FBCDoylestown

”The Stranger in our Midst”

2010-10-05T10:55:00.000-07:00

We have an opportunity every week to connect with a person or a family that is visiting our church. Hardly a Sunday goes by that we do not see unfamiliar faces in our building.

What will we do when we see someone or a family that we do not know?

It is a blessing to share life with people we already know. These relationships are comfortable, fun, and fulfilling. They are easy and relaxing. That makes it all the more imperative that we pay attention to the stranger in our midst. We are so familiar with our building and our customs that it is easy to forget how difficult it is to be a visitor. It can be intimidating to attend a church where you do not know anyone!

What can you do when you spot someone you do not know? Here are some ideas:

• Smile. Say “Hello.” Smile again.

• Identify yourself. “I don’t believe I’ve met you. I’m Chris.” Most people will return your greeting by giving you their name. If they do not give you their name, then just smile and say, “It is good to see you. It is a beautiful morning!”

• Ask, “How long have you been coming here?”

 If they say, “I’ve been here for ten years,” then smile and say, “I’m glad to finally meet you,” or “Sorry it has taken so long to meet you,” or laugh and say, “Even though we are a medium sized church it is hard to meet everyone.”

 If they say, “Today is my first day,” then offer a genuine welcome and say, “I’m glad that you chose to visit us. May I introduce you to some of my friends?” or “May I show you the way to Information Central?” or “May I give you a brief tour of the building?”

 Offer to help them locate classes for their children and youth.

Guests do not want to be embarrassed, but they also do not want to be overlooked. We simply must welcome them and take a genuine interest in them.

Studies show that guests decide in the first eleven minutes that they are on the church property whether or not they will return the next week. That means they make up their mind before the special music is presented and before the sermon is spoken. We also know that a greater impact is made on visitors when the church members greet them than when the staff welcomes them. Visitors get their vibes from the congregation as to whether a church is warm and welcoming or not.

Our goals are two. We want to help the guests:

1. Feel welcome.

2. Make it easy for them to return.

When a person or a family visits for the second time, fifty percent of them will stay and make that church their spiritual home. They are more likely to visit a second time if they feel like they know three to five people. They will feel like they know you if you welcome them warmly and help them to be able to speak your name. If you can get a little further into the conversation and talk about hobbies or other interests, so much the better! Then you are on the way to making a new friend!

Working together, all of us can help the strangers in our midst feel welcome!

Pastor Chris

P.S.: The Gold Star Award for making people feel welcome goes to those who are intrepid enough to invite the visitor to Sunday dinner after church. Most people will decline the invitation, but imagine the good will such an offer will generate! If they accept, you will be serving Jesus by practicing biblical hospitality! That is a win-win situation for sure! CS

Equality 101

2010-08-19T10:43:00.000-07:00

I’m not personally a big fan of communism. I’m actually friends with a guy who was kicked out of the former East Germany for his stance against the communist regime.

His crime: illegally distributing copies of Animal Farm, a novel which mocks communist “equality”. The catch phrase of the book: “All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others.” In East Germany, as in other communist states, the “more equal” ones lived lives of wealth and privilege, which no one could openly acknowledge without fear of punishment.

Human nature will always try to twist equality into a hierarchy. It’s no surprise that communism doesn’t work among sinners.

But God wants his churches to operate on a level, equal playing field. Of course, we quickly agree. We know about our equal standing in Christ. Verses like Galatians 3:28 tell us: Jews, Greeks, male, female, slaves, free - all are one in Christ Jesus.

But not just that, Paul tells us. What about financial equality?

That’s not in the Bible, is it? Or is it? Paul explained it this way to the Corinthians, who had started with an emotional concern for impoverished churches in Macedonia, but then were reluctant to actually share material goods and money.

In 2 Corinthians 8:13-1, Paul laid out God’s Church Equality plan:

“Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality. At the present time, your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. Then there will be equality, as it is written: “He who gathered much did not have too much, and he who gathered little did not have too little.”

Twice Paul states the goal: that there might be equality among the churches. Financially.

What are we doing as believers, as a body, to “equalize” third world churches? Or Philadelphia churches? What are we doing with what we gather?

~Jan Cooper

Trust and Obey

2010-08-17T08:25:00.000-07:00

The hymn “Trust and Obey” says: “Trust and obey, for there’s no other way… To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.”

I have learned through practical experience that those words are absolutely true! When I am walking with Jesus; when I am trusting Him to meet every need; when I am seeking with all of my heart to do what He says; then, those days are the times when I am happy and fulfilled.

