The World is a Swimming Pool Analogy

Sometimes it is helpful to try a new way of looking at things.  I call this my theology or analogy of "The World is a swimming pool".  I chose this analogy because I wanted something that showed that any of our actions can affect others.  Obviously, some metaphors or analogies break down at some point, so let's keep it simple.

Imagine that we are all in this pool together, the good the bad and the not so nice.  Some of us just want to have fun in the pool and enjoy the life we have there.  We also do our best to make it a pleasant experience for others.  But for some reason, there are some, usually just a few, who really don't care about the rest of the people in the pool, and instead of going to the lavatory, they relieve themselves in the pool and leave floating evidence of their selfish acts.

Of course, this is obvious to everyone in the pool but since the pool is our home we cannot simply leave.  So people have any number of reactions

Some people are quick to point out the obvious.  They go on and on about it making sure that everyone notices that they noticed.

Others want to blame someone and quickly affix blame to anyone not like them.  Some of the despoilers capitalize on this start blaming others to direct attention away from them.

Some people suggest that laws need to be passed to penalize those creating the mess and suggest that "someone" should do something about it.

And one group immediately looks for ways to clean things up.

So I would classify the residence into a few groups

Group 1 - The filth makers.  They don't really care about themselves or anyone else.  That is why they make a mess.

Group 2 - The flustered.  They are upset about what they see but are unwilling to do much besides complain by pointing out the obvious.

Group 3 - The fixers.  They are the ones looking for solutions.

The filth makers are making a negative impact, The flustered create anxiety and ill feelings but do little to improve the situation, only The fixers actually improve things.  I think we all fit into one or more of these categories.  We may, in fact, be in any one of the groups on a given day, depending on the circumstances and our own attitudes and preferences.

I came up with this analogy quite some time ago, but as of late I have seen a lot of people complaining about litterers at Lake Tahoe.  Admittedly it bugs me, but I don't live there, so there really isn't anything I can do to help the problem short of taking time off and going up there to help the clean up efforts.  But I think I will keep my efforts concentrated on my own town.

What I can do is try to educate.  I am a teacher and preacher and this little blog is one of my outlets for talking about things that I think are worth discussing.

I think the solution (fixing) will be found in three vanes: Education, confrontation and action.

A.  Education isn't complaining and posting pictures on FB about how horrible it is.  Educating is working with people in your sphere of influence to help them see:

1. The effect the undesirable behavior has on others and thereby hopefully preventing the pool griming behavior. 
2.  How a pool (world) without added filth is a much more pleasant place to live.

B.  Confrontation is not retribution.  Confrontation is lovingly approaching people and encouraging them to clean up after themselves.  We don't need to name call or criticize.  But rather help them to see that we are watching and we will not ignore the behavior that adds filth to our home.  If they refuse to respond, look them in the eye and then clean it up yourself.  They may laugh at you, but you are not there to gain their approval, you are there to demonstrate and encourage behavior that makes for a better pool (world).

C. Action means actually doing something.  Do something positive to correct the situation.  Again this is not merely posting on FB and complaining about those who make a mess.  Taking action means organizing a clean up effort, coming up with creative solutions or just cleaning up what is right there in front of you.  Don't do it for approval, do it for the sake of all of us living in the pool.  Your actions may inspire others to come along side and help.  Always focus on the positive.  Show how easy it is. Don't complain about having to do it, that is just trying to draw attention to yourself ("See how good I am and how bad they are!").  An atheist might say do good for goodness sake but I'm a Christian, I say do it for the glory of God, for the love of His Creation and to demonstrate love to those who live with us in the pool (world).

I think that Filth Makers fall into one of the following subcategories and I have included my suggested way of dealing with them

1. Uneducated with regard to keeping the pool clean.  To them things being a mess may seem normal.  The best way to deal with them is to confront, educate and invite them to help you clean things up.
2. The Broken - not everyone was raised in a household where they felt loved and cared for.  Some people have grown up in squalor and don't know any different.  Dirty seems normal and they many not even think they are equipped to clean up after themselves, let alone anyone else.  Once again confrontation, education and invitation will help them see that there is a better way. 
3. The Disabled/disadvantaged - some people are really unable to clean up after themselves.  Either they are physically or mentally challenged or they are so exhausted or beatdown that they cannot pick up after themselves.  The only answer to that is to help them, by cleaning up after them and or helping them get respite.  If they are willing, you could encourage them to do what they can, which comes back to service, education and inspiration.
4. The Forgetful - Have you ever been to an event and afterward there are half empty soda cans everywhere?  Children are especially bad about this, especially if no one has worked to teach them to pick up after themselves.  Once again confronting, educating and inviting are the answers.  Help them get a sense of accomplishment in helping keep the pool clean.  However just chiding those who forget does little to help them remember next time.
5. The Spiteful or privileged - There are those who either have always had someone to clean up after them or for whatever reason hate those who ask them to clean up after themselves.  I don't really know all the psychology behind such thinking, but again confronting, educating and inviting them to help is the preferred method of dealing with them.  If they disrespect you or call you names, let it go.  Just continue to confront them when you catch them in the act and invite and demonstrate by example.

I can't finish this piece without spending a bit of time on the flustered.

The Flustered feel the need to inform people.  Their motivation may seem genuine, but ultimately it is selfishly motivated.  They decry the wrong but in so doing they merely point out the obvious and bring attention to themselves.  I would like to suggest some possible motives or mindsets.

