PB's Ponderings

What is Worship and How it Applies to Halloween

2011-10-31T09:06:00.001-07:00

Many Christians get bent out of shape about Halloween. Though I see more and more of them relaxing their hardcore views (I was one of them) there always seems to be a contingency of those who think anyone who participates in celebrating is truly rendering worship to evil forces.

It is true that the holiday had a connection to paganism. It is also true that the holiday has a connection to Catholicism. I wont go into the history as there has been a lot already said (just google the history of Halloween).

What I want to address is the issue that we may be unwittingly worshiping the dark forces if this world (and I guess some how giving them more power in doing it). The question is, can a person worship something without knowing it? I believe the obvious answer is no!

To truly worship someone or something there has to be intention behind the action. If thus were not there case then could we not say that nonbelievers could unintentionally be worshiping God?! Of course this would be considered absurd. Worship requires intention.

When children dress up for Halloween and participate in Halloween traditions their intention is not to worship darkness and evil. Their intention is to have fun. There can definitely be other types of worship taking place revealed through costume choice and so on, but an intention to worship darkness and evil is, for the most part, not one of them. Even though there does seem to be an emphasis on scare and gore most of our children choose to dress in what we Christians have come to term as "wholesome" costumes.

Personally I don't see the harm in having a little fun dressing up and meet making. I personally do not celebrate the darker side of Halloween. I would encourage all Christians to do the same, but I don't see the point of completely disassociating ourselves from this holiday that is not seen by the general public as kind of act of worship. That is not the present intention of Halloween.

Have We Really Come This Far to Believe Science Holds All the Answers?!

2011-08-24T13:17:00.001-07:00

I read a shocking article the other day. You can read it here. For those who don't want to read it...I'll just summarize it. Basically more and more conservative Christians are coming to the conclusion that the story of Adam and Eve is not fact but merely a myth. There reason! Science has not proven that all humans have come from one couple.

Have we really come to this far to believe science holds all the answers? The more I study philosophy and related subjects the more I am starting to see that science doesn't hold the vast number of truths that the majority of people think it does. Though much knowledge of our world has been gathered because of scientific inquiry the amount of things not known far surpasses what we do know. Scientists spend much of their time observing the world and making general guess based upon these observations.

Let me put it into perspective using the world of medicine. My grandmother-in-law was found to have a failing liver recently. The question on everyone's minds is "Why didn't the doctors catch this before?!" My wife got online and begin to look up the symptoms of a failing liver. Her grandmother has many of those symptoms, but as I began to read the symptoms over her shoulder I couldn't help think that I have seen a similar list before. In fact, it seemed like most of the symptoms are on the list are symptoms of many other diseases and problems. Why didn't the doctors catch it before? Just because they know the symptoms of certain conditions, diseases and illnesses doesn't mean they are going to instantly identify the problem because there are so many shared symptoms. There is a limit to how the body reacts. So even though the medical field has identified sicknesses and their symptoms it is still pretty much a guess when it comes to diagnosis.

I have noticed this to be the case over the last few years. We have 5 children. We have been to the doctor quite a bit, not to mention that I am diabetic. The one thing I have noticed is there is rarely a time when the doctor says with 100% assurance that he knows what is wrong. Most of the time he is just guessing based upon the symptoms. Science is nowhere being exact. It is know where near an all knowing status. So for Christians to base their belief that a very pivatol story in the Bible is not true because science has not proven it is just ridiculous! I just don't have that much faith in man.

I'm no blind believer either, but I don't think there is enough evidence to conclude that the story of Adam and Eve is not real. Without Adam and Eve there is no fall and without the fall there is no need of a Savior. If this be true I need to see the hardcore evidence. Unfortunately for science, there is none. The fact is, no one today was present then to observe and that alone presents a huge problem for science. On the other hand, I believe there is more than enough emperical information to sustain my belief in the Christian God who, if real, was there in the beginning. The God who not only witnessed the event but caused it to happen is the one whom I will place my faith and trust in.

Forgiving like Jesus

2011-08-08T08:21:00.001-07:00

Today in our Monday morning men's Bible study we read the passage from Luke (23:32-38) where Jesus is crucified. Verse 34 jumped out at me. "And Jesus said, 'Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.'"

It struck me. How often do we get upset with non-Christians when they wrong us? We feel indignant, wronged, slighted and we become upset and unforgiving. Why? Should we really expect the world that does not know Jesus to behave like they do know him? All too often we miss an opportunity to act like Jesus by forgiving. We are given opportunities to show the love, grace and mercy of Jesus and all to often we fail (maybe I am just speaking about myself).

I'm not saying we should let the non-Christian world walk all over us (though there could be a possible argument in favor of this). There are cultural rules and etiquette that is expected of any person in a given society that need to be observed and followed. So seeking justice is not beyond the Christian. It really comes down to attitude though. Is the seeking of justice a disguise for revenge? Then we definitely are not acting like Jesus. One can seek justice and still have a forgiving heart and show grace and mercy.

I am reminded of a story I heard a long time ago. I believe it to be true. A couple's teenage son was murdered by another teenager. The couple sought justice as expected. What was not expected was that when it came time for sentencing of the young murder the couple stepped forward and told the court that they would like this young man to come and live with them. They saw a young man acting on the influence of no love in his life and figured that the best way to help him overcome this was for him to experience the love they had for their deceased son.

That is a powerful story that illustrates the kind of forgiveness we should have for the non-Christian who offends. They may know better from a cultural perspective, but they don't know better from the Christian perspective. Remember, we are called to be the example of Jesus's love to the world. God has, to a certain extent, given us creative licensing to show this love. Are you looking at others through the eyes of Jesus? Are you forgiving others like Jesus?

The Joys of Ministry - Working with Disciples Committed to Doing

2011-07-25T14:11:00.001-07:00

Over the last couple of weeks I have been meeting with KCC's ministry leaders. I have to say, I love working with committed people! Our church is fortunate to have people who feel called to their particular ministries and who get excited about doing them.

I just met with Robyn who was this year's VBS director. She did a wonderful job this year. I was thoroughly impressed with how this year's VBS turned out. I wanted to meet with her to do some evaluation for next year, and OH MY GOODNESS! Robyn had took time to sit down and write out everything that was on her mind. She asked the important questions of "What went well this year?" and "What needs to be done better next year?" After having done self evaluation she has now begun the process of dreaming big for next year. I AM SO EXCITED FOR VBS NEXT YEAR!!!, and we are a year away.

It is such a blessing to work with disciples who take the call to "do" so serious. So I want to give a shout out to KCC ministry leaders. You guys are awesome!!! Thank you for bringing joy to this church and may God continue to work through you and bless you as you continue to serve.

Some Thoughts on Discipleship

2011-07-16T09:28:00.000-07:00

I really love how we have summarized discipleship into 4 simple words/short phrases. In my opinion, it really brings clarity to what discipleship is. Devote yourself to God has a worship aspect to it. Develop your Christlikeness embodies an attitude of learning and growth. Do the work of the ministry means taking what you are learning from God and Scripture and in obedience doing it. Disciple others is at the very heart and call of Jesus.

The more I think about these "Ds" the more I began to understand that there really are, in a sense, two sides to them. There is a corporate (meaning body of believers) side and a personal or individual side. What I mean is there are actions we can apply to each D that involve the church body and involve just the individual.

To Devote oneself to God in essence is to live a life of worship. Corporately this can be seen in the simple attending of worship services at church. "And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together..." (Hebrews 10:25). On a more personal level it is daily finding ways to show God how much you love and appreciate him.

Developing Christlikeness takes place, on a corporate level, when a person attends/teaches/facilitates a class, bible study or small group. Each one of these being designed to help us grow in our faith together. "They devoted themselves to the apostle's teaching...." (Acts 2:42). On a more personal level we should be studying God's word daily looking for the examples and commandments of Jesus and then trying to emulate them in our own lives. I should mention that any discipleship relationship we are in essentially helps us develop as well.

Doing the ministry once again has a corporate and personal aspect. Corporately it means working together for the benefit of the church and ultimately the benefit of the world as we proclaim the good news. In I Corinthians 12 Paul goes through great lengths to show the importance of church members working together doing ministry. At the end of this passage Paul says "I will show you a still more excellent way." That excellent way is found in chapter 13 "The Way of Love." Doing ministry is loving both people within a body and it is loving people outside the body. So on a personal level doing is being like Jesus in our daily lives with the intention to show love towards God and make him look good to those around us. It plays a vital role in proclaiming the Gospel to a lost world.

Finally, discipling is accomplished as a body of believers through the support of missionaries. Corporately we stand behind those who have been called to go where we cannot. We support them financially, through prayer and encouragement. On a more personal level we are constantly looking for people to share the good news with and make disciples of. We invest in the lives of people around us.

So as you can see, there is both a corporate aspect and a personal aspect. Though I have shown them separate they really are not separate. If we love God and adore him we will do it both within the walls and without the walls of the church. If we truly want to develop ourselves into a mirror image of Jesus we will do it both within the walls and without the walls of the church. If we obey and do what God commands us we will do it both within the walls and without the walls of the church. If we are truly making disciples we will do it both within the walls and without the walls of the church. We are disciples within the walls and without the walls of the church. It is that simple.

Measuring the Success of a Church

2011-07-14T10:53:00.000-07:00

A friend asked the question "How is 'success' in ministry measured?" What a very interesting question. It has prompted me to ask a similar question. How do you measure the success of a church? I have been thinking, and I don't have a full answer to the question. What you are going to read are just some thoughts, and I thought I should probably put them down somewhere. What's a blog for anyway? ;)

KCC has developed a discipleship process that is summed up in four "Ds." A disciple DEVOTES themselves to God. A disciple DEVELOPS in Christlikeness. A disciple DOES. Finally, a disciple DISCIPLES. As I look over these four, what do you call them, actions...phases...characteristics... I can't help but draw a connection between these what we are supposed to do as disciples and a church's measurement of success.

How does a church determine whether it is being successful in making disciples? Numbers are always a good indicator that some things are being done right. As I reflect on "devote" I think that one tool for success is the consistency of attendance by members. I understand that there will be times when people will not attend services for various reasons such as vacation and so on, but a church that is doing its job, I think, will find that members are pretty consistent in their attendance of worship services.

A church that is doing its job will see its members involved in developing activities such as Sunday school, evening classes and/or small groups. Members will see the value of developing and will avail themselves to activities that are designed by the church to do this. I'm not saying that members of the church should be at a church function every night of the week, but I believe that every member should be involved in one developing activity during the week.

Members of a church should be doing ministry within the church. If the church is doing its job developing disciples then a disciple will see the importance of being involved in the work and maintenance of their church. The percentage of people doing ministry in the church should be higher then the typical 20% of people doing 80% of the work. Along with this I believe that if a church is doing its job correctly then members should be tithing faithfully.

Lastly, the church should be growing. If a church's disciples are discipling others then there is no reason why a church should not be growing and its members involved in weekly discipleship relationships (after all, this is the "Great Commission" for every Christian). If we are truly encouraging people to be the disciples that God has called one of the greatest measures of success is people being involved in some discipleship program(s) that has been developed by the church and/or church sanctioned. Understand this though. Whatever the program is that a church uses does not mean that discipleship ends when the program ends. If anything the program should jumpstart a discipleship relationship that will last for years to come.

By looking at the discipleship process, summed up in the 4 Ds, I believe we can develop measuring tools for success. Also, as I am thinking about measurements of success I am reminded of a popular statistic that is being thrown around right now. They (those who have crunched the numbers) have noticed that at least 70% of 17-21 year olds end up leaving the church. If a church is truly making disciples then a success measurement is seeing a majority of these people in this age group actively involved in church and ministry whether it be the church their home church or a new church.

There they are; my initial thoughts about how to measure the success of a church. Let me know what you think? Are their other measurements you can think of?

Some Thoughts On Leadership

2011-07-12T10:00:00.001-07:00

The greatest exposure that a pastor has to a majority of people is from the pulpit. It is my opinion that so many people are upset based on the fact that the preacher they like is not in the pulpit anymore. Don't get me wrong, I am not saying this out of jealousy. I am very sad that people are allowing the Accuser to use this situation to tempt them in leaving a good church that is serious about God's work. A lot of people either forget or don't realize that preaching is one of many roles a pastor has. Is it sad that he was let go? Indeed! But should everything that makes a person sad be left undone? Of course not.

About three years ago I did a sermon the Sunday before our new pastor came. The sermon was titled "What is a Pastor's role?" From 1 Timothy I drew at least three things the pastor is responsible for. The first role of a pastor is to make sure that the truth is being taught (1 Timothy 1:3-7, 15). He must devote himself to the study of Scripture for himself first (1 Timothy 4:16 & 6:11) and then transmit what he has learned to the body through being the example in speech, life, love, faith and purity (1 Timothy 4:12). The second role was to make sure that worship of God is always at the center of everything the church does (1 Timothy 2). The third role is making sure that the work of the church is overseen by gifted and properly equipped people (1 Timothy 3). This means discipleship!

It makes me sick when I hear that people are considering leaving the church because they "feel" for an individual. That is not a good reason to leave! Yes, it is a great travesty when anyone leaves the church, but we must realize that the pastor must be held to a higher standard because he is responsible for the health and growth of his flock. If people are going to leave a church then they must do so not based on emotion, let the emotion spur them on to greater things like supporting, praying and caring for, but instead, people need to leave the church based on good reasons. They need to see the whole picture of things. Emotions are a breeding ground for all sorts of ungodly acts because they are fertile soil for Satan to come in and confuse, accuse and tempt.

Listen, as a pastor I expect to be held to a higher standard. If the church is not growing under my leadership then there is something wrong with my leadership. I understand this!! I also understand that certain personalities and characters fit with certain congregations. There is always the possibility that whatever church I serve at may not be the right fit (I believe it has been here at KCC. I've been here for 10 years). If the church is not growing, people are not serving and people are not being encouraged to care for one another then it will be my responsibility to step down (Am I making accusations? No, but I would implore you to think about what I just said). If I stepped down I would then need to reevaluate my ministry to God's people and learn from the experience. In fact, this has happened to me!

The church I was at before coming to KCC let me go. It was a bad experience. I hated every moment of it. I felt wronged, betrayed, and I was hurt and angry. I never gave up my faith in God though. I never made the church look any worse than it did already. I encouraged people to continue going and supporting the church and leadership. I kept my dignity. I looked towards God for the next thing he had planned for me, and do you know what happened? God blessed me! Through what I consider some miraculous circumstances I ended up coming to KCC and I could see God's hand in it every step of the way.

I hesitate in posting this to my blog as I know it will ruffle feathers, but as the Pastor of KCC I believe that truth needs to be spoken and people need to be challenged. I understand the hurt and emotions that people are experiencing, but I also understand that we have to move forward. To allow these emotions to reign within us is to allow Satan victory over KCC. This cannot happen!! For God's glory, this cannot happen. We have to move forward for his glory!!

Denying the knowing of Jesus and how to prevent it.

2011-07-11T09:20:00.001-07:00

Today was my first morning back at men's Bible study which meets 6:30 am at JB's here in Kingman. What a great time I had with a couple of guys, and what a great reminder from scripture. The question I would like you to ask yourself as you are reading this is "How do I deny knowing Jesus?"

The passage of Scripture for today's study was Luke 22:54-62. Stop reading this right now, pick up your Bible (or go to youversion.com), read the passage and then come back.

If you read the passage you know that this is the story of Peter denying that he knows who Jesus is. I want to draw a paralleling picture here. Peter was the disciple who was known for being strong willed and exhibiting no lack of courage. He was the one who told Jesus that he would never leave him. He cut off someone's ear when the Jews came to get Jesus. One would think that Peter would have never committed such an act of denying knowing Jesus, but when he was not at Jesus' side, where we find him so often in the Scriptures, his courage failed him. Before he knew it he had denied knowing Jesus and this was after Jesus said that Peter would do so!! Peter got caught up in the moment and completely forgot what Jesus had foretold.

I think we can identify with Peter. How often do we deny knowing Christ? Now the first reaction might be "I've never done what Peter did!", but there are more ways to deny knowing Jesus then just vocalizing it. We can deny knowing Jesus when we don't act out of faith. We can deny Jesus when we are silent in the face of false belief. We can deny Jesus when we try to take care of things in our own power. There are several ways to deny knowing Jesus.

So some time needs to be spent on reflecting how we deny knowing Jesus, and some time needs to be spent on grieving when we deny knowing him. Even though we need to grieve we also need to understand that there is eventually restoration and always forgiveness. Peter was the one who Jesus said "Do you love me?" Peter needed the conversation he had with Jesus to understand that even though he did deny him he was still accepted and was being given a second change. Peter would later go on to proclaim Jesus in the face of opposition and he would count being beaten on Jesus' behalf a blessing and something to be joyful about.

How do we prevent from denying knowing Jesus? We stay close to him. Peter denied Jesus when he was the farthest from him. We draw strength from Jesus when we are in a close relationship with him. Daily Bible study, meditation on God's word and prayer keep us connected. God will give us strength to be bold and move in confidence when circumstances and situations tempt us to do otherwise.

By the way, this is what being a disciple of Jesus is about.

An Important Lesson Learned

2011-07-08T13:52:00.000-07:00

I am now senior pastor of Kingman Christian Church. Though that may sound like a great thing (and it is) I am not able to express the joy over it as I would like because of the events that led up to me assuming the position. Needless to say, I, and the KCC elders, have learned a lot from this experience.

It is not an easy thing to let a pastor go, and I will admit that some mistakes were made in how it was done. Inexperience, fear to speak up, trying hard to follow without questioning are all factors that have lead to letting our senior pastor go in the manner we have. Though I am in agreement that it needed to be done, I do believe it was done in the wrong manner. I personally feel like I bear partial responsibility for what has happened. As a result of all of this I have taken time to sit down and reflect.

What have I learned from this situation? I've learned at least four things. Create an environment of complete openness. Develop close relationships with those who are leading with me. Conduct periodical evaluations of every leader (pastor and elder). Develop measures to accurately check the pulse of the church.

Every church needs to foster an environment of complete openness and it begins with the pastor and elders of the church. There are several things we can do to foster such an environment. Be open to constructive criticism. Don't get defensive when people criticize. Listen carefully to what is being said. Affirm that what is being said is being heard. Weigh it carefully. Act when it is appropriate. Always show love.

Relationships are key. The church is not just an organization. It is easy to treat it as such, but in reality it is an organism. Every part of an organism relates in some way. Though a person may not be able to have a close relationship with everyone they must form a close relationship with those who they serve the closest with. Church leaders cannot operate under just a working relationship. This may be fine for organizations but not organisms. Church leaders must know each other and trust each other. This only comes through awareness that such relationships need to undergo constant maintenance and development.

Leaders of the church need to undergo evaluation. Honestly, this should be just another Christian discipline. In general, Christians should undergo constant self evaluation. It reminds us of what needs to be changed in our lives and gives pause to consider if we really are following Jesus. Paul reminds us to be in a constant state of transformation by the renewing of our mind (Romans 12:2). Leaders need to self evaluate and be evaluated. This is something we are going to be working on.

The last thing we need to do as a leadership team is to develop some system that helps us to keep our finger on the pulse of the church. We need to be aware of what people are thinking and how they are feeling. Why? Is it so we can do everything that everyone wants us to do? No, it is to know where we need to work. As leaders are ultimate concern is disciple living. Are people in the church being challenged to the commitment of disciple living? If not, we need to find the problem. When there is murmuring, complaining and dissatisfied feelings among a majority of people there is a problem.

I ran across this verse today while preparing for my sermon. Hebrews 13:7 says "Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you."

It would be easy for me to just focus on the first part of this verse and say to everyone at KCC "Obey and submit to your leaders!!" If I were to do that I would miss on a very serious and sobering thought. As a leader I am responsible for watching over the souls of my church family and with an incredible soberness "as those who will give an account." It is for this reason that God calls for church members to listen because when tough decisions are made they are not made lightly. They are made with no joy and groans. There are periods of agony when trying to decide what is best for the church family.

I guess I not only want to convey the fact that the elders and I have learned important lessons from this experience, but we are in a period of little joy and much groaning. I would ask all from KCC who may read this. Please give our leaders the benefit of the doubt. I personally know how much they have struggled with making the decision they have. I also know how sorry they are for how this decision was carried out. Our leaders are godly men seeking God, but allow me to make one excuse for them. They are still human. We are all human prone to mistakes. What really shows the true character of a man, and his heart, is how he responds when he makes a mistake. I believe our elders are responding properly.

Now This is True Religion

2011-06-30T00:25:00.001-07:00

Tonight a good woman went home to be with her Father. It saddens me to know that Carrie Wolff has left so unexpectedly, and yet I am filled with joy that she is now home.

Anytime someone you know passes away it gives an opportunity for pause and reflection. I have had the privilege of knowing the Wolffs for ten years. Willy and Carrie were attending KCC when we first came. Willy would later become our facility manager and I got the chance to get to know him and the family. In fact, for a while I could say we were family with them.

One thing that, as I look back on those years, that really strikes me about the Wolffs is their Christlike love for people and in particular the down trodden. Willy and Carrie were serious about taking care of the widows and orphans. Carrie worked in adult care and through it they adopted at least two widows and at least one orphan who literally became family. On top of this they were always concerned about those who might be lonely during the holidays. There were a number of years where they organized, hosted and even provided food on the holidays for anyone and particularly those without family. If anyone practiced true religion it was the Wolffs.

The Wolffs are a rare people. Not many people truly show the love of Christ the way they have done. They are a true example and inspiration. Carrie will be greatly missed, and though she is gone I still want to say thank you for setting the example.

Old Testament has value

2011-06-15T11:38:00.000-07:00

Let me begin with saying that I believe the Old Testament is fact. The stories literally happened and the prophecies, inspired by God, have or will come true. It is important for me to establish this because of what I am going to be saying.

As a Christian I tend to focus on the New Testament more than the Old Testament. This is natural. We follow Jesus Christ. Our ways are very different from Jewish ways. So I sometimes develop this view of the Old Testament that pretty much says its importance is in how it sets the stage for the New Testament. Though this is true, Old Testament scripture holds valuable lessons and insights into God's nature.

I am reading Isaiah right now. It is a very difficult book to understand. It is loaded with prophecy. Some of the prophecies concern past events, some concern current events during the time it was written and others concern future events. I think Isaiah had a sense of humor because he throws all these different prophecies together. One moment you are reading about something in the past and the next moment you are reading about a future event. To make it even more confusing sometimes Isaiah seems to be speaking about past, present and future all in one passage!!

So I don't pertain to know a whole lot about Isaiah, but I did find something interesting. Starting in chapter 5 verse 8 a section of "Ahs" begins. These sections are basically Isaiah saying "Look guys!! These are things you are doing that God hates." I don't care if it is the New or Old Testaments. We should take careful consideration when God acts against certain actions.

So what does Isaiah reveal about the kinds of attitudes and actions God is against. 5:8-10 reveals that God does not like greed. At the root of greed is selfishness and it usually leads to the hurting of other people. God hates it! 5:11-17 reveals that God does not like debauchery (excessive indulgence in sensual pleasures). Again, the core of debauchery is selfishness. When people go to excess they usually do it at the expense of someone else. 5:18-19 reveals that God does not like it when we are impatient with him (or don't believe in his full power). Such impatience is a sign that we are putting ourselves on God's throne. We are virtually saying that we know best. 5:20-21 reveals that God does not like sophistry. Sophistry is when we try to rely on our own wisdom and make fallacious arguments in an attempt to justify ungodly action. 5:22-24 reveals that God does not like self ambition disguised as concern/justice for others. I think of politicians when I read this. In essence we are speaking of hypocrisy. People act like they are concerned for others but in reality it is their own selves they are truly concerned with.

These are some of the things Israel was found at fault with. In reality, they are things we all struggle with. If God punished Israel for such things then we need to take note and listen. It is not about being afraid of punishment though. It is about pleasing God.

I would encourage you to take time and examine yourself against these. If there is cause for concern then there is a need to repent. God calls us to turn away from those things which are not pleasing to him. The Old Testament does indeed have value!!

