shalom

Well, we are off today to Israel, and our ride to the airport is getting here in 20 minutes. I thought I would write a quick good-bye to you who have been reading this blog, and hope that it is something you have enjoyed and may even appreciate to some degree.

We had a good study last night, as we have just begun and expedition through Ezekiel. It is an amazing book, and to be honest is a bit difficult to teach, especially when it comes to imagery and the like. Still, I am finding it to be practical, as God emphasizes His word so often in the book. Ezekiel is to speak to a rebellious group of people who are so backslidden God calls them "goy", or gentiles. They are worldly, so worldly that He does not even refer to them as His chosen ones, but simply pagans and heathens. Sad, isn't it? The question is: can He say the same thing to the church today, and the answer is Yes. There are many who think they are saved who are actually still unregenerate, and because this is true, I think this book will be an eye-opener for us all.

My prayer is that we will all get much from this book, and I pray that I will be an encourager and not one who beats or discourages the church through the tough passages. It is so convicting to me, and I pray that the Lord will use it to encourage all His children to love Him and be serious in our walks with Him.

Well, gotta go now, we are about to leave. If you think this blog is worth reading, please drop me a line once in a while and let me know. Though it isn't set up to dialogue (I do that through my email address) I do read each note and appreciate hearing from you. God's blessings be on all of you, and prayerfully we will be home on April 2nd. 

Oh yes, make an effort to be at church, and this next Wednesday when the Katinas are with us, I am sure you will be blessed and encouraged. Steve Mays will also be a blessing, not to mention the other teachers we have listed and ready to go. Dr. Morris is going to bring a dynamite message, so don't miss it! He provides answers for the question of evolution vs. creation....be there and be blessed. 

We love you..

A Clean Heart

Our women's retreat is being held at Murrieta, and the ladies showed up last night ready to receive from the Lord. In the midst of an economic hard-time, 580 women thought that getting away with the Lord and other women was something they needed to do, and it was such a blessing to be with them. The theme this year is A Clean Heart, and we began the teachings last night by looking at Ps 51. We all know that this psalm was written after David had his infamous affair with the beautiful Bathsheba and expresses the deep anguish of his soul. In it he cries out for God to mend the bones that He had broken, and asks God to create in him (David) a clean heart. He did not want reformation, or renovation, but re-creation and cried out to God for that to happen for him. Of course, this is the wisest thing to do, as God is the healer of broken hearts, and God is the maker of all things new, and because of David's broken and contrite spirit, God met him in a beautiful way.

I mentioned to the ladies last night that Bathsheba was interesting, as she willingly yielded to David's advances, but after having intimacy with him went and performed the Law of Moses' requirement for ritual washing. I mentioned it is like going out with someone, having intercourse with them, and then coming to church the next day thinking everything is all right. Bathing or showering after the fact does not make the heart clean, as the stain of sin is on the inside and not on the outside. David and Bathsheba needed God to cleanse their inside, and that could only come from His washing and cleansing. 

I believe the Lord wants to do a cleansing in our hearts, daily. Like David, I have come to understand that the sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, and that a broken and contrite heart God will not despise. In other words, weeping may endure for a night, but JOY comes in the morning. 

Sometimes I fear that my fellowship does not understand why I so constantly encourage people to be real and honest with themselves, and God. It is because this is where healing has its origin. Too many people are deceiving themselves by reducing the evilness of sin, and misunderstanding the grace of God and as a result believe in a kind of grace that permits them to sin like the devil but still go to heaven. Of course, this is not true and isn't taught in the bible, but I encounter great amounts of people who, though they do not specifically say this, live this way every day. They go out on a Saturday, party or whatever, and then BANG they are in church the next morning, sometimes teaching in the children's ministry with no sense that they have done wrong. 

The fact is, David knew he had sinned, greatly. He said Against You, and You alone have I sinned and done this evil in Your sight--God, I am so sorry because I sinned against You, and I need You to forgive me. And God did, but the repercussions remained for the rest of his life.

When we have the sense of God's forgiveness, we are then placed in a position of speaking with understanding. David said Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, and sinners shall be converted to You. God, by your mercy extended to me, I can become an example of just how merciful and forgiving You are, and I will share Your wonderful grace and mercy to all who will hear. There is just a joy in being forgiven that moves us to share with others, and David found it a joy to be able to share with others of God's great love. 

He said O Lord open my lips and my mouth shall show forth Your praise. May that be our prayer today, that we as forgiven people simply open our mouths to share of His great love, and that our lives reveal what God can do with a broken vessel.

See you in church tomorrow! Daylight savings time starts, so don't forget to change your clocks. First service is going to be very very small!

