? Is it here now? Is it still to come? I would answer "yes" and "yes." Which begs the question, "What are we to do?" My answer would be to make sure you carry the correct mark upon your head (Revelation 3:12; Revelation 14:1) and that you seek diligently for that which truly satisfies the need which we all have. (Isaiah 55:1-5; Revelation 21:6-8; Revelation 22:17)

Maranatha!

WHY YOU DON'T NEED PRAYER

2011-09-23T07:26:00.000-07:00

NOW THAT I HAVE YOUR ATTENTION. Here's a video clip that reminds us WHY we NEED prayer. Why our lives should be about breathing prayer, moment by moment. And if we don't think we need to be praying without ceasing (Ephesians 6:18-20), then maybe we're really not living the life we are called to live.

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

2011-09-18T07:10:00.000-07:00

ONCE AGAIN, MY FRIEND, ABIGAIL, HAS PENNED A PRAYER THAT SPOKE TO MY HEART AND OF MY HEART. MAY HER PRAYER FOR US SO BE YOUR PRAYER AS WELL.

Abba...I praise You and thank You for Your amazing love and grace and mercy towards us. There is none like You.

You are awesome and magnificent...yet approachable like an Abba/Father.

You are mighty...yet gentle like a Shepherd.

You are firm...yet loving like a beneficent Ruler.

You are beyond really comprehending...yet we have the opportunity to know You intimately.

You are so far above us. Your thoughts are not our thoughts. Your ways are not our ways. Yet, You want what is good for us. Help our thoughts to be in line with Yours. Help us to walk in Your ways. Change our hearts to love You completely...with all of our hearts, souls, minds and strengths.

Abba, help us to show our love for You by loving our neighbors as ourselves. We want good things for ourselves. Help us to truly want good things for our neighbors. We want to be loved. Help us to truly love our neighbors. We want to be accepted. Help us to truly accept our neighbors.

Who are our neighbors? Abba, I believe it is anyone with which we come in contact, but most especially physical contact. It is not just the person next door...it is also the person in our community, the person in our congregation, the person we know online, the clerk at the store. May we show all people the kindness...the hesed...that we want shown to us by others and that You have shown to us!

Lead us all, please, Abba. Guide us and show us the ancient paths upon which You would have us walk. Show us Your hand in every area of our lives. Open our eyes to see You, our ears to hear You, our hearts to be changed by You. Dwell within us as You desire us to dwell within You.

Give us a hunger and thirst for You, for Your presence, for Your Word. May we never be satisfied with anything but You.

B'shem Yeshua

SO HERE GOES...

2011-09-09T15:50:00.000-07:00

Ten years ago, September 11, 2001, forever changed how we, as Americans, viewed the world. We knew that life would never be the same. And it hasn’t. The events of that tragic day have changed our lives in so many ways; how we travel, how we look at others different than ourselves, and especially our sense of peace and well-being.

On this 10^th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks I am calling our church family to join Pastor Ron and me in a time of prayer. This time of concerted prayer, though motivated by the anniversary of 9/11, is not about the events of that terrible day, but rather about joining our hearts together to see the Lord for our church and our community. It is my desire that our time of prayer will forever change the way we view our church and the community in which God has placed it.

Here is the Call:

As the Senior Pastor of the Felton Bible Church, I am calling our church family, far and wide, to join together in a time of united prayer this Sunday, September 11^th at 9:11am just prior to the start of our regular morning worship service.

We will gather in the side-room adjacent to the sanctuary. This concert of prayer will begin promptly at 9:11 end just prior to the beginning of our morning worship (or as the Holy Spirit leads), so please come a little early.

I realize some will say this is too early on a Sunday morning to get there on time. My answer to you reminds me of King David’s response when he was offered “free of charge” a place for an altar of sacrifice, he said, “I will not offer to the LORD my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing.” (2 Samuel 24:24) This time of prayer may cost you something, but such is the nature of sacrifice.

Some of you may no longer live close to Felton Bible Church; still invite you to join us before the throne of God in praying for His divine leading in the days which are before us. Some of you may even attend other places of worship; to you I would say, pray for your church family.

I do not know what the outcome of this time of united prayer will be, but I do pray, even now, that the LORD would be honored and that we would see His world with new eyes.

May 9/11/2011 be day that forever changes how we, as a local body of Christ-followers, see God’s world and our participation in the proclamation of the Gospel and the furtherance of God’s Kingdom.

To God be the glory!

PRAYER: IT'S WHAT'S FOR LIFE

2011-09-09T11:27:00.000-07:00

LOTS OF RELIGIONS OFFER SOME SORT OF ACTIVITY THAT MAY BE REFERRED TO AS PRAYER. But for those who are followers of Christ, our prayer is not be be just an activity we do from time to time as the needs arise, but we are called to live the life of prayer. The Apostle Paul calls the church to "pray without ceasing." (1 Thessalonians 5:17)

But even more, our prayer is to be tied to action. So Shane Claiborne reminds us in this clip. I will also be putting out soon a special call to prayer, so "stay tuned" as they say!

THERE IS SOMETHING...THAT TIES US TOGETHER

2011-09-06T14:01:00.001-07:00

THERE IS SOMETHING...DARE I SAY SOME ONE...WHO TIES US TOGETHER. May this clip encourage you today, and if nothing else, put a smile on your face and a song in your heart.

A PRAYER FOR YOU, THOSE LOVED BY GOD

2011-09-02T12:50:00.000-07:00

I HAVE A FRIEND, who loves to pray for the church throughout the world. Each week she sends out a prayer, and always there is a portion of that prayer which speaks to my specific need. I would like to share that prayer with you, may the LORD bless you as you read and listen to the Holy Spirit speak.

Abba...we love You. Help us love You more. Help us love You with all our hearts, souls, minds and strengths. Help us love our neighbors as ourselves. Help us love our brothers and sisters in Yeshua. Please show us, Abba, how to love. I know I am so imperfect and my humanness affects others. Teach us!

Abba, I lift up to You all my brothers and sisters in Yeshua. I especially lift up to You those who are under attack for any reason. I know that hasatan and his cohorts have targeted some of them. Please protect them. Place a hedge around them that cannot be penetrated.

Strengthen them, please, Abba. Give them Your wisdom and discernment so that they will know how to handle the attacks against them. Fill them with Your love and Your healing Shalom. Give them Your rest as they continue to stand upon the Rock of Yeshua. Vindicate them, O Lord! Bring out the truth so that all will know that they are Your children and they are innocent.

Please bring Your healing to those who are sick. Strengthen feeble muscles and organs and cause to relax those that are unnaturally tight. Ease the physical pain that many are in. Bring coolness against fevers and warmth against chills. Normalize hormones and all the chemicals our bodies need to work properly. Mend broken bones. Remove cancers. Bring sight to the blind and hearing to the deaf. I especially pray for deaf and blind hearts. Open them, Abba, to see and hear You.

Please give Your rest to those who are weary. Many have been fighting the good fight for a very long time and they really need some rest and time away from the battle. Help them to hold strong if it is not their time for a break. Show Yourself to be mighty on their behalf. Open doors and close doors as needed. Make a way for them even when there seems to be no way...for You are the One who can do all things.

Abba, I know that some are struggling with deceptions. Open their minds and hearts to know the truth...for You ARE Truth! Expose false teachers. Help Your children to know Your words so that they can know how to tell if someone is true or false. Set minds and hearts free, please, Abba; so that they can worship You in spirit and in truth.

Abba, I know that some are struggling financially. Please open Your floodgates on their behalf. Please send some of those cattle on a thousand hills their way. Give them any wisdom they might need regarding things they can do to ease their situation.

Restore and strengthen marriages and friendships and parent/child relationships. Bring Your healing, Your wisdom and Your love to bear through each one. May forgiveness abound.

Abba, in all these things, please bring the body of Yeshua together. Teach us how to minister to one another as You teach us in Your word. Help us to lay aside the traditions of men and only walk in that which is in accordance with Your will and Your mitzvot/commands.

Bless each and every one, Abba. Please hold them so close to Your heart that they can feel You hugging them in the spirit. May they sense Your presence with them and within them ever so strongly.

B'shem Yeshua

The Seven-Minute-Sabbath Challenge Update

2011-08-26T12:42:00.000-07:00

Well, the week is almost through, and I know a number of you have taken the Seven-Minute-Sabbath Challenge, I pray that your prayer times have been meaningful. Today I came across this video with Anthony Campolo and the topic of prayer and presence. I found it fitting in light of this week's Challenge.

THE SEVEN-MINUTE-SABBATH CHALLENGE

2011-08-23T15:36:00.000-07:00

THIS PAST SUNDAY I CHALLENGED our Sunday morning service to join me in a Seven-Minute-Sabbath-Challenge.

The Challenge was to take 7 minutes everyday of silence before the LORD. To help facilitate this time I suggested that they take a portion of the Lord's Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13) as a guide to their thoughts. This Seven-Minute-Sabbath was not to be a time of asking or giving thanks, or even of praising God, rather it was to be a time of silent listening for the Voice of God.

I broke up the week in the following manner:

Monday: Matthew 6:9
Tuesday: Matthew 6:10
Wednesday: Matthew 6:11
Thursday: Matthew 6:12
Friday: Matthew 6:13
Saturday: For Thine is the Kingdom and the Power and the Glory, Forever

I then added to the Challenge by encouraging each person to find someone this week, who is not a follower of Jesus Christ, and simply ask them, "What comes to your mind when you hear the name Jesus Christ?" Their purpose, here again, is not to try to "save" the person or have an opportunity to share the Four Spiritual Laws, but rather just to listen and learn.

I don't know this will go this week, but I know this, I am praying that God, our Abba, will speak to each one in a way that is very clear, so that they can give witness to the reality of a God who speaks.

I challenge you, readers of this blog, to join the family at Felton Bible Church as together we seek to learn the blessed discipline of taking Sabbath, a gift that God as given to us. (Mark 2:23-28) I would love to hear how it went with you.

AMAZING GRACE, HOW SWEET THE SOUND

2011-08-18T09:31:00.000-07:00

THE WORLD AROUND US SEEMS TO BE FALLING apart at a record place. Add to that our Scripture passage for this coming week, Revelation 8:1-13, and we must wonder if we will ever see any good in the near future. Looking at our nation's economic woes, the wars and rumors of war in places like Syria (see the renewed US sanctions) and in some of our newest countries like South Sudan, and add to that the drought that has been affecting the American Southwest, and one has to wonder if this is truly the beginning of the birth pangs of the End Days. (Matthew 24:1-8)

And yet, a closer look at the Scripture in question and we can see the grace of God still at work. I don't wish to "give-away" too much of the message I am working on for this Sunday's installment of "Hope During the Hard Times," but I would like to have us consider the grace of God even in the midst of the blowing of the trumpets of judgment (Revelation 8:6-13.) Once again the Lord seems to leave a remnant of His creation to stand. Even in the hardest of times God provides places of hope. Even as the eagle cries out, "Woe! Woe! Woe!" (Revelation 8:13) there is the reality that God is at work, His grace is still abounding, and there is hope, even in the darkest of times.

So, let us not give up hope, rather let us look for the measures of grace with which God lavishes each and every day, and let us give thanks for His amazing grace!

ARE WE THE CHURCH WE ARE CALLED TO BE?

2011-08-17T10:49:00.000-07:00

This little video is positive and challenging. Worth watching and implementing...

THE OPENING OF THE HOLY TEXT

2011-08-09T14:48:00.000-07:00

IN MY PRESENT SERIES OUT OF THE BOOK OF REVELATION, one of the most difficult aspects is being true to the text. As never before I have prayed, "Lord God, help me know and preach the truth regarding Thy truth. To put it another way, after reading a number of commentaries on the passages in question, all I truly desire to do is to speak the truth. I want to get it right. It means serious, prayerful study, and that the Holy Spirit will not only illumine my heart and mind, but also the hearts and minds of those who listen.

Today I came across and interview with the late John Stott. The interview was conducted by Albert Mohler for Preaching magazine in 1987. I very much appreciated Dr. Stott's explanation of the importance of the study and proclamation of the Word of God. In defining Biblical preaching Stott said,

I believe that to preach or to expound the scripture is to open up the inspired text with such faithfulness and sensitivity that God’s voice is heard and His people obey Him. I gave that definition at the Congress on Biblical Exposition and I stand by it, but let me expand a moment.
My definition deliberately includes several implications concerning the scripture. First, it is a uniquely inspired text. Second, the scripture must be opened up. It comes to us partially closed, with problems which must be opened up.

Beyond this, we must expound it with faithfulness and sensitivity. Faithfulness relates to the scripture itself. Sensitivity relates to the modern world. The preacher must give careful attention to both.

We must always be faithful to the text, and yet ever sensitive to the modern world and its concerns and needs. When this happens the preacher can come with two expectations. First, that God’s voice is heard because He speaks through what He has spoken. Second, that His people will obey Him — that they will respond to His Word as it is preached.

As I continue to study God's Word, I can only pray to handle it with such seriousness of resolve. To rightly handle the word of truth as the Apostle Paul admonished Pastor Timothy. (2 Timothy 2:15)

DO THE MATH

2011-08-02T20:11:00.000-07:00

REVELATION CHAPTER SEVEN IS ALL ABOUT THE NUMBERS. Or at least it's about people wanting to know about the numbers contained in the passage, specifically the 144 thousand who are to be "sealed . . . from all the tribes of Israel." (Revelation 7:4)

It's not so much adding the 12,000 from the 12 tribes...that's pretty easy math, it's the BIGGER question of why? It reminds me of that kid in elementary school who wants to know "why" 2+2=4, they are never simply satisfied with the simple answer of "because that's the way it is."

