Imagine yourself stranded in the desert. You have used all the tricks you learned from watching various survival shows, but this point you are so parched all you can think of is a sip of water and that someone will find you. Just then you hear your smart phone ringing. You think your mind is playing tricks on you and but reach in your pocket for the phone anyway. By the time you get it out it has stopped ringing. You check your phone for if it has reception – not a single bar. But there is a missed call and you don’t recognize the number. For some reason you try connecting to the number, but nothing. Unbelievably, right when you wearily put your phone back into your pocket it rings again. Quickly you yank it to your ear, push the right button, and squeak out a weak, “Hello.”“Congratulations!” proclaims the happy voice on the other end, “You have won ten million dollars and an all-inclusive vacation to the Bahamas.”“Help me, I need help,” you try to interrupt.“We have had a difficult time locating you, but thanks to your phone and GPS we now know exactly where you are and will deliver your prizes to you very shortly,” the still very happy voice continues.“You know where I am! You know how to get to me?” you scream out shaking and filled with hope.“Yes, we know exactly where you are and are so happy for you. You will be able to enjoy your prizes before you know it.” The voice still bubbles.“I need water!” you scream, “I need you to come and get me, please!”“Water will be last thing you’ll worry about when you relax at the beach in the Bahamas, and I am happy to hear you being so excited. That’s the most satisfying thing about this job, blowing the minds of lucky winners like you. Oh, I see they’re almost there.”“What! Where! Wait, you don’t understand! Please ...” is all you get out because you hear a plane overhead.“Good, I can hear that they’re there. Have a wonderful day, or life. Great talking with you, enjoy.”“No! No! Wait, don’t hang up! Please listen to me, I am lost in …” you get out before a suitcase lands in front of you. “Are you still there!” you yell as you return your attention to your phone, but all you hear is silence.Dejected you open the suitcase. It contains ten million dollars. On top of the money is a travel brochure to your trip to the Bahamas. You begin to cry.What is more important than responding to someone’s needs? Christmas is about God responding to the most essential need of all of humanity and each one of us individually, namely spiritual redemption and salvation. In Jesus Christ “… the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men” Titus 2:11 (NIV). We might never have to be rescued from dying of dehydration in the desert, but we do have to be rescued from death and the judgment of our sin. So this Christmas above all remember that through Jesus Christ God has responded to what you and I need the most. Maybe you are convinced that you do not really need Christ. Obviously God did not think so and that line of reasoning is the very deception, the very delirium of the desert of our sinfulness. In bringing us to another Christmas God is again trying to rescue, save you.One more thought, how about putting the emphasis of our Christmas giving on meeting real needs. Instead of raining down more toys and trinkets than anyone needs, how about meeting the real needs of people around us, or people far away, the needs of the poor, the hungry, the hurting, the oppressed, the sick, the widows, the fatherless. How about copying God’s giving at Christmas time.To God be all glory, love you, Pastor Hans
Giving, Applause and a Challenge
Each person should do as he has decided in his heart—not reluctantly or out of necessity, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make every grace overflow to you, so that in every way, always having everything you need, you may excel in every good work. … For the ministry of this service (giving) is not only supplying the needs of the saints, but is also overflowing in many acts of thanksgiving to God. They will glorify God for your obedience to the confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with others through the proof provided by this service. 2 Corinthians 9:7-8, 13-14 (HCSB, parenthesis mine)I was going to preach on giving this Sunday, but I changed my mind. The reason I did is because I am blessed to be part of a giving church. In fact I am amazed how faithfully you give your tithes to operate the church financially and then go beyond that to support missionary work around the world, fund the Food Basket, contribute to the Deacons’ Fund, support children through World Vision and Compassion International, participate in the Hunger relief offering, and respond to various needs. We cannot even begin to calculate all the good this generosity has done, but even more importantly it has honored God, given our church a good testimony, and has produced much thanksgiving. As your pastor I just want to applaud you.For Susie and me our journey of giving began before we were married. We were blessed with pastors who taught us what the Bible said about giving and managing money. So began our marriage being on the same page when it came to our attitudes about money, about spending, and about honoring God with our money and possessions. We never thought twice about supporting our church with our tithe and offering even though we did not earn or have much.For many years our financial situation was one of need, we were poor, but we did not think that exempted us from tithing and giving. We gave in spite, or out of our need. We just figured and believed that God would enable us to live on whatever was left after we tithed. And God did, he supplied, and we learned awesome lessons of God’s faithfulness, just as He promised.Today our financial situation is different, we are no longer in constant need and instead we are blessed with a surplus. I believe that surplus is a result of God’s blessing and our willingness to trust in God’s ways of giving and handling money. Now our challenge is not to squander our surplus, not to let it entice us to spend more and more on ourselves, but to grow even more generous, and to give more and more. I am confident that God will show us incredible blessings here too, because Jesus did say, “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35).When it comes to the ministry of giving my prayer for you and me and for our church is to “excel still more” (1 Thessalonians 4:10).To god be all glory, love you, Pastor Hans
Thanksgiving and when things are hard
