Help Is On The Way

Have you ever gotten really, really, really angry at sin? I mean to where you really hate sin? Where it just totally ticks you off?

If so, good.

We should hate sin. Our problem is seperating the sin from the sinner. Some people enjoy their sin, they revell in it. The celebrate it. But others, well, others are trapped by it. Held prisoner. Shackled.

Regardles of their position in sin....whether self-indulgent, or seemingly prisoner, we should love those who don't know the Lord. We need to show them the love of Jesus. I'm not talking about going soft on sin, but loving the sinner.

I realized I was in need of this when I was reading the book, "The Character Of A Man...Reflecting The Image Of Jesus" by Bruce Marchiano.



In this book, Bruce talks about a guy who went and witnessed to a "house of prostitues" in Africa. One of the "working ladies" had passed away, and they could not find any preacher willing to conduct the funeral. Bruce tells the story of how this young preacher went and conducted the service....and then began to hold Bible studies with the women. Right about now my "Woah" factor is at high alert. I'm thinking, what in the world is this guy doing. Anyway, while Bruce is speaking at some churches, this guy asks Bruce to come and speak to these women. Bruce, thinks about what Jesus would do, and so he goes. He goes and shares the love of Christ. He finds some broken, hurting women. He ministers to them in the name of Jesus.

Now I'm thinking.....how do you do that? How do you share the love of Christ to someone who is kneck deep in sin? The same way Jesus did. He gave of Himself to those who did not deserve it. He showed them His love, His life, and they saw their sin.

As time goes on, this preacher continues to visit the women. He holds a church service right where they work! If you're thinking like me, you're going..."wait a minute....a church service in a whore house?" But, you see, the women were not welcome in the churches in the town. Everyone knew who they were & what they did...and some of their "customers" were members of the local churches. Anyway, to make a long story short, that paticular "brothel" is now closed. All of the "working women" have become children of God. They have all embraced Jesus as their Lord and Savior. He changed their hearts, their minds, and their lives. Some are now married, others are in Bible College....but all are set free.

You see, I realized even while reading a book about reflecting the image of Jesus, I was judging the sinner, not the sin. I saw these women as hookers, whores & prostitutes. I didn't see them as people made in the image of God. I didn't see them as people that Jesus bled and died for. I didn't see them as people in need of a savior.


Which brings me to the last song I'm going to share by Steve Camp.



It's called "Help Is On The Way".

When I saw you, you were staring
I could see the clouds that covered your eyes
And the look of desperation
If somebody loved you, it could have changed your life
Made day from night
Well I can't help you, but I can show you the One
Who can take your tears away

Help is on the way
Love is coming to you
All you need to say
Is you need Him today
Help is on the way

When there's nothing to keep you going
Every day's a fight, and you never win
How the world can work you over
You run for cover trying to shade your eyes
From the pain and the lies
There's no where to hide, but in God's love
Oh don't you hear Him calling you

Help is on the way
Love is coming to you
All you need to say
Is you need Him today
Help is on the way

You want to change your life
And make day from night
Only Jesus's love will free your soul
And He's reaching out to you

Help is on the way
Love is coming to you
All you need to say
Is you need him too
Help is on the way

But the question I have to ask myself is this: Is help really on the way? When I see people caught up in sin do I offer them help, or judgement? Do I reach out to those that are less fortunate to me? Do I think that some are beyond the reach of Jesus and what He did on the cross? Do I think that salvation is best shared in the confines of a sanctified, cleaned up , neat little church building?

I need to remember the words of Jesus in Luke 5:31-32 "Jesus answered them, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."

Join me in praying that the Lord will open our eyes and see those that need the help that only a relationship with Jesus can provide. Let's pray, not just that help will be on the way to those in need, but that by the grace of God, we will be the ones He uses to bring the help to those in need.

Following Jesus, one step at a time,
Pastor Dave

Going Thru The Motions

Have you ever been driving to work, or maybe driving home, and as you pull into the parking lot or the driveway of your house you realize, you don't remember anything about the drive! You don't remember if you stopped at that light before making the right hand turn (you know, the one with the camera....that knows if you made a complete stop). You don't remember anything about the drive....you were just going thru the motions.

Or maybe someone will ask you "How's it going?" And your response, no matter what the truth is, goes something like this, "Oh, it's good."

These thoughts and more crossed my mind while listening to "Going Thru The Motions" by Steve Camp.



Here's the lyrics:

"Going Thru The Motions:

Why don't we take a stand against the fear the rules the hearts of men.
They're crushed and broken, by the weight of sin.
Do our lives point the way to Him.