But, I think, like my friend in elementary school, we can get so caught up in the 144,000 that we miss the more beautiful equation set before us in the passage. It should also be noted that of the 460 some words in this chapter only about 200 deal with the 144,000. That means that what follows verse eight might in fact be the more important part of the equation.

Pay attention to what the Apostle John records in verse nine, "After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb." (Revelation 7:9) Talk about higher math!

Herein, I believe, is where the focus is to lie, not that the 144,000 are not important, but the really amazing number is that there will be an uncountable multitude from those who are not Israel, and in this number I would be included. Yes, Israel has been God's chosen people, and in some ways they still are, but God heart is too big to be limited to one people, one nation, one language. God's love is for all people. Even you and me!

So, this coming Sunday, when I am to be preaching from Revelation 7:1-17, where do you suppose my focus will be, on the 144,000 or on the multitude, or on the One to whom the 144,000 and the multitude will bow? Yep! You got that right. And yes, we will have to deal with some of the "other" interesting events within the chapter, too.

Whether or not we get all the "math" correct on this one I do not know, but this one thing I DO know, I am sure glad I can be numbered with the redeemed. That makes it all add up nicely.

BACK TO SCHOOL! ALREADY?!?

2011-08-02T12:04:00.000-07:00

BACK IN THE GOOD OLD DAYS, when I was attending elementary school, we never started school until after Labor Day. Of course we also had no “teacher in service days” to take off, but we did get Washington’s and Lincoln’s birthdays off, but on the actual day. And yes, it was called, “Christmas Vacation” and “Easter Vacation.” My how things have changed!

My children have already told me that school starts on August 23^rd! Summer is quickly drawing to a close. Pretty soon it’s no more late nights and lazing around, it will be back to the serious endeavors of education. Time for backpacks filled with books and homework every night. Yep, school will be here before you know it! Kind of like the return of Jesus Christ…here before you know it!

When summer began the beginning of school seemed oh so far away. We needn’t dwell on it or get ready for the new learning experiences that would await us. It was summer time! Time for swimming, camping, sleeping in, BBQ’s and getting a tan. School was light-years away…or so it seemed. Now it is knocking on the door. Kind of like the return of Jesus Christ…here before you know it!

In our present sermon series on the Book of Revelation, “Hope During the Hard Times” we are discovering that the return of Jesus is much closer than we may think. It’s been so long since He left (Acts 1:1-10) that we have got to the point of wondering if He has forgotten about returning. Yet we see in Scripture that He has not forgotten, but rather He is patiently waiting, giving the opportunity for people to respond to His grace and love, and be brought into His Father’s family. (1 Peter 3:9-10) It is during this “waiting time” that you and I are called to study His Word (2 Timothy 2:15) and seek to always be ready to give a reason for the hope that lies within us. (1 Peter 3:15) Now is not the time for lazing in a holy hammock waiting for the Lord to appear like someone bringing you a tall glass of ice-cold lemonade, no, now is the time to be ready. It is time to sharpen ourselves up, like one preparing to enter back into studies, now is not the time for weak minds and sloppy thinking, now is the time to prepare and share. It’s time to “bone-up” on what we believe, and live lives that prove what we believe matters.

This must be true for all of us, myself included. In fact, one of the things I appreciate most about being affiliated with the Evangelical Free Church of America is the importance they place upon their pastors being the “resident pastor-theologian” for each local church. They realize, and firmly communicate to us who are members of the Evangelical Free Church Ministerial that we are not primarily called to our churches to serve as CEO’s or counselors or program directors, but our call is to serve the Lord well by serving His Word well. We are called to be men and women of the Word.

Recently, this has been driven home to me as I have been asked to chair the local licensing and ordination counsels. These councils are opportunities for us to “test” the orthodoxy of those who wish to be licensed and/or ordained in the EFCA. I went through my ordination process 18 years ago, and now having to chair these councils means I also need to hone-up on what I believe. You see, none of us are to simply let things slip by; rather we must heed the warning that the Apostle Paul gave to Pastor Timothy, “Keep reminding them of these things. Warn them before God against quarreling about words; it is of no value, and only ruins those who listen. Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly.” (2 Timothy 2:14-16)

So, with that admonition I say to all of us, “It’s back to school time,” for we never know when the Teacher will return, therefore let us always be awake and ready.

SOME THOUGHTS ON PRAYER

2011-07-29T08:53:00.000-07:00

Image by † Jimmy MacDonald † via Flickr

I FOUND ANOTHER LITTLE BOOK ON PRAYER...I was intrigued by its introduction.

"These meditations and studies on prayer are most timely.Never have there been such extensive and such convincing evidences of the poverty and inadequacy of human means and agencies for furthering the welfare of humanity; never has there been such a widespread sense of need of super-human help; never have there been such challenges to Christians to undertake deeds requiring Divine cooperation; never has there been such a manifest desire to discover the secret of the hiding and of the releasing of God's power. Interest in prayer is world-wide. This is shown in the prominence of this subject in addresses and sermons . . . as well as in the growing volume of books . . . The multiplication of Calls to Prayer . . . and of the formation of Prayer Bands and Leagues of Intercessors. . . . Among Christians everywhere, and even among many who would not call themselves believing Christians, there is being manifested an earnest desire to understand what prayer is and to engage more fully in its exercise."

That is just the first paragraph of the introduction of this powerful little book on prayer. But what is truly timely about this book entitled "The Meaning of Prayer" is that it was written in 1915 by Harry Emerson Fosdick. I feel very privileged to hold in my possession a copy of the first edition. which I discovered while "digging through" some books one of our senior saints left for the church library here at Felton Bible Church. Oh, the treasures that await those who dig, and I am sure that will be even more true as I contemplate the truths written within this book.

Of course, all this will be for not, if one does not pray. So, may we all answer the call to prayer...not because there is power in prayer, but because the Father God to whom we pray to in the Name of Jesus and under the direction of the Holy Spirit, is the God who is the Almighty!

So, therefore, let us pray!

In Memory of a True Saint: John Stott

2011-07-28T08:50:00.000-07:00

Truly, John Stott was the real thing. The true example of the Pastor/Theologian. So many of his books have taught me, and encouraged me as a pastor, from the days of my high school ramblings (Basic Christianity) until today (The Living Church:Convictions of a Lifelong Pastor). Thank you, Lord for this brother, teacher, pastor.

did you see THAT?!?

2011-07-20T13:49:00.000-07:00

I CAN REALLY FEEL FOR THE APOSTLE JOHN. I mean, think about it...

He get swooped up into heaven, to the very throne room of God, filled with weird creatures (4), lots of elders (24), bunches of angels (10k x 10k), not to mention a Lamb who looked as if he had been slain. And of course there are candles, and scrolls...well you get the picture.

Here's were I feel for the guy, every time some new takes place before him I can seeing him ripping around and saying, "Hey! Did you see THAT?!?" Then realizing there is really nobody with whom he can share what he is witnessing.

Sure, there are the angels and some elders, but this is nothing new to them. I'm sure you have been in that position before. Seeing a gorgeous sunset, or the light hitting the trees in just the right way, or that perfect ocean wave crashing upon the rocks, and you turn to say to someone, "Hey, did you see THAT?!?" only to realize there is no one there to share it with.
Image by outdoorPDK via Flickr
The truth of the matter is, even for an introvert like me (yes, I am!) I like to be able to share special moments with someone else. It's just better that way.

This week I am taking a little hiatus from preaching through Revelation because I am headed up to the Clark Fork of the Stanislaus River with my son and about 18 other guys from our church, but I wanted to encourage you to take the time and go back and read through the first five chapters of Revelation and try to put yourself in John's sandals. (You can check out past sermons here) Try to imagine seeing all that he sees and having no one to share it with. And then remember why we are told not to travel this journey alone. God has saved us to His family, to the Body of Christ, so that we will always have someone to turn to and say, "Hey, did you see THAT?!?"

REVELATION: WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT

2011-07-15T12:23:00.000-07:00

THE TITLE OF THIS BLOG POST may be a little misleading. There are truly a number of things that the book of Revelation is all about, but yesterday I had one of those moments of epiphany that comes when I am out running. I guess when your heart is thumping so loud that those you pass along the way can hear it, and the sweat is massaging your eyes with a saline-laden concoction, one tends to be more open to the voice of God...it has to do with being close to death, I suppose. Anyway...

I was out running at Henry Cowell State Park on a 3.5 mile run I call the "Ox Trail Loop." There are a couple a steep sections that can really knock you down, and thus far, after returning to running from a long period of not running, I have been beaten down by this run. Always finding myself needing to stop and walk up the steeper portions. Anyway...

Cover of Rocky As I was running, feeling better than I have lately, I was thinking about my study in the book of Revelation and how one of the recurring themes is that of "endurance" and of "overcoming." (Revelation 2:7, Revelation 2:11, Revelation 2:17, Revelation 3:21, Revelation 21:7, etc.) The Lord tells the readers of the Revelation that those who overcome will gain the victor's crown (amongst other things). But the overcoming and the enduring will truly take effort. One will have to dig deep, to seek the help of the Lord and to in no uncertain terms, "gut it out." When one does then they will enjoy the fruits of victory. Anyway...

With those thoughts ringing in my ears I pushed through, and I truly believe, only by the Lord's help did I run the whole loop without stopping. There was great rejoicing reaching the top of the Ox Trail incline! (Think Rocky on the top steps in Philadelphia.) I made it...OK, we made it, but I was able to enjoy the fruit of overcoming. And this I believe is one of the key lessons to the readers of the letter of Revelation. There were coming some seemingly insurmountable hills, but to the one who overcomes the victory crown awaits.

Here's another anecdote. This past week I fought long and hard with the Lord over having to do a certain "ministry." It got down-right ugly. Let's just say God would have had an easier time with Balaam's donkey than with me (Numbers 22:1-35) Fortunately, I did not give in to my whims, but served anyway, and God, as he is known to do, showed up and people were blessed through the donkey...and so was the donkey. I could had run the other way, but I chose to endure, even if it wasn't with the purest of heart and motive, and I was able to share once again the victor's crown. Anyway...

I don't know what you're facing today. But I believe if you choose to endure and to be an overcomer, you too shall gain the crown. If you're down and out today, pick up the book of Revelation and gain hope, for those who remain steadfast shall gain the victory that is sure, even if your heart is ready to melt and your eyes are drowning in tears. Endure! Overcome! In the strength of the LORD!

GLIMPSES OF GLORY -- Revelation 4

2011-07-06T18:58:00.000-07:00

THIS PAST WEEK WE CELEBRATED OUR NATION'S BIRTHDAY, and while my family (extended and otherwise) and I were watching the fireworks explode over Skypark in Scotts Valley I heard playing in the background the "Battle Hymn of the Republic."

My eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord
He is trampling out the vintage
where the grapes of wrath are store
He has loosed the fateful lightning of His terrible swift sword
His truth is marching on!
Glory, glory, Hallelujah
Glory, glory, Hallelujah
Glory, glory, Hallelujah
His truth is marching on!

I honestly never really thought of that song tied to the book of the Revelation, but ti surely is. And I supposed both sides of the battles which forced the penning of this song surely thought that the coming of the Lord was near, and this is was to be the battle to usher in the Kingdom of God.

The sermon for Sunday July 10th is dealing with the visions of glory that the Apostle John saw as he was invited into the very throne room of God. (Revelation 4:1-11) (Part of the series, Hope During the Hard Times) A sight that he was hard-pressed to put into words. It was a sight not unlike the prophet Isaiah saw, when he too was invited in the presence of the LORD. (Isaiah 6:1-10)

In fact, I would encourage you to take a look at those two passages and make note of how for the Eternal One things don't really change that much. What Isaiah saw, so too did John.

As I contemplated what these two men witnessed I thought how might I explain the "glory of the Lord?" Not an easy reality to put into words. A sunset? The roaring of Yosemite Falls? The pounding of the surf? A baby's soft breath? The list could go on and on, much as the glory of God does.

I invite you to join me on that meditative journey. How would you describe, explain, the glory of the Lord? How would you describe the throne room of the Holy One? Not an easy task for sure, but one that causes us to stop and consider once again the greatness of our God and King.

Glory!

Hallelujah!

Holy!

NO BRAG, JUST FACT!

2011-06-18T10:39:00.000-07:00

I REALLY SHOULD BE FINISHING UP MY SERMON right now, but I must take a few minutes to put down my thought regarding last week at Felton Bible Church.

To put it simply first I must say GOD IS GOOD! Second, I must report that I am blessed to be called the pastor at Felton Bible Church! I serve alongside some of the greatest brothers and sister a guy could ask for.

Last week's Vacation Bible School, "God's Road Trip," was a journey to be remembered! Our leadership team is higher than top-notch. Their creativity and tireless service is nothing less than amazing. Our volunteer staff of over 130 never cease to amaze me. Whether they are part of the Neighborhood Kids providing the drama, or our VBS Band, or one of the Tour Leaders, kitchen help, craft team, game leaders, construction team, (they made a full-size bus for our platform!) or our great "Penny Counters" (one day they counted and rolled over 5,600 pennies alone!) all were great servants. The only problem was trying to determine who was having more fun; the staff or the over 300 kids who attended the week-long event!?

There is so much I could share about this week, but three things stand-out as highlights. First, was the 81 children who made a public declaration of wanting to trust Jesus Christ as their Lord, Savior and God! Second, was that we were able to place a copy of the Holy Bible into the hands of each of the 300+ kids who attended! Third, that the kids help to raise over $4,000.00 for our Evangelical Free Church TouchGlobal Mission project; "Every Drop Counts" to build a well in Haiti and provide for over 40 water purification units for families in Haiti!

