What Love Demands

It is two days after Christmas. I have had a great time with my family, and now it is time to get back to work - and that means thinking! All during this holiday season a thought has been going through my mind. Or perhaps I should say, a question. Christmas reminds us that the central principle of Christianity is love - Love for God and for our fellow human. We all remember that Jesus told us that the first and greatest commandment is to love God completely, and our neighbor as ourselves. Doing that is difficult in just about every situation, but it is very problematic in the political arena. An example came on Christmas day when someone in my family asked me what I thought about a sticky political question (yes, we do talk politics, even at Christmas). As I tried to formulate an answer I found myself reflecting on what I would say based on my love for others. Should I say that a particular action should be forbidden because it is inherently harmful and sinful, and preventing people from sinning is a loving act, or should I say that we should give others freedom, even when that freedom leads to sin, because that is what God has done to us? I honestly do not have the answer right now. But I am thinking. What do you think?

Pastor Ken

Another month! But I really don't want to write anything unless I have something to say that might be worth hearing. Of course, by that standard, maybe, . . . . Oh well. Today, I just want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas! This is such a great time of year. For those of us who are believers, we get all the best. First, there is the family aspect of it. I love all the time we get to spend with family. We will celebrate with my brothers and sister on January 1st. It is always fun and interesting when the 20 or so of us get together (including children and, now, grandchild). We will celebrate with Cheri's side of the family on Christmas Day. Again, there will be around 20 of us and the day will be filled with love, laughter and music. And, best of all, we will have time with our own children for several days surrounding Christmas. I could go on and on. Family is a great part of Christmas for all of us. May your family time be as fun and meaningful as ours!

Then there is the whole wonder, which we will rediscover this year with our grandson. This is the first Christmas where he will have some understanding of the gift part. We expect a lot of wrapping paper and joy as he opens gift after gift - more than he will likely be able to play with! I know Cheri and I have already put back several things we got to give at his birthday in January, just because we bought so much!

But the best part, of course, is the realization all over again of just what Christmas means. It never gets old to me to reflect again on what God was doing that first Christmas. It is popular in philosophical circles to assert that God is so far above us that we cannot hope to really know anything about Him at all. And, to a certain extent, this is surely true. How could I, finite as I am, hope to know much of anything about God? But Christmas changed all that. Because that is when God began the process of making himself known to us - of accommodating himself to our sphere. Everything I need to know about God I learn in Jesus. He is God in the flesh. And while there is more to God than can be seen in Jesus, there is no less. That He would be willing to take on humanity is mind-boggling. This Christmas I want to learn again just what that means and who He is. It is the best gift of all!

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Pastor Ken

With Thanksgiving

It is now just about a week until Thanksgiving - that uniquely American holiday. And it reminds me of a scripture: Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. (Phil. 4:6, NIV). It is but one of the many verses where we are told to give thanks to God. But this one is in the context of prayer requests. And I remember some of the discussions I have heard about just what this means. Do we thank God for what has happened? But if we have needs, doesn't that imply that God my have actually caused the need? And, would God do that? On the other hand, should we thank God that we can take our needs to Him? But does that mean that we don't trust that God may have had a reason for the need we are now presenting? After many decades of ministry experience, I think I may finally have the answer: Just say "thank you, Lord." We do not have to understand everything. I suspect that much of what we think we do understand we are probably wrong about, anyway. So just say, "Thanks!" God will figure out the rest. Because the truth is, I am thankful. For everything. Especially for the privilege of taking my needs to God and knowing that He listens and, yes, answers my prayers. Have a good Thanksgiving! Eat some turkey for me!

Pastor Ken

Confession

Yes, I have a confession. I have not written anything for this blog for over a month because . . . I forgot my password! I would blame age, but I am not willing to admit yet that I am getting older. Though the other day when I went to the golf course they were offering a senior card which would save 40% every time I played. I took it. Unfortunately, senior is quite a bit older in golf than it is in racquetball. I remember a few (well, OK, many) years ago when I saw that they were having a seniors tournament for those over 35. Ah well . . . .

So what am I thinking right now? Well, the election is coming up. That's it. Vote!

Pastor Ken

A long time

Boy, has it been a long time since I wrote for this blog. It has also been a busy time. I want to just admit up front that I carry a lot of doubts around. Not the least of these doubts is the doubt I have from time to time that I am really serving God as He would have me to. This doubt comes primarily from the fact that my congregation is so small and, at least from all practical perspectives, on a collision course with death. Over five years ago we began to have regular prayer meetings asking God to enlarge His kingdom through West Valley Christian Center. Now, I knew what that should have looked like. We would begin to grow as a church, preferably by reaching non-believers, and it would be a steady increase in attendance, offerings and ministry opportunities. Instead I was asked to help an Assyrian Pastor start a church. Then, just over two years ago I was asked to help an Iranian-Armenian pastor start at church. Between those we were approached by a group wanting to start a Spanish speaking church. Then, just over a year ago, I was asked to help a small group to deal with a pretty ugly church split and perhaps help them to begin a new church. All told, those groups now number around 500 people, many of whom are new believers.

This morning one of the churches approached me to say that they were going to be moving to another location. This is a good thing since most of their people come from that other location. But that meant that a part of what seemed to be an answer to our prayers was leaving. That was OK. But wouldn't you know it, within an hour I got a call from another group that wants to plant a new church wondering if we would be willing to partner with them in the process. And yet another group waits in the wings as well.

What does this have to do with my doubt? I have found that my doubts about my effectiveness for the Kingdom is closely associated with the realization that I will never pastor one of those high profile megachurches. And let's face it - that is the definition of success in the American Evangelical Church. But God is showing me that He defines success in completely different terms. I am not saying that pastoring a megachurch is not success. It may well be. But it is the faithfulness that leads to whatever we are doing that constitutes the success. I do not know what God has for my future. I only know that I must be faithful. I trust that what we are doing is a result of faithfulness. But more importantly, I know I must always come back to God and ask Him to examine my heart and show me if I am doing something to be "successful" in His eyes or in the eyes of my peers. The first is the only one that counts.

Pastor Ken

What Am I Missing Here?

Today's news from both the US and UK contains an article quoting Stephen Hawking as saying that there is no need for a god to have made the universe because the laws of physics, specifically gravity, would create the big bang anyway. What I don't understand is where the laws of physics and gravity came from. My reading of people like Dr. John Polkinghorne is that it is the laws themselves, and particularly gravity, which shows the necessity of an intelligent designer for the universe, as there is no need to any of the various laws to be what they are. It seems to me that science is great at telling us what happened after the start, but not what caused the start itself. I realize that some say that positing a God just pushes the question of why there is anything rather than nothing to the question of why there is a God rather than why there is a universe, but the difference is that the universe is obviously a contingent existence, which does demand the "how" and "why" question, while God need not necessarily be contingent. So I guess I don't understand Hawking's point. Put most crudely, "where did gravity come from? And since gravity is the attractive force between masses, where did the masses that gravity acted upon come from? What am I missing here?"

Pastor Ken

Feelings

In one of my most recent blogs I talked about the intimations of mortality that I had as a result of my recent surgery to remove my gall bladder. You go to sleep no knowing if you will wake up. Now, just two weeks later, after having my staples removed (yes they are just what they sound like!), I am feeling so well that I have the exact opposite feeling - I feel, as the Word says, "as though I could run through a troop!" I am healthy, strong, and even able to golf again, and all after two weeks. I have recovered in a bout half to a third of the time they doctors expected. But this feeling of almost invincibility is every bit as wrong as the feelings of mortality earlier. In fact, it is even less realistic. I will leave this world some day. My strength will eventually wane and I may find myself completely at the mercy of others. I know - "that's life." That is just the point. This life contains many illusions - most of them in our own minds. The only antidote is to find out from someone without this tendency to kid ourselves what reality is like. Fortunately, there is someone just like that. Jesus. He had no illusions. I must come closer to Him. I must let Him inform my mind, and hopefully, eventually, my feelings. Because that is the only reality.

Pastor Ken

Help Me Here

I have been thinking a lot about the "culture wars." The most obvious incidence right now is the debate over Proposition 8 in California. What are we who believe that God has lovingly revealed the best possible way to live life to do? This is an especially important question for parents and grandparents. For those who are not parents, I can say from personal experience as well as from observation that becoming a parent radically - and I mean radically - changes you and what you consider important in life. Becoming a grandparent just ups the ante all the more. And when you do become a parent, and then a grandparent, the culture wars take on a very personal note. My belief that God has given humanity free will, and the least I can do is allow my fellow human to exercise that as they see fit, so long as they are not hurting another, comes up against the very real desire to see my children and grandchildren raised in a society that encourages all the right things and discourages all the wrong things. I would not want my daughter to get an abortion unless her life was in danger. I would feel much more confident that it would not happen, and that she would share my value, if society also said that she ought not to. You get my point. And yet, as a believer, I know that just sounding judgmental is a very poor way to get a hearing for the good news of God's love in Jesus Christ. None of us likes being told we are a sinner. And, truth be told, that is not so much my job anyway. I have found that the Holy Spirit does a more than adequate job of convicting of sin without my help. But what about our prophetic responsibility? I am currently reading a biography of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who is one who can truly be called a modern day prophet. But make no mistake, almost everyone in Nazi Germany thought he was completely wrong, as well as some even in the "Confessing Church." And yet, he was right, even though he did not live to see himself vindicated. Do I stand for a prophetic proclamation in the culture wars? Or do I advise withdrawing and just living a loving, godly life? It is easy to say, "make sure you are called to be a prophet," but, I frankly don't trust someone who is convinced they have that call. it is usually only obvious in retrospect. All of this is a bit rambling, but what I am saying is, let's talk about it! What do you think? Withdrawal into the Christian ghetto? In-your-face opposition that maddens everyone and runs the risk of persecution? What is God calling us to do? Let me know what you think.