We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God: those who are called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28 (HCSB) They had discovered a spot on my Mother-in-law’s lung. It turned out to be cancer. On the day of the operation the anesthesiologist goofed and ripped her throat, so they had to cancel the operation and she had to recover from that. It was a lousy, frightening thing to happen. But before they rescheduled her for the surgery again they took more scans and discovered another spot on her lung they would not have removed during the first operation, so the second time they were able to remove all of the cancer.Of course Beverly could also have died from that doctor’s mistake and then I could not have written the first paragraph. But it would not have changed the truth that God really does work everything for the good of those who love Him. “I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.” … “Now I want you to know, brethren, that my circumstances (Paul was imprisoned) have turned out for the greater progress of the gospel” … “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” Philippians 1:6, 12, 21 (NASB, parenthesis mine), is what Paul wrote to believers who couldn’t make sense out of Paul’s imprisonment as well as their own difficulties. He wanted them to know that believers are not exempted from the crap of life, but he also didn’t want them to forget that the benefits of loving God don’t stop when life becomes difficult, unfair, and painful. God knows how to use what stinks, what scars, what is meant for evil and work it for good. Of course we cannot experience that by reading about it, you have to live it, walk through it.Maybe last Thursday was a tough Thanksgiving Day for you. Maybe it was hard for you to be grateful to God because of the year you have had. Maybe it has been the toughest, most painful, and totally confusing year of your life. It is hard to see the good there, like when the anesthesiologist botched, when we didn’t know the outcome. That’s why I am writing this pastor’s note, so anger, bitterness, lack of answers, and confusion would not keep you or derail you from loving God, from living with hope, from knowing that even death is no match for God and his goodness. Sometimes, when things are really hard and raw, we are just left with God Himself, but that is the greatest blessing of all.“The first time I was brought before the judge, no one came with me. Everyone abandoned me… But the Lord stood with me and gave me strength … Yes, and the Lord will deliver me from every evil attack and will bring me safely into his heavenly Kingdom. All glory to God forever and ever! Amen.” 2 Timothy 4:16-18 (NLT).“No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:37-39 (NLT).To God be all glory, love you, Pastor HansP.S. I would love to hear your experience with the truth of Romans 8:28, or your questions, or pray with you if you feel alone. Just call me at email me at dergermanshepherd@gmail.com or call me at 209 852-2040.
A Thankfulness TrialI am putting you and me on trial in this pastor’s note. I am hoping you and I will be convicted of being people who grateful, thanksgivers who continually praise and bring glory to God. So hop up on the stand to be examined.When was the last time you stepped on a scale and were filled with thanksgivings? I mean you grabbed one of your rolls and it put you in a rejoicing mode for the rest of the day? You praised God for the abundance of food that has been available to you, that feeding yourself and your family was not a worry to you, as it is to millions of people around the globe.When was the last time you went to the doctor and the whole way there you were in grateful mood? You lit up the waiting room with your spirit of thankfulness? Overcome by the fact that extraordinary healthcare is available to you gave God thanks.When was the last time you rolled up to the gas pump and counted your blessings? The whole time the pump was running your heart was full of praise to God for his goodness and provision? With every gallon pouring into your vehicle you just got happier, ready to have a worship service right there?When was the last time you turned on a faucet in your house and your heart overflowed with gratefulness? You rejoiced you did not have to schlep a single drop and that you haven’t had the slightest worry about water from your faucet in who knows how long? You were as happy as a bird in a puddle.When was the last time you put on your shoes and just felt like praising God for his goodness to you? You were struck by the fact that you got to choose which shoes to wear today?When was the last time you looked at something you haven’t used in forever and were overwhelmed by gratefulness because you have more (maybe much more) than you need? You were gripped by thankfulness because you have the privilege of thinking about wants and not just needs? You gave glory to God because He has enabled you to be a giver?When was the last time someone noticed your thankfulness? Someone wondered why just keep giving thanks and praise to God?When will be the next time your gratefulness before God will have impact on your outlook, your attitude, and your actions? I pray it will be today, tomorrow, and day after tomorrow, and … That anywhere and anytime you and me will always be convicted of being grateful, of being a thanksgiver through and through.Give thanks in everything, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.1 Thessalonians 5:18 (HCSB)To God be all glory, love you, Pastor Hans
Boston, History, Freedom, and a lot of Rambling
Susie and I just spend a week in Boston visiting our daughter Betsie who lives and works there. Is there anything better than seeing God bless your children, granting them success in life? Does anything make a parent more grateful?We spent a good deal of time exploring Boston, a city filled with history. People first came there for freedom, religious freedom above all, and for opportunity. 383 years after the founding of Boston and 237 after the founding of the United States freedom and opportunity are still hallmarks of this society we are privileged to live in.
On Sunday morning we went to church at the historic Park Street Church were we heard an incredible testimony given by Tom Gerendas, who grew up in Budapest, Hungary, survived the Nazi holocaust as a twelve year old Jewish boy, found salvation through Christ, later escaped communism, and found his way to the United States (you can find his testimony on the Park Street Church website, www.parkstreet.org), where lives to serve God and Christ.