Needless to say, I am one blessed guy. Sure, there were some battles this week (Satan was not happy with us, DUH!) But our God is stronger! And of course, we had a great group of prayer warriors world-wide!

I could go on and on, but other work calls me! I just want to say THANK YOU, LORD! And THANK YOU to ALL who made this week one of the best Vacation Bible School weeks ever!

You all ROCK!

JESUS, WHAT A FRIEND!

2011-06-08T10:18:00.000-07:00

JESUS TOLD HIS DISCIPLES that He would not refer to them as servants, but as friends (John 15:15) and it is safe to say that the Apostle John was one of Jesus' closest friends. Though I am sure Jesus would never really play favorites.

This friendship with Jesus is one of the wonderful truths upon which we hold as Christians. That we do not need to cower before some tyrant God, but we can know that Jesus, our Lord and Savior, is also our friend.

The danger is that we can take this "friendship" for granted. We can too often focus on the truth of Jesus' friendship with us to the exclusion of the reality that He is God, the LORD. This reality is born out in the opening section of the Book of Revelation, and it sets the tone of the whole of the revelation that is given to John, the "beloved disciple." (John 13:23; John 21:20)

In my introductory sermon (Hope During the Hard Times), I made mention to the fact that one of the key foci of the Book of Revelation is worship, and that in all that we read throughout the Revelation worship of Jesus occurs over and over again.

As we move forward in our study our response must be like that of the Apostle John, recorded in Revelation 1:17-18

"When I saw Him, I fell at His feet as though dead. Then He placed His right hand on me and said, 'Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys to death and Hades.'"

This must be our proper response at all times. To fall before the One who is King of kings and Lord of lords (Revelation 19:16), and as He desires to be lifted up by His powerful and gracious hands.

I encourage you to join me in this ongoing study of the Book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ. (If you're in the area join us for worship at Felton Bible Church) I welcome your thoughts and questions. I may not be able to answer them all to your satisfaction, but I pray that together we will gain, with all the saints, a better understanding of who Jesus is, and how we are to be prepared to meet Him when He comes to take us home. (John 14:1-4)

Until that day, may the gracious Lord grant us His strength and peace for the journey.

Maranatha!

APOCALYPSE NOW?

2011-06-02T15:09:00.000-07:00

BY THE LOOK OF THINGS I couldn't have chosen a better time to begin a sermon series in the Book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ.

Choose any television station's nightly news and it seems like The Apocalypse is knocking on our door. Tsunamis, floods, town-devouring tornadoes, wars, rumors of wars, prophetic voices declaring the end of the world. Add to that whole nations running into debt default status, job losses, new flu epidemics looming, kings and presidents being run out of town and nuclear threats from areas that we not so long ago considered "backward." Yessireebob, if there was ever a time to preach through the Book of Revelation, this would be it.

I would like to say I planned it that way...but then again, I surely would not want to be blamed for the crisis that are rising on every corner of the world. No, let's just say it's time to preach through this book of hope.

"A book of hope?", you may ask. Yes, I realize that the Book of Revelation is filled with all kinds of horrendous looking beasts and gruesome sounding events, but I truly believe that most of all it is a book of hope. It was just the words, pictures and reminders that the church in the first century needed to hear, especially in light of the persecution they were experiencing in ever-increasing measure. And I believe, it is just the words we need to hear today.

The title I have chosen for this new series is, "Hope During the Hard Times." And by all looks of it these are in fact "hard times." I know lots of people have lots of questions about this final book in the Canon of Scripture. We want to know "names, dates, and places." We want to figure just who is the Antichrist? (I believe we can safely assume it is no longer Hitler or Henry Kissinger.) And of course we want to know just when Jesus is coming back? (And again, I believe we can safely assume it was not May 21, 2011.) Well, to be completely honest, I don't know if I'll be able to answer any of those questions, at least to the satisfaction of some, but I do hope that through this study we will see the revelation that Jesus desired the Apostle John to see and to communicate to the church...of which we are still a part 2000 years later.

As always, I welcome your thoughts and questions...even your honest musings. If you're in the area (Felton, California) stop and and join us, we begin on Sunday mornings at 9:30, and of course, we'll do our best to get the sermons uploaded to our website (www.feltonbiblechurch.org) in a timely manner.

I leave you with Revelation 1:3,

"Blessed is the one who read aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed is those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near."

NAG! NAG! NAG! NAG!

2011-05-23T19:30:00.000-07:00

Image by Rich Man via FlickrFIRST OF ALL I AM NOT REFERRING TO MY WIFE. Second, given the recent study topic (see previous posts regarding sermon series in the Book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ), I could be referring to the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. But, in reality, I am referring to some much less tantalizing (hearing about problems in the Kay household) or some much more traumatic (the Four Horsemen). No, I am referring to those things that nag at many of us just as we are trying our best to do our best.

Allow me to enumerate. (Please bear with me, I'll get to where it touches the Revelation study)

Nag #1 -- A biological system that refuses to cooperate. I am watching my diet, taking the prescribed medications and still the blasted internal system refuses to work correctly (Don't ask for details, you don't want to know!)

Nag #2 -- A physiological/muscular breakdown. Try to keep in shape. Keep the weight in check, the body active and healthy and my right knee refuses to cooperate. Hobbling an already s-l-o-w runner.

Nag #3 -- The spiritual man that refuses to cooperate and gives in to the old nature just when you think you're getting things in check and moving forward following Jesus.

Nag #4 -- A world's system, including the church of which it is a part, telling me that simply the Triune God and His living and active Word is not enough. I am truly amazed that the disciples ever got this church thing off the ground without the theological, ecclesiastical, sociological and managerial library demanded that every pastor possess. Case in point. For my study in the Book of Revelation I purchased a three volume commentary of 1,242 pages of commentary (not including the 211 pages of introduction in the first volume or the scores of pages of indexes!) Please note the TNIV version of the Book of Revelation which I own consists of 18 pages, and one can read it aloud in about an hour and twenty minutes.

So, you've now met the Four Nags. And now you're asking how does this sabbatical rampage fit into my study of the Book of Revelation? Well, no-tongue in-cheek intended, but I am beginning to get a better idea of what the angel was referring to in Revelation 14:12, "This calls for patient endurance on the part of the saints who obey God's commands and remain faithful to Jesus." (Also in Revelation 1:9 and Revelation 13:10)

Now, I realize the "nags" I am facing is nothing like pains and agony the church has faced throughout the ages, but I can be reminded that all of these things that we each face we are called to face with patient endurance, with our eyes firmly focused upon Jesus (Hebrews 12:1-3), because the Lord is coming and His reward is with Him and that He is faithful to see each of us through whatever "nags" we face, small or large.

If the Book of Revelation teaches us anything it is that we can hope in this life because we can have confidence in the One who is making a home for us, and has promised to return to take us to be with Him. To take us to that place where every tear will be wiped away, where there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain...or those things that nag us! (Revelation 21:4-5)

Maranatha!

Couldn't Resist Adding this to the Revelation Thoughts

2011-05-22T08:28:00.000-07:00

FEAR OR FAITH? HORROR OR HOPE?

2011-05-20T09:20:00.000-07:00

WELL IN LIGHT OF RECENT DECLARATIONS THAT THE END OF THE WORLD IS COMING THIS SATURDAY -- Check-out Harold Camping's "prediction." -- I guess my upcoming sermon series on the Book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ is either "a-day-late-and-a-dollar-short" or it's right on time.

What drives you when you consider the end-of-the-world scenarios? Is it fear or is it faith? Are you thoughts overwhelmed with the horror or the hope of the things to come? I believe that the message that God reveals in the last book of the New Testament is a message of HOPE given to a church that would in their day experience great horrors. It is a message that the church needs to hear today, as never before.

Time will tell whether Harold Camping is right or wrong. If he's right, well, "I'm outta here!" If he's wrong, well that leaves us with more time to share the Good News about God's grace and love poured out in and through Jesus Christ.

In light of the recent predictions, I came across this video dealing with the problems that come when we are driven by fear rather than hope. Enjoy...and let's keep at the work of proclaiming the Good News!

HOW LONG, O LORD, HOW LONG?

2011-05-19T09:02:00.000-07:00

DURING MY SABBATICAL STUDIES THIS WEEK I have found myself spending time in two different portions of Scripture. Of course, I have been in the Book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ (getting ready for my sermon series on my return), and I also have been "working through" Psalm 27:1-14.

A couple of days back I was grabbed by a link between these two different sets of Scripture. In Psalm 27:14 we read,

Wait for the LORD,
Be strong and take heart
and wait for the LORD.

and in Revelation 1:3 we read,

...and take to heart what is written in it for the time is near.

And then Jesus' words recorded at the end of the Revelation in Revelation 22:20

"Yes, I am coming soon!"

How long are we to wait? No matter when exactly we date the writing of the Revelation (early 65AD or late 95AD) it's been 2,000 years of waiting. That is unless you're one of those who hold to the belief that Jesus has already returned, of which I am not, it has been a long wait!

I suppose this is why we are called to "patient endurance" as followers of Jesus Christ. (Revelation 1:9; Revelation 13:10 and Revelation 14:12) It all comes down to a matter of trust, doesn't it? It was trust that the Children of Israel were called to in the wilderness as they awaited for daily quota of manna and quail (Exodus 16:31-35). It was faith and trust that the disciples were called to as they saw Jesus taken from them into the clouds (Acts 1:1-11). And the issue has been one of trust and faith ever since.

So, we shall wait, and call out with the church throughout the ages,

"Maranatha! Lord, come quickly!"

Revelation: A Book of Opportunties

2011-05-09T15:00:00.000-07:00

SHOULD HAVE BOUGHT STOCK IN STARBUCKS! If you want to know where everybody is on Sunday morning, check out your local Starbucks! I know, you're asking what was I doing at Starbucks on a Sunday morning? Well, suffice it to say it's one of the perks of being blessed with a sabbatical.

Believe it or not, I actually read through Revelation even in all the hustle and bustle of a Starbucks o

n Mother's Day morn. (No, I didn't read it out loud...see my previous post about that.) I might have a little better understanding about the sounds of 1000's around the throne of God after enduring the multitudinous voices inside my local shop. But, there was something else that grabbed my attention as I have been reading through the entire Book of Revelation each day (Today it was NIV on my Kindle), what grabbed me was how Revelation, being the final book in our Canon of Scripture, and what we would hold to be God's final Word for the Church, is also a book of opportunity.

The "opportunity" comes forth through the call to "repent."

For example five of the seven churches to whom John writes are called to "repent." (Revelation 2:5; Revelation 2:16; Revelation 2:22; Revelation 3:3; Revelation 3:19) But repentance is also allowed for the groups of people coming under the wrath of God later in the writing. After a third of mankind is killed (Revelation 9:20) the people refused to repent and continued in their worshiping of idols. Well, if they refused to repent then there must have been a willingness, on God's part to allow them to do so, if they would so choose. Again, in Revelation 16:9-21 we find three more times where the people refused to repent and suffered the consequences thereof.

Now, some night argue that God already knew they wouldn't so that's why He poured out His wrath upon them, but I am struck by this open door of opportunity that God props open for the people, just one last time. It's almost like He is saying, "OK, folks I haven't finished pouring out my wrath...there's still time...wont you please repent and come back to me?" Yes, I believe that is the graciousness of God once again.

There will come a time when the door is shut for good, but for now the door still stands open. I suppose that is why the Scriptures declare in 2 Corinthians 6:2, "I tell you, now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of salvation." Now is the day of opportunity...shall we make the most of it?

Here's a Short Sabbatical Note and Challenge

2011-05-06T08:05:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I was reading the Book of Revelation for the fourth time (reading all the way through each day in a different version.)

Here's how it starts:

1The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, 2who testifies to everything he saw—that is, the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. 3Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.

I was immediately caught by verse three. Of course I realize that John was writing one letter and that the recipients would most likely be "hearers" not "readers," but I thought, hey maybe there is a blessing in reading it all the way through aloud...so I did.

It brought it life in new ways and it only took less than an hour and twenty minutes! So, here's the challenge: give it a try. Let me know how it goes for you!

BTW -- to those who gave me recommendations for books to help with my study, thanks!

Now off to reading number five...today's version: King James!

A NEW REVELATION!

2011-05-05T09:35:00.000-07:00

A NEW REVELATION? WELL NOT ENTIRELY...

This month my church has graciously granted me an opportunity for a month-long sabbatical. I tell you I serve a great God and a great church! Gotta love those folks! Anyway, during this month I am focusing upon "front-loading" for my next sermon series which will be preaching through the book of Revelation, a book that I have never preached all the way through. Each day I have been reading through the entire book in a different translation...doubt I will find 30 different translations to read through, so some will in no doubt be "reused."

I am also working through a number of commentaries and Revelation related texts (no, I am not going to read The Late Great Planet Earth or any of the Left Behind series...seriously now did you even think I would?)

I can't say I will be blogging everyday, but from time to time I will be sharing some of the things I am learning, and of course, I welcome your "Revelation" thoughts and questions (especially my readers who attend Felton Bible Church. That way maybe I can get some answers to your questions...maybe.)

In my reading through the Book of Revelation yesterday (New American Standard Bible) this summery of the book grabbed my attention: The Book of Revelation is a book of Worship (The Throne of God, the 24 Elders, the songs of the angels and saints, etc.) It is a book of Wonder (the scenes of amazing creatures, streets of gold, unspeakable beauty and amazing events.) It is a book of Warning (what takes places when people do not repent, the call for the church to act.) It is a book of Woe (what will take place when the wrath of God is poured out.) It is a book of Work (where the church is called to live out its faith and its calling even in the midst of great tribulation.)

