Susie and I were awarded the rank of “Grandparent” last Tuesday. Shaheed Jr. greeted the light of day at 8 pounds 1 ounce, and 20 inches in length. Dad already claims he looks like him, and by the way Mom is okay. There is just one problem – Susie and I are way too young to be a Grandma and Grandpa, an Oma and Opa.How in the heck did this happen? It seems like just when you have somewhat figured things out things are changing. I think Moses must have felt like that. His life is marked by three sets of forty years. In each set he had to adjust, make decisions, take on different roles.The last big adjustment came when he was eighty, yup 80. He was very reluctant, even when he knew for certain that God was talking to him. He came up with all kinds of objections and what ifs, and finally he told God to give the job to someone else, “Moses said, ‘Please, Lord, send someone else.’ Then the LORD’s anger burned against Moses, …” Exodus 4:13-14 (HCSB). He ticked God off, He thought this was up for discussion, but it wasn’t anymore than becoming a grandparent is. God doesn’t come to us like He is working for Gallup Polls. He doesn’t reveal his will to us to see whether or not we like it. Moses didn’t realize what privilege it is to be called on by God to carry out His will. The question for Susie and I is not whether or not we like to be grandparents, the question is what kind of grandparents will we be.I am wondering, has God been calling on you and all He is encountering is reluctance? An unwillingness to change, to adjust your life to His will? Have you been telling God to assign the responsibility to someone else? Are you in danger of ticking God off? Or have you already made him angry?Moses could have written a book covering the first eighty years of his life, and it would have been great story. But it was the surrender, the adjustment to God’s will he made at eighty that made it a bestseller.Looking back years later, I wonder if Moses just shook his head at his own foolishness when he thought about the time he told God, “Send someone else.” I wonder what advice he would give to you and me? Then again, I don’t think it is too hard to figure out if you read the story.My prayer is that you and I will drop any reluctance, that we will see beyond the what ifs, and that we will rejoice in being called on by God?To God be all glory, love you, Grandpa Hans
Respect for human life
Have you ever been told something you didn’t want to hear but you needed to? Those are the conversation we don’t really want to be part of. So if you don’t want to hear something we all need to hear, if you don’t want to engage into a conversation that really needs to happen, don’t read on.Last week, in the wake of Detroit’s homicide numbers for 2012, Mayor Dave Bing said, “We’ve just lost respect for each other; we’ve lost respect for life.” The number he was lamenting was 411 up from 377 the previous year. What a sad statistic, Mayor Bing had every reason to lament it. However, it pales in light of the fact that in 2012 approximately 1,200,000 (1.2 Million) pre-born little boys and girls had their lives snuffed out through abortion. Indeed we have lost respect for human life.It is even sadder because we can no longer claim ignorance. One no longer can argue about when human life begins, modern science can now identify human being from its first cell on. Following conception are merely stages in the life of a human being both in and outside the womb. It is even sadder because these killings are legal through all nine months of pregnancy, even right before a child slips through the birth canal. It is even sadder because we build an entire money making industry around the taking, the destruction of little human beings. And it is sadder still that we don’t want to hear about it, we don’t want to be exposed to the ugly truth that since the Roe vs. Wade decision rendered by the highest court of the land, which has a responsibility to uphold justice and liberty for all, well over 50, 000,000 (fifty million) pre-born babies have died. We have acquiesced to stripping an entire group, the pre-born, of the rights each American holds dear: Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. We do not want to hear of morality (although the taking of innocent life is an immoral act). We do not want to hear of responsibility past a condom regarding sexual behavior. We don’t want to think about having to take responsibility for acts of unbridled (and unprotected) acts of passion and lust.Mayor Bing is right, “We have lost respect for life,” and I wonder if he included all those little boys and girls who lost their lives via an abortion pill or the hands of an abortionist in the city of Detroit. We cannot devalue human life anywhere along its entire life span and hope to maintain respect for human life. We cannot engage in a conversation about respect for human life while stripping an entire class of all its fundamental rights. We cannot maintain respect for human life if we do not want to talk about responsibility regarding our capacity to create life. We cannot hold on to respect for human life if do not reckon with the reality that we will answer to our Creator, God Almighty, for all of our decisions and acts.Life, Liberty, the Pursuit of Happiness are indeed a great endowment and great values as long as we choose them for all.To God be all glory, Pastor Hans
Christmas - obscurity, humility, simplicity, and love
If you haven’t heard, Prince William and his wife Kate of Great Britain are expecting a baby. The United Kingdom is abuzz with the news. Pregnant Kate wound up in the hospital and the press is covering every detail. I imagine it will only get crazier for that poor couple. Can you imagine the day that little princess or prince will be born?No one of earthly importance noticed Jesus’ birth. Not a single paparazzi was there to take pictures of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. No one was covering the very incarnation of God. Of course since then the birth of Jesus has been the most reenacted birth of all time. The best reenactments, in my opinion, have been those that have taken place in obscure places around the world and had children for their casts. Nervous directors, bath-robed shepherds, funky props, and the doll playing baby Jesus dropped on its heads innumerable times. Messed up lines, made up lines, forgotten lines. Squirming, fits, accidents, and plenty of sickness decimating the cast. Embarrassing moments, hilarious improvisations and glitches, proud and frazzled parents, and a good time had by all, at least most everyone, especially afterwards.Obscurity, humility, simplicity, love - somehow a high dollar, super polished, performance struggles to embody those realities of the God coming to us in the flesh. The Son of God, the creator and sustainer of all, chose to meet us, engage with us in obscurity, humility, simplicity, and love. And I believe He calls us, those would love and live with God, to embrace them as well. Christmas, the birth of Jesus Christ, is not something God wants us to just know about, but to engage in.My prayer for you and me, for William, Kate, and their baby, is that we embrace Jesus Christ fully, worship Him faithfully, and imitate what He chose to redeem us – obscurity, humility, simplicity, and love.Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself. He had equal status with God but didn't think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. Not at all. When the time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human! Having become human, he stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn't claim special privileges. Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death—and the worst kind of death at that: a crucifixion. Because of that obedience, God lifted him high and honored him far beyond anyone or anything, ever, so that all created beings in heaven and on earth—even those long ago dead and buried—will bow in worship before this Jesus Christ, and call out in praise that he is the Master of all, to the glorious honor of God the Father. Philippians 2:5-11 (MSG)Merry Christmas, love you, Pastor Hans