One of the areas of trust and obedience that everyone who follows Christ needs to learn is stewardship. Stewardship means that everything belongs to God and that as His children we are the managers or stewards of God’s resources. That includes all of life, our time, our talent, and our treasure. In other words, your stuff is not your stuff! It’s God’s stuff.

When I remember that, I find it is not as hard to release God’s stuff for kingdom purposes. It is not mine anyway. When I look at life in this way I begin to see opportunities for ministry and service through stewardship. My prayer becomes, “Lord, what do You want me to do with the time, energy, and money that You have entrusted to me?”

The starting point of biblical stewardship is the tithe. The tithe belongs to the Lord (Lev. 27:30, 32). To tithe is to give ten percent of your earnings to God as an act of worship and obedience.

I heard about a pastor who preached on tithing, but did not tithe himself. A businessman spoke to the pastor about that. He then said that he would pay the difference for the pastor if tithing produced a hardship for him. So, with the businessman’s backing the pastor began to tithe. One day he came out of the church to find that someone had put a ham in his buggy. Another time one of the farmers left the back end of his wagon loaded with corn. Yet another time some eggs were given to him. It was amazing! After awhile the pastor realized that he had not had to call upon the businessman to help with his expenses. All of his needs had been met! The pastor thought about it and realized that he had been tithing because he trusted the businessman. Now he understood that he should have been trusting and obeying the Lord all along.

I do not know how God does it; I just know that He does. Shirley and I have been practicing biblical stewardship since the day we were married. God has never let us down. Try it. Go ahead and tithe for three months and see what God will do in your life. I think you will be surprised! Your faith will grow and you will see God’s hand on your life. “Trust and obey, for there’s no other way…To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.”

Pastor Chris

Costa Rica Trip

2010-07-22T06:35:00.000-07:00

Well the group of 33 teens and adults heads out tomorrow morning for Costa Rica and will be there till July 31. Please keep the team in your prayers. Please pray for safety, team unity, everyone will stay healthy, and for the people in Costa Rica-that they will see a difference in the group and will want to know what it is. You can check out the blog to see what the team is up to and if there are any updated prayer requests. The blog site is: crmissions.wordpress.com Thank you!!

Contentment

2010-07-12T10:50:00.000-07:00

Do you ever get depressed? Are there times when you are discouraged? I think that happens to all of us sooner or later. What do you do to get over it? How do you get past those "down" times?

Sometimes our discouragement is caused by being overwhelmed with the circumstances of life. Things happen that are more than we can bear. It's not usually just one thing. It begins when something happens that doesn't fit into what we think is fair. Then another circumstance occurs that we didn't expect. Sometimes it is then followed by one thing after another. When they all mount on top of each other, it rocks our faith, and our happiness. Depression or discouragement follows. Ever been there? Yes, every one of us has at one time or another!

What are we to do?

David has some great advice for us. I was reading Acts 2:25-28. These verses are actually a part of Peter's sermon on the Day of Pentecost; the day when the Holy Spirit came to permanently dwell in the Church. The people visiting Jerusalem were amazed that the Jewish believers were able to speak to them in their own languages. Languages that the believers had never learned! The gift of tongues was used to get the attention of those who did not yet have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

Some people said that the believers were drunk, but Peter explained in his sermon that this was a work of God. In the middle of the sermon Peter quoted Psalm 16 which was written by David, Israel's greatest king. David knew all about difficult circumstances. Some of the hardships that David faced were brought on him by Saul's jealousy. Some of David's troubles were brought on by David's own sinful actions.

Still, in the midst of all of his troubles, David found a way to overcome depression and discouragement. Acts 2:28 gives us the secret of David's contentment. "You have made known to me the ways of life; you will make me full of gladness with your presence." Acts 2:28

What was his secret? God revealed to David "the ways of life". David's was full of happiness because he reminded himself that happiness is only found in God's presence. The opposite is also true. The longer I focus on problems, the longer I will tend to be discouraged or depressed.

So, now I have a choice. Will I focus on the problems, the circumstances of life, or will I focus on God and being with Him? David choose to focus on spending time with God. The result of being in God's presence: David was full of gladness (happiness).

Boy, I need that. Maybe, just maybe, you do too!

~Pastor Dean

Five Minutes of Fame

2010-07-06T13:26:00.000-07:00

Five minutes of fame! Time and time again those words are repeated when someone, some how, draws the attention of the media and finally gets noticed. Hopefully those people gained their five minutes of fame for a good thing that they have done. Unfortunately, that is not always the case.

I'll bet that you probably have not had five minutes of fame. Very, very few people get to experience that. Let's try another question. How many people even know your name? For most of us that number is relatively small. If you choose to follow Christ, it is very unlikely that you'll get five minutes of fame in this world. But, that's okay. We don't need five minutes of fame to be found to be a faithful follower of Christ.