How do I know there is right and wrong? (A thought exercise)

2011-04-29T15:16:00.000-07:00

One of the papers I had my students in philosophy write addresses the question "How do I know there is right or wrong?" I probably should have reworded the question and asked "How do I know right and wrong exists?" Even so, as I sat and graded the papers I realized that maybe I should do as I ask my students and write a paper to answer the question myself. So here is my Personal Reflection for the question "How do I know there is right and wrong?"

*Please note, the question is not about the origin of right and wrong. I have no doubt that right and wrong is established by God. The question at hand is about how I know that right and wrong exist. It really is a question of experience.

How do I know there is right and wrong? The question seems odd in itself. Everyone “knows” right and wrong exist. We know it because we perceive it. A separate issue is that not everyone perceives the same right and wrong. Regardless, a person could ask as many people as possible whether right and wrong exists and the majority (if not all) would say “Yes. Right and wrong do exist.” If they were to probe further and ask “How do you know?” I think the only obvious thought out answer would be “Because I have felt wronged by actions done against me and I have suffered the consequences of actions done against others.” It may not be articulated so well, but I think this is where the answer lies. Right and wrong is perceived and experienced subjectively.

I, of course, come from a religious perspective. If the question was “Where does right and wrong come from?” The answer, for me, is God. God has established what actions are right and what actions are wrong, but the question is not about the origin of right and wrong. The question is about knowing: How do I know?

When I am “wronged” by another person’s actions the result is almost always undesirable emotions. I don’t like to feel sorrow and even though anger can be exhilarating at times it is still an emotion I would rather not continually live with. The emotion of shame is completely undesirable in that it all too often leads to uncomfortable thoughts about myself and can perpetuate lies I tell myself. My knowledge of others “wrong” actions is directly tied to the emotions such actions produce in me.

I can judge the right and wrong of my actions on how I feel when such actions are done to me. I can also judge the right and wrong of my actions by the consequences they produce. My experience of consequences requires me to feel “bad” or “sorry” about my actions. Consequences are, once again, directly tied to my emotions. When my actions produce undesirable emotions then I can know that they were either right or wrong.

Am I concluding that right and wrong is based upon how I feel? Absolutely not! I am not answering how I know that something is right or wrong. Am I concluding that the knowledge that right and wrong exist because of the emotions which are the product certain actions taken by me or others? Absolutely! We know right and wrong exist because of how we feel about certain acts, but we cannot base our knowledge of what is right or wrong solely from how certain actions make us feel. We may feel wronged, but this doesn’t mean we have been wronged. That is for another paper.

Blessed are the poor in spirit...

2011-04-08T21:16:00.001-07:00

One of our youth leaders, Ryan, taught a lesson on the first beatitude. He did a great job and really made me think. I have hearts various ideas concerning this passage, but to date I really like what Ryan said.

What does it mean to be poor in spirit? It means to know that there is nothing a person can do to escape God's righteous judgment. Unlike the Jewish leaders of Jesus's time, a person has to understand that there is nothing they can do to be saved.

Jesus's message when he was upon this earth was "the Kingdom of heaven is near." The promise to those who are "poor in spirit"is that they will receive the kingdom of heaven. The response to his message was "repent." So what does it mean to be poor in spirit? It means one must change their mind about who really sits on the throne of their life. To recognize God as the true ruler/ master is to become a citizen of his kingdom.

What would happen if this truly filled or understanding? How would this affect the way we live our lives? Is it no wonder we are likens to sojourners, pilgrims and ambassadors?

What a wonderful word for Jesus to begin his ministry and this sermon on the mount. The only way to develop the characteristics and attitudes of a citizen of the kingdom of heaven is to recognize and congress or own poverty.

10 Year Anniversary - Reflections part 1

2011-04-04T15:27:00.000-07:00

This last weekend was my 10 year anniversary of being the Kingman Christian Church youth and associate pastor. I'm the type of person who usually just takes things as they come. I don't do a lot of reflection about the past looking more at the present, but I decided to do a little reflecting on the 10 years I have been at this church.

I have learned a lot in these past 10 years. I began this job at the age of 26, which seems kind of weird now. I was a little over a year out of Bible college. I had two part time and an 11 month full time youth positions up to this point; a total of 5 years of youth work experience under my built before I came to KCC. Yet, coming to KCC was like a whole new experience.

Except for our year in Idaho, my wife had never lived outside of the Seattle area. It was a huge step for her to move down here to Arizona. I, on the other hand, had lived in 6 states (Washington, Nebraska, Colorado, Arizona, Kansas and Oregon). Moving wasn't a stranger. Even so, starting a new job that wasn't close to family was still a little unnerving. My perception, which I don't believe is too far from the truth, was that pastors, particularly youth pastors, didn't last long at a church. You can imagine my surprise at ever thinking I would last 10 years at one church.

The first time I was made aware of Kingman Christian Church was when Walt contacted me while we were in Idaho. I actually turned him down because at that point in time Tami and I were looking for a church in the Northwest. I sent out several (I estimate 30, but I am not sure) resumes and after hearing nothing back from any of the churches we decided to contact Walt again all the while thinking it was probably too late. To my surprise Walt told me that they were just about to make a decision but he still wanted to talk to me. He ended his email with "By the way, just a friendly discussion, how old do you think the earth is?" For those of you who know Walt you know what kind of a question this was.

Walt asked us if we could come and visit the church and so we left our kids with Grandma and headed to Arizona. We arrived on a Saturday night and stayed with Bud and Dixie Lemelin. Walt and Kim came over that evening and introduced themselves to us. The next day we attended church. I will never forget driving up to KCC and thinking to myself "What the heck is this?!" The church resembled (and still does) a warehouse. Just a funny little memory. When we got inside it was obvious we were at a church.

That afternoon Walt had arranged a lunch at a small restaurant (it is now a Mexican restaurant called Oyster's) where he had invited various people from the church. What I didn't know until we were on our way was that this lunch was a sort of interview. I don't remember much of what took place, but on particular thing stands out. Tony Hoover asked me a question that I was not prepared to answer. He asked "What if a teen comes to you and confesses that they are homosexual?" I never forgot who Tony Hoover was!! His question got me up on my toes. My answer, "I have no personal experience with this but there are plenty of ministries that do. I would find myself looking to those ministries for answers and possibly connecting the teen themselves to one of those ministries." Thank you Tony for keeping me on my toes (something he hasn't quit doing to this day).

My first lesson learned at KCC was ministry keeps people on their toes. You have to be ready for just about anything. These last 10 years have been filled with some pretty interesting things that have kept me on my toes. Just to name a few:

We had a man come to our church who began to work with the youth. I later discovered that he was questionable with allegations against him that he was a possible pedophile! (Everyone is checked out now).

I've had leaders date teens in the youth group!! (There is a whole story behind this but needless to say...That doesn't happen anymore!).

I've had a woman come to me who claimed she was a converted high priestess of a satanic group.

I've had a man condemn me of being a follower of Paul instead of Jesus.

I've had a man come and claim he was a prophet.

Just to name a few. I have definitely been kept on my toes!

Are you ready to drop it all and follow Jesus?

2011-03-31T13:52:00.001-07:00

Matthew 4:18-22

How much has your life changed since you made the decision to follow Jesus? If there was a possible way to actually view your life before Jesus and your life after Jesus just how different do you think the two would be. In the very least, if we took all the habitual things you did before Jesus and lined them up to the habitual things you do now how different would these two lives be?

Would there be an incredible difference, say a 50% difference? Would it be lower, possibly 25%? Would there hardly be any difference, more like 5%? What do you think? How much of that difference would be significant? For instance, is the difference that you now pray before you eat and when you go to bed? Is the difference that now you occasionally pick up your Bible and read from it? Is the difference that sometime during the weekend you go to church? Is the difference that you don’t swear or tell dirty jokes? Is the difference that you now include Christian music with your secular music? Just how important or significant are these differences? Do you ever feel like there might be something more?

In Matthew 4 we find this story concerning the calling of Peter, Andrew, James and John.

Matthew 4:18-22

When we first read this it seems like one day Jesus was walking along the beach and as he is walking he sees Peter and Andrew and thinks to himself “Those fellows over there look like pretty good disciples. I think I’ll just go over there and ask them to completely drop everything and follow me.” So he goes over there and says “Follow me” and they instantly drop everything and go follow him having very little clue of who he is. Of course, this makes for a pretty strange story and doesn’t happen too often in reality.

In actuality these men may have been following Jesus for somewhere around a year before he approached them. We know this because in John’s Gospel there is a different story that takes place before this. Andrew was actually a disciple of John the Baptizer. When John pointed out that Jesus was the “Lamb of God” Andrew went after Jesus. Later he would bring his brother Peter to meet Jesus. So it is obvious that there was some sort of relationship here and enough of a one where Jesus felt that he could call them to full time discipleship.

How long have you been a follower of Jesus? Some of you have been followers pretty much since you were born, okay, since an early age. In that amount of time how much has life changed for you? Do you feel that as you get closer and closer to Jesus life is constantly changing?

These four men would become Jesus’s full time disciples were probably content with listening to him and at the same time continuing to live there regular lives. They were obviously still working in the fishing industry. Even though they may have been content with the ways things were they knew better when Jesus asked them to drop everything and really commit themselves to him.

We are very similar. Many of us are content with the way our lives are going. We believe in God and believe that his son has given us eternal life. Things are okay, but how many of you are willing to take the next step in your commitment to Christ. You see, that is exactly what is happening in this passage. Even though these men were content when Jesus called them they were willing to take it up a notch.

How often do you hear the call of Jesus to step it up? How often to you respond to the call? Over the last few weeks we have been studying Matthew and at the end of every lesson I give you an opportunity to respond to God’s Word. How many of you have responded to the challenge? How many have responded to God’s call and dropped everything?

How does this call look? I just gave you an example with Thursday night lessons, but the call comes in other ways as well. When a Christian brother or sister confronts you it can be a call from Jesus. Jesus has different mediums that he uses to get our attention. He uses Scripture, sermons, lessons, prayers, songs, friends, situations, etc… The Holy Spirit is amazing when you look at all the ways he speaks to us.

What is sad is that many times when He speaks to us we ignore Him. We act like the message is for someone else or it doesn’t apply to us because…. God is constantly calling us to make decisions like these four men. He is constantly asking us to drop things that we consider important.

I knew that God was calling me into ministry at an early age. It was my desire to be a pastor when I was in elementary school. Somewhere in Jr. High or High School I began to deny this calling by God and instead I began to listen to the calling my dad was making. He encouraged me to start thinking about getting a job that made good money. I started taking drafting classes in middle school and continued taking them all the way through high school. I was preparing myself to become an architect or engineer. There finally came a point where I had to make the decision. God was calling me and had been calling me for years. I sacrificed everything to follow that calling. I even sacrificed, or at least I thought I had, a relationship with my dad. You know what happened as a result? I am much happier doing and following God’s will then I think I would have been doing my own thing.

What is God calling you to drop? What is he calling you to do? Every single person here as specific things that God is calling them to do. I don’t know those things. You do. But I do know some general thins God calls us to do. He calls us to repent of sin that is in our lives. He calls us to turn away from those things that break his heart. Specifically, he calls us to get off his throne and allow him the rightful place in directing our lives. He calls each of us to love all those around us. He calls us to make him look good to those around us. He calls us to holy living. He calls us to share the good news with the world.

Over the course of the next few weeks we are going to be challenged by God’s word to respond to his call in specific areas in our lives. Jesus said that we cannot serve two masters. There will come a point where we have to decide whether we follow our own will or we follow God’s will, and let me make this point. Not making a decision is really making a decision to not follow God’s will. Trying to ignore God’s will is pretty much the same as telling God you don’t want to follow him because you basically live your life as if you said no to him.

Is there something specific you know God has been calling you to do and you know that it involves sacrifice? I encourage you tonight to be like Peter, Andrew, James and John. Drop what you’re doing or holding on to and follow God’s call.

Temptation: The Desire to Put Pleasure Before God

2011-03-17T15:11:00.000-07:00

Matthew 4:1-11

What is temptation? A rather simple answer is the enticement to sin. I often tell the teens that a simple definition of sin is "selfishness." Tonight I am looking at the temptation of Jesus in Matthew 4, and asking two questions: What was Jesus being tempted with, and what can we learn from this event in Jesus' life?

The more I think about this passage the more questions I began to ask. I have read that these temptations correspond to the types of desires found in John's first letter (2:15-17), and are the same desires experienced by Eve and Adam which led to their sin; the desire of the flesh, desire of the eyes and pride of "possessions" ("life" in other translations). It is difficult however to correlate these three desires with Jesus' temptations...at first.

What is desire though? I've never really thought about this until today. To answer that question I posed another, what do we truly desire? When I think about desire I automatically think about things that please me. I desire things that are physically and emotionally pleasing. So to desire is want pleasure, and right away I was able to pinpoint two types of pleasure; the sensual (physical) pleasure and an emotive (emotional) pleasure, but looking at the desires found in John that correlate to the desires Eve and Adam experienced (Gen 3:1-6) it is evident that there are at least three types of "worldly" desire. What is the third?

The first two desires John lists he precedes with the word "desire" but not with the last one. Interestingly enough, for the last desire he uses the word "pride." This got me to thinking. The first two desires come stem from things outside of ourselves. The sensual desire is for pleasure that comes from something outside of ourselves acting upon our senses. The emotive desire is for pleasure that comes from something outside of ourselves acting upon our emotions, but the third desire does not depend upon what is on the outside (though it certainly involves outside things). The third desire is for pleasure that comes from something inside of ourselves. It is pride. It is pleasure that we produce in ourselves and is due to how we view ourselves. How we view ourselves may have to do with outside things, but it is a pleasure that is produced from within concerning ourselves and not things outside of us.

When Eve and Adam sinned it says that they "....saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was as delight to the eyes, and the tree was desired to make one wise." They saw that the tree had fruit that would bring a physical pleasure. They saw that the tree and fruit themselves was pleasing to the eye (it had aesthetic value and brought forth emotional pleasure). They saw that the fruit held something that would develop a pleasure within themselves for themselves; namely, it would make them equal to God.

What about Jesus's temptations though? The first temptation is relatively easy to correlate. Jesus had been fasting for 40 days. He was hungry. There was a definite desire to please the flesh with food. So Satan took the opportunity to tempt him. The temptation was to give into the desire to be pleased. Jesus made the universe surely he had the power to make bread! But Jesus would later say that he did nothing apart from his Father's will. He would not sacrifice pleasing God for his own physical pleasure.

The second is a little harder to correlate, but I believe it really makes perfect sense. Outside of Jesus's physical desires and pleasures what did he most emotionally desire? He wanted people to come to God and he knew that it was only through him that they could. Again, God had a plan in how this was to be done, but couldn't it be done a little faster and easier. God's plan called for his ultimate death, but what if he could do something REALLY miraculous?! What if he could jump from the top of the temple, above thousands of people (which included the "righteous" of Israel) and as they watched have his angels stop him in mid air? Again, Jesus was not above putting his emotional pleasures above pleasing God.

The third temptation is even harder (at least it was in my mind) to correlate, but once again I think it makes perfect sense. From the very beginning of Matthew's Gospel it is shown that Jesus is THE King, but even so, the world would not be bowing down to him any time soon. During Jesus's own life he would have relatively few people (comparatively speaking) bowing down to him. Satan, who has been given temporary authority over the world, was offering Jesus a short cut of sorts (though it really wasn't his to offer). Jesus could take pride in having accomplished what he set out to do so soon. He could bypass God's plan and accomplish it in a different way (at least that might have been the temptation) by merely bowing down to Satan. He didn't have to die, but Jesus didn't want pleasure in himself from his own resourcefulness. He wanted to please God.

True temptation is the desire to put pleasure before God. Sin is when we give into this temptation. There is nothing wrong with pleasure. God created us to experience pleasure, but there is a fourth and greater pleasure that should be sought above all other pleasure. The fourth and greatest pleasure is pleasing God. We sin when we put our love for the pleasures of this world above pleasing God. When we do this we end up hurting ourselves and others.

By understanding what pleases us we can avoid giving into many temptations. If we make pleasing God the focus of our lives we will find it harder to give into worldly pleasures. Again, to put our worldly pleasures above pleasing God brings disaster upon us and those around us. It is okay to experience the pleasures of this world, but it is not okay to make them the focal point of our existence.

Here is something to think about in closing. Take a look at the list of "unrighteous" Paul gives in Cor 6:9. What do you notice? Everyone of the "unrighteous" are people who have made the pursuit of worldly pleasure he focal point of their lives. Are you one of the "unrighteous" in this list? If you can't find yourself in this list try Gal 5:19-21. The point is, have you put the pursuit of worldly pleasure above your pursuit to please God? Are you continuing to sit on the throne of your life instead of turning it over to God?

Repentance: A Response to Salvation

2011-02-28T16:05:00.002-07:00

Matthew 3:1-12

So far we have seen some crucial elements to the process of salvation in the opening chapters of Matthew. God’s grace is seen through the genealogy and will be shown in following chapters through Jesus. Joseph gives us an example of how to respond to God’s grace with trust/faith even when we don’t understand why he says to do something (he also exhibited God’s grace to Mary). The magi give us an example of how to make following God a priority. Again Joseph gives us an example showing us that following God leads to places of unfamiliarity and that following God means to constantly turn back to him in those times of unfamiliarity. In essence, these first two chapters of Matthew actually outline the Christian life. It outlines how a Christian responds to God’s grace; his gift of salvation through Jesus.

The passage we are currently studying tells us of another way to respond to God’s grace. Before Jesus began his ministry his cousin John came on the scene. His job was to pave the way for Jesus. His initial message was “Repent, for the Kingdom of God is at hand!” God’s kingdom was beginning to be established in the hearts of people. God’s kingdom would grow as people accepted his gift of salvation through Jesus.

Salvation is a free gift. There is no way to “earn” it. We have done nothing to merit God’s favor in this instance. It is given completely free of anything we have done. It is given out of love.

What is “salvation?” It is freedom from the punishment we deserve because we sin. The punishment is eternity in hell apart from God. It is a punishment given to those who have broken God’s moral law. It is a punishment everyone deserves.

Even though it is given freely it doesn’t mean everyone automatically gets it. We must “act now” to receive it. Some might ask “How is this different from not earning it.” Earning it means we have worked for it and therefore deserve it, but we have done nothing to deserve it. It is offered freely, but that doesn’t mean there are not stipulations for how we are to go about receiving the free gift. A physical/material gift must be physically taken from the giver. The gift of salvation is given when a person recognizes their sin through confession and repents.

Here is an interesting question though. From what do we repent? Repentance is, in the Old Testament sense, to “change one’s mind about something” and, in the New Testament sense, “to turn away from.” It is important to recognize both of these definitions. To only go with one does damage to our understanding of salvation. Does the repentance that takes place only mean to change our mind about sin? Exactly how should our mind be changed? Does it mean to turn away from every sin we commit at once? That really is impossible for there are sins we are not even aware of. So we can’t instantly turn away from all sin, and it isn’t just a mere changing of how we think about sin. So what is it we are repenting of? What exactly are we changing our mind about and what are we turning from?

The sin committed in the Garden was the desire to be like God. Adam and Eve ate of the fruit so that they could obtain the knowledge of God. Unfortunately Satan had tricked them. Chances are, there probably wasn’t anything special about the fruit. The fruit was the object by which sin entered into the world. Up to the point of Adam and Eve eating it there was one rule: Don’t eat the fruit! The real temptation was not to eat the fruit. The real temptation was to live contrary to God’s will. The temptation was to be a god and live life according to one’s own will and desire. It is with this knowledge that I would say that the “repentance” that takes place on the day we accept Jesus’ free gift of salvation is when we turn away from living life on our own terms and giving control back to God who is the rightful owner of our lives.

The gift of salvation can only be truly understood through this knowledge. If we continue to play god of our own lives then how can we truly receive salvation? We can’t because we are living by our own rules and terms; our own authority. This then makes God’s salvation gift null and void. A person can’t just say “I receive your free gift” and not accept God’s authority because the whole point of salvation hinges on his authority.

So when one accepts God’s salvation gift there must be a visual response that conveys the message that a person’s heart truly understands what is happening. In essence, God is saving us from ourselves. The authority we think we have over our own lives is a false authority which ultimately leads to eternal punishment. To accept God’s gift is to relinquish our authority over our own lives, because it is a false authority, and accept God’s authority. We give back our lives to the rightful owner.

Do we do this instantaneously (change our thinking about and turn away from sin)? No, turning away is a process like anything else. As we live out our relationship with Jesus we are in the process of changing our thinking about and turning away from our own “godhood.” Everyday should see us changing bit by bit as we turn away from ourselves and more toward God. Question is, can we do this on our own?

John foretold that after him would come one who is greater and can do greater things. John said he baptized with water for the remission of sin (it symbolized the cleansing that takes place when we confess and repent). He said that Jesus would come and baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire. It is necessary for us to be baptized by the Holy Spirit. Even though we have repented of complete control over our own lives we continue to fall back into old habits. The truth is we can’t maintain lives of repentance without help. Before Jesus left he promised a Helper. Why? Because up to that point the disciples had him to keep them in line. They needed Jesus. Even though Jesus was leaving it didn’t mean they didn’t need his help any longer. Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to be the presence that is needed in our lives to help us live as repentant individuals.

Fire can be taken a few ways here. One interpreter says that fire refers to judgment of those who do not repent. This very well could be the correct interpretation, but could fire refer to tribulation? Wouldn’t the true test of repentance be tribulation? We come under fire every day in one form or another. The temptation in such situations is to continue to exert control over our own lives instead of allowing God to have the control. Would every “tribulation” be a test of how well we are doing?

Following God is Turning to Him at Every Crossroad

2011-02-28T16:04:00.000-07:00

Matthew 2:19-23

So far we have seen God’s grace through the genealogy of Jesus.

We have seen the example of trust through Joseph.

We have seen the willingness to do whatever it takes to follow God through the magi.

This is a very good picture of the process we go through as Christians.

God reveals his grace through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross.
When we hear about this amazing act of love we respond by placing our trust in Him.
This response is not merely vocal. The response is such that it involves our whole lives as we turn to him and follow him.

When we follow God we will find ourselves in unfamiliar territory. The temptation will be to turn back to what is familiar.

Look at another example Joseph sets for us.

Herod sends soldiers to kill all the boys 2 years and younger.
Before the soldiers get there God warns Joseph in a dream and commands him to flee to Egypt.
We don’t how long they were in Egypt, but after Herod dies God tells Joseph it is time to go back.
When he gets into Israel he hears that Herod’s cruel son is on the throne.

Have you ever followed God to the point where you were in unfamiliar territory? What did you do? What were you tempted to do?

I imagine Joseph was tempted to go back to Egypt. It was probably the safest option for him, but God had told him to come back to Israel. We don’t know if he turned to God for an answer or not but God had a plan and he revealed it to Joseph. Joseph listened and went to Nazareth.

There is a lesson we can all learn. Our relationship with Jesus needs to be built on trust/faith. Because of this we will find ourselves in territory that we are unfamiliar with. Even though our initial reaction is to think this is bad it is really a good thing. Why? It causes us to trust Jesus. We need to remember that, despite the temptation, we need to constantly be turning to him for further direction. A simple analogy of this would be a GPS. Our GPS only tells us the directions one step at a time. It doesn’t just blurt it all out at once because there is no way we could remember everything. It is pretty much the same way with God. When he tells us to do something it is only part of the overall plan. We need to keep going back to him for further direction.

Fight the temptation to flee back to what is comfortable. Trust God and turn to him at every crossroad. We can be sure that he will lead us correctly.

How Far Will You Go to Follow Your Star?

2011-02-28T15:59:00.000-07:00

Matthew 2:1-12

There are a lot of people in this world who are willing to do just about anything for something they value highly. Klondike bar commercials seem rather silly at times, but what they show is actually a trait of humanity. People get obsessed. People are obsessed with movie starts, with music groups, with movies, with TV programs, with sports, with their job… the list goes on and on.