Pastor Ken

A Reminder of Mortality

As I sit at my computer it is a day less than a week since I had my gall bladder removed. Now, first, let me say that this is a relatively simple and straight-forward procedure. In fact, they were able to remove my laparoscopically, so I experienced minimal pain and am healing at a remarkable rate - even faster than the best case scenario as outlined by the doctors and medical documentation suggested. But all of that was in the future when I entered the surgical suite last Tuesday. I knew that I had been under a general anesthetic before and had tolerated it well, so there was little reason to expect anything untoward to happen. But it was a more immediate than normal reminder that we are not nearly so much in control of our own lives as we like to think. So, morbid as it might have seemed, I told my wife that I would not have traded anything for the more than 36 years we have had together, and that I wanted her to tell our kids, if anything should happen, that I loved each and everyone of them. I wanted her to tell them that I went into surgery fully confident that I was in God's hands and that, regardless of what happened, I knew that I was in not just good hands, but God's hands. That doesn't mean that I thought that the surgeon couldn't make a mistake, even one that could result in a premature entrance to God's presence, but that, regardless of what the surgeon did, I was certain of my eternal destination. And that is a good feeling!

Pastor Ken

The Walker Decision

It has been almost a week now since Judge Walker handed down his decision overturning Proposition 8, which banned same-sex marriage in California. I have read the entire decision and find many aspects of it troubling - enough to fill several pages. Much of his reasoning is fallacious. Some it reflects either a lack of knowledge regarding, or a willful ignoring of history. And some of it suggest the likely next steps that the secularists will be taking to further marginalize religious people as a prelude to what I believe will be a future persecution of all religions in general and Christianity in particular. The last sentence sounds alarmist, and I have been counseled by some not to make it, but I believe that it is coming and the church must get ready for it now. Let me review a few of the above things I said.

In finding of fact #42, Judge Walker said:
Same-sex love and intimacy are well-documented in human history. The concept of an identity based on object desire; that is, whether an individual desires a relationship with someone of the opposite sex (heterosexual), same sex (homosexual) or either sex (bisexual), developed in the late nineteenth century.

Of course this is not true. If it were then we should expect not to see persons identified as homosexuals in texts prior to the late nineteenth century. But, of course, the identification of persons as homosexual is as old as human writing. How could religious texts, almost all of which date to centuries if not millennia prior the late nineteenth century, have expressly condemned such behavior otherwise? Indeed, homosexual individuals have typically had pejorative epithets directed towards them in most cultures - something which I do not approve, but which shows that such individuals were perceived of as being identified with their sexual behavior.

Finding #46 states: Individuals do not generally choose their sexual orientation. No credible evidence supports a finding that an individual may, through conscious decision, therapeutic intervention or any other method, change his or her sexual orientation.

If this were true, then we would expect to find relatively stable percentages of individuals being gay across cultures and historical periods. But this is not true. Ancient Sparta had an extremely high incidence of bisexual behavior due to their approval of it and the organization of their society. There have been segments of other societies where homosexuality has been more prevalent due to its acceptance or promotion. This shows that such behavior is at least partially caused by the attitudes of society rather than just inborn characteristics.

Finding # 77 states: Religious beliefs that gay and lesbian relationships are sinful or inferior to heterosexual relationships harm gays and lesbians.

This is the opening salvo. Already there are countries where pastors who preached from texts in the Bible that say that God is opposed to homosexual relations have been accused, convicted, and sentenced for "hate speech." This is a "finding of fact" by the judge. It provides the legal rational for labeling all sorts of religious beliefs "hateful" because someone claims to have been harmed by such beliefs.

There are many other such "findings of fact" that I could mention, and I am available to discuss or can send to anyone some of those others. But let me close with one of the "findings of law:" individuals’ moral views are an insufficient basis upon which to enact a legislative classification.

Do you understand what the judge is saying here? Any law which is based on moral views has an "insufficient basis" and can therefore be ruled unconstitutional. That would certainly apply to laws which prohibit public nudity or public intercourse. It might even apply to such moral views as those that would suggest that murder is immoral. Indeed, those who claim that you "can't legislate morality," are usually saying that you can't legislate any morality that they disagree with, but that we should continue to legislate morality which they do agree with!

Lastly, the judge said: The evidence shows conclusively that moral and religious views form the only basis for a belief that same-sex couples are different from opposite-sex couples.

This one statement means that secularism has now been privileged as the only acceptable basis for laws. Morals and religion are no longer allowed to be the basis for laws - and if a judge determines that you voted because of your religious beliefs, your vote does not count!

Friends, I point all of these out because I believe that they represent a grave error and threat to the freedoms of our country. When the majority decision in a duly constituted election can be overturned because it was based on religious or moral values, then we are only a short time away from the decision by those who have seized power based solely on the basis that they are not moral or religious to begin persecuting the moral and religious. Is this alarmist? Only if you don't find it alarming.

My next blog will probably address what I believe the church should be doing in all of this. I am in earnest prayer about our response. Is it time for the church to retreat behind its ghetto walls? We have certainly been guilty of hypocrisy in a magnitude that has undermined our moral credibility. Just one example: the divorce rate amongst born-again Christians is higher than amongst agnostics and atheists. We claim to value God's law and moral relationships, yet we are the worst offenders at violating parts of God's law. Does it mean that God's law should be ignored? Of course not. But it does undermine our attempts to ask society to uphold them if we do not. I am sure that will make many mad as well, so by this time I should have just about everyone mad at me!

Let me close by saying that I really do love gays. I know that seems impossible when so many in our society think that to love someone you must approve of all that they do. But as every parent knows, love is not based on the actions of another individual. Gays are no more guilty of sin than anyone else, for, as the Apostle Paul himself said, "All have sinned and come short of the glory of God."

Pastor Ken

So the decision has been handed down. Another judge has decided that the people do not have the right to do what they have said they want to do. And, I must confess, I actually do believe that there is a higher source of right and wrong which must inform even our right to decide what we want to do, let alone do it. For those of you who are completely lost right now, I am referring to the decision today to declare unconstitutional a constitutional amendment passed in California outlawing same-sex marriage. You may recall that this is the second time that the people of the state of California have voted to restrict marriage to a man and an woman. The first time they were told that it was unconstitutional, so the second time they made it a constitutional amendment. Now it appears, even this may not be enough. The reason? The judge decided that marriage is a civil right. Civil rights are generally considered to be those rights guaranteed by the 13th, 14th and 15th amendments of the constitution, including the right to enter into contracts and to equal protection under the law. Now, if this is a correct definition, and it seems as good as any to me, then the only way I can see that marriage would fall into this category is either to construe marriage as a contract, or to make it a question of equal protection. But be careful! Because if marriage is nothing more than a contract, then civil unions would qualify, and they are already legal in California. But further, if marriage is nothing more than an contract, then people will, indeed must, be allowed to enter into any marriage contract they desire, including multiple marriages. Now I know that many think this won't happen, but it already does in many societies. Some already think this ought to be allowed. The real problem here, though, is the question of where these "rights" come from. Our founders recognized that one could not assert rights based on personal desire. And they certainly disagreed with the idea that one only has the rights granted by the government. The only justification or source they could find to assert rights not granted by the government, but not based on personal desire, was when those rights were firmly grounded in "nature's God." Now, perhaps there are many who are comfortable with equating God's will with their own feelings. I am not. I know the heart of man too well. Without a revelation, there is no way that anyone can claim to know God's will and expect anyone else to agree with them. We must have an external source we can all go to. Historically, that source has been the Bible in our country. Our founders, and even Supreme Court Justices had no problem with this until the last few generations. This is one more example of how our country has set itself adrift on a sea of relativism. That may be exactly what the majority wants. If they do, then it will happen. But we who know the one true God and trust in His Son and His Word know better. And we must insist on living according to that revelation. In the end we cannot stop same-sex marriage, or multiple marriage, or any other number of things forbidden by God's Word from being adopted by our society. But we must insist on following God's will in our own lives and communities. But don't be surprised if sometime in the not so distant future the insistence on doing so results in penalties. That has not only been the way of the world for most of history, but still is in major parts of the world today. Our freedom from persecution in the US has been a welcome respite from the norm in human history. We ought not to be surprised if it is coming to an end.