Having not seen, you love

On Sunday morning, I encouraged the church to take part in the How To Give Away Your Faith series we are having on Sunday night's. I believe that, when someone comes to faith in Jesus the most natural thing in the world is to share what has happened with others.

     Sometimes people seem to be reluctant about sharing their faith. Perhaps they don't share their faith because they just don't want to be pushy, or they are shy, or are unsure of themselves. Sometimes they just aren't living for the Lord, and because of this just don't have the credibility. They know that Christians "witness" but because they are not living for the Lord, they really don't have anything to say. Their lives just undermine the message, so for them it is better not to say anything than to share while knowing themselves to be hypocrites. Though I don't encourage hypocritical witnessing, still the fact is the message is what saves you, not the messenger! When I got saved, the guy who pushed me the hardest to become a Christian backslid and has never returned to the Lord. He wasn't genuine, but the message sure was! 

At any rate, sometimes people just aren't comfortable witnessing, so we started a series last night on how to give away your faith....we had a good turn out for a Sunday night (around 500) and I am hoping and praying, even expecting it to grow from there because I was told that it was very good. That truly blesses me, and I am looking forward to seeing what the Lord will do through this. 

I believe that the Lord loves to do different things when it comes to getting His name out to the people. He uses events, like retreats, breakfasts, conferences and even church services, and crusades but when it comes to the number one way He gets His word out, it is simply through His people "being witnesses". Jesus said this in Acts 1:8: He said You shall be My witnesses. We are His living testimonies, we are the gospel in human flesh, we are His witnesses, and as His witnesses, we share His message as we live it out. Part of living out His message is the sharing of it, and for me it is such a blessing to see many people hungry to learn to live out and give out His word to their friends and loved ones.

After we complete this series, we will have Palm Sunday, then Easter Sunday, and then move on to a 12 week series called The Truth Project. Several friends of mine have hosted this, and it has absolutely revolutionized their churches. I will be giving more information out in the future about it, but I have heard nothing but good. When that is completed, I am planning on having a month of Sunday nights with guest speakers, sharing about missions, not to mention our annual baptisms that are coming up sooner than we think! 

Next Friday we have our annual women's retreat, and it blesses me to know that, in spite of the doomsday prophets scaring people about their finances, the women's retreat was not only filled up, but has a waiting list. This reveals genuine faith on the part of the families that sacrificed to make it possible for a wife or daughter to be in attendance at the retreat. God is going to move on the hearts of the ladies tremendously, and I am already rejoicing over what He is about to do. Then, on Sunday, after morning services I will be leaving for Tucson to participate in a Pastors and church leaders conference, and it will be such a blessing to once again encourage the people to live for Jesus. My topic will be out of 1 Pe 3:1-7, encouraging couples who are in ministry to keep Jesus in the center of their marriages. 

All of this is exciting to me, and I pray that the Lord just keeps moving in and through us until the day comes that He takes us home to be with Him. 

Oh yes, one last thing. I have been asked when the series on Song of Solomon will begin. I am looking to start in sometime after I return from Israel, but haven't landed on a date yet! It will be for the age group of 18-35, and I am looking forward to starting the study soon.

And all of this is because having not seen Him, we love Him.

Just Thinking

On Sunday I will be teaching out of 1 Sa 7, and will observe how it took twenty years for Israel to finally miss having a relationship with God. The ark of the covenant had been sitting for 20 years in the city of Kirjath Jearim while all along the nation continued to be in bondage to the Philistines. Finally, the people of Israel were ready to listen to Samuel, and as prophet and judge, he instructed them to repent and to return to the Lord. They were to put away their foreign gods, idols that had replaced the true and living God, and to return to living lives that were pure and dedicated to Him. They had begun worshipping Baal and Astarte, pagan nature gods that were worshipped through sexual orgies and other abominable practices.
Sounds kind of like Mardi Gras, doesn't it?
Here we are in the 21st century, and God is still calling His people out of darkness! For 40 days, people will mark each day as being one day closer to Easter, and will still be missing out on what it means to be a follower of God. It isn't just denying your flesh for a short season that pleases God, it is loving Him so much that each day is simply another day of enjoying fellowship with Him, and learning to do the things that please Him.
The funny thing about doing what pleases Him is that in pleasing Him, I actually have a sense of peace and well being that results from just loving Him. Dying to the flesh is actually something that results in such blessings that it results in me saying to myself "Man, that wasn't so hard! Why didn't I do that long ago?"
When the children of Israel returned to the Lord, they immediately had a response from those who had kept them enslaved. The Philistines readied their army to attack, but God came to their rescue and they were victorious over their foes. Even so, when we decide to resist the enemy and return to the Lord with a full heart, we can expect both opposition and victory. In opposition, we gain experience and learn that the flesh never rests, but when God rises up on our behalf, we also gain the experience of knowing that our God is on our side, and we can not only survive, but be victorious! God is great, and in Him we move from glory to glory!
Have a great week end, see you on Sunday!