Wisdom and Horses
I have been encouraging you to become a person who consistently makes wise and godly decisions. So you might as well know that I am taking horse riding lessons. With our youngest daughter off to college we were left to take care of her horse, and I determined to become more than a ranch hand, or more precisely, someone who feeds and shovels. I have to admit I am a fairly accomplished horse feeder and pucky shovelor, but I know absolutely nothing about working with, training, and riding a horse. So I am paying Rhonda Dumolt for lessons to one day earn the right to wear Wranglers®, a big belt buckle, snazzy boots, and a Stetson® hat. I suppose those four are somewhat like a drivers license when it comes to horses.Yes, what you read above is correct, I am paying to learn something that will cause me to spend more money guaranteed. Just today, during lesson number two I found out that my work boots are not ideal (I told Susie it was a big mistake to sell my cowboy boots at a yard sale twenty years ago). Yes, I am paying to learn to control a beast that has serious potential to hurt me. In fact I have heard it is not a matter of if but simply when. Yes, I am paying for something that makes me feel like when I was sixteen and learning how to drive. Who knows, by the time I get the hang of this equine stuff my daughter’s horse will be so messed up I will have to pay a horses psychologist to straighten him out. And yes, I have put the horse magazines my daughter gets with my car/truck magazines next to the toilet. This past week I was tempted to enter a contest in “Young Rider”.Before I started this pastor’s note I looked up horses in the Bible hoping to make a super spiritual discovery that would directly relate to wise decision making and justify my horse adventure at the same time. Alas, the first scripture that mentions horses (Genesis 47:17) tells about the ancient Egyptians giving up their horses in exchange for food because they were starving.However, the last horse mentioned in God’s Word (Revelation 19:11-21) is a white horse ridden by the “King of kings and Lord of lords” – Jesus Christ himself, executing judgment, triumphing victoriously. And I was reminded that the wisest decision of all is to trust and believe in him both in this life and for eternity, because the day will come when “at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” Philippians 2:10-11 (NASB).How I encourage you to not be among those who simply horse around with the unshakeable and unchangeable truth of Jesus Christ, or even more sadly dismiss it as a bunch of religious horse pucky. It is the most unwise and foolish decision a person can make. Commit yourself to Jesus Christ today.To God be all glory, love you, Pastor Hans
wisdom and godly decision making
Wisdom and knowledge, there are few things the God’s written word (the Bible) encourages us to pursue more. On the other hand God warns against all foolishness and ignorance. Thus, if we want to consistently make good and godly choices the acquisition of wisdom and knowledge is indispensible, as is the avoidance of foolishness and ignorance.The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; A good understanding have all those who do His commandments; His praise endures forever. Psalm 111:10 (NASB)Acquiring wisdom and knowledge takes more than prayer. A quick cry for wisdom, for discernment, for knowledge and understanding, in the midst of a life of foolishness, of a life that lacks discipline, and is missing any consistent practice of spiritual habits will rarely produce the kind of insight that is needed. Wisdom, knowledge, discernment, and insight have to be learned, pursued, applied and practiced in a consistent and ongoing manner, so much so that they become habitual. Foolishness, shortsightedness, impulsiveness, ignorance, lack of discipline, and bad habits don’t just magically disappear simply because we pray. They have to be avoided, abandoned, replaced, so much so that they will become distasteful, un-natural, foreign to us. But don’t just take my word for it.Teach me good discernment and knowledge, For I believe in Your commandments. Psalm 119:66 (NASB)The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel:To know wisdom and instruction, To discern the sayings of understanding,To receive instruction in wise behavior, Righteousness, justice and equity;To give prudence to the naive, To the youth knowledge and discretion,A wise man will hear and increase in learning, And a man of understanding will acquire wise counsel,To understand a proverb and a figure, The words of the wise and their riddles.The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; Fools despise wisdom and instruction. Proverbs 1:1-7 (NASB)My child, listen to what I say, and treasure my commands.Tune your ears to wisdom, and concentrate on understanding.Cry out for insight, and ask for understanding.Search for them as you would for silver; seek them like hidden treasures.Then you will understand what it means to fear the LORD, and you will gain knowledge of God.For the LORD grants wisdom! From his mouth come knowledge and understanding.He grants a treasure of common sense to the honest. He is a shield to those who walk with integrity.He guards the paths of the just and protects those who are faithful to him.Then you will understand what is right, just, and fair, and you will find the right way to go.For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will fill you with joy.Wise choices will watch over you. Understanding will keep you safe. Proverbs 2:1-11 (NLT)There is no future, no blessing in dumb decisions and ungodly choices. Decide today to become a lifelong learner, a pursuer of wisdom. Reading the “Proverbs” (a chapter a day) and the epistle (letter) of “James” over and over is a great place to start. Surrounding yourself with wise and godly people is another essential practice, as is staying away from all foolishness and ignorance. But start today, not tomorrow. Fools always start tomorrow, wise men and women pursue and practice wisdom today.To God be all glory, love you, Pastor Hans
Peace and Decision making