1.  They don't believe that they can do anything, so they hope by alerting others that "someone" will do something.
2. They want to point out that they are not someone who would leave filth in the pool. "See, I'm one of the good ones who doesn't make messes."
3. They feel anxious about the mess in the pool and they are trying to relieve that anxious feeling.
4. They are embarrassed because they had accidentally fouled the pool and are trying direct attention away from themselves.

So much of this comes down to our values and worldview.  If we tend to protect that which we find valuable to us but not everyone values the things we do.  If you value natural beauty and cleanliness, then you will most likely do what you can to not spoil it but if you value yourself and your pleasure most, then you may not care about natural beauty or cleanliness.  I highly suspect that those who themselves have not felt valued may not be able to value things like beauty or be willing take others into consideration.

Even though I have classified people's response, that is not meant to label as much as to educate and inform.  We need to look at ourselves and examine our motives.  I hope and pray that this article has encouraged you to do so.  I have tried to confront and educate you here.  If you feel insulted or criticized, I would suggest your take a closer look at yourself.  When we feel criticized we can do one of two things, we can whine about it, or we can take a look in the mirror and decide if the criticism was deserved or if it really doesn't apply to us.

However you react to this article, I pray that you would begin to think and act towards making our world a better place to live.  As an old adage goes, "If you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem."

The bottom line:  As long as there are enough of us working to make our world a better place by educating, confronting and acting things will improve.

Don't feel overwhelmed by the enormity of the task.  Maybe you cannot save the world, but you can make that part of it which is in your sphere of influence a bit better.   One last thought... to quote the Apostle Paul, "Don't get tired of doing the right thing" (Preacher Al's paraphrase). He encourages us with this word because there will be days when you want to throw in the towel, but keep at it, whether you realize it or not, you are making a difference.

Going Beyond Perceived Truth and Opinions

Proverbs 18:2 -"A fool finds no pleasure in understanding but delights in airing his own opinions."
Proverbs 12:23 "A prudent man conceals knowledge, But the heart of fools proclaims foolishness."


The topic of telling the truth to people has come up on my FB page more that once.  Basically, the post seems to say or imply that telling people the truth isn't being mean it's being forthright.  I can relate as at times I have tended to just tell people what I thought about things because I was convinced of my own rightness; that is just arrogance.  In fact, a friend of mine at our going away to Ukraine Luau said, "Before I met Alan, I thought that I was the most arrogant person..." So as to say that he found me to be quite arrogant.  Of course, I tend to think of myself as being well informed and humble.  But as I pass the 60-year mark I find that I am not as smart as I thought I was.  I am finding that if I shut my mouth and listen and stop trying to win the argument, I can learn a few things.

People who are convinced of their rightness are often just prattling fools.  They are self-deceived and in need of a Jethro Leroy Gibbs reset (slap in the back of the head).  What is funny as those very prattling fools I am talking about won't even realize that I am talking about them, just as I wouldn't have.

I don't know if is age or time, or just God's relentless transformative work, but it seems that this lesson isn't learned for most until after the age of 50.  When we are young, we tend to think we are the first to discover a concept and that everyone older than us is terribly uninformed.  But as time goes on some of those things that we were so convinced of as eternal truths turn out to be fanciful thinking and mere opinion. Part of this can be explained by the scientific fact that our brains don't finish growing until we are in our twenties.  Then our brains continue to mature and make more connections as we mature.  We may lose some of our brains elasticity as we get older, but ordinarily, we don't get dumber.

Those who claim the premise of being right or knowing the truth at the expense of others have not learned that it is Love, not Truth or Knowledge that is the trump card.  When you dismiss someone else's dignity because you think you are right you have missed the point and you are just a self-important fool who is more interested in your own opinion than in what is really right and true.

The fool thinks him/herself wise but their lack of love for others, their use of abusive language and their demeaning of others tells another story,  Jesus said you will know a tree by its fruit.  Good fruit is Agape love.  Good fruit is respect for human dignity.  The bad tree fails to see anything but its own truncated perspective and spews its own vile and prideful attitudes and calls it truth.  Good fruit is born out of humility and time spent with the Master.

So the next time you are convinced that you are right - think twice.  You may just be a noisy gong and clanging cymbal devoid of God's love.

In Him
Preacher Al

Just felt the need to say this

I am a sold out Christian.  I believe in God not only because the Bible says so, but because I have a personal encounter with the Living God.

A sermon preached on March 15th by Pastor Ronnie Flores has inspired me to write this

• I have looked into His Law and seen my own depravity and
• I have looked into the eyes of Jesus and seen his abiding love for me in His Grace.
• I realize that I can do nothing of lasting worth apart from Him but
• I know that I can do immeasurably more than I can think or imagine, because He lives in me.
• I know that His Law demands perfection but
• I am not discouraged, because He doesn't expect me to figure it all out on my own.
• In fact I am encouraged because He has empowered me to be His ambassador.
• Because He first loved me, I can love the unlovable
• Because He forgave me, I can forgive all others.
• Because He died for me, I can die to my own selfish desires
• Because He rose from the dead, I can now enter into the eternal life
• Because He was obedient even unto death, I can obey Him
• Because His voice is like no other, I will always follow Him.
• Because He has given me the seal of the Holy Spirit, I know that I am forever His
• Because He has given me gifts, I am now equipped to bless others.
• Because God is my Father, all men are my brothers and all women my sisters.
• Because I know that His desire is to see all people come to the saving knowledge of Him, I will preach his Word
• Because I am a citizen of the Kingdom of Heaven, my allegiance will always be to Him first and foremost above any human institution
• Because I am his, I will fear neither the scheming of evil men nor the schemes of the devil.
• Because I know that He will never allow anyone to snatch me out of His Hand, I know that my future is secure.
• Because He suffered for my sins, I can suffer any hurt for His sake
• Because He lives in me, I will live for Him.

