The Cardboard Box

I don’t know how the small cardboard box ended up at the youth yard sale raising money for camp, but it did. Cristy brought it to the office; it was leaking ashes, someone’s ashes. No urn, no burial, not even a deliberate sprinkling of the ashes at some meaningful or beautiful spot. They just got picked up in the standard box, were stashed somewhere, and finally where scooped up with a bunch of other no longer wanted stuff and taken to the yard sale at the church. No takers though, some stranger’s ashes are not what people are looking for.What a contrast it was to Lodgie’s memorial service held in our church’s sanctuary while the yard sale wrapped up in the parking lot. People came from far and wide, wept, gave glowing eulogies, played beautiful music, sang their hearts out, gave praise and glory to God for her life, her influence, her contribution, and her love. Brought together by her death they lingered long afterwards to reminisce, to remember, to comfort each other. There was no obscurity here, no carelessness, to Lodgie’s family and to us our church family that would have been unthinkable, she was too precious, too valuable, too much of a blessing.I knew Lodgie. I have nothing but speculation about the individual in the cardboard box. However, I think the chances of your remains ending up in a dusty, uncared for, standard box at a yard sale are greatly diminished if you live a life that pleases and honors God. We reap what we sow, Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith” Galatians 6:7-10 (NLT).Death, our mortality, should cause us to think, should cause us to make better, wiser, and eternally significant choices, “A good reputation is more valuable than costly perfume. And the day you die is better than the day you are born. Better to spend your time at funerals than at parties. After all, everyone dies— so the living should take this to heart. Sorrow is better than laughter, for sadness has a refining influence on us. A wise person thinks a lot about death, while a fool thinks only about having a good time” Ecclesiastes 7:1-4 (NLT). I don’t think the family of the person in the cardboard box heeded the advice Solomon, it might have been because of what s/he did or did not sow, but we really don’t know. What we do know is that you and I have limited time to do good, to love, to bless, to please and honor God, and then we face the reality of Hebrews 9:27-28, “Just as each person is destined to die once and after that comes judgment, so also Christ died once for all time as a sacrifice to take away the sins of many people. He will come again, not to deal with our sins, but to bring salvation to all who are eagerly waiting for him” (NLT). Where and how we end up depends on our choices, whose wisdom we follow, and whose power we trust. Lodgie left no doubt, the person whose ashes were in the cardboard box at the youth yard sale, who knows. I know where and how I want to end up, that’s why I trust and follow Jesus Christ.To God be all glory. Love you, Pastor Hans  

Letting Go

Take a look at your hands and ask yourself, “How good am I of letting go.” Now pick up two things, one with your left hand and one with your right. Keep holding those two items as you go to the kitchen to make yourself a cup of tea or coffee. (Email me with the outcome of this exercise, dergermanshepherd@gmail.com).We hold onto things with more than just our hands, our minds and hearts know to grasp and not let go every bit as our hands, maybe even better. It doesn’t really matter what we use to hold on to something, as long as we hold on to one thing it limits us, or completely prevents us, from grasping or doing something else.My brother, who was a pain specialist, once told me that after a while our nerves will hold onto pain even if the source of the pain is removed. Have you ever had to pry your fingers off something you had hold onto for a long time? Letting go can be very hard, even painful, especially if we have held onto something for a very long time, if what we have held onto was very heavy, if what we have held onto is very important to us. I don’t want to hold onto things that will damage me, that will deform me, that will cause pain long after something is past, that will prevent me from laying hold of better things.My goal is to know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, assuming that I will somehow reach the resurrection from among the dead. Not that I have already reached the goal or am already fully mature, but I make every effort to take hold of it because I also have been taken hold of by Christ Jesus. Brothers, I do not consider myself to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead, I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God’s heavenly call in Christ Jesus” Philippians 3:10-14 (HCSB).Real maturity and Christlikeness are impossible without knowing what to let go and what to hold onto. I hear the Apostle Paul saying, “I let go of everything that would prevent me grasping everything God, through Christ, has for me. So I have to learn to be good at letting go.”How good are you at letting go? What do need to let go? What “worries, wounds, wrongs, weaknesses, and wishes” (Eric Rees) do you need to let go?Before you finish this p-note can I encourage you to get a Bible, find Philippians and read both chapter 2 and 3 (or maybe all of it), then sit down, look at your hands again, and then have a conversation with God about what he would have let go of.To God be all glory, Pastor Hans 