After finishing Bible College, after being out of work, surviving on food stamps, odd jobs, and the generosity of others, finally a church in Rancho Cordova offered me a job as an assistant pastor. On the way home from that second interview Susie and I were silent for a long time. This was an open door, this was the kind of opportunity we had been praying for. Finally Susie asked me what I thought. “I have no peace about this,” I answered. “I don’t have any peace either,” was her reply draped in a look of gladness and relief. When we got home I called the pastor and told him we would not be coming. He asked me to think about it, but I told him we would not go against what we were not at peace with.Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy--meditate on these things. The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you. Philippians 4:4-9 (NKJV)What is “the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding/comprehension?” Is it a feeling? A difficult to describe inner disposition? An absence of worry? A state of mind? A conglomeration of all of the above? Maybe even more important, when can I trust inner peace? When or how can I be certain that the sense of peace I have is from God? How much room for self-deception is there in using a sense of inner peace to discern God’s will and make decisions? And why so many questions?Our sense of peace is influenced my many factors, such as: our values - it’s tough to be at peace with things and decisions that transgress our values; our culture (both larger and sub culture) – it impacts our values and our sense of what is and isn’t permissible; our conscience – it is shaped by both our values and culture as well as by a God-given inner sense of right and wrong; our experiences – they impact how we handle things, stress over things, deal with things; our attitude – it impacts our hopefulness, outlook, and so much more; our desires –we are prone to legitimize our desires regardless of whether they are godly or not. This means it is entirely possible to have a sense of peace and be far from experiencing “the peace of God.”If we want to rely on “the peace of God” in coping with life, discerning God’s will, and making godly decisions we need to take all of Philippians 4:4-9 into account, otherwise we will make feeling some kind of peace another way of self-directing our lives and decisions. Paul assumes some preconditions to experiencing and knowing “the peace of God”:
- A God/Christ-focused life in attitude, disposition, and behavior.
- An awareness of the presence and return of Christ.
- A commitment to life by faith not fear and worry.
- An ongoing practice of prayer, gratefulness, and reliance on God.
- A dedication to good and godly thought and speech (we talk about what we think about).
- A determination to follow the word of God and godly examples.
In the practice of the above we shift from simply wanting some kind of peace of mind to resting in God and evermore desiring only that which God is at peace with. It is then we can completely trust “the peace of God, which passes all understanding.”After I turned down the job and hung up the phone our lives did not get any easier. Things didn’t just get magically better, in fact in some respects they got worse, but as to that decision the peace of God has never left us to this day.To God be all glory, love you, Pastor Hans
Signs and Doors - knowing God's will and making godly decisions
Signs and Doors,Often people try to figure out God’s will, make decisions, based on signs or “opened or closed doors.” There is no question that God can direct us through signs and He certainly can open and shut “doors.” However, on its own a signs or doors approach is a rather fickle way of discerning God’s will and making godly decisions.It is possible to designate almost anything as a sign, “God, if you want me to buy this car have the salesman wear any color shirt but green.” “Lord, if you don’t want me to buy this car make the loan application not go through.” Even better yet do the wide open sign approach, “Father God (might as well use real spiritual language) just give me a sign if I should/should not …..,” and then determine what is a sign after doing what you wanted, which has the benefit of being able to claim divine guidance and approval. And if we don’t like the outcome of the first sign there is always the follow up sign to go to.When it comes to signs we need to take into account that God isn’t the only one who can produce signs. We can produce our own. The devil, the great tempter and deceiver, is good at signs as well, in fact I think he would wholeheartedly endorse us using the above mentioned sign strategy. Beyond ourselves and Satan, people around us will often chime in and confirm our “sign.” We are naive if don’t think that signs can be arbitrary, misleading, or outright deceiving.The dangers with the open/closed door approach are similar to the sign method. If we like what is behind the door in question is a small crack enough for a definite “Yes?” It certainly is enough to begin prying the door open. Kicking in the door and then declaring it open is an option as well. If the door seems tightly shut checking for a back door to make really sure can’t hurt, can it? What if I don’t like what lies behind the open door and really want what is behind the closed one? If I continue to knock will it eventually open (a favorite strategy of children)? And are we supposed to walk through every open door and capitulate in front of every closed door? Satan opened the door to all the “kingdoms of the world and their glory” (Matthew 4:8-9) to the Lord Jesus Christ, but with an entrance fee.All too often what lies behind the signs and door method of discerning God’s will and making decisions is laziness and an undisciplined spiritual life. When the Apostle Paul talks about open doors is in connection with gospel and the work of Christ’s kingdom, not purchases, relationship decisions, career choices, wants, etc. Signs and open/closed doors are no substitute for faithfully living for God, knowing the written word of God (the Bible), incorporating the values of God into our lifestyle and decisions, investing ourselves in the kingdom of God, loving the presence of God, practicing the love of God, and growing a heart that beats for God. These require diligence, developing godly habits, and making decisions that bring our lives and hearts into conformity with all God has already told us concerning His will. Until we navigate by the signage God has already posted, until we step through the doors God has already opened, and until we respect the doors God has lovingly closed seeking signs and pleading for doors to open or close is anything but spiritual and wise.Can I encourage you to take a few minutes and take some honest inventory in regard to how you make decisions? How big of part do signs and open/closed doors play in your discerning of God’s will in making decisions? Are there some decisions you need to revisit and change because they do not square with God’s will and word? List three things you need to continually practice to grow in your ability to know God’s will and make godly decisions.To God be all glory, love you, Pastor HansPS. I asked God to give me a sign as to whether or not the church should double my salary. Right after that the phone rang. Not quite sure if I could trust that I asked God to not let the phone ring until I got to the end of this pastor’s note. It didn’t, and a bird flew right up to my office window, perched itself, and just looked at me. Right then I had complete peace. So I am placing the doubling of my salary on the upcoming business meeting agenda.PSS. If I ever say something like the above and am serious about it that would be the right time to fire me and look for another pastor.