Pastor Ken

Called Out

So I have been called out about my blog yesterday. I was told by someone whom I love and respect (No, not my wife!) that the important point in the story (you can see it at: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2010/07/28/court-university-expel-student-opposes-homosexuality/ ) is not that the courts and school insisted on the student having different morals, but that she had refused to counsel homosexual students, which she was required to do in compliance with ACA ethics code. First, let me say that I still maintain that, as Christians, we need to know going in what will be required of us in a job and, if we cannot abide by those rules, not take the job or position rather than take the job and then refuse to do what we were told we would have to up front. And I definitely see the point made that to refuse to counsel someone because of their sexual orientation is wrong. My question in this case (and I don't have enough information at this point to know the answer) is whether she would have been required to affirm the lifestyle of the gay students she would have been counseling. Would that be analogous to requiring a counselor to affirm the correctness of a decision to seek an abortion and help the person not to feel guilty as they do so? Now this question itself probably betrays a lack of understanding of the counseling profession as it stands today. So it may be that my comments on this issue are uninformed, and, as such, out of place. If so, I apologize. And I certainly do not want to be perceived as being opposed to psychology, psychiatry or counseling - I refer people to counselors and firmly believe in the place of both godly and psychological counseling. Both have their place and the Christian should avail her or himself of them as necessary, just as we would any other professional. But the overall warning I sounded yesterday I stand by. While it may be that this case was narrowly decided, i.e. that she violated her agreement to counsel any and all, I do believe that in the popular mind this is more a matter of gay rights and the continued insistence that society must agree that the gay lifestyle is as moral as any other, and that Christians may be increasingly marginalized if we refuse to agree with the changing moral standards of our society. That is not surprising. My point yesterday was that Christians may find there is a financial cost to adhering to our beliefs. Are we willing to pay it? There is so much more I could say - and probably will. But that is enough for now. God bless!

Pastor Ken

Are you ready?

Today a story hit the wires about a Christian student who was expelled from Graduate school in Psychology for not changing her belief that homosexuality is wrong. And so it begins. I can hear the reasoning now: "We in the psychology community know what is right. Christians are wrong (and wrong-headed) and must be prevented from counseling if they insist on letting their beliefs influence that counseling. It is a matter of protecting the integrity of our profession." Wait until that same reasoning is used in medicine (abortion is a right and anyone personally opposed must be barred from practicing medicine), in the law (same argument, among others), police work (when we tell you to break up a church meeting, you must do it), and the list goes on. What do we do about it? Well, of course, the ballot box is still available, at least for now. But we must also prepare ourselves. The main reason Christianity was superseded by Islam was not so much the threat of death, since that was usually not a problem, but the threat of higher taxes! We must decide in advance whether we will choose Christ or our comfort. We may find ourselves second-class citizens if we insist on living out our beliefs. Be warned!

Pastor Ken

What a vacation!

So I have been on vacation for the past week or so. During that time, in addition to driving to San Francisco twice to see my Son and Daughter-in-law, I have also been hospitalized. We did not know what was wrong at first, but eventually it was determined that I have a (quite large) gallstone. They say that gall and kidney stones are the closest thing men feel to delivering a baby. If that is true, then I owe a big apology to my wife! Since being hospitalized, I have had two more attacks. So here I wait for my HMO to decide that they are willing to sit down and talk about surgery, which is the only remediation available. About the only thing I can say is it makes me appreciate the immediate access we have to our Father in heaven - no lines, no bureaucracies, no waiting. In the meantime, I trust I will be back to this blog again soon. God bless!

Pastor Ken

To not decide is to decide

This morning I read an opinion piece by Joseph Bottum in First Things, the journal put out by Evangelicals and Catholics Together. That, by the way, is a journal I would definitely recommend for any thinking person. You don't have to agree with everything to benefit from the thinking you will do when you read it. In the piece he made the statement that to decide to be neutral - to not make a decision - on abortion, is to make a decision. As long as the US allows children to be killed in their mothers' wombs, they will be killed. To want it all to just go away, and for us to stop talking about it is to decide that you want the killing to continue. In this way it is much like slavery before the civil war - there were many who wanted first the Whigs, and then the Republicans to just stop talking about it. But, of course, that would have meant that people would have been continued to be enslaved. It might be that we will have to do more than just talk about it, but not even talking about it is to decide that the killing will continue.

Pastor Ken

Earthquake!

This afternoon we experienced yet another earthquake in SoCal. And it just reminded me that earthquakes are a mixed thing. On the one hand, they mean we live on a living planet. There are many scientists who believe that life could not have arisen if not for earthquakes (among many other things). And yet they create havoc with we puny humans. And, they are one of the signs of the end of the age, and as such are pretty scary. I guess all I can say is it makes me glad I have trusted Christ for my eternity so that, while I must admit that I am not volunteering to leave this life immediately, I am not worried about what will happen when I do. Just another reason to Praise the Lord!

Pastor Ken

One Reason I am a Christian

The other day I ran across an article on the "new agnositicism" that I found both thoughtful and thought provoking. If you are interested, you can read it at: http://www.slate.com/id/2258484/ I appreciate the honesty of the author. And, I agree with his characterizations of the "new atheists." I have long contended that atheism is a type of religious belief, at least as defined by the atheists themselves. Basically, to be an atheist in the strictest sense, one who have to have omniscience in order to claim absolute knowledge that there is no God. Agnosticism only claims to have inadequate knowledge to claim that there is a God. The underlying assumption of the article referenced above, "An Agnostic Manifesto" by Ron Rosenbaum, is that there is no scientific, positivistic evidence for the existence of God, and therefore, while one can claim to believe that there is one, it is an "irrational" belief, sometimes referred to as "blind faith." Let me begin by saying that I agree that I have not found enough scientific, positivistic evidence to prove beyond doubt that there is a God. Nor do I expect that this will ever be possible. But that is because scientific, positivistic (s/p) inquiry begins with a set of assumptions which would rule out the possibility of finding any such evidence. For you see, s/p inquiry only deals with this universe. Since this universe is subject to the second law of thermodynamics, and since it is subject to the laws of causation, then the Christian God cannot possibly be a part of this universe. I am not saying that He sould not be able to insert Himself into this universe at any point He might desire, but to be a part of this universe would make Him a finite being with a definite beginning and a certain end. And, since I do believe that Thomas Aquinas has shown logically that an uncaused cause is an absolute necessity for this universe, then God must be that uncaused cause and must exist outside of this universe. So where does that leave us? How does that qualify as a reason why I am a Christian? Just this: It means that if we are to have any knowledge of God at all, it will have to be as a result of His taking the initiative and making Himself known. We will not and cannot discover proof of His existence on our own. But as an historian, I find credible proof that a man known as Jesus of Nazareth, also called the Christ, did indeed live some two thousand years ago and that, after being crucified on a Roman cross, rose from the dead. I also accept the s/p evidence for that being impossible. Dead people do not come back to life again. So if Jesus did, then there must have been some kind of intervention from outside this universe. And, given that Jesus predicted that he would indeed raise from the dead, then I have adequate reason to accept the other things he said, including that there is a God, who was the one who would raise him from the dead, and that this God loved fallen humanity so much that He sent Jesus to provide us with a way of transcending not only our own sinfulness, but the limitations of this universe. I have chosen, therefore, to trust him with my life. I have found that the instructions he gave to his disciples and which were written down and preserved for me provide the best possible foundation not only for the life to come, but for this life also. Having entrusted my life to this God, I have experienced a quality of life and an experience of that God that serves to reinforce my faith. And that is one reason why I am a Christian.

Pastor Ken

Limited freedom of expression

Today the Supreme court ruled that the Hastings School of Law at the University of California could require a Christian organization (the Christian Legal Society) to open leadership to individuals who do not agree with their statement of faith. In this case, it was the requirement that all members must not violate the sexual commands of the Bible, but it could have been anything else. There is still much to be litigated on this case, and it will most likely go back to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, but the precedent is frightening. Shall gay groups be required to allow anti-gays in leadership of their groups? Shall a local chapter of the NAACP be required to allow a bigot to stand for office? Shall an Muslim group be required to allow an atheist to lead it? Or is the University of California only going to impose this restriction on Christian groups? Even the Supreme Court questioned that last thing. We will see what happens in the years to come, because it will probably take that long before a final decision is reached. But in the meantime, be careful, because Constitutional protections only extend to non-public activities and institutions. With the federal government getting involved in healthcare, can it be long before we will be told that we may not pray for the sick in a hospital? Don't laugh - it might not be far away!

Pastor Ken

God First

So I have been on vacation for the past week (hence the long break between posts). As always, there was a pile of "stuff" waiting for me when I got back into the office. It reminded me that life goes on in our absence. And that is a good thing to remember. Life goes on, and we are not necessary for it to happen or be important. It is so easy to only think of life in terms of ourselves. But I am reminded of the school motto at Azusa Pacific University, which my daughter attended: God First. Lord, help me live my life making You first.