I was reading in Acts 1:21-26 about the process that the disciples went through to find a replacement for Judas. In these verses the qualifications for the individual to become the 12th apostle are laid down. The candidates had to be people who had accompanied Jesus from the beginning of His ministry, who had witnessed the resurrection, and who had remained faithful followers of Christ.

Two names were put forth. The thing that caught my attention is not their names. What I noticed was that there were many individuals who had faithfully followed Christ without ever having their names recorded in the Bible. They were the unknown, and unnamed followers of Christ. We have all heard of the 12 disciples. They had their five minutes of fame. Many of us can name their names. Some of you may also be able to name the disciple who replaced Judas. Without looking, do you know his name? You do, great! What is the name of the guy who was not chosen? (You'll find the answer in Acts 1.)

But, there were many unnamed, unknown disciples who faithfully followed Christ and their names were long-ago forgotten. They never got their five minutes of fame. I hope and pray that your name can be added to the list (that doesn't exist, except in Christ's eyes) of those who remain faithful even when almost no one else knows about it.

Are you one of the unknown followers of Christ? (Unknown to the world, but very, very well-known to Christ.) I pray that our tribe will increase.

~Pastor Dean

2010-06-28T07:59:00.000-07:00

The LORD is in this place...

How often do you read the Bible? Is Bible-reading a discipline that you practice daily, or do you read it just once in a while, whenever it suits you? There are times when I read the Bible almost every day without missing. There are other times when I let other things crowd out my time with the Lord. Is that true of you too?

If we want to make any kind of difference in this world, we need to know that we have the Lord's blessing in our lives. To get the Lord's blessing, we need to seek Him on a regular basis. One aspect of seeking God is spending time reading His love letter to us called the Bible. "In the Word" is the name that the pastoral staff has chosen for our year-long focus on being in God's Word on a daily basis.

I was reading Genesis 28 recently and found it, oh so easy to identify with Jacob. In the previous chapter of Genesis Jacob stole the blessing that Isaac promised to Esau. He knew that Esau wanted to kill him, so he left town immediately. On the way he stopped at the city of Luz and fell asleep using a rock as his pillow. That night God met Jacob. When Jacob awoke, he said, "Surely the LORD is in this place, and I did not know it."

I can sure identify with that. When I don't take the time to read God's Word regularly, then I too miss out on the fact that God is right here in this place and I don't even know it. I don't even get the benefit of His presence. Can you identify with that?

The last verse of Genesis 28 gives another one of Jacob's responses to meeting with God. He didn't want to forget the importance of meeting God daily, so he decided to put his faith into action, as a way to remember that God is always there for him. In verse 22 Jacob decided to give 1/10th of all he had to God. That was his response to a loving God who couldn't wait to meet with him.

Wow! I want to be just like Jacob. I choose to give to God, because He loves me enough to want to meet with me. Now that is amazing. God wants to meet with me!

What's your reaction to spending time with God? If you don't do that on a daily basis, why don't you start? If you do, you will probably react as Jacob did, "Surely the LORD is in this place, and I did not know it."
~Pastor Dean

The God who remembers

2010-06-10T06:30:00.000-07:00

Do you ever forget things? I do. If I don’t write things down, then I get into a lot of trouble for not remembering to do what I said I would do. I have developed systems that help me deal with my propensity to forget. One system that I use is the “franklin planner”. I was introduced to the franklin many years ago, and now it serves me well and helps me fulfill my obligations to do what I need to do.

I was reading in Genesis 9 the other day and I was encouraged when I read verses 12-17. In Genesis 9 we read about God establishing a covenant with Noah and his sons. God promised in this covenant to never again cut off all flesh by a flood, nor to flood the whole earth again. God then gave a sign of the covenant which is the rainbow.

When I read that passage I noticed something that I had never noticed before. God didn’t give the sign so that WE can remember His covenant; He gave it to remind Himself. The covenant was between God and mankind; it was between God and the earth! In verse 15 God tells us that when a rainbow appears, HE will remember His covenant. The rainbow isn’t for us to remember; it’s a reminder to God of His promise to never flood the whole earth again. Verse 16 repeats the same idea. When God sees the rainbow, HE will use the rainbow as a reminder of His covenant, His promise, His agreement to not flood the whole earth again.

Do you need a reminder from time to time? I do! What reminders do you have in your life that causes you to remember that God cares for you? God set up a reminder to remember His promise to you. What reminder(s) have you set up to help you remember that God loves you more than you can ever know?

~Pastor Dean

Stand Out

2010-05-20T11:27:00.000-07:00

I just came back from meeting with a twenty-something year-old who is sold out for the Lord. Not ashamed. Ready to do whatever Jesus asks, and actively following his footsteps.

