Defying Gravity

I like to read. I like to read a lot. Over the years, I have found a few authors that I have tried to read everything they write. They have become heroes of the faith to me. Some of them are John MacArthur, Randy Alcorn, Bruce Marchiano, John Piper, Tony Evans, Mark Driscoll, Mark Buchanan, Max Lucado & Joseph Stowell...just to name a few.

This last year I have added a new name to the list: Daniel Henderson


While he has not written a lot of books, the two I have previously read, "Fresh Encounters" and "Pray-zing!" have impacted my life in ways that I cannot describe. All I can say is that I have not been the same after reading them. I have also attended a "Prayer Summit" that Daniel facilitated, and believe that it has been a defining moment in my ministry.

Because of that, when I found out that Daniel had a new book out, I jumped at the chance to get a copy and read it. I was not disapointed, and I don't think you will be either.

The title of the new book is: "Defying Gravity-How to Survive the Storms of Pastoral Ministry".


It is a book that I wish was available to read when I first began pastoring. Of course, that would not have been possible, because the book is new, but the information is extremely valuable and will benefit not only pastors, but anyone in any leadership position, in ministry or in the business world, although I think those in ministry will benefit the most.

Daniel compares the person in leadership or pastoral ministry with a pilot flying a plane. The analogy works very well, and it brings a perspective to the subject matter that is missing in other books on the same subject.

What Daniel writes about has been written about before, but I don’t think I have ever enjoyed reading about it as much as I did reading this book. Much of what he covers would fall under the category of “common sense”. However, since the list of fallen leaders in the church is long, and sadly, growing longer it seems every day, the information presented is vital and needs to be read, absorbed and become a part of the life of pastors and leaders today.

Daniel is often known as the “prayer guy”, and if you have read any of his other books (which I highly recommend), or have been to one of the many Prayer Summits that he facilitates, you know why. This book though is not about prayer, although it is touched upon in the book. This book is about making sure you end the journey intact.

The length of the book is just right. At 179 pages it makes for a fairly quick read, and yet it is long enough to tackle a subject that I have gotten bogged down in while reading lengthier books on the subject. Throughout the book I found myself smiling, nodding in agreement and feeling the need to correct the current course of my ministry. I feel that I am not only a better pastor after having read “Defying Gravity” and putting the information inside to practice, but I am also a better husband, father, friend and brother.

Here are just a few of my favorite quotes from the book:

“…the Enemy does not have to destroy us but simply distract us. Little distractions tolerated over a long period of time result in big disasters.”

“The issue of intimacy with God is core to spiritual health and leadership survival.”

“Our identify should rest securely on the unchanging truth of who we are in Christ.”

“Accountability is not always safe, but it is always worth it.”

The book is filled with facts, but also life stories, including that of the author, who have lived out and experienced the subject matter of the book. This is not a dry academic read, but one that engages you with personal stories, real life anecdotes and quotes from others who have gone before. A few of those quotes reached out and grabbed me, like these from E.M. Bounds:

“To give prayer the secondary place is to make God secondary in life’s affairs.”

“It is better to let the work go by default than to let the praying go by neglect.”

I am not a professional book reviewer by any stretch of the imagination, however I am a pastor, and a fellow brother who is doing his best to follow Jesus. The writings of Daniel Henderson have enabled me to not only continue on this journey in a way that has enhanced my relationship with the Lord, with “Defying Gravity” he has shown me how I can complete the journey in a way that will enable me to hear “Well done, thou good and faithful servant”. And in the end, that I what it is all about.

Thank you Daniel, for being obedient to what God has called you to do, for writing this book, and for being a brother....and a friend. I think I need to go check the instrument panel now.

Pastor Dave

To- Now, Not To-Later

When our oldest daughter Amie was just a little toddler learning how to speak, she would get upset when she wanted to do something, or she wanted us to do something and we would tell her that we would do it tomorrow, or later.

One day, she expressed her frustration, as only kids can, by mixing up the words today & now and tomorrow & later, when she said with determination in her voice, “No. To-now, not to=later!”

That thought came to my mind when I was reading this verse:

1 Peter 3:15 “But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the
reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect…”

The very first word in this passage, “but” can also be translated “now”.
Now is when we need to set apart Christ as Lord in our hearts.
But too often our heart is divided. We are always putting things off until tomorrow. Or after we finish whatever currently has our attention.

But the time to do this is not tomorrow.

Not after the big game.

Not after the audtitions on "American Idol".