It is truly an amazing portion of God's Word, and should we expect any less? It is God's Word to the Church, and in that it is to be read and to the point it can be, understood through thorough study and of course the help of the Holy Spirit.

So, that's where I am thus far, and ready to get back at it...

Some do ask, "So, what is it that a pastor does during a sabbatical?" "Is it just a fancy word for an extra vacation?" Well, to be honest there is some "rest" and "change of pace" that takes place, but just so you know what's on my list here are seven "goals" of my sabbatical month.
1. Getting re-connected with God. Taking time to sit and listen to the Spirit and to walk with the Lord Jesus.
2. Getting re-connected with my family.
3. Studying in great prayer-filled depth the Book of Revelation.
4. Read some of those "extra" ministry books that have been piling up on my desk.
5. Getting back into an exercise regimen. Been out running again.
6. A little "mid-rest" through completing some home tasks, especially in light of an upcoming wedding!
7. Rest in body, soul, mind, so I can return to faithfully serve my Lord through His Body at Felton.

So, there ya have it...see ya in the blogosphere...and maybe on the trails!

SCOUTING FOR SCRIPTURE

2011-04-28T20:19:00.000-07:00

This Sunday we are being joined by the Boy Scouts of Troop 604. It's Scout Sunday. They are going to be serving as ushers, helping out with serving Communion and the reading of Scripture. After the service they are serving at our monthly FirstSunday Fellowship meal. It should be a great day all around.

My struggle is of course what to preach on such a day? Well, of course it's "BE PREPARED!" the Boy Scout motto. We are going to look at how following Jesus can make us prepared to face the immediacy of today, and the anxiousness of tomorrow and the uncertainty of the future.

As I looked again at the Boy Scout Oath and the Scout Law, I was drawn to the connections with Philippians 4:4-9. It there that the Apostle Paul calls the the church to center itself on Christ and that as we do we shall have the peace that will get us through our today's, tomorrow's and even our future. Looking farther on in Philippians 4:8-9 we can see the call to a high and holy character, not unlike that to which the Scout is called to in the Scout Law.

I find it interesting, and even a little encouraging that the Boy Scouts of America still consider duty to God central to their oath, something that should be central to all of our lives as well. (Matthew 22:37-40)

It should be an interesting day as we gather together to worship the One who truly can make us prepared for all that life brings our way. Our God is surely better than a well-equipped Swiss Army knife, a satchel of dry matches, or even a GPS. The best way to "Be Prepared" is to be living in right relationship with our Creator, through that personal relationship we can have with Jesus Christ. (Romans 10:9)

President Obama on the Resurrection | Out of Ur | Conversations for Ministry Leaders

2011-04-20T13:54:00.000-07:00

Often we do not see much good coming out of Washington, but to our President's words and to the sister's prayer, I say, "Amen!" He is risen! He is risen indeed!

Ur Video: President Obama on the Resurrection | Out of Ur | Conversations for Ministry Leaders

TYPES OF PRAYING

2011-04-06T18:44:00.000-07:00

OVER THE PAST FEW WEEKS I have been facilitating a Sunday morning class utilizing the thought-provoking and challenging curriculum by Francis Chan called BASIC. We have looked at the importance of fearing God and last week of following Christ, this week's lesson deals with the Person of the Holy Spirit. As with the previous lessons, this one also challenges my own personal comfort zone. Thus, in many ways that is saying this is great stuff!

The video segment for this week, which deals with how Jesus told His followers to wait for the coming of the the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:1-8) and how the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples of Jesus Christ at Pentecost (Acts 2:1:1-41)

After I watched the segment I headed off to Walnut Creek to spend some time with my daughter, and as I was driving along the 680 Freeway my thoughts turned to the way the disciples were given to praying as they waited for the promised Holy Spirit. (I suppose thinking about prayer while driving on the Bay Area freeways is not a bad thing to do, anyway.)

What grabbed my attention is that the disciples were regularly praying and waiting. If we hold to the idea that the Bible says Jesus spent 40 days walking around after His resurrection before His accession into heaven (Acts 1:10-11) and that the Holy Spirit came on the Jewish celebration of Pentecost, which would be 50 days after the Passover, then the disciples where meeting for at least 10 days, everyday for praying and waiting. I was struck by how we spend about 10 minutes praying about something...maybe even 30 minutes at a church business meeting if it's a really serious issue, and then we move forward. (Sure there are a few hearty souls who pray and fast for a long time, but most of us and our churches, it's more like perfunctory prayer and then rushing forward, rather than waiting for the rushing wind of the Spirit. Acts 2:1-4)

Anyway, while I was driving and praying (eyes open of course...I don't have that much faith) I thought about all the ways we pray...and here's my list: (I'll let you add in the details)

We pray prayers of:

Worry -- God help us for this big problem
Weeping -- for the our needs and the needs of others
Worship -- giving thanks and praise for who God is

All these are good and needed and even spoken of in the Bible, but the prayers we have difficulty with are the prayers of:

Watching -- Keeping our eyes open for the tongues of fire of the Spirit's Presence
Waiting -- Patiently listening for the wind of the Spirit's Power

These are the prayers we too often blow right by...not enough activity for us American Evangelicals. But maybe, just maybe, it would be worth the wait. Sure, it may be a little scarey...but oh the results!

Counter Intuitive Kingdom Buidling

2011-04-05T11:45:00.000-07:00

THE NEWS TODAY IS FILLED with those trying to build or rebuild kingdoms. Whether one reads of Egypt, Yemen, Cote d'Iovire, Libya or even Burkina Faso it seems that even if the kingdom change begins with peaceful twittering's, things quickly escalate to rock throwing and grenade heaving.

It seems to have always been this way with humankind. We seek change, sometimes even for the good, but it requires great shows of power. When all is said and done it is the powerful that remain in power, and those who started with the least end up with even less, one only needs to consider the genocide in Rwanda to see that tragic truth unfold.

This makes my sermon passage for this coming Sunday, April 10, 2011, even more striking. In Mark 10:13-31 Jesus addresses the design, development, and deployment of the Kingdom of God. It looks nothing like the kingdom-development that is taking place around our world as I compose this Pastor's Study blog.

This week we have a group from our church serving down at the Dream Center in Los Angeles. They are seeking to love and serve those who society often sees as the unlovely or worse those who are "throw-aways." They are serving, in Jesus' name those whom Jesus called the "least of these." (Matthew 25:40) They are serving those who might well be first in the Kingdom of God (Mark 10:31), and thus I thought it would be good to direct my sermon thoughts to how Jesus describes the Kingdom of God.

This week, at our church, we will also be celebrating the importance of children, as we join hands with the the child sponsorship program of Compassion International. On Compassion Sunday we alert our church family to the needs of the children throughout the world and how they can be actively involved in caring for the needs of those to whom Jesus says the kingdom belongs. (Matthew 19:14)

So, with these two important events taking place this week, it is a good time to take a series look at just what the Kingdom of God is, and how one finds entry into it. The contrasts are great. For on one hand we are to come as little children (Mark 10:14) and on the other hand those who choose to be part of the Kingdom are called to follow Jesus, not only in giving up, but also knowing that we shall receive persecutions (Mark 10:30).

Truly, the Kingdom of God is a great reality, the Kingdom of which I desire to be a part of, and of which I desire to help others attain. It is a Kingdom not established through war but through peace. It is a Kingdom not made of the powerful, but of the weak. It is a Kingdom not acquired only through right belief, but through faithful and obedient following of the One whose Kingdom it is, Jesus.

The Kingdom of God, made up not of His warriors, but of His children.

What's Your Condition?

2011-04-01T14:37:00.000-07:00

Back in 1968 Kenny Rogers and the First Edition made a hit recording of "To See What Condition My Condition was In." Knowing that this song most definitely has to deal with the drug culture of the 1960's it makes a good intro into the topic of my sermon for this coming Sunday, April 3, 2011.

We believe that God created Adam and Eve in His image, but they sinned when tempted by Satan. In union with Adam, human beings are sinners by nature and by choice, alienated from God, and under His wrath. Only through God’s saving work in Jesus Christ can we be rescued, reconciled and renewed.

At first glance it does not seem like a very "good news" kind of statement, but if we are at all honest with ourselves I believe it does truly speak to the condition our condition is in. Sadly, this present condition was not the condition for which we were created. As Genesis 1:26-27 says, we were created in the image of God. We were created to live in relationship with our Creator. The reality is that loving relationship did not seem to be enough for us. Rather than being content and satisfied with God being Creator and we living as His creation, we chose to take matters into our own hands...we chose to be gods.

As history as adequately shown, we have not done so well in being gods. We are not, in theological jargon, omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent, nor sovereign enough to pull off being god with any measure of success. In fact, history proves we have messed things up pretty bad...often blaming the True God for the problems that our own selfish sin has created.

The condition gets worse! For not only has God left us to our own devices (see Romans 1:18-31), but we are also under the penalty of death for our sin. (Romans 3:23 and Romans 6:23, the first part) Our present condition, apart from some miracle, leaves us without any hope.

But thanks be to God! For He Himself has proved that "miracle." The solution to our condition is found in the Person of Jesus Christ and His death upon the cross and His resurrection from the dead! The Scriptures tell us that God sent His perfect Son to take our place. To take upon Himself that sin and its punishment that was ours! (2 Corinthians 5:21 and Romans 5:9 and Romans 6:23, the last part!)

As our Statement of Faith makes clear, our condition was not God, but because of God's great love for us (John 3:16-17 and Ephesians 2:8-9) not only have our sins be atoned for (1 John 2:1-2), that is we have not just been forgiven, (1 John 1:9) but we have also been reconciled, that is brought back into that relationship with the Sovereign Creator God that we were meant to have from the beginning!

But wait, it gets even better! Our condition is not only rescued and reconciled, but it is also being renewed. God is once again at the work of working out His Image in us, the very image of His Son. (Romans 8:29-30 and 1 John 3:2-3) Now, there's something to get excited about!

So, my dear reader, "What condition is your condition in?"

SO BIG!!!!

2011-03-16T13:14:00.000-07:00

WHEN MY CHILDREN WERE LITTLE we used to play a little game with them which included asking the question, "How big are you?" To which they would answer by stretching out their arms as far as possible and declare, "SO BIG!!!" When they were really little we would move their arms for them, and as they grew they could fully join us in this little "action game."

My present sermon series, "Obeying the Speed Limit: Truths to Keep Us Safe Along the Way" is dealing with the truths we have held to as a local church over the past fifty years and which we will continue to hold on to as we continue on the journey to which God has called us. As a foundation for this series I am using the Statement of Faith for the Evangelical Free Church of America using its articles to drive us into the Scripture upon which each article is founded.

My plan was to go over one of the ten articles each week...so much for my plans! I still "stuck" in article number one dealing with the nature and character of God. This week the plan is to go back to article one and deal specifically with the Trinity. I didn't feel I could deal with such an important part of our theological understanding of God in just the few minutes I had left last Sunday (Us long-winded pastors are a bane for sure!)

Anyway, while I have been studying this bedrock of our faith, seeking ways to communicate this almost imponderable truth about God, I came across an article in the latest edition of Biola University magazine. Associate Professor Fred Sanders has addressed the topic in a clear and concise way. His article, "Think Bigger: There's Not a Trinity Verse -- and that's a good thing" is well-worth reading. You can click on that title and read it for yourself.

So, thanks Professor Sanders. I promise not to plagiarize your work, but you will find yourself most definitely quoted once or twice. (Honor to who honor is due!) I must agree with the Professor, that the theological turth of the Trinity only goes to make the God we worship so much BIGGER!

What a great and awesome God is He!

Keeping the Speed Limit

2011-03-08T19:22:00.000-08:00

As part of our our church's celebration of their Year of Jubilee, leading up to our 50th anniversary of ministry in the San Lorenzo Valley, I have chosen to spend a few weeks preaching on those truths that have kept us safe along the way. To facilitate these messages we are using the Statement of Faith of the Evangelical Free Church of America (the denomination of which we are a part).

Our journey as a church family has been a great one. Sure there have been some bumps and detours along the way, but as we have endeavored to obey the rules of the road, we can truly say we have been blessed. That is the reason we have chosen "Blessed to be a Blessing" as our year-long theme.

Last Sunday, March 3rd, I began the series by looking at Deuteronomy 6:1-12 in a sermon entitled, "My God's Bigger than Your God." It was all about the importance of the primacy of God in every area of our lives. This coming week, as the Lord grants me breath and a clear mind, I hope to spend time discussing the first article in our Statement of Faith, the article that deals with who God is.

In our American culture (not to mention the multitude of cultures around the world) we have quite a range of definitions regarding who God is. There is of course a LOT that can be said about God, and one must be very careful to not put God in a box, so with that in mind I am including below the first article in our Statement of Faith, followed by Scripture references which speak to its various statements. My prayer is that as we look intently at what the Bible says about our God our hearts will be over-flowing with praise and our lives motivated to obedience.

As a quick side note, we will also begin a new class after church using the DVD curriculum entitled "Basic: Who is God?" This study material featrues the teaching of Francis Chan and some very thought-provoking video stories. If you're in the area come and join us for our worship gathering and stay for the deeper discussion. You can check out the church website for more information.

So, here's the material:

1. We believe in one God, Creator of all things, holy, infinitely perfect, and eternally existing in a loving unity of three equally divine Persons: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Having limitless knowledge and sovereign power, God has graciously purposed from eternity to redeem a people for Himself and to make all things new for His own glory.