“Why do you have to wear a t shirt that says Jesus?” her mom asks her. Culturally not cool. Embarrassing as a parent who would rather keep Jesus more constrained and contained. I can relate to part of that. I personally don’t feel compelled to slap a God message on my car or my clothes.

“And where have I failed you as a parent that you need to go work for God?” Another parental question for her. “That you feel like you have to go out and live on a shoestring on other people’s support?” How’s a parent to explain that one to their friends, whose children are out in the real world seeking post- college jobs with tangible benefits? And they sigh and hope she outgrows this phase.

Like Jesus is Barbie or a favorite band. Like he’s just big enough to hold her interest for a year or two until the next big thing comes along.

It’s hard to explain Jesus and living for Him.

We at the church make it harder for her parents to understand than it needs to be. Outsiders and insiders in the church get used to another version of following Jesus that is promoted subtly or blatantly in the church.

Francis Chan described it this way:

There’s a Wide Road that leads to destruction: Evil, Satan, denial of Jesus and the cross.

There’s a Narrow Road that leads to life: the Gospel , grace to be saved, trading my life for his, following him to the cross.

But we at church have sometimes created a safe path down the middle. Not too radical. Not in your face. Not very costly. A “both/and” kind of Gospel that embraces Jesus and the world. Navigating life down this middle road will land us in the ditch. It’s an impossible myth.

If Jesus fills the whole universe as eternal and unchanging God, and calls us to leave all to follow Him, then we’re on a radically narrow way. It will offend the world. It will even offend the church at times. But let’s never outgrow the path that leads to life!

~Jan Cooper

What Amazes You?

2010-05-17T10:45:00.000-07:00

“Well, here is an amazing thing…” John 9:30

What amazes you? What does it take to get your attention? What does it take to get you to listen long enough that you really understand what is being said?

There are many times when I get so engrossed in what I am doing, that when someone talks to me, I do not really listen and simply respond in the way that I think they want me to respond. The problem is that I didn’t stop doing, or thinking about what had my attention to begin with. I just gave what I thought was the expected response. Because of that, I have gotten myself into several really difficult situations, especially with my wife.

What really amazes me is that communication occurs at all. There are so many things that compete for our attention. I want and need to do a better job in the area of communication. The key is to put my full effort into listening first. To do that I need to unplug from wherever my mind has been, and turn my full attention to the person talking. I also need to make sure that I understand exactly what the other person is saying. For that to happen I tend to ask a lot of questions.

Communication also breaks down when I bring preconceived ideas to the discussion. There are times when my preconceived notions block communication. Pride says that I have all the answers. Humility says that there is still much that I need to learn.

It’s amazing what can happen when I listen to someone and begin to see things from their perspective. Seeing it through different eyes brings a new perspective that maybe I just need to be open to.

In John 9 the Pharisees were unset that Jesus had healed on the Sabbath. They questioned the man born blind. They wanted to know who had healed him. Their only concern: who broke our rules! They called the former blind man back for a second inquisition. His response: “Well, here is an amazing thing…” you may not accept Him as being from God, but He must be from God, because only God can heal a blind man.

Because he was not blinded by preconceptions, the former blind man saw God. The really amazing thing is that the religious people did not see God’s hand at work, because they didn’t take the time to see things as they really were.

So, what amazes you? Are you seeing the hand of God in your life? Are you open to being amazed? I hope so!

~Pastor Dean

Thought Provoking Quotes

2010-05-04T08:15:00.000-07:00

I just flew back from Atlanta, where I attended a multi-day conference on family ministry in the church. Some random quotes from the Orange Conference …

We have a deep, compulsive need to control the way we are perceived and this insecurity messes everything up. Yes, even in the church. We tend to hide from honest evaluation. We long to appear decisive and leader-like and godly to others. Humility and team and spiritual family lose out.

We can stop doing ministry out of imagination and start doing ministry out of memory. We did this last year, and it was great. That church on the other side of town is doing this, and they’re growing. So we should do it, too, right? Really? The Spirit specializes in fresh works. Which leads to:

There are ways of doing church that no one has thought of yet. God’s not out of ideas yet. Culture hasn’t stopped evolving. We need to keep looking to our creative God for new ways to reach out.

Focus on your own &*!@ family. Even though this was lifted from a bumper sticker that opposed Focus on the Family as an organization, this talk wasn’t a slam against the group. Rather, the speaker gave an impassioned reminder to be intentional with our families at home. Am I working hard on my job to make a big impact, be more innovative, go deeper? Great! But I also need to pour that same kind of energy into my own family.