Park Street Church is also where the Hymn written by Samuel Francis Smith “My Country, ‘Tis of Thee” was first sung in 1831. Verses one and four read:
My country, 'tis of thee,Sweet land of liberty,Of thee I sing;Land where my fathers died,Land of the pilgrims' pride,From ev'ry mountainsideLet freedom ring! Our fathers' God to Thee,Author of liberty,To Thee we sing.Long may our land be bright,With freedom's holy light,Protect us by Thy might,Great God our King. Interestingly it is written to the tune of “God Save the Queen/King." Boston and the greater Boston area is also home to over 100 universities and colleges with a combined enrollment of several hundred thousand students. It has been referred to as the “Athens of America.” Of course colleges and universities are all about opportunity. At the Walgreens next to where we stayed the clerk was a retired Colonel of the Bangladesh Air Force. He moved his family to Boston so his children could go to “the best schools in the world.” He wanted them to have opportunity. Close to where our daughter lives we drove by a church that has been turned into an apartment complex, that means the church that met there died. Not because there are not enough people in that neighborhood but rather because people stopped going there. It illustrates a shift. The founders of Boston were looking for a place to freely worship God, today we increasingly are looking for a freedom from God. We no longer consider freedom as a call to worship, “Our fathers' God to Thee, Author of liberty, To Thee we sing,” but are much more inclined to see it as a call to self-expression, self-indulgence, and self-fulfillment. Maybe that’s enough rambling for one p-note. Let me leave you with some words of the Apostle Paul, “It is absolutely clear that God has called you to a free life. Just make sure that you don't use this freedom as an excuse to do whatever you want to do and destroy your freedom. Rather, use your freedom to serve one another in love; that's how freedom grows” Galatians 5:13 (MSG). To God be all glory, love you Pastor Hans
My God the Healer
"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. Matthew 7:7-8 (NIV) We prayed and prayed some more when my brilliant and kind younger brother Friederich became mentally ill and suicidal, and then we had to bury him. Two years later my Mama stayed with us for the birth of our daughter Emily. One evening I followed her out on the porch after she said she wasn’t feeling well, she was having some kind of heart episode but refused to go to the hospital. I prayed for her, she went back home, three months later we buried her. My older brother Andreas had a massive heart attack, we prayed for him, he recovered amazingly and returned to work. Two years later he had massive stroke, we prayed for him and he has made huge strides in his recovery, but he is still disabled. This past June, Junior, our little grandson suffered cardiac arrest and massive brain damage, we prayed and prayed some more, somehow he still alive, but still so broken he seems unaware. Our daughter Emily’s spine is deformed by scoliosis and she suffers from debilitating migraines, all of our praying has not straightened her back or cured her headaches. Our son Hansi, our niece Ashley, and our nephew Luke all have type 1 diabetes, and although we praise God for insulin that allows them to live He has not restored the pancreases. And I could go on, as I am sure you could too about members of your own family and maybe even yourself.You can’t read very far into the New Testament without coming to the conclusion that God both has the power to heal and has healed people, and not just from “easy” stuff but from things like blindness, paralysis, even from death itself. Instantly he made lame men walk, freed lepers from disease, made chronic bleeding stop, fevers disappear, and so much more. Was all that just authenticate that Jesus was really the Son of God? Does God still heal today, and who, and when, and under what conditions? Is it just a crapshoot, some get lucky and some don’t? Are the critics right that all this randomness is just another reason to discount the existence of God? And why does God not unleash more of that power, where it is really needed?By now you might have guessed that I have not figured this all out, nobody really has. Here is what I do know:
- God’s ways are unfathomable, inscrutable, and good.
- Suffering puzzles us, and erasing God out of the picture is of no help, but reduces everything, and especially suffering, to mere randomness and meaninglessness.
- God does not abandon us in our suffering, even when we feel like he is not responding to our pleas as we think He should.
- God knows how to redeem suffering for his purposes and glory.
- God invites us to call on Him in our suffering and pain, and we can be confident that He hears and responds to our needs out of His perfect wisdom, His complete knowledge, His immeasurable power, His full justice, His sovereign will, His flawless goodness, and His bottomless love.
- God knows how and when to heal us, how and when to sustain us, and how and when to keep us in this life or call us home to Himself.
- We can trust Him regardless of what life, others, evil, and even hell itself throws at us and rest in the assurance of that trust. The faith we place in Him, is not misplaced, not empty, or filled with disappointment. Instead it is sure, real, full of hope, overflowing with mercy, grace, and life.
What will I do next the next time sickness, or tragedy, or suffering and pain comes my way, or strikes someone in my family, my church, my neighborhood, or my community? I will go straight to God, my Heavenly Father, who has loved me and claimed me in Christ. I will hold on tight to his good Hand, I will ask Him for healing, for help, for strength, for faith, for peace, for the ability to cope, for His all-sufficient grace to keep me in my weakness, and to be able to accept His will over mine. And I hope I will meet you there.To God be all glory, love you, Pastor Hans
Stnking Woodpeckers - Don't Be Irritated with Jesus Christ
