My Apologies

This is just a quick post to apologize for the gap in my posts. It has been awhile. It is just one of those things where life got in the way. Look for a more current and disciplined approach in the coming days.

Rich

I’m No Soldier, but I Know What I Am Supposed to be Doing!

I would be the first to admit that I am no soldier. I mean that in the sense that I did not serve in the military. I registered for the draft like I was supposed to in high school and quite frankly, it was probably better for your security and the security of you nation that I was not a soldier. I did however grow up around people who were soldiers and pastored in churches that had soldiers in them.

In talking with them I have discovered that they have been trained and are being trained in skills that will help them to complete specific missions that they are ordered to complete. When they are instructed on the mission they are told what they are to accomplish, where they are to accomplish it, when they are to accomplish it, why they are to accomplish it, and how they are to accomplish it.

This morning I am going to be talking about the mission of our church and hopefully answering some of these very same questions for you. My hope is that you will connect the dots and see that the churches mission is the same as the mission for you very life.

You see, I may not be a soldier for the U.S.A, but the Bible tells me that I am a soldier in God’s army, and so are you! He has given us a mission; let us obediently follow His orders together!

Your Servant,

Pastor Rich

I have been asked why I am on the board of Excelsior Education Center, a public charter school in Victorville next to Victor Valley College? The answer to that question is really rather simple:

1. To be salt and light. I believe that the bible is pretty clear that we as Christians are to be involved in the public square and to be a positive influence on the community. Being on the board gives me the opportunity to do that.

2. To impact young people. Being on the board allows me to have a positive impact on the students who attend Excelsior by providing for them a place where they can safely be educated and taught.

3. To interact with people who do not know Jesus. Being on the board allows me to meet people and have meaningful discussions with them about issues both earthly and spiritual. It gets me out of my comfort zone and allows me to meet with people that I would never talk to otherwise who are very influential in the Victor Valley.

4. I enjoy it. It has been a very positive experience for me. I enjoy dealing with the issues of education and our community at this level. Is it political? Yes, but I have been “SHAPED” by God to do this.

5. To model it to the church. I believe very strongly that we need to be out into the community. I want to do more that just say it I want to model it to you!

Your Servant,

Pastor Rich

Running to Win

1 Cor. 9:24-27

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. [25] Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. [26] Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. [27] No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize. (NIV)

As I write this, many athletes all over the world are preparing to compete in the summer Olympics in China. They have spent years in training and preparation to have that perfect moment in time where they can say that they are the very best and put that gold medal around their necks and here their country’s national anthem played.

The apostle Paul makes reference to athletes, in this case runners and boxers, who competed in similar games to the ones we will watch at the Olympics. He makes a comparison and a contrast in how Christians should live the Christian life.

Paul says that we should live our Christian lives to win. The sense is almost like we should live our lives in such a way as we would be the only winner. Now we know that there will be many more people than us in heaven, but we ought to live here on earth like the runners who want to be the very best. We ought to want to be the very best follower of Jesus we can be, live to win! There are too many believers in our world today who are just happy to be in the race, they are not running to win.

How do we do that? Paul gives us a couple things that we need to do in order to run to win. First we need to go into training. Nobody can become good enough to compete in the Olympics much less win, without first going into training. What is the training for us as Christians? They are the spiritual disciplines of prayer, and studying the Bible. Doing these disciplines on a consistent basis, gives us the strength and endurance to live to win. Second, we must focus on Jesus and His kingdom. Paul talks about running aimlessly and throwing punches in the air. We are not to do that as believers. Athletes have a plan when they train and they are focused on completing that plan because they believe that it is the best way to prepare in order to win. Making the spiritual disciplines a regular part of our lives allows the Holy Spirit to work in us and keep us focused on living, and looking at life the way Jesus would want us to live and look at life, running it to win.

Finally, we should want to live our lives to win because the prize waiting for us is eternal, it is not temporal like the medals or the crowns that athletes here on earth will win. We are to live our lives with an eternal perspective which is a Jesus perspective, doing the things that will have eternal impact. That is how Paul lived his live and he talks about at the end of his life here on earth.

2 Tim. 4:6-9

For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure. [7] I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. [8]

Reflections on Revival

I always find it interesting when I hear a preacher say that there is a revival coming across our nation. It seems like this has been announced for at least the last 10 years. Statistics have certainly indicated that there is not revival happening in our nation. There is not even a sense of revival in churches and quite frankly I am not sure it is going to happen anytime soon. Why you ask?

