Twenty-two days ago, on December 14th, 2012, a horrible event took place. Twenty-six people were slaughtered in an elementary school in Connecticut - twenty of those people were children. This tragedy was covered seemingly non-stop by the media for days, benefit concerts were put on, and many people have donated money, toys, and other things to help the victims of those senseless killings.
On the same day that 20 children were murdered in an elementary school, another slaughter took place and nobody said a word. Over 2,000 children were murdered in America, and most Americans didn't know and didn't care because it wasn't called murder; it was called "abortion". And that number is a conservative estimate from the CDC. The research arm of Planned Parenthood, the Guttmacher Institute, puts that number at over 3,000 per day.
Get that - 3,000 innocent American children are aborted every day. Since abortion was legalized forty years ago today, over 55 million Americans have been murdered in the womb. Americans who would have surely grown up to discover amazing medical breakthroughs, become government leaders who would have given wise leadership to our nation, and contributes billions of dollars in taxes to the economy.
I can only imagine how different, and better, this great nation would be if those children were alive today. How much stronger the economy would be. How many diseases would have been cured. And what a more noble people we would be for not allowing thousands of our own citizens to be killed every single day, out of sight and out of mind.
Whatever your viewpoint on abortion, whether you consider it a fetus or a baby in the womb, an undeniable fact is that abortion stops a beating heart. And a heart cannot beat without life in it.
Our nation was founded on the inalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Let's pray that our nation will turn from this great injustice; that we will respect the rights of unborn children instead of being intolerant of their right to life.
"You are the one who created my innermost parts; You knit me together while I was still in my mother’s womb. I give thanks to you that I was marvelously set apart. Your works are wonderful—I know that very well."
- Psalm 139:13-14 CEB
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Friday, December 28, 2012
Four words.
Several months ago I read through the book of Hebrews in the Bible and four words stuck out to me, as if they were jumbo sized and flashing in bright lights against the page. Here are those words.
"But we see Jesus ..."
- Hebrews 2:9 NIV
Since it's the end of the year I've been reflecting on these last 12 months and while there have been high points, honestly it seems that this year has been filled with mostly low points. Mostly discouragement. Mostly physical pain. Mostly loneliness. Mostly stress. Mostly disappointment in life.
Sure, I could blame it on lots of things, like my parents' major health struggles, but nothing would really be a legitimate excuse. I was just beginning to get discouraged. Depressed, actually. My sleep cycle got messed up, I began eating a lot less than normal, I was withdrawing from people, and I've been sad a lot. I was beginning to be glad - but glad that this year would soon be over. It was a self-centered, woe-is-me, pity party kind of glad.
But then I remembered how on Christmas Eve I preached a message about Jesus lighting up our lives, and I started seeing Jesus lighting up different times of this year in my life. I thought about my brother and sister-in-law's wedding in June, how it was the first time in over a year that my whole family had been together, how much fun I had with my brothers, how happy my parents were, and how much I love my new sister and her family. I saw Jesus in all of that.
I thought about how my parents celebrated their 40th anniversary just two days after the wedding. And how rare that is in a time when many marriages, even among Christ-followers, don't last beyond 10 years. I saw Jesus in that.
I remembered how the Lord has grown Del Sol Church, Northeast and East, and how so many people's lives have been changed. I thought about the couples who had been living together outside of marriage for years, and how they decided to start living a God-honoring life and put themselves in a place where God could bless them - by finally getting married. I thought about the people I've had the privilege of baptizing, and the light bulb moments people in my GrowGroup had experienced, and how people began to see that church can be exciting and fun. And I saw Jesus in all that.
I thought about the good times with friends: zombie parties, movie nights, Walking Dead viewing parties, eating together, laughing together, praying together - and I saw Jesus in those times.
In many ways, as I look back on this year filled with so much heartache, loneliness, pain, stress, confusion, and difficulty, I see Jesus in all of it. And I've realized the old cliche "I'm too blessed to be depressed" is actually true.