Stinking woodpeckers. They don’t even have any respect for the church (the church building to be more precise). And of all the walls to peck on they have to pick the one my office is on. No sooner do I sit down to work and the pecking starts. So I bang on my metal desk, yell “Get out of here!” But these acorn woodpeckers are stubborn, inflexible, a one track mind kind of bird, so I also have to get up and open my window and rattle the blinds. Then I watch to see if a bird actually flies away. I can’t tell you how often this little routine replayed itself the last couple of weeks. At this point I just want wring those little hammer-beaks’ necks. I‘ve invited them to take a look at the baptistery but I think they deciphered my intentions.Many feel about Jesus Christ as I do about woodpeckers. They are annoyed the moment they hear his name. They roll their eyes (if not outwardly then inwardly) and shift into a shooing off routine.Granted, Jesus Christ is invasive. He will peck holes into your world view, your philosophy, your spirituality, and your religion. He will expose your sinfulness and mortality. He will ask you to follow him, to deny yourself, to devote yourself to live for his kingdom. He will demand of you to live a life of faith and love. He will relentlessly remind you that he is the Son of God, God in the flesh, who holds in his hands life, judgment, forgiveness, and salvation. He wants you to remember that he died to pay for your sins, that he conquered sin and death, and that he will return. He makes no excuse for telling you the truth that he alone can reconcile you with God, that he alone can keep your feet out of hell, and he alone is the way to heaven.Although I hope not, maybe your thinking “peck, peck, peck!” Maybe you’re kicking yourself for reading this far, for not chasing off this pesky preacher earlier. “These relentless Christians, always putting Jesus into my face.”You’re not the first person who wanted to get rid of Christ. Someone beat you to it. They thought a cross would silence him, a tomb would put him far out of sight and out of mind. They thought their lives were just fine without him. But God didn’t think so, because we are not just fine without him, we perish without him, "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. …He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him" John 3:16, 36 (NASB).If someone kept knocking on house because it is on fire would you be annoyed with them? Maybe, at least until you realized your house was on fire. Jesus doesn’t knock on your door for the heck of it, to irritate you, or to annoy you, but because your house is on fire and ignoring him will cost you your life.Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?" John 11:25-26 (NIV) Then he (Jesus Christ) said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self? If anyone is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels” Luke 9:23-26 (NIV, parenthesis mine) To God be all glory, love you, Pastor Hans
Leftovers
LeftoversI grew up with four brothers which translates into leftovers being a rare thing. Heck we would fight over who gets to clean out the pot or lick the bowl. On the rare occasion when there were some leftovers my Dad usually called dibs on them, which was huge mistake because that only drew attention to their existence, which in turn caused their speedy disappearance. He tried hiding them but it was pointless considering his pack of five young blood hounds.Picture it, leftover meatloaf, pizza, lasagna, enchiladas, roast, jambalaya, stew, barbecued chicken, pulled pork, not even mentioning deserts, pies, cakes, cookies, or cinnamon rolls. Yes, leftovers are a fine thing. Raise your hand if you agree.Picture this, you invited your boss, or your senator, or your children’s principal (they might be less than excited about that), or your new neighbors, your good friends, or even your preacher over for dinner. Raise your hand if you would even consider inviting them to a dinner of leftovers. (Well, maybe I should have left your preacher off the list, they’re known for eating just about anything.) As tasty as leftovers can be we do not consider them when serving guests, especially important guests.This is precisely the point of the last book of the Old Testament, Malachi. God confronts the ancient Israelites and us regarding leftovers, not leftover food, but the leftovers of life. "Isn't it true that a son honors his father and a worker his master? So if I'm your Father, where's the honor? If I'm your Master, where's the respect? … when you offer worthless animals for sacrifices in worship, animals that you're trying to get rid of—blind and sick and crippled animals—isn't that defiling? Try a trick like that with your banker or your senator—how far do you think it will get you? the Lord Almighty asks you” Malachi 1:8 (MSG, italics mine). God got the leftovers when it came to their time and worship, their personal lives and families, and their resources and money. That in turn was reflection where God really ranked, figured into their lives. And how does God rank in your life? How does He figure into your existence, the routine of your life? How much respect does He get in the management of your time, your money, your decisions, and your relationships and family?My prayer is that every time you eat some leftovers you will be reminded to not serve leftovers to God, but to show Him respect and to honor Him by giving Him the first and the best.To God be all glory, love you, 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
Slacker Dogs and Watchmen/women
Dogs and Watchmen/womenOur dogs are napping more. Doing so means they are neglecting one of their two responsibilities they have. They are still doing a fine job greeting people, everyone is greeted with one dog squeaking like a toy and the other giving a hearty lick. But it’s the second task they’re slacking on. I can tell, the deer are chomping on stuff and in places they never have before, while our two well fed canines are snoozing their lives away. If it is true that one human year equals seven dog years then a two hour nap by my watch is a fourteen hour dog nap. Wow, I had no idea how bad that slacking thing has actually become until I just did the above math. These dogs are not just slacking a bit they are taking total advantage of the situation. The way this is going pretty soon they will install a bell so they can ring for us to feed them in bed.Don’t you wish you only had two responsibilities, you only had to watch over two things? Sometimes it seems like too much, all the things to watch over, to take care of, to be responsible for. I wonder if Ezekiel felt like that? When his wife got sick and died God told him to refrain from any outward, public acts of mourning (chapter 24). I bet he had to watch himself on that. Then God told him to be careful because God had appointed him, assigned him as a spiritual watchman for his countrymen, and that God would hold him responsible if he failed to warn people regarding their accountability to God, that they needed to change their ways while there was time or else suffer the judgment of God.And the word of the LORD came to me, saying, "Son of man, speak to the sons of your people and say to them, 'If I bring a sword upon a land, and the people of the land take one man from among them and make him their watchman,and he sees the sword coming upon the land and blows on the trumpet and warns the people, then he who hears the sound of the trumpet and does not take warning, and a sword comes and takes him away, his blood will be on his own head. He heard the sound of the trumpet but did not take warning; his blood will be on himself. But had he taken warning, he would have