The Word of the Lord Came to Jonah a Second Time
“Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah the second time,…” Jonah 3:1 (NASB)Have ever gotten a letter that said something like, “This is you second notice?” or worse yet, “This is your final notice?” I know this much, without a couple of those we would have lost our home owners and car insurance a few times. Somehow we simply forgot to do our part and send in the payment.Jonah hadn’t forgotten, he didn’t like what God told him the first time. God had given him an assignment that challenged his prejudices, his patriotism, his dreams for the future. It wasn’t that he was ignorant about God, he just didn’t like the way he knew God operated. He wanted his and ancient Israel’s enemies dead and out of power.Jonah didn’t just put what God told him with the stack of all the other “bills.” No he tried to get as far away as he possibly could from doing what God wanted him to. Somehow, with all he knew about God he fooled himself into thinking that he could actually get away from God. He couldn’t anymore than you and I can.When God speaks to us, when “the word of the LORD” comes to us, we can be certain that God really means it. When God directs, when He assigns, when He says, “Go do …,” He is not asking us for our opinion or inviting us to discuss things. He is not trying to figure out how we feel about it, nor is He trying to generate some kind of buy-in on our part. He is looking for faith that responds with obedience.The “second notice” Jonah got was an act of God’s mercy and grace. God does not owe us any second chance, any second word. Jonah didn’t really get that either. He finally did what God had asked him to do but about as grumpily and ungrateful as possible. To my amazement God spoke to him a third time (4:9) addressing his proud and cold heart. How quickly he forgot his rescue prayer in the belly of that fish.Enough about Jonah, has God sent you a second notice? Is there something God has clearly told you and you have been pulling a Jonah? Have you have discarded the “word of the LORD” and are doing what you want? What are you going to do? Run some more? Act spiritual when you are totally out of sync with God? There is only one way to get back on track: respond with gratefulness and an obedient faith to what God has said – preferably the first time, but definitely if God has had to repeat it.To God be all glory, Pastor Hans
When God says, "No"
When God says, “No.”Having been involved in the raising of a handful or so of kids, and since I once was a kid myself, and having worked with people for more than three decades I can say with some confidence that we, people, young and old, don’t like to be told “No.” That little word just doesn’t come in any flavor we like. It is prone to ruin a good day, sour our attitudes, make us mad, cause us to forget good manners, make us instantly ungrateful, invite us to scheme, turn on defiance, and engage us in rebellion.What about you when God says, “No?” And He does say “No,” any parent with even a little bit of maturity and wisdom does so, not because they are mean but because of precisely the opposite, because they desire what is good and best. There is no one better to guide us then God, our Heavenly Father. There is no one wiser, more loving, and better than Him. Yet somehow we still don’t like to be told, “No,” not even from Him. It is another indictment of our sinfulness, we would rather chose our own desires and impulses, engage in our own plans and lusts than trust in the infinite wisdom and goodness of God.Both the Bible (God’ written Word) and human history are full of illustrations of people being told by God, “No,” or “Don’t,” and then doing what they want to do anyway. The consequences and results of living a life that defies God, blows Him off in some way or another is predictable, it lacks the blessing of God and reaps the discipline, judgment, and wrath of God.However, there are also those who heard God say, “No,” and responded well:
- When King David wanted to build a temple, God told him, “No, not you” (1 Chronicles 22:7-8).
- God told the prophet Jeremiah not to marry (Jeremiah 16:2).
- The apostle Paul asked for healing and deliverance and God told him, “No, my grace will do” (2 Corinthians 12:7-9).
We need to learn from these and others like them how to handle it when God says, “No.” No tantrums, no unfaithfulness, no grumpiness, no scheming or rationalizing our way around it, no complaining, no feeling sorry for ourselves, but rather continued devotion, full obedience, and a willingness to adjust our lives, our hearts, our minds, and our attitudes to every word from God, even if that word is, “No.”