Not after your favorite TV show is over.

Not after you get your taxes back.

Not after you get married.

Not after the kids are born.

Not after you retire.

Not after you‘ve done all the sinning you want to do.

Not to-later, but to-now.

We need to be clear on that? When do you set apart Christ as Lord?

NOW.

Sadly , that’s not how we normally do things…

We say we’re going to start working out when…tomorrow…

We’re going to start eating healthy when…tomorrow…

We’re going to quit smoking when….tomorrow….

We’re going to start saving money when….tomorrow…

We’re going to start reading the Scriptures on a regular basis when…tomorrow….

Peter is telling us now is the day…now is the time.

Carpe diem…seize the day, the moment to set apart Christ as Lord now!!!

The urgency of doing this now hit me even harder when I was at a Prayer Summit a couple of weeks ago and I heard Daniel Henderson talking about this verse:

Ephesians 5:16 “See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, 16 redeeming the time, because the days are evil.”

The word “time” is “kairos” which means a “set time” not “chronos” which means a “space of time” - even years.

You see, Paul is not telling us to make the most of our teen years, our twenties, our thirties, the rest of our life, or the time we are involved in a particular ministry (although we should make the most of those periods of time).

What Paul is saying is make the most of right now. Right now redeem the time. Right now decide to live for Jesus. Right now cash in your life for His. Right now set Him apart in your heart. Right now. The time is now.

Or as my daughter Amie would say, “To-now, not to-later!”


Trying to serve God in the here and now,
Pastor Dave

P.S. You can check out the website of the ministry of Daniel Henderson here:
http://www.strategicrenewal.com/

What Facebook Taught Me About Heaven

Over the last year or so I have learned a little bit about heaven from, of all places, facebook. I know that seems a little odd....but then God has a habit of showing up and teaching us lessons in strangest of places.

He showed Himself to Issac in a dream, and even wrestled with him. For Moses, God showed Himself in a burning bush. Daniel found the peace and protection of the Lord in the lions den, and Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego found him in the middle of an extremely hot spot in their lives. For Matthew, God showed up while he was at work, extorting money from his fellow citizens. Saul ran head first into God on the road to Damascus while he was going to throw followers of The Way (Jesus) into prison. John got a very special view of God while exiled on the isle of Patmos.

So...for me, God shows up on facebook. And He taught me about heaven.

Ok, let me explain myself.

Over the last year or so on facebook I have gotten reaquainted with many former classmates from my high school (Hanford High, Class of 1975, with an undefeated footbal team-yes, I still remember that-went to every game that year-even the away games-the last minute win against Visalia is one I still remember 35 years later!).

Some of those from my high school were friends of mine, some were people I kinda knew, and others were part of the "poplular" crowd, of which, I was never allowed admittance too. I'm not complaining here, that's just the way high scool is. I had a lot of friends that belonged to my social order / group: the mid-level popular group.

As I have "friended" and been "friended" by people I went to high school with one of the first things I began to notice is that the high school order of things no longer exists. I have become friends now with some who NEVER talked to me at school (again, this is not a complaint, just the facts, and to be honest, the social / popularity order is kept by both sides - in other words, I never talked to the popular kids either). In fact when I sent a message to one person who was part of the popular crowd, I wasn't sure if they would even know who I was, and I described myself as "kind of a dork" back then. The replied back, "Yes I remember you, and we were all dorks back then." The popular kids thought they were dorks too? Wow. What a revelation that was.

On top of the newfound friendships with all types of people I went to school with, I found that many of them have now put their faith and trust in Jesus as their Lord and Savior. In fact, one person that I barely knew in high school, Bob Craine, I had the honor of having worshiping with him and his wife and going to lunch with them after church services! As Bob and Jeannie shared where they have been and their journey of faith with the Lord, I felt as if I was having a meal with the Holy Spirit Himself! The love of Jesus just overflowed from these two people. As we left, I told my wife that although I barely knew Bob in high school, that after worshipping with him and sharing a meal with him, I felt as if I have known him all of my life. My wife responded, "It's the Jesus factor."

The Jesus factor.

Yep. That's it all right.

Now here is how God showed up and taught me about heaven through facebook.

You see, at the foot of the cross we are all equal. Rich, poor, medium income, black, white, red, yellow, northern, southern, democrat, republican, independent, and on and on.

Just as there seems to no longer be any popular social order left over from high school, so there will be no popular order in heaven. No one will feel left out. No one will feel like a dork, a nerd, a geek, or whatever other word they used these days to describe those that are not part of the "in" crowd.