Pastor Ken

Faith a Dividing Line

A new survey by the Barna Group was released today on Americans' attitudes towards abortion. As expected, the vast majority of Americans favor a middle ground, being opposed to both abortion with no restrictions and the outright banning of abortion in all circumstances. Most Americans think that there are some cases where it should be allowed. But the one statistic that jumped out at me was the faith divide. 78% of evangelical Christians thought that there should be at least some restrictions on abortion, while 72% of atheists and agnostics thought there should be no restrictions. That doesn't surprise me. If you do not think or are not sure that there is a God, then human life, while marginally more important that animal life, is still a part of the continuum. But if you believe that there is a God and that He has placed humanity in a special relationship with Him (in His image), then you cannot justify the indiscriminate killing of humans, especially not for convenience. None of this is very surprising. But what it does do is give the lie to the idea that religion is not necessary for morality. Yes, it is true that even atheists and agnostics are somewhat moral. But their morality is defined by themselves - they disagree with people of faith on other moral attitudes, choosing to redefine what constitutes morality. This is an example of just that. Killing a child before it is born is not immoral to some, and is to others, and it is their faith that determines that moral stand. Given the trajectory of our society, this is a very worrying idea.

Pastor Ken

Natural Theology

There were two articles in this morning's LA Times that caught my eye. Well, other than the articles on the Lakers and Dodgers and Sparks - but those are another story. The two articles were on the Claremont School of Theology and the review of a book entitled, God is Not One. They were widely separated, but each informed the other in ways that most probably missed. First the article on the Claremont School of Theology. The school is affiliated with the United Methodist Church and is approved to train clergy for them. They recently announced that they intend on offering clerical studies - studies designed to created clergy - for Buddhists and Jews. You can imagine the firestorm that is coming. When asked how they could justify it, the President said that we live in a pluralistic world and must learn how to get along and even cooperate. Now, from one perspective, that not only sounds OK, but holds a great deal of promise. From another perspective it is positively deranged. And the perspective that makes all the difference is called naturalism. And that brings me to the second article, in which the author argues that the world's 8 major religions really do not agree on their basics. I won't repeat all he said, but one of his main points is that each of them considers the plight of humanity differently (referred to as Anthropology in Theology) as well as the solution (typically referred to as Soteriology). And yet the politically correct way of looking at things is to say that all religions desire the same thing, at least in this world. So it occurred to me that what we have here is the result of the modern project and the naturalism that is so ubiquitous in our society. Science has been so successful because it has focused on the natural processes of the world and ignored any possible supernatural ones. That has made it very robust and effective in the natural realm. And if you only look at religion or theology from the natural realm - what is the effect of religion in this life and this world, then mashing all the world's religions together around their commonalities makes sense. But once you decide that the main point of any religion is to deal with the eternal and supernatural, then the differences are just too great and cannot be bridged. Perhaps for some the natural approach is sufficient. It certainly seems to be for Claremont School of Theology. But I can't shake one verse from the New Testament: Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. That kingdom overlaps this mortal life, but is primarily about eternal life. I, for one, cannot reconcile being a Biblical Christian with natural theology.

Pastor Ken

People Used to be Weird!

I am working on a class on Monasticism for a church history intensive at Kings College and Seminary. First, let me say what a joy and honor it is to teach those who are training for ministry. It is a noble - and difficult - calling. One cannot study Monasticism without talking about two of the first, and, to modern ears, weirdest monks - St. Anthony and St. Simon the Stylite. Anthony was weird enough - he lived alone in the bottom of a well for decades and only ate the simplest of fare. But Simon - now there was one weird puppy. He lived for 36 years on the top of a pillar, which was increased in height from nine to fifty feet. Now that sounds just plain - well, weird - to me. What is the point of living on the top of a pillar? And yet, to the people of his day he was a saint who was widely sought out for his advice and prayers. Now we could just chalk it all up to the credulity of the ancients. And yet, I can't help but wonder - what is it that we believe and accept that will be chalked up to our credulity? Or, will people in the future see something even worse - a people so incredulous that we couldn't see what is clear about God and His work to those who live in the future? Of course, I am a child of my generation, so I probably have no idea. But I wonder.

Pastor Ken

Science - Its problem and value

What is not to like about modern science? It has given us everything from medical technology to the X-box. There is no doubt that our world could not support the sheer number of people on the planet without the considerable aid of science. So what could be a problem with science? Just this - by refusing to consider "purpose," what Aristotelian and Thomist philosophy refers to as "final causes," it has truncated our view of reality. The modern project, of which science as currently understood is the pinnacle, not only refuses to ask questions of purpose or final cause, but insists that such questions are invalid. By defining "success" as the increase of human happiness in this world and life, it has done an admirable job of increasing happiness in this life. But by denying the possibility of God and eternal life, it has rule out of bounds the discussion of either subject. But what if there is a God? And what if science, by its exclusive attention to this life only, is unable to tell us anything about God or eternity? And what if we refuse to consider other sources of knowledge than science? Will we find out only too late that God was there all along trying to get our attention so we could know and fulfill the qualifications of eternal life in His presence? Just a question.

Pastor Ken

Business as usual

I just finished talking to a businessman who is having fits with a client who claims to be a Christian, but refuses to honor signed contracts and, as he put it, looks at contracts, once signed, as "the beginning of negotiations." The excuse? They are of a different culture. Now I know that cultures differ - and in fact, I celebrate many of those cultural differences. And, I am very aware not only that there are problems inherent in our own culture, but that I may not even be aware of some of the worst, since I have been raised in this culture. But that is why we need an outside standard against which to compare and correct all cultures. I continue to maintain that there is an absolute standard of right and wrong and that the best expression of that standard is to be found in the Bible. It is the Bible that teaches us to let our yes be yes and our no be no - in other words to mean what we say and honor what we say. I fully expect all of us to be judged by the content of God's revelation, regardless of our cultural background. My prayer is primarily that God will show me those things that I do and say that conflict with that revelation and to help me to not make excuses because of my culture or upbringing.

Pastor Ken

Pentecost in Glendale

Has it really been two weeks since I last posted? And does anybody really care? I must confess, I am never sure that there is enough stuff worth saying to post a blog like this on an ongoing basis. But here I am again, nonetheless! This morning I was talking with the pastor of our Iranian-Armenian congregation. He shared with me that this past Sunday, which was Pentecost, they started with over 250 people in a building that only seats 180, and then, when he began to pray for people, the word got out and people kept coming until 11:30 PM that night to be prayed for, eventually having between 400 and 500 people come and stand in line, some for over an hour, to be prayed for. There is a real hunger in the human heart to know God and be touched by Him. It is possible to harden our hearts to this sense, but it is there from the earliest age. Perhaps that is why the Bible pleads with us to not harden our hearts. God wants to meet with us so much more than we are interested in meeting with Him. Don't wait!

6 Catholics and 3 Jews

That is the headline I just saw. It is the essence of an article I read in the LA Times this morning. It reflects continuing articles on Fox News and CNN. Everyone is so up in arms because there will be no Protestants on the Supreme Court. Can I just say - I don't care! I know we live in an age when everyone thinks they are or ought to be part of a protected class. But it seems to me that we have taken this way too far. It seems to me that the only qualifications that need to be considered are those relating to judicial abilities and philosophy. But it highlights another thing happening in our society now, and in the Christian church and culture in particular. I am referring to the tendency to perceive slights as evidence of persecution. Now, I honestly do not think that there is any slight or persecution intended in the fact that there might not be any Protestants on the Supreme Court for awhile. But let us say for the moment that there was What should we do about it? Frankly, this is where I need to understand my Bible. Because Jesus told us to fully expect that we would be persecuted for His name's sake. And when we are, we are to "turn the other cheek." If we ever get to the point where Christians are excluded from parts of our political and cultural world just because we are Christians, then we need to not be surprised, and redouble our efforts to live a life that testifies that God still loves not only us, but those persecuting us as well. In the meantime, let's not look for trouble where there isn't any.

Pastor Ken

Reminding myself

As I write this I have just finished perusing the Alumni magazine for my undergraduate college, Oral Roberts University. Like all Alumni magazines, it includes stories of the many exploits of various graduates. ORU has had more than its share of graduates who have made a significant difference in various fields and places in the world. And when I say field, I not only mean field of endeavor, but also field in the world, as there are ORU graduates in almost every country of the world. After reading about so many successes, it is easy to feel like one has been, well, let's just say less than a success. It is a feeling that almost everyone is familiar with, particularly at "mid-life." So we need to remind ourselves that God's standard for success is not the same as the world's. God's is measured in what the Bible calls "faithfulness." Have we done what God called us to do? Now that may sound like an easier standard, but it is not. There are many of us who realize what no one else does about our callings and our failings. So what I am trying to say today is not for us all feel better even though we have not been as successful as others in the eyes of the world. Rather I call each of us to seek God anew for His calling and His favor.