And when I fail, as I am sure I will, He picks me up, reminds me of his Love and encourages me to continue on

Happiness, fun and homosexuality

Once again I am provoked by a FB post to blog on another topic.  Does that make me a reactionary? :D

Okay so what about wanting to be happy and wanting to have fun.  In one sense this doesn't sound to bad, it almost sounds plausible.  But I do not think that these statements cannot stand as axioms for life.  Am I apposed to people being happy or to having fun?  Of course not!, But I do think there needs to be some sort of  caveat to go with it; something that says fun or happiness has some sort of conditions or limits on it.

So what is happiness.  I think in its basic form happiness is "I get to do what I like doing."  I am happy when I am watching a good movie, I am happy when my wife is kind and supportive (which nowadays, by the way, is most of the time).  I am happy when I have money to purchase the things I want to have.  I am happy when the sun shines, the temperature is mild and the pollen count is low.  Happiness is conditional.

In the constitution we are guaranteed the right to pursue happiness.  Which is the say that we all have the right to work to pursue some form of happiness (likely in its day it had a different meaning than it holds today).  However the Constitution does not guarantee that I will be happy or that it's the government's job to ensure I am happy.  My happiness is my business.  Other people are not responsible to insure that I will be made happy.  Sometimes others will in fact be unhappy when the right thing or the moral thing is required.  I doubt that many people nowadays are happy about paying taxes, yet it is necessary for a government to govern.  Jesus recognized that when he told the Pharisees that one should render unto Caesar what is Caesar's and render unto God what is God's.  In a way he was saying, "As much as you would like to keep all that you earn for yourself, it isn't possible.  You need to pay the government their taxes (even if they are an oppressive one - which is what the Jews thought of Rome) and you must pay tithe or temple tax so that the church may continue serve the spiritual and physical needs of the people of God.

If children had their way, they would never have to do chores or homework, they would never have to eat anything that is "good for them" and they would be able to play as many games and watch as much TV as they cared to.  But parents know that children most learn some sense of responsibility.  Although there are some who are parents who have not learned this lesson for themselves.  When a parent puts a child on time out or when parent withholds privileges that child is not happy.  Is that wrong? Of course not!  Children do not know what they need (what they must learn to do and not do); initially all they know is what they want or don't want.  I cannot think of anytime I was happy to do the dishes when I was a child but now as an adult, I am happy to see all the dishes cleaned and put away when I come into the kitchen in the morning..  But we should know that parent(s) and the child are not always both able to be happy at the same time.  When a parent says no to a child, it is often because they know that the thing the child thinks they would be happy with, the parent realizes would be harmful to the child's character or physical well being.  We cannot always have what we want.

So then what is fun?  I think fun relates more to our sense of pleasure.  When we do something it gives us some sort of pleasurable feed back.  I think both fun and happiness are related and that the line between them is a fuzzy one.  But back to fun. Sometimes I have heard the response of a person to being warned off doing something to be, "But it's fun"  I must say that being fun cannot be an axiom or criteria for the primary reason to do something.  This NOT me saying that we cannot have fun.  I am just saying that something being fun cannot be the most important criteria for the reason for doing something nor does it legitimise the activity.  Some things are inherently fun and are designed to be fun.  That's okay.  Some things that are meant to be fun can be made un-pleasurable by the circumstances surrounding the activity in question but being "fun" in and of itself does not make something right or needed to be carried out.

So how do we judge an activity or a state of being if not by fun or happiness?  Well I don't really think that is what I am saying.  I think a visit to Disney Land/World should be fun.  I don't think that we should have fun at someone else's expense.  Bullies have fun bullying but they make the lives of those that they bully miserable.  Luckily I escaped being bullied and as far as I know and I never played the part of a bully.  Obviously when we cause someone harm so as to have fun, that is wrong.  But there are times that when we do the right thing that not everyone will be happy with us.

But what happens when world views collide?  What do I do when someone else demands that I change the rules for how I understand the world works because they say that my way is preventing someone else from being happy.  I think there will always be the "No way José" response for some and for others, not wanting to offend, they will quickly surrender their point of view.  I'm in the group that says, "Wow, wait a second is this really something that needs to be changed?"

200 years ago, many people saw nothing wrong with enslaving people based upon skin color or national origin. They saw profit in the subjugation of other races and even found reason from a biblical position (wrongly I would add) for doing so.  So when abolitionist came along and said "Hey slavery was wrong, it must be stopped!"(and by the way abolitionist were devout Christians) there were some deeply entrenched in owning and selling slaves who thought this was crazy.  "How dare you try to turn our world view upside down?"  This happened again for women in their bid to gain equal rights (which they are still struggling for) and yet again with the civil rights movement; led by a prominent Christian Preacher - Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.  His argument that people of all colors should have equal rights touched many people's hearts and his use of nonviolence further validated his cause.

So here we are in the 21st century and we have homosexuals saying they have the same rights as anyone to marry whom they want.  They say that we are denying them happiness and their rights by not legalizing same-sex marriage.  I admit that on one side the argument seems to have some validity.  But I think it is based upon a false premise.  The premise is that they are born that way, much as a black person or a Hispanic is born with darker skin, homosexuals claim as do some scientist and psychologist that they are born that way.  Therefore they see any laws preventing them from doing what straight people are allowed to do, is completely wrong;  much as racial prejudice is wrong. Or so goes the argument.