So as you think back on your life this year: where do YOU see Jesus? You don't have to look hard - He's been there all along, in good times and bad. I would encourage you to invest some time before the new year and think back where Jesus has shown Himself to you this year. I guarantee it'll encourage you.
"But we see Jesus ..."
Monday, December 10, 2012
Christmas Light.
It's two weeks until Christmas Day. Christmas is more than just a day about family, love, giving, and kindness. Christmas is first and foremost about celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ, the Savior and King of the world. We don't have to fight a war over Christmas or try to "keep Christ in Christmas", because He never left.
Honestly, you can't even say Christmas without Christ. You can be intellectually inconsistent and call it a "holiday tree" and "holiday lights" instead of a Christmas tree, but that makes no sense because the only holiday which we decorate a tree for is Christmas - not Arbor Day, 4th of July, Thanksgiving, or Hanukkah. Those are great holidays, but Christmas trees are only for Christmas. As I said, Christmas will always be about Christ.
How can I say that with such confidence? Why do I not need to fight a war over Christmas and boycott stores who don't use the word "Christmas" in their ads? Because of what God says about Christmas in the Bible. John 1:5 NLT says this:
"The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it."
No matter how commercialized or secularized Christmas becomes, it can never be denied that Christmas is about Christ. Christmas will always have Christ in it because He is the Light of the World.
Now since Christmas is just a couple of weeks away and since Jesus Christ came as out Light, I want to encourage you to do something as a way to worship and honor Christ during this time. Here's what you can do: over the next two weeks, keep your eyes open for Christmas light.
When you're looking for it, you'll be surprised where you find it. Sure you'll see Christmas lights on trees and homes, but if you keep your eyes open you'll also find Christmas light all around you. For example, I was at St. Clement's Church in Downtown El Paso recently and I saw some Christmas light in an unexpected place - shining across the pews in this photo I took:
Look for the light this Christmas, let it remind you of Christ our Light, and worship Him in your heart.
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
The last time we talked.
I remember the last time Mr. Paul Fleshman and I really had a conversation. It was brief, but I'll always remember it. It was the first Wednesday of June, right after our First Wednesday communion service at Del Sol. We sat in the cafe and I told him how the next day I was leaving for my brother's wedding in Scottsdale, Arizona, and he, ever the joker, told me not to stay there. "We have a Scotsdale here, you know" he said, referring to Scotsdale Baptist Church. I assured him I would be back. He told me about the time he was driving through Scottsdale, AZ and his Volkswagen broke down. We laughed together about his story, made some small talk, then I shook his hand and said goodbye.
That was the last time we had a conversation. I'll always be thankful for that. Such a simple conversation, but in it I could tell he loved me. And I loved him. And I enjoyed a silly conversation.
Mr. Paul loved people. He really, really did. He took many young leaders under his wing to encourage them and remind them to stay on track with the Lord. He did that with Pastor Walter and he did it with me.
I remember him visiting my dad in 2004 when he was in the hospital after his heart surgery. I think Mr. Paul visited more people as our hospital minister than anyone else in our church did. So many people met him while they were lying in a hospital bed. He really cared about people who were sick and hurting.
I remember several times when Mr. Paul and his wife Chung Hi had me over for a meal - just to love on me. I remember them insisting I take some of their home grown vegetable and fruit.
I remember him telling me to come over anytime if I needed to use any study books from his library when preparing a sermon. I never did, but I was always grateful for the offer.
I remember going with our youth to re-roof their home, and taking a break, sitting in the garage, eating fresh made chocolate chip cookies and drinking ice cold Coca Cola.
I remember when I was examined - "grilled", I call it - to be ordained as a minister, and Mr. Paul asked some tough questions. Why? Because he loved the Lord and loved Christ's Church, so he wanted to make sure I knew my Bible and my Theology. He didn't want some young punk running around teaching who-knows-what in our church. He was like a bulldog about our church - because he loved our church family. I'm thankful for his tough questions.