1. One God – Deuteronomy 6:4; Mark 12:29

2. Creator of all things – Genesis. 1:1; Psalm 33:6; John.1:3; Colossians 1:15-17; Hebrews 11:3)

3. Holy -- Exodus 15:11; Isaiah. 6:3; 57:15

4. Infinitely perfect – Deuteronomy 32:4; Job 1:7-10; Psalms 18:30; 50:2; 90:2; 145:3; Matthew 5:48

5. Eternally existing – Psalms 33:11; 102:25-27; 115:3; Daniel 4:34-35; John 5:26; Acts 17:24-25

6. A loving unity – John 3:35; 17:24; 1 John. 4:8,16)

7. Three equally divine Persons – John 17:11; Matthew 3:16-17; 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:14; 1 Peter 1:2:

8. The Father – Deuteronomy 32:6; Matthew. 6:6; Roman 8:15; 1 Corinthians 8:6

9. The Son – Matthew 3:17; John 1:14; 3:16; Galatians 4:4; Hebrews 1:5

10. The Holy Spirit – John 14:16, 17, 26; 15:26; 16:7-15; Romans 8:9, 26; Galatians 4:6

11. Limitless knowledge – Psalms 139:1-16; 147:5; Isaiah 46:10; John 21:17

12. Sovereign power – Jeremiah 32:17; Ephesians 1:11; Romans. 8:28; 2 Corinthians 6:18; Ephesians 3:20; Revelation 1:8

13. God has graciously purposed from eternity to redeem a people for Himself – 1 Corinthians 2:7; Ephesians 1:11; 3:10,11; 2 Timothy 1:9; Titus 1:2; 1 Peter 1:20; Revelation 13:8

14. To make all things new – Matthew 19:28; Acts 3:21; Romans 8:19-21; Revelation 21,22

15. For His own glory – Psalm 19:1-2; Isaiah 43:7; Jeremiah 13:11; Colossians 1:15-23; Revelation 4:11; 5:9-14

SEEING THE UNSEEN

2011-01-06T08:48:00.000-08:00

This morning I came across this quote,

"Perception is strong and sight weak. In strategy it is important to see distant things as if they were close and to take a distanced view of close things"
~ Miyamoto Musashi

Is this not the perspective of God? Is He not able to see far beyond the future? Where we think we see, and think we know, we really cannot see much farther down the road than the end of our nose.

This was true for Samuel as he mourned the end of Saul's place as God's anointed king. (1 Samuel 16:1) Yet, God told Samuel to get up and get back to work because all was not lost, in fact God had a new king already chosen, a man that was pursuant of God's own heart. (1 Samuel 15:28; Acts 13:22)

In my current sermon series, "Origins: Beginning Again with God" (Studies in the book of Genesis) we have been following the life and times of Joseph a young man who would have had a right to look up and shake his fist at God and ask, "What are You doing?" or maybe better yet to ask the LORD, "Do You have an idea of what's going on down here, or care, or have a plan?" But Joseph does not rail at God that way, rather he moves forward in quiet trust that the LORD is sovereign, and more than just knowing what is going on is in fact intimately involved and is working things to His desired end and glory.

This truth about God is vital to our lives, especially as we face not only an uncertain future, but an uncertain today. We need to pray for eyes which are able to perceive as God does. We need to seek the LORD and humbly ask for His perspective, not so we can be like God, but so we can have hope, and with that hope be able to move from mourning to ministry. (1 Samuel 16:1-3; 1 Corinthians 15:58)

So, take some time to read through Genesis 42:1-38, and once again marvel at the sovereignty of God. Remember that the LORD does have a purpose and a plan, and He will see it through to completion. And in that truth, may we all find a hope and a peace.

I WONDER AS I WANDER

2010-12-24T07:31:00.000-08:00

THE CELEBRATION OF THE BIRTH OF JESUS, THE MESSIAH, is soon upon us. May we all come to ponder anew the birth of the One who would take away the sins of the world. (1 John 3:5)

A couple of days ago I woke with the Christmas carol, "I Wonder as I Wander" running through my head. It's been a long time since I have sung that Christmas hymn, but the opening stanza has continued to run through my mind.

I wonder as I wander out under the sky, How Jesus the Savior did come for to die. For poor on'ry people like you and like I... I wonder as I wander out under the sky

I am one who is prone to wander. I wander with Jesus, trying to comprehend the mystery of God taking on flesh, Emmanuel, God with us! (Philippians 2:6-7 and Matthew 1:23) Sadly, sometimes I wander apart from Jesus, the Savior. Needless to say, those are not good "wanderings."

But today I am wondering about this One born to save. What was it like for the eternal God to put on the bindings of human flesh? What was it like for the One who has lived in light inexpressible to now walk in the place of great darkness? It is truly a wonder to ponder!

I invite you to take time this Advent season to stop and ponder anew what the Almighty can do. As you wander the malls and halls, as you wander over the hill and through the woods to grandma's house, take time to experience the wonder that is Emmanuel, God with us. The Christ-Child, born to die, for you and for me.

Blessed Christmas to you!

What are You Getting and Giving for Christmas?

2010-12-10T09:18:00.001-08:00

JOY! It's part of Christmas! The angel declared, "I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all people." (Luke 2:10) That joy was to be something more than a pleasurable feeling, it was intrinsically linked to a person, namely Jesus of Nazareth, the Messiah, the Son of God. (Luke 2:11)

Last week, in my sermon, I spoke of about "Getting the Gifts We Need." The gift we looked at last Sunday was the gift of God's peace, again it was more that just the "peaceful easy feeling that wont let you down," rather it is about a relationship with the One who is the Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6)

This week I will again be dealing with the topic of getting the gifts we need, and as you probably already noted we will be discussing the gift of God's joy.

One of the things I have discovered while studying is that one of the attributes of the joy that comes from a relationship with Jesus Christ, is that this joy motivates us to serve. In fact, as we serve others, often in the less the happy situations of life, our joy increases. I guess somehow this relates to Nehemiah 8:10 that states "the joy of the LORD is our strength."

I was thinking about joy and service, or better stating joy and sacrificial giving to other when I was given a link to a powerful video interview about a man who sought to serve the very least of society. He crossed social, cultural and economic barrier in order to joyfully give to the "least of these." (Matthew 25:40)

I was challenged and humbled by this man's selfless giving. The title of the piece is, "We Could All Learn Something from this Guy." I encourage you to watch it. And may we all be motivated to share the joy that is our in and through the Person of Jesus Christ.

CHRISTMAS TIME IS SCARY TIME

2010-11-30T17:28:00.000-08:00

DRIVERS TEXTING SANTA WHILE DOING 75 MPH, SCARY! Drivers switching lanes like shoppers in line at Safeway, scary! Following a Toyota Corolla with three Christmas trees tied to the top, scary! Not to mention the attitudes and actions of those who have been up all night in order to get in the store doors by 3:30am only to shop for 8 hours straight! Yep, scary!

You see what I mean? Christmas time is a scary time.

But, when you think about it, Christmas time, if I can actually use that word anachronistically, was a scary time from the beginning. Consider Zachariah's response in Luke 1:11-12 -- fear. How about Mary's response in Luke 1:29 -- fear. Let's not forget Joseph's thoughts in Matthew 1:20 -- right again fear. And then there were the simple shepherds out in the fields late at night as recorded in Luke 2:8-9, their response, yep, fear. I suppose that is why in each of these encounters the angel had to say, "be not afraid." (Luke 1:13; Luke 1:30; Matthew 1:20; Luke 2:10)

As I thought about Christmas and fear (the subject of my sermon for the second Sunday of Advent), I realized that fear often comes when we can't see what's coming around the bend, or when there is something we cannot control, or leaves us feeling out of control. These realities can bring fear to bear in each of our lives just like it did to Zechariah, Mary, Joseph, the Bethlehem shepherds, or myself driving down the 680 freeway last weekend.

The amazing, grace-filled reality of Christ's coming 2000 years ago, was that He came not to bring fear, but to release us from its powerful grip! He came not to make us slaves to fear, but sons and daughters of God the Father.

The question therefore that is before us is, "How do we respond to the announcement of the Advent of the Anointed One?" With fear or with faith? Those who encountered first-hand Christ's arrival can give us great help in understanding the results of our response.

Thus, the theme for this week's sermon...any thoughts?

UNVARNISHED

2010-10-25T16:07:00.001-07:00

MAYBE IT’S A QUIRK OF MY NATURE, but I actually enjoy taking an old piece of furniture or an old gizmo or gadget and clean it up and put it back into use, maybe even as something different than what was originally intended. There is something cathartic in removing years of old varnish and waxy build-up and discovering underneath the beautiful grain of the wood.

One thing that I have learned in the work of restoring old furniture is that it is a messy, smelly, and sometimes toxic process. The chemicals used to remove years of varnish or paint is not stuff to be trifled with. The tools of the trade, steel wool, scrappers and sandpaper, need to be handled with care, lest damage be done to both the piece to be restored or to the one doing the restoration.

The other lesson that I have learned is that the work of restoration is not a quick process. To do things well takes time. Both the removal of the old and the application of the new cannot be hurried. The beautiful thing is that when the right material is applied and the correct tools are used and the proper time is spent the result can be a handsome piece of furniture that can be used and enjoyed for many years to come.

The work of restoring broken relationships takes no less effort than that of a good piece of furniture. In seeking to restore a relationship using the correct tools and applying unhurried time can yield positive benefits that can even make the relationship restored even more beautiful than it was in the beginning.

This work of restoration is what Jesus Christ accomplished through His death and resurrection. His sacrificial death paid the price for our sin and made it possible for our broken relationship with our Abba God to be restored. And the restored relationship is even greater than what had been. The shed blood of Jesus worked to remove the varnish of sin and allowed the beautiful work of the Master Carpenter to be seen in and through us. A work that is to be to the glory of God.

2010-10-25T16:05:00.001-07:00

The Last Word: Beyond the Bible Wars to a New Understanding of the Authority of Scripture by N.T. Wright

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Some good reminders of why THE BOOK is THE BOOK and why i is the authority for faith and practice.

View all my reviews

PEACE AT ANY COST

2010-10-12T14:32:00.000-07:00

WE ALL WANT TO LIVE AT PEACE. But, what price would you be willing to pay in order to live at peace with those around you? Will it be "peace at any cost?"

This coming week's sermon passage is taken from Genesis 32:1-32. It deals with the soon to be coming encounter between the two estranged brothers, Jacob and Esau. (Genesis 25:34 & Genesis 27:1-46) In this story we see Jacob taking steps toward restoration. The twenty years away from his brother seems to have softened Jacob a little. He has been on the receiving end of deception and now worries as to how he will be received by the brother he had cheated. Would there be a warm-welcome or would there be a war? Whatever was to take place, Jacob thought to offer an olive branch of peace to his brother, and a costly one at that.

I am a peace-loving guy. Definitely more dove than hawk, I might even make a good Quaker. I suppose I might even have a bumper sticker on my truck that would read: "Why Can't We All Just Get Along?" I desire peace in my home and my church. I desire peace between brothers and sisters in the family of God and in their families around the hearth. What I do know in all this is that without peace with our Creator there shall never be peace between people.

So, here's the question, as I prepare for the Sunday ahead, "What is the cost of purchasing peace?" I believe Jacob's actions show us a starting place of humility and of initiation. It impinges upon me to start the restorative process and to do so with a heart of true humility.

As I consider those two starting points listed above, my mind moves to the peace which Jesus Christ purchased for us on the Cross. (Revelation 5:9; Revelation 14:4; see also Psalm 74:2) He initiated the restoration of peace with God, and He deeply humbled Himself to attain it. (Philippians 2:5-8)

He who is the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6) became the peace-maker (Ephesians 2:14-17). And it is to this work that He has called us as well.

Shalom!

Just Finished Reading

2010-09-30T15:37:00.000-07:00

The Art of Dying: Living Fully into the Life to Come by Rob Moll

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Given the number of people I know who have passed-on lately, and those that are "waiting in the wings" I found this a helpful, informative, and encouraging book. Filled with positive reminders and helpful thoughts as we deal with the reality of death. Good thoughts for helping those who are close to dying and those who shall grieve their passing.

View all my reviews

WHAT'S IN A NAME?

2010-09-21T13:14:00.000-07:00

NAMES CAN BELIE MUCH ABOUT A PERSON. We can learn a person heritage, nationality, often and decade and place location of their birth all from the name that was given them. Some kids grow into their names and others may turn and run from their implications.

Truthfully, sometimes I have to wonder just how sober the parents were when they named their children, or if they gave much thought to the ramifications of how a class full of third-graders can massacre a classmate's name. The art of names and naming is serious business, it is that which is closest to us, and without getting to "pun-ish," names name us.

Of course, all this naming stuff is nothing new, it has been going on from time-immemorial. What is interesting to me is not only what the names may have said about a person, but how they in many instances seemed to determine what they would become.

My sermon text for this coming week is Genesis 29:31-35 and Genesis 30:1-23. Contained in these few verses is the birthing and naming of Jacob's 12 sons. The sons who would eventually be the patriarchs of the Twelve Tribe of Israel. Their names not only speak of the heritage, but would also speak of their future. Not only did they seem to "grow into their names," but so did their progeny.

Each of us have been given a name (or two or three for that matter, not to mention nicknames), some of us have loved our names, and borne them with honor, and some of us may have despised our names and maybe even sought to change them. Yes, names do name us. For those of us who have chosen to follow and obey Jesus Christ, as Savior, Lord and God, we have been given another name as well, His. It too, is a name that can make us. It describes not only our heritage, but also our future. It is a Name that names us.