So do homosexuals need to be married as straight couples are to be happy?  Obviously they think they do, but yet there are so many legal options that are available to them.  They can enter into a legal union as recognized by the state.  They can put their possessions and estates into non-transferable trusts.  So there are (as far as I understand) legal actions they can take to validate and protect their estates to ensure that marriage would offer.  So do we really need to change the definition of marriage from a man and a woman to any two humans.  I have to say no but this doesn't give me the right to be hateful and even angry about homosexuals wanting some recognition as people.

I don't believe that homosexuals are born that way, yet still I don't believe that it is merely a choice (although recent changes in the law of some states make this more likely to be the case).  Homosexual's claims that they have always felt that way says their is something deep in their psyche at work.  I think if I was suffering such strange urges it would be very unsettling.  I would look at nature and the function of sexual organs, and I would know something is a miss. But where does one turn for help?  Unfortunately with the current trends in psychology, homosexuality is seen as normal and psychologists try to help people come to terms with it rather finding a way out of it.  It seems like a kind thing to do, but would you do that for a child-molester, for a drug addict or a sociopath?  These people also have urges that stem from deep seated problems or even failures to mature as a human.  We want to help these folks, but for homosexuals, some want to validate them.  The truth is that psychology has failed in some respects to effectively deal with these issues.  They can identify, but not cure and to add to it, homosexuals don't want to be cured they want acceptance.

I am left with "Love never fails."  I think that what we need to do is to love homosexuals as people created in the image of our God.  We need to introduce them to Jesus and trust that He will change them through his Holy Spirit and the Word of God.  We cannot help people by merely arguing with them and we cannot help them by demanding they conform to God's or our standards.  We need engage them, talk to them, help them wrestle with the deep things of life and faith.  We don't need to condemn them.  Unfortunately very few people I know in the faith are equipped, ready,and prepared for giving such loving help.

Christ's ways are the ways of love.  Love seeks the better of the other.  Love does not react out of fear or hatred.  Loving someone doesn't mean you have to agree with them or accept their lifestyle choices, but it does mean that you try to see who God has made them to be and introduce them to the One who can redeem even the most reprobate sinner.

So is sticking with the current model of man-woman marriage denying homosexuals happiness? I don't think so.  Is it denying them a validation of their life style? Yes.  Do we as a society need to validate same sex marriage?  No, there are other avenues available.  We won't lower age of consent for sex to appease or decriminalize pedophiles even though many societies recognize the threshold of adulthood to be 12 years of age so why try to appease this group who wants to redefine marriage.  I apologize if I have offended you by making this comparison, but there are currently advocates for child sex who are even writing books to encourage other pedophiles.  Its seems here we are on the edge of a very slippery slope.  Some are pushing others are trying to hold this back.

I know this article has moved to a very emotional and political point, but it all comes back to this.  Do we have to give in to other's wishes just because they say something is fun or that it would make them happy?  I think we have to weigh such requests carefully and neither dismiss them out of hand nor just cave in to someone else's desires.

Being a Christian can be fun and as Christians we can be happy in participating in the faith life of the community of Christ.  But we need to realize that neither happiness nor fun are in and of themselves true criteria for determining what is right.  And condemning something because it is seen as "fun" is just as pointless.  Weigh all things in the light of God's Word and God's Holy Spirit.  Trust that God will help you enjoy this life that He has given you.  Trust that even in the things that are not fun or that do not make you happy, that there is room for God to move and bring about what is right and true.

Gratitude - Going Beyond a mere Thank You

The other day, someone posted a thing on FB about how bad it was to force children to show thankfulness in the form of requiring them to say, “Thank you” to others and forcing them to right thank you cards.

On one side I was appalled.  I thought that if we don’t teach them to be thankful then they will just be selfish little beggars who never show gratitude.  But you know if I am honest with myself and you, I have to admit that being someone trained under that very system, I actually find myself fighting against giving thanks to others for their generosity or their kindness.

There was a song we sang in church that I am finding myself remembering and the song started, “Give thanks with a grateful heart.”  I don’t know how many times I have sung that song without really considering what I am saying.  I thought I was grateful, but lately, as I rethink this, I must admit that there is an attitude of either ungratefulness or thinking I am some how deserving of the good things that are done for me.  In fact, I can remember being resentful towards some people because they were not giving me my due or supporting me as I thought I should be supported.

I am realizing that in me there is this little boy who resents being told to be thankful or being expected to say thanks.  As a result, my thankfulness is somehow stifled.  Instead of being thankful when I receive a gift or someone’s help I find this awkward feeling rising up in me.  Instead of responding to the kindness with a sense of gratitude I start struggling with a voice that says, “You better say ‘Thank you,’ or else!”  That causes me to hesitate which intern brings shame because I haven’t done it and pretty soon I just want to forget the whole thing.

But as I consider the sermon I heard Pastor Ron Flores Jr. preach, I am beginning  to realize that I have freedom in God’s grace; freedom to respond with a grateful heart.  As long I struggle under the externally and internally imposed “You must!”  my flesh rebels against doing the required thing.  I am realizing that the response to legalism and performance-ism is often rebellion.  I don’t want to rebel against God’s will but as Iong as I deal with it in the realm of must/must not, I will find myself fighting against God’s ways and his intent for me.