And I remember when my mom was first diagnosed with kidney disease last summer. Mr. Paul and Chung Hi gave me a bunch of homegrown grapes to give to my mom. That was such a confusing, scary time - and that simple act of love in fruit form ministered to my heart in a way I can't even describe.
My eyes are welling with tears as I write this. Tears of selfish sadness because I'll never again feel the strong grip of Mr. Paul's hand or hear him pray those strong, confident prayers he always prayed. But also tears of joy - because he is no longer in pain. He worked hard all his life, laboring for the Lord and laboring for his family that he loved so much - and now he is resting, enjoying forever the rewards of his labor.
I remember the last time we talked here on earth, Mr. Paul. I can't wait to talk with you when I go Home and tell you about all the neat things that happened in our church and in my life. And I owe much of who I am to you.
And since you're up there - say hello to God, Mr. John, Oscar, and Bruce for me.
"Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His faithful servants."
- Psalm 116:15 NIV
That was the last time we had a conversation. I'll always be thankful for that. Such a simple conversation, but in it I could tell he loved me. And I loved him. And I enjoyed a silly conversation.
Mr. Paul loved people. He really, really did. He took many young leaders under his wing to encourage them and remind them to stay on track with the Lord. He did that with Pastor Walter and he did it with me.
I remember him visiting my dad in 2004 when he was in the hospital after his heart surgery. I think Mr. Paul visited more people as our hospital minister than anyone else in our church did. So many people met him while they were lying in a hospital bed. He really cared about people who were sick and hurting.
I remember several times when Mr. Paul and his wife Chung Hi had me over for a meal - just to love on me. I remember them insisting I take some of their home grown vegetable and fruit.
I remember him telling me to come over anytime if I needed to use any study books from his library when preparing a sermon. I never did, but I was always grateful for the offer.
I remember going with our youth to re-roof their home, and taking a break, sitting in the garage, eating fresh made chocolate chip cookies and drinking ice cold Coca Cola.
I remember when I was examined - "grilled", I call it - to be ordained as a minister, and Mr. Paul asked some tough questions. Why? Because he loved the Lord and loved Christ's Church, so he wanted to make sure I knew my Bible and my Theology. He didn't want some young punk running around teaching who-knows-what in our church. He was like a bulldog about our church - because he loved our church family. I'm thankful for his tough questions.
And I remember when my mom was first diagnosed with kidney disease last summer. Mr. Paul and Chung Hi gave me a bunch of homegrown grapes to give to my mom. That was such a confusing, scary time - and that simple act of love in fruit form ministered to my heart in a way I can't even describe.
My eyes are welling with tears as I write this. Tears of selfish sadness because I'll never again feel the strong grip of Mr. Paul's hand or hear him pray those strong, confident prayers he always prayed. But also tears of joy - because he is no longer in pain. He worked hard all his life, laboring for the Lord and laboring for his family that he loved so much - and now he is resting, enjoying forever the rewards of his labor.
I remember the last time we talked here on earth, Mr. Paul. I can't wait to talk with you when I go Home and tell you about all the neat things that happened in our church and in my life. And I owe much of who I am to you.
And since you're up there - say hello to God, Mr. John, Oscar, and Bruce for me.
"Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His faithful servants."
- Psalm 116:15 NIV
Monday, August 6, 2012
My views on homosexuality.
This morning someone I recently met asked me the question "what are your views on homosexuality?" We had a good conversation about that, and here's the gist of what I said.
The starting point of any conversation about homosexuals is to know and believe that God LOVES homosexuals. Just like He loves everyone else. That's very important to understand. John 3:16 says that God loved the whole world - no exceptions. Us Christians, as God's children, MUST accept people as they are(Romans 15:7). It's equally important to understand that love & acceptance do NOT mean approval.
A good parent loves their child, but that doesn't mean everything the child does is acceptable. It would be very unloving for a parent to let their children do anything they want and live any way they want, without correcting them. Because they love their child, a good parent wouldn't let their child play in traffic, play with a hot stove, eat whatever they want, stay up all night, etc. So - God, our Heavenly Father, would NOT really be loving if He approved of everything we do.