The reason I don't think revival is on the horizon is because for any revival to occur in the lives of Christians, there must first be an attitude and action of repentance. We must look at our actions and thoughts through the eyes of God and if they are sinful, confess them to him and see that they are sinful. We must also with action do what it takes to turn from that behavior and move toward the behavior that God wants us to do and ultimately turn back to God and living for Him and for His glory.

I find it hard to see revival on the horizon because I quite frankly, don't see a whole lot of Christians willing to repent of anything! Oh they are quick to say that someone else needs to repent, but not look in the mirror and see what they need to repent of.

Part of the problem is that there is not a whole lot of talk or preaching on repentance in the church today so I think people don't understand its importance. They also have an understanding that once they are saved, they don't have to repent anymore. This would be a wrong assumption on their part.

Until we see brokeness for our own sin, revival will not come.

In Him,

Rich

Shouldering The Responsibility

May 11, 2008 is a day when we celebrate Moms. What I want to spend a moment talking about in this article is parenting as a whole, both mom and dad, or just mom, or just dad, if that is your current home situation.

There is a misunderstanding that seems to have so quietly crept into the church that says it is the churches’ job to disciple(teach and instruct) kids and students about the Bible, doing good deeds(ministry), worship, etc. To that end for many parents, they leave that responsibility to the staff and teachers of their church.

The problem with that, is that it is not biblical. The Bible is very clear that it is the job of the parents to instruct their children (See Deut. 6:1-9, Eph. 6:1-4). It is the churches’ job to HELP you the parent to do what the Bible has commanded that you do.

So what is it you the parent are doing to train and instruct you child(ren) in the way they should go? Do you pray with your child? Do you read the Bible with your child? One area I see in our church is in the area of worship. How many of you put your kids in Sunday School while you go to worship? How are our kids supposed to learn worship if they do not see us the parents worshipping? How are you to learn what the Bible says so you can instruct your children if you are not in a Bible study yourself?

As parents of the next generation, it is time for you to shoulder the tremendous responsibility of training and instructing your children about spiritual matters. Don’t be afraid! The church will be here with and will help you in anyway it can, because that is the churches’ responsibility.

Your Servant,

Pastor Rich

Oberservation of a Disillusioned Generation

Author Sarah Cunningham a “twentysomething” and member of the disillusioned generation gives 12 general observations about her generation.

1. Twentysomethings redefine the word family.

Because so many of them have grown up in blended families or single-parent homes, they have expanded their definition of family to include some who are not genetically related to them. Family is more about commitment and state of the heart than genetic coding.

2. Twentysomethings are comfortable with competing schools of thought.

This is the “both-and generations” they grew up being able to finish the dishes and make the movie on time. They can have sex and be reasonably assured that they won’t get pregnant because of birth control. They can be a democrat and a republican at the same time because they are more interested in an ideal than political affiliation. They feel like they can save the world and goof off at the some time.

3. Twentysomethings feel connected to their surroundings.

Technology allows them to stay connected with their friends no matter where they are in the world. They have been taught in their education curriculum with a focus on the environmental, social and political issues to appreciate the invisible umbilical cord that connects all of us. They value community and will stand up against that which they feel violates that community.

4. Twentysomethings don’t see money as a trustworthy indicator of success.

This does not mean that they do not like a stack of presidents and want to get paid what they are worth. It does mean that they are conscious of the dangers that correspond with financial security and do not want to sacrifice theirs or their families’ emotional health to get it. They saw the damage of that first hand with their parents.

5. Twentysomethings want instant gratification.

They have grown up in a world in which life can be seen as a drop-down menu of choices that can accessed quickly with the click of a mouse or a punch of “send” on their cell-phones. And even though life is fast, they try to make it faster. This makes them grossly impatient if something cannot be solved right-away.

6. Twentysomethings like technology, but prefer human contact.

While they are very comfortable with multilayered technology, they are very skeptical of the media-driven, advertising-crazed world. They prefer real live humans with real live stories.

7. Twentysomethings are less relativistic than they seem.

They do believe in right and wrong though sometimes it does not appear that way. They don’t all have a copy of “I’m Okay, You’re Okay” in their glove compartment.

8. Twentysomethings are idealistic to a fault.

They are looking for perfection in everything they perfect adventure, the perfect job, the perfect church, etc. If they cannot find it they become antsy. In order to work to make it “perfect” they want a sense of real responsibility and the authority to accomplish the task.

9. Twentysomethings are transparent.

Why are rapper Eminem and radio talk-show host Ben Ferguson, polar opposites ideologically, so popular with twentysomethings? They are painfully transparent. What you see is what you get. They are open about their views and their struggles. That resonates with twentysomethings.

10. Twentysomethings value community.

They especially value small-group community. They do not form these communities like you are taught in the “forming small-groups manual”, but they do crave for a place to discuss real life issues and strong relationships.