But as I consider what was shared in that Sunday Sermon that I listened to on line, I am left thinking, “Wow, have I ever got this wrong. Lord, thank you for the freedom you have given to me by your Grace.  Thank you for your example that encourages me to think beyond the limitations I and others have set on me.”  I have freedom in Christ.  So often I have missed the true picture of what the freedom looks like.

I know that this is not the freedom to do whatever I please; the freedom to be selfish.  Instead, it is the freedom to try and fail without shame, knowing that Christ has already begun a work in me that HE will continue to work on until the day I go into Glory.  I am free to live as a child of God for the rest of my life.  I am free to pursue God with my whole heart soul and mind, with all of my strength because He has made a way where there seems to be no way.  Grace has empowered me to live the abundant life that He has foreordained for me to live.

But getting back to gratitude and how and why we express it; consider the following -

If I am forced to show gratitude to those around me, then I become someone who demands it.  True gratitude comes from the heart not via coercion from the outside.  When we demand or expect gratitude then our focus is upon ourselves.  This is a case of trying to save ourselves and thereby losing ourselves.

These words came to me as I was pondering Ronnie's sermon.  True gratitude flows from the heart unhindered.  It is a natural response to what Jesus has done for me.  And because I have every reason to be grateful/thankful because of what He did on the Cross and his giving us his Holy Spirit, thankfulness is not something compelled but rather it is something that naturally flows out of the Christian heart.  And as we are grateful to Christ, we are able to be thankful to all those around us and for every little thing.  The Law cannot bring about righteousness, only God’s Grace can do that.

Walking in God’s Grace,

Pastor Alan

52 Prayers for Greater Faith

Faith comes with the hearing the Word of God (knowledge) but it doesn’t stop there.  First we know about God, but as time goes on our faith leads us to knowing Him personally.  That knowledge doesn’t leave us where we are, but transforms us and changes the way we view the world and how we interact with it.  Faith changes how we act and how we treat others; without transformation there is no evidence of faith, there is only dead words and dead works.

The following was inspired by a post on FaceBook that encouraged me to write a responsive prayer.  I pray that this prayer leads you from mere knowledge about God to living for Him and to living by his principles.  Real faith is carried out not just in the mind or the heart but once it has taken root in our hearts is is carried out by our actions; it becomes our life.  Faith must bear fruit in due season.

Instructions: There are 52 individual prayers so you can use it for a devotion for the next year.  Read each line aloud stopping at the hyphen contemplate the meaning of the words then read aloud “Lord, increase our faith!”  I encourage you to journal each of these points as Christ works in your heart by his Holy Spirit to increase your faith.  Write out what the Spirit is saying to you and make a plan of action for how you are going to petition God for help in this area and what you want to change about your attitude and actions that currently doesn’t reflect living as a new creation in Christ.  As you read God’s Word, I also encourage you to write your own prayers as the Holy Spirit convicts you of areas that are not fully conformed to His will for you.  Feel free to reword the prayer if any line seems awkward to you.

I would also encourage you to ask yourself how knowing Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior has changed your life.  I pray that you will have a holy dissatisfaction that will cause you to draw closer to the true source of faith and life which is found in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Faith is:

• knowing God knows what’s best for us - Lord increase our faith
• knowing Jesus Christ is the only begotten Son of God born of the Virgin Mary  
  - Lord increase our faith
• knowing Jesus was crucified for our sin - Lord increase our faith
• knowing Jesus Christ is risen from the dead - Lord increase our faith
• knowing Jesus Christ sent the Holy Spirit so that we might live for Him and by Him
  - Lord increase our faith
• knowing that Jesus Christ is the only true way, truth and life; there is no other way to God the Father - Lord increase our faith
• knowing Jesus is the Good Shepherd and following his voice - Lord increase our faith
• knowing that Jesus Christ is our soon and coming King - Lord increase our faith
• knowing that Jesus Christ is the one who baptises us with fire and the Holy Spirit -
  Lord increase our faith
• knowing that Jesus Christ is our Healer - Lord increase our faith
• knowing that the circumstances and people God allows in our life help us to become more like Him - Lord increase our faith
• knowing that trials and temptations can only make us stronger if we trust in Him - Lord increase our faith
• knowing that God is more interested in our character than in our comfort - Lord, increase our faith
• knowing that Christianity is not merely a philosophy but rather a supernatural relationship with the Creator of Eternity - Lord increase our faith
• knowing that God knows all the dark recesses of our hearts and still loves us - Lord increase our faith
• knowing that the Love of God transcends all things - Lord, increase our faith
• knowing that nothing can separate us from the Love of God - Lord increase our faith
• knowing that we are incompetent in and of ourselves but God still uses us - Lord increase our faith
• realizing there is nothing good in us apart from Christ - Lord increase our faith
• receiving Christ supernaturally in the communion elements - Lord increase our faith
• loving God with all our heart, mind, strength and soul - Lord increase our faith
• seeking first the Kingdom of God and its righteousness - Lord increase our faith
• always forgiving others because in Christ, God has forgiven us - Lord increase our faith
• worshiping God with our whole being; body, mind and soul - Lord increase our faith
• faith is seeing others as created in God’s image - Lord increase our faith.
• loving the unlovable because God first loved us - Lord increase our faith
• caring for the widow and the orphan - Lord increase our faith
• growing in love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control - Lord increase our faith
• suffering for righteousness sake - Lord increase our faith
• being condemned by the world while still living by the Law of Love - Lord increase our faith
• living out the good works that God has foreordained for us to do - Lord increase our faith
• not becoming tired of doing good - Lord increase our faith
• not judging our or other’s success by transitory worldly standards like wealth, popularity or physical appearance - Lord increase our faith
• being ministers of reconciliation - Lord increase our faith
• becoming slaves to Christ - Lord increase our faith
• being freed from the fear of man - Lord increase our faith
• giving up the right to avenge being wronged - Lord increase our faith
• dying to self, that we might live for Christ - - Lord increase our faith
• taking up our cross daily - Lord increase our faith
• giving up our perceived rights yet defending others’ - Lord increase our faith
• suffering abuse, while refusing to abuse others - Lord increase our faith
• proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ to those perishing - Lord increase our faith
• giving water to the thirsty, food to the hungry, clothes to the naked and visiting the prisoner - Lord increase our faith
• living by the Spirit and not by the letter of the law - Lord increase our faith
• respecting our parents and elders - Lord increase our faith
• seeing that our real adversaries are not human but rather spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly realms - Lord increase our faith
• not complaining about others but rather giving thanks in all things - Lord increase our faith
• blessing those who curse us - Lord increase our faith
• using our spiritual gifts to build up others - Lord increase our faith
• realizing that its not all about us - Lord increase our faith
• allowing ourselves to decrease that He might increase - Lord increase our faith
• considering others before ourselves - - Lord increase our faith