The things we do that go against God's principles & rules (which He gave for our own good) are called sin. Things like lying, cheating, cussing, hating, murder, over-eating, and yes, living a homosexual lifestyle. Those things, even though they may seem right to us and they feel good, will ultimately hurt us in the end (Romans 6:23).
The problem with sin is that it distorts and deceived every person (Romans 7:11) - especially our sexuality. When we are tempted to lust after someone - whether a person of the same sex or a person of the different sex, that's a distortion of how God intended us to use our sexuality. Both of those attractions just works themselves out a bit differently. Both homosexuals and heterosexuals desperately need Jesus. We both need a Savior - and His name is Jesus Christ.
Through Him, we can be freed from the power of sin and we can overcome temptation (1 Corinthians 10:13). He is our only hope for life. Through Him, we don't have to follow our sinful urges. It will be hard, it will be lonely, but it will be worth it to obey Jesus. People won't always understand it, but it will be worth it all when we go Home to Heaven and Jesus locks eyes with us as He says "Well done, good and faithful servant."
I love homosexuals - AND everyone else - because my Father God does. Homosexuality does not define a person. God does, and for all of us who have been adopted as His children by putting our faith in Jesus, He calls us all His favorites. That means that we are not liars, cheaters, and homosexuals. We are dearly loved, handmade creations of God Himself - who struggle with the sin of lying, cheating, and homosexuality. But our sin does not define us. Our relationship with Jesus does.
At Del Sol Church, we love homosexuals. And liars. And cheaters. And prostitutes. And drug addicts. And the prideful. And over-eaters. And everybody else, regardless of their sin struggles, because God does. We are not here to judge or point fingers. And we WILL speak God's truth from the Bible to those sin issues - doing so with as much love as we can.
I want my church to be a place of grace & second chances - for homosexuals, and for all other people.
What do you think of my response?
The starting point of any conversation about homosexuals is to know and believe that God LOVES homosexuals. Just like He loves everyone else. That's very important to understand. John 3:16 says that God loved the whole world - no exceptions. Us Christians, as God's children, MUST accept people as they are(Romans 15:7). It's equally important to understand that love & acceptance do NOT mean approval.
A good parent loves their child, but that doesn't mean everything the child does is acceptable. It would be very unloving for a parent to let their children do anything they want and live any way they want, without correcting them. Because they love their child, a good parent wouldn't let their child play in traffic, play with a hot stove, eat whatever they want, stay up all night, etc. So - God, our Heavenly Father, would NOT really be loving if He approved of everything we do.
The things we do that go against God's principles & rules (which He gave for our own good) are called sin. Things like lying, cheating, cussing, hating, murder, over-eating, and yes, living a homosexual lifestyle. Those things, even though they may seem right to us and they feel good, will ultimately hurt us in the end (Romans 6:23).
The problem with sin is that it distorts and deceived every person (Romans 7:11) - especially our sexuality. When we are tempted to lust after someone - whether a person of the same sex or a person of the different sex, that's a distortion of how God intended us to use our sexuality. Both of those attractions just works themselves out a bit differently. Both homosexuals and heterosexuals desperately need Jesus. We both need a Savior - and His name is Jesus Christ.
Through Him, we can be freed from the power of sin and we can overcome temptation (1 Corinthians 10:13). He is our only hope for life. Through Him, we don't have to follow our sinful urges. It will be hard, it will be lonely, but it will be worth it to obey Jesus. People won't always understand it, but it will be worth it all when we go Home to Heaven and Jesus locks eyes with us as He says "Well done, good and faithful servant."
I love homosexuals - AND everyone else - because my Father God does. Homosexuality does not define a person. God does, and for all of us who have been adopted as His children by putting our faith in Jesus, He calls us all His favorites. That means that we are not liars, cheaters, and homosexuals. We are dearly loved, handmade creations of God Himself - who struggle with the sin of lying, cheating, and homosexuality. But our sin does not define us. Our relationship with Jesus does.