Today’s passage from Matthew is about the magi that visited Jesus when he was most likely around two years old. Magi were a sacred sect of the Ancient Medes who later were absorbed into the Persian Empire and into the religion of the Zoroastrians. This sect was known for interpreting dreams and reading stars. It is very probable that Daniel worked with several magi as they were often put into positions of power because of their reputation for wisdom. Some people speculate that Daniel may have been responsible for the knowledge that made these men take up their journey to meet Jesus.

Scripture tells us they were from “the East” which is most likely Persia. They were awaiting a sign. Somehow, the Bible never tells us, they knew this star would appear and it would signify the coming of “the King of the Jews.” Even though this is the designation they give Jesus it is obvious that they see him as being something much greater than a king of a nation. They wanted to worship him. So when the star appeared they followed it to Jesus.

What we don’t really get from the story is the sense of time it would have taken for these men to travel from Persia to Bethlehem. Scholars who have studied this in detail tell us that it most likely took the magi at least a year to travel. These men followed a star for almost a year. Think about that.

When the star first appeared there was probably a relatively high level of excitement. The magi no doubt rejoiced that they had seen the star which signified a miracle was taking place. The excitement was so great that some of them decided to undertake a journey to see this child. Plans were made, money was spent and when everything was in place they began their journey knowing that it would take a long time.

We don’t know the specifics of the journey. I’m sure there was some hardship involved. The Magi had to travel across stretches of hot dry desert. Even though Rome had asserted itself as the dominating empire it didn’t mean travel was safe. Hard conditions and risk were involved. For a year these men traveled in such conditions. Did they ever doubt? Did their excitement wane after a few months of being “on the road?” Did some of their companions lose heart? We will never know the answer to such questions.

When they reached Jerusalem they stopped and inquired about Jesus. The person they inquired such information from was Herod. Herod was not a Jew, but after much time and effort he was granted the title “King of the Jews.” What is interesting here is that the Magi specifically asked for the whereabouts of the child who was born “King of the Jews.” They were in a dangerous position. Only Herod was supposed to be called by that title. It is also interesting to note that the Magi almost come across as assuming that Herod would know what they were talking about. How could such a huge event go unnoticed?

We know the rest of the story. Herod found out from the Jews that the Messiah was to be born in Bethlehem. He asked the Magi to find Jesus and report back to him. His intentions were not pure even though he claimed he wanted to worship Jesus as well. Once the Magi found Jesus and worshiped him they returned home by another route because God warned them of Herod’s deception. To get an idea of how much danger the magi were in all we have to do is look at Herod’s reaction to their having not returned to him. He sent soldiers to Bethlehem and had all the boys two years and younger killed.

I’ve heard the story many, many times. Such a wonderful story of men traveling from afar bringing gifts that seem to symbolize different parts of Jesus’ life, but I never took the time to really think the story through. What these men had done serves as an example to us. These magi spent at least a year of their lives on the road following a star so that they could worship a child. Were these men obsessed? To a certain degree I would say yes. Was their obsession good? In this case, it serves as an example of just how we are to be in our attempt to follow our star.

How far are you willing to go to follow Jesus? Think this one through. The magi did not stop until they found him. It took a year but I think they would have kept going even if it took them a lifetime.

Throughout Matthew’s Gospel he will show us through Jesus what it takes to be a true follower of Christ. He shows us just how far we should be willing to go. Two of the most challenging scriptures are Matthew 10:38 and 16:24 – whoever wants to follow Jesus must deny themselves and take up their cross.

How far does Jesus want us to go in following him? He wants us to deny ourselves. He wants us to put away our selfish nature. He wants us to be obedient to him no matter what others say. He wants us to make choices that bring about results that are best and right for everyone involved. To take up one’s cross is to know that life is over. To follow Jesus means the exact same thing. To follow him means to give up the old life of selfishness.

How far are you willing to go to follow Jesus? Are you willing to give up everything for him? Are you willing to follow him without question? Are you willing to go against what the world tells you to do? Are you willing to look different from people of the world? Are you willing to be as devoted to following Jesus as the Magi were following the star?

Am I Really Trusting You.

2011-02-10T16:18:00.000-07:00

This is the lesson for youth group tonight. I thought I would share it. It is a bit long. I apologize for the length. In general it is good to keep blogs short, but...no excuse. I am breaking the rule. ;P

Am I Really Trusting You

Matthew 1:18-25

“I’m praying for you.”

“I’m just trusting God to show me the right way.”

“God is in control.”

“Have faith. God’s in control.”

“God bless you.”

Unfortunately, many of us use Christian lingo but in reality we don’t really mean what is being said. It is a lot like when we see each other for the first time for the day and we ask the question “How’s it going?” We don’t really expect an answer to the question. In reality we are using the phrase as a greeting.

I remember there was a time in my life that I used “praise the Lord” a lot. It started out as a sincere expression on my part for what God was doing in the lives of people, but there came a point where I got so used to saying it that it didn’t really have any meaning.

One phrase that we use a lot is “I trust God.” We usually use it at the end of a conversation concerning some uncertainty in our lives. The conversation might go something like this…

“So how’s school going?”

“It’s alright. I’m struggling a couple of classes.”

“Oh yeah. Which classes?”

“Science and math. My science teacher is a real pain in the butt. He practically expects us to memorize the entire book. Anytime I turn in an assignment I get it back with a bunch of remarks in red. He expects everything to be perfect!! And math…I just don’t get a lot of the concepts. I sit in class and see the teacher do it on the board and it seems to make sense but when I go to do my homework I just don’t understand any of it.”

“I’m sorry to hear about it.”

“Oh well. I’m just trusting God to get me through.”

“Yeah. I’ll be praying for you.”

“Thanks.”

The problem here is how many people really are trusting God and exactly how is a person trusting God. For example, in this situation just how is a person to trust God. The fact that a person is not doing good in school may have nothing to do with uncontrollable circumstances. The fact could be that the person just isn’t a good student and is not devoting the time to their studies that they need to be.

We are continuing with our study of Matthew. We are in chapter 1, a familiar passage that we probably most often hear around Christmas time. Let’s read starting at verse 18.

Let’s get a bigger picture here. Joseph is betrothed to Mary. What this means is that Joseph went to Mary’s father and after some discussion came to an agreement on a “mohar” or price he would pay to have Mary as his wife. After they agreed on the price Joseph would have paid the father and at that time established a marriage covenant which basically said he and Mary were husband and wife, but, according to custom, they waited to consummate the marriage. Both would have a year to get things in order. Joseph would concern himself with preparing a place for his wife to live.

So during the betrothal period (a year) Mary and Joseph had not been physically together. When she became pregnant there were obviously two possibilities. She and Joseph had been together or she had been with someone else. Both would have been seen as being improper and if she had been with someone else she would have been guilty of adultery. Adultery is punishable by death.

The text tells us that Joseph was a “just” man. This is kind of an odd description given what he was planning on doing. In Judaism the lawful thing would have been to have her stoned. Moses did allow for divorce though and being that no a lot of people would have known about his betrothal to Mary he was going to take care of everything quietly.

This passage also tells us that he considered these things before making his decision. There was a lot to think about. He probably had his family and what friends knew about the situation telling him to do all sorts of things. He obviously wanted to do the right thing. If he went ahead with the marriage it would have been highly inappropriate. There would have been a lot of questions being asked. Was he marrying her because of sex outside of marriage? Did he have sex with her before the year was up? Was she unfaithful to him during their betrothal? Such questions would have led to assumptions. Assumptions color how we look at people. He would have been labeled, many things and given an undeserved reputation for the rest of his life.

But God appeared to him. He told him that the child within Mary was from the Holy Spirit. Mary had not slept with anyone. How do you explain this to people? You try to tell them the truth that God had formed this child in her womb and they would just look at you like you were crazy. Some would think you were just a liar trying to cover up your sin. Talk about a new kind of pressure.

This added a whole new dimension to the problem. It was devastating that Mary became pregnant during the betrothal period, but not too many people would have known that it was Mary he was betrothed to. He could have handled things quietly, but now it is revealed to him that there is something much greater going on here. Something that is simply unbelievable and yet it is the truth. Joseph knew truth that others did not know, and because they did not know it they would not believe him.

Joseph had a choice. Trust God even though he didn’t completely understand why or how God was doing what he was or he could go ahead with his original plan and save himself a lot of grief. Joseph chose to trust God.

We say we trust God, but when we examine our life how much of it is really lived in trust? What kind decisions are we faced with every day? If we were to live the way God wants us to what would others say? What kind of a reputation would we develop? These are the questions Joseph had to deal with! What he was dealing with is no different then what we deal with on a daily basis.

We have a truth that the world does not know and is not able to see. The only way we are able to know God’s will is to have a relationship with him (Romans 12:2). We can’t expect the world to understand when they don’t have a relationship with God. Because of this lack of understanding we are constantly living under pressure to conform to the world’s standards. It is so much easier to go with the immediate flow, especially when we can only know part of an omniscient God’s will. But that is the key to our dilemma. God knows the future. He has plans that we don’t fully understand, and because he is God he knows what is best for us.

Joseph could have told God no because he couldn’t see too the full extent that God can. Yes God revealed a piece of his plan to Joseph, but what Joseph saw was a highly unusual situation that would leave he and Mary as societal outcasts. Even though he didn’t understand why God had asked him to do it this way he trusted God and did what God told him.

We don’t always understand why God tells us to do things. What’s wrong with getting drunk? What’s wrong with having sex before marriage if you are careful? What’s wrong with disobeying your parents if the end result doesn’t get you hurt? What’s wrong with telling a little lie? What’s wrong with cheating on a test? What’s wrong with doing something that doesn’t seem to lead to anything too bad and gains you acceptance in the world’s eyes?

What would have happened if Joseph went through with his plan and divorced Mary quietly? He would not have been a part of God’s bigger plan. He would have been out of God’s will and he wouldn’t have received the ultimate blessing God had for him. It’s not about getting stuff though. It’s about pleasing God and trusting him. God tells us to do certain things for a reason. He knows what is best. When we ask “What’s wrong with…?” we are only looking at the immediate end result of the action, but actions often have the tendency to do much more than what can immediately be seen.

Do we trust God? God gives us his word so that we might have a standard to live by. He tells us what good things to do and what bad things to avoid. We can’t earn God’s free gift of salvation, but we can show God we appreciate what he has done and that we love him by trusting him and doing what he says. Just like Joseph.

Are there things in your life that you need to really trust God about? Are you caving in to what the world tells you to do? What kinds of things do you need to stop doing? How can you show God that you trust him?

Small Group Discussion

Today’s small group is going to involve a lot of trust. We need to make a covenant with each other that what is said in our small group today will not go outside the group. We also need to trust God. God says to confess to one another. Most of us, if not all of us, are tempted to not open up in these small groups. Satan doesn’t want us to open up to each other. He scares us with fear. “What is everyone going to think of me?” “Are people going to say stuff outside of youth group about me?” Or you may be tempted to say “I don’t really do anything that bad. I’m not hurting anyone. Why should I say anything?” Don’t allow Satan to have the victory over you. Tonight is an opportunity to start trusting God by opening up and talking about what things in your life you are not trusting him with.

(Read the following)

Am I really trusting you…

When I do what the world says and you say not to?

Am I really trusting you…

When I follow my family’s will for my life even when it is contrary to your will?

Am I really trusting you…

When I give into my friends’ “no alternative” decisions even though you say no?

Am I really trusting you…

When I do as my flesh craves even though you have deemed it not good for me?

Am I really trusting you…

The way Joseph trusted you when you told him to take Mary as wife?

Am I really trusting you?

Most of us probably say we trust God. Do we really though? Let’s take a closer look.

In what ways are you doing what the world says to do instead of what God says?

In what ways does your family expect you to act or things they expect you to do that you feel may be contrary to what God wants?

What kind of things do you do because your friends don’t really give you any alternative but you know God has said no to?

In what ways are you continuing to give into your flesh even though you know God says they are not good for you?

Joseph trusted God. He went against his fears, the expectations of family and friends, the pressure of culture…to do what God commanded him. What is one way you can trust God this week? It probably involves changing some habit in your life.

Spend time praying for each other. Specifically pray that God helps each of us to trust Him and follow through with making the change each one of us identified.

Further thoughts on Homosexuality

2011-01-01T14:07:00.003-07:00

So I started my Bible reading plan today which starts in Genesis. As I was reading I came across this passage.

Then the Lord God said, "It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him...So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. Then the man said, "This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of man." Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. (Italics mine) Genesis 2:18-24

Before I go any further I want to stress once again that I am not "homophobic, bigoted, or intolerant." I know and love people who live the homosexual lifestyle. I can have a mutual and/or working relationship with a homosexual. I speak against the lifestyle of homosexuality because I believe the Bible forbids it. I look at the act of homosexuality as any other sinful act. I am just as guilty in my sin as the homosexual is in their sin. Even with having said this I know that there will be intolerant individuals who will continue to label me.

I look at the above mentioned passage and see two things. Both are in italics. First, when God created man he created one sex (now I assume he created both sexes of animals though it is not stated in the passage). Knowing that this man would experience loneliness (from what we can see there is not an animal that has the same reasoning power or social dependency that man has). God could have created a companion for Adam, but he chose to wait. When it became evident to Adam that he was missing something God created a "helper fit for him." Here we find a very small word. Adam was the only man living at this time. God created woman who was "fit" for him. What does this really mean? It means that God created woman to compliment man.

Now one might argue "Okay, you are only talking about Adam though. Adam was obviously a heterosexual. You can't apply this to every person though." I would have to argue the contrary. It is the second part italicized that leads me to say that God created man and woman expressly for one another.

You see, after Adam saw woman he realized what God had done. Not only had God created a helper for him (physically, emotionally, spiritually, intellectually and yes, sexually compatible), he created all of this beautiful companion from his very body. They both were an inseparable part of one another created expressly for one another. It is for this reason that Genesis 24 says "Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh." Only a man and woman can become one flesh because woman was created from man. Therefore the author makes this note (or observation) under the guidance of the Holy Spirit concerning God's intention for man and woman.

The sexual union between man and woman is ordained by God within the context of a hetero-monogamous relationship. To have it any other way is to distort God's design. Any action which distorts God's original design is sin. Therefore the act of sex between two who are not married and/or two who are of the same sex is wrong.

As I sit here and continue to contemplate this I also realize that marriage should never be for selfish reason, but unfortunately it is all to often the case. Heterosexuals and homosexuals commit the same sin in that they marry or have a relationship with someone for purely selfish reasons.

I know that a major argument against what I am saying is the one from the subjective perspective. I cannot, nor will I ever be able to, know exactly what a homosexual feels or thinks. I cannot argue against a subjective argument, but I believe that Scripture supersedes the subjective argument. After all, we are human beings wrought with sin. Our nature is such that we constantly try to gratify our selfish desires. We can do so to the point where we fool ourselves into thinking that our motives are not selfish when in fact they are. I can listen to the subjective argument, but I will never be able to accept it based on my own subjectivity. All to often God says things that I would rather he didn't, but I know that God knows best. When I do as he says I find that I am much better off.

Culture Wars - Homosexuality

2010-12-09T14:49:00.000-07:00

One of the biggest issues facing the Christian church today is homosexuality. The secular world says that homosexuality is actually a natural inclination amongst some people, and as a result, these people, in order to be true to themselves, should openly embrace what is deemed a genetic disposition and not so much a choice. On the other hand, Christianity has had a long history of condemning homosexuality as a sinful lifestyle as evidenced in Scripture. These two cultures are at odds. Who is right? Are homosexual tendencies actually something you are born with or are they merely a choice to disregard God's will?

Different arguments have been put forth about why homosexuality is wrong, but I don't believe most of them are adequate enough. Some argue that homosexuality is not natural, but there have been many arguments made that call this into question and honestly, the only way to argue this way is to come from the belief that there is a Creator. Some say that homosexuality is damaging to society, and again, there are plenty of arguments showing that it is no more damaging than other things that are freely accepted. In fact, the only true way it could be damaging (arguing from a worldly sense) is if the whole human race practiced homosexuality and even then we have the technology to procreate without heterosexual sex.

Let's face the truth, there really is no way to argue against homosexuality when those we argue with don't accept our biblical foundation. The danger is, because we can't effectively argue against it from a worldly standpoint we feel forced to accept it just like the rest of the world does. Why? Because if we don't we are called bigots, intolerant, prejudice, uncaring, etc... The pressure that is being put on the Christian Church (and Christians) to go along with the culture is tremendous.

Part of this is our own fault. In the past we have come across as intolerant bigots. The Christian Church has not treated all sin equally. We may say sin is sin, but in all honesty we are more gracious with some sins then with others. For Christians homosexuality has been elevated, to a certain extent, to a position equal with "grievous" sins such murder or even child molestation. As a result we have come across as uncaring to the homosexual community. Some very nasty and ungodly talk has come out of the mouths of Christians as a result. So any speaking out against homosexuality, even with the best intentions, is instantly perceived as an attack against those people who practice (or struggle with) it.

From a biblical standpoint homosexuality is a sin. The arguments to the contrary are just not adequate enough to convince me otherwise. It is obvious that the Bible condemns homosexuality as wrong (Sodom and Gomorrah, Romans chapter 1). There is no way around this. If Christians believe that the Bible is the infallible word of God then we must see it as being sin. On the other hand, it is a sin that is no greater then any other sin, and the fact is, everyone struggles with sin.

Everyone struggles with sin!! It is a fact of life, and the other fact is, not everyone struggles with the same sin. I struggle with overeating. In fact, it might even be argued that I have a predisposition for overeating. Does this mean that I should just give into it? I mean, after all, it's not my fault. I was born this way. It's true!! I was born with a predisposition, but in reality it is a predisposition to sin, and so were you! My struggle with wanting to overeat is no less or greater than someone else's struggle to want to have a sexual relationship with someone of the same sex. We both struggle with wanting to give into the temptation to engage in an activity that is wrong.

This is how homosexuality needs to be viewed, and when we view it this way it helps us identify with the homosexual and it gives us a course of action. "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus." The "cure" is the same for every sin. Most sin we engage in is done for one of two reasons: We engage in sin to gratify a lusty nature (to maximize on immediate though temporary pleasure), or we engage in sin to cover hurts in our lives (to create a more long term pleasure in hopes that it will mask the pain). All humans do this to one extent or another. Again, we are all in the same boat.

We can't acquiesce when challenged over this issue. On the other hand we do have to be tactful. The homosexual community has to see that it is the action we despise (as we should despise all sin) and not them as creations of God. We are convinced by the truth we know. This truth tells us to also love. We hate the sin and love the sinner. We behave as Jesus behaved. If we fold on the issue of homosexuality it is only a matter of time that we fold on other issues as well. The Bible will not longer be infallible but merely inspired by God and written by men which means error exists. If error exists then a door is opened up to endless possibilities that would be detrimental. Remember, there is only one person whom we should fear.

Simple Living - Are you being a true friend?

2010-10-27T12:04:00.001-07:00

I took a survey of the youth last Thursday during youth group. I asked them "How many of you would confront a friend who was doing something you knew was wrong?" Out of 20 teens only 5 raised their hand. I was mortified.

Whether we want to admit it or not, Christianity is influenced by culture as the above example shows. I know I talk about accountability in youth group quite often because it is an essential part of Christianity. God has created us as social beings in need of real/honest fellowship. Unfortunately our concept of "fellowship" has been distorted.

One teen I know admitted that they would not confront a friend concerning wrong because "it is not my place." A lie of society that has come with the philosophy that we should be tolerant of all things (all things that aren't Christian). If we are to be tolerant of all things then we have no right to confront a good friend about destructive behavior, but this is not what Scripture says.

"Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ." (Galatians 6:1-2 ESV)

"And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works" (Hebrews 10:24 ESV)

"Therefore encourage one another and build one another up..." (1 Thessalonians 5:11 ESV)

These are but a few scriptures speaking to true fellowship. The kind of relationships that are being promoted by society are superficial relationships. The goal of such a relationship is to have the selfish desires of an individual met. It is a focus on self, but the goal of godly relationships is to meet the needs of others. It is the type of relationship that God has with us. His concern is not for himself. His concern is for us.

In such a relationship there is no fear of mutual accountability. God calls us to love one another. True love is doing what is best and right for someone/each other. To allow sin to rule in the lives of our friends/family and not to confront it is selfish and truly unloving. Such inaction is the result of a misconception of love and a masked desire to do what is easiest; that which causes the least amount of pain not to the individual sinning but the friend who is not confronting.

How close are you to Christian brothers and sisters? Are you open to letting them challenge your actions? Are you even close enough for them to really know what is going on in your life which would give them opportunity to challenge if need be? Can you truly say that your close relationships are to the point that you feel comfortable challenging your friends concerning bad/destructive (ungodly) behavior?

In essence, this is just another part of the Simple Life a disciple is supposed to lead. Growth (Development) happens within the context of relationships. It is the model set forth in the Bible and it is also the model seen in human nature from earliest of times. One of the authors of Proverbs says this "Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another." (Proverbs 27:17 ESV) Those who desire to be disciples of Jesus need to understand that honest, challenging relationships are key to development.

It might be time to sit down and talk with your Christian friends. Just how far are you willing to go with each other? Are you willing to hold each other accountable? Are you open to the possibility that you may have to confront or challenge sin in each others' lives? Those living the Simple Life are willing to take their relationships to the next god honoring level. Are you?

Simple Living - What Are You Living For?

2010-10-14T13:17:00.005-07:00

Preface to this post. We are going through a "spiritual journey" at our church called Simple Life. We are being challenged to put our life under a microscope and identify areas where we are allowing busyness and complexity to be our god rather than God himself. We encouraging people to "choose this day whom you will serve." In doing so we are acknowledging that though there may be parts of our lives that are not inherently bad there are parts that need to be sacrificed in order to make God the controlling factor. With that said...

My friend posted this today on her facebook.

"I'm second guessing whether letting [my son] sign up for band was a good idea. His required practice time + required reading time + homework + swim team + dinner + family time = too much to do and not enough time. I send him to bed thinking how I'm sure there's something we forgot to do. Ugh."

When I read this it summed up everything we have been talking about, up to this point, in Simple Life. She is a Christian who loves the Lord, so don't get me wrong when I ask: Where is Jesus in this list? I'm not trying to pick on her. In fact, when I read her status I immediately identified with her. Her status update exemplifies most of Christendom. We say Jesus is important with our lips, but when our lives are examined....our priorities are mixed up.

Later this morning I ran across this "Simple Life" verse in Isaiah. "Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy?" (55:2).

All I can say is "WOW!!" You mean to tell me that people way back then actually struggled in the same way we do?! So much so that I guess Isaiah (or God through Isaiah) had to address the issue back then as well, but the question seems so simple!

God asks through Isaiah "What is there that you can spend money on that will last?" Many of us are running after material things in life that in the grand scheme of things are just not that important. What is important for the here and now are the basic necessities of life, but how many of us, when asked to make a list of basic necessities, would include things other than food, clothing and shelter? Don't get me wrong. You can have stuff, but when you make stuff the center of your life you have chosen to serve a master other than Christ. The desire to accumulate stuff leads to a complex life.

God asks through Isaiah "What is there that you labor for that will bring true satisfaction?" Many of us are running around like chickens with their heads cut off in search for what is satisfying. We have gotten so out of control with our activities that they have taken over our lives. Is it wrong to do things? Absolutely not, but when you are doing them just to find satisfaction, when doing becomes the center of your life, then you have chosen to serve a master other than Christ. The desire to find satisfaction through doing things leads to a complex life.

So I sit here today challenged by God's word. Have I created a complex life for myself by making stuff and satisfaction the center of my life? Have you?

To learn more about Simple Life: A Spiritual Journey check out Kingman Christian Church's website here.

Be Informed about Healthcare Reform

2010-08-25T13:12:00.000-07:00

I came across this pamphlet put out by the National Center for Policy Analysis. If you want to know more about the healthcare reform from an unbiased point of view take some time to read this pamphlet.

What Does Health Reform Mean to You: A Consumers Guide.

