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