At Del Sol Church, we love homosexuals. And liars. And cheaters. And prostitutes. And drug addicts. And the prideful. And over-eaters. And everybody else, regardless of their sin struggles, because God does. We are not here to judge or point fingers. And we WILL speak God's truth from the Bible to those sin issues - doing so with as much love as we can.
I want my church to be a place of grace & second chances - for homosexuals, and for all other people.
What do you think of my response?
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
My beef with boycotts.
So as pretty much everyone in America knows, Chick-fil-A supports Biblical values and traditional marriage. Which is about as shocking as McDonald's supporting Big Macs or Coca Cola supporting Cokes or the Michelin man supporting Michelin tires. But, I digress.
So in response to that "surprising" news, I've seen two responses. One is to boycott Chick-fil-A, calling it an intolerant and hateful company. The other is to endorse CFA and encourage thousands of people to go eat there today as a way to show their appreciation for the values they hold.
Earlier this summer, JC Penney put out a print ad featuring two men portrayed as homosexual dads playing with their son. Again, there were two responses - one group of people called for a boycott, another group praised JCP as being progressive and tolerant.
Name a company and it's likely they support gay marriage - Starbucks, Home Depot, Ben & Jerry's, Google, Boeing, Disney, and a plethora of other companies do. And while they are hard to find, some companies like CFA, Cinemark, ExxonMobil, and Walmart. So Christians (usually) call for boycotts of companies that support gay marriage, and most other people call for boycotts of supposed intolerant, hate-filled companies that oppose gay marriage.
So can I just call a time-out and ask why we're boycotting? I mean, does that really work? Has it ever? Take Chick-fil-A. While the gay-rights community have called for protests and celebrities have vowed to never eat there again, Christians have rallied and CFA had a record breaking day of sales today. And while Christians called for a boycott of Home Depot and Starbucks, they're doing quite well. Are you gonna stop using Google and not fly in a Boeing airplane anymore? Or not shop at Walmart anymore? Lotta good that'll do.
It's pretty clear that boycotting doesn't work. So why is that our first reaction?
Condemnation is easier than conversation, that's why. (Thank you to Perry Noble for that insight. And for making it rhyme.) It's easier to say "Forget you" to someone who believes different than us instead of taking the high road. If the homosexual community is really tolerant, why don't they fill up Chick-fil-A restaurants and tell them they tolerate the different opinion of the company. And why don't Christians shop at JCP, get coffee at Starbucks, and eat Ben & Jerry's ice cream?
My biggest beef with boycotting is who it hurts. It doesn't hurt the company; it hurts the employee. If you go into a Chick-fil-A, JC Penney, Starbucks, Home Depot, or Walmart - do you really think those employees work there because they're so proud of their company's values? Or because the company is so tolerant or intolerant (depending on how you see it)? I would highly doubt it. I know someone who works at Chick-fil-A and I know several people who work at Walmart. I've known people who work at Home Depot and I know a guy who works at Starbucks. All of them were not working at their places of work because of the company's ideals; they were working there to provide for themselves and their families.
When we boycott, remember who it hurts - the company, not the employee. And let's be honest - boycotting doesn't work. It's a lousy way to do things because its fighting "hate" with hate. No way around it.
If we boycott anything, let's boycott boycotting.
So in response to that "surprising" news, I've seen two responses. One is to boycott Chick-fil-A, calling it an intolerant and hateful company. The other is to endorse CFA and encourage thousands of people to go eat there today as a way to show their appreciation for the values they hold.
Earlier this summer, JC Penney put out a print ad featuring two men portrayed as homosexual dads playing with their son. Again, there were two responses - one group of people called for a boycott, another group praised JCP as being progressive and tolerant.