The Gift of a Choice

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. John 3:16-17 (NIV)What gift for whom? What color? What brand? What price range? By something or make something? Give something that makes the person laugh, or something they could use, or something they need? How many choices did you face, how many decision did you make about the gifts you will be giving this Christmas?We love the freedom to make decisions, to have lots of choices. It is one of the reasons we love money, the more we have the more choices we have. Most of us are familiar with wanting to buy something but being unable to do so because our wanter was bigger than our funds.Christmas is about God giving all of mankind a choice we did not previously have. None of us has the resources to acquire eternal life. None of us is able to extricate him/herself from God’s judgment. We don’t lack the want to, most of us do want to have God on our side, most of us do want to go to heaven, if for no other reason than to be united with those whom we loved but who have died.I was standing in line at In & Out Burger with a little boy in front of me. When it was his turn he plunked down a handful of coins and asked for a chocolate milk. “We only have chocolate shakes,” said the girl at the cash register. He decided that‘s what he wanted. She counted his change, “$1.27. Sorry, that’s not enough for a shake.” He just stood there. All his wanting was not going to get him a shake, he did not have that choice because he did not have the means to make that choice - unless - someone was willing, someone was gracious, someone cared. “A chocolate shake it is,” I said, and plunked down a couple of bucks. When I had sat myself down, he looked over at me and said, “Thank you.”Spiritually we are in far worse shape than that little boy at the counter: “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” Romans 3:23 (NIV). “As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, … But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions--it is by grace you have been saved” Ephesians 2:4-5 (NIV). God sent his Son, not because the world needed one more religion, but because of our total helplessness. In him, in Christ, we have a choice we would otherwise not have. That’s why the coming of Christ is such good news, that’s why he is the most incredible gift. Will you believe in Him?Merry Christmas, Pastor Hans 

In Honor of Billie Barnes

In Honor of Billie BarnesCan anything good come out of Oklahoma, or as I call it Okiehoma? Well, sometime in the early 1940 two girls hitchhiked from Oklahoma to California, one them was Wiletta June Clayton. She married Lowell Barnes, had children, worked, got involved in church, and eventually moved to a house they’d built in Don Pedro to retire.Don Pedro really is a great place to live, but when Lowell and Billie moved here it had what was an obvious problem to them, no church. So they made one of the best decisions of their lives, they started one, right in their living room. When the living room got too small they moved to the one room school house where now you find Don Pedro High School. When the one room school house got too small they build the sanctuary we worship in every weekend. It is amazing what God can do when he finds obedient and ready hearts.Think with me for a minute, How much has come to pass and grown out of the obedience of these two retired lay people? How many people in Don Pedro have heard the Gospel, have come to a saving faith in Jesus Christ because Billie and Lowell surrendered their retirement to God? How many have had an opportunity to hear and study the word of God, to find fellowship and love, to receive help in various ways because Billie and Lowell took Jesus’ challenge to “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness” serious?Just a few years into this adventure of beginning our church Lowell became sick and went to glory, but before he died God in his great sense of humor brought in a young German with his family to pastor the church. Thus it was that an Okiehoman widow of a pastor and a Kraut were paired up. Billie made another decision. She decided to support me, to back me up, to pray for me, to relinquish the reigns. She knew how important that was, she understood that each member of our church needs to be faithful even when life brings hard to bear changes; she knew how essential unity is to have a healthy church family. Think about it, how much have we benefited from that decision? I wonder how often and how much I stretched the limits of her patience? Or how often she thought, “What were we thinking when we called him to be our pastor?”I have been asked many times how and why I have stayed so long here at the Lake Don Pedro Baptist Church. It might be that Germans are not as bright as Okiehomans, or maybe it is because Krauts are more stubborn than Okiehomans. But it is much more likely that, beyond the opportunity, my family and I found love here, got to join into simple obedience to Christ, and ran into a widow named Billie who cheered for this church and us to her last breath. So what do you think? Can anything good come out of Oklahoma? Sometime in the early 1940s Billie did.Thank you Billie, your grateful Church family and Pastor.