Pastor Ken

That Pesky Rule of Law

In recent years there has been a growing consensus that the first thing that is absolutely necessary for a livable society that truly honors everyone is "the rule of law." Basically this means that the laws of the land are applied equally to everyone, regardless of station, income or crime. Not that the penalties are equal for every crime, but that all crimes are pursued equally vigorously. This is, of course, a principle that we say we unswervingly support in the US. It is certainly in keeping with the revelation of God as contained in the Bible. There we learn that God loves all equally and judges all equally. But today I heard on the radio that many of our highest public officials are saying that a US citizen accused of a crime should not be afforded the normal constitutional rights normally afforded a US citizen. In this case it is person accused of setting the car bomb in New York's Times Square. Now this crime could have been truly horrendous. And there is no doubt in my mind that, if they have actually found the right person, he should be convicted and incarcerated for a long time. But to not Mirandize him? Perhaps we should not even hold a trial?! I understand that anger and fear that an attempt like this raises. But we are either for the rule of law or we are not. If we decide that some crimes or some national origins or some religions mean that a person is not entitled to the same rights as everyone else - well how long until it is decided that Christians or Blonds or Caucasians are the real threat and that security demands that these people not be afforded constitutional rights? One of the greatest of our Founders chose to defend the most hated men in the American colonies when John Adams defended the alleged perpetrators of the "Boston Massacre." God, give us more John Adamses and fewer members of the mob!

Pastor Ken

I just read yesterday that 41% of babies born in the US are born to unwed mothers. I can hardly express how depressed that makes me for those children. I do not minimize the number of bad marriages or other family problems, but the chances for a child to thrive and do well decrease markedly when they are not in an intact family with a father and a mother who love them and are there for them. I am not talking about opinion here, that is just a fact. The fastest growing group in terms of poverty are single parent families. The problems associated with being born to a single mother are legion. And yet we are afraid to say that some things are right or better. They are nonetheless. I wish I could say I have a quick and ready answer. I don't. But I can pray that God will send a revival to America that will change not only our values, but our hearts. Will you pray with me?

Pastor Ken

New Churches

As I write this I am sitting in a "bootcamp" for new church planters - I am acting as a coach. My job is to get them to dig deeper and ask more questions. What impresses me is their dedication to expanding the kingdom. We have the message of life and over 2/3s of SoCal either hasn't heard or hasn't understood it. How awesome to hear the vision of these who are committing themselves to taking that message and helping them to refine that vision and plan for ways to bring it to fruition. It is a truly humbling experience.

Pastor Ken

Trust God

I must confess that I have a hard time blogging when I don't think I have anything to say that even I, let alone anyone else, would like to hear or read. So here it has been 5 days again. There are so few things that seem important enough to put out there in print (or electrons, as the case may be). So here is my blog for the day: Trust God! Everything else falls into place and into perspective when you do. I have tried to live by that principle for over 39 years now and have found that when I do is when things are best. Is that a coincidence? Perhaps, but I find the coincidences come more often when I do it, so I will keep trusting God. Have a great day.

Pastor Ken

Still relevant after 100 years

It was 100 years ago today that Former President Theodore Roosevelt said the following at the Sorbonne in Paris:

It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deed could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat."

Go out and dare great things for God!

Pastor Ken

Death and Anger

This past Sunday we had as guests in our church a couple who have served as missionaries in Haiti since 1965. They had been to Haiti twice since the earthquake in January. As you can imagine, they had harrowing stories of death and survival, as well as updates on the ongoing relief effort. But what impressed me the most was their report about the reactions of the survivors to surviving when so many of them had lost loved ones. In their experience, virtually every person they talked to, even when they had lost children or spouses or other family and friends not only did not express any anger towards God, but expressed thanks for having been spared and a new commitment to determining the reason God had spared them and fulfill His purposes in their lives. And that just blew me away. Probably the most common reaction I have run across here in the States is anger at God for allowing this earthquake and for so many to have been killed. Indeed, it is further proof for many that there is no God, since they could not imagine how a loving God would allow so many innocent people to die in such a horrible way. So how is it that so many Haitians react with renewed faith and commitment, especially when they are the ones who are really suffering?

It occurs to me that one big reason may be a more realistic view of life on the part of the Haitians than we have. As we have grown more comfortable and lived longer we seem to have adopted the attitude that we deserve a long and comfortable life. But the Haitians seem to think that all of us are going to die anyway, and that the extension of life, especially in tragic circumstances brings a responsibility to God and one's fellow human to serve them. Now, I must confess, I understand emotionally the American response much better than the Haitian one. But when I think about it, the Haitians are much closer to the truth. If there is a tragedy in death, then it is death itself which is the tragedy. And that is indeed what the Bible says - man was never intended to die, and the offer of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ. So it is the extension of life which is the blessing, not the cutting short of life which is a greater tragedy. Now I know that there are questions of the means of death, but we all know that many times the greater pain is suffered by one who survives and faces multiple surgeries, etc. I don't think this small blog answers or even acknowledges all the questions or objections, but I find myself convicted by the response of my Haitian brothers and sisters. Perhaps I should be trying to determine why God has allowed me to live so long and fulfill that purpose. Just a thought.

Pastor Ken

Finding Meaning

So many of us are looking for purpose or meaning in life. Dietrich Bonhoeffer perhaps said it best in his Letters and Papers from Prison (p. 207): In these turbulent times we repeatedly lose sight of what really makes life worth living We think that, because this or that person is living, it makes sense for us to live too. But the truth is that if this earth was good enough for the man Jesus Christ, if such a man as Jesus lived, then, and only then, has life a meaning for us. If Jesus had not lived, then our life would be meaningless, in spite of all the other people whom we know and honor and love. Perhaps we now sometimes forget the meaning and purpose of our profession. But is not this the simplest way of putting it? The unbiblical notion of "meaning" is indeed only a translation of what the Bible calls "promise."

Without Jesus - without the promise of meaning found in a living God who loves and cares for and forgives us, life is at best a cruel joke - an absurdity into which we try, in vain, to inject real meaning. But the resurrected Son of God gives life true meaning, and we find our own meaningfulness only in Him.

Pastor Ken

Tax Day

I am not sure there is anyone who likes, let alone loves Tax Day. In the musical 1776 John Adams is upbraided by a fellow delegate to the Continental Congress for thinking his taxes are too high. The other delegate says, "well, so are mine!" I heard on the radio today that around half of all Americans think that taxes are basically fair - and that 47% of Americans pay no income tax! I guess it is easy to think it is fair if you don't pay! And yet, taxes are a necessary part of life. We expect so much of our government, and it all must be paid for somehow. And in a Republic where we all have representation, we have no one to blame but ourselves if our taxes are too high. But is there a Christian response to tax day? Actually, yes there is. We all remember the story of Jesus telling Peter to go get a fish from the lake and finding a roman coin in the mouth. Jesus told Peter - and by extension all of us - that we have a responsibility to render to our government what our government requires. And this in an Empire where the common person had not say so in who was to govern or what the laws would be! Now, I confess, I wouldn't mind finding enough to pay my taxes for the year in the mouth of a fish - or dog or any other animal. But until then, I will keep on paying my taxes. Of course, I will keep on complaining, too. That is only American!

Pastor Ken

Waiting for Understanding

It has been a little more than a week since Easter. For most of us today, that means that summer and vacations are just around the corner. But for the first disciples, it was a time of intense learning and unlearning. First, they were unlearning everything they knew about - well just about everything. They were unlearning everything they thought they knew about the Messiah. Jesus was obviously not going to establish a secular Jewish kingdom after defeating the Romans. They were unlearning what they thought they knew about their own futures. It was clear that they were not going to sit on thrones at Jesus' side in that new kingdom that was not coming, but they were wondering whether that meant they were going to go back to their old jobs. In fact, several tried, until Jesus went to Galilee, and called them back to following Him again. But most of all, they were unlearning everything they thought they knew about life itself - death was obviously not the final word. Jesus had come back to life again after a horrendous death - and could do things no sane person would ever expect to be able to do, like walk through walls! Little did they know that in just a few weeks Jesus would literally disappear before their eyes as He rose into heaven. The disciples were unlearning quite a lot. But it was necessary in order for them to start learning some things - things like the nature of God's kingdom and of human life. So many times we find ourselves in a similar situation - in the middle of the painful process of unlearning and not yet knowing what will take its place. But hang in there. God is not done with you yet, and we can't even imagine what the end is going to look like!

Pastor Ken

I Want It Now!

As I sit here this morning I am waiting for my phone to complete downloading a page from the internet. I started almost an hour and 20 minutes ago. Now, admittedly, that really is too long, and this problem has been getting worse, so there is probably a problem with my phone. But I first began to notice it when a page took perhaps 5 seconds instead of the usual 1 or 2. And that got me to thinking about this instant age we live in. I am not the first to notice that contemporary Americans are not particularly patient - we have instant everything, including instant news (which often turns out to be false). But I got to thinking about how we are expecting the same thing in our spiritual lives. We want God to do for us what we have asked immediately, or, if that's not possible, then quickly. And yet it is James who encourages us to add to our list of virtues "patience." There is something about learning to wait that develops our character. It trains us for those times when something just can't happen immediately or quickly. Of course, I am more than happy to learn spiritual patience, it is just all this other stuff, right? I wish we could compartmentalize our lives that way. But God made us whole, and what happens in one part of our lives inevitably affects another. So as I continue to wait for tha webpage to download, perhaps I should thank God for the chance to learn a little more patience - who knows when I may need that discipline? In the meantime, I need to get to the Sprint store and get a new phone - one that works faster!