God is good

As we are now in the second month of our new year, I cannot help but remain excited about what the Lord continues to do in our lives. Our church family is doing well during this season of transition, and though many have found themselves in financial strain, I have noticed that many more are holding fast to God and His promises, and are growing stronger in their faith in Him and love for His people.

We recently had a great men's breakfast here with Miles McPherson, and it was a tremendous blessing. We saw around 1,300 men in attendance, and around 100 answered Miles' invitation that he gave at the conclusion of his message. The previous night, over 120 men were here at the church preparing for the next day, and many men were here at 4:00 A.M. to get ready for the breakfast. I was so blessed to see and hear of such commitment, and I am so blessed to be part of a church with such caring people

Our women's retreat is filling up, and we will have 600 women in attendance. In a time when many are scaling back, it seems to me that our ladies are exercising faith in a very tangible way, and I am certain that as they attend the retreat, they will be met by the Lord and encouraged by Him, and this truly blesses my heart. 

This year, we are going to dedicate a great portion of our Sunday night services to teaching our people how to give away their faith, as well as reasons to believe. In March we will begin a series on How to Give Away your Faith, and then are planning on a 14 week series called The Truth Project. When we finish the series on truth, we hope to spend a few weeks emphasizing missions, and I am sure this is going to produce great fruit.

We are looking to have a week of prayer soon, and I am excited about that as we see the Lord move in wonderful ways when we seek His face in prayer, and fasting. And then, we also have the Israel trip coming up as well as Easter services. These are exciting times, indeed.

As I watch what is going on here in our beautiful nation, I cannot help but look even more hopefully for the return of the Lord Jesus. I do not get overly concerned over much, but what really does cause me great concern is watching the moral decline of our beloved United States. With that in mind, I am planning on doing a series soon out of the Song of Solomon. I am looking at my calendar to see when I will be able to dedicate myself to teaching this series, and hope to be able to do so in the not too distant future. The thing is, I am not going to teach it on a Wednesday or Sunday, but am planning on teaching it on a Monday night for people who are between the ages of 18-35. The reason is because I want to speak about relationships, especially dating relationships that lead up to marriage. With so many people confused about this topic, I think Solomon gives great wisdom concerning love and its proper expression between a man and woman, and hope to be able to give a study, and then Marie and I will take questions. I will announce this study as soon as I find the dates, and can secure somebody to lead worship for the series. I am pretty excited about this, as I have wanted to teach this series for quite some time, so it looks like it may happen soon.

  I am also looking to have a Friday night study for people between the ages of 26-35. It will be called The Vine, and I have someone who is hoping to be able to minister the word on that night. Again, I am awaiting music ministry but will be looking to start this ministry fairly soon. 

This year, for our annual Men's Conference, we are going to have a special guest with us by the name of Gen. William G. Boykin. He is retired now, but was part of the first guys to be in what is called Delta Force, and eventually became the commander of the unit, and his faith in Jesus and testimony is going to really hit the guys. It is going to be great. 

Anyway, I guess that's enough rambling for now. I will be going to central California this week-end to minister at a men's conference, but I am sure that come Sunday, God will meet many people in our services. I love you guys, God bless and I hope to see you when I return.

A New Year

Well, now that we are a few weeks in to the new year, I can see that we have our work cut out for us. We have a new president, and I am wanting to give him an opportunity to settle in to the position and begin his job. The whole media nation has certainly taken to him, with lots of love from the press (Bernie Goldberg refers to the media as his base) and we hear glowing things every time we open the paper or listen to the news. 

So, we shall see. 

With this kind of "free pass" having no one willing to criticize anything he does, I am sure he will work unopposed for some time. We now have a tax czar who didn't pay taxes, a secretary of state who never had diplomatic experience, and a whole host of old guard politicos in key positions....so much for change! 

On the anniversary week of Roe V. Wade, the rescinding of the prohibition of American tax payer dollars spent on overseas abortions was enacted, opening up federal money to be shipped overseas for abortion clinics while the March for Life (the largest pro-life rally in the US) was ignored. The announcement came on Friday afternoon, the time when this kind of news is best ignored.

Still, we wanted change and we got it, and happy days are here again! 

I am buying Sophia some dolls named after the Obama girls, a dress for Marie modeled after Michelle's, and some coins and commemorative plates with Obama and JFK side by side! This is exciting!  I might even start playing basketball....nah, sorry....no can do! 

With all of this, I am still hopeful because God has a way of waking us up, and I fully expect a wake up call. 