Most people in our culture are moralistic, therapeutic deists. Meaning this:

moralistic – they value certain forms of being nice and good, and are willing to judge some kinds of evil; therapeutic – they seek happiness above all and want to feel good about themselves, others, and life; deists – they believe in a distant and vague God who is basically uninvolved in their lives until they feel a need for him.

These descriptions mark the people and families we’re trying to reach. They permeate the people who sit in our services. Changed lives won’t happen until we address them. Our job is to help people recalibrate their morals, personal goals and view of God to a biblical view.

~Jan Cooper

Going Through the Motions

2010-04-23T06:08:00.000-07:00

Ever find yourself just going through the motions? You know what I mean. You do what you are supposed to do, but your heart is not in it. Or you do just what is expected of you, but no more. I think we all have found ourselves going through the motions for one reason or another. The reasons can be varied. Maybe you're tired. You just want to get through whatever you have to do, so that you can rest for awhile, or take a nap, or get a good night's sleep. Maybe you are doing whatever is expected of you, because you "have to". It's your job, whether you like it or not. Maybe your focus is somewhere else, and you are going through the motions without even thinking. That happens when we are confronted by something that is so important, that it steals our attention away from everything else. Those important things could include such things as sickness, financial difficulties, marital stress, physical problems, relational disfunction, threats, suicide and death, just to name a few.

Going through the motions is dangerous. If we're not careful, we can get really hurt or damaged by just going through the motions. Saul experienced that in 1 Samuel 13. His son Jonathan claimed God's promise that He would give all of the land of Israel to His chosen people, the Jews. The Philistines were the enemies of Israel, so Jonathan along with his army of 1000 took one of their cities back in an attack on the Philistine garrison at Geba. Yup, you guessed it. The Philistines were ticked.

How did they respond? They showed up on Saul's doorstep with an army of probably 100,000 warriors. Saul was terrified! Samuel told Saul to wait 7 days and then he would come help him. Saul waited. I think he just went through the motions. I get the impression that he looked at his sundial and counted off the "minutes". Ok, 7 days are up. Where are you Samuel? No Samuel? Ok, then I'll take matters into my own hands. And he did. He knew he needed to hear from God. He also knew that he was not qualified to offer sacrifices, because he was not a priest. Saul knew that God's Word made it very clear that he would be disobedient if he offered the sacrifice. But, he did it anyway.

The results were disasterous for Saul and his family. Want to know the rest of the story? Read 1 Samuel 13.

What can we learn from Saul? It's dangerous just to go through the motions. When we choose do something that we know that we should not do, because we are just going through the motions, why are we surprised when God decides to get our attention?

Is there some area of your life where you are just going through the motions? What causes you to go through the motions? What causes you to lose focus?

- Dean

Awkward Conversations

2010-04-20T10:25:00.000-07:00

Have you ever been involved in an awkward conversation? I have. Like a million of them! They typically involve mumblers and people who are totally cool with unbelievable amounts of extended silence.

A conversation could go something like this.

Me and the Mumbler:

Me: “Hey man, what’s up?”

Mumbler: “Oh man, hmr hmrh hmrh hmrh, hrhm”

Me: “Wow, you sound busy.”

Mumbler: “If you really, hmr, hmrh hmrh hrmhrm heremr”

Me: ***internal thoughts*** “What did the mumbler just say? Did he just say, If I really understood him I wouldn’t have said he was busy, instead I would have understood him to say he’s misunderstood by his boss. Or was it that he really said, If you really understood me my annoying friend just started calling me hoss.”

(at this point, I have no idea what to do, I am utterly confused, and the awkwardness has risen to catastrophic meltdown proportions) So here’s my chosen response.

Me: Hmm…

End of conversation…

Me and the mute:

Me: “Hey man, what’s up?”

Mute Man: “Well…. (5 minutes literally goes by) Not to much.”

Me: “wow, life sounds good”

Mute Man: (no response… Just stares)

Me: (awkwardness rising) Cool.

Mute Man: (Continues to look at me.)

Me: Welp, Hope you have a good day.

End of conversation…

Seriously, This type of stuff happens to me. Have you ever been in a conversation where you didn’t quite understand what the other person was saying and you were to scared to ask a clarifying question? Whew… I have.

In Mark chapter 9 the disciples are struck with the same disease: “Iamtoscarredtoaskaclarifyingquestionitis” Jesus is walking with the disciples and He begins teaching them and then BOOM all of a sudden He throws down His wild card in verse 31.

“The Son of Man is to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill Him; and when He has been killed, He will rise three days later.”

Utter confusion/awkwardness strikes the 12. He said what?

Right now instead of asking a clarifying question they all decide the best route is silence. Can’t you just hear them saying, “Let’s just ignore that last statement and pretend like it never existed.”