Who Do I Follow

I have been thinking about a scripture that I read not so long ago...

1 Corinthians 1:10-13

 Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. 11 For it has been declared to me concerning you, my brethren, by those of Chloe’s household, that there are contentions among you. 12 Now I say this, that each of you says, “I am of Paul,” or “I am of Apollos,” or “I am of Cephas,” or “I am of Christ.” 13 Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?

I have been thinking about it as it applies to me and to other Christians.  Paul's key point or complaint is that people are aligning themselves with the teaching of a person other than Christ Jesus.  Clearly this is a fairly important thing as its one of the first things he addresses in his letter to the church in Corinth.  I have talked to others about it and have inserted the names of denominations in the places of the people Paul makes reference too.  I am quite confident that you can insert pretty much any denomination in to this passage without changing its intent.

It is interesting how some of my friends define their faith.  Some say they are Calvinist, some say  they are Arminianists, others Lutherans, still other's Baptists, Pentecostals, Charismatics and so on.  Each of these movements can be traced to men or women of God who were anointed to bring a Word or a Revelation that The Church needed to hear.  The problem comes when people start aligning themselves with these new leaders.  They don't get the revelation, they think instead that they have found a new leader.

If you say you are a Calvinist then you are basically saying, "I follow John Calvin" if you say you are a Lutheran then you are saying "I follow Martin Luther" if you are a Foursquare believer like me then you are saying you are a follower of Aimee Semple McPherson.  I even heard one group of very conservative Baptists who said it was better to call yourself a Baptist rather than a Christian.  Either way, if we are not careful we can be led astray.  

Many reformers, Martin Luther, John Wesly (Methodist), Calvin, John Knox  (Presbyterians), Jakob Amman (Amish), Meno Simmons (Mennonites), A.W. Tozar (Christian Missionary Alliance) and other great Christian reformers were not looking to start any denominations.  They were merely bringing a new revelation of how we might live this life in Christ.  What they got instead of reform were instead followers.  The problem with this is that these new followers can forget that Jesus is the fist and most important focus of their faith and begin to promote and defend their interpretation of Scripture and faith.  The longer this goes on the more dogmatic these followers can become so that when some new reformer challenges the status quo there are recriminations and accusations and division.

This is the major point of these verses in his first letter to the Corinthian church - as soon as we start to align ourselves with some new leader, we create division rather than freedom or enlightenment.  In no time at all the church body is further divided with people throwing accusations of heretic and/or false prophet and the body of Christ suffers while Satan laughs.  It can come to the point that the name they are following is more important than Christ; how else could people kill each other while claiming to be Catholics or Protestants in Northern Ireland.

Now I am a licensed Foursquare Pastor serving in the capacity of co-pastor in a little church in a village outside of  Las Vegas, but first and foremost I am a minister of the the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  People will come along with "other gospels" claiming they have the answer or they are God's new prophet... be wary!  Be good Berians, search the scriptures, weigh what has been said or taught and consider it in the light of THE Good News.  Keep first things first; Christ died for us and there is not other way to Salvation.  The Greatest commandment is still Love God and love your neighbor.  If anyone tries to convince you that there is some greater truth or greater commandment DO NOT BELIEVE THEM!  Do not follow them.

No single denomination holds the whole truth and no denomination is without error.  Even those churches that call themselves "Independents" can be just another voice out there crying "Follow Me".  We need to be careful about who we choose to follow.  Does your leader continue to point you to Christ?  Do they use the Scriptures to point you to Christ?  We don't need a bunch of hollow arguments distracting us from the primary things.  Jesus Christ is the Truth, the Way and the Light.  Salvation comes through no other Name and no other person.

So what do we do?  Some people have decided to stop attending church - bad move.  You need to be part of a congregation to be part of the body.  You can do this in a home church or a building dedicated to the worship of God.  We need to be part of something bigger than ourselves.  We need a place to put the gifts that God has invested in us to work and we need a place that we can go to for help.  We need a place where we can love and be loved, where we can be healed of our hurts and where we can participate in the healing of others.  This place may be a denominational church.  This may be an independent church.  But wherever you place yourself, make sure that someone is pointing you to Jesus and teaching how to walk in the Way of Love.