Almost Forgot

2010-07-05T20:24:00.001-07:00

I almost forgot to write down what happened to me this morning. I woke up and took a shower. I know...it's great, but that's not all. After my shower I went into my room, got my deodorant and put it on. You are saying this keeps getting better! But that's not it. As I was putting the deododorant on 8 began to feel ittle pricks all over my body. I looked down and found ants all over me! They had decided to check out my towel and I did not know they were so interested. I just dried off with them on it. That's life in Haiti!

Haiti Trip - 7 5 2010

2010-07-05T18:19:00.001-07:00

This is the last night in Haiti. After 7 days of hot humidness it is finally raing. So refreshing. It is being coupled with mostly darkness and some candle light. The generator has been off most of the day and doesn't look like it is coming back on.

Today was a good day with everyone doing something a little different. Louie, Patty, the teens and I helped inventory the store/supply room. Tom, Ken, Dave and Lisa painted (Lisa also helped in the store room). Melissa got to play doctor in the hospital. Later Mandy and Kati got to help in the Pharmacy and after lunch Louie and I did a three hour seminar for around 20 people on how to study the Bible. It was a good day.

How am I doing personally? I love culture and so I find it hard to want to leave. I could spend my life doing mission work, but God has called me to other things.

I can't help but think about Louvnie. She is sitting in her tent tonight with hardly nothing. I can only imagine what it is like for her. It is probably dark over there. How I ache for her. I have told Betty that if what she says is true I would like to try and help her family. God says to take care of the widows and orphans. This is true religion.

Some just called up from outside and said they have gas. The lights will be coming on soon with the internet and life will start to shift back to normal as we prepare to leave home. I don't want it to be normal, but I know it must. The good thing is, I think normal actually has a little change to it. At least I hope and pray.

I have decided to try and return with another team in six months. I haven't talked to my wife, but I would like to make Haiti apart of our family life. It was my desire to be on the mssion field when I was in college. I may not be able to be on it full time, but perhaps I can be on it part time with my family.

May God guide us in knowing what to do. Thank you Lord for this opportunity to serve. Give my family more oportunities to serve you. Teach us about ourselves and help us to see that it is not about ourselves but others.

Amen

Haiti Trip - July 4 2010

2010-07-05T09:37:00.000-07:00

Spanish music is playing tonight. It is a little warmer than usual, but all is good.

Today I had the privilege of speaking at a small mountain church. It was wonderful. The ride took...probably an hour. I am not real sure because I find myself not checking the time so often here. As we wound through the mountains I couldn't help but be in awe of the their stunning beauty. God's workmanship is truly amazing. Some things that struck me. First off, people live up there and when I say up there I am talking on top of the mountain! We saw houses sitting way up on the side that look almost impossible to reach. The sides of the mountain are checkered as well. We were told the first day we were here that farmers grow crops on the side of the mountains. I have no idea how they do it. The closer we got to the mountains the more impossible it looked.

As we drove from Fonds Parisien to the mountain church we saw many, many people dressed in their Sunday best headed to church (What they say about shoes is true! These people love good shoes and they only pull them out for Sunday or special occasions). Daulus told us that people will walk miles to church or pay someone one (motorcycle driver) to get to church. I had to wonder. If Americans had to walk or spend money of which there was little of would they be as dedicated to church?

We got to the church a little late (no surprise). They were just finishing communion. All I can really say is first, we made a seen walking in. Second, they sing A LOT!! Third, I love preaching to a Haiti congregation because they respond to you by saying "Amen" and letting you know they listen. After the service was over with we shook just about everyone's hand. We met the pastor who is in his 80s and has been pastoring the church for many, many years. His son has been taking care of things because he is unable to do it anymore. He asked me to pray for him because his leg does not work like it used to. He uses a crutch to get around.

On the way back down we dropped some people off where there was a small community down in a valley by a huge dry river bed (no power or running water). It was a few miles away from the church. The dedication of these people is amazing.

After lunch we were able to go to Port Au Prince and see the damage. Almost six months has gone by and to my eye it seems little has been done. Buildings are destroyed with some still containing bodies (one of the destroyed churches we passed had a foot showing through the rubble in an upper story. They have not been able to get to the body). Rubble has been pushed into piles that litter the streets, but the biggest shock of all is how people are living. Small tents and makeshift shelters litter any open area. Some roads have even been blocked off because people have pitched their tents on it. The living conditions are absolutely incredible.

One of the places we went to was an HCM school. Daulus was actually teaching at the school on the third floor when the earthquake hit. By the grace of God everyone escaped. The third floor is no longer there and the building is beyond repair. HCM has set up a makeshift school so that education can continue. Also HCM's largest church in Port Au Prince was damaged. Unlike the school it is reparable. The mission has set up a makeshift building across the street so that church can continue.

Just a quick note. The government has been going through the city evaluating buildings. After evaluation they mark the building. Red means it is beyond repair. Yellow means it is repairable. Green means it is safe to use.

We got to see the Presidential Palace. It looks like a giant foot just step on the top. Though the damage to it is quite impressive and it is beyond repair. The biggest and most haunting site was not the Palace but was directly across the street; thousands of people living in tents in the national park opposite the Presidential Palace. It was simply amazing and no amount of words can describe what was seen.

To be completely honest I cannot even spend enough time trying to describe things and the pictures and videos I took can never do it justice. I can say this, despite all that has happened I was amazed at how happy people looked. Maybe happy isn't the exact word to use. There was still joy in the midst of the tragedy. These people are continuing on with their lives despite what has happened.

I found out later that since the earthquake the population of Port Au Prince has increased. It seems impossible. A person would think that people would want to get out of the city and go to the country, but the fact of the matter is...there is food, shelter and false hope that all their needs will be met. People have flocked to Port Au Prince for a free handout. The tent cities are bad, but they are even worse because there are people who were not directly affected by the earthquake now trying to benefit from it. The government has actually stopped some projects because of this. What is sad is there are more resources and opportunities for people outside the city.

This is why organizations like HCM are so important. Instead of giving a handout they are trying to teach Haitians to work hard and support themselves. Any organization can come into a country and hand out food and shelter, but those things only last so long. In fact, they can be very damaging as is being seen in Port Au Prince. What needs to happen is for individuals and organizations to funnel funds and resources through organizations run by nationals. Haiti Christian Mission is doing a lot of good here. Most importantly, not only are they educating people and challenging them to not depend on a handout, they are giving them ultimate hope that is only found in a relationship with Jesus Christ.

This is very evident by the testimonies we heard from HCM staff this evening. Everyone has a story. Some involve the earthquake, some go back before the earthquake, but they all tell of how HCM helped them better themselves through a relationship with Christ and education.

This has been a very good trip and it has taught me a lot. It has taught me that no matter how hard I try not to be I am still very ethnocentric in my thinking. There are two ways in particular. First, even though I tried not to think this way, I had a little bit of a savior complex. What I mean by this is that in the back of my mind I had the idea that we could come in and "save Haiti." No one can save Haiti but God. God can use whomever he chooses and it doesn't have to be America. In fact, I think the best thing for Haiti is Haitian believers. Second, for some reason I had this idea that because Haiti was suffering so much they didn't have time to suffer with the same problems I do. Humans are humans. It doesn't matter the culture a person is brought up in. All humans struggle with the same temptations and sin. This is what makes the Gospel universal. I can identify with my brothers and sisters in any country because we all struggle the same way. The circumstances may be different, but we all struggle and we are all in need of God.

Haiti Trip - July 3 2010

2010-07-03T20:41:00.000-07:00

I swear that Hatians don't sleep. It is 9:30 and there is a lot of talking going on outside my window (not to mention several other noises). It seems like there is a different noise every night. At least there is no smoke smell. I was told that they were burning garbage last night just across from my window in the compound. Now that I think about it the odor was not unlike when I was child in Kansas. We burned our garbage to.

Today was an easy day. We woke up, ate breakfast and the team went to painting. I on the other hand worked on a sermon which I will be preaching tomorrow at a small church up on the side of a mountain. I can't wait. For those who have heard the sermon (more than once for a few) I will be teaching about five principles of sharing faith.

The painting didn't take long because they ran out of paint (though we learned there was plenty more. The problem was the leaders were at a funeral). So much of the day was spent relaxing. I worked on my sermon after lunch.

Since I am on the subject of lunch I am going to say a little something about the food even though I said I was not going to. Breakfast and lunch are very light with lunch being the lightest. I read that most Hatians eat twice a day. I can believe it. Our lunches have been either hotdogs (which are eaten a lot by what I can see) or pb&j. The problem is, I cannot eat wheat and they have wheat at every meal. Bread is a stable. Fortunately I have brought some bars that I can eat. They were supposed to be snacks, but...oh well. Dinners are the biggest meal. There are plenty of, what we would call, side dishes. There is aways meat but not much of it. A little different then what we are used to. Reminds me of the Philippines. Alright, no more about food

The children here seem to be starving for attention. That is my impression and I have not been able to confirm or disprove. One little girl has stolen my heart. Her name is Louvnie (I thought it was Rufny). She is 10 years old. Today I got to spend time with her. Through gestures, an almost worthless translation program and her little English I learned that her father and brother died in the earthquake in Port Au Prince were they worked. It broke my heart. Daulus has told us that there is not one person who has not been affected by this tragedy.

Over time a crowd of children began to develop. We are not supposed to let the children upstairs with us. One or two are overlooked but you can't hide a crowd. So I sent the teens down stairs into the play yard. Kati and Mandy played hopscotch, jumprope and duck-duck-goose with the kids. Brandon kicked the soccer ball around and got invited to play a game of soccer. The field was the concrete of the play yard. I'm proud to say that Brandon scored!

While I was down there many of the boys came up to me. They were fascinated with my stomach. They say "you are fat" and try to push my stomach up. They are not being rude but stating a fact that stands out. A few of them swung on my arms and I swung them around. What surprises me the most is how they liked to hold my hand. Hand holding is the most common form of physical affection it is done between boys and boys, girls and girls and girls and boys. I have seen grown men do it. (Another similarity with the Philippines).

While playing with the children the PE instructor motioned for me to come into his office. He told me, with much broken English, that most of the equipment for the school is purchased by him. He wants to do a soccer tournament this coming week and he needed three balls and two trophies. I could tell he was very uncomfortable asking. After making sure it was okay with Betty (Mapas - meaning Mrs. Pastor) I gave him $40 of the hundred he needed. I think others will give him more. Things are very expensive here since the earthquake.

Before dinner Betty took us to look at a orphanage the mission is starting. They arerenting a house with 5 rooms (counting kitchen) that will house 15 children and two adults. There are many orphans since the earthquake and HCM wants to do all they can to help.

These people are truly an inspiration. They have so much faith in God. Even though they don't have the funds they move foward expecting God to provide and He does.

After an amazing dinner that included goat meat (Yay!) Lisa, Kati and I got to talk with Daulus. He was actually in Port Au Prince when the quake hit. He and his students were able to escape the two story building they were in. Daulus says it was only by the grace of God. He lost everything he owned in the quake but was thankful to have his life.

What I really liked about Daulus was his optimism. He said the quake has served a couple of purposes. It has united the people of Haiti (both poor and rich were equally affected) and it has opened the door for evangelism. Though the numbers could be disputed, Daulus feels that the voodoo (which is mixed with Catholicism) in the country has dropped from 8 in 10 people to 6 in 10 people and that more and more peope are coming to know Jesus as their personal Savior. God is moving in this place!

We actually got to talk a little bit about voodoo itself. Most Hatians believe in a Creator God called Bondye, but many choose to serve spirits called loa. The spirits are in everything. When they need help they will call on the loa through ceremonies involving dance and singing. At some point in the ceremony the loa will "mount" a person (posses). They will petition the loa or seek answers to questions and then will have it leave through another ceremony. Daulus said that he has seen people who have been mounted by loa climb trees upside down and stand in fire. One person was standing in the fire unhurt until the loa decided to leave and with it went the protection from the flames. The loa are nothing more than demons posing as spirits. They have a hold on the people of Haiti, but God is working against the forces of darkness.

This trip has been so good in so many ways. The biggest way is seieing God use HCM. This ministry is involved in so many things. They move foward in faith even though they do not have the means necessary. They trust in God's ability to make the impossible happen. We need to be open to the possibility that God can use us to help them accomplish their mission.

Tomorrow is the fourth of July. While many people will be celebrating in the states we will be touring Port Au Prince getting a first hand look at the damage.

God bless all. I am thankful that I live in such a prosperous nation. May I never take things for granted.

Haiti Trip - July 2 2010

2010-07-02T20:33:00.000-07:00

It is 9pm. I am in my room. There is a strong smell of smoke. I am not sure where it is coming from. Just a few minutes ago there was loud music playing from the church here on the mission grounds. Now I hear someone preaching. I am told that a prayer service is taking place and it will end at midnight. The preacher occasionally shouts and repeats a phrase as the people respond to him. Just another night in Haiti.

Today was a great day!! We got a lot accomplished. We began by getting up earlier than usual....well, earlier than usual for me. I am in one of the rooms and not on the roof like the others. The sun comes up between 5 and 5:30 though today the teens seemed to ignore it, but we were all up by 6:30 because today was the day we got to pass out the over 500 pounds of food we bought and packaged up. What an interesting experience.

We had the food up on the balcony and so we had to take it down close to the tent city where we were going to distribute it. Betty said it had to be early because if it was later in the day we would have all sorts of people coming in the missions ground seeking food. As soon as we began to take the bags of food down people understood what was coming. I could see it in their eyes. They just stared at the food standing from a distance, but each was hoping to get some. I can't explain what it was like. I felt almost ashamed carrying so much food down in view of them. "Here comes the rich Americans" is what was going through my mind, but when we started handing out rice, beans, pasta, cornmeal and oil to people in the tent city there was a feeling of genuine relief. People were so grateful for the food we gave them.

When we finished with the tent city we gave some to others who were connected to the mission. A couple of the teachers even said they needed food. While we were still doing this people began to come in off the street. It was amazing how fast word spread. Women, women with children, even a couple of men. All here for food. We gave what we could but Betty knew we needed to end it fast or we would have many, many people here. The whole time we were handing out food we had a security card in the middle of it all to keep order. He and someone else bagged up what was left, stuck it in a truck and drove off so that everyone understood we were finished.

We did not hand it all out. Betty said we could keep some just in case people who really needed it came by. Well, it didn't take long. In the middle of the day Betty got a call. An orphanage that they are starting needed food real bad. So Ken, Melissa and Brandon went with her to take the rest of the food. When they came back all three of them looked stunned!! What they saw really shook them. I am still not completely sure what they saw. The rest of us are supposed to be going there tomorrow.

So that was within the first hour of our day!!! Crazy.

After breakfast and a little time to ourselves we left for a village that was about 15 miles away. The mission had started a school there. We were going to do another VBS. I was apprehensive about this, but we had made adjustments. It was obvious we could not do a VBS like we do in the states. We decided to just do some singing, the puppet skit, craft and snack.

Everyone, except Louie and I, loaded up in a "tap tap." A tap tap is a common mode of transportation around here. If you have a vehicle you can haul people in, you probably will have to modify it a little, you can start your own little business by hauling people. All a person does is wait alongside the road and when a tap tap comes by he asks where it is headed. If the tap tap is headed in the right direction he climbs aboard and pays the driver. Everyone got to experience it except Pastor Louie and I. Why? Because we were the leaders and so we got to ride in the air conditioned truck.

VBS went very well. Better than expected. The children singing was beautiful. It is wonderful to hear familiar Christian songs being sung. Even though they are in a different language it is still something that connects us together. There was not any of the asking (okay, there was an occasional request) for something like a ball or money. These children seemed to really appreciate what we did for them. We also brought gifts of flip flops and toys with us. It was incredible!! As soon as we started pulling stuff out the room went chaotic. The teachers ended up passing stuff out because it was pretty impossible for us to do it. Katiana said she had begun to walk into the middle of a group of kids with flip flops in her arms. The kids began to crowd and push and a Haitian adult reached in and pulled her out. It was crazy.

I noticed that older kids get preference. They got to eat first (they were fed while we were there. A plate of rice with a sauce on it). They got the gifts first. I felt sorry for the younger ones. I also noticed that the bigger ones seemed to get more as well. We wanted each child to get at least one thing (and they did, they got a pack of crayons to color their craft with). What ended up happening was the older and bigger kids got more stuff. I saw one boy walk out with a jump rope, ball, toy and toothbrush and toothpaste.

Now I have to stop and remind myself. It is easy to make a judgement concerning culture based upon one instance. It is wrong though. I write what I see and give my impressions, but I don't know if my impressions are true. Someone once told me that culture is like an onion. When you really think you know a culture you find out that there is another layer underneath, and another underneath that, and another underneath that, and so on. There is no way for any of our team to know the culture that we have stepped into for just a few days, but from my point of view it looks like survival of the fittest.

The area that we went to was a very poor area. It is hard to even describe what we saw. Some of the houses actually resembled thatch huts. Once again, there was poverty every where. But I do have to say that the best part of this VBS was when I was told that the children are going home very happy. It was a very good day indeed.

The rest of the day was spent painting. The mission is going to have a conference soon and so they would like to make things look as good as possible. We are painting the front of the building and tomorrow we are supposed to be painting the clinic (hospital).

Today was a great day. I feel like we really accomplished something. Thank you God.

(By the way, I will be falling asleep to loud music. I'm not sure how they can pray with it blaring, but then again, I'm not Haitian.)

Oh, I almost forgot. Mandy and Kati told everyone tonight that they feel like missions might be the place for them. Praise God, but I also know what it feels like to have an intense desire at the moment and then have it wane over time. We need to be in prayer for them.

Haiti Trip - July 1 2010

2010-07-02T06:55:00.004-07:00

Today's lesson is things don't go as planned. Flexibility and improvability are key!! Today was an interesting day. I am seeing what may be indicative of the whole culture. People are afraid to take leadership roles. Those who do are greatly respected. I think this is what caused most of my frustration today.

First off, time here is pretty much nonexistant to a certain degree. I mean times are set but loosely followed, and communication is very poor and/or confusing. We were told several different things today by different people. VBS starts at this time, you will be doing this today, etc...

We got up this morning and had breakfast around 7:00. Daulus came to us afterwards and wanted to find out what we were going to do, besides the VBS which we were told would start at 11:00 am. Ken and Tom wanted to do more construction. I don't blame them, but we thought it would be best to have everyone stay and prepare for the VBS.

Now I have mixed feelings about VBS and I had them when Wendy asked us to do it. When churches come and do VBS I feel the kids go more for the fun or what they can get. They are so used to the Americans coming and I don't know who much good it really does. After what happened today my opinion hasn't changed especially for Haiti.

So we planned things out, but we didn't get all the info we needed to execute everything. There were about 200 kids there. The singing went well except that even though they know some of our songs in Creole they don't sing all the parts. After the singing Louie and Mandy did a little puppet skit. We were going to divide the groups up in two and have half do the game and the other half do the memory verse. I found out that we couldn't use the ball court to do the games so we were stuck with trying to do something else. I asked if they could go outside so that we could do the activity for the memory verse section and one of the translators said yes. He then told me that there was a teacher who had a lesson, or so I thought. I stepped down, the teacher said something and all the kids started filing out of the church. Come to find out they left to do the game, but I had misunderstood. By the time we got out there many of the children had left because they had not eaten lunch (which they were supposed to have). We got some of the children back in, got a group of them to do the activity and then pretty much gave up from there.

The amazing part, during our little interaction with the kids we were asked to give them balls, watches, wallets, money, etc... The children were very responsive at the beginning but became very unruly at the end. The boys in particular were more proned to rudeness. I was pinched and called fat. One boy got mad at me because I would not give him a ball that I did not have and he called me some rude names in Creole. Honestly, it was disheartening. I almost feel that we Americans really don't do much good coming here to Haiti. I know they were poor before the earthquake, but they are even more so now. I think all the aid that has been brought to them has created a give me society. As soon as a blanco is seen there is the assumption that they are wealthy. It is not just the kids. We had a principle of a school in another village stop by and ask me to help him. The need is great, but the people are beginning to depend on handouts and expect white people to give/provide. That is why this mission is so important. It is going to take Haitians to reach Haitians.

200 hundred kids!!

After the VBS I was extremely discouraged. We had lunch and then we bagged up the food we had bought to pass out. To be honest, at this point I didn't feel like handing out food. The experience that morning had poisoned me. Fortunately there was a little girl named Roofny that helped us bag rice. She was such a joy to have around. She seemed to genuinely want to help and have fun with us. Not everyone is a beggar. The poverty is great, but there are good people here. The Prophetes are proof of that.

God using my little friend Rufny to change my spirit.

Well we didn't see anyone of the “leaders” until later in the afternoon when Betty got back. We were honest with her about our experience and she seemed genuinely disappointed in the translators and with how things went. She said tomorrow will be a different experience. I truly hope so.

Betty has been so generous. She gave us a bigger/cooler room after the medical team left. It has its own bathroom. I am the only one staying in it as everyone else is sleeping on the roof. Though I would like to sleep on the roof in the coolness of the evening (with the rats) my back can't handle being on the little mattresses. Betty gave me a fan to sleep with. Also, her husband (Pastor Prophete) is diabetic and seems to be concerned that I get the proper food. Tonight I had to explain that I cannot eat wheat. It was spaghetti. She had rice, chicken and salad made up for me and then sat down with me to eat. Very gracious and hospitable.

During our dinner a man came in and he seemed to be very agitated. He spoke with Betty and it even got to a point where he was raising his voice. I wasn't sure what was going on. He was a big man and I thought that if I had to defend Betty I wouldn't get very far. Betty told us that he was very upset because a mayor in another village had equipment burned and destroyed over a land dispute. He got arrested, but it was a big shock to them. A mayor should not act this way.

We ended the night by punching holes in the craft. We have decided to make it very simple. Sing, lesson, craft, snack. We will have about 300 hundred children this time. CRAZY!! But I think we can do it.

Haiti Trip - June 30 2010

2010-07-02T06:53:00.003-07:00

Long day. We did construction. Specifically, we helped lay a foundation of a house that will house two or four families. I can't remember how many. It was good hard work involving mostly, for me, moving cement in buckets. cement is mixed much the same way we did in Mexico except that it was mixed on the ground and it was very sandy and rocky. It seemed like it would crumble very easily. We were told that since the earthquake they have been laying footers. They dig trenches and fill them with cement and large rocks in layers. They then go about e feet up making a short wall of rocks and "motor" (the same cement). The larger the rocks the better. But they are very neat and precise in how they do this. We left around noon just when they started the short wall and came back to help them finish. I say wall, but looking at other houses of similar construction it looks like they will fill it in so the foundation is actually 3 or more feet thick. They then start making walls out of brick.

So I learned something about the culture today. Hatians don't generally smile unless there is something funny whereas we smile quite often. at first I thought it was a bit of mistrust, but I was reaurred it wass not by Daulus. Also, when children she us they yell "blanco/blanca" when we walk by.

Most of the groups stayed at the mission to paint while Ken, Tom, Brandon and I went back to the work site. An interesting thing happened. Kati and Amanda were talking to several children during there time painting even getting a little "help" from them. I guess while they were talking to some a little boy pulled out a condom and turned around as if he might put it on. Kati and Amanda walked quickly away.

So far everyone has been very hospitable and somewhat eager to speak with us. Hatians are very loving people and there is a strong sense of community with the ones we are around. The ones we worked with at the site are all people who work here at the mission. Some of them, if not all, have been affected by the earthquake. I heard one person tonight say that they lost a relative. There is actually a tent city on the mission grounds housing 30 to 40 families. Edwins went into town and bot beans, cornmeal, rice and oil for us. We are going to distribute it tomorrow.

I really like the phiosophy here. They aren't just supporting people here. They are trying to teach them responsibility and help them get back on their feet. The gift we give them tomorrow will be called a gift from us and not the mission.

Another cultural thing I noticed stems back top the African culture. Hatians pay great respect and honor to the "chiefs" or leaders. Louie and I are treated very well. Pastor Prophete told us that the first and only complete translation of the Creole Bible translates pastor as chief. He says this gives the wrong conotation as chiefs are not servants but are men whoare served.