Pastor Ken

New methods with an old message

The SoCal District of the Assemblies of God has a new Superintendent - the first new one in 22 years. Most everybody is expecting big changes. And I am sure that, in some areas, they are correct. But I am looking forward to the things that will remain the same. I expect that the Bible will still be God's Word, infallible and our only rule of faith and conduct. I expect that We will still preach Jesus Christ, crucified, dead, buried and raised from the dead. I expect that we will still preach that Jesus baptizes in the Holy Spirit all who seek that baptism and signifies that reception with the gift of speaking in tongues as the Spirit enables. I expect that Jesus will come back again within my lifetime. That last one may sound strange, but it is undoubtedly true, because, even if he does not return physically to this earth before I die, he will be awaiting me when I take my last breath. And, I believe that, in the meantime, God will continue to love me, guide me, heal me when I need it, and go before me into areas that I am not even aware are awaiting me in this life. I look forward to cooperating with our new Superintendent as new methods are explored and used to increase the kingdom of God, and as we try to find effective ways to tell the 16 million people in Southern California who do not yet have a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ that God loves them so much that He sent His only son to die on their behalf. New methods with an old message - that is a powerful combination!

Pastor Ken

Leadership matters

This morning begins our Annual District Council. This year, for the first time in over 20 years, we will be electing a new Superintendent. On the one hand, I am not sure that God is nearly as concerned as we are about how we choose our leaders. On the other hand, it is more important that we sometimes realize just who is chosen. I am not talking about talents or abilities, though those things are important. But far and away what is important in all leadership, and especially leadership in the church, is character. I heard someone once say that, once elected, we really have no idea what is going to happen to derail or turn us away from our plans. It is character that will determine how we react when that happens. God calls each of us to learn that He really does care and offers to guide us in the middle of all this "mess" we call life. My prayer for this council is that God will speak to us and enable us to elect the person who will listen carefully and follow closely the God who cares and speaks.

Pastor Ken

The In-Between Time

So it's Saturday. Yesterday was Good Friday, the day Jesus was crucified. Tomorrow is Sunday - the day He rose from the dead. But what is today? It is the in-between time. That time between when the worst we could imagine has happened and God's answer. Have you ever noticed how much of life is spent "in-between?" Sometimes it is in-between the bad and God's answer. Sometimes it is in-between the promise and the fulfillment. There are so many times in life where we are just waiting in-between. Now, I do not fault the disciples for their seeming inability to understand Jesus' words predicting his death and resurrection. When God tells us something completely outside of our frame of reference, we struggle with it. But today we all live after the greatest miracle in the history of humanity - the resurrection. I still may not understand how God is going to take what is happening in my life and use it for my good and His glory, but if He could raise Jesus from the dead, I can at least believe that it is true. So, as we live "in-between," let's trust the God is still working things out for us. Don't give up, even when the worst has happened. God's power is waiting to be seen!

Pastor Ken

April Fool?

Growing up I always loved April Fool's day. Of course, playing a trick on someone else was more fun than having one played on me, but even the latter was OK - it was fun! This year April Fool's day is just days apart from Easter, and that got me to thinking. There are so many who would like for the Resurrection of Jesus Christ to be some kind of a joke played by the early church on us and on themselves. As a believer who has not only been regenerated, but filled with the Holy Spirit, I have personal, experiential knowledge of the truth of Easter. But there are always those who say, "What if you are wrong? What if you are just deluding yourself?" Without agreeing that this is true, it is still a question that deserves an answer. What if I am deluding myself? First, I would ask, what if you are deluding yourself that the resurrection, the single most attested event in the ancient world, didn't happen? If I am willing to at least entertain the possibility that I am wrong are others who claim the resurrection didn't happen also willing to do so? Because if we will both do that, we will both have to admit this one truth: If I am wrong, I will never know it. If death is truly the cessation of existence, then when I die I will be no more and will not know that I was wrong to believe the overwhelming testimony of history that Jesus Christ did raise from the dead. But if you are wrong, you will know that you were - and the Bible says that will be too late. Now, putting one's faith in Jesus Christ ought not to be done strictly as an insurance policy. But the consequences are so enormous that it certainly is true that I should examine the evidence as closely and thoroughly as possible. I have done so, from every angle I can think of or imagine. I read books by atheists as well as believers, and every one in between. The stakes are too high to put it off. I am convinced that a fair hearing, entered into with a simultaneous request for God - if there is a God - to reveal Himself in Jesus Christ, will result in a growing faith. In the meantime, let me proclaim with all that I have, "The Lord is Risen! He is Risen Indeed!"

Pastor Ken

Coincidence or Provision?

Yesterday, when I got home, my wife and I were discussing our financial condition. We were wondering how we were going to pay all the bills, what with the Mortgage due and her car needing a new catalytic converter. Oh, yeah, and we thought we might like to eat too! I know that there are many who are in the same situation every day. But we have lived by one principle in our financial lives: do what God says with our finances (that starts with tithing) and then trust Him to take care of us. Well, yesterday, it happened again. Just having finished commiserating with each other and deciding we had not idea what to do, I went out and got the mail. Lo and behold, our tax refund was there. Now that is not surprising, since we did our taxes about six weeks ago or so. But what was amazing was that the IRS found a deduction I had not used and gave us a substantial additional refund based on that. That's right, the IRS gave us more money than we asked for! Now, I know that it could never be conclusively proven that this was more than a simple coincidence that we received a refund with a lot more money than we expected on the same day that we were discussing how we were going to pay our bills. But these kinds of coincidences just keep happening! My wife and I can honestly say that all our needs have been met. Are these recurring coincidences just that or are they provision from the hand of God? I'll let you decide.

Pastor Ken

Head to heart

When I was a new Christian I remember people saying that the longest 12 inches in the world is the distance from the head to the heart. They meant that it is one thing to have an intellectual knowledge of God and another to have placed one's complete trust in Jesus Christ as one's savior and Lord. Now, that is clearly true, though I would dispute those who would claim that the former are not God's children - I think I will just leave in God's hands who has trusted and who hasn't. But recently I have been reflecting again on that saying and realizing that it is also true about one's experience of God on an ongoing basis. I do believe that it is possible to have some sort of relationship with God even when that is primarily through our intellect. But since we are holistic creatures I have found that emotional engagement is in many cases even more important. The problem is that in our culture we think we have no control over emotions and they are either there or they are not. But I have found that emotions follow actions quite regularly. For example, I find it very difficult to not feel that wonderful emotion called "love" when I am consistently trying to do things for my wife - things that express love in traditional terms, like hugging, kissing, cooking dinner, helping in the yard, taking her flowers, etc. I have found the same with God. When I reflect on the words of the songs of praise I sing, raise my hands in praise, tell others of the great things God has done for me, I find that my emotions begin to rise as well. I say all this because this week has to be the easiest time of the year to do those things and renew our experience of God. So this week, I encourage you to praise our wonderful risen Savior and tell others what He has done for you. The Lord is Risen! He is Risen Indeed!

Pastor Ken

Humility

I don't know if some people are naturally humble. If there are some like that, I know I am not one of them. For me, humility is something I have to learn. What brings all this up is that my second reader just finished my dissertation and is requiring additional research and rewriting. After passing with my first reader, who is one of the acknowledged deans of Church Historiography, I foolishly thought I would now be passed by the second and third readers too. Of course, we all know what happens when you assume, so here I am doing more research and getting ready to find out what I did wrong and what I need to do to fix it. I know, however, that God is in control of my life and that I have been working hard, so I trust that this, too, is in His will. I am humbled, but I am also rejoicing in knowing that my God works in all things for my good and His glory. What could be better than that?

Pastor Ken

Healthcare redux

Well, last night the house passed the senate version of healthcare reform. Supposedly the pro-life Democrats got the assurances they wanted that federal money would not be used for abortions. I must admit that I am seriously conflicted about this. I am staunchly pro-life - I am virtually a single issue voter when it comes to protecting the lives of the yet-to-be-born. And yet, to be pro-life must surely also mean that we want those who are already born, regardless of age, to have access to healthcare. I don't mean those who refuse to get it, or even necessarily those who want society and government to take responsibility for all their actions. But it is true that there are millions in our country who could not get healthcare at any price because of the policies of Insurance companies. I remember when my Father-in-law's health insurance company went bankrupt just after he had suffered a heart attack. Having had a heart attack, no other insurance company would let him have a policy, no matter what he was willing to pay. Since that time (over 20 years ago) I have met countless numbers of people who wanted healthcare, were willing to pay for it, but could not get it. So I definitely believed that we needed some kind of reform. Having said that, our country will answer both before the bar of history as well as the bar of God's justice for our willingness to allow tens of millions of children to be killed just because they were not wanted. We must take our stand everywhere we can until this holocaust is stopped. I don't know if this bill does that or not. I guess time will tell. And I don't know if it will do all the other things it will promise. Being a human invention, it will surely have unintended consequences. We will all be watching. What do you think?