Just as I have found many from high school to be followers of Jesus now, in heaven I will get reaquainted with many who did not know the Lord when I knew them, but together we will worship the Lord around His throne.

And, in addition to those from my past that I have met on facebook, I have alos had the pleasure of "meeting" and becoming friends with many, many people across the world who call themselves followers of the Son of God, of Jesus, of the one who gave His live for us. Some of these people I have prayed with, and they have prayed with me. Some I have met face to face as they have visited the church that I pastor. Others, I will never meet here, but will await the joyous homecoming one day and live with them forever in heaven, and one day on the new earth. And as I have found myself drawn into their lives here, it makes me realize how many new people I will meet one day that I have never known. People who have gone before me and kept the faith an fought the good fight and sacrificed so that I might have the opportunity to hear the gospel and come to know Jesus as my savior.

Speaking of those who have gone on to be with Jesus in glory, Revelation 5:9 says, "And they sang a new song: "You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation."

If the Bible were being written today, John might have written it this way: "...and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and nation and popular and unpopular social order, and from people on facebook all over the world."

Thank you Jesus. Thank you for life. Thank you for salvation. Thank you for the many, many blessings that you have given me over the years, and yes, that includes facebook.

Ok, so there's that.
Pastor Dave

Primal

The other day my wife was reading a book. Now, that is not unusual in itself, as my wife has a blog where she reviews books. You can check it out here if you would like to: http://deenasbooks.blogspot.com/

She reads LOTS of books. I read a lot of books, and you might think you read a lot of books, and maybe you do, but my wife reads LOTS of books.

And this particular day while reading this particular book, she kept making noises. Sort of like, “Oh my”, and “Ohhhh” and “Wow”. Stuff like that.

I finally asked what she was reading. She told me. I asked if it was good. She replied that if I would read it, it would ruin my life. Ok, now I was very interested.

So, once she was done, I started to read this book that she said would “ruin my life”. She was right. It did. It has. And I’ve only read two chapters.

Here’s some snippets from the book that I have highlighted:

“…I couldn’t help but wonder if our generation has conveniently forgotten how inconvenient it can be to follow in the footsteps of Christ. I couldn’t help but wonder if we have diluted the truths of Christianity and settled for superficialities. I couldn’t help but wonder if we have accepted a form of Christianity that is more educated but less powerful, more civilized but less compassionate, more acceptable but less authentic than that which our spiritual ancestors practiced.”

“He calls us to faith on the far side of doubt, joy on the far side of sorrow, and love on the far side of anger.”

“Does your heart break for the things that break the heart of God? If it doesn’t, you need to repent.”

Those I got from chapter one. From chapter two I got these:

“…we’ve engaged our culture mind-first instead of heart-first.”

“…minds often remain closed to truth until hearts have been opened by compassion.”

“…compassion is the ultimate apologetic. There is no defense against it.”

“…compassion is always the right reaction. I’m not saying there isn’t a place fo rebuking, correcting, and exhorting. Sometimes that’s the most loving thing you can do. But even those things can be and must be done in the spirit of compassion.”

“In my experience, it’s much easier to act like a Christian than it is to react like one. Anyone can put on an act. But your reactions reveal what is really in your heart. And if you love God with all your heart, you won’t just act like it. You’ll react like it.”

“…what will kill you if you don’t do it?”

“There is something that breaks your heart because it breaks the heart of God…what are you going to do about it?”

Maybe I’m just easily impressed, but these and other statements the author made have really caused me to stop and think.

Do I really love God?

Does it show?

Does anyone else know it?

Do I really care about the lost?

Do I really care about suffering?

Do I really care about reaching out to the lost and the suffering?

If I do, then why aren’t I doing anything about it?

I’m not done reading the book, and I’m still asking questions. At this time I have more questions than I have answers, but this I know: it is time for the church, to be the church. It is time for the followers of Jesus to really follow. It is time for the light to shine…like a blazing sun!

I’m looking forward to the rest of this book…and I don’t know if I will write more about what I find…but at this point I would encourage you to get the book yourself, read it, think about it…and if you feel like it, drop me a line and let me know what you think about what the author has written.

The books is called: “PRIMAL: A quest for the Lost Soul of Christianity” by Mark Batterson.


Ok, I'm going to try and read a bit more before Bible study tonight.
Dave

The Dangers Of Being A Pastor

Being a pastor comes with it’s own unique set of problems and obstacles. It comes with it's own set of dangers.