Inescapable

InescapableSome things you cannot escape. The most popular examples are death and taxes. Over the past weeks here in Don Pedro the smoke produced by the massive Rim Fire has been inescapable. One smoky morning I texted my kids, “If this keeps up we will be permanently smoke flavored.  We will be the smoky people, a whole new ethnic group.  Then we will have to have a movement to be recognized as such.  That sounds like so much work and effort, but it will stand up in court because the judges and juries will be able to smell us plain as day.  Then being smoky will turn into a cool thing and everybody will want to be like us, which will spawn all kinds of commerce, smoky perfumes, soaps, air fresheners, etc. “Smoking hot" will have a whole new meaning, "Smoking someone out" will be insensitive, and "smoking" will have to be renamed.  When one of us becomes the pope they will no longer signal the decision with smoke, and one of us might eventually be president, "be smoked right into office.”I don’t know how I got so sidetracked, but let’s get back to things you cannot escape. How about yourself, like it or not you are who you are, makes no difference whether or not you like or dislike who you are. You also cannot escape the consequences of your decisions. In fact our decisions and their consequences shape who we are, who we are becoming, where and how we end up.Who are you today? And who will you be tomorrow? And how big of a role will the consequences of the decisions you make play in that process? Even more sobering is the fact that there are others who cannot escape the consequences of our decisions. Our lives always cast larger circles, the smoke of the fires we light never just stays in our own yard.Before he turned twenty he got both a raw deal and a great opportunity. His home and country was destroyed, he was separated from his family, and he was deported, exiled to another country. He had no rights, no recourse, and no resources. But he wasn’t dead, and he ended up at a special training school for government service. Most importantly he still was able to make decisions. He, Daniel, ended up as one of the most outstanding and influential people of his time. He became a man of sterling character, incredible wisdom, and remarkable faith in large part because from early on he understood the inescapability of the consequences of our choices, and because he lived with an active awareness of that truth.Daniel also understood that the consequences of our choices are governed by God. The principle of “You reap what you sow” (Galatians 6:7-10), has its origin in God. The reality that there are choices which result in blessing and choices which result in destruction, hurt, pain, and judgment  is also of God. And the ability to make good choices that have consequences shaping us for good, even you if get the shaft or much worse, is a gift from God.It is no surprise that the first significant thing God’s word highlights in Daniel’s life is both the choice he makes as a teenager and how the consequences of that choice shaped his life for good and God. But Daniel made up his mind that he would not defile himself with the king's choice food or with the wine which he drank; so he sought permission from the commander of the officials that he might not defile himself.  Now God granted Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the commander of the officials” Daniel 1:8-9 (NASB). To God be all glory, love you, Pastor Hans   

Junior, Shaheed, peace, and a short list

It has been a trying few weeks for Susie and I. Our Grandson, “Junior,” was abused so badly by his Dad, our son, that he went into cardiac arrest and ended up at Oakland Children’s Hospital with catastrophic brain injuries. We often referred to Shaheed as our bonus son, because God placed him into our family when he was almost fifteen. He presented us with lots of “challenges” that stretched our love thin more than once, but nothing like this. A few days into the ordeal Shaheed finally confessed, was arrested, and is now jail waiting for the judicial process to take its course.Anger, such anger, confusion, deeper than deep disappointment, shame, questions, so many questions, disbelief, shock, broken-heartedness, sorrow beyond words, yes, overwhelming sorrow and grief have filled our days. How could he? Why did he? The lies. The brutality. The caring for nothing but himself. The utter absence of excuses. The senselessness. The pain, Junior’s pain, his Mama’s pain. Hoping for a miracle, constant bleak medical outlooks, praying that this will not end with Junior in a long term vegetative state. Changes that look good and seem encouraging and yet might not be at all. Weariness. Sorrow. Our hearts and minds like parched ground yearning for drops of peace, that peace of God beyond understanding.I haven’t taken his calls, not willing to pay $15 per call, afraid I’d say things I’d regret. A letter is as far as I have gotten. I have gotten various unsolicited advice though, which I am sure was meant to be helpful but if I am honest was hurtful.I was sitting on our back deck a few days, in the coolness of early morning, thinking, praying, wondering how to navigate through this in a godly, Christlike way. So I reviewed in my mind sure directives from God’s word (the Bible), things I knew applied regardless of how I felt, words I could fully trust to be of the Holy Spirit. It didn’t take long before I had a short list, and surprisingly that list poured peace into my heart, settled my mind, refreshed my soul. I believe that moment to be an answer to the many prayers friends, brothers and sisters in Christ, have lifted up on my behalf. I believe that moment God wept with me and let His mercies and compassions, which are new every morning (Lamentations 3:22-23), fall on me.Maybe you are wondering what the list mentioned above entailed? Here it is:

  • I have to forgive, forgiveness is not optional for a follower of Jesus.

“Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you” Ephesians 4:32 (NASB).And forgive us our sins, For we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation” Luke 11:4 (NASB).

  • I have to love, it too is not optional for Christian.

"This I command you, that you love one another” John 15:17 (NASB) “We love, because He first loved us. If someone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen” 1 John 4:19-20 (NASB)

  • I have to be careful not to let bitterness take a foothold in me.

Make sure that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no root of bitterness springs up, causing trouble and by it, defiling many” Hebrews 12:15 (HCSB)

  • I am allowed to be angry, but I am not allowed to sin in my anger.

BE ANGRY , AND yet DO NOT SIN; do not let the sun go down on your anger” Ephesians 4:26 (NASB).“This you know, my beloved brethren. But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger; for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God” James 1:19-20 (NASB).

  • I need to guard my tongue which means I need to guard my thoughts.

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption” Ephesians 4:29-30 (NIV).Thank you for all your praying, caring, and loving.To God be all glory, Pastor Hans

The Old Mower and Psalm 119:9&11

My 33 old Montgomery Wards riding mower finally gave up the ghost, went kaput, died. It came with our house when we bought it and although it looked pretty good it didn’t run. At some time before it became ours it was parked in the garage and sat. When I took a closer look at it a found three main problems: 1. The battery was deader than a door knob, 2. Somebody had tried to mow rocks and busted one of the mower blade mounts, 3. Both the gas tank and carburetor where gummed up with old shellacked gas. Once I took care of those three things the orange beauty ran like a champ, made my life easier, and helped my son earn a lot of money mowing around the neighborhood.I would say 33 years is a “ripe old age” for riding mower. I attribute this to three main factors: 1. God answering my prayers to make my things last, 2. Proper use, 3. Regular maintenance.Now let’s pretend your and my life is like a riding mower. If we are going to run like a champ, last, and be a blessing we need to pay attention to three things: 1. God, 2. The written Word of God (aka the Bible/Manual), 3. The ways of God. That’s the instruction given to a new mower/young person, How can a young person stay pure? By obeying your (God’s) word” “I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you” Psalm 119:9&11 (NLT, parenthesis mine).Somebody designed that mower for the purpose of mowing, and they wrote a user manual so the eventual owner would know how to use the mower and get the most out of it. Can you ignore the designer and all the included instructions? Absolutely, you can ignore its purpose, use it for whatever and however you want to, and never do any maintenance. But don’t be surprised if you get hurt, beat it up, be frustrated, have to spend money to fix it, and wear it out way before its time. Of course if you have enough money you can just go and buy another one, but that doesn’t work with life, no amount of money will buy you another one. So it might be smart, wise, to recognize that God made us, designed us for a purpose, and has written a manual so we would use our lives properly and know how to maintain them.Maybe you are reading this and you no longer qualify as young. Maybe you are like a broken down mower, maybe you abused your own life, maybe you never changed the oil, mowed rocks, were stupid, and more than just your gas tank and carburetor is corroded. Does that mean the instruction of God’s Word you read above is not for you? I suppose not if that’s what you want to settle for. But what if you were to pay attention to the designer, to God? What if you were to start reading the manual, the Bible? And what if you were to start doing what you read in God’s Word? What if you were to let God use his knowhow and tools on you? What if you learned to look out for rocks, change the oil, and keep the blades sharp?Was it only important for me to seek God’s blessing and pay attention when I first got the mower? Of course not, it is important throughout life, a mower’s life, but even more importantly your and my life.To God be all glory, love you, Pastor HansP.S. If you wondering where to start reading your Bible I suggest you start reading the Gospel of Matthew and one chapter of Proverbs a day.  

Of being a Grandpa, Moses, and doing God's will

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  

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.”