How well are we wearing that Name?

Now THAT was GOD!

2010-09-06T12:06:00.000-07:00

IT MAY NOT BE AN APPROVED TEXTING ABBREVIATION, but for years we have used the initials TWG, to declare, That was God! Whenever we would experience an event, or heard a story where it was clear that God has "shown up." Sometimes it was a miraculous healing, or sometimes it was a special gathering with God's people where the Spirit of the Lord was evident, or sometimes it was just that "serendipitous" encounter that was anything but serendipitous. It was clear that is was nothing short of a TWG encounter.

This coming week's sermon text is Genesis 28:1-22 and it most definitley contains a TWG encounter for Jacob. While on his way to seek a wife he has a dream while using a rock for a pillow (I guess that would give you dreams, if not a sleepless night!) In his dream he witnesses a ladder ascending from earth to heaven, and if that is not enough, he hears the voice of God reminding him of the blessing that was given to his forefathers and which will also belong to him. The LORD not only restates the blessing of which Jacob is a part, but He also reminds him of the great truths that He shall never leave him, and that the LORD Himself will accomplish what is needed to bring about the culmination of the blessing!

It is all a pretty amazing TWG moment.

What strikes me, too, is Jacob's comment, "Surely the LORD was in this place and I did not know it." I wonder how many times I am in the "LORD's presence" and I do not know it? How many TWG moments do I miss because I am sleeping with my head upon a soft pillow or am I napping in the relative comfort of my life?

I believe this passage gives us some "clues" as to how to keep ourselves aware of the TWG moments, beside using a rock as a pillow. Care to venture what some of those might be? You can also join us on Sunday to get this pastor's take on it as well.

Sweet dreams!

STAYING POWER

2010-08-17T17:05:00.000-07:00

LIFE CAN DEAL YOU SOME POWERFUL BLOWS!

Over the past few weeks, whether it has been while reading the news paper, or watching the news on the internet, or getting a phone call from a member of our church, or sharing an ever-increasing litany of prayer requests with our prayer teams, I have been struck by just how bad and cruel life can be.

Floods in Pakistan. Murdered missionaries. Plane crashes. Military personnel wounded or killed. Cancer. Job loss. Foreclosures. Broken marriages. Need I go on?! It is beyond obvious that life can knock you down and then kick you in the head and leave you for dead.

As I look at the lives affected by these tragic events I notice that there are those people who seem to stand strong through the midst of it all. It's not to say that they take it like water off a duck's back, but even though they are suffering they choose to stand erect even under tremendous weight. They are quick to admit that "this hurts," but they choose not to live under regret or bitterness. They have chosen to push through, and in many cases that I have witnessed, they have remained gracious and thankful people.

I am amazed at their staying-power.

The question is: "How do they do it?" Its got to be more than just some Pollyanna world-view, that all will be "OK." It comes from deeper than just spouting some positive thinking mantra. And it surely is not found in some pill or body-wash. Where does it come from?

This coming week's sermon passage comes from Genesis 26:1-35. Last week we looked at the growing strain between the brothers Jacob and Esau (Genesis 25:19-34). (#22 in "Origins: Beginning Again with God") Now we focus on Isaac and the troubles brought on by drought, hostile neighbors, poor decisions, and even wealth. Through it all we see a man who chooses to remain where God has him. We see a man with staying-power.

Not to give away the whole of the sermon (hey, then some of you wouldn't come to church), but suffice it to say, to develop staying-power we need the "three P's" of Promise, Presence, and Peace. And we will see that when we develop these in our own lives we can also use them to develop staying-power in our children, which is, as a parent, a real desire for me.

Therefore, I encourage you to spend some time in Genesis 26:1-35 and see what is needed to be a person who can stand strong, even when life knocks you down.

WHAT'S YOUR FAITH WORTH?

2010-08-13T08:11:00.000-07:00

WHAT'S THE PRICE OF YOUR FAITH? For Esau it was a bowl of stew. Oh sure, we may say that he really did not stop believing in God, but his actions belied deeper issues, that of being willing to sell that which was a of great worth in order to enjoy some momentary pleasure.

My sermon text for this week is Genesis 25:19-34, which actually covers quite a bit of territory. Yet, what has grabbed my pastoral eye this week is found in the final verse of the section where the writer of Genesis records, "So Esau despised his birthright." (Genesis 25:34).

I suppose many of us have "despised" our birthrights from time to time, especially that birthright granted by faith in Jesus Christ. There are times we have essentially sold out our faith because we desired, or maybe even acquired, that which would bring momentary pleasure. Sin seemed to satisfy better than the Savior.

As I have been studying this week I have been struck by how many different times this issue has come up in conversation (as at our men's weekly Bible study) or in my own conviction and even on other blogs.

One blog that I subscribe to, "Out of Ur," posted a sad, and yet interesting article by Gordon MacDonald. In the blog-post brother MacDonald deals with the question of "How do we respond when someone quits the faith?" His musings are worth the time to read and ponder. So, I encourage you to do so, and then, take a hard look at this week's sermon passage, or better yet, if you're in the area, come and join us as we look at the topic of selling our faith.

Of course, if you have any thoughts, pertaining to the topic at-hand, feel free to post a comment below.

LOSING the PROMISE

2010-06-01T20:20:00.000-07:00

THE PROMISE DID NOT START WITH ME, and the Promise does not STOP with me. This is a thought that ran through my little noggin while at a youth leadership meeting this past Sunday. I really was paying attention, but my mind kept drifting back to my sermon of the morning on Genesis 21:1-21 and the birth of the child of promise, Issac, ("Reasons to Laugh") and then my mind raced forward to this coming week's passage, Genesis 22:1-19, where Abraham does the unfathomable and offers his promised son upon the altar of sacrifice.

Sure, we can read ahead and see that it all turns out OK, but seriously, what must have been going through Abraham's head, not to mention the mind of Isaac as his dad was binding him and raising the knife over him! As a dad myself, picture is more than terrifying.

Let's be honest, there is enough sermon material in Genesis 22 for a month of Sundays and a plethora of The Pastor's Study blog entries, so I will not even attempt to get too deep here, though truth be known, I have had great personal time already in this passage...suffice it to say, here's what has grabbed me thus far:

First, this passage has strong personal application for me right now as we will be commissioning my daughter Trinity for missionary service in Rome. You can check out her own musings about this coming adventure at All Roads Lead to Rome. So, in some ways I am offering up my first-born on the altar of missionary service, and like Abraham I am going to have to trust God.

This leads to the second thing that has latched onto my heart and that is it is not about the promise that God made to Abraham, or the promise that God has made to us, but it is about trusting the God who made the promise. Again it is taking God at His word, trusting that He knows what He is doing. It's an issue of fearless trust, not in the promise, but in the God who made the promise.

I believe that is where the rubber meets the road for me right now, am I trusting in the "what" or in the "Whom?" I am seeing right now that I must make sure that the promises that God has made to me, to us, does not replace the One who made the promise. It's a subtle distinction to be sure, but one I believe I must now make. Some may say that we cannot separate God from His promises, that they are one in the same. That may be true, but I personally want to be sure that my heart's focus is right, lest when God asks me to give up the promise, as He did of Abraham on Mount Moriah, I falter, and turn from trusting Him fully, completely. Lest I turn from that life of complete surrender, which sadly I too often do.

LORD, have mercy on me, as I seek to live the life of surrender to Thee and Thee alone.

Living in Sodom: Not a Good Thing

2010-05-11T08:59:00.000-07:00

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SODOM AND GOMORRAH WERE NOT GOOD PLACES TO LIVE, at least not after the LORD got through with them. Talk about declining property values! And what about that house next to the pillar of salt? Needless to say, things were not good for quite some time...in fact, not mush going on in the region still!

As I read the account of the destruction of the cities of the plain my mind races to the thought of just how destructive sin is! Sin can destroy whole cities! And that the sins we commit by commission or omission really do matter. So, as I am giving thought to my sermon this week from Genesis 19:1-38, I am thinking about sin (I know, probably not a good thing to be thinking about) and how we get ourselves into places of sin, and what it takes to get out of, and stay out of, those places. Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift of grace through Christ Jesus our Lord! (2 Corinthians 9:12-15)

One way for sure to be begin everyday on our knees in prayer seeking the Lord for both His mercy and His strength. This is one of the reasons last week I called our local church family to prayer. I sought 40 people to pray for 40 days for 4things. They are

My heart to be a habitation for the Holy Spirit.
My home to be a lighthouse for my neighborhood.
My church to be a place of positive impact in our community.
My community to be powerfully touched by the grace of God.

I am sure that there are many other issues to be addressed in regards to making sure that our communities do not become like Sodom or Gomorrah, but I believe the four items of prayer are a great place to start.

Care to join us in prayer?

A COSTLY COVENANT

2010-04-26T15:48:00.000-07:00

OK, I'LL RISK HONESTY HERE...I cannot read this week's passage (Genesis 17:1-27) without saying, "OUCH!" Circumcision of little 8-day old baby boys is one thing, but full grown men? "OUCH!"

God's covenant promise is backed by God's word to Abram, (now Abraham), but Abraham has a part to play as well is this covenant, there is a cost which must be enacted. Again, the cost will involve the shedding of blood, another act which points to the blood which will be shed upon the cross of Jesus Christ. This covenant act which Abraham takes upon himself, and which he performs on all the men under his care, is a visible sign of obedience. Obedience which cannot be stated in word alone, but through the visible and costly act of circumcision. The one who takes this mark shall never again be the same.

The male follower of Yahweh would forever carry in his flesh the mark of that relationship. A visible, though often hidden, sign of being a man of the covenant. As followers of Jesus, the Messiah, we are called to the circumcision of our hearts. The cutting away of the old, so that the new would develop. (Colossians 2:11-15; Galatians 5:6-11) A sign hidden from human eyes, but visible to God, and yet at the same time a mark which must be evident through the lives that we live. Whereas in the under the Old Covenant the act of circumcision was a expression and sing of faith, it is now faith expressed through love that is to be the sign. (Galatians 5:6)

I guess it all comes down to obedience. Obedience that is more than just some act of the flesh, but an obedience that bears forth the heart of God. For the obedience that God truly desires is that costly sacrifice of living out God's heart in our world. A heart that cares for the needy, the down-cast, the widow and fatherless. For as the LORD said through the prophet Jeremiah, the worship He wants is not that of word and promise, but of caring for those for whom God cares. (Jeremiah 7:1-11) I suppose this is again the living out of the very Image of God in our everyday lives.

The Covenant of Grace, though free to us (Ephesian 2:8-9) did not come cheaply, nor may be hold it as so now! We live under a costly covenant!

It Bears Repeating...

2010-04-22T13:56:00.000-07:00

While studying for this coming week's message from Genesis 16:1-16, I came across this quote:

"When our hearts are too much set upon any creature comfort, we are easily put upon the use of indirect methods for obtaining it. Inordinate desires commonly produce irregular endeavors. If our wishes are not kept in submission to God's providence, our pursuits will scarely be kept under the restraints of His precepts."

Thank you Matthew Henry.

THE AMAZING RACE

2010-04-20T14:50:00.000-07:00

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MY FAMILY ENJOYS WATCHING THE AMAZING RACE on Sunday evenings as we partake of a light Sunday supper. We cheer on our favorite teams and wish we could visit the exotic places and be involved in the various tasks they must perform. Of course it all looks so much easier from our family room, and we might not think it so "enjoyable" if were were pressured by lack of sleep, unfamiliar surroundings and the constant push to come in first. The Amazing Race is also the amazingly tough race. It's not without plan and reason that "mandatory pit-stops" are written into the itinerary.

The Christian faith has been likened unto a race (1 Corinthians 9:24; 2 Timothy 4:7, Hebrew 12:1) and therefore it is a good metaphor for our lives as followers of Jesus Christ. The problem arises, as I see it, when we fail to take the mandatory pit-stops. When we rush ahead at light-speed rather that God-speed. We can get so focused upon winning the prize set out before us, that we never slow down in order to check the map and regain our bearings.

This is, in part, what happens to Abram and Sarai in Genesis 16:1-16. God has promised the aged couple a son, a heir, and a family line that will out-number the stars that Abram can count. But when things don't happen as fast as they would like, rather than taking a pit-stop they rush forward on their own wisdom and ingenuity and leave in their wake broken relationships that will last for millennia.

As I read through the passage there are a few things that catch my eye, notably, when we rush ahead at our speed we leave broken relationships along the road, and our decisions can have both immediate and long-term negative affects. (Genesis 16:3-12)

The good news is that God's grace and mercy still operate in the midst ramifications of our poor choices. (Genesis 16:9-16)

I am sure that there is more that I could share, but another racer just when whizzing by me and I must catch up! Wouldn't want to be late, ya know!

Happy racing!

FAITH UNLIMITED

2010-04-13T16:22:00.000-07:00

THERE IS AN OLD HYMN, Standing on the Promises, that we sometimes sing at our church (Felton Bible Church). One of our previous song leaders would always introduce this hymn by calling the congregation to stand to their feet, because, "We can't be standing on the promises while we're sitting on the premises!" There's some real truth there!

The second verse reads,

Standing on the promises that cannot fail
When the howling storms of doubt and fear assail;
By the living word of God I shall prevail--
Standing on the promises of God.