delivered his life. But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet and the people are not warned, and a sword comes and takes a person from them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood I will require from the watchman's hand.'Now as for you, son of man, I have appointed you a watchman for the house of Israel; so you will hear a message from My mouth and give them warning from Me. When I say to the wicked, 'O wicked man, you will surely die,' and you do not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require from your hand. But if you on your part warn a wicked man to turn from his way and he does not turn from his way, he will die in his iniquity, but you have delivered your life” Ezekiel 33:1-9 (NASB).Now Ezekiel’s contemporaries could have cared less, his warnings went in one ear and out the other (read the end of the chapter). His warnings fell on deaf ears. At what point do you begin to be tempted to slack off when no one’s paying attention? But regardless of the responses of those around him they needed to be warned, as do the people around us, our family members, our neighbors, friends, class mates, coworkers, employees, and acquaintances. Those we love, those we don’t care for, and even our enemies need to know that now is the time to repent, not later, the judgment of God is on its way. This is what Jesus told people everywhere, "The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!" Mark 1:15 (NIV), and it is what he told his followers to do, “So the disciples went out, telling everyone they met to repent of their sins and turn to God” Mark 6:12 (NLT).Followers of Jesus Christ are watchmen and women, may those who he has assigned us to find us faithfully “blowing the trumpet.”To God be all glory, love you Pastor Hans
Stuck
StuckI was dropping something off at Dennis’ house and made the mistake off backing up onto some soft ground. Slick highway tires, nothing in the back of my truck, and soft ground, you guessed it, equals getting stuck. They flew passed us as Susie and I drove slowly through Yosemite to take pictures of the valley in the snow. As we came around the next corner, you guessed it, there they were stuck in a snow bank on the side of the road (we did help them to get un-stuck).It is so easy to get stuck, to get stuck in life, to get stuck in a mindset, a bad attitude, in grief, bad habits, an addiction, a bad relationship, a reputation, in a boring or lousy marriage, in lies, in something that ends with ...holic, and so much more. People are stuck in hospital beds, nursing homes, prisons, gangs, jobs, war zones, party lines, violence, abuse, oppression, cultural norms, religions, and so much more. And don’t forget being stuck in what ifs, in guilt, regret, pain, hopelessness, consequences of bad decisions, debt, and sin.When you read through the Bible (God’s word/written revelation) you constantly encounter people, groups, and even entire nations being stuck. By the time you get to the book called Lamentations you are ready to weep with the prophet Jeremiah, the stuckness is staggering, as it is today.There is a common denominator running through all of this stuckness: Human stubbornness, human sinfulness, human failure, an unwillingness to listen to God, to regard the wisdom of God, to follow the ways of God, to embrace the will of God, and to respond to the word of God with faith and obedience. When Jeremiah pens his lament, his cry, the measure of the consequences of all this unwillingness towards God has piled up. The Israelites personally and collectively find themselves stuck deeper than would have ever imagined.They were stuck in the anger and judgment of God, stubbornness and unwillingness to listen to God will lead you there, guaranteed. Amazingly, even the living hell they were experiencing was not enough to soften their hearts. It is a terrible thing to have a stuck heart, an angry heart, a bitter heart, a vengeful heart, an unforgiving heart, a merciless heart, a self-centered heart, a greedy heart, a lustful heart, a faithless heart, an unloving heart , an unyielding heart towards God.Jeremiah finally cries out and states the obvious, “I/we are stuck beyond hope – except forYou God.” Maybe that’s your cry, if it is, then turn or return to God.I have been deprived of peace; I have forgotten what prosperity (happiness) is.So I say, "My splendor is gone and all that I had hoped from the LORD."I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall.I well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me. Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, "The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for him." Lamentations 3:17-24 (NIV, parenthesis mine) To God be all glory, love you, Pastor Hans
Come to Me
“Come to Me …”The accelerator (gas pedal) kept sticking on the old 63 VW Bug. When you wanted to stop and pushed in the clutch the motor just stayed revved up. The pushing down wasn’t the problem, letting off the gas was. You had to reach down, drive blind for a second, and pull it back with your hand, not a good or save idea.You ever feel like that? That your accelerator is stuck? That your life stays revved up? And even when you have a moment to stop your insides, your mind, your emotions continue to race? The questions, the anger, the frustrations, the worries, the fears, the pain, the being overwhelmed, and the thoughts just won’t return to idle? And it would be nice if it were as easy as reaching down to pull back the pedal, but you have no idea where the pedal is?Unfortunately we live in a culture that stays revved up, and if anything the RPMs are only increasing. Couch potatoes are glued to TVs, computers, and video games. Something seems to be always on, the music, the talk, and the images never stop. We are rarely disconnected; the phone is never off, always within reach. The I-Pod plays and plays, and all along more and more and more information. Our response as a society is to take more and more pills hoping to unstick the accelerator. We drink more, grow more pot, seek more distractions, and try anything and everything to unwind. Because we know, like that 63 VW Beetle, we are not built to run without idling. We are not meant to go through life with the pedal to the metal. If we do, we wear out, we get sick, we break down, and eventually we’ll blow up the motor.It’s the back of the gas pedal and the linkage that’s the problem. Those parts are worn out from use and a spring is missing. I came up with a temporary fix and then went online to order replacement parts. That’s so much like us isn’t it? We jump at the temporary fix because it allows to keep going, except it is, well, temporary and so we find ourselves back to square one sooner than later. Don’t you wish it were as easy as ordering a few replacement parts and installing them? Then again maybe it is?Ferdinand Porsche, who designed the VW Beetle, was by all