I mean as I read that statement some 2000+ years after it was said, it makes tons of sense to me, and I see the absolute need to ask a clarifying question. These 12 men don’t. Do we judge them for not asking? Do we consider them to be foolish? DO we shake our head and say, “Silly disciples, when will you learn?”

Here’s the deal. I can only imagine that this happens in my life all the time. God whispers to me I want you to go and do this… And in my awkwardness I don’t ask the clarifying questions. I don’t process and I don’t go deeper. I leave it right where it was. I imagine we do this mostly out of fear, fear of finding out what He’s really saying, or fear of finding out what He really wants me to do.

So here’s the question for you today.

Are you having awkward conversations with God? Or are you having deep meaningful heart to hearts with the creator/sustainer of your soul?

Ask the clarifying questions!

~Peter

Bungee Jumping with God

2010-04-15T07:43:00.000-07:00

I am not a physical risk taker. I don’t go for extreme rides at the amusement park. I ski down the mountain in safe zig zag patterns, letting my sons zoom past me. To my husband’s dismay, I won’t even sit on the back of his scooter.

So the last thing I would spend money on is being strapped to a bridge with a thin elastic cord so that I could experience jumping off. Never in my life have I been tempted to bungee jump.

But that doesn’t mean I haven’t done it. This last year, I found myself hurtling off safe perches that I had no desire to jump off of.

From the security of my husband’s job to his long-term unemployment.

From having my daughter live just a few hours away to helping her move to the other side of the earth.

From rarely thinking about health to facing surgery and loss of insurance.

Even going to Africa this winter, as delightful as that trip was, had a very real element of leaping into the unknown.

Each time I go over the edge, my heart nearly stops and my emotions are screaming to make it stop. Knowing Christ makes two differences in my experience:

I still have to make the jump, but I know that God is holding the rope.

I still have to freefall down, but I know I will land higher up than where I started.

After all, I and all who hold on to Jesus, are “receiving a kingdom that is unshakable….” Hebrews 12: 28

~Jan Cooper

The Manhattan Declaration: A Call of Christian Conscience

2010-04-09T11:50:00.000-07:00

On November 20, 2009, a group of Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican, and Evangelical Christian leaders released the Manhattan Declaration, a document reaffirming and promising to defend fundamental truths in three areas:
1. The sanctity of human life;
2. The dignity of marriage as the conjugal union of husband and wife; and
3. The rights of conscience and religious liberty.

These basic truths are being threatened today on all sides. As you know, millions of innocent children are being killed by abortion; same-sex “marriage” has become common in several states; and there are very real threats to our ability to freely practice religion and follow our consciences.

Click here to read and understand the Declaration. Then consider adding your voice to the many who have already signed the Declaration. You will want to encourage others to sign as well. The goal is one million signatures. To date, over 432,000 people have signed, including hundreds of religious leaders. I have signed it myself.

The Manhattan Declaration is a statement of principles, not a political action plan. The Declaration’s aim is to alert secular leaders and other influencers in our culture that Christians of many different traditions are united in fundamental convictions regarding biblical morality and conscience.

~Pastor Chris

What tears you up?

2010-04-07T13:25:00.000-07:00

What's the last thing that tore you up so badly, that it made you change what you were doing? Is there anything that just doesn't sit right with you, that is tearing you up, that causes you to do things differently?
I hope that we are sensitive enough, that we allow some things to touch us deeply.

In 1 Samuel 24 David was hiding from Saul who wanted to kill him. Why was Saul so angry with David? Saul, who was the reigning king, found out that Samuel had anointed David as the king-elect. Saul's realized that his son Jonathan would never be king. Well, there was one way to get around God's plan, or so Saul thought. Just kill David!

Saul was searching everywhere for David. As only God can orchestrate it, Saul went into the very cave where David was hiding, but he did not see David. David's warriors saw this as a sign from God. Here's your chance, David. Go kill him. David went and cut off a corner of Saul's robe. Here's where it gets interesting. As soon as David did that, his conscience bothered him. In verse 5 in the Hebrew it says that "he was struck in his heart". It tore him up. He realized that what he had done was wrong!

He's on his way back to his warriors, who expect to hear how David killed Saul. What will he say? How will he react? In verse 6 David told them that Saul was the LORD's anointed. The warriors were still ready to kill Saul. Verse 7 says that David "persuaded" his men with his words. "Persuaded" is translated from a Hebrew word that in it's root meaning contains the idea "to tear apart". David's mighty warriors were torn apart on the inside and came to realize that David was right. They would need to change their behavior. They would need to show mercy to Saul who had shown no mercy to them. The most encouraging part of this story is that they were persuaded to do right. They were torn apart, and responded by doing what was right in God's eyes.