There is a young man who does not belong to the mission who is tagging along with us. He seems to be generally interested in our culture and getting practice speaking English. It sounds like he wants to become a pastor. He asked if I would send him books, particularly, a commentary. He gave me his address. Later as we were walking back from the worksite (a very rocky road. I twisted my ankles three times) he asked me, in a round about way, if I could scholarship him so that he could come to an American university. People need money! He was not shy in his asking.

I got to talk to Tami online tonight. It is nice to be in another country and still be able to easily communicate with the outside world. The mission as wi-fi. It is kind of funny. All this poverty and yet we are able to communicate through the intenet.

It seems like the people who work for the missionare treated very well. They have food, clothes, access to the internet and I even saw an Ipod tonight.

I think the teens are loving it here. I am concerned with Patty however. She is not handling the heat very well. It did not seem like Louie was doing that good either although tonight he seemed a lot better. On the other hand my cousin Lisa seems to be doing great. I think she has the missions bug already. She expressed her gratitude in that her first missions trip was with me.

Okay. It is 10 and I need sleep. Breakfast is at 6:30. I'm not sure what we will be doing tomorrow morning. Hopefully construction. Tomorrow night we will do a light version of the VBS for kids who attend the mission school.

God, thank you for allowing us to be here. Help us to make a difference in people's lives. Be with our family while we are gone. Amen.

Ken moving rock for part of the foundation.

Haiti Trip - June 29 2010 part 2

2010-07-02T06:51:00.002-07:00

Hot and humid! Actually the heat is not he big problem, but the humidity is. Reminds me of the Philippines. When we arrive3d in Port Au Prince we went through customs, and easy process and then we stood around the baggage area waiting for our bags. It took some time to get them but the airport staff was very helpful. The airport itself is nothing more than a large metal building. (Later we would see another building driving out that I can only assume was the real airport but damaged by the earthquake). It was hot, humid and crowded.

After getting bags and going through claims we ended up standing in a group waiting for what was to come next. We had several guys wanting to help us carry our luggage and one even claimed to be acting on behalf of HCM (Haitian Christian Mission). (Wendy had told me that the person picking us up would be wearing yellow and have the mission name on him. Louie asked this guy claiming to be working on their behalf what the name of the guy who sent him was. Of course he could not tell us). One guy let us use his cell phone to call and we were able to get through to Betty Prophete (Louie tried using his but it wouldn't connect even though he was supposed to have service). She said to wait where we were and send someone out to find the guy who was picking us up. It took a couple of tries sending first Ken out and then Tom and Ken all the while having individuals try to help us. All of it was for money of course.

Tom and Ken finally found him, Daulas, the head of the translaters here at HCM. He brought a pastor with him to help us out. Of course we had more help then we needed. What a fiasco! (Even though certain people were chosen to help others continually tried to get in on the action so that we would feel obligated to pay them). Everyone wanted money. People walked along side of us on the other side of the fence calling “sister” or “brother” and saying “give me money” and “I am hungry.”

After everything was loaded I was surrounded by the men that helped saying “boss” with their hands out. The pastor had me hop in the car. We had to fit luggage and 14 people in two vehicles. Once we were all in we started off through Port Au Prince.

Poverty is the word that sticks out. There was a lot of people who looked like they weren't doing much. Those who were doing something either seemed to be driving the “tap taps” or trying to sell things on the side of the road. Fruit, food, TVs, everything you can imagine.

The ride was much like in the Philippines. Aggressive driving and laying on the horn.

There was evidence of the quake all around. A lot of rubble and garbage. There was also evidence of reconstruction. We saw several tent cities along the way.

We also saw goats and cattle all over the place. The cattle along the route were very gaunt with ribs showing even though there was green all around.

After a long ride we arrived at the mission, fenced and gated. Betty Prophette and her son Edwins greeted us. I also got to meet Wendy the woman from the states who organizes the trips. We were warmly received.

We are staying in a guest house that is over a clinic which we got to tour. Very...primitive, for a lack of a better word. We will most likely be sleeping on the deck even though there are rooms available. It is much cooler outside then in. (Actually, most everyone is sleeping on the roof where there is a strong breeze. I am sleeping in a room with a fan being that it is hard for me to sleep on the thin mats).

After lunch, hotdogs, and a short rest Kati, Lisa and I went for a walk in the community. Little make shift shops line the road. Garbage, animals, little kids (some naked) and a lot of people are everywhere.

It is weird being on the other side of looks and stares. At first people seem unfriendly, but I think that is mostly unfamiliarity (I found out later that people don't smile unless there is something funny to smile about. What I took as unfriendliness is just a cultural thing.) A wave, greeting and smile usually gets a response back.

I met a little girl named Rufny. Right away she began to do the whole trading language thing. She would point at a part of her body and tell me its name in Creole and then I would tell her in English.

Oh, on our drive we may have seen people gathering for a voodoo ceremony. Everyone was dressed in while. From what I have read and viewed online there are ceremonies to certain lua (spirits) that prefer white. Don't know for sure, but if fit the descriptions. We also saw a funeral procession. Everyone dressed in black and white.

Brandon and Kati on top of the mission cooling off.

Haiti Trip - June 29 2010

2010-07-02T06:50:00.000-07:00

it is 1:40 in the morning my time. We are on the plane to Miami. Sleeping is very difficult. I think I got a little. If I am right we have about an hour to go. Getting to the airport went well. We were stopped at the dam and they did a random bag check of three suitcases. Check in went very smoothly. There was no one a head of us. The clerk was very impressed with our efficiency. Melissa had made labels for all of us to put on our bags. There were no problems with security as well. We all got safely on to a full plane. The teens seem to be doing very well.

The only snag at this point was on the other end. Wendy and others from the Hatian Christian Mission showed up at the airport in Port Au Prince to pick us up. of course we were not there. I have tried to reach her by phone and email. I have not heard back from her. Hopefully someone is there to pick us up.

On the flight from Florida to Haiti I sat next to an elderly Hatian. He did not speak English nor could he read or write. He gestured for me to fill out his declaration papers. I did the best that I could especially with a language barrier. Right now someones phone is ringing and will not stop!

One Week Until Haiti

2010-06-20T23:29:00.001-07:00

Well...I guess it is time to start journaling about our trip to Haiti. I decided to use my blog to do this. We are told we will actually have access to the internet.

Needless to say, I am apprehensive about this trip. I have been to the Philippines, Hungary and Mexico. I have seen poberty, but I don't know if I am really prepared for what we will be experiencing in Haiti. I do know, however, that my desire and focus is to serve God and show the people of Haiti that he loves them. For once this trip is not about me.

It is interesting to hear mysself say that. God has placed this desire to learn, know and experience other cultures in me. I admit that a huge part of going on mission trips was the desire to experience another culture. I feel that this one is different. Yes Haiti has a unique culture, and yes, I have done a lot of reading and studying. I wiill enjoy getting to know, see and experience the culture, but my primary purpose is stregnthening the Haitian people.

It is interesting that we will be doing a VBS. It isn't exactly what I wanted to be doing. I wanted to help reconstruct, but I see God's providence. One of the biggest things the Haitian people need is to know that God is still there despite all that has happened. We will have the opportunity to share a message of hope and faith to both children and adults. May God use us to stregnthen the people we meet and help them learn to trust and depend on him. May he use Haiti to stregnthen us and help us learn to trust and depend upon him.

Please keep our team in your prayers.

Take the Log Out of Your Eye

2010-05-28T12:17:00.001-07:00

So I am upset and hurt. I'll be honest. What use is it having a blog when you can't be honest? So i will lay my heart open for others to see.

It is not easy being a church leader. You can be tough for only so long. These last couple of years have been hard. I know that anytime you have a pastor leave the church that you are going to have issues and people will leave, but I believe we have had more than our share go. I was prepared for people to leave, but after two years a person would think it would stop. I really thought we were over the hump on this.

This past week we have seen two more families leave for various reasons. It is quite sad to see peope divorce their church. I say it so strongly because that is exactly what it is. When Paul likened the church to something he likened it to a marriage. You can say he was talking about the Church and not specifically about a local body of believers. So can say that, but you would be wrong. Paul also uses the analogy of a body to describe the church. Every part is put there for a purpose. When people leave they essentially cripple the body. Again, it is quite sad to see people go. Quite sad and painful.

There is really only one reason a person should leave a church and that is when a church teaches heresy. There is no other reason just like there is only one reason allowed for divorce when a spouse is unfaithful. Some will argue with this. "What about my children? I want some place that they are going to want to go!" Thus says the "entertain me" generation. "I'm just not being fed here. I need more meat!" Says the "it's all about me" generation. "This church just doesn't appreciate or care for others" says the "log in my eye generation."

Say what? Log in my eye generation? What is that supposed to mean? It means that there are a lot of peope accusing the church of having a speck in its eye and trying to remove it on the way out all the while having a log in thier own. What would happen if a person who can't see clearly or not at all tries to remove an object from another person's eye? They would end up making things much worse. Well, that is usually what ends up happening when people leave the church. They are so blinded by themselves that when they attempt to remove (or reveal) a speck in the eye of the church it creates major problems. How can peope accuse the church of not caring and then turn around and do the same thing? Easy, they have a log in thier own eye.

What was Jesus' recommendation in such situations? Remove the log in your own eye. He is not saying there is no actual speck in another person's eye, but he is saying that if you truly desire to help make sure you can see clearly to do so. When you can clearly see you can do it the right and loving way. A person whose major concern is themselves (it is usually disguised as concern for others) will end up crippling the body instead of helping it.

Before you leave a church you need to ask some questions. Do I feel like my church is teaching heresy? Have I really tried to address issues? Have I been hurt in some way that needs to be addressed? Have I tried to address this or other issues in a satisfactory manner or am I just bottling things up and/or gossiping about such perceived issues? Do I really know the heart of the leadership? Have I taken the time to really get to know their vision? Am I upset that I am not receiving recognition? Am I upset because I really don't understand the need for change? Have I really tried my hardest to understand the need for change? Am I truly concerned about the individuals in this body God has me in or am I more concerned about my personal preferences? Have I really ever served this body using the gifts and passions God has given me or have I served out of my own preferences? Am i really wiling to take the percieved easy way out and cause damage by my divorce? Am I really willing to cripple the body by my decision to leave? Am I really doing what God wants me to do or am I acting selfishly?

These are just a few of the many questions that need to be asked, and let me say this as well. I am not the body of Christ. No pastor is. WE are the body of Christ. I am not perfect. That would make me Jesus. I am imperfect and human. All leaders are. The leadership of the church will never make all the right decisions. God has called us to be a body each using gifts and passions given by him doing our individual parts so that we can have major impact on the kingdom. Take the log out of your eyes before you try to remove the speck as you leave the church. If you are guilty of doing this God is calling you to reconcile your relationship with the church just has he calls spouses to reconcile their rocky relationship. If you don't then you are sinning.

Are Cliques in the Church the Real Problem?

2010-05-26T09:14:00.003-07:00

One of the complaints of people, when it comes to church, is that it is too "cliquey." Not to say this isn't true, but I think the term "clique" is often used as a buzzword amongst Christians who are dissatisfied with the church they attend. Often the reason of "This church isn't friendly. It is too cliquey." is heard for a person or family deciding to leave a church.

What is a clique though? Is this term being used correctly or is it just an excuse used to not have to do some introspection where one might discover the issue really lies with them and not the church? Obviously you know where this post is going, but bear with me for I believe eyes will be opened. God calls us to a life of constant change which involves introspection on a regular basis. Jesus uses the word repent even for those who have excepted him as Lord and Savior because all of us continue to have sins we need to turn from. So if you are one of those people who have used the "clique" excuse I would ask that you consider what is said here. Weigh it. Does it make sense? Are you guilty?

The term clique, as defined by Meriam-Webster online, is "a narrow exclusive circle or group of persons; especially: one held together by common interests, views and purposes." All circles and/or groups of people are held together by common interests, views and purposes. Good friends are such because they find in each other a commonality. Just because a group of people have the same interests, views and purposes doesn't necessarily mean they are a clique.

A clique is a group of individuals who find themselves feeling superior to others. They look down on those who do not conform to a standard they have set amongst themselves. Often these people are self-centered, egotistical, prideful and arrogant (amongst other things). There is a definite aura (if you will permit me to use that word) about them that exudes distaste for anyone that doesn't fit their standard.

It is true that within the church there are various circles and groups of people who share similar interests, views, circumstances, personalities, purposes, etc... It is the same for any place. What makes such a circle or group of people a clique is an exclusive nature. Many groups within the church are not exclusive. They may be hard to break into, but they don't go out of their way to exclude others. There may be an unconscious exclusion, but it differs from that of a clique. It isn't that a group is unwilling to let others in, it is that they are unaware that there are others who would like to be a part of their group.

When groups form in the church many people are too quick to cry "clique" and don't realize that what is happening is a natural part of social well being. Humans have been designed by the Creator to form close relationships with a select group of people. Look at the life of Jesus. I am sure there were many who cried "clique!!!" when they saw Jesus focusing on his 12 disciples over others, but Jesus knew that he couldn't completely give of himself, in his physical/human form, to every person that came along. In fact, it is interesting to note that his circle of very close individuals even became smaller. His closest friends were not the entire 12 but three: James, John and Peter.

Often when people accuse the church of being cliquey what they are really missing is the fact that they don't go out of their way to try and make friends. It has been in my experience that those who cry clique are often introverted individuals who have not found it in themselves or learned how to be outgoing. Inside they cry for relationship, but on the outside they portray themselves as being exclusive themselves. They come across as being "loners" who don't want relationships.

I'd like to wrap this up with two examples. One of myself and one of my daughter. I have a tendency to be an introverted person. Many who go to my church might read this and go "What!! No way!!", but it is true. I have learned to appear extroverted, but deep inside I would rather be alone doing my own thing. You can ask my wife. Anytime there is a church function I will say at some point "I really don't want to go." The reason being I don't want to be around a lot of people. I find such functions as being superficial. For me, there is no real fellowship or getting to know others. As a pastor I am forced to go to such functions and appear extroverted.

My oldest daughter is an introvert as well, but she is the type that longs for relationships. She just has a hard time making friends, at least that is the way it used to be. In high school she gave the same excuses that others have. "No one wants to be my friend. Everyone belongs to a group of friends." In essence "high school is full of cliques." But that isn't entirely true as she discovered. I kept telling her "You have to go out and make friends. You can't just expect them to come to you." During her sophomore or junior year she turned things around. She stepped out of her comfort zone and she made friends. She is making friends to this day. I am very proud of her. She has overcome a character defect in her life. She no longer blames others for not having friends.

You might be one of those people who blames others in the church for the fact that you have not connected and/or don't have close friends. You may be right about the church being cliquey. I am not denying the possibility, but you need to ask yourself "Is my church really full of cliques or have I not taken the initiative to make friends?" Believe it or not, quiet/reserved people can be quite intimidating. If you are one of those people you need to learn how to step out of your comfort zone. It is up to you to make friends.

Now, some of you might say "Wait! Isn't the church supposed to be full of people who welcome with open arms, make you feel comfortable, love you unconditionally, etc...?" The answer is a definite yes! But you have to remember that the church is comprised of human beings who are imperfect and struggling in their own lives with trying to be like Christ. If you are approaching a church with this attitude you are forgetting the humaness (and thus imperfect) factor. Ideally, church should be the place a person can go to be instantly accepted. Ideally, but unfortunately not realistic. I am reminded that Jesus said "If you are going to remove the speck of dust out of someone's eye you have to first remove the plank out of your own eye." It is not fair to cry clique and expect everyone to be loving and open when you yourself are unwilling to make the personal changes in your own life. First make the personal changes (be more outgoing, less introverted, etc...) and then challenge the church to be more like Christ in its acceptance of people.

It begins with you!!

(On a side note: This really is a job for Jesus. Some of us just can't make friends that easily and we need the extra help. For those of us who are like this God has given us an opportunity to exercise our faith. Jesus knows exactly how to help us overcome. Are you willing to put your faith and trust in Him? Check out this post to get you started. Faith - What is it and how do you exercise it?)

Senate Bill 3217 - Fight Against It!!

2010-04-21T13:09:00.000-07:00

This Friday an attempt will be made to ram a bill through the Senate called the Restoring American Financial Stability Act of 2010 (Senate Bill 3217). This bill, amongst other things, will grant permanent and unlimited bailout authority to the Federal Reserve. This is not a good thing. Please visit the website below to find out more about the bill and what you can do. There is only a couple days left. Please contact your senators and encourage them to vote no on Senate Bill 3217.

Senate Trying to Ram Through Another Bad Bill . . . Surprised? Here's What You Need to Know

Why I Am Becoming So Politically Minded

2010-04-21T13:04:00.000-07:00

If you would have asked me three years what I thought about the current state of our government and/or economy I would have not been able to give you an answer. Up until I started teaching ethics at our local community college I really had not desire to get involved in politics. As I began to teach social ethics it became abundantly clear that I needed to be more savvy about the goings on of our government. Now I am very concerned.

This country of ours was founded on the two great principles of liberty and democracy. Liberty, the right to choose for one's self as long as it does not harm someone else. Democracy, the ability of a people to govern themselves through mutual decision making, otherwise known as "for the people by the people." Unfortunately these two great principles are under attack by those who have different ideals that limit liberty and true democracy.

I am becoming increasingly concerned about the direction our country is headed in. Our economy is bad. Pray has been banned from the White House. The Christian religion is coming under ever increasing fire. The liberty and democracy that enabled me to enjoy life as child (even though I did not understand it) is rapidly vanishing. My biggest concern, my children will never be able to experience what I did growing up. They will find themselves pressured into allowing the government to strip them of their liberty and accept the paternalism of a nanny government. They already feel the affects of what is happening.

I am but one person, but I want to do all that I can to help this country maintain liberty and true democracy. Therefore I am becoming more and more outspoken. Some may disagree with this. I am a pastor after all. Shouldn't a pastor be silent when it comes to politics? The answer is a resounding no. For not only am I a pastor, but I am a citizen of the United States of America where liberty and democracy are cherished concepts. Will I ever endorse a political candidate, party or view from the pulpit? No, I will never knowingly do so. Will I use other avenues and means available to educate others and fight for liberty and democracy. Yes, by any means!! Will I look down on anyone for having a different political outlook or opinion? I will try my hardest not to as long as they can articulate why they believe the way they do.

So I do not apologize for any political emphasis this blog may take. I am still committed to Jesus and always will be. My commitment to my God and Savior comes first. I will also commit myself to making this country a place of liberty and democracy for my children's sake.

Divorce Agreement Between the Conservatives and Liberals

2010-04-08T16:13:00.000-07:00

Thought this was funny and so I wanted to share it with you.

DIVORCE AGREEMENT

THIS IS SO INCREDIBLY WELL PUT AND I CAN HARDLY BELIEVE IT'S BY A YOUNG PERSON, A STUDENT!!! WHATEVER HE RUNS FOR, I'LL VOTE FOR HIM.

To: American liberals, leftists, social progressives, socialists, Marxists
and Obama supporters, et al:

We have stuck together since the late 1950's, but the whole of this latest election process has made me realize that I want a divorce.... I know we tolerated each other for many years for the sake of future generations, but sadly, this relationship has run its course.
Our two ideological sides of America cannot and will not ever agree on what is right so let's just end it on friendly terms. We can smile and chalk it up to irreconcilable differences and go our own way.

Here is a model separation agreement:

Our two groups can equitably divide up the country by landmass each taking a portion. That will be the difficult part, but I am sure our two sides can come to a friendly agreement. After that, it should be relatively easy! Our respective representatives can effortlessly divide other assets since both sides have such distinct and disparate tastes.

We don't like redistributive taxes so you can keep them. You are welcome to the liberal judges and the ACLU. Since you hate guns and war, we'll take our firearms, the cops, the NRA and the military.
You can keep Oprah, Michael Moore and Rosie O'Donnell (You are, however, responsible for finding a bio-diesel vehicle big enough to move all three of them).

We'll keep the capitalism, greedy corporations, pharmaceutical companies, Wal-Mart and Wall Street. You can have your beloved homeless, homeboys, hippies and illegal aliens. We'll keep the hot
Alaskan hockey moms, greedy CEO's and rednecks. We'll keep the Bibles and give you NBC and Hollywood.

You can make nice with Iran and Palestine and we'll retain the right to invade and hammer places that threaten us. You can have the peaceniks and war protesters. When our allies or our way of life are
under assault, we'll help provide them security.

We'll keep our Judeo-Christian values. You are welcome to Islam, Scientology, Humanism and Shirley Maclaine. You can also have the U.N., but we will no longer be paying the bill.

We'll keep the SUVs, pickup trucks and oversized luxury cars. You can take every Subaru station wagon you can find.

You can give everyone healthcare if you can find any practicing doctors. We'll continue to believe healthcare is a luxury and not a
right. We'll keep The Battle Hymn of the Republic and the National Anthem. I'm sure you'll be happy to substitute Imagine, I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing, Kum Ba Ya or We Are the World.

We'll practice trickle down economics and you can give trickle up poverty your best shot. Since it often so offends you, we'll keep our history, our name and our flag.

Would you agree to this? If so, please pass it along to other like minded liberal and conservative patriots and if you do not agree, just hit delete. In the spirit of friendly parting, I'll bet you answer which one of us will need whose help in 15 years.

Sincerely,
John J. Wall
Law Student and an American

P.S. Also, please take Ted Turner, Sean Penn, Martin Sheen, Barbara Streisand, & Jane Fonda with you.

P. S. S. And we won't have to press 1 for English.

Faith - What is it and how do we exercise it?

2010-03-22T14:43:00.001-07:00

So I just finished preaching a 4 part series on faith while our pastor was on a mission trip. I thought it might be good to just summarize what I have learned and taught over the last few weeks.

The concept of faith is different for different people. There is a general view of faith that is akin to a strong hope. There is a secularist view of faith that pretty much dismisses faith as blind hope. There are also various religious views, one of which comes from some Christian circles that says faith is a force or power that if manipulated right can get a person what they want. With all these different definitions of faith it is easy to see how many Christians can become confused themselves.

Biblical faith is two things. It is allowing our belief to influence how we think, speak and act. In essence, it is becoming more like Jesus. It is also trusting God to help us become more like Jesus. As humans of flesh and bone we can never hope to be like Jesus unless we learn how to rely on God's power to help us.

It is an interesting phenomenon in American Christianity where two opposing views of faith exist. Many fall into a pattern of complacency believing that there is nothing to really have faith about. Most of us have our basic needs met. We have food, shelter, clothing, etc... If we don't...well there is always government organizations out there that can help. America is fortunate in that those who are poor usually have had some choice in their poverty. Then there are those who are all about faith, but unfortunately they view it as the dollar bill that gets a person goodies out of the cosmic vending machine.

I don't know too many people who have a correct biblical view of faith which is sad because Christians are supposed to be a people of faith. I think the real issue is, we just don't know how to exercise our faith in the right way. Christians know that faith should play a part in their life. Some throw up their hands in despair and say "Oh, well. I guess I'll use it when the opportunity arises." Others, because they know faith is important, choose to redefine it.

Truth be told, neither has to happen. Plenty of opportunities to exercise our faith (trust in God) exist on not only a daily basis but a moment by moment basis. Just a few of the opportunities that exist are moments of temptation (especially concerning those temptations we don't have any control over), moments of trials (situations of no control), particularly moments of suffering and using our God given talents and gifts to glorify God.

How do we seize these opportunities to exercise our faith? We first have to know what God's word says about the situation. The Bible speaks to every single possible situation. We need to know what the Word says and what God promises. Knowing what God promises gives us a foundation for our faith. Then we need to draw near to Jesus in prayer. Jesus experienced humanity. He experienced everything we did. He knows how to handle every situation. If we ask him, he will show us how to deal with circumstances that are beyond our control. Most of the time God helps us find peace in the situation and allow Him to work. The last thing we need to do is live by the Spirit who lives in us. The Holy Spirit was sent so that we may have someone who can help us. He confirms and reminds us of what Scripture says. We need to learn to live by what he says. When he speaks we need to get in the habit of doing.

There are numerous opportunities to exercise our faith. I say exercise because a basic principle about faith is that it builds upon itself. As we learn to trust God we will find it easier to put things in his hands. I encourage all to take the opportunities presented to have faith. Know and trust in God's promises. Draw near to Jesus in prayer. Live by the Spirit who lives in you. Be a person of faith.