Amen
Pastor Alan Beckett

So who am I called to be?

With all the chatter about gay marriage and those for and against it, I thought it was time I stated my purpose as a child of God and how I might address such issues.

For me first and foremost I am a "Disciple of Jesus Christ" who is called to be a "Minister of Reconciliation." To that end I take the words of Jesus to heart which says that He did not come into the world to condemn it.  He came to seek and save the lost, to heal the sick, to free the captive, to bind up the brokenhearted and to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.  His life on earth demonstrated God's love for sinners.  Granted He didn't say continue sinning, but Christ came sharing about the Kingdom of God to those who the religious leaders had rejected.  These leaders had turned faith in to a laborious task in keeping all the minutia of The Law.  These men demanded things of people that God had not intended.  Jesus hung out with tax collectors drunkards, the unclean and even prostitutes.  He didn't do it to say they should stay that way, but he came to call them back to God.  The people who didn't like Christ were the super religious who thought they had the answer to all the world's ills and didn't approve of Jesus methods.

Yes I know that Jesus, like John before him, preached "Repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand."  I think that this is meant for all those who knew they were sinning and just needed a push to admit it and turn from it.  But others are trapped in their sin.  They may be deceived into thinking what they are doing is not all that wrong; that is really isn't sin. Or they believe that they cannot give up their way of life, for reasons such as addiction, brokenness or fear of a life without their sin.

Jesus hung out with sinners, isn't that what I should do?  Not to take up their habits, but to show them that God still loves them.  To demonstrate that they are not hopeless, but if fact it is God's desire to forgive them, heal them and bring them into the Kingdom of God/Heaven.  I am further encouraged by the words of the Apostle Paul who said that he became all things to all men that he might save a few.  I don't think he meant he should enter into the sin of those he was reaching out to, but he worked to understand the culture that they came from and found common ground to talk about the things of God.  So if I am going to speak to people, like Republicans, Democrats, Tea Party members, conservatives, liberals and moderates, then I have to work to find some common ground; to find out where they are coming from.  I don't agree with all the positions of any of these people, but I am willing to talk to them about God's love for them.  I will even talk to atheists and homosexuals - not to beat them over the head with my rhetoric, but to demonstrate the reality of God's love that is at work in me.

When the Apostle Paul talked on Mars Hill he didn't attack the Greeks for their obvious idolatry and sexual sins (temple prostitutes and such), rather he found common ground to talk about his love for the God of the Universe.  Not everyone agreed with him, but that was okay, he made inroads into the culture.  Like Paul we need to find ways to talk to (not down to) materialists, liberals, conservatives, tattooed and pierced folks in such a way that shows that God is alive and at work in us.  They don't need our finger waving in their faces.  I believe there is a place for correction, but I believe it should be mainly confined to the church, but even still done out of love and not out of anger, hatred or self-righteousness.

When I received my call to serve God it was from 2 Timothy 4 staring in the 2nd verse.  Part of the calling deals with correcting, rebuking and encouraging people with careful instruction because the time is coming (and I believe it is already here) when people will not listen to sound doctrine but will gather around them people who tell them what they want to hear.  They are not interested in the truth, they only want to hear that they are right.  So I am cautious to try to not just tell people what they want to hear, but I really try to exercise my gifts tempered by God's love (1 Cor. 13).  My temperament is such that I work hard to give the other person the benefit of the doubt where possible.  I know the human heart is darkened by all kinds of wrong desires, like the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life.  Some people are not easily dissuaded from their chosen paths.  They know what they want and they are just so sure of themselves.  Sometimes you just have to shake off the dust and move on.  But I believe God has given me this outlet here in my blog to touch peoples heart with bit of God's love.

I am a realist and I don't expect everyone to agree with me, but I am also pragmatic in that I am willing to enter into a conversation with anyone who is willing to share and willing to listen.  I know what I believe and I don't see myself giving up what I know to be true.  But I am willing to enter into a discussion with someone who may not agree with me.  Some people just want to label me as a religious nut or a homophobe, but really do you think I will listen to you and give you any credit if all you do is attack my belief system.  I have already done the "I don't trust religious people or God" thing.  I think I might actually understand some of your reasons for being an atheist, agnostic doubter.

I see my job as someone who encourages Christians to work on their relationship with God, to cultivate fruit of the Spirit (Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Generosity, Faithfulness, Gentleness and Self-control NRSV) and to demonstrate the tangible love of God - in other words become a good disciple of Christ.  I realize that the body calls for all kinds of gifts and talents so some of you may not have the same approach as me.  I take the words of Jesus to heart where is says "Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the children of God."  I am here to help reconcile people to God. and God has not given me a big stick to do so but rather a merciful temperament.   I see my self reaching out to both Christians and those who don't like Christians working to bring peace, reconciliation and love.

So regardless of which side of the fence you are on, I will continue to both reach out and to share my insights.  I have a calling to answer to so I will not always say what you want to hear, but I will say what I believe that the Spirit of God is revealing to me.

Blessings,
Preacher Al

Homophobia, Liberals and Hate

The other day a friend on Facebook posted a photo with an actor stating more or less that a better name for homophobes is a__holes.  I think this same quote was also ascribed to a homosexual Star Trek actor.  I cannot speak to the veracity of either claim as to who said it, but to me it is just another form of bullying.  I think it is true for both many conservatives and liberals that when they encounter someone with opposing views on life, they try to disenfranchise or dis-empower them by labeling them.