We're full of knowledge
We're so well fed
Our churches are crowded
But our witness is dead

We say that we're livin' and pointin' the way
But if you look around you'll see nothin's really changed

We're just goin' thru the motions
Goin' thru the motions
Where is the devotion
We're goin' thru the motions

Where oh where are the tears in the night
The cries of repentance for a holier life
Our hearts are hardened and our worship is cold
Our faith is weak becaues our prayers our old

We need a fire
To fall from above
And set us aflame
With a passionate love

That burns for our Father
And cares for the lost
But I don't really think we've ever counted the cost

We're still going thru the motions
Going thru the motions
Where is the devotion
Oh, we're going thru the motions

I don't know about you, but I have found myself in this place before. I get up on Sunday morning, head off to church, put in my time, and go home. By the time I get home, I can't even remember what the message was about (of course, now I'm talking about before I became a pastor). And by Monday, it is ancient history.

Even as a pastor I'm afraid I sometimes just go through the motions. Time to prepare another sermon. Time to read another lesson. Get up. Show up. Speak up. Shut up.....for cryin' out loud, I feel like throwin' up.

Now don't get me wrong. Even if you're going thru the motions, going to church is better than staying at home, but don't we want more out of our worship and fellowship than a step above what is better than staying at home?

Don't we want more out of christian life than just a step above not going to hell?

What has happened to the passionate life for Christ? What has happened to prayer meetings where the Spirit poured out His power on the church? What has happened to times of prayer and worship where you could feel the very presence of God in your midst? What happened to christians weeping for the lost?

I don't know what happened.....but I want it back.

I don't want wimpy, just barely getting by worship.

Join me in prayer this week for revival in the church. For revival in my church. For revival in your church. For revival in HIS church.

My prayer for the church today is that we might here them say about us what they said about Paul and his companions in Acts 17:6 "...These who have turned the world upside down have come here too."

Come on, let's quit going thru the motions, and let's turn the world upside down for Jesus!

Ok, so there's that.
Pastor Dave

Stranger To Holiness

Ok, I'm really trying to blog more often....so here goes.

I've been listening to some old christian music recently. Most of the new stuff just leaves me cold, so I've dug out some oldies, got them on cd, and put them in my ipod, and have been reaquaining myself to some good tunes. Lately I've been listening to an album called "Shake Me To Wake Me" by Steve Camp.



So the next few posts are going to be about the songs that have really been hitting home off of this classic album.

I want to start with the song, "Stranger To Your Holiness". I'm going to print the lyrics, and then add a comment or two.

Stranger To Holiness

Looks like the boy's in trouble again
Living much too close to the edge of sin
Now he finds himself where he should not have been
Oh God, why is Your peace so hard to find
And the answer to the questions that haunt my mind
Oh Lord, Your ways are not like mine

And it pounds like thunder within in my breast
All the anger of my humanness
And though I call You "Lord" I must confess
I'm a stranger to Your holiness, a stranger to Your holiness

Can we really be what we were meant to be
Jesus' people, living by the Spirit and living free
My heart longs to serve, but wanders so aimlessly
Oh Lord You deserve every part of me

Hear my cry of desperation as I see the wickedness of my ways
You alone are my salvation, and Lord I've learned this one thing to be true
Is that the closer I get to You, I see I'm a stranger (to Your holiness)
Don't wanna be no stranger, and it burns like a fire…

Wow.....too bad a blog cannot convey the passion and conviction that Steve puts into this song. I see myself all over these lyrics.

I want so bad to be a man of God, a man after God's own heart. But I know the sin that lives in me. I know the wickedness of my ways. More than anything else.....I want to live by the Spirit....but my flesh keeps getting in the way. My heart wanders....and like Steve sings, it wanders aimlessly....just everywhere but where it should be....focused on my Lord and Savior.
As the song ends, and the lyric "..and it burns like a fire...." strikes at the center of my heart. I want to stoke that fire...to turn it into a blazing inferno to be more and more like Jesus.



Ok, so there's that.
Pastor Dave

Who Would You Trade Places With?

I know, I know, it's been forever since I posted....ok, maybe not forever, but since May, which in the blog world is almost the same as forever. So, no excuses or anything, let's just jump back into it, shall we?

Have you ever wished you could trade places with someone else? Ever looked at someone else's life and thought, "Man, I wish I had their life."

Believe it or not, the apostle Paul wished he could trade places with someone else. In Romans 9:3 Pauls says, "I wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my people" In essence, what Paul is saying is that he would trade places with his fellow jews, and he would go to hell without Jesus, if it meant that they would come to faith in Jesus.

Wow! What love and passion for people who don't know Jesus! Have you ever had that type of love and passion for the lost? I know I haven't. I read this verse tonight and repented of my lack of concern for those who don't know Jesus as their savior. I repented of my lack of love for the ones who are bound for an eternity without Jesus. I repented of my lack of passion to see souls come to salvation.

What would happen if the church would pursue the salvation of the lost with the kind of passion that Paul has here? What would happen if I would pursue the salvation of the lost with the kind of passion that Paul has here?

Please, join me tonight in praying to God for a passion to know Him and to make Him known.

Ok, so there's that.
Pastor Dave

Who's In Charge Here?

Yesterday I was reading I Kings chapters 1 thru 4. It's about the death of David and Solomon becoming King. But it's also about one of the biggest mistakes that I think a lot of believers make, myself included.