Pastor Ken

Good news

So the other day I talked about the city in Arizona that tried to ban home Bible studies. Turns out that this was the result of an interpretation by enforcement officers, and not the intention of the city council, who observed that such an attempt would be "clearly unconstitutional." So, by next week at this time, they intend to have rescinded the entire law. For more information you can read Fox News' take on the whole thing at: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2010/03/17/arizona-town-rescind-controversial-religious-ban/?test=latestnews

Nice to know we can still have Bible studies!

Pastor Ken

Are we that frightening?

Once again a city in the US has decided that having Bible Studies in private homes is a violation of zoning laws. This time it is Gilbert, AZ. I say again because cities have been trying to do this for over 30 years now. I trust that Gilbert will be no more successful than other cities have been. But it makes me wonder - what are they so afraid of? Oh, I know, they try to couch it in terms of parking, but if they were going to be consistent, then they would have to prohibit parties and even family gatherings. I know that having the family over to my house means at least 16 or 17 people and four or five cars at least - more than a normal home Bible study. I can't help but think that this really relates to being "church unfriendly." Churches are the single most opposed development in LA county - more than bars and strip clubs! What is everyone afraid of? I don't know. But this is one area where we have to just keep doing it - home Bible studies. Or so it seems to me.

Pastor Ken

Know what you believe

In Romans 6:17-18 we are told that while we were once slaves to sin, we now can be slaves to righteousness if we will obey the pattern of doctrine we have received. In that one passage are a couple of concepts that are preeminently Christian, but which many of us don't like. The first is that it seems to be saying that our natural state is to be a slave - the only choice is whether to be a slave to sin or a slave to righteousness. Interestingly, that reflects a concept of freedom that is not only ancient, but is the one upon which our country was founded. These days we seem to think that to be free is to be able to do anything we want, as long as it doesn't hurt someone else, or at least not without their permission. But our founders, along with all the ancients, understood freedom as being free to do what is right, not what we want. But what is right? That is where the second part of our scripture comes in - for the Christian, what is right is the "pattern of doctrine," the teaching of the Bible as historically understood by God's people, the church. That the Bible contains a pattern of doctrine is not in dispute. But whether we know it or not is another question. We cannot obey what we do not know - that is why Mormon missionaries like to go to places where Christian missionaries have just successfully planted churches, but the people do not yet know what the Bible teaches. They use the same language, but define the terms differently. New believers who have no teaching don't know the difference. Unfortunately, neither to some older believers in the US - because we would rather be "inspired" than taught. But if what Paul is saying here is true, then the primary responsibility we have as Christians is to learn the doctrine delivered by the Apostles and passed on to us. Only then can we obey it. But we cannot obey a teaching that we have not learned. So learn! Go to the old sources and find out what the Bible is saying. Then live it! We will live as slaves one way or the other. I prefer to be a slave to righteousness. How about you?

Pastor Ken

More Health Care

The debate goes on over proposed health care reform. Now it appears that it will not pass. Already I am hearing from some that the fault lies with those who oppose abortion on demand who are holding health care reform "hostage" to their extreme views. As one who thinks that our present health care system is broken, let me just say that I completely disagree with this characterization. Quite simply, there was a small group of Democratic Representatives in the US House of Representatives who let it be known early on that they would not vote for any reform that allowed Federal money to be used, either directly or indirectly, to pay for abortions. When you consider abortion murder, you really can do no other. It would be tantamount to allowing Federal money to be used to kill the elderly or the handicapped because someone had decided that they were less than human, or of no further use to society, or even just plain inconvenient - still the major cause for abortions in the US. Though Pelosi is an extremist on the side of unlimited abortions, she understood that the bill had no hope unless an amendment put forward by Rep. Stupak was adopted. Once it was, the bill passed. It then went to the Senate. And though they knew that the bill had no chance unless the Stupak language was included, they passed their version of the bill without the language. And that is where we stand. Did some Senators overplay their hand? Probably - I don't think they really thought that they would lose the Senate seat previously held by Ted Kennedy. But now they are trying to rewrite history by portraying those Democrats who have let their principle stand be known from the very beginning as "obstructionists" who value their "extreme" view more than the health care of some 31 million Americans. To those "obstructionists," I say - "keep obstructing." The lives of the unborn are not negotiable. Or so it seems to me.

Pastor Ken

The Result of Faith

I want to celebrate one of the most important results of my faith - and one that can make the difference for so many of us. I still remember the night when God's Spirit had confronted me with the fact of my sin and the direction my life was going. I remember that moment of withdrawal when God's Spirit took a step back and let me decide whether I would trust that the sacrifice Jesus made would suffice to forgive my sin and give me a new kind of life. It is pretty obvious that I chose Jesus. But the result of that faith - a faith that God Himself had given me, but that I had to choose to invest in Him - is that I am now aware of His presence in my life every day. I am working on my message for this Sunday, which looks at the question the Psalmist asked when he considered the vastness of the universe - "what is man that you are mindful of him?" I understand those who claim that the vastness of this universe argues against God caring about humanity, let alone an individual person like me. That is a very powerful emotional reaction. But that is all it is - an emotional reaction. I cannot explain why God should or would care about anyone, let alone me, let alone be present with me. But that does not change the fact that He is. My awareness is not proof of God's existence or that the Bible is God's revelation of Himself to humanity. But my trust of Him has allowed me to know these things. Does that constitute a "leap of faith?" Perhaps. I do believe that there is adequate proof for the existence of God and for the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Those two things, I believe, provide an adequate starting place for trusting God. But the best part - personal knowledge of His presence - that comes after I have chosen to trust. I can only suggest that others try it as well. I am not saying that everyone who trusts God's love in Jesus Christ will always be aware of His presence. That is not how God has chosen to make it work. But there are times when I am overwhelmed with the sweetness of His presence. And that is worth more than I can say! As the old commercial used to say, "Try it, you'll like it!"

Pastor Ken

Families

Today (Saturday) my family celebrated all of the winter/spring birthdays. All told we had four generations where every married couple was still married to their original spouses, never having had a divorce. In total we had 15 people present. There were no fights, and one of the highlights was when we all gathered around the piano with great-grandma playing and everyone else singing hymns and gospel songs. While it wasn't heaven, it might have been the closest we can come in this life. I say all of this because of the reason for it all - our faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, who has made it all possible. To God be the glory, great things He has done!

Pastor Ken

As I write this blog, I am sitting in a classroom at Kings Seminary and College sitting in on a class taught by my good friend, Dr. Mike Gregg. He is teaching New Testament Survey to a classroom filled with future ministers in the church of Jesus Christ. Tonight they are discussing the gospel of John, and it is exciting to listen to the many questions they have and observations they make about the gospel. A new generation is training to teach, lead and serve the church. The future is in good hands! It has been true throughout history that every generation has thought that the next generation is dissolute and that the future is in trouble in their hands. And yet, God continues to find those in every generation that He will use to further His kingdom. Praise God for those who answer the call. The kingdom does not depend on our ability, only on our faithfulness. Just a few thoughts suggested by this class tonight.

Pastor Ken

More on women in ministry

So yesterday I talked about the passage in 1 Corinthians 11. But another seemingly less ambiguous passage occurs in 1 Timothy 2:9-15, specifically the part where Paul says, "I do not allow a woman to teach or have authority over a man, she must be silent." Now, there are those who use the same argument here - that it is really husband and wife, not man and woman. But there is an even more important thing we need to know here. Once again, we must go back to the original Greek. This passage can be translated either "I do not allow," or "I am not allowing." The difference is between a commandment meant for all times and places and a comment on a current practice that does not necessarily have any long-term or wide-spread application. The reason I believe that the latter is Paul's intention is twofold. First, there was a "new teaching" that was just becoming popular in the area around Ephesus that taught that rather than sinning, Eve, by eating the fruit, brought special knowledge into the world, which knowledge only women could communicate to men. I believe that this is the teaching Paul had in mind here and explains a temporary ban on women in the pulpit. The reason I believe this is that he justifies his statement by saying that Eve actually did sin, and was actually deceived by the evil one. And secondly, Paul himself, in Romans 16 greets and commends several women in ministry positions. Romans was written just before 1 Timothy and sheds light on Paul's normal attitude towards women in ministry, and it was positive. He had nothing negative to say to the Romans about these women in ministry; rather he commended them.

What is most interesting is the most Christian movements have been open to women in ministry in the early years when there was a lot of pioneering of churches going on, but when the movement becomes more stable and ministry positions pay better, it is common for women to be banned from those positions. But in Christ there is no male and female. It is a distinction without a difference in ministry.

Pastor Ken

Women Pastors

Just the other day I was sitting with a Pastor who, not knowing that I had been so outspoken on the subject, asked me what I thought about women having places of leadership in the church. When I told him that I had sponsored the original motion to invite women to serve on our Presbytery and Executive Presbytery in the Southern California District of the Assemblies of God, he proceeded to tell me that God intended for women to submit to men, and this was not consistent with women in leadership. I could not get a word in edge-wise in the ensuing conversation, but I eventually asked him to send my his scriptures that he thought forbade women from places of leadership in the church. His first was 1 Corinthians 11:3-10. The key verse is where Paul says that man is the head of woman, and that women needed to have their heads covered in church when they prophesied or prayed. I won't go into all the details, but as I pointed out to him, the Greek for man and woman in this passage can also be translated husband and wife. Which word is always determined by context. And in this context, the head covering is the key to understanding what Paul meant. Because the head covering was a sign of marriage in the ancient world. So, when Paul told women to wear head coverings in this passage, he was only addressing wives - since unmarried women would not wear a head covering. Since Paul is talking to wives and husbands in this part of the passage, it would be inconsistent for him to have been referring to the more general "women" in the same passage.