Making Godly Decisions
Making Godly decisions – Christian decision making – God’s will
Look here, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit.”
How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone. What you ought to say is, “If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.” Otherwise you are boasting about your own plans, and all such boasting is evil. Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it. James 4:13-17 (NLT)
For a follower of Jesus, a Christian, God’s will is paramount in making both small and big decisions. Yet far too often we make decisions based on our intellect, our own wisdom, our experiences, the advice of others, how we feel, what we want, or by looking for some open door. The problem with that it that none of these require any kind of thinking about God’s will. Even adding a quick prayer and ending it in “if it be your will” does not necessarily indicate any real concern regarding God’s will.
James indicts the business men and women in the text above because they made decisions based on their own abilities, their pride, and the potential profit (their own benefit). When he tells them that they should say, “If the Lord wills,” he never meant for that to become a thoughtless phrase to rubberstamp our own plans. What he wanted them to do is to make their decisions based on considerations that made God, His will, His kingdom, His ways, and what He wanted them to do central.
Anyone who is serious about knowing God’s will, and make decisions based on His will, has to make a fundamental determination: Whatever God reveals concerning His will is not a discussion item, it is what I will follow, what I will do, what I will submit myself and the decisions I have to make to. Without making that determination God’s will merely be one option among many, and we will continue to have difficulty discerning God’s will.
In order to know and do God’s will we will have to learn to walk in the Spirit, die to self, know and obey what God has already revealed, pray, develop a spiritual mindset, serve, and be connected to the body of Christ/the church (Galatians 5:16; Romans 12:1-5; 1 Timothy 3:16-17; Matthew 6:9-13; 1 Peter4:10).
The beginning point is what God has already revealed concerning His will. The word of God, although written by men, is authored by the Holy Spirit. God uses the Bible to show us His will in general and often in the specific. It is the first thing to apply to any decision that faces us, and the more we apply it the better we become in discerning God’s will. When it comes to God’s Word (the Bible) you begin with applying diligence in knowing and understanding it, and the second thing, but equally important, is faith which is expressed in doing what it says. In between those two, being diligent in understanding the Bible and acting in faith by doing what it says, are prayer and meditation which help us to make specific application to our own personal situation.
The time to start making godly, thoroughly Christian decisions is now. List three decisions you are currently facing. Now think of as many scriptures that you can think of that are clear revelations of God’s will and look them up and read their context. Next talk with God about both the decisions you listed and the scriptures you read. Follow that with some thinking time/meditation asking yourself tough questions as to whether or not your life is in sync with those scriptures and what adjustments/changes you need to make to be obedient what God has already told you, and what obedience looks like in the decisions you listed. Then go and make that obedience a reality.
Strong love - lessons from a "bad"dog
As a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his foolishness. Proverbs 26:11 (NLT)Hatred stirs up strife, But love covers all sins. Proverbs 10:12 (NKJV) Now the end of all things is near; therefore, be serious and disciplined for prayer. Above all, maintain an intense love for each other, since love covers a multitude of sins. 1 Peter 4:7-8 (HCSB) I tell you what; she knows how to irritate the living snot out of me. And she was so cute when we brought her home. Now she has grown up to be the biggest dog we have ever owned, but her brain has not kept pace with her body. Just this morning I walked into my garage and confetti made from a roll of shop towels covered the floor. A roll of shop towels I had purposely set up on my work bench because I thought, “If I leave this toll sitting by this jack Sweet Tea will make confetti out of.” So what does she do, besides reading my mind, she gets them off the work bench. Yup, and she also does the vomit thing you read in the proverb above, she is both dumb and dumber and disgusting. When she is confronted she does this “I am really very sorry” thing, looking all contrite, and then thinks she can weasel herself into good graces with her wet nose nuzzling my hand. Well, all I can say is that Sweet Tea can be very rancid, and that she is walking on thin ice.Things like that with a dog are one thing, but what about when it comes to people, people we love and care about. It isn’t easy to know what love looks and acts like beyond the emotion of our hearts, but in the face of repeated foolishness, of anger, of hatred, of strive, of what is and feels like constant manipulation, of wrongs, and of sins. What if things are way beyond thin ice, but so broken, and so painful that going there feels like returning to vomit, embracing senselessness, inviting frustration, a total waste?I swear (I know good preachers are not supposed to do that) that dog is trying to guilt trip me, like somehow I am responsible for all her misbehavior and destruction. She ‘s got the whole package going, the poor me face, the “I’m such an abused dog” slinky walk and saggy butt, the silent treatment, and the “I am just going to stay in this corner and not give you any affection until you feel so guilty you will apologize” gig. If she could talk she would undoubtedly use words to ratchet up the guilt trip even more. Maybe you are familiar with that spiel when it comes to people as well?When trying to figure out what love means in difficult context, what love should look like in terms of a particular person, what decisions to make without being riddled by guilt, there are some things to keep in mind:
- Love is the way to go, don’t give up on love (1 Corinthians 13:8);
- Love is honest, both with others and with self (1 Corinthians 13:6);
- Love is kind, it refuses to let pain and evil to rob itself of kindness (Luke 6:35);
- Love does say no, it doesn’t play games or let’s itself be manipulated (1 Corinthians 13:5-6)