11. Twentysomethings want to help.

These are the “volunteer” generation.

12. Twentysomethings don’t pledge their allegiance lightly.

They are slow to commit to anything. They will marry older and have children older. They are slow to commit to brand names much to the dismay of companies like Pepsi and the US Army are still trying to figure it out.

Having laid all of this out these are general statements and all twentysomethings will tell you they don’t like to be categorized. They are however, things for us at FBCH to consider as we seek to pass the faith from generation to generation.

Unexpected

God quite often in life brings things into our lives that are unexpected and are life changing. Such is what has happened to me this week. I was diagnosed with a disease that I am going to have to deal with for the rest of my life. I now now that I have a form of Multiple Sclerosis. It is an autoimmune disease that I am going to have to deal with for the rest of my life. It is not only me, but my wife and my 3 children as well.

It is interesting to listen to people's reactions as the we informed of my condition. Most are with shock and fear of the unknown. People are also compassionate and caring and just wanting to pray for me and to encourage me. Which is very comforting and what Christians should do for each other. Then they ask the question: "How are you handling this unexpected event in your life?"

My response is "What am I supposed to do?" It is just part of life. God gives all of us issues and struggles that we have to deal with that are quite often a surprise. Especially when it is something medical like MS, or cancer, or whatever. God has obviously decided that I am able to endure this disease until such time as He calls me home. He obviously believes that my family can handle this as well as God does not have us endure things that He does not give us the strength to handle.

So how do I pray about this?
1. That God's glory would be revealed somehow through this.
2. That God's strength would be made perfect in my weakness and that I would understand what that truly means.
3. That I would be able to live as "normal" a life as I possibly can.
4. That I would be able to accomplish all that God wants me to do.
5. That I would be able to be a devoted husband and responsible father.
6. That God would heal me.

The first two are the most important. Some might say that number 6 should be in there too. The problem with that is that it may not be God's plan. Do I hope that it is, sure I do but my perspective should not change about my life and purpose because they belong to God.

If you choose to pray for me that is how I would like you to pray for me.

Your Servant,

Pastor Rich

Proper Response to Rapidly Shifting Times

The video used in this morning’s message is one that probably for many of you was overwhelming. Some of you may choose to just ignore the information that the video shares. Others of you it may have made you even more fearful of what the world is going to become. Still others may, just “blow off” what the message was and you just take the world as it comes to you. As a parent of three children whom God have given me responsibility to raise and prepare for this world that is to come, I to, am a little intimidated by what is coming in my lifetime, but even more than that, the world my children will inherit. The question we need to ask ourselves however, is how should we as Christians to what is going on in the world around us.

I do not think we should be afraid of it. That would deny that God is truly in charge and that He somehow does not know what is going on. I do not think that we should “bunker” ourselves into our homes and wait for Jesus to return either. That would be disobedient to the “Great Commission” where it says as we are going, we are to make disciples. You cannot do that if you never leave the “bunker”. Besides, there are a lot of people who need you and me to meet them where they are because they are just as scared of what the future might bring. AND WE HAVE THE ANSWER!!

The key is the passage of today’s message:

Hebrews 13:8

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. (NIV)

People are looking for a something to bring stability to their ever changing lives. His name is Jesus! Let us show Him to the world to be who He is, the same yesterday, today, and forever!

Pastor Rich

Resurrection Thinking

2 Cor. 5:16-17

So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. [17] Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!

I have a very good friend who lives in an area of the country that even to this day struggles with the issue of race. It is not only a problem there but seems to get more noticed there. He would exhort his congregation that they needed to reach out to other people but it fell on deaf ears and cold hearts. When asked why, they would say that was just the way I was raised and it is too late to change that now.

2 Cor. 5:16-17

So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. [17] Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!

I know of several people who have been scared by abuse or molestation they say they are followers of Jesus but will not forgive their perpetrators.

2 Cor. 5:16-17

So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. [17] Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!

I have seen and talked to people who say that they wished for “the good ol’ days” and others who say that the past has nothing for them to learn from.

2 Cor. 5:16-17

So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. [17] Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!

I know people who look at others and the world around them and say that they are all a bunch of dirty sinners who need to burn in hell. So did you, until you came into Christ.

In Christ, we no longer act or more importantly, think like the world, we act and more importantly, think like Christ. We must think before we can act.

What did Christ think of these people? He stretched out His hands and died. Then He rose three days later. He is now seated at the right hand of the Father and for those who believe in Him, He gave the right to be called “children of God”. They to can become new!

2 Cor. 5:16-17

So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. [17] Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!

Resurrection thinking!!!