I was mentioning on Sunday that young people have a tendency of wanting young people to lead, and because of this those who are older are not necessarily respected. Job made it clear that with the aged comes wisdom, as time, experience, and the fear of God has a tendency of teaching life lessons that simply accrue over the passing of years. At my age, I do not rally behind younger, unproven leaders but I do have a heart to see them succeed and especially desire our President to succeed. Not because of the "historical significance" but because we love him and want his life to be touched by God, and also because we know that he carries a tremendous weight on his young  shoulders. At my age, I have seen many young men and women with great potential but never living up to it, so my prayer is that Obama will have people of integrity around him, and that if he truly is a Christian (though he said he hasn't been in church regularly for years, and apparently never listened to Rev. Wright) I pray that he will somehow be touched by God. 

During the time of Samuel, when Eli sinned God sent a man of God to clearly reveal his sin to him, so I pray that the Lord will have prophetic people speaking to Obama, and I pray that he will have the willingness to hear. We should all keep him, his wife, his babies, and this nation in prayer, because at the moment there is no one to oppose a complete transformation of the nation's core, as we know it. The Republican party does not have the votes to keep the Democrats in check, so unless the will of God and the will of the people is understood, many things will be done that bring harm to this great nation. 

Finally, when the terrible tsunami hit southeast Asia, a man was on the shore as the sea began to recede. Seeing all of the fish  exposed, he went out and began gathering them up, thinking he had been blessed with a great catch! A man was on the roof of a building, video taping what was going on and could see the wave in the distance. He began crying out loud to the fisherman to come back to land, to run for his life because the wave was coming, but the fisherman was so caught up with his prosperity that he did not listen to the warning. We saw the video of this event, and saw the wave as it hit him with the force of 1,000 Mac trucks, and he was killed instantly, still holding the fish in his arms. We Pastor's are supposed to cry out warnings when we see danger, but too many people are fishing, caught up with their own prosperity and they do not see the wave as it approaches. I see a wave, it is in the distance, but it is coming....we need to be prayed up because this nation does not see its need for God anymore. 

It just wants fish.

BLESSED NEW YEAR

Wow, it is really a trip how we are suddenly in a new year, isn't it? I don't know, perhaps it is simply because I am growing older, but it sure seems like time is flying. My grandson Josiah is five, my granddaughter Sophia is now one, and my kids are no longer just kids but are all growing older themselves! Amazing! I am wondering what the Lord may want to do with this fellowship this year, and am waiting to see how He will lead us. Changes (slight) are in the air, and I am anxious to see how they will affect our fellowship here in Chino. One of our "techies" Tom Mulcahy resigned his position to take a job with the U.S. government, and we are so blessed for him, and he leaves with our blessing. We will miss him, as he was saved under my ministry and has served on staff for many years. We are re-working our men's worship team, and believe God is going to do a new thing through them. We are still waiting on the Lord, as He will give us a new worship leader to move our worship teams forward, and are looking to add a new feature to our web page, in which on a weekly basis I will record a five or ten minute message just sharing with our viewers some things the Lord has laid on my heart. We closed down the patio and outside overflows, and have it all under the chapel roof, and for me it was a no-brainer! When I began teaching, on the very first study I ever taught, I let the people know that we were gathering together, not to eat cookies and drink coffee, but to listen to God's word. God's word should be listened to reverently, simply because it is God's Word! Do you remember when Ezra read God's word to the returning exiles? Nehemiah 8: 2-8 reads: Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly of men and women and all who could hear with understanding on the first day of the seventh month. Then he read from it in the open square that was in front of the Water Gate from morning until midday, before the men and women and those who could understand; and the ears of the people were attentive to the Book of the Law. So Ezra the scribe stood on a platform of wood which they had made for the purpose; and beside him, at his right hand stood (various leaders)....And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, for he was standing above all the people; and when he opened it, all the people stood up. And Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God. Then all the people answered Amen, Amen while lifting up their hands. And they bowed their heads and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground. Also (the leaders) and priests helped the people to understand the Law; and the people stood in their place. So they read distinctly from the book, in the Law of God and they gave the sense and helped them to understand the reading. It had come to my attention that the patio/overflow areas had become more of a place where people were drinking their coffee, bringing breakfasts, talking, etc. and I could not see how this fit in with what we as a church were founded on. I started '08 with a series on What is the Church? and had tried to say we are more than just a group gathering together, but are to really live out to the best of our abilities what we learn from God's word.... sooooo, I am praying that those who habitually sat outside will come into the sanctuary, and will grow in their maturity and desire for the Lord, His word, fellowship, prayer, and all that goes along with being a Christian. We shall see, but I am excited to think of what the Lord will do with us this year! I pray I might take God more seriously this year, and hope I can encourage our church to do the same! God is so good, and so worthy to be praised, as we shall see every time we gather and read from His word, and leave this place ready to practice what we are learning!