Ask God to make you so sensitive, that He can touch your heart and bring about the changes that He wants. Will you allow God to touch your heart? What tears you up? Whatever it is, listen to God's Spirit, keep a soft heart , and respond as David did.

~Pastor Dean

Your Extended Family

2010-04-01T13:08:00.000-07:00

The Good News is best shared through relationships. Some relationships are close (marriage, family, best friends). Other relationships are at varying stages of distance (casual friends, co-workers, business contacts, acquaintances). Our relationships provide channels through which the grace of God can flow from us to another person. Most people come to Christ as a result of the influence of someone in their relational world.

Each of us has from eight to fifteen people in our relational world that are more than acquaintances. These relationships could be considered our extended family. God has strategically placed these “extended family” members into our circle of relationships so that they might have the opportunity to receive Christ.

Jesus said, “…you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth" (Acts 1:8). The first place He told the disciples to begin witnessing was in Jerusalem. This is where they lived. It was where their extended family was located.

Jesus also told them that they would be given the power to tell others the Good News. That is what witnessing is all about. Witnessing is telling others what you know and have experienced concerning the reality of Jesus Christ. Another way to think of it is sharing Christ in the power of the Spirit and leaving the results to God.

You have influence within your extended family. They know you. They watch you. Are you using your influence within that group to point them to Jesus?

~Pastor Chris

2010-03-30T08:04:00.000-07:00

The large popcorn with butter probably helped, but I found myself enjoying Avatar more than I expected.

Hard not to like a fierce and feminine main character. And a paralyzed veteran who can suddenly run marathons through the jungle.

I found myself emotionally drawn into their techno-color world, in spite of my initial anti-blue skin, yellow teeth racial bias.

And imagine – special effects/ computer animation used to create a world pulsing with glowing color. Take note of that, you screen writers, who up to now have employed technology only to portray evermore spectacular violence.

What connected with me most, though, in the movie were the connections. Living links from the tail of the Avatars to the animals, to each other, to their deity. Plugged into each other, they united in their will and desire and actions. The final scene of glowing worship at the tree communicated joy and unity more thanany Christian video I’ve seen.

Whether Cameron intended such an application, he provided a visual image of real spiritual connection. Suddenly I can visualize a physical picture of being in Christ, in fellowship with all believers.

Apply this picture to Jesus’ words, prayed the night before he went to the cross. Watch them come alive in vibrant neon colors:

“I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one, as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.” John 17 21-23

~Jan Cooper

Thinking About Cain and Abel

2010-03-24T07:47:00.000-07:00

Cain and Abel. The first sons of the first family. Tragedy. One brother murders the other.

Why?

Unchecked anger.

The Bible tells us in Genesis 4 that Cain and Abel each brought an offering to the LORD. The LORD did not look with favor on Cain’s offering. “So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast” (Gen. 4:5).

Then the LORD spoke to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? I you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it” (Gen. 4:6-7).

Cain gave into his anger and it grew to a murderous rage. The Hebrew reveals that Cain likely cut Abel’s throat with a knife. The Hebrew word translated “killed” in verse 8 means “to slice the throat” (as in the procedure done in animal sacrifice). The effect of Cain’s action was to say to God, “You want a sacrifice? I’ll give you a sacrifice!”

Unchecked anger leads to bad actions with serious consequences. Anger running loose will take you places you do not want to go.

Cain was angry because God did not look with favor on his offering. Hebrews 11:4 says, “By faith Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did.” Obviously Cain’s heart was not right. His faith was not where it needed to be.

When we have angry feelings we will do well to see them as a “warning light.” We should stop and ask ourselves why we are angry.

There is such a thing as righteous anger. This is a good thing. We should get angry when God’s name is slandered. We should get angry when innocent people are mistreated. We should get angry over the slaughter of babies and children. We should stand against injustice in all its forms.

Unrighteous anger is a different thing. Cain allowed this unholy type of anger to simmer in his heart until it bubbled up and boiled over. This type of anger draws us toward sin. Unrighteous anger often comes about because of wounded pride. Cain’s pride was hurt because God corrected him. Cain got angry when he should have accepted God’s discipline.
It is better to respond to the situations of life rather than react to them. When we react we usually get into trouble, saying and doing things we later regret. It is wise to respond by praying and thinking before acting.

How do you process your anger?

~Pastor Chris

Not getting results?

2010-03-22T07:53:00.000-07:00

I read an interesting article the other day stating that Blockbuster is preparing to claim chapter 11 and file for bankruptcy. It revealed that blockbuster has had record low incomes due to its competition with Redbox and Netflix. Blockbuster was the top dog in the movie rental industry for years, and then a new company came on the scene in 1999, called Netflix. They were offering DVD’s in the mail!