As Christians we like to say that we stand upon the promises of God and yet when things are not turning out like we think they should we quickly turn to doubt. I suppose this comes from the brokenness of our nature. And as doubters we do not stand alone in the annuals of Biblical history; take the leading personality in our sermon text for this coming week, Abram. (Genesis 15:1-21 is the text at hand for Sunday April 19th, "Lord willing and the creek don't rise!")

In our text we see Abram doubting God's promised provision that Abram would become a mighty nation. The crux of the matter is that Abram is limited by what he can see, which is the barren womb of Sarai his wife. In another way Abram is looking down at the premises before him, while God calls him to look upward to the promises that will be numbered at the stars in the heavens. (Which by my estimation is a lot!)

As we read through the text a powerful reality begins to unfold, an unfolding which will not reach its culmination until the Cross of Christ. God tells Abram to recall the call he had given to him years before while Abram and family were still living in Ur. But this time when God restates the call he placed upon Abram's life, the LORD seals it with a covenant cut with blood. Where God's word should be enough, His WORD will become enough, and once again a covenant will be established and those who believe shall be credited with righteousness not of their own! (1 Corinthians 1:30-31, Philippians 3:9-10, Romans 3:22)

So, what kind of faith do I possess? That which is limited by what I see, or unlimited by trusting in God who sees?

When Your World Crumbles

2010-03-27T15:07:00.000-07:00

This Sunday's sermon (Palm Sunday 2010) is focusing upon the final week of Jesus' life here on earth. We are going to be looking at the events leading to His crucifixion, and how, with normal eyes, this week looks like one in which His world was crumbling around Him.

The issue before us is to look at that week with eyes of faith, rather than normal eyes. To be able to see beyond the near future and to see and know the goodness of God.

I came across this video, which tells much the same story, a story of a world crumbling away at a man's feet, but how he chooses to look with eyes of faith, and in the looking discovers a God who is good.

The Story of Zac Smith from NewSpring Media on Vimeo.

Created for Love

2010-02-09T17:08:00.000-08:00

With Valentine's Day coming this Sunday it seems only appropriate that I focus our Genesis study on Genesis 1:26-31 and Genesis 2:1-25.

As a look over these passages, with all the information contained within them, there are so many ways I could go in my thoughts for this coming week's sermon (New series in Genesis: "Origins. Beginning Again with God"). But there are two things that grab me most of all at the present moment. First, that we are created in the image of God (Imago Dei), and second that we are called to live out that image in relationship with one another, specifically in the relationship of marriage, and as the Body of Christ, the church.

The image of God in us certainly implies His moral attributes, but I also believe it includes the Community of God found within that eternal relationship we call the Trinity. As an Evangelical Christian, who holds to the veracity of Scripture, I believe that our One God has eternally existed in a three person Godhead, referred to as the Trinity. God has expressed Himself, through the pages of the Holy Bible, as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and I believe that part of the image we hold is the need for living within community. As we do live within community we bear forth God's image more fully. Even His moral attributes are best exhibited to, for and with others.

In looking at the opening chapters of Genesis we can note that the first community is found within the relationship of the first man and the first woman. This relationship therefore becomes the foundation of all subsequent communities which were to follow. I would go as far as to say that the strength of all our communities finds its basis in the strength of the marriages that make up that community. We might even want to call that the bedrock relationship. Not only because God created them male and female and brought them together (Genesis 1:27; Genesis2:22-25), but because the marital relationship is to be reflective (image-bearing) of God's relationship within the Trinity, and of the relationship of Christ and the Church (Ephesians 5:21-33).

So, as we consider the buying of Valentine's cards (short video worth watching) and lavishing loving words upon those we love, especially those of us who find ourselves in that bedrock relationship called Holy Matrimony, let us not forget the glorious and awesome responsibility we bear within those relationship, the responsibility of bearing-well the Image of God. As you gaze into the eyes of the one you love, remember that you are peering into one created in the image of God, nad to love that one is to love God as well. (1 John 4:7-21)

So let us love!

Back to the Beginning

2010-01-29T08:38:00.000-08:00

AT MY AGE, not too old and definitely not too young, I have reached that point where I sometimes forget why I went to a certain room. I stand there looking around, knowing that I came here for a reason, but for the life of me I cannot remember what that reason was.

I have discovered that in times of localized memory loss there are two things I can do to help me remember. First, it is to go back to where I was...a returning to the "beginning of my journey" with the hopes of having my memory "restarted." The second is to enlist others to help me remember, which usually means asking one of my family members, "Do you know why I am here?" To which they often answer by slowly and sadly shaking their heads side-to-side with that worried look that clearly states, "Dad's not losing it, he's lost it."

This need to remember the past so that I can live in the present also applies to my walk as a follow of Jesus Christ. There are times I seem to wake up in this world and wonder, "What am I doing here?" or "What is it that I am supposed to be doing here?" It is this type of situation, and these types of questions that prompted me to set off on a new series of sermon from the book of Genesis.

The purpose of this new series, "Origins: Beginning Again with God," is to take us back to the book of beginnings to be reminded of who God is, and how God works, and what is our relationship with God. My hope and prayer is that as we go back to the beginning we will gain the wisdom and strength that is needed to not only remember why we are here, but so that we can live the lives that God created us to live.

This week we begin with the words that not only begin it all, but form the foundation and framework of all that follows, "In the beginning God..." (Genesis 1:1). If your desirous of joining me on this journey I would also point you to Psalm 148:1-14, here the psalmist reminds us, once again, of why were "in the room."

God bless you on your journey of remembering.

Heart of Worship

2010-01-13T08:27:00.000-08:00

RECENTLY OUR CHURCH FAMILY SANG, Matt Redman's song, "Heart of Worship." In the midst of that song we are reminded that the central point of our worship is the Person of Jesus Christ. That got me thinking about that recurring question in my life, and the life of the church, What does it mean to worship?

There have been many books written on the subject, a multitude of sermons preached, and even a few wars fought. I suppose there is not much I can add to the plethora of discussions that have taken place, but I felt that as we are moving forward as a church, facing a new year, and a new tomorrow, it might be good for us to take a look one more time, not for the purpose of finding something "new" but simply as a way of reminding ourselves of some the truths regarding this thing called worship, to which we are called.

As I am working on putting together my sermon for this coming Sunday (January 17, 2010) here are some thoughts that are settling in my mind regarding this emotional, and often highly personal, subject of worship.

First, as we are reminded in Redman's song, worship is all about Jesus, well for that matter it is about the whole Triune God. The danger comes when we place ourselves at the center of worship. When this happens worship quickly degrades into an argument about choruses, choirs, candles and comfort. Thus, if we remember anything iy must me the adage that it is not about me, it is about God.

Second, worship is life, or maybe better stated, life is about worship. This is at least part of what the Apostle Paul was referring to in his letter to the Church in Rome (Romans 12:1-2) where we are told that worship is the presenting of our bodies as living sacrifices through acts of service. This brings up a third point regarding worship.

Worship is communal. After reading Romans 12:1-2 we must continue reading and as we do we shall see that the Apostle Paul turns his thoughts toward our living together as the Body of Christ. I must believe that this flow in his letter is not without design. Worship takes place within community, and this community extends beyond the walls of the church and a given hour on Sunday morning (or Saturday night as the case may be.)

There are most definitely many more areas of discussion we could address, but for the sake of this blog, and my study for this week's sermon, I would like to suggest just one more area of thought and that is that worship is about story.

Worship as story means that it is about living out the story of God in our lives. This story is to declare who God is and who we are in relationship to Him. Our "service of worship," whether it be as a corporate gathering on a Sunday morning, or as we spend our day working in a cubical or caring for our family, is to be the recounting of God's past faithfulness, in the midst of our present life as an expression of our future hope in Christ. Our worship flows from the reality of our relationship with the living God.

Worship is many things to many people, and thus it will always be a "hot topic," but let us remember in all of discussions that total worship is what God deserves and worship is the life we were called to live. So, let us worship!

Hey Jude!

2009-12-28T17:00:00.000-08:00

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WAY BACK WHEN, in my junior high school days, I remember going to a little "dance" party at a friend's house (a birthday party if my memory serves me correctly), some one put on the Beatles "Hey Jude" which was considered a "slow-dance" song. So there we were "slow-dancing" to "Hey Jude," and as you know the ending of the song includes a long section of "na-na-na-na-na-na's" they only problem for our little group of dancers was that the record got stuck and we didn't figure it out for a good 10 minutes or more. The sight of 10 junior high couples going round and round for minutes on end must have been something to laugh at. Thankfully, I really "like-liked" the girl I with whom I was dancing. Ah, junior high love.

Now, you might be asking yourself, "Self, where in the world is Pastor Randy going with this?" Well, I will tell you. I am going to Jude. Not the song title (which seems to have nothing to do with drug abuse and the use of heroin, but was written about John Lennon's son, Julian), but I am going to that second to the last book in the Bible, the Book of Jude, all one chapter of it.

Paul McCartney's song really does have similarities to Jude's letter to the Church, within limits of course. McCartney's song calls for a young man to deal with the hard things that are being dealt to him, and to not let those things dictate his life. In Jude's letter to the church there is a call for the followers of Jesus to deal wisely and actively with the things being dealt to them by those who might say they believe in Jesus, but who in reality are living quite contrary to the call of Christ.

Jude's words (all 619 of them) come hard and fast. He spends the first part of his letter pointing out those who are bringing destruction to the church. Warning his readers of the ultimate end to those who continue to walk contrary to the design of God. His condemnation comes against those who are 1) self deluded, 2) self polluted, 3) self promoting, and 4) self-empowering even over the "powers" in heaven. (Jude 1:8-11)

His letter would be completely discouraging if it were not for the words of challenge he brings after his words of condemnation. He brings a strong call to the church to rise up and live as it was designed to live.

It is these words of challenge that I am going to focus upon in this week's sermon with the hope that his words will bring a proper call to commitment as we embark upon a new year. Jude reminds us that we must 1) remember the Apostle's teaching, 2) be built up in the faith, 3) pray, 4) abide, 5) wait, 6) practice mercy, and bring salvation. (Jude 1:17-23)

I guess the biggest difference between the song and book could be found in the reality that the strength is not to be found in our self to make the difference in our lives ("...Then you can make it better...,") but rather found in the One who can "Keep you from stumbling." (Jude 1:24) May we all so be committed to the Lord and His work in this coming year.

GIFTS & GIVERS: Wrappings Matter

2009-12-15T15:08:00.000-08:00

MY GRACIOUS AND LOVING WIFE taught me many years ago that how a gift is wrapped matters. Gifts that are wrapped with care and creativity go to express the "worth" of both the gift and the recipient of the gift. A gift not wrapped or just thrown into a bag without any forethought just is not as special as a gift that was thoughtfully wrapped. Now, I know that there are some of you reading this that would disagree with the above, but I will stick with what my wife has taught me...I feel it's better that way.

In my Advent Sermon series ("What are You Getting for Christmas") we have been looking at some of the gifts which God has given to us, such as His Light, His peace, and His joy. This week on Christmas Sunday as we light the fourth Advent Candle, we are focusing up God's gift of love.

As I pondered God's great gift of love in His Son, Jesus the Messiah, I was drawn to my wife's words about the importance of the "wrapping" in displaying the worth of both gift and the one receiving the gift. In God's gift of His Son to be our Savior, He not only wrapped Him in human flesh (John 1:14) but Jesus was the very love of God (John 3:16; Romans 5:8.)

I suppose God could of scared us into accepting His Son as our Savior. He could have sent Jesus to unleash the justice of God upon those who have disobeyed His commands and turn to worship the god of self. But God chose to not to scare us into salvation, but to love us. Jesus came as the love of God to us. God wrapped His gift of forgiveness, reconciliation, grace, mercy and salvation in the Person of Jesus Christ in order that we should see, hear and experience the love of God in the greatest wrapping possible.

So, this Christmas, as we ponder the manifold gifts of God, let us not forget that God has wrapped all of His gifts with love and in love. Remembering, that these great gifts, which come from the hands of our loving heavenly Father, come to us not to be horded but to be shared.

How can you share God's gift this Christmas season? How can you wrap it in the Love of God? Blessed to be a blessing; gifted in order to give. This is who and what we are as those who have received such an indescribable gift (2 Corinthians 9:6-15.)

GIFTS & GIVERS: Oh, for the Joy!

2009-12-06T16:45:00.000-08:00

ASK PEOPLE THEIR FAVORITE CHRISTMAS CAROL and many times the answer will be "Joy to the World." Sure, they like "Away in a Manger," but when it comes to Christmas carols it's "Joy" that wins out! (No, "Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer" does not classify as a "Christmas Carol.")

JOY is one of the top emotions for the season, and rightfully so. There is JOY when the kids see Santa and packages with their names on them under the tree. There is JOY when the aromas of fresh-baked Christmas cookies and breads permeate our homes. There is JOY that comes as we hear the clarion call of the bells, and yes JOY when we sing the Christmas songs. Truly, JOY is the emotion of Christmas.

JOY fills the Christmas scene. There was the JOY that filled the proclamation of the angels (Luke 2:10-14). There was JOY in the shepherds hearts as they saw the new born baby and recounted the message of the angels (Luke 2:16-20). I am sure there was JOY in the heart of Mary as she pondered the little one in her arms and the greetings brought to Him that night (Luke 2:19). And there was JOY in the attitude of the magi who had traveled so far to worship the new born King (Matthew 2:1-12)

JOY is a gift that God gives to us, and like His gift of peace, it is not dependent upon the circumstances. For when the angels withdrew to heaven and the shepherds returned to their fields, life was still waiting to be lived. They were still shepherds...but forever a different group of shepherds for they had met the Good Shepherd on that dark starry night. And when the magi returned to their far away countries by a different route because of the threat of death over their heads, they returned a different group of kings for they had worshiped the King of kings. And even when Mary and Joseph had to bundle up their new born son and head south to Egypt for fear of Herod (Matthew 2:13-18) they knew that even though they were in exile they carried with them God's promised Deliverer.