One of those is that you can begin to read and study the Word of God because it is your “job”, and not because you desire to grow closer to God, and in your relationship with Him.

Rather than read your Bible because you are in love with Jesus and His Word, you wind up reading it only in an academic sort of way as you prepare for a message or a study each week.

While that must be done if you are going to preach and teach Biblically, if that is the ONLY time you spend in the Word you wind up with a sort of clinically sound, theologically correct religion rather than a life changing vital relationship.

The thing is, this can happen before you realize it.

I know.

It happened to me.

In October I celebrated my fifth anniversary as the pastor of Loma Rica Baptist Church. I felt a renewal in my calling and my mission. I felt a revitalization in my relationship with Christ. I was excited, passionate and on fire.

And then….it happened.

I got distracted.

I began to settle into my “job” as a pastor instead of living my life as a child of God. I worked hard on my sermons and Bible studies, but little on my relationships.

And then I hit the brick wall this week.

As I read through the text for this weeks sermon, nothing was happening. They were just words on a page. White page….black letters. I read it….but I couldn’t see how to apply it. I read it….but I couldn’t see how to LIVE it.

After a week, all I had was an introduction, but no real message. I knew what it said in my mind, but could not seem to move it from my mind to my heart.

So, I began to pray. I prayed for insight. I prayed for wisdom. I prayed for knowledge. I prayed for something…anything that would make these words more than just something from a spiritual textbook.

And after a little while, as I was reading the text for the sermon AGAIN…something happened.

The only way I can describe it is that I felt as if something that was hidden was suddenly found. I felt as Saul must have when it said in Acts 9:18 that “…something like scales fell from Saul's eyes, and he could see again.” I could really SEE the passage. It came alive to me.

Of course, this is the way the Scriptures should be-alive. It says in
Hebrews 4:12 “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”

These should never be just words on a page, or another dusty religious book….these are the WORDS OF GOD….in fact they are “God breathed” words…inspired by the Holy Spirit.

I cannot describe how this felt.

There was activity all around me, as I was doing this at my home computer, but I was absorbed in what I was discovering, in many ways oblivious to what was going on around me. I was sitting in a chair and at a desk on the outside, but on the inside I was dancing, and leaping, and shouting and rejoicing. If this has never happened to you, I suppose you cannot understand it, and maybe you think I’m a little bit crazy….but that’s ok….because once again the Word became REAL to me. It revitalized my relationship with Jesus once again.

I don’t know where this is going to take me (who knows, maybe I will start to blog more often)….but I’m going to hold onto Jesus real tight….because I have the feeling I’m about to be in for the ride of my life.

Ok, I’m done now.
Pastor Dave

Comment Moderation

Well, due to someone posting ads and links for sexual products in the comment sections of some blog posts, I have now switched to monitering all comments. As long as your comment is legit, I will allow it to be posted. I have deleted all of the offensive comments. Some people have way too much time on their hands.

Pastor Dave

Living For The Future

I think it was the late Waylon Jennings who said, "If I'd known I was gonna live this long, I'd have taken better care of myself!"

Too often, we are just like Waylon when it comes to thinking about the future in a spiritual way. Oh, we take care of heaven...we have come to know the Savior and our ticket is punched and we are on the way...but what about our kids..yep, they know Jesus...and our grandkids...well, most of them do...but what about after that?

What about our future generations. What about 50 years from now when we will be gone and only a distant memory or a picture in a worn out photo album...what about those great-great-great-great-great-great grandkids?

Look at what Peter writes in 1 Peter 1:10-12 "Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things."

This blew me away when I realized what it meant. The prophets of the Old Testament...dudes like Moses, Elijah, Malachai, Amos, and even the reluctant ones like Jonah...they did what they did, not fully understanding it all, but so that we would benefit from it. They recorded what they did so that when Jesus came around, the people coulds say, "Yep, this is the ONE, I know from the directions that the prophets gave us in their writings."

Of course, a lot of people missed it...but that is not the prophets fault.

What about us. Are we living in such a way that future generations will be able to turn and point to us and say, "I've embraced Jesus as my Savior because my great-great-great-great-great-great- grandfather lived a life that is still impacting us today!"

I want to run into someone in Heaven, who lived a hundred years from now and have them tell me, "Because you stood for the truth....because you lived a life of ministry....because you followed Jesus....I'm standing here today."

That is my desire. I hope it will be yours as well.

See you there, or in the air
Pastor Dave