If you want to hear the series I preached you can go to the Kingman Christian Church website. Just follow the link here.

Is Man's Search For a Better Life Really Worth It?

2010-03-15T10:55:00.001-07:00

In 2009 a Bruce Willis movie came out called Surrogates. Though it did not receive the best reviews it did present an interesting concept akin to the blockbuster Avatar. In the movie the world has become dependent upon surrogate human like robots. People are allowed to stay in the comfort of their own homes while living their lives outside through robots.

Sounds pretty cool! A result of this a person can do just about anything they ever dreamed of. They can be and look like whoever they want. They can live vicariously without having to worry about physical harm and yet be able to enjoy all kinds of physical pleasures. It is taking the current phenomenon of virtual social networking to a new level!!

What I find interesting is that at the beginning of the movie it says that such widespread use of surrogates has actually made mankind better. Two things that are mentioned specifically are the decrease in sexually transmitted disease and a rapid decline in crime. I can understand the decrease in sexually transmitted disease, but could the use of surrogates really lead to a decrease in crime?

Man is continually searching for a "better quality of life." Real research is being done that actually gives promise to making such things a reality, but at what cost? Though many don't see it, the true plague of humankind is selfishness. Wouldn't the development of such surrogates actually make things worse?

God has allowed consequences that result from sinful behavior to exist. Sexually transmitted disease is just one of those consequences. Such consequences act as a deterrent for many people. The thought of death is another deterrent. The reality that a person's life could be ended by involving one's self in bad behavior keeps many people from doing destructive things. In essence, a lot of selfishness is kept in check (even though it seems that more and more people seem to be less concerned about the consequences).

What would life look like if all of the consequences were completely taken away? I think the answer is we would be living in a selfish chaotic immoral society. Immorality would abound. Even though the movie suggests the crime rate would go down it does hint at the increased immorality that undoubtedly would take place.

Just as the world misses the point so does this movie. The movie camps out on a theme that says that quality of life is most important. What was thought to be the boon of mankind soon becomes the plague...in the eyes of the very inventor of these machines!! I would contend that the more important theme would be the loss of the last vestiges of morality our world clings onto.

Will man ever truly come to the point where such things could happen? If history is any indicator I would say no. It seems that God has always put a stop to such advancements before they got too out of hand. God flooded the earth when the human race became too full of themselves. He discouraged unifying language when the human race thought they could ascend to His throne and become an equal. I believe he will prevent mankind from developing technology that would virtually make it a race of gods.

More importantly, as we search to better our lives we need to ask the question "For what reason?" and another important question "To what consequence?" There is a hope in our future as Christians that promises an end to pain and suffering and a beginning of new life lasting for eternity. It is for this reason that we should be content in whatever situation we find ourselves while living this life here on earth. This is a temporary place. If we really want to seek to better lives it should be done by sharing the good news of Jesus Christ with those who don't know him. To make anything else the focus of life is truly folly.

GF and Sugar free Sweet and Sour Sauce

2010-03-12T13:17:00.000-07:00

I don't really talk about it much on here. I probably need to talk about it more. I am gluten intolerant and diabetic. The problem is. I REALLY LOVE FOOD!!!! And I love to cook. So I have been trying to invent different recipes that will allow me to enjoy food while being gluten free(GF) and low in sugar. The other day I made a sweet and sour sauce that I thought was worth sharing.

There is an issue in sharing this recipe. I don't measure things out. So if someone want to take what I have here and give it some measurement I would greatly appreciate it. So here is my GF/Sugar Free Sweet and Sour Sauce recipe.

Ingredients:

Rice Vinegar
Sugar Free Ketchup
Agave Nectar (Very low Glycemic Index)
Soy Sauce
Corn Starch

Like I said, I don't measure things out which makes it hard to share recipes. I mix the rice vinegar, sugar free ketchup and agave nectar in a small saucepan. The amounts will vary according to your taste. I like vinegar so I make sure I can taste it. After you get the ratio of ingredients to where you want it heat it up until it starts to boil. Bring down your heat and let it simmer while you prepare the soy sauce and corn starch. Again, depending on how thick you want your sauce depends on how much cornstarch you use. I like my sauce a little thin. Mix the soy and cornstarch well. Add to the simmering sauce and stir until well mixed and thickened. There you have it!!

Again, if anyone wants to experiment with the ingredients and come up with some measurements please do. Please leave what you come up with in the comments.

Kudos to Corazonas - A Business That Cares

2010-02-16T13:43:00.001-07:00

If you have been reading my blog for any length of time it should be obvious that I have a mild concern about good business practices. The church, though it is not a business, incorporates many business practices. It has to because it is an organization that deals with lots of people. My views of good business practices mirror my own growing passion for excellence in the church. So when I come across an exceptional company that delivers not only a good product but also truly cares about its customers I just have to laud praises in hopes that we will be inspired by their example and encourage others to give them business.

It started at Safeway. On one of my shopping days I strolled by a display of corn chips put out by a new company called Corazonas. I didn't pay much attention at first. I wasn't shopping for corn chips, but something caught my eye. Above the small 1 oz bags was a coupon that said "Free." Yes, free always catches my eye. It was a coupon for a free 1 oz bag of the Corazonas tortilla chips. So I grabbed the coupon and grabbed a bag.

Later at home I opened the bag and tried the chips. They were very good. I had them with a little jalapeno hummus. Being a new product I began to read about the company. Corazonas was begun with the goal of creating heart healthy snacks that taste great. Well that was great. I am taking cholesterol medicine and am on the look out for foods that are either low in cholesterol or that help lower it. Corazonas claims that eating their products will actually help lower cholesterol.

So the next time I was at Safeway I got another free bag. The time after that I got another free bag. Then on the next visit I grabbed another coupon and noticed that it was either for a free bag of 1 oz or a $1.00 off a 7oz bag. I went over to the chip aisle and found the 7oz bags on sale and so I purchased one.

Later that day I was in the office snacking on the bag and noticed that as I got closer to the bottom the chips were becoming greasy. Finally at the bottom of the bag I noticed the last of the chips were extremely greasy. So I got online and went to the Corazonas website. I was very impressed with what they had to say, but I was a little disappointed in my last bag.

I wrote them an email explaining what had happened, and to my delight they had emailed back. They apologized for the product and expressed concern about my experience. They asked that I email the product coding back to them so they could do a quality control check. This was the first thing that impressed me about the email. Instead of just apologizing they asked for more info so they could try to do something about the problem in the future.

The second thing I was impressed about was they offered me two bags of product, my choice, for the inconvenience. I sent them my choices with address. Within a few days I got a package from them. I was impressed for a third time. In the box I found the two bags I had chosen, another bag to replace the one I had a problem with, but that wasn't it. They also sent some literature containing a coupon for another free bag and an oatmeal bar sample.

Here is a company that truly cares about its customers. I wish there were more companies that exhibited such customer care. Corazonas has my business. They have a healthy great tasting product (not to mention much of it is gluten free) and an honest concern for customers. Thanks Corazona!!!

Please go to their website and check out their product. You can find their corn chips at Safeway. Hopefully Safeway will be getting more of their product. I have tried the Lightly Salted Corn Chips, the Squeeze of Lime Corn Chips, Black Bean and Cheese Corn Chips, the Spicy Rio Habanero Potato Chips, the Banana Walnut Oatmeal Square and my children have tried their Mediterranean Garlic and Herb Potato Chips. All of the products we have tried are great!! Great and healthy!! Please give them your business!!

A Rant About Christian Companies

2010-02-02T11:39:00.001-07:00

Our church has been a customer of Group Publishing for quite some time. I have been at KCC for 9 years and I know we have been using Group material for our children's programs for at least that long. So it really urks me when a company that you have been with for a long time won't budge a little. In my opinion, it just makes sense to work with your customers especially during times such as these.

My experience with different companies has led to the opinion that many non-Christian companies provide better business experiences than a lot Christan companies. I have/our church has had some bad experiences with Christian companies such as Group Publishing, Bluefish TV (of which I wrote a little rant about awhile ago), Faith Highway (bankruptcy) and Servant Keeper (bad customer support).

I know that when you go into business it is to make a buck. I don't fault non-Christian or Christian companies for this mentality. It's a given. I expect it, but what I don't understand is that with all the research that has been done concerning how to make a business thrive why aren't Christian businesses leading the way in customer relations, customer support, technical support, sound/ethical business practices, etc...? It seems to me that a business/company that calls themselves Christian should strive to be the best. There is no reason for a Christian business to have bad customer service, bad technical support, bad financial practices leading to bankruptcy, bad business practices!!!

Christianity calls those who follow Christ to love. It is the principal/principle of love that dictates how we do anything including business. It is a shame when non-Christian businesses out-love Christian businesses.

What does this look like in business? A Christian company should have superior customer support that includes customer support technicians who know what they are doing and who have great customer skills. They don't just come across as caring but really do care about the customer. The same goes for technical support. A Christian business should have sound and ethical business practices. Many Christian businesses are willing to do what most secular businesses won't by sending their product without notification relying on their customer's "conscience" to send it back if they do not want it. To me this is unbelievable and in a Christian sense unethical. Christian companies should not participate in high pressure solicitation. They should be completely up front about their product and give customers a chance to indicate whether they are interested or not before giving the "pitch." Etc...

I call this approach the bend-over-backward approach. A Christian company should do whatever it takes to retain happy and satisfied customers with the realization that even though business is being conducted it is being conducted with a child of God. I am not saying that a company needs to allow itself to be taken advantage of. Being in ministry has given me plenty of experience with people. There are many who would take advantage of kindness and generosity. After so long one begins to recognize certain signs that tell whether a person is being sincere or just trying to work the system. A company who invests in employees and helps them to be satisfied with their jobs will find that they will retain their employees longer and with such retention will come experience in how to identify those who are not being honest. Even so, I truly believe the number of dishonest is far less then the number of honest customers.

God calls Christians to shine in a world filled with darkness. It doesn't matter where a Christian finds himself. He has the responsibility to shine. A Christian should never fall into the trap that the only place to shine is when the world is looking at him/her and not when they are with other like minded people. One of the ways the world will identify followers of Christ is by how they treat each other. Christian businesses are not exempt.

If you are a Christian business owner then my appeal to you is to do what is right. Lead the way in business. Bend over backwards to show the love of Christ. God will honor such practice.

Is Pat Robertson a Prophet?

2010-01-14T12:13:00.000-07:00

This was written by my friend and mentor Pastor Walt Roberts to his congregational network. He is the pastor of Crossroads Church in Stateline, PA.

Is Pat Robertson a prophet?

No.

POINT OF FULL DISCLOSURE: I am NOT a Pat Robertson fan. I used to be, but somewhere in the 80's he lost me.

In case you haven't heard, Pat Robertson attributed the devastating earthquake in Haiti to an alleged "pact with the Devil" made in the 19th century by the Haitian people. He has been roundly criticized for his comments. To be fair, the following points ought to be made:

1. Robertson made his comments in the midst of an appeal for aid to the earthquake victims,

2. Robertson has made irresponsible, incendiary comments in the past (often associated with "natural" disasters), and

3. Robertson's larger point is worthy of discussion. If, in fact, it can be demonstrated that the Haitians had some kind of deal with the Devil, is it really unreasonable to expect that this might not turn out too well?

HOWEVER, here is why Pat Robertson is probably wrong:

1. Robertson's assertion is unfounded and undocumented. He simply "says so." Also, he contrasts Haiti with the neighboring Dominican Republic as an example of a "prosperous" nation. This is simply wrong, as anyone who has been to the Dominican can confirm. Thus Robertson's whole story is suspect, since he apparently has a few easily-verifiable facts wrong.

2. "He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous." (Matthew 5:45) Simply put, stuff happens; sometimes bad stuff. It's a part of the corruption of creation caused by sin. (Romans 8:18-22)

3. Jesus refers to a natural disaster and how the people so affected are no better or worse than his followers. (Luke 13:3-5)

4. When we see something bad has happened, it gives us an opportunity to do something good that will result in God's glory. (John 9:1-3)

Robertson's comments are probably wrong; they are definitely untimely and in poor taste. Regardless, as is typically the case, Americans are responding with swift generosity. It should be pointed out that this is very likely due to the "Christian values" that are embedded in American culture. My point is simply this: Pat Robertson may have said something stupid (yeah, I'll admit, I've done that too), but Christianity is still great and Jesus is still the Ultimate Hope!

Be blessed!

Pastor Walt

Helping Earthquake Victims in Haiti

2010-01-13T11:40:00.000-07:00

Kingman Christian Church is trying to make it easy for people to donate in order to help victims of the earthquake in Haiti. Links will be put on the KCC website soon, but in the meantime you can follow the links here on my blog.

Compassion International would like you to know where your dollars go. $35 will help a family for a week.

Samaritan's Purse is on the scene as well as World Vision.

Any of these organizations are good to donate your money through. To make a donation just click on the name of the organization you would like to make it through.

What Does God Require of Us?

2010-01-12T12:50:00.000-07:00

During our family devotional time this morning we read Matthew 12 (our church is reading the Bible in 9 months). Chapter 12 is a big chapter with lots of different stuff, but two things that really stuck out to me were the first two stories. Both stories show how the Pharisees are more concerned about their laws then they are about people. Jesus is accused of breaking the Sabbath when his disciples were picking grain and eating it because they were hungry. Later the Pharisees try to trick him into breaking the Sabbath again by performing a miracle.

One particular verse stands out from the rest on this particular Bible reading occasion. Jesus said in verse 7 "If you had known what these words mean, 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice,' you would not have condemned the innocent." What an interesting verse. The Bible talks a lot about sacrifice and most of the time it is in connection with God and is seen as a thing that God desires, but here we find Jesus saying something that almost seems at odds with the positive concept of sacrifice.

The issue is a misconception of sacrifice. Jewish law was very developed by this time. Hundreds, if not more, laws had been added to God's law in order to help the Jew not break any of God's laws. Laws were developed around God's law as sort of a buffer. I am sure the Pharisees saw the obedience of these laws as a form of sacrifice. Unfortunately, it got to the point where these man made laws were just as important as God's laws. To break them was actually seen as sinning against God even though such laws were not truly God's laws.

What ended up happening was the Pharisees had gotten so radical about these laws that they forgot that God was more concerned about man then about laws. Jesus states it this way concerning the Sabbath. "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath." Man is important. Not the law. The laws were put here to help man. Man was not made to keep laws.

I'm not advocating the breaking of laws, but I am saying we need to have a proper perspective. Laws should never come before people. It is this reason Jesus says "I desire mercy, not sacrifice." Yes, it is a personal sacrifice if you choose to confine your activities in such away that you buffer yourself from breaking God's law, but mercy trumps sacrifice. We should never place undue expectations upon others, and what I mean by this is if it isn't an expectation of God's then it shouldn't be an expectation of us. People are what is important. As soon as a person gets legalistic about things that are not truly of God they have lost focus of what is truly important.

As a side note, isn't mercy really sacrifice? I used this illustration with my children. We like to play mercy, or I should say, I like to play the game of mercy. It's great fun for me watching my children squirm and wiggle under the light pressure I put on their fingers, but according to the rules of the game, as soon as they say mercy I am supposed to let up. Now, I have a decision to make when they say mercy. I can continue to apply pressure and enjoy the pain I am causing (I know it sounds a little sadistic, but I'm just using this as an illustration). The other choice I have is to sacrifice my pleasure and let off so that they can experience some pleasure, i.e. blood rushing back to their fingertips.

It is a silly illustration but it serves the point I am trying to make. Mercy involves backing off. It involves sacrificing power and/or control that you may have over a person or situation in order to allow them a level of pleasure or reprieve. So in essence, God prefers the sacrifice that involves mercy over other types of sacrifice because mercy clearly shows a deference for people.

All this has led me to the question that I want to end this blog with. What does God really require of us? As I read through scripture over the next 9 months I am going to try and keep that question in mind. I think a lot of us have misconceptions of what God really requires. I don't want to have those misconceptions.

This kind of stuff makes me sick.

2010-01-12T09:49:00.000-07:00

Here is an interesting article outlining how much money was spent by us delegates and congressional attendees to the Copenhagen Climate Summit. For being in a recession we sure have a lot of money to spend for useless things. Check it out here.

New Year's Eve Contemplation

2009-12-31T16:43:00.000-07:00

It is New Years Eve. I'm sitting here at the table preparing to work on this month's budget, my World Religions class this next semester and looking forward and seeing what my children have in store for the next semester. Obviously I'm not doing any of that just yet. Instead, I'm sitting here thinking about 2009.

About an hour ago I watched a video of someone recapping this last year. In their own words "This has been the best year of my life." As I listen to the reasons for why it has been the best year of their life I'm left with the question "Is that it?!"

My thoughts pass on from this video to the couple year's ending letters we have received from family and friends. Many people like to share the important aspects of the year such as significant achievements of their children, new things they have tried this last year (I have a friend who has started a professional wrestling career. No joke!!), tragedies and so on. It is a nice way to keep up on what has transpired over this last year in their lives. The accomplishments of their children are significant in their development. So I don't want it to seem like I am completely downplaying what they have written, but once again I am left asking the question "Is that it?!"

As I continue to think I inevitably, and reluctantly, end up looking at my own life this past year. What significant things have happened? Have I done anything exciting or different? Were there any tragedies? As I go over different things I am struck with the same question. "Is that it?!"

There is a lot to living. Some times too much!! It is easy to get caught up in the rush of life and forget about what is really important. I feel like a lot has transpired over this past year. I could probably sit down and write a pretty good letter recapping the lives of 7 people and a dog during the one year period of 2009, but I refuse to do so. Instead, I look at my own life. I wade past all the business. I push beyond seemingly significant events. I continue on until I come to the biggest question with the most significance. Did I do anything significant for Christ this past year? I am left speechless and stunned. I can only pray that 2010 is a better year.

Something to Think About

2009-12-11T10:20:00.000-07:00

Got this poem from a friend. I thought I would share it.

The embers glowed softly, and in their dim light,

I gazed round the room and I cherished the sight.

My wife was asleep, her head on my chest,

My daughter beside me, angelic in rest.

Outside the snow fell, a blanket of white,

Transforming the yard to a winter delight.

The sparkling lights in the tree I believe,

Completed the magic that was Christmas Eve.

My eyelids were heavy, my breathing was deep,

Secure and surrounded by love I would sleep.

In perfect contentment, or so it would seem,

So I slumbered, perhaps I started to dream.

The sound wasn't loud, and it wasn't too near,

But I opened my eyes when it tickled my ear.

Perhaps just a cough, I didn't quite know,

Then the sure sound of footsteps outside in the snow.

My soul gave a tremble, I struggled to hear,

And I crept to the door just to see who was near.

Standing out in the cold and the dark of the night,

A lone figure stood, his face weary and tight.

A soldier, I puzzled, some twenty years old,

Perhaps a Marine, huddled here in the cold.

Alone in the dark, he looked up and smiled,

Standing watch over me, and my wife and my child.

"What are you doing?" I asked without fear,

"Come in this moment, it's freezing out here!

Put down your pack, brush the snow from your sleeve,

You should be at home on a cold Christmas Eve!"

For barely a moment I saw his eyes shift,

Away from the cold and the snow blown in drifts.

To the window that danced with a warm fire's light

Then he sighed and he said "It’s really all right,

I'm out here by choice. I'm here every night."

"It's my duty to stand at the front of the line,

That separates you from the darkest of times.

No one had to ask or beg or implore me,

I'm proud to stand here like my fathers before me.

My Gramps died at 'Pearl'on a day in December,"

Then he sighed, "That's a Christmas 'Gram always remembers."

"My dad stood his watch in the jungles of 'Nam',

And now it is my turn and so, here I am.

I've not seen my own son in more than a while,

But my wife sends me pictures, he's sure got her smile."

Then he bent and he carefully pulled from his bag,

The red, white, and blue... an American flag.

"I can live through the cold and the being alone,

Away from my family, my house and my home."

"I can stand at my post through the rain and the sleet,

I can sleep in a foxhole with little to eat.

I can carry the weight of killing another,

Or lay down my life with my sister and brother.

Who stand at the front against any and all,

To ensure for all time that this flag will not fall."

"So go back inside," he said, "harbor no fright,

Your family is waiting and I'll be all right."

"But isn't there something I can do, at the least,

Give you money," I asked, "or prepare you a feast?

It seems all too little for all that you've done,

For being away from your wife and your son."

Then his eye welled a tear that held no regret,

"Just tell us you love us, and never forget.

To fight for our rights back home while we're gone,

To stand your own watch, no matter how long.

For when we come home, either standing or dead,

To know you remember we fought and we bled.

Is payment enough, and with that we will trust,

That we mattered to you as you mattered to us."

The Fallacy of "Meat" and "Deep"

2009-11-24T12:44:00.001-07:00

How many times have you heard the expression "I really want to go deep" or "I really need some meat" and wondered exactly what that meant. I don't know how many times I have heard people say one of these and when asked what they mean they can't give an explanation. They just want depth and solid food!! Okay then?

I don't think people really understand what "deep" and "meat" means. Louie and I were talking about this. He said that some people equate these with complicated. There are a lot of people who think you aren't a "deep" preacher "feeding" the congregation because you aren't getting into the Greek and looking at the conjugation of verbs and considering the tense in order to explain the mystery behind the meaning of....blah, blah, blah.

If one takes a look at Jesus' teaching it would be found that his teaching was not very complicated and yet it was still deep. In fact one of the strikingly remarkable things about Jesus's teaching is that he used parables or stories; a very simplistic way of communicating a lesson. Mark 4:33 says "With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it. He did not speak to them without a parable, but privately to his own disciples he explained everything." I'm not saying a parable needs no explanation, but on the other hand it is still a simplistic way of teaching.

Paul speaks of milk as opposed to solid food. A lot of people think simple is milk whereas complex is solid. I have grown to understand the meaning of these in a different way. Milk is the basics of Christianity; the Gospel message. In fact, if you really look at it, the Christian message is not a complicated message at all. Yes we have a big book called the Bible, but it's message is not very difficult event though there are a lot of stories. God loves us. God is the perfect standard. We sin. We deserve death. God sent his son as an atoning sacrifice (Jesus took our punishment). Through Jesus we can have eternal life. Through Jesus we can love God back. Not very complicated, but somewhere along the line Christians have developed this idea that there must be more beyond the simple (milk) message of the Gospel. There must be some solid food in that book. Truth is, solid food isn't found in Scripture. It is found through the living out scripture.

People who say they need "meat" need to spend more time doing what Scripture says. It is that simple. I think the desire for "meat" is really an excuse to not do what God truly desires. That is where the complication comes in. Even though there is a simplicity to the Bible and Christianity, it is our putting it into practice that complicates it. It is the conflict between our selfish fleshly desires and spiritual nature which desires to serve and obey God. Some people want to go "deep" because they don't want to deal with the this conflict. Going deep is really the easy way out. There is a deep spiritual feeling but no real depth in one's walk with God.

The culmination of all that God has done is Jesus working through the church to bring people to Himself. How can there be anything deeper beyond? This idea was a major contributor to the formation of Gnosticism. Gnosticism taught/teaches that there is more beyond what we see. In fact, all that is material is really evil and cannot be trusted. To learn the truth one must be initiated into a special group of people who hold the key to unlocking the truth. In essence, such a notion that there is something more beyond the very simple has led people away from Christ.

If your one of those people who want to go "deeper" and be fed "meat" then I challenge you to take what you know and really put it into practice. God has called us to be doers. He has not called us to be intellectual giants. Put what you know into practice. "One who is faithful in very little is also faithful in much..." "Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much."