- Love hopes, but does not enable. (1 Corinthians 13:7, Mark 10:17-22)
To God be all glory, love you, Pastor Hans
02-26-12 Tough Love
Tough Love –“… the Lord disciplines the one He loves and punishes every son (daughter) He receives. Endure ⌊suffering⌋ as discipline: God is dealing with you as sons. For what son is there that a father does not discipline? But if you are without discipline—which all receive—then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Furthermore, we had natural fathers discipline us, and we respected them. Shouldn’t we submit even more to the Father of spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time based on what seemed good to them, but He does it for our benefit, so that we can share His holiness. No discipline seems enjoyable at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it yields the fruit of peace and righteousness to those who have been trained by it” Hebrews 12:6-11 (HCSB, parenthesis mine).I have a confession to make. Sometimes, as our children were growing up, I would stand outside of their bedroom doors while they were throwing a fit, or were having a pity party on the other side. And yes, sometimes I would just be cracking up at what was coming out of their little mouths, “No one loves me around here, …”“I don’t why they always tell me no, why they like all the others better than me?”“This is the worst day of my entire life!”“That’s so unfair, why am I always the one who ….?”“They all hate me! I am just invisible to them!”Of course none of it was true, Susie and I love them, we have never hated them, and we don’t have favorites (most of the time). I did tell them that “life isn’t fair,” but Susie and I have tried to treat them as fairly as we could and as was warranted. But since we did not want to raise brats we did believe in discipline, we did not and still do not belief in just giving them anything they wanted, we believe that real love knows how to say “No!”, regardless of whether or not that sets off tantrums, comparisons, guilt trips, silent treatments, or any other kind of manipulative behaviors.Real love is tough. It knows when to say no, when to reprove, when to let go, when to oppose, when stand up, when to wait, and when not to intervene. Real love, Christlike love supports holiness not evil, it doesn’t join manipulation games, it is forthright and honest. Christlike love is tender and tough, hoping but not desperate, serving but not enabling, pleading but not insecure. It is decisive and knows how to respond to the decisions of others. It doesn’t try to erase all consequences of bad choices. It does not support someone shredding their life, but it is ready to help pick up the pieces. It is unafraid of being accused, of being misunderstood, because it surely will be and because it is anchored not in the approval of others but in God.I don’t know how often, after having my fun, I walked away from the above mentioned door and with the tantrum still going strong on the other side talked with my heavenly Father about teaching me and helping me to love like Him.To God be all glory, love you, Pastor Hans
02-05-12, Choose – Choosing God = choosing to learn how to love like Christ
Choose – Choosing God = choosing to learn how to love like Christ"If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD." Joshua 24:15 (NASB) You really don’t know what you’re getting into when you get married, and the same can be said for having kids. You can tell yourself that you do, but you’re only kidding yourself, there are way too many variables and unknowns. What is for sure is that you have to learn how to love to be any good at either one. After having taken a go at both marriage and parenting I do know this much: They are two of the best choices I have made, and I am still learning about love.You really don’t know what you’re getting into when make a decision to live with God, when you respond to Jesus’ invitation to follow Him. If a wife and children can blow your mind, think of what living with God will can do to you. There is no one who will challenge you more, stretch you more, and shape you more than God, than Christ. What is for sure is that you will have to learn how to love. You cannot really live with God without it.Jesus made no bones about it; all followers of His must learn how to love. Choosing Him meant choosing a life of love: “The most important commandment is this: ‘Listen, O Israel! The LORD our God is the one and only LORD. And you must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’ The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.” The teacher of religious law replied, “Well said, Teacher. You have spoken the truth by saying that there is only one God and no other. And I know it is important to love him with all my heart and all my understanding and all my strength, and to love my neighbor as myself. This is more important than to offer all of the burnt offerings and sacrifices required in the law.” Realizing how much the man understood, Jesus said to him, “You are not far from the Kingdom of God” Mark 12:29-34 (NLT).“I give you a new command: Love one another. Just as I have loved you, you must also love one another. By this all people will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” John 13:34-35 (HCSB).“If I speak with human eloquence and angelic ecstasy but don't love, I'm nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate. If I speak God's Word with power, revealing all his mysteries and making everything plain as day, and if I have faith that says to a mountain, "Jump," and it jumps, but I don't love, I'm nothing. If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don't love, I've gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I'm bankrupt without love” 1 Corinthians 13:1-3 (MSG). “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love…. We love, because He first loved us” 1 John 4:7-8, 19 (NASB). “… I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike.If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that. But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect” Matthew 5:44-48 (NLT).When Joshua challenged the people in his day to choose God they responded with a, “Yup, we’re in. We choose God.” Joshua told them, “You are not able to serve the LORD, for he is a holy and jealous God. He will not forgive your rebellion and your sins” Joshua 24:19 (NLT). Why did he tell them that? Because they needed to learn how to love and what to love, because he knew that we struggle with love and that God gives us a pass when it comes to love, because he knew that at the root of all human failure and sin you find a lack of love.I am challenged by God’s call for me to love, and I pray you are as well. If we are serious about following Christ we will make learning to love like Him our greatest pursuit.To God be all glory, love you, Pastor Hans