There were other things he brought up as well, but the point is that all of us want to think that there are others who are not as worthy as we are in some area. But that is not what God says. As Paul himself said, in Christ, "there is not slave or free, Greek or Barbarian, male and female." We are all equal in his sight! In fact, what we are actually called to do is serve each other as Christ served and died for us. So let's all go out and serve someone today!

Pastor Ken

Oh, my, it has been another five days. But during those five days I have been privileged to be a small part of some important things in the kingdom of God, including taking the next steps to plant two new churches in the Los Angeles area - one an outreach to Armenian-Iranians and the other an outreach to Assyrian-Iranians. Hopefully within about three months both of these groups will become full-fledged church plants and receive a gift of $40,000 each from the Assemblies of God. Praise the Lord! As well, we have begun the process of turning over a ministry that has been responsible for raising hundreds of thousands of dollars to send Romanian missionaries to various parts of the world to a partnership between the National Pentecostal Union in Romania and a fellowship of North American Pentecostal churches here in the US and Canada. Though it is sad to see American churches beginning to pull back in the area of missions, God is not stymied. And, as other countries and peoples take up the challenge, they will get the blessing that previously belonged to us. "His Truth is marching on!"

Pastor Ken

Today I met with Pastors George and Shamuel, the pastors of our Armenian and Assyrian outreaches respectively, to begin the process of planting full-fledged churches out of their groups. To say it was exciting would be a vast understatement. On Pentecost Sunday we expect to launch both churches. We have been working with Pastor Shamuel and the Assyrian group for five years now and Pastor George and the Armenian group for about a year and a half. Both have made significant inroads in their communities and we expect both to be come full-fledged, vibrant churches in their own rights eventually. I count it a singular honor to have been allowed by God to have a small part in helping them, by providing oversight and counsel, along with bookkeeping and insurance in these extended periods of planning and start-up. Both of them are from Iran and came to the US as religious refugees, as have most of their core groups. Stay tuned for more about these two soon-to-be churches as they seek to transform first their communities here in the US and, through them, the nation of Iran itself.

Pastor Ken

A Week?

Wow, it has been a week since I posted. That is just plain embarrassing. So what have I been doing this past week? It was exactly a week ago that I received my dissertation back from my advisor with some requested changes. So, this past week I have been doing the changes while trying to juggle the rest of my responsibilities. But, as I sit here at 3:00 PM I can say that I have now finished all the changes, printed out two copies of my dissertation and taken them to Fuller Seminary for my advisor and my second reader to have - and hopefully pass. If so, then I have but one more reader to look at it, and I will be done! Hallelujah! In the meantime. life goes on. I guess the important thing is to not let the important things distract us from the everyday things - because we live our lives everyday. So, enjoy today, and everyday!

Pastor Ken

A Different Prespective

I noticed that Avatar has been nominated for 9 Academy Awards. And I know that many have expressed their concern about the movie for its "anti-human bias." I find that interesting for a couple of reasons. First, I find it interesting because, so far, we don't know of any other fully sentient species in the Universe except Homo Sapiens. We're it! So what does it mean to be "anti-human?" But even more importantly, it misses the point of Science Fiction anyway - to help us see ourselves from a different perspective. It is so hard to get outside of ourselves and see ourselves as others see us. By making the "aliens" the good guys, it allows us to see ourselves in a different light. And I have never thought that was a bad thing.

Pastor Ken

Discipline

Now there is a word that few of us like. In the past couple of weeks I have begun to try to learn to speak Persian (Farsi). I say "begun" because I have found that it is easy to decide not to work on it right now. I have every intention and desire to learn to speak the language. I know that I will enjoy having done so. I even look forward to working on it - later. But right now? That requires discipline. And, of course, the root of discipline is the same as that of disciple. Am I saying that learning Persian is a discipleship matter? Well, actually, for me, it might be. But that is not the point. The deeper question is whether we must be disciplined in order to be saved. Like how I jumped from one subject to another? But often that is exactly what we do. So let me set the record straight. The most disciplined person in the world can still be lost. And the least can still be saved. But that isn't the question either, is it? The question is whether discipline is necessary to my salvation. And the answer to that is, do I really want Christ as Lord or not? The truth is that I began this long walk with the Lord 39 years ago. Whether I learn Persian or not is not going to determine my eternal location. On the other hand, if I begin to systematically disobey my Lord, then how can I claim Him as my Lord? And obedience requires discipline. So, not disciplining myself to learn Persian will mean I am lost? No! But that really isn't the point. I never should have jumped to that question in the first place. Salvation is a daily walk with the Lord. And that means being disciplined right now, as I contemplate what to do with my time. I do not want to see how little I can obey the Lord and still make it to heaven. I want to see how close to heaven I can live right now. And that just might require some discipline. It isn't a one to one relationship - I am not saying that learning Persian is heaven! Of course, I am not saying it isn't. What I am saying is that I want to live every moment for the Lord and in His presence. For now, that means being disciplined enough to work on my Persian. Strange? Probably, but welcome to the Christian life!

Pastor Ken

I was reading from Dietrich Bonhoeffer last night and was struck by something he said. Basically he said that Christians should not be surprised by injustice directed towards Christians. Usually we react with anger and want to "show them." Instead, he suggests that we remember that we have the favor of God and that, while we were still God's enemies, He died for us. Perhaps more importantly, He also died for those who are mistreating us. How can we hold a grudge against or seek to "show" these who mistreat us? We were warned by Jesus to expect that the world would mistreat us - they did Him - and we have God's guarantee of eternity with Him. "Turning the other cheek" is a small price to pay for serving Him and helping others to see His love. Sounds good to me!

Pastor Ken

Give it a rest!

There is so much to do! How many times have we said that? And it is true. There is much to do in this world and in this life. Now, some people try to make us feel that much of what we are trying to do is unimportant. Perhaps that is true on occasion, but I am not so sure that overall it is true. Of course, much of what we do will not be remembered in eternity, but then, I am not even sure what I ate a week ago, let alone for my whole life, yet I am glad that I did! And it is no less important to have done so for having been forgotten. And yet.... It is also true that we need to rest from time to time - in fact, if God is to be trusted, then one day out of seven. Now, I confess that I have not been as good at doing this in the past several years as I had been for the thirty or so before that. Pastoring a church and pursuing a doctorate managed to take up almost all of my time. I suspect that better planning might have given me more "down time." All I can say is that, having lived with a regular, weekly day off and without, the former is much superior. I highly recommend it. If it means some important things don't get done - then they don't get done. I suspect that it is much like tithing - I do better with 90% of my money with God's blessing than 100% without. The same is true of my time - I do better six days a week than working seven, because that is how God made me. As the old commercial used to say, "try it, you'll like it!"

Pastor Ken

Just two days left

We are down to the last two days of Renewal and Revival services with Rev. Nick Farone. His simple messages of trust in God have been encouraging and well received. I have know Nick for over 20 years now and have watched him "up close and personal," and know that his walk matches his talk. His ministry to children on the streets of Bastrop, LA and in churches all over the US has made a difference in thousands of lives. If you are in the area, I encourage you to come on out tonight and tomorrow night for these last two services. In the meantime, back to normal blogging in a couple of days! God bless, everyone!

Pastor Ken

Happy Birthday Cameron!

Yesterday was my grandson's first birthday. Today we will have the party. And I have been reminded of the person who said, "If I had known that grandchildren were this much fun, I would have started with them instead of children!" Our little (well, actually he is big - the size of a two year old!) grandson is such a joy. And, we live just minutes away, so we can go over quickly whenever invited or needed (no, we don't go over whenever we want - one prefers to be wanted rather than tolerated!). It is a joy, and one that I would not trade for anything. So, happy birthday, Cameron!

Pastor Ken

No jobs

The December job figures were just released, and once again California lost jobs - 39,000 last month alone. The jobless rate remained at 12.4%, so that means that several tens of thousands of people must have just given up looking for work to make up for those newly unemployed. What are we going to do? Well, I'll leave the public policy suggestions and decisions to those with more knowledge in that are than me. But I do know this - our God can be trusted when we trust Him and do what He has told us to do. That doesn't necessarily mean that every Christian will have a job, even when others do not. God does not seem to work that way. I suspect that it is because if it could be statistically proven that Christians are employed at a greater rate than others, some would accuse us of favoritism and others might decide to follow the Lord just for the job. So how does this work? Well, it may be that some will have divine intervention on the job front. But most of us will just have to be our brother's (and sister's) keepers and look out for and help each other. That used to be how the church did it anyway. So maybe today we should all look for how we can help a brother or sister in the Lord who is in need. "By this shall all men know you are my disciples - if you love each other." - Jesus

Pastor Ken