accounts a brilliant guy. He knew that besides his design the car also needed a regular maintenance schedule for oil changes, valve adjustments, etc, and that the car should be regularly inspected to look for and fix worn out parts. And it needed to be driven right, understanding that it wasn’t a race car.God, who designed you and me, is without question more brilliant than all of the world’s geniuses, including you. He knows that there are things we regularly need to keep going. Weekly worship and rest, daily prayer, continual adherence to the operating and maintenance manual (the Bible), driving/living with gratitude, simplicity, generosity, compassion, humility, selflessness, doing good, and Christlikeness.If you own a VW Bug you can ignore Ferdinand, but don’t be surprised if your accelerator sticks and all kinds of things break prematurely and leave you stranded. If you have life and breath (since you read this far it is safe to assume that you do), you can ignore God, but don’t be surprised if your accelerator sticks, all kinds of things break down, and no amount of pills, alcohol, pot, fun activities, fancy vacations, metaphysical gyrations, or strange “spiritual” practices will bring you lasting peace and rest for your soul.When things are broken in your life, when things stick, when you no longer know how to slow or settle down, when anxiety, fears, worries, destructive habits, and a lack of inner peace are part of your reality, your life, it is a sure sign you need to remember and return to your Designer, your Creator, God, and His wisdom and ways for living.“Come to Me, all you who labor (are weary) and are heavy laden (burdened), and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." Matthew 11:28-30 (NKJV, parenthesis mine) To God be all glory, love you Pastor Hans
You'd look good in green, really
I have been told I look good in the color green, actually you do too.From space the earth is the blue planet because over 70% of the earth’s surface is covered by water. So if you are travelling in space and are looking for water blue is a beautiful color. However, if you are like me then you have never looked for water in space (although I have been known to space out or get spacey), but I have looked for water on the earth and that’s when green is the color, especially in dry Don Pedro.A widow had called me because she was told her sewer line was broken. I had no idea where to begin digging, except for a small patch of green between the house and the septic tank – bingo. If during the driest part of summer you go up to the old Penon Blanco fire lookout you are not only treated to a magnificent view but you also can see exactly where the water is. In the distance you see the Merced river laying like a green snake on mat of straw, circles of green rimming even dried out ponds like oasis in the desert. Yes, green is a beautiful color in spite of the ancient Greeks and Shakespeare hitching it to envy and Americans associating it with money. And God’s word agrees, “The man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence indeed is the LORD, is blessed. He will be like a tree planted by water: it sends its roots out toward a stream, it doesn’t fear when heat comes, and its foliage remains green. It will not worry in a year of drought or cease producing fruit” Jeremiah 17:7-8 (HCSB, also Psalm 1 and 2 Peter 1). Actually Jeremiah contrasts two different people, two different approaches to life, the person who trust in himself and his own strength vs. the person who trusts and relies on God. You already read God’s description of the latter it stands in contrast to what God says about the former, “Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength and whose heart turns away from the LORD. He will be like a bush in the wastelands; he will not see prosperity when it comes. He will dwell in the parched places of the desert, in a salt land where no one lives” Jeremiah 17:5-6 (NIV).Green looks good on us, God thinks so. How green, how spiritually alive, how fruit-bearing we are is not related to our circumstances it is related to our trust and reliance on God. If you, based on your trust and dependence on God, would have to place yourself into the view from old Penon Blanco lookout where would you end up, where would we spot you? Out in the barren spots, the “wastelands” (some confuse church with God and Christ and dwell in the wasteland of a pew, a denomination, something other than a trusting, alive, faith relationship with God)?” or would you be right next to the river, next to the “living water” (John 7:38)?Have I told you that you would look really good in green?To God be all glory, love you, Pastor Hans
Why?
Why?!Why can just be curious, “I wonder why bald men are better looking?”Why can be an exclamation, “Why I’ll be, that kid does know how to clean his room!”Why can be accusatory, “Why did you do that?”“Well I thought it was funny.” (bad, very bad answer)Why can be mean, “Why you’re just dumb, you’ll never amount to anything.”Why can be filled with self-pity, “Why me (God)?”Why can be confused, “Why do the wicked prosper?Why can be mad, angry, “Why are you not saying anything? Speak to me when I am talking to you.”Why can be hurting, filled with pain, “Why am I suffering?”Why can be a combination, “Why did you let this happen God?”God is no stranger when it comes to our whys. In fact He is often at the end of our whys, especially when we suffer, are in pain, confused, hurting, and think things are unjust or not fair. When we do not understand why God who is all powerful and loving does not intervene, prevent evil from happening, come to our aid, or set things right.The pages of scripture are filled with people who asked, “why?” Habakkuk is known as the prophet who asked, “Why?”“Why do you make me look at injustice? Why do you tolerate wrong? Destruction and violence are before me; there is strife, and conflict abounds.Therefore the law is paralyzed, and justice never prevails. The wicked hem in the righteous, so that justice is perverted.Your eyes are too pure to look on evil; you cannot tolerate wrong. Why then do you tolerate the treacherous? Why are you silent while the wicked swallow up those more righteous than themselves?” Habakkuk 1:3-4, 13 (NIV) God knows we ask, “Why?” confused, angry, hurting whys. I am glad I get to bring those to Him as well. In fact I have found God and Christ to be the best resting place for myself and my whys. If I don’t rest them there I will rest them somewhere else like in anger, or bitterness, or apathy, cynicism, and a host of other attitudes, behaviors, and destinations – none of which I care for and God has in mind for me for. So I pray you and I will bring our whys to God and rest them there and find God’s incredible peace in the midst of it all.To God be all glory, love you pastor HansP.S. On the flipside, how good are we at hearing God when He asks, “Why?