01-29-12, "with liberty and justice for all" - sanctitiy of human life
"I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."Every day people across this nation proudly recite these words, including our leaders. The phrase “under God” has received a lot of attention in the recent past, but it doesn’t matter all that much since as a nation we don’t believe the words anyway – especially “with liberty and justice for all.”Unless we decide to mean what we say today, tomorrow, this year, next year, and the years after that we will continue to teach the words to kindergarteners but we will also train them not to mean them, to accept the hypocrisy, if not defend it. Actually they are the lucky ones, they were allowed to live long enough to learn the pledge. They were not stripped of their liberty, they were not denied their humanity, they were included when it comes to “liberty and justice for all.” Before they were born their mothers chose to let them live, to recognize them for what they are, humans, people, persons, even though our laws say otherwise. Laws which Pledge-reciting officials wrote and enacted and Pledge-reciting judges upheld, against all truth and scientific evidence to the contrary.If there really is “justice for all,” how do we justify taking the lives of growing babies, simply because they are still in their mothers’ wombs? How do we justify denying the most basic human right, the right to live, to an entire group of human beings? How do we justify deeming some stages of human existence as not deserving liberty and justice? How do we justify that a mother’s right of making choices about her life includes being able to take the life of another human being because it is unplanned, unwanted, inconvenient, the wrong gender, less than perfect, or will face less than ideal circumstances?There was a time when African American men, women, and children weren’t deserving of liberty and justice simply because they were called slaves. There was a time when Native American men, women, and children weren’t deserving of liberty and justice simply because they were called savages, and because they were inconvenient politically, economically, and personally. All the reasoning and rhetoric employed then was as flawed and dishonest as the reasoning and rhetoric employed against granting the pre-born the fundamental right to personhood, life, liberty, and justice.As “One nation under God” we should care what God thinks on matters as important and fundamental as these, He (God) created them male and female, and he blessed them and called them “human.” Genesis 5:2 (NLT, parenthesis mine). We should choose to do no less for all people.To God be all glory, love you, Pastor HansP.S. There are God and Life-honoring alternatives to abortion. The first step is to choose not to have one and instead be someone who believes in liberty and justice for that new person. If you can’t find help feel free to contact me, thegermanshepherd@juno.com, 209 852-2029.
01-22-12 Churchmembership - belonging to the people of God
Church membership – knowing what it means to belong to the people of God"If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD." Joshua 24:15 (NASB) It was an excellent gift; two egg laying chickens, proudly presented to Susie and me on the front steps of the home our daughter Betsie had been living in as a Peace Corps worker in Benin. I was glad I knew something about how to handle live chickens and gratefully grabbed the birds dangling upside down from the outstretched arms of the beaming giver. Since an egg layer is too valuable to fry up I wasn’t sure what do with the hens, so after the crowd who had witnessed the event dispersed I handed them over to the man of Betsie’s compound.My question was how he would get those chickens to stay in their new home? I had not seen a single chicken pen anywhere in the village, just chickens running loose everywhere. So I watched the man tie a string around one leg of each hen and fasten it to the coop the chickens belonging to the compound returned to every evening. He explained that after a few days they became assimilated into his compound’s flock, they would think that this where they now belonged, then he would take the string off.I have thought about employing this method when it comes to teaching people to belong to and be a faithful member of a church, of Jesus’ flock. There are way too many people who profess to be followers of Christ who do not yet understand that they are meant to belong. They are in a sense running around like loose chickens. They have not understood that choosing God also means that God has chosen us to belong to, to be assimilated into, to be counted among His people, His assembly, His congregation, His church. So much so that we do not have to be tethered or even be reminded of it, but that naturally, eagerly, and habitually we would build our lives around a local Christian community, a church.When Joshua confronted the entire assembly of the Israelites about the choice they had to make in regard to God, they also had to decide who they would identify themselves with, who they would belong to, and what it means to be a people of God.So what about you? Is your life as Christian fully integrated into a local church? If not, why not? Do you understand what it means to belong to the people of God? Are you running loose, or are you fully integrated into a flock? If he could, would your pastor tether you for a while, or can he enjoy seeing you run free because you know what it means to belong to the body of Christ?To God be all glory, love you, Pastor Hans
01-15-12; Choose - Living a life of making good and godly decisions