The book starts our with Adonijah, another son of David, setting himself up as king while David was still alive. In a nutshell, he thought, well, one of David's sons will be king, might as well be me. He met with some of David's spiritual, political and military advisors and friends. They all agreed with him. And so away he went. Planning and moving ahead with his idea of what he should do, what only seemed right to him, and after all, he had the "go-ahead" from some very important people.

Only one little mistake.

He neglected to check with the one who was in charge.

He didn't check with David.

In the end, this mistake would cost him his life.

How different his life might have turned out if he had gone to David first. If he had sought the advice and direction from his father. He then might have had a place in the kingdom, under his brother Solomon and lived a long life.

But he forgot who was in charge.

Don't we do the same thing? We seek counsel from friends, from family, and from our brothers and sisters in the Lord. Don't get me wrong....this is good and we should do this......but......

Don't forget to go to the one who is in charge.

Don't forget to go to God and His Word for the final "say-so".

Al counsel and advice from outside God and His Word needs to match up to what God & His Word says. Even brothers and sisters in Christ can give us wrong/bad advice.

For example, years ago, when my wife and I were experiencing rough times in our marriage, one sister in Christ reccomended to my wife that she leave me. Man, I'm glad my wife listened to the Lord and His Word instead of that sister!

So, the next time we have a decision to make....let's remember to take it to the One who is in charge.

Ok, so there's that.
Pastor Dave

The Future's So Bright I Gotta Wear Shades

Anyone else remember that one hit wonder from the group Timbuk 3?

I thought of that song when I read this in the Word today:

Exodus 34:29-30 (New International Version)
29 When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the Testimony in his hands, he was not aware that his face was radiant because he had spoken with the LORD. 30 When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, his face was radiant...

I thought this was sooooo cool!

Here Moses had spent time with the Lord and people could tell it just by looking at him!

I couldn't help but wonder if that ever happens today. I thought of a few people in our church, and I realized that every time I see them, the love of the Lord shines through them. I'm sure they have their "off" times and "down" times, but every time I see them, I can see the Lord in their face...in their words....in their laugh.

Then I wonder, does anyone see the Lord when they look at me.

Do they see the Lord in me when I am:

Driving down the freeway.
Working on cases at work.
Talking with my children.
Being a customer at a store (where the clerk cares more about talking on the phone to their friends than waiting on the person who ultimately is responsible for paying their salary and allowing them to keep their little minimum wage job!.....ooops....guess we know the answer to that one don't we)

I want people to see the Lord when they look at me.
Not for me. But for Him.

I have received my fair share of compliments and criticisms as a preacher, but one of the ones that has meant the most to me was when someone came up to me afterwards and said, "You know what I enjoy about your sermons? I can tell you have spent time with God."

Wow.

That moved me.

But as a preacher that should be the norm for every message I preach.

But is it the norm for me once I leave the pulpit and walk out the church doors?

I don't know. But I do know that I am going to strive for that.

Exodus 34:29-30 (New International Version)
29 When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the Testimony in his hands, he was not aware that his face was radiant because he had spoken with the LORD. 30 When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, his face was radiant...

How cool is that!

Ok, so there's that.
Pastor Dave

Happy Mothers Day

Wow....it's been over a month since I posted a blog!

I wonder if anyone will even read this one, considering it has been so long.

I have a lot of reasons why I have gone so long.

Here's a partial list:

Not enough time; felt like I had nothing to say; didn't think it made any difference anyway; and on and on and on.

But the biggest reason when I faced it today was this.

My daughter.

My oldest daughter that my wife and I have.

My oldest daughter that is in the middle of rebellion against God.

My oldest daughter that is in the middle of rebellion against God and had me feeling like a complete failure as a Dad, christian, and a human being.

But today, on Mothers Day, I thought about my Mom in the middle of my sermon this morning.

While preaching the "traditional" Mothers Day message (which if you don't know me, is unusual in itself), I thought of what my Mom must have thought all during my years of rebellion. You see my Mom went to be with the Lord 13 years ago. She never got to see my youngest child (he was born the day after she passed away), and she never saw me become the pastor of the biggest little church there ever was (Loma Rica Baptist Church). She never saw just what all her years of prayer and commitment to the Lord finally brought about in her oldest son.

I told the church this morning, "When you pray to God, ask Him to tell your Mom, "I love you." Ask Him to tell her, "Yes, it took. I know you must have wondered, but the commitment I made to Jesus was real. I'm living for Jesus now. Thanks for praying for me all those years."

So, I will not focus on what I often think of as my failure in the life of my daughter. I wondered away from God and spent a good ten years in the wilderness before I crossed over into the promised land of a life lived for Jesus.

I don't know how long my daughter will be where she is.

But I do know that God answers prayers.

I will keep praying for her.

I will never stop praying for her.

And I will focus on Jesus and what He has done for me.

In the process, I just might blog a bit more.

If anyone is reading this blog still....let me know what you think.

Ok, so there's that.
Pastor Dave