Practicing What I Preach

2009-11-18T11:23:00.001-07:00

I admit. I am one of those pastors (of which I think there are many) who, for the sake of making scriptural applicable to the average Christian's life, comes up with "action steps" and "what we do nows?" but never really puts those things into practice. Now some will say that I am a big hypocrite. I don't practice what I preach, but I don't make any pretense of of doing the things I preach. I try to be open about my own life, sometimes to the detriment of my wife, about my hangups as a Christian. I struggle just like every human being struggles. I do see the importance of Scripture. I do see the need to put it into practice. This fuels my desire when I teach to come up with some way to make it applicable, even if I don't follow through myself. I don't see that is being hypocritical. I see that as being a teacher trying to teach truths and biblical principles regardless of my own faults. In a lot of ways I have become like teachers/professors in higher academia. In essence, I have become a theorist.

I have come to realize that I can only go so far in teaching people how to apply Scripture to their lives. I can theorize about how scripture is applied, but if someone were to come and ask me "What has your experience been?" I could not give them any kind of a definite answer. With this realization I have been challenged to change things around in my life.

After writing a few of my most recent blog posts, teaching the teens and attending small group I have decided to practice what I preach. I want to be able to answer the "What has your experience been?" question. I have started with putting God first in what I do and what my family does. I am not saying that I have instantly changed, but I am making a conscience effort to make God the main thing in my life. This stems from the post I wrote about Prioritizing the Important Things. My son and I are challenging each other to read our Bible daily. It has been refreshing. I have forgotten what it was like to be in love with Scripture. I have begun the process of simplifying my life. I have cut out many unnecessary activities so that I can make God the number one priority and try to balance my family, work, rest and sharing my faith priorities. It is a tough road, but at least I am on it.

I wrote a blog post about the priority of marriage. As a result I am trying to make the changes in my marriage and family. One of the changes that has been made is starting our day together as a family with discussion over Scripture and prayer. We've only done it for a few days now, but I am loving it. Beginning the day like this seems to help with the rest of the day. I taught a lesson and blogged about this (Working Together in Developing Godly Habits). I'm putting my "action steps" into practice.

I no longer want to be a theorist. I want to live what I teach. God is the priority. I pray that he will continue to shape and mold my life. I encourage all who read this to do the same thing. At our church we have been learning about what it means to be salt and light. True salt and light comes from Christians who are growing in their relationship with Christ. They allow God to shake their lives up. They are open to the changes that need to be made. They do their best to be like Christ. Will you join me?

Working Together in Developing Godly Habits

2009-11-12T14:41:00.001-07:00

Last night I taught some of our parents and teens about how families can work together to develop godly habits. What I taught does not only apply to the family but any group or partnership where mutual accountability takes place. Mutual accountability is when two or more people give one another permission to help them grow and develop in their relationship with Christ. It involves learning together, doing together, praying together and using scripture to teach, correct and rebuke one another (2 Timothy 3:16).

When we receive Christ hold habits have to be replaced by new habits. Jesus taught that if anyone is to follow him they must take up their cross daily. He also said that those who would save their life will lose it and those who lose their lives will save it. Paul goes on to explain that when we receive Jesus as our Master and Savior he makes us a new person and the old person dies.

It is an interesting discussion concerning personhood. What makes a person a person? To be brief, a major part of personhood is character. Stephen Covey said "Our character is basically a composite of our habits. Because they are consistent, often unconscious patterns, they constantly, daily, express our character."

I think Stephen hit it on the head. Our character, and part of what makes us a person, is based on our habits. Before we knew Christ as our Master and Savior we had developed a "worldly" character that was a composite of different habits. Some were destructive and worthless. But!! When we came to know Jesus as our Master and Savior it should have become obvious that many of our habits were in fact sins. It was for our sin that Jesus died. He took our sin upon himself. He paid what should have been our penalty for our sin. The result of really understanding this should have caused us concern over those habits that were/are sin. This is what Jesus and Paul meant. Our understanding of what Jesus did should lead us in putting to death our old selves and developing our new selves. In short, replace the old habits with new ones.

It is essential that the Christian develop new habits, or godly habits. Habits have a tendency to reassert themselves if they are not replaced by new ones. Christians must be consciously developing godly habits to replace the old. Here are three reasons why it is essential to develop godly habits.

First, in the beginning of a new Christian's life habits have to be formed to help a person grow closer to Jesus. I've seen too many new Christians go back to their old lives because no one has helped them develop new habits that replace the old which help them in their fledgling relationship to Jesus. It is sad, and I think it reveals the state of the Christian church today. I think part of the reason why new Christians are not encouraged and taught to develop these new habits is because many people in the Church have never truly developed godly habits.

Second, the continued development of godly habits is essential for the Christian to "remain" in Jesus and produce "fruit" (John 15:1-11). A person who truly understands what Jesus did in their life will be a changed person, but it does require work on our part. I think that some church traditions, such as ours, so emphasize the fact that there is nothing we can do to be saved that we assume there need not be any work done on our part. The truth is, what Jesus has done for us should cause us to want to change and tell the world. Jesus says in John 15 that if we are to truly remain in him we will bear fruit. We will make disciples and our character will change (Galatians 5:22). In fact, godly habits are fruit within the Christian's life.

Third, our godly habits eventually determine how we reflect Jesus to the world around us (Matthew 5:13-16). In the famous salt and light passage of the Sermon on the Mount Jesus says "In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven." A quote I found says "Watch your thoughts; they become words. Watch your words; they become actions. Watch your actions; they become habits." Habits are in essence repeated actions. If we want to reflect the truth of Jesus to the world we have to have godly habits in place.

Though godly habits can be developed on a person's own, I believe that the best place for the development of godly habits is within the context of relationships. God has created us as social human beings. Richard Foster said in his book The Celebration of Discipline "God intends the Disciplines [godly habits] of the spiritual life to be for ordinary human beings: people who have jobs, who care for children, who wash dishes and mow lawns. In fact, the Disciplines [godly habits] are exercised in the midst of our relationship with our husband and wife, our brothers and sisters, our friends and neighbors."

The truth is, there just are not that many truly self-disciplined people in the world. That is not to say that self-discipline cannot be developed (and in reality is a godly habit itself), but people need people. Godly habits are best developed in mutually accountable relationships. One of the best places is within the family dedicated to God. In order to be mutually accountable there has to be some type of regular contact with one another, and I can't think of any better place then the family. This isn't to say that mutual accountability cannot take place within other relationships such as discipleship partnerships, small groups, etc.... It just means that an opportune place is within the family committed and devoted to God.

In fact I need to make something very clear. Parents are given the responsibility by God to disciple their children. In reality, it is not my job as a youth pastor. It has become my job as a youth pastor, but it is really the job of godly parents. Parents must take the call to disciple their children seriously. In the process of discipleship mutual accountability will develop and should be encouraged. Families should be holding each other accountable and helping each other develop godly habits.

I want to give a model in which mutual accountability can lead to the development of godly habits. Before I do this I want to stress once again that I believe mutual accountability can take place in any kind of relationship between believers. I am merely saying that the godly family presents an opportune environment for this to happen.

Here is a model for mutual accountability with the purpose of developing godly habits. In other words, here is a model were a group of godly people work together to get closer to Jesus.

1. Someone has to take the lead in humility. The biggest obstacle to mutual accountability is pride. Someone has to be humble enough to go to another person, or group of people, and say "I need your help in developing godly habits." A mutually accountable relationship is a relationship where all individuals are honest about their need to grow in their relationship with Jesus through the development of godly habits.

2. Meet as often as possible. For the family this can occur daily. The point here is to stress that godly habits are not formed overnight. Godly habits take time to develop. If we are trying to develop them within the context of relationships then we need to be in each others' lives as often as possible. Meeting together as often as possible gives all involved a chance to take a break from the business of life and focus on what is important. This leads us to number 3.

3. Discuss scripture. The standard of our Christian life, and the standard of godly habits, is Jesus. His story and example is revealed through the Bible. If we want to grow in godly habits we must devote ourselves to understanding the Bible. People who are in mutually accountable relationships realize the importance of scripture and the role it plays in developing godly habits.

4. Confess short comings. I'm not saying reveal every sin you've ever committed to others, but I am saying be open about what may hold you back from putting into practice what scripture says. We need to identify where the obstacles lie. In developing godly habits we will often find that what we are doing is replacing an old habit with a new godly one. Being open about where the obstacles are helps us know how to hold each other accountable and leads us to number 6.

5. Discuss ways to put Scripture into action. Having gone over Scripture and discerning what it says and having talked about our short comings, it is now time to put it into action. Talk about what it will look like as we develop godly habits. Again, by openly doing this we can encourage one another and hold each other accountable.

6. Pray together and for one another. Prayer is essential to the process of developing godly habits. The reason why we are developing godly habits is to get closer to Jesus. The very cool thing is, Jesus wants to be a part of the process as well. Not only are we in this process with others in our mutually accountable relationships but we are in this process with our Master and Savior.

7. Hold each other accountable. This involves discerning what the problem is when someone is not following through in developing a godly habit. Scripture is useful for four things, according to Paul. It is used to teach, correct, rebuke and train in righteousness. Those in a mutually accountable relationship need to approach each other with these in mind. We will find times when our partner needs to be taught what scripture says. There will be other times where scripture will need to be clarified so that thinking needs to be corrected. There will be other times when we will have to confront wrong head on knowing that our partner knows what they are doing is wrong. There has to be an understanding though. We understand that we have given each other permission to hold us accountable. This also requires humbleness on everyone's part. Also, holding someone accountable needs to be done out of love.

8. Pray together and for one another. Again, prayer is key.

We need to work together to help each other develop godly habits. The purpose is to grow closer to Christ. It is vital that we remember why we are in these mutually accountable relationships. Jesus needs to be the center of our lives. Jesus is a part of the process. Never should our mutually accountable relationships become more important than our relationship with Jesus. Never.

2009-10-29T12:45:00.002-07:00

Book Review: The [Expanded] Bible: New Testament

2009-10-29T12:18:00.000-07:00

The tagline for The [Expanded] Bible (New Testament) is “Study the Bible While You Read.” So I got one, opened it and read. My first impression…CONFUSING!!! Isn’t this supposed to be an easy way to Bible study as you read? I soon discovered that in order to use it I needed to know the key. There are different indicators used to show whether a word can be translated in other ways, can be taken in an alternative direction, has a literal rendering and/or traditional rendering found in the KJV, needs more explaining, has a cross-reference or parallel scripture and has surrounding conflict due to discrepancies between manuscripts. Not as simple as I thought it would be.

After using it for awhile it became easier to decipher, but reading it is just plain…clunky (for a lack of a better word) due to all the bracketing and extra info inserted in the text. The version itself is based on a paraphrase The New Century Version. This could pose some problem for people who are anti-paraphrase (I don't like a lot of paraphrases). I’m not going to say it doesn’t have value though, but I am going to stick to traditional methods of Bible study.

Living a Life of Praise

2009-10-27T12:51:00.002-07:00

Oh how I struggle with praise. There was a short period in my life where "Praise God" was continually on my lips. It didn't matter who was standing in front of me. It could be a Christian or non-Christian. I said it often and I meant it, but I have found myself lacking in praise lately. (I should probably title this blogsite "Confessions of a Pastor." I seem to do a lot of that here).

This week for our Salt n Light campaign we are talking about praise and specifically, how praise plays a part in our being salt and light to the world. It is challenging me. To a certain extent, I feel like I am a negative person. I'm always looking at what is wrong around me. I often find myself dwelling on the negative instead of the positive. I don't often look for ways to praise God. I know this has got to change.

One might ask "What is praise exactly?", and I might answer "Praise is more than just thanks to God. A lot of people equate praise with thanksgiving, but praise is much more. I think the best way to define praise is exaltation. Problem is, exaltation needs to be defined as well. Praise is pointing out the magnificent and wonderful things about God. It can include thanksgiving but it is not limited to. God needs to be praised all all times in all circumstances. It is not just when we are thanking him for what he has done." That's my answer and I'm sticking to it.

Of course, that would be a very short definition of praise because I truly believe that praise is a lifestyle that every Christian should strive to attain. Praise involves a constant looking at others besides oneself. It is constantly seeing magnificent and wonderful things about God. It extends from looking for those things of God to looking for praiseworthy things in God's creation. This includes other people.

Our biggest struggle in life is our selfishness. Our desires confound lots of things in our life. Imagine what life would look like if we weren't always looking out for ourselves. Imagine what life would be like if we constantly looked for ways to praise God for who he is, what he has done through creation and what he has done not just through our lives but the lives of others. I think life wouldn't be such a struggle. Praise actually benefits the individual doing the praise. In a way, praise can be seen as self serving. There shouldn't be any misunderstanding of what I am saying. Praise should always be sincere without the thought of oneself, but the knowledge that praise is beneficial to a person should free them up to strive for a life of praising.

I will admit that it is hard to develop this lifestyle. We are so consumed with ourselves. So I suggest that we start somewhere simple. One of our SNL small group members said that he begins his day with praise. When he gets up he praise God before he does anything else. This might be a very simple place to start. After we have developed a habit of praising God in the morning (and according to some "experts" that should take 3 weeks of consistency) we could move on to something else such as striving to find one thing during the day we can praise God about. After another "expert" confirmed 3 weeks we could move on to something else. The point I am trying to make in all this is we need to try and develop a lifestyle of praise and it need not be difficult. Start out simple and slowly move forward.

I am going to work on how I praise. In fact, I'm going to start right now. I praise God because he knows what is best. Not only does he know what is best, he is constantly working in the lives of those who seek him. As long as I am seeking him I know he will guide me in knowledge and understanding of his word. I know that he will continue to help me develop and become more like Christ. He doesn't hold back from those who seek. I praise him because he is a loving, benevolent and generous God. I don't know where I would be without him. I praise you Lord for who you are!!

The Priority of Family: Part 1 - Marriage

2009-10-22T12:49:00.002-07:00

A couple of days ago I wrote about prioritizing the important things. I stated that the most important thing, and as a result the number one priority, is our relationship with Jesus. I also said that just because it is the most important it doesn't make other things not important. Our number two priority is one thing that encompasses three other things. Our lives are to be lived in such a way that the good news of Jesus Christ is being communicated to the world no matter what we do. No matter what we do!! Three important things that need to be done are devoting oneself to family, devoting oneself to work and making sure we get regular rest. There should be a balance between these three things, and there should always be the priority of sharing the good news within these activities.

Today I want to spend some time on the family aspect of priority number two. What does it really involve? Our culture and Christian culture throw different ideas around about family. What is our responsibility? How much time is required? What should be done? etc... It can get very confusing at times trying to do everything that we are told needs to be done. I think a very simplistic approach needs to be developed.

When I say "family" I am speaking of the immediate family which consists of husband, wife and possibly children. The importance of the immediate family, or what some call the nuclear family, has been played down by our culture in recent years. It makes sense, looking at it from the world's perspective, since the number of "non-traditional" families is ever increasing in our present time. There are more single parent and blended families now then there ever has been. Our "non-offensive" society wants to be considerate when it comes to the feelings of individuals in these families. I understand this, but I also know that it is important to keep the bar high and never lower it just because there appears to be an increase in those who don't obtain it. Once the bar is lowered the ambition to be a God created nuclear family wains. That is thought for another blog post.

The idea of family as become so muddled that even Christians struggle with it. So what is a family for? Family begins with the life commitment made between a man and woman. We call this marriage. There is the understanding that from the beginning of a marriage the two have dedicated themselves to living for one another, at least that's what is supposed to happen. Unfortunately a lot of people get married for the wrong reasons. Reasons which I believe really boil down to one thing. What can this person do for me? If you are considering getting married I encourage you to look through all the surface reasons to your number on reason. If your number one reason is a selfish reason then don't get married. You are doing your future partner a grave injustice. The only reason to get married is that the two of you have an intense desire to make each other happy for the rest of your lives.

Some people might look at what I just said and disagree with me. Early societies might have viewed marriage as serving two practical purposes. It was convenient. A man took care of the needs of a woman and children through the provision of shelter, the means of clothing and food. A woman took care of the needs of a man and children through the provision of a healthy living environment, making of clothing and cooking of food. Convenience. The other reason was for propagation. It is a fact that humans need more care then any other living creature on this planet. It requires the commitment of two people to raise humans. The human race could not survive without marriage.

I will concede and say that these are still two important reasons for marriage, but I will also say that God has created human beings to be relational. Within almost every man and woman exists a longing for a special relationship with one person. Our culture has given us the impression that it is a selfish desire, and so we act upon it in a very selfish way. Is it any wonder the divorce rate is so high? We have to remember that we are created in God's image. God is not a selfish being. God is love. One of the best places for us to exhibit this particular characteristic of God is within the marriage relationship. When two people decide to enter into the lifelong commitment of marriage they are proclaiming a characteristic of God by saying "This is the person I want to love for the rest of my life!!" This is the person I want to do what is best and right for as long as I have life.

Now we began to see what the priority of family means. It begins with two people committing themselves to a loving relationship with one another whether they have children or not. The addition of children causes that love to expand, but there will always be the commitment and love between the husband and wife.

As a husband there are important things that I need to make sure get done. Scripture says that woman was created to be a "help-mate" of man. That designation does not put man above woman. The designation was used to explain why woman was created as man had been created first. The truth of the matter is, we are help-mates one to the other. Relationships between husbands and wives are structured differently. I know of families where the man works to provide and the wife stays home. I know of families where the wife works to provide and the husband stays home. I also know of families where both the husband and wife work. It doesn't matter what the structure of the family looks like as long as both see themselves as being help-mates one to the other.

The godly concept of love is doing what is right and best for another person. The husband and wife should always be seeking to do what is best and right for one another. I do believe there are some basic things that we can do for each other. We need to provide the emotional love that each needs. This is accomplished through knowing how the other person needs to be loved (Five Love Languages) and knowing the difference between how genders love (Love & Respect).

We also need to develop the relationship on a friend level. There are many marriage relationships where couples believe they have the love aspect down, and they may in one way or another for they try to provide everything their spouse needs, but something that is often overlooked is the friend aspect. Honestly, this is another part of the love aspect but as I said I think it is often missed. If you are going to devote your life to another person then how can you not become best friends? Being friends means that you share joys, struggles and dreams. You carry each other's burdens. You find common activities to enjoy and participate in. You spend time with each other. You encourage one another. You respect one another. You challenge one another. You grow in Christ together. The list could probably go on and on, but I think the point has been made.

I want to stress something. When a couple has children there can be a tendency to forget about what needs to be done to maintain a good relationship with the spouse and focus on developing the relationship with the child. You should never, under any circumstances, allow this to happen. We may get the idea, or at least act like, love has to be diverted like a river, but the truth is, love can grow to encompass more. All those things that a couple does cannot stop after children are born. I have wondered why so many children think they are the cause of their parent's divorce. Could it be for the reason that one or both married people have diverted their love instead of allowing it to grow? Children need to see the example set by parents. They need the love that parents have for one another.

As Christians couples we need to help each other grow spiritually. We need to encourage each other to spend daily time with God. We need to pray together on a daily basis. Couples have got to make God the center focus of their lives and allow the Holy Spirit to teach them how to love. They then can turn around and love one another the way God loves.

A balance must be found between family, work and rest. There are certain important things that need to be done within the family, and in particular the marriage. All else pales in comparison to the most important things. I'm not saying these things because I am the epitome of prioritizing the important things. I have a long way to go, but I am saying these things because I am beginning to see a bigger picture of what the Christian life looks like. The biggest struggle for us is that we are very selfish. We know that these things are important and should take a priority in our lives, but there are just too many other things that are so much fun to be done. Unfortunately, when we focus on ourselves we rob our families. Join me in trying to make the important things priorities. Our spouses deserve our best efforts.

Prioritizing the Important Things

2009-10-20T10:56:00.001-07:00

It has been a long time since I have written anything for my blog. Life is busy and at points quite overwhelming. Lately I have been looking at my life trying to decide what needs to give. It is becoming increasingly obvious that if some activities are not cut out of my life any giving that may happen will involve my sanity!!

God has purpose for us. Our first purpose is to get to know Him. God wants a relationship with His creation. There is debate over whether He truly needs a relationship with us or not. A debate I do not wish to get in at this time. Whether He needs it or not, the fact is He desires for us to know Him and not just to know of Him but to really know Him. The kind of relationship He wants with us is something akin to a good parent/child relationship. He wants us to know Him and in that knowing to know that only He offers salvation, help in living and eternal life.

After we come to know Him He gives us the privilege to tell others about the kind of relationship He offers. The most important thing, aside from knowing God, is to tell others that they can know God as well. Nothing else is as important. That isn't to say there are no other important things in life. Our culture tells us that if one thing is the most important we can assume that nothing else is important, but this is complete wrong thinking.

It is important to provide for oneself and family. A person must work to provide a roof, clothing and food. No work makes provision rather difficult. So one's work is important, but it is not the most important thing. Unfortunately what our culture says about important things tends to reek havoc on our understanding and emotions. Work is important and as a result it sometimes becomes the most important thing without us even realizing it.

It happens to everyone. It doesn't necessarily have to be work though. For me it definitely is, and in part this is due to the nature of my work. My work is ministry. My work is the most important thing!! Right?! Yet when I step back and look at my work I realize that a lot of my work doesn't involve me doing the most important thing.

What is my work exactly? Actually, my work is equipping teenagers to go out and tell others of the relationship God offers. My "work" is helping teens learn how to do the most important thing!! How much of my time is actually spent in doing this (and that is adding in the prep time)? I have found that what I spend most of my time doing is not what I have been called to do. So the fact of the matter is, I have somehow fooled myself into thinking that I am doing the most important thing when in reality I am not. To top it off, a majority of my time in "work" is not spent doing the work I am supposed to be doing!!! Wow!! I am messed up!!

Then comes the other important things. I am supposed to be a loving, supportive husband to my wife. I am supposed to be a loving, encouraging, trainer to my children. So I carve out time in my schedule so that I may do these important things only to fail at doing them because I am too overwhelmed with doing the most important thing and doing "work." Why? Because another important thing that I fail to do is rest!!! I'm too busy trying to do all the other important things!! Is this getting confusing? It should be!!

It should be confusing. In fact, I think a majority of people feel the way I do. It doesn't matter what vocation you are in. Christians are conflicted and divided when it comes to what is important. I am setting out to simplify my life, and in doing so I am trying to make the priorities the priorities. I've already given a list of "important things." My relationship with God comes first. Here is where I am going to diverge. I think all the other things I listed are equally important, and this includes sharing the Gospel. Sharing the good news is not the "second most important thing." How can I say this? I say this because I understand that if I am not taking care of these other important things then my witness is really nothing.

So this is the way I am starting to see things. I've created this little diagram to help illustrate the prioritizing of important things.

As can be seen from this diagram. The most important thing is one's relationship with God. Time has to be carved out of the day to ensure that this "most important thing" remains the priority for the Christian. This doesn't mean that the other important things don't get done. It means that that time with God is primary in the life of the Christian.

As you can see the second "important thing" really encompasses three other important things. Why? I think many Christians are conflicted because they view sharing the good news as being priority number two with everything else underneath it, but taking a deeper look at Jesus' commission to us reveals that Jesus didn't have this in mind. What is normally translated as "Therefore go and make disciples" should properly be translated "Therefore as you go, make disciples." The implication is "As you live your life understand that disciple making is an ever occurring process." A very important Old Testament passage backs this up. In Deuteronomy 6:4ff we find what is known as the Shema. It says "Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God will all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates." Basically, whatever you do be constantly aware of what God has spoken. In the same way we should understand our call to tell the world about Christ. We are to make disciples and this means doing within our family, within our work environment and even within our rest (to a certain extent).

A little side note about rest. I am seeing that rest is very important. There was a reason why God commanded His people to rest on the sabbath. Our bodies need rest. Our minds need rest. Our emotions need rest. WE NEED REST!!! Without rest we are sabotage the rest of our lives. It is very important that we set aside time to rest. The very least that should be done is one day a week. The cool thing is, even in rest we can tell others about Jesus.

Notice that I put ministry as a third priority. Some people will disagree with me in doing so, but let me reiterate myself. Just because something is not the most important or the top priority doesn't mean that it isn't important at all!!! Ministry is very important. In fact, I can say that ministry is a must for the Christian, but ministry will never be effective if we are not sharing the Good news with others throughout the daily routine of our lives. In fact I am going to put a spin on the definition of ministry. Ministry comes from the word minister which means to serve. When one is "in the ministry" they are in essence in service of some kind. We use the word ministry in reference to a lot of different things, but I am going to say this. For the average Christian who is not in "vocational ministry" ministry is simply serving the church. Serving the church is important. Everyone should be serving the church in some way, but the level of service is dependent on how much time a person is putting into the two top priorities.