JOY is still a gift that God offers us today. Even in our rough and tumble world, His JOY remains firm and steadfast in the hearts of those who know Jesus, the Son of God, our Savior.

So, this Christmas, receive again God's gift of JOY, and remember, this gift is given to be shared. How? By letting Christ dwell richly in you. By focusing your heart on His. By remembering that is was His JOY to go to the Cross for you. (Hebrews 12:1-3) As you do these things, His JOY will be manifested in and through you, and you will sing with the carolers of the ages,

"Joy to the world the Lord is come,
Let earth receive her King.
Let every heart, prepare Him room,
And heaven and nature sing,
And heaven and nature sing,
And heaven and heaven
And nature sing."

GIFTS & GIVERS: Wrapping the Unwrappable

2009-12-01T13:40:00.000-08:00

THE SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT is approaching and for us at Felton Bible Church it will be a full day of celebration and fellowship as we remember the One who came as the Prince of Peace, as we remember His great gift to us as we share together in Holy Communion, and as we gather around the tables to enjoy another scrumptious FirstSunday Fellowship Meal.

Last week's message "What are You Getting for Christmas?" focused upon the reality that we have been given much so that we could give much. (Genesis 18:18; Galatians 3:8; 1 John 4;10; 1 John 4:19) And in particular we focused upon Jesus being the Light of the world (John 3:19-21; John 8:12) and our call to live in that light (Ephesians 5:8-11) and to be a light (Matthew 5:14-16). This week we shall focus upon the gift of God's peace that comes to us in and through the Person of Jesus Christ, and what it means to not only get that gift, but in turn to give that gift as well.

So, the question before us today is, "If we have received God's gift of peace, how then can we give it away?" As I pondered this question I realized that we are talking about "incarnational-giving." That is giving in the very same way (limited as we may be) as God gave to us through the Son, Jesus the Christ.

In the Incarnation, God was wrapping the unwrappable. (a new word, I believe. ;o)) God was taking Himself, and wrapping Himself in human flesh (John 1:1-5; John 1:14; Philippians 2:5-11). When we speak of incarnational-giving, we are talking about in some form giving ourselves as gifts to another.

If we are talking abut giving the gift of peace, how can we wrap that gift, which is in many ways unwrappable? What are the ways in which we can give peace that goes beyond just saying, "Peace be with you"? I am working through the possible ways that can be done, and I know that this gift will at the least demand presence (there's the Incarnation again), and meeting of real needs (there it is again), and it will most like be costly, at least in the sense of time (I suppose we could read that as "sacrificial" another aspect of the Incarnation). Beginning to get the picture?

I would love to hear some of your ideas about how we could wrap the unwrappable in regards to God's gift of peace. I am sure the Scriptures would help us in that matter. There are those words about God's peace in the Apostle Paul's letter to the Philippians (Philippians 4:4-9), which might give us a good starting point, and to that I would had our Advent text for this coming week which includes God's Word through the Prophet Isaiah,

He tends His flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in His arms and carries them close to His heart; He gently leads those who have young. (Isaiah 40:11)

So, as you seek the gifts to give this Advent be sure to add to your list God's gift of peace. I am sure you know at least one person who needs that gift.

Shalom.

GIFTS & GIVERS: Taken for Granted

2009-11-25T08:29:00.000-08:00

GIFTS AND GIVERS CAN BE TAKEN FOR GRANTED. For instance, take my mom. I could always count on her to provide new packages of underwear every Christmas morning. There was one year that she forgot, and I remember almost going into shock. Now that she's gone to heaven, well, I have to buy my own!

We can get so used to the ways things are, that when they change we are left standing with our mouths wide-open in disbelief. I guess we don't miss things until they're no longer given. It becomes increasingly easier to take for granted that both giver and gift will always be around. And when that happens we move from gratefulness to grumpiness in a heart-beat.

My key sermon text for this coming first Sunday of Advent is taken from Isaiah 9:2,

The people walking in darkness
have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of deep darkness
a light has dawned.

Light, now there is another thing I take for granted, until it;s longer available. Living here in the Redwood forest we loose our electricity numerous times throughout the winter months. The rains descend, the winds blow, the trees fall, the power goes out. That's the way it goes around here. But no matter how often it happens I never fail to flip the light switch up to turn the light on. I just take for granted that the light will go on, even if I know that the power is off.

The interesting thing is that after a day or so with no power, when it does come on we are sometimes saddened. The truth is living in the dark has its benefits; no TV, more time with the family huddled around a candle, earlier to bed, all benefits we do not avail ourselves of when the power is on.

Yet, truth be known, I enjoy living in the light. It has great benefits, not least of all safety and security. When God spoke through the prophet Isaiah He was declaring to the people of Israel that light was coming. He spoke to a people who had been living in darkness (being away from God) for so long that they were taking the darkness for granted. Sadly in fact, when the light came they were not even able to recognize it, as the Gospel writer John wrote,

The true light the gives light to everyone was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through Him, the world could not recognize Him. He came to that which was His own, but His own did not receive Him. Yet to all who did receive Him, tho those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become the children of God. (John 1:9-12)

This Advent season my prayer is that I will not take the Giver and the Gift for granted. That I will not be so comfortable in the dark that I would refuse to turn on the light. That I would desire the light, welcome the light, and live in the light. This is my Christmas prayer.

I pray it for you, as well.

The Journey Toward Contentment

2009-11-20T11:36:00.001-08:00

Last week I began a little series on contentment, (The Journey Toward Contentment) seeing how we were entering the seasons of Thanks-giving and Gift-giving, I thought it would be an appropriate topic. My texts last week were taken from the Psalms of Ascent, (Psalms 120-134) and we talked about having the correct priorities, the correct people, and the correct places aligned as we took this journey toward contentment. I am not sure how the sermon went over, but a group of us did have a good discussion in my study afterwards as we sought to discuss the practical implications of the journey.

As we continue on the journey this week I am focusing upon the giving of thanks, and the Apostle Paul's directive to "give thanks in all circumstances." (1 Thessalonians 5:18) This directive, along with those that surround it (1 Thessalonians 5:12-28) are easily read but difficult to apply. I mean really, give thanks in all circumstances?!

Well, being one who believes in the triune God, and who believes that His Word is true, I guess I must believe these declarations are true as well, even if I find them hard to apply. What I have discovered is that thanks-giving in all circumstances is more Whom you are thanking, and what you are thanking Him for, rather than the present circumstance in which you find yourself.

One thing that I have personally discovered is that as I place my focus upon God and upon others, my thankfulness in all circumstances increases.

This past week my family and I went to watch Disney's newest installment of Dickens' "A Christma s Carol" (You must see it in 3D to really appreciate it!) Therein I was once again reminded of the importance of contentment and difference wrought in old Ebenezer Scrooge once he got his priorities, people and places in correct order. He learned that contentment was not to be found in hoarding, but in handing out, not in getting but in giving. And that is why once again this Christmas season I am promoting the ministry of the Advent Conspiracy, who are asking the question, "Can Christmas still change the world?" (Nice follow-up t my recent sermon series on "Changing Ou r World for Good.") I believe we can!

That is why I am encouraging my family, friends, blog-readers(?), to give a gift to the least of these. (Matthew 25:31-46) Rather than spending time and wrapping paper for a gift for _____________ (fill in the blank), give a gift in their name to a ministry of compassion like, Living Water or Food for the Hungry or __________________. Give a gift that blesses God, blesses those who receive the gift, those in whose honor it is given and blesses the giver. Now, there's a way to spend Christmas that will increase our thanks-giving in all circumstances and move us toward contentment.

The Language of Sanctity

2009-11-11T18:30:00.000-08:00

OVER FIFTY YEARS AGO Thomas Merton wrote a description of America which could have been written today. In the words of Merton, describing the beliefs of his friend, Lax, we read,

Lax's picture of America -- before which he has stood for twelve years with his hands hanging in helplessness at his side -- is the picture of a country full of people who want to be kind and pleasant and happy and love good things and serve God, but who do not know how. And they do not know where to turn to find out. They are surrounded by all kinds of sources of information which only conspire to bewilder them more and more. And Lax's vision is a vision of the day when they will turn on the radio and somebody will start telling them of the love of God in language that will no longer sound hackneyed or crazy, but with authority and conviction: the conviction born of sanctity. (The Seven Storey Mountain)

Today, America is still looking for someone to tell them of God in a language that cuts through the facade and speaks to the heart. I believe that this language must be the language of holiness. Though, when I speak of a language of holiness, I am not referring to some rarefied tongue which utters words which demand a theological dictionary to understand. I am referring to a holiness that is born in the heart surrendered to God's ownership and lived out through the hands moved by the His Spirit.

This is a language that speaks through acts of compassion and mercy. It is a life that lives out the life of Christ in the world. It is not only a life that speaks the truth of God, but also lives out the truth of God. It is a holiness that is lived on the streets.

God spoke through the prophet Isaiah concerning this type of life:

6 “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice
and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free
and break every yoke?
7 Is it not to share your food with the hungry
and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—
when you see the naked, to clothe him,
and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?
8 Then your light will break forth like the dawn,
and your healing will quickly appear;
then your righteousness£ will go before you,
and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.
9 Then you will call, and the LORD will answer;
you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.
“If you do away with the yoke of oppression,
with the pointing finger and malicious talk,
10 and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry
and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,
then your light will rise in the darkness,
and your night will become like the noonday.
11 The LORD will guide you always;
he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land
and will strengthen your frame.
You will be like a well-watered garden,
like a spring whose waters never fail.
12 Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins
and will raise up the age-old foundations;
you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls,
Restorer of Streets with Dwellings. (Isaiah 58:6-12)

I believe when we learn to speak and live this language then our light will shine, more importantly Christ's light will shine in and through us and this bring light to the world. (Matthew 5:14-16) Then the world hear, and believe.

GONE FISHING?

2009-11-05T09:56:00.000-08:00

OK, SO MANY MIGHT THINK I HAVE BEEN "GONE FISHING" sine I have not posted here for quite awhile, but the truth is a man has to have his priorities! Right? Of course, right!

Though I have not been "gone-fishing" this week's sermon text from the Gospel of John deals with the issue of fishing, and seeing that this sermon should be the last in my sermon series, "Changing Our World for Good," I thought it good to open the Pastor's Study back up.

Our text for this week is John 21:1-25 where we find the risen Lord Jesus fixing breakfast on the shore of Galilee while the disciples struggle to bring in another miraculous catch of fish. (Luke 5:4-8) Another time where a second lesson is needed to teach the disciples the deeper truth.

Early in Jesus' ministry He called to Himself this group of men and told them He would make them "fishers of men." (Luke 5:10-11) And yet, how quickly after the glorious resurrection of Jesus, the Messiah, did these same men return to the lesser work of fishing for fish, which by the way, was not proving too profitable for them. I believe there is a lesson to be learned that once Jesus gets a hold of our lives the old ways of life will no longer profit us as we thought they did in the past.

There are lots of lessons in this passage, but the one that grabs me is the strong call from Jesus to Peter, "Then He said to him, 'Follow Me.'" (John 21:19) The reality is, the resurrection of Jesus changes everything. It changes our work, our home, our relationships, our past, our present, and most definitely, our future. To respondto God's grance and love poured out to us in and through the Person of Jesus Christ, and then return to "life as normal," is just wrong. We are not given the place to hang out a sign that says, "Gone Fishing," unless we are out fishing for souls with Jesus in the boat.

It is this fishing the Lord desires to find us doing as we follow Him awaiting His return. (Matthew 24:46)

TRUTH and CONSEQUENCES

2009-10-14T18:25:00.000-07:00

TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES WAS A GAME WE USED TO PLAY AS KIDS. And of course it also was a television show during the "golden days" of TV. But as I read this coming week's sermon text (John 18:1-40) and contemplated the words of Pontius Pilate, "What is truth?" (John 18:38), I was reminded that it is not truth or consequences, but rather truth and consequences.

Pilate's question was of course a good question, one that has been asked in one form or another since God inquired about the truth of who ate the fruit from the tree in the midst of the Garden of Eden. Parents and philosophers, pastors and potentates have been seeking the answer to the question for millennia, and it's answer seems always elusive. It's answer seems determined by season or circumstance, or at least by the need of the moment. And so we continue to ask, "What is truth?"

Even as theologians we try to answer that eternal question. We try to nail it down into some propositional form. And just when we think we have an answer for the ages, somebody changes the question ever so slightly, or some new "revelation" comes to light. (Just take the flat earth "truth" for example.) So what are we to do? Can we ever find the truth?

I believe we can.

The problem in discovering the truth comes from the fact that we see it as a propositional statement, a reality that can be measured. But the truth is the truth is not a thing, but a Person. And until we come to know that Person all other truth will leave us questioning. When Pilate was searching for the answer to his question, what he failed to realize was that the truth was standing right in front of him. Truth was on trial, and without Pilate's realization of the Truth that stood before him all his decisions, no matter how truthful, would fall short.

Jesus said, I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6). This is the Truth we need. To know this Truth is to know the Truth that will set you free. (John 8:32) To not know this One who is the Truth is to place yourself in the face of dire consequences! This is the Truth the world needs to know. A truth that goes beyond determining the human genome, or finding the "god-particle." It is a truth that brings us true life, a forgiven, reconciled life.

The one Truth that will set us free!

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