The Beautiful and the Holy, an Invitation
“…,"I must turn aside now and see this marvelous sight, …’” Exodus 3:3 (NASB) It was the most spectacular sunrise I have ever seen, right here in Don Pedro, on my way to church last Sunday. I noticed the lighting before I even stepped out of the house and I just stood next to my truck for while just looking into the morning. By the time I made it half way to church on Lozano the morning sky had turned from spectacular to breathtaking. I pulled over, rolled down my window and was just transfixed. Bundles of sunrays streamed from behind the clouds whose edges seemed on fire, and as the sun rose the intensity magnified, it was breathtakingly beautiful.A few weeks ago Susie, my brother Andi, and I went to my parents and brother Friederich’s grave. After watering the flowers there we stood, Andi and I, arms around each other and I thought about what should have been but isn’t. This was the first time I had been to the cemetery with Andi since he had his stroke, which stole his health and career. My brilliant brother Fritz lays buried there because a disease of the mind struck him down. My parents died too early because of heart attacks. I thought about my grandson who is in the hospital fighting for his life, still not conscious. Sometimes it is just so difficult to see the beautiful because life serves up so much loss, so much sorrow, so much grief, so much, maybe even too much.“ When the LORD saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him … And he said, ‘Here I am.’" Exodus 3:4 (NASB). I should have gotten out of the truck. I should have done more than just admire the sight. I should have remembered to take off my shoes. I should have made the connection between the “marvelous,” the “great,” the “breathtaking” and holiness, His holiness. I should have recognized the invitation of the beautiful and have stopped to step into His presence. I saw, but I forgot to listen. I slowed down, but I didn’t say, “Here I am.”I don’t need more burdens, nor do I need more activity, or wish for more hours in the day. I need eyes to see God’s beauty, I need the good sense to turn aside to take in the marvelous, and wish for ears that hear Him calling and a tongue and heart that is quick to say, “Here I am.”To God be all glory, love you, Pastor Hans "Do not come any closer," God said. "Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground." Exodus 3:5 (NIV)
Routine, and Parenting
“ … whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God” 1 Corinthians 10:31 (NIV).“Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it” Proverbs 22:6 (NIV) I remember landing for the first time at San Francisco International Airport (SFO) way back when there were no scanners and security lines. I was sitting by a window and all I could see was water and no land until what seems like the very last moment. I was very relieved when the wheels of the plane touched solid ground; although I am sure to the flight crew it was just another routine landing.A couple of weeks ago Susie and I were coming home from a long trip to Tanzania and Germany. Three days before our plane landed flight 214 of Asiana Airlines crashed in a routine attempt to land at SFO. As our Delta flight made its approach and landed we could see on the left beneath us the debris field and burned out hull of Asiana’s Boing 777. I was relieved our plane landed in one piece and I am fairly certain most people aboard felt the same way.If you want to mess with the routine of life have kids, adopt a child, or take in a foster child. It is a great paradox that although children love and need routine they are also so very good at messing with it, messing it up.I suggest to you that raising children into healthy, good, and God-loving adults is more difficult than flying and landing a plane. To me the scary thing is that the runway of life is littered with debris of crashed lives, lined with burned out hulls.I am not an aviator (although I would love to be able to fly) but I know the pilots of the plane bringing us home had to file a flight plan, inspect the plane and go through a pre-flight checklist, follow the directions of the tower and air traffic controllers, monitor and adjust throughout the flight, and go through a post flight routine. Pilots follow the routine because they know it helps them with the challenges, the surprises, the unexpected, and the occasional sheer terror of flying. The goal is to take off, accomplish the purpose of the flight, and safely land.As a parent, did you ever have a hard time spotting the runway, knew you were in over your head, were terrified of crashing, or felt like you were running a school of kamikaze pilots? Here is the core of what has helped Susie and me:
- We have tried to use God’s manual, the Bible, to shape us personally and to instruct us on parenting.
- We have tried to stay connected with the control tower and life/parent traffic control through a routine of consistent, daily prayer.
- We have tried to stick with a flight plan for our children. We did not want to leave important things such as character building, values, faith, and good and godly habits up to chance.
- We have tried to be consistent, practice what we preach and expect, and stick with daily and weekly (e.g. church) routines so we and our children would be prepared for the unexpected throughout the flight.
- We tried to remember that we are co-pilots, to submit ourselves to Jesus Christ as the leader of our personal lives, our children, and our family.
- Our goal has been to get them off our plane, to fly their own, and fly it well, to the glory of God.
To God be all glory, love you, Pastor Hans
Until God Wipes Away the Tears
Until God Wipes Away the TearsOn this mountain the LORD Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples, a banquet of aged wine-- the best of meats and the finest of wines.On this mountain he will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations; he will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove the disgrace of his people from all the earth. The LORD has spoken. In that day they will say, "Surely this is our God; we trusted in him, and he saved us. This is the LORD, we trusted in him; let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation." Isaiah 25:6-9 (NIV)Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away." Revelation 21:1-4 (NASB)No matter where you go in the world you will find tears, mourning, crying, pain, and death. By the time you get to the 25th chapter of Isaiah it is clear that God holds every nation, all peoples, and His own people responsible for their contribution to the sea of grief filled with tears. Tears, pain, and death caused by pride, oppression, exploitation, corruption, greed, godlessness, worship of false gods, violence, the thirst for power, evil desires, the exaltation of self, and a lack of kindness and compassion.I rejoice in the fact that God promises real hope beyond this seemingly unbreakable cycle of tears, grief, and death. Most Christians, dare I say most people, would welcome no more mourning, crying, pain, and death. But not everyone will experience the glorious day when God wipes away the tears. We need to not just be quick to claim the promises, we need to also remember who can claim those promises, namely those who order their lives according to God’s heart, God’s will, God’s ways, and God’s Son Jesus Christ. God’s judgment will fall on the unrepentant, those who fail to love, those who turn a blind eye to the poor and suffering, those who ignore or pervert justice, and those who reject the Christ life.It seems both the Prophet Isaiah and the Apostle John got the same glimpse of what God is working toward. I wish it would come sooner than later except that so many still need time to repent. I wish I would not have to make another hospital visit, counsel one more couple whose marriage is falling apart, respond to another humanitarian crisis in some way, or conduct another funeral service. I have to be careful not to lose myself in singing of all the glorious things God has prepared for those who loved His appearing (2 Timothy 4:8) while the world around me is crying. As much as we yearn for no more tears we need to remember what to do until then.Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep.Live in harmony with each other. Don’t be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don’t think you know it all!Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable.Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone.Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say, “I will take revenge; I will pay them back,” says the LORD.Instead, “If your enemies are hungry, feed them. If they are thirsty, give them something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals of shame on their heads.”Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good. Romans 12:15-21 (NLT)Until the day of no more tears we must not forget that, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted” (Matthew 5:4). I do not necessarily need anything else to mourn over or shed tears for and I am sure you probably don’t either, but who and what we mourn over and are able to weep with and for does define us – and should define us – “Jesus wept” (John 11:35).To God be all glory, love you, Pastor Hans
What's Outside Your Window?