Let me wrap this up. Knowing God is our top priority, but this does not negate other important things. Our family, our work and our rest are very important things that need to be given their due consideration. They are in essence equal. One should never come before the other. With this goes the knowledge that sharing our faith is also a priority. Fortunately we can share our faith while taking care of our family, working and resting. Another important thing is ministry, the serving of others within the body of Christ. It is third on the priority list but it is still important. Every person should be serving their church in some way. The amount of time given to the first two priorities dictate how much time is given to the church. Nonetheless, there is no excuse for not serving the church in some way even if it is a small way.

The three priorities need to be given their due consideration. If we are not spending time with God then we need to rearrange our schedules where daily time with God is never sacrificed. This may involve the sacrificing of other things, but never sacrifice the other two priorities. If we are not spending enough time with our families (spouse and children) then we need to sacrifice something that is not a priority. If we are not accomplishing our work the way we should be then sacrifices of non-priority things have to be made. If we are not getting at least one day a week of rest then non-priority things have got to be sacrificed in order to get that rest. If we are not serving our church even in the smallest way then we need to sacrifice...you get the picture, and just as a side note, sacrifice is one of the ways we worship God. So when you sacrifice the non-priority things in order to make the important things important you are worshiping God.

Marital Intimacy

2009-09-17T16:08:00.001-07:00

Got this from another blog. Thought it was good enough to share. Enjoy.

David Powlison on Marital Intimacy, Part 3

Youth Ministry: Is It Really That Effective?

2009-09-17T14:40:00.000-07:00

I've been in youth ministry for 15 years (10 of that being full time. Does that make me a veteran?) I've done it the way it's always been done...whatever that really means. I've seen youth ministers/ministries come and go in my community. I've seen tons of "Christian" teens. So as I look over the past 10 or so years I have to ask myself. Is youth ministry really that effective? I know some will disagree with me, but traditional youth ministry really focuses on keeping teens active and out of trouble. Yes, it is true that one of the distinctions between youth ministry and any other youth organization is the teaching of scripture, but I think that more energy is put into the planning of activities and keeping teens entertained then real discipleship and teaching of Scripture. A youth ministry that focuses solely on discipleship and Scripture is a youth ministry that will never see many teens. On the flip side, it may see more mature teens then even youth ministries that have hundreds of teens.

Am I sounding pessimistic? You bet. I am irritated at the attitude that teens and parents have towards youth ministry. My first full time youth ministry position in Idaho ended in disaster. The problem was I took my job way too serious. I wanted to challenge teens to be godly men and women. The parents wanted a youth activities director. Honestly, I wouldn't really even see this as a problem if it wasn't for the fact that parents are not discipling their children.

As I understand it, youth ministry was started as a way to reach out to non-Christian teens. Somewhere along the line things were changed. Yes, many youth ministries attract non-Christian teens because of the activities that they offer, but a lot of youth ministries have become a social organization for teens of church families. Many families get upset when there are no activities for their teen, and yet there is the misunderstanding that the responsibility of teaching teens about Christ lies solely with the youth ministry of a church. Do people see the double standard that has been created?

Some might ask "Well can't you do both? Can't you have fun activities for my child and teach them about Christ?" The answer is "Yes, as long as you realize that the amount of time you are asking me to put into youth ministry goes well beyond the normal 40 hour a week job, and please don't blame me when youth activities and/or Bible studies are lacking. I will try to be your superman, but I can't guarantee anything!!"

Why does youth ministry exist today? Better yet, what should a youth ministry look like today? I have given a lot of thought to this. I believe that traditional youth ministry is not effective. Statistics say that 75% of churched teens will quit going to church after they graduate from high school (Essential Church. Rainer and Rainer). That statistic says a lot about youth ministry today, but honestly it shouldn't be the sole responsibility of the youth ministry to educate and disciple a teen. It should be the parent's responsibility. Unfortunately a shift in mentality has occurred that parallels the attitude towards public school. Just as people expect the public school to be the sole educator of their children so it is with youth ministry when it comes to spiritual training. If parents were doing their job in discipling their teens then the sole responsibility of youth ministry could be seen as developing some type of teen social club replete with fun activities and occasional inspirational events. Unfortunately this is not the case.

The truth is very few parents are discipling their teens. So the church, knowing that discipleship is important, has to respond in some way. Problem is, the response needs to meet the approval of the parents who hold misconceptions. But a response is need nonetheless. So what's the answer? One answer might be to hire two people to do the job of youth ministry. One person who focuses on the spiritual development of teenagers and the other who focuses on the more social aspects of youth ministry. If a church has the money this could be a realistic solution. Unfortunately most churches don't have that type of money.

So here is my idea. I'm not saying that there are no other solutions out there, but I am suggesting one that might work. In fact, it is exactly what I am trying to do here at KCC. We need to come alongside parents and help them disciple their teens by providing discipleship opportunities. What does this look like? I am not exactly sure, but one way we are trying to accomplish this is to take one of our Wednesday night evenings and open it up to parents. The objective is to teach a lesson that is relative to both parents and their teens and then give them opportunity to dialogue. The desired result is for teens and parents to begin working with one another and helping one another grow in their relationship with and likeness of Christ.

It also involves reeducating Christian parents concerning their primary role as a parent. Their primary role is discipleship. Parents have got to see that it is unfair of them to expect the church to do this. In fact, they have to see that the time they have with their children is much greater then the time their children have with the church. Parents have more influence over their children then anyone or anything else.

Now I understand that there are those teens whose parents are not Christian. In this case it is our responsibility to provide mentors for them. Overall, I believe the priority of youth ministry is to help parents become effective mentors. This is not easy though. There will be opposition to such a radical concept. Even so, the church needs to do what is right and best for its members. Traditional youth ministry does not provide this.

It's Really Bugging Me!!

2009-09-15T12:38:00.000-07:00

I don't know why, but it's really bugging me!! Not that I am really interested in the music put out by Taylor Swift or Kanye West. In fact I wouldn't have even known that this happened if it hadn't of been for my wife. It is really, really, REALLY bugging me!!!!!

Oh, some of you know what I am talking about, but others may not so here is a clip from the Music Video Awards.

Kanye West 2009 MTV Outburst,Disrepects and interupts Taylor Swift

What the heck!!!! I mean, this leaves me speechless. I don't even know what to type as I continue to mull this over in my mind. The audacity of Kanye to think that he even had the right to step forward as Taylor speaks, interrupt her and steal the a wonderful moment from her. When he hands the mic back her face says it all.

Unfortunately I think this reflects the attitude that many have in our society. It's an all about me society. I have the right to do whatever I want.

Two admirable things came out of this though. First off, Kanye was scheduled to perform. MTV quickly responded to his disruption by not allowing him to perform. Though I don't hold a great deal of respect for MTV I will say this was a very admirable action. I also have to give kudos to Beyonce who gave Taylor the opportunity to finish her speech. I think that was pretty admirable of Beyonce.

Lesson to be learned. Think before you act and respond to situations in the right way.

It's just so darn irritating to see something like this.

You Version Review

2009-09-08T12:34:00.000-07:00

I recently started using a web based bible study called YouVersion. Though I do not like the name that well (YouVersion would seem to imply that this is "my version" of the Bible") I do like the website itself. Basically the website provides a place for you to record your notes while you are studying the Bible, and you can see the notes of others as well. So far it has been a great tool. I foresee the ability to go back and look at my notes when I use a particular verse in a sermon or Bible study.

The draw back is, anyone can contribute. We live in an age where if we see something in writing we will pretty much believe it. YouVersion is not for the person who is doing Bible study/reading and they want to see what others have to say about it. Why do I say this? Because, humans are fallible. You can find just about anything there. I recommend YouVersion to those who want a place to record their personal notes and thoughts while studying the Bible (you will not find commentaries or other Bible study tools there). I recommend YouVersion if you know of a particular person or pastor whom you respect and would like to see what they get from Scripture when they study. I don't not recommend it for a person who just wants to use it as a Bible study resource. If you are looking for Bible study resources talk to your pastor or a mature Christian you respect.

With that said. If you want to follow me on YouVersion just point your browser to www.youversion.com/users/ythpstr1. I will probably not be posting SOAP studies anymore as YouVersion will be the place I write my notes when studying Scripture. Please follow me, that is if you respect me as a Christian leader! ;^)

Pray For the Jobless

2009-09-01T12:00:00.001-07:00

I just go through reading KCC's prayer request. Though I am well aware of the current job situation in our nation I sometimes loose touch with reality. Several of out KCC members are out of work and in need of jobs. This is a reminder for everyone who reads my blog. Please keep your friends, family and church family who are looking for jobs in prayer. Please continue to pray for our leaders to make wise decisions that will help our great country turn around and help people be employed able to support their families.

I would also like to challenge those who have. One of the great things about the early church was the fact that no one was in need. If you are able to help a family that is struggling financially please give somer serious consideration to making a donation to our Helping Hands ministry so that we can support one another during this economic crisis.

Book Review: Nelson's Illustrated Guide to Religions

2009-08-12T12:16:00.000-07:00

As a comparative world religions professor I am always hunting for good guides to religion, and as a Christian pastor I am always looking for books I can recommend to people who want to learn more about religions. Ideally, the source needs to give a good comprehensive overview of religious beliefs. So, I was very excited to see Nelson publish The Nelson’s Illustrated Guide to Religions: A Comprehensive Introduction to the Religions of the World. The title gave me the impression that this just might be the book I could recommend. I quickly got a copy to review.

Though I am sure James Beverly has a comprehensive understanding of world religions it does not come out in this book. As a guide, it seems to focus more on controversial issues surrounding religions rather than giving good comprehensive information concerning their beliefs and/or history. Any “comprehensive guide” to religion should give the reader comprehensive information concerning the history and beliefs of religions. It would have been more accurate to title this book “A Comprehensive Guide to Religions and The Controversies Surrounding Them.” The one redeeming quality of the book was in that it gives websites of the religions for further investigation.

SOAP - 1 Corinthians 1:17

2009-08-05T11:12:00.001-07:00

What is Soap? Find out here!

Scripture

1 Corinthians 1:17

"For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power." (ESV)

Observation

Paraphrase:

"I was not send by Christ for the sole purpose of baptism, but to preach the Gospel, the most important reason. Even so, I did not come to you preaching the Gospel with impressive speeches for if it were by speech that you believed then it would be my speech that had power and not the cross of Christ."

What is God saying?

I have heard it said that some evangelists are only concerned with getting a person to pray the prayer of salvation and that is it. The job that has been given us is not to get someone to pray a prayer or make sure they are baptized. Jesus said "Go and make disciples..." To paraphrase this well know passage... "While you are living your life make disciples. As you make disciples baptize them and teach them everything I have commanded you." Baptizing and teaching are a part of the process of making disciples. Baptizing is not the goal. Paul understood this but people in Corinth did not. They missed the point. God is saying that we must keep the main thing...the main thing. The focus is Christ. For mature Christians it is preaching Christ and helping others develop a relationship with him. For converts and baby Christians it is not getting the messenger confused with the message. The focus is Christ.

What is God saying to me?

I think I fall into the trap of letting people focus on me, the messenger, more then Christ. It is not intentional. I would never want people following me, but I am human with an ego, and there is a certain amount of appeal to people holding you in high esteem and regard. As a Christian leader I need to make sure that I am continually pointing others to Christ.

Right now the leadership of this church is making some decisions that are not popular. It is real tempting to go back on those decisions because of this. Truth be told, it is probably good that we are making people a little uncomfortable with us for it is our job to get them beyond us to Christ. Following Jesus is definitely not a popular thing, but it is the best thing. Loving others means doing what is right and best. Doing what is right may be a little hard, but it is definitely harder then doing what is best. What is best for our church is to get them beyond us and themselves and help them connect with Jesus.

Application

Christ needs to be my focus in everything I do. I know I have been talking about my connection with the church, but I also need to take this attitude into every aspect of my life. My kids need to see Jesus through me. My students need to see Jesus through me. My job is to get people beyond me to Jesus. So how do I apply this exactly? First, I need to continue growing in Christ likeness. Second, I need to allow the Holy Spirit to work through me in pointing others to Jesus.

Prayer

Father, I am a mere mortal who struggles with all the weakness that come with being human. I am a selfish being. I am powerless to do anything but what my nature dictates. That is why I need you. "Be strong in the Lord and the strength of his might." You are my might and my power. I need your help in getting people to look beyond me to you. Help me to continue to grow more and more like you. Help me know how to use my life to point to you. Help me to never, never get comfortable with people looking towards me. Help me to make people uncomfortable with who I am and more comfortable with who you are. You are an awesome God. Amen.

2009-07-28T12:53:00.000-07:00

What is Soap? Find out here!

Scripture

1 Corinthians 1:10-16

"I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment. For it has been report to me by Cloes people that there is quarreling among you brothers. What I mean is that each one of you says, "I follow Paul," or "I follow Apollos," or "I follow Cephas [Peter]," or "I follow Christ." Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, so that no one may say that you were baptized in my name. (I did baptize also teh household of Stephanas. Beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized anyone else.) For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lset the cross of Christ be emptied of its power." (ESV)

Observation

Paraphrase:

I'm not going to take the time to completely paraphrase this passage as I have been, but I will say this. Paul was upset that people in the church were divided on whom they should follow. Apparently there were Christians who had come into contact with such great people as Paul, Peter and Apollos. Paul points out that none of these men did what Jesus did, that is none of them were crucified for the sins of the world. He appeals to them to be united in the same mind and the same judgement.

What is God saying?

It is far to easy to get wrapped up in people's personalities especially when it comes to church. The saving message of Jesus Christ is the most important message anyone will ever hear. It is almost understandable how a person can view the messenger just as important as the message. This particularly applies to churches. A church is supposed to be centered on Christ and yet too many times, withou the knowledge of people in the church, it becomes centered around one personality and usually that personality is the pastor. People forget the reason why they come to church. This becomes abundantly clear when there is a change in pastorate. Many people exit from the church because they have forgotten what the focus of church is.

What is God saying to me?

Two things. First, I am just as susceptible in getting caught up in the personality of the pastor like anyone else. I need to make sure that my focus in on God and not the pastor. I will be honest. The transition that we have gone through at KCC has not been the most easy for me. I have been tempted to lose sight of why I am really here because I too was a little caught up in the personality of our previous pastor.

Second, I have bitterness towards those who have left our church for the wrong reasons. I need to get over it. None of us are perfect. All of us are immature in our spiritual walk in one way or the other. I need to pray for those who have left leaving them in God's hand and move forward with what God has planned for us who are still at KCC.

Application

I might have partially answered the question of application in the previous section, but I will state it plainly and simple here. I need to keep my eyes focused on God and never let them stray to the servant of God who is the head of our church. I also need to pray for those who have left our church for the wrong reasons.

Prayer

Father, you know my heart. I am as human as they come, and I am in need of your constant guidance. May I be a support to my pastor as we team together to do your will. May we both be able to convey the message that it isn't we the servants people should be following but you. We are all a team and we need to be of "the same mind." If there are those in our congregation who are still struggling with the fact that Walt left please put their minds to ease by showing them that the focus really needs to be on you. Thank you for your love. You are awesome. Amen.

The Right Things Versus the Best Things - Learning to Fully Love

2009-07-25T09:38:00.001-07:00

A definition of love I often give the teens is "doing what is right and best for others." Lately there have been a lot of things happening personally and in others' lives that have caused me to really stop and think about that definition. The definition isn't wrong, but the way we approach it can be.

The fact is, we do a lot of right things for those we love. As a father I work and provide the necessities of life. I make sure my kids have a roof, they are fed, have clothes and receive a good education. Even though these are a lot of right things they may not be the best thing. I realized this on the hike I took with God a couple of weeks ago. During our hike it was revealed that I do a lot of right things but the best thing I can be doing for my family and kids is helping them grow in their relationship with Christ.

It isn't that we don't want to love others to the fullest. I believe that the desire is there. I want to love my wife and children to the fullest. The problem is, it is very easy to concentrate on the right things more then the best thing. It could be a case of not knowing what the best thing is. It could be that it is far easier to do the right things because often the best thing is the hardest. I also believe that there are times where we have good intentions of doing the best thing but the right things consume most of the time.

I'm not a very organized person and I am constantly learning how to be better organized. I don't succeed very well. Something I have learned though is that concentrating on all the minor good things I should be doing often leads me to failing because I have not concentrated on the most important and best thing. I believe this is the same with love.

There are people out there who all of a sudden come to a crisis in their marriage. It comes as quite a surprise for many because they always thought they were doing right things. They never suspected that neglecting the best thing would have prevented the crisis in their marriage.

My challenge to all of us is to really look at our relationships: our relationships with our wives, our children, our family, friends, co-workers, church family, etc... and ask the important question "Am I doing the best thing for these people?" I'm not going to say finding the answer is easy. It actually might take some time and a lot of prayer to discover what the best thing is, and even then, when we do find the best thing it may be something that will require a lot of time and effort. In fact, it may seem that it will require too much time and effort. I am certainly glad that Jesus didn't say this when he faced the cross. Jesus knew that the best thing for us would not only take time and effort but eventually his life.

Let us do what is best for the people we love no matter what it may cost us. In the end, it is well worth it. Jesus did it and so should we. Continue to do what is right but definitely do what is best.

Covenant Clarification: What a covenant is and why we are using them.

2009-07-22T20:23:00.001-07:00

Recently our church has instituted a signing of covenants for those who are committing to ministry which has met with some resistance and/or questioning. The term covenant, a word which most people know, is not used regularly in today's society. It shouldn't be a common word tossed around for it entails a deep understanding of commitment. Unfortunately commitment is another concept which this generation struggles with. So it is very understandable as to why so many people have a problem with or at least a question about the term itself and the use of covenants within a church.

Christians are very wary of anything that is not "traditional." Covenants can be seen as something legalistic, guilt-laden and/or some type of strong-arm tactic. To be honest, the institution of covenants are like many other things. They can be spawned by pure or harmful intentions. Our hope is that our pure intentions are clearly seen. But before I go any further...

What is a covenant? Simply put, a covenant is a promise or agreement. It can be one or two sided. Examples of covenants are found all throughout scripture. God made a covenant with Abraham that involved two parties. As long as Abraham did his part in obeying God, God would keep his promise. The covenant God made with the earth after the flood is an example of a one sided covenant. God promised that he would never flood the earth again.

Covenants can be verbal or written. In Old Testament scripture most covenants were verbal, but they were usually accompanied by some type of ceremony that helped establish the importance of the covenant in each of the covenant party's mind. With Abraham God did an elaborate ceremony that involved the sacrifice of an animal, the dividing of the animal in half and the passing of the parties between the two halves. In the case of the covenant made after the flood God memorialized it in the minds of man through the rainbow.

Covenants are different then oaths. A covenant is a promise to do something. An oath may involve a promise, but it differs from a covenant in that a person invokes God's name, or some substitute for it, to guarantee the truth of one's statement. This is usually done because there is a question concerning a person's integrity. This is pointed out for the reason that some may argue that Scripture says to let your yes be yes and your no be no. This is in reference to oaths, not covenants. A Christian should present themselves in such a way where their integrity should never be called into question.

Another question could be raised concerning covenants in the Bible. If most of the covenants were verbal covenants then why a written covenant. As was stated, most covenants had some type of act that went with them. The signing of a written covenant is merely an act that helps solidify the agreement being made. It continues to be a promise that is stated without an oath. The signing does not call into question someone's integrity. It is simply an act, alongside the covenant being made, which serves to solidify the promise within the minds of those making it.

Honestly, covenants are made everyday and actions go with them. Whenever a two people come to an agreement and shake a covenant has been made. It can be as simple as that.

The decision to use written covenants does not call into question a person's integrity. It does serve to inform as to what is going to be required of a person who is volunteering in a ministry for an indefinite period of time. Because of the "indefiniteness" of the ministry it has been decided to limit the covenant to at most a year in order to give a person the opportunity to choose whether they will continue to serve in the same capacity or serve in other areas of interest or other ministry.

The signing of the written covenant is the act we have chosen to solidify the commitment being made within the minds of the ministry leaders and the ministry volunteer. It is not a legal binding document. It will not be used in a manner as to be held over a volunteer's head. Again, it is the act chosen to solidify the commitment.

Hopefully this clears up any misconceptions of what a covenant is and will help people see the value of covenants with in ministry. They solidify the commitment being made. They help prevent volunteers from getting burned out or feeling that they are stuck in a ministry they no longer feel committed to, and they will hopefully prevent ministry leaders from getting burned by volunteers who are not truly committed. It is our desire that everyone views their ministry they serve in as covenant worthy. If they cannot be "covenant committed" to a particular ministry then they should reconsider joining that ministry and find one where they can be "covenant committed." God deserves our best.

Are You A Church Dater?

2009-07-20T12:20:00.001-07:00

I'm read a small book by Joshua Harris called Stop Dating the Church. I've only started but already it has given excellent food for thought. Joshua's purpose for writing this book is to challenge the way may Christians approach church. They approach it as if it were a dating relationship with someone of the opposite sex. In helping a person identify whether they are a church dater he gives three characteristics. I would challenge you to look at these three characteristics and see how you compare. It maybe that you need to read the book as well.

Characteristic 1 - Your attitude towards church is "me-centered." You go for the social interaction, activities and programs. The question which drives your involvement is "what can church do for me?"

Characteristic 2 - You are independent. You go to church because that is what a Christian is supposed to do, but you avoid getting to deeply involved. You go through the motions without investing yourself in the church.

Characteristic 3 - You are critical towards the church. You are quick to find fault in the church which feeds your lack of investment and commitment. You treat church with a consumer mentality - looking for the best product for the price of your Sunday morning. You are like a lover, with a wandering eye, always on the hunt for something better.

I'll be frank. I have been very discouraged with the lack of commitment by people who were a part of our church. I'm beginning to see that those who we thought were committed were merely church daters, but before judgment is really proclaimed, perhaps all of us should step back and take a good and hard look at ourselves. Are we church daters as well?

Day of Solitude

2009-07-15T13:36:00.001-07:00

Monday I did something different. Something I have only talked about but had never done in my ministry. I took a day to spend with God. I packed a backpack with some things and headed up to the Hualapais. There God and I went on a 6 - 8 mile hike together. It was great!! It was different!! It didn't conform to my expectations at all!!

I figured that I would go up there and spend most of the time just talking to God. Though I spent quite a bit of time talking to God it definitely wasn't the whole entire time. In fact, I did a lot of thinking about things. One of the "revelations" I had has begun to change my perspective on my relationship with God. I realized that I fool myself into thinking that I can tune God in whenever I want him around and tune him out whenever I don't want him around. I caught myself doing this a number of times throughout the first part of my hike. When I realized this I began the process of changing the way I perceive God. I began to perceive Him the same way I would perceive a person I was hiking with. Even though I wasn't constantly speaking to him he was always present with me.

I thought I would go up there and get some clarity concerning my ministry. I had a personal agenda. I soon realized that God had a different agenda. Allowing God to set the agenda really allowed me to relax and allow him to direct my thinking. Instead of receiving clarity concerning my ministry at church I received clarity concerning my ministry to my family. I might write about this at another time.

I thought I would go up there and do a little Bible reading. Instead of just reading the Bible I allowed the Holy Spirit to teach me the truth of God's word. I don't know how to quite explain this but to say that understanding God's word never seemed so simple or so clear. I had time to discuss His word with him without worry of distraction. The funny thing was, a distraction occurred but it didn't interrupt what God was saying through his word. I will be writing more about his as I do SOAP studies on 1 Corinthians.

Overall, the time I spent with God on Monday was great. I allowed him to change my perspective, my agenda and the way I read scripture. I got away from the distractions of the phone, computer and people. I understand why Jesus would periodically draw away from people and spend time with God up on a mountain. I really encourage anyone reading this to do the same. I know I will be doing it again!