Name a company and it's likely they support gay marriage - Starbucks, Home Depot, Ben & Jerry's, Google, Boeing, Disney, and a plethora of other companies do. And while they are hard to find, some companies like CFA, Cinemark, ExxonMobil, and Walmart. So Christians (usually) call for boycotts of companies that support gay marriage, and most other people call for boycotts of supposed intolerant, hate-filled companies that oppose gay marriage.
So can I just call a time-out and ask why we're boycotting? I mean, does that really work? Has it ever? Take Chick-fil-A. While the gay-rights community have called for protests and celebrities have vowed to never eat there again, Christians have rallied and CFA had a record breaking day of sales today. And while Christians called for a boycott of Home Depot and Starbucks, they're doing quite well. Are you gonna stop using Google and not fly in a Boeing airplane anymore? Or not shop at Walmart anymore? Lotta good that'll do.
It's pretty clear that boycotting doesn't work. So why is that our first reaction?
Condemnation is easier than conversation, that's why. (Thank you to Perry Noble for that insight. And for making it rhyme.) It's easier to say "Forget you" to someone who believes different than us instead of taking the high road. If the homosexual community is really tolerant, why don't they fill up Chick-fil-A restaurants and tell them they tolerate the different opinion of the company. And why don't Christians shop at JCP, get coffee at Starbucks, and eat Ben & Jerry's ice cream?
My biggest beef with boycotting is who it hurts. It doesn't hurt the company; it hurts the employee. If you go into a Chick-fil-A, JC Penney, Starbucks, Home Depot, or Walmart - do you really think those employees work there because they're so proud of their company's values? Or because the company is so tolerant or intolerant (depending on how you see it)? I would highly doubt it. I know someone who works at Chick-fil-A and I know several people who work at Walmart. I've known people who work at Home Depot and I know a guy who works at Starbucks. All of them were not working at their places of work because of the company's ideals; they were working there to provide for themselves and their families.
When we boycott, remember who it hurts - the company, not the employee. And let's be honest - boycotting doesn't work. It's a lousy way to do things because its fighting "hate" with hate. No way around it.
If we boycott anything, let's boycott boycotting.
Monday, July 2, 2012
A pleasantly interesting weekend of ministry.
This weekend was interesting, in a pleasant way. I preached at Saturday Night Church and the spirit there was just wonderful. Every weekend at both locations of Del Sol is great, but there was just something about this weekend that was extra cool. Maybe it was all the allergy meds I was hopped up on!
When the service ended, a guy walked right up to me and gave me a hug. I didn't even recognize him at first, but it turned out to be a guy I had prayed for the previous Saturday. He was so excited because God had answered my prayers for him exactly as I had prayed them. That was really cool.
Then on Sunday at Del Sol Church Northeast, people in the first service really connected with the message and I prayed with several people. Then in the second service, a young couple walked in. I didn't see their faces at first because of the angle at which I was standing, but when I got up to preach I was taken aback for a moment.
The young man with his wife was a guy I had worked with years ago - almost 10 years ago - when I was working at a teen center. He was a very troubled teenager who had some issues with illegal substances, and we often butted heads because we were both pretty prideful. There were many times when I had to call the police to have him removed and a few times he threatened to physically hurt me. I went years before I saw him again, probably in 2008 or 2009. By that time he had a steady job and seemed to be making something of himself. I was glad to see that, especially considering our past.
So I was surprised to see him and his beautiful young family walk into the church on Sunday morning. Turns out he lives right down the street and decided on Saturday they should get back into church and find a support system. They left before I had a chance to talk with them, but I had his number so I called him today and had a good conversation with him.
The thing about this guy is that he has SO much potential for greatness in him. Even as much as we fought, I could always tell that he was overflowing with potential. I really believe that God has great things in store for him, and I'm excited to see how our church family can help his family.
Doing ministry is a difficult job because you deal with such personal aspects of people's lives that they don't tell anyone else. But it's also the most rewarding thing ever to see people's lives change as God works in their lives.
Needless to say, it's been a great weekend.
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