Choose - Living a life of making good and godly decisions"If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD." Joshua 24:15 (NASB) We all make decisions. We all avail ourselves of our God-given ability to make choices. In fact we can’t live without making choices, conscious living requires it. We usually do not make decisions out of thin air, we all have some decision making grid, some internal mechanism that influences the choices we make. Our personality, culture, values, circumstances, experiences, beliefs, ideals, fears, and other factors all contribute to our decision making, to what we do with the choices we have.Most of us have a mixed record in regard to the choices we have made. The spectrum ranges from great, occasionally brilliant, to outright stupidity, even evil. It is not difficult to figure out in which direction God wants us to go when we make choices. Now there certainly are people who are not Christians who have a record of making good choices and vice versa the history of Christianity is filled with people who have made dumb and too often outright evil decisions.The most fundamental decision every one of us will ever make is the choice we make about God, not about the religion we were raised in, not our personal opinion concerning spiritual things, but the One true and living God. The Creator God through whom we live and breathe, who gives us the freedom to make choices, and who will hold us accountable for each and every decision we make (all decisions have consequences). This is what Joshua confronted the ancient Hebrews with, and this is what every generation is confronted with by God himself.Serving God always begins with a choice. That initial choice must then be followed by life of decision making that is marked by a desire to serve, to please, to honor, to glorify God. For that to become a reality we have to acquire a decision making grid, a choosing mechanism, a heart and mind that consistently makes good and goodly decisions. And since we are ever capable of being stupid and egocentric, as well as sinful and evil, we should not expect godly decision making to be automatic but rather an acquired skill and habit.I have found the following to be essential in my pursuit of wanting to be someone who consistently and habitually makes good and goodly decisions:
- Acknowledging God before and in everything – Joshua 5:13-15; Proverbs 1:7, 9:10
- Affirming decisions through true prayer – Joshua 7:7-10; Matthew 6:9-10; Philippians 4:6-7; James 1:5-8
- Adhering to God’s Word (the Bible) – Joshua 1:7-8; Psalm 119-105
- Acquiring wisdom (habitual wisdom) – Deuteronomy 34:9; Proverbs 4:7; 2:1-22
- Awareness/being aware of God’s activity – Joshua 2:8-11; 1 Chronicles 12:32, John 5:17, 19
- Accessing wise and godly counsel – 1Kings 12:8; Proverbs 1:5, 15:22
- Applying faith (what I know to be true; trust) – Joshua 1:8-9; 6:1-5; 2 Timothy 4:8
- Adding to faith - three lists: 2 Peter 1:5-11; Galatians 5:19-25; James 3:13-18
- Avoiding - pride, anger/bitterness, self/I, impatience, impulsiveness, foolishness/stupidity, greed, sin, temper, cultural/group pressures, worldliness, prayerlessness, temptation, indecision, … Joshua 7:19-26,
- Affection change (what I love, cherish, and value) – Joshua 7:21, 1 John 2:15-17, Mark 12:28-34; Matthew 5:1-16, 6:19-21
- Admitting and repenting (quickly) – Joshua 7:1-12,19-26; Isaiah 1:18-20
- Acting in obedience – Joshua 1:7-9, Matthew 7:24-27; Romans 16:19
George Mueller’s outline of how he discerned God’s will and made decisions also has been very helpful to me, for many years I have carried a copy with me:1. I seek at the beginning to get my heart into such a state that it has no will of its own in regard to a given matter. Nine-tenths of the trouble with people generally is just here. Nine-tenths of the difficulties are overcome when our hearts are ready to do the knowledge of what His will is.2. Having done this, I do not leave the result to feeling or simple impression. If I do so I make myself liable to great elusions.3. I seek the will of the Spirit of God through, or in connection with, the Word of God. The Spirit and the Word must be combined. If I look to the Spirit alone without the Word, I lay myself open to great delusions also. If the Holy Ghost guides me at all, He will do it according to the Scriptures and never contrary to them.4. Next I take into account providential circumstances. These often plainly indicate God’s Will in connection with His Word and Spirit.5. I ask God in prayer to reveal His Will to me aright.6. Thus, (1) through prayer to God, (2) the study of His Word, and (3) reflection, I come to a deliberate judgment according to the best of my ability and knowledge, and if my mind is thus at peace, and continues so after two or three more petitions, I proceed accordingly. [1]To God be all glory, love you, Pastor Hans
[1] As quoted in “Experiencing God,” by Henry Blackaby & Claude King; workbook p.34, LifeWay Press 1990
(01-08-12) Choose - What difference two dollars a week can make!
Choose – What $2.00 more a week will do!"If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD." Joshua 24:15 (NASB)My daughter was asking her Grandpa, my Father-in-law, about his life. One of the things he shared struck me; it illustrates the far-reaching impact of even one decision. When Bill was 19 he had a choice to go to work for either Pac Bell or PG&E. He chose the telephone company because they were paying $2.00 (yup, two dollars) more a week back in 1955. “Ten years later,” he said, “Guys at PG&E were making nearly twice as much as I was making.”But it was through his work with Pac Bell that Bill and his family ended up living in Greely Hill (He transferred there from Vallejo) California. It was there he found Christ and attended church with his family, and in 1976 it was Greeley Hill where I ended up as a foreign exchange student. If it had not been for those two dollars a week our paths might never have crossed, I might never have married the best girl ever, Emily might never existed, and that late evening conversation might never have taken place.Bill chose, and it impacted the course of his life, his children's lives, and in time my life, my children’s lives, and who knows how many others' lives. I do not know how many people in Bill’s family were God-fearing, praying kind of folks, but I do know that way before I was born, even before Bill was born there have been praying men and women in my family. I have no doubt that their prayers influenced the choices of others, they certainly did mine.Maybe you're saying, “Come on Hans, that’s just how life works. Anyone can look back and speculate. You don’t need to get all spiritual to explain it all. In fact you don’t even need God for it.”I suppose it depends how big you think God is. "You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand [generations] of those who love me and keep my commandments” Exodus 20:4-6 (NIV). I believe God is big enough to hear the prayers of someone living on one continent and make one job pay two dollars more on another continent to shape lives that are yet to be born and accomplish His purposes. I also believe that the choices we make today have far reaching consequences tomorrow and beyond. That’s why I want God to be involved in the choices I make, only He knows what tomorrow and beyond holds, and I surely desire his lovingkindness and blessing to be unleashed there. I pray that is your heart’s desire as well.To God be all glory, love you, Pastor Hans