By labeling people we say "I am not going to deal with you, I am just going to pigeonhole you and degrade you"  So in my book if you say "God hates fags" or label people as "homophobes or a__holes" you are one more of those in the world causing pain.  You disagree with them (Because you think you are right) and then you attack them with labels in attempt to degrade them.  I support neither of the camps mentioned above.  I don't believe "God hates fags" is a godly response to sin.  I do believe that homosexuality is a sin as are many of the current popular attitudes to sex and money.  But as a Christian, my response to these kinds of people is to be loving.  Now loving them doesn't mean I approve of their choices, it just means I value the person because they were created in the image of God.

I hate sin of all kinds.  I especially hate the sin that creeps into my life in the form of pride or justification of my wrong attitudes, motives and actions.  I hate the effect sin has on people but I am bound by Christ to love sinners.  Some sin tastes sweet in the beginning, but it's life long effects is often devastating.  Other kinds of sin are obviously wrong.  Often times sin in our lives is obvious to those around us, but we want to be comfortable with it; we want others to accept it.  Other times we know it is sin, and work very hard to hide it.  But sin won't remain hidden.  Sin finds a way out and then we are discovered in it.  Sometimes the discovery seems like a relief.  But the relief should never be confused with the idea that the sin is okay.

Now some of my brothers and sisters seem to think that morals or morality is the solution; just keep the rules and everything will be alright.  But I see morality as the outcome of our relationship with our Savior-Redeemer.  As we grow close in relationship to our Creator - Savior God, we don't want anything interfering with that divine relationship.  That is why God hates sin; it damages the relationship between Creator and his creation.

I hope you don't get stuck on the issue (one side or the other) of homosexuality.  In our current culture it is a very provocative topic but to me its is just one of the many forms of sin that entangle us.  I try not to make it any greater than greed, lying, hate, fornication, infidelity or sloth.  We are all sinners needing the redeeming power of The Cross of Jesus.  We all need to come to a place that says, you know, I am blowing it and I need to start afresh.

Calling people fags or homophobes isn't going to change them.  It is just going to cause anger or rebellion rise up in them.  Shaming people is rarely effective in getting them to change their minds.   It is the Holy Spirit's job to convict people of sin and righteousness.  Our job as Christians is to demonstrate the reality of the Love of God in how we treat one another and how we treat our neighbors.

There are so  many labels that people use to pigeonhole other people.  Sometimes this used it to attack someone's race using words like nigger, spic, chink, gook, or even honky.  Sometimes we use labels to attack someone faith - bible-thumper, holy roller, frozen chosen  heretics or fanatic.  We use words like liberal or conservative as if they were curses.  We have words that we use to denigrate people of the other sex and different personality 'make ups.  Personally I believe that all these labels do nothing more than demean the divinity of humans.

I firmly believe that we are all created in God's image but we live in a broken world.  As God's children, our job is to bring God's love to bare in every corner.  Not in rhetoric or with mere words, but with actions.  Mother Teresa got it and there are others I know who are getting it.  God is love and as his children we are called to love the unlovable and to even love those we don't like.

The apostle James said that it is not right that we both curse humans (made in the image of God) and praise God from the same mouth.  So, let us put off this need to label and attack others and instead glorify God our Creator and look for ways to see the divine in and love our sinful neighbors.

Blessings,
Alan

Blog a thon day 7

To the god of freedom
As I was praying for America this day it struck me – our nation is and has been sacrificing to another god. It is the god of choice and personal determination. It is how this nation was founded and it is a value that continues to drive us. Now we have sacrificed over 35 million unborn children to this god. And the people of the land want to sacrifice more. President elect Obama wants to sign the Freedom of Choice Act to make abortion of all kinds available to all women. And some of us actually think this is a Christian country!

It is obvious by our acts that we have made the god of choice our god. The God of the Universe is not the god we trust in. We trust in a god who will give us what our greedy little hearts desire. We want freedom to choose for good or ill. We want freedom from the responsibility of facing the consequences of our actions. We want freedom to have what our eyes see and our flesh desires no matter how damaging or wrong it might be. This is the kind of freedom that America has come to crave and thinks the rest of the world needs.

Freedom from oppression is not a bad thing, but freedom from all consequences is dangerous. Consequences teach us self control. Consequences teach us good from bad. Consequences help us to see that others are valuable too.

Christ has granted freedom to all who will believe in his name. But the freedom He grants us is the freedom from the power of sin; freedom from our baser selfish desires that cause so much of the wrong in the world. The sacrifice that Christ demands of us is not our unborn children but of our personal life; our wants our desires our hopes – our future. Being a Christian means that we are willing to accept that we many not know what is best for us. Being a Christian means that we believe God knows what’s best for us. We Americans live in a culture where the greatest good seems to be seen in an individual’s rights, but this is antithetical to Christianity, which says the greatest good is in our personal and corporate sacrifice to/for the betterment of others. The greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven is not he who rules over others, but rather the one who lays his live down for the sake of others, he or she who is the servant of all.

So pray with me for America, that the people of God would wake up and realize that maybe they have been worshiping at the altar of another god. Its time to tare down our idols, repent and seek the One True God – the God who sent his son to die for our sins. The God whose desire for us is better than anything we might think or imagine. Our God isn’t a republican or a democrat or libertarian. He is the absolute God of the universe. His ways are not our ways. His thoughts are not our thoughts.

So let us cast aside our darkened thinking and accept the mind of Christ that we might honor Him with our lives and see His Kingdom come and His Will be done here on earth as it is in heaven. Amen

Your servant in Christ,
Alan