“ …; and when he saw him, he felt compassion” Luke 10:33 (NASB).
Across from our hotel room window was the southern wall of the Sheikh Amri Abeid Memorial Stadium. The view behind the stadium is dominated by Mt Meru (Tanzania) which fills the landscape and towers over Arusha from every vantage point, and becomes spectacular when it is lit up at sun rise and dawn. The view of the southern wall of the stadium was anything but spectacular. Depressing, disturbing, heart breaking comes much closer. It was dominated by about ten boys of various ages, street children, who hung around burning piles of garbage to keep themselves warm, pan-handled and pestered people passing by, beat each other up, were robbed of their recyclables by a much larger man, made a racket all night, crawled under feed sacks and card board to sleep for a bit after the morning rush of people going to work slowed, and who finally dispersed into the city for the day.
The south side of the stadium has a stairway that leads to an entrance to the bleachers. The gate on top is tall and securely locked; the gate to the steps from the street has been pried opened a long time ago. The steps themselves are cluttered with piles of garbage and feces, the corners of the landings half way up are used for sleeping. One morning I thought I saw a little puppy amidst the garbage and excrements. Indeed it was a puppy; the little thing came out from the protective shadows to make friends with one of the street boys. But that would just be my mind projecting some quaint and cute scenario onto a harsh and brutal reality. That little dog is just trying to desperately survive. I saw no one on that street who cares about that little pooch, if it gets too close to a foot it will be kicked, if it gets too close to a car it will be run over, and it might just become target practice for the rock throwing boys. It’s odds for making it are slim, much smaller than the odds of it becoming part of the pile of trash on those stairs.
Strange, how I thought that puppy was cute and how I thought those boys were filthy. How easy it was to almost instantly feel compassion for that little dog in contrast to those boys. Even though I don’t think any of those boys chose to be street kids, do you? They ended up being street kids, dumped beside the road of life by Aids, poverty, or a myriad of other sad causes to live desperate, hopeless, hard, and most likely short lives in the margins.
Why is our sense of compassion so fickle? Why do we open our hearts to a little puppy but stick with observation and analysis regarding street kids and the situations like the one behind Sheikh Amri Abeid Memorial Stadium, if that? Why are we tempted to stay inactive and hide behind the fact that there are no easy answers? And why do we ignore the fact that having no easy answers does not mean there are no answers at all? I can care, I can give, I can engage in some way, I can pray.
What do you see outside your window? What is God showing us outside against which we insulate our lives? How is God challenging you to engage, to grow in compassion, to be broken for the broken and the brokenness of our world? How is God compelling us to be like Christ? What’s outside your window?
To God be all glory, love you, Pastor Hans
The Joy of Giving,
At the end of the service the deacon/treasurer stood to give a report of last week’s offering. The total was 8,000 Shilling, about $5.30. That won’t go far, even here in Tanzania. The next day, at the end of a seminar on biblical stewardship the same man stood to ask a question, “What if a church does not have the resources to support their pastor and family?” I was glad to be able to answer that one from personal experience, an experience of blessing.When the Lake Don Pedro Baptist Church asked me and my family to come and pastor the church could not support us financially, $500 was the very best the church could do (now $500 might be a Tanzanian’s pastor’s dream but it doesn’t go very far in the US, even if it was 1984). That was the point, I have always felt our church tried the very best it could to take care of our family. A church cannot do more than it can, knowing the church tried their very best was enough, and God proofed himself to be faithful.Today is a different story, I no longer have to work several jobs. Your giving, your faithfulness in bringing your tithes and offering enable the church to take good care of us. I feel like the heart of the church has not changed, you are still trying to do the very best you can to honor (1 Timothy 5:17-18) your pastor. So I want to thank you, I want you to know how grateful I am to be part of a giving church.Biblical stewardship is about managing all of life according to the wisdom and will of God, and for the glory of God. God wants us to be givers, generous people who love giving, people who are no longer about getting but delight in giving, people who manage their resources so that they can give more and more. God loves, enables, and blesses cheerful givers. He is pleased when we exercise both obedience and faith, when we honor and worship him with our tithes and offerings.As we passed out more Bibles and watched the joy of someone having their very first copy of God’s Word, as we had over thirty deeply grateful pastors come pick up their libraries (four books and Bible) I thought of you because it was your giving that enabled this work. We had the privilege to watch your giving to people whose faces and names you do not know well up into praises, thanksgiving, and pure joy before God.As the Scriptures say, “They share freely and give generously to the poor. Their good deeds will be remembered forever.” For God is the one who provides seed for the farmer and then bread to eat. In the same way, he will provide and increase your resources and then produce a great harvest of generosity in you.Yes, you will be enriched in every way so that you can always be generous. And when we take your gifts to those who need them, they will thank God.So two good things will result from this ministry of giving—the needs of the believers in Jerusalem will be met, and they will joyfully express their thanks to God. As a result of your ministry, they will give glory to God. For your generosity to them and to all believers will prove that you are obedient to the Good News of Christ. And they will pray for you with deep affection because of the overflowing grace God has given to you. 2 Corinthians 9:9-14 (NLT) Thank you, to God be all glory, Pastor Hans