WHAT, DVD’s in the mail? No one is doing anything like that. That’s insane, who would subscribe to something like that? Try a cool 12 million people!

Netflix saw an industry that was in desperate need of a revamp. They jumped on it. They didn’t say let’s start a new company to do the same exact thing that’s been done for years in order to tweak it, instead, let’s do it differently. Due to their determination today we have Netflix.

Okay, so it’s the middle of March. January 1st happened a long time ago. I have daffodil’s popping up in my yard. Spring is upon us. Life is beginning to show itself again. Snow banks are all gone and we can now go outside without a coat! I love all this. This is good.

However, along with the snow banks, many of our new year’s resolutions have melted away as well. You know the ones… Eat less, Eat healthier, exercise more, get in the word of God more, pray more, serve more, love more, etc… Are you getting the results that you had planned for? Is 2010 turning out to be the year you had hoped and planned it would be? Are you drawing closer to God in 2010 than you did in 2009?

Maybe it’s time to change the strategy…

You can’t expect to get different results by doing the same things. Maybe there are some habits that need to go. Some disciplines that need to be reinstituted, or even formed.

What do you think? Have you ever had to change strategy mid way through the game? I know I have!
~Peter

The Generation of Seekers

2010-03-19T10:00:00.000-07:00

Psalm 24:6 "This is the generation of those who seek Him, who seek Your face – even Jacob."

I was reading this verse recently and was struck by the idea of a generation of people who seek God. I want to be a part of that generation. I want to be a member of the generation of seekers.

Sometimes I get so busy doing stuff for God, that I forget to just enjoy being with God. That happens when I leave no margin in my life. If my schedule is so full of things that “need” to get done, then the pressure to accomplish those tasks overshadows my desire to just be with God. I forget to seek God. How about you? Are you like that too?

When I read this verse last week, I reaffirmed to God my desire to be a member of the generation of seekers. I always do much better when there is someone to walk with me and hold me accountable. I would love to find other members of the generation of seekers, who together are willing to help each other faithfully seek God on a daily basis. The Christian life was never meant to be lived alone.

Maybe you want to join the generation of seekers too. If that idea resonates with you, will you contact me? I grow more consistently when others are there to help me. What helps you remember to seek God consistently? Are you a member of the generation of seekers?
~Pastor Dean

Time Well Spent?

2010-03-17T07:01:00.000-07:00

“So whether you text or facebook or watch cable TV, do it all for the glory of God.”

1 Corinthians 10:31

I’ve lived in ignorance long enough. With hundreds of cable channels pouring into my Fios TV, I finally sat down with the remote this morning to figure out how to find the five to ten channels I might care about. I had to move it off of the dozens of sports channels my son likes best. Then find a few good news networks, a fitness channel, a food channel (now that my kids are out of the house, I have time to improve my cooking), a few old movie networks…. The weather channel, of course, for winters like this one…

You have to understand that I grew up without television, aka “the idiot box,” according to my dad. He would go to his mother’s house to catch baseball on her black and white TV, but groaned if we watched cartoons at the neighbors. His assessment of screen time forced me into the great outdoors of our suburban neighborhood, and steered me toward a love of reading. If anything, I’ve had to overcome a sense of guilt about watching TV at all. Thanks, Dad.

My favorite way to relax is with a book, but most people now choose a screen. Of course, the problem isn’t just TV, it’s all manner of screens. No, wait. The problem isn’t screens themselves. We could steal a line here from the NRA: Screens don’t kill time, people kill time.

Free time, down time, my time. We like and expect to be entertained. When work is over, it’s our entitlement, our right, according to the prevailing culture. And we as believers tend to take our cues from culture before Scripture. As seen in this statistic: “Most believers spend more time watching TV in one day than in all spiritual pursuits combined for an entire week.”

If our life is made up of a sequence of moments given to us to use and invest, how do we choose from all the options? What’s reasonable? What’s godly? Do I tithe my free time: 10% goes to Bible reading and prayer and church, and the rest is mine? Or is it the other way around?

Or maybe not a formula at all, but a relationship. A love relationship. A servant/master relationship. No formula here, no right answer. Just this: as believers, we’re slaves, bond servants of Jesus Christ. “I do nothing of myself,” said Jesus. He modeled for us a 24/7 connection to his father. Each moment lived for him, with him.

So for us, an evening spent with one we love is not excessive. An hour’s walk thinking about some of his words is not extreme. A day given to working on something close to his heart can be second nature to us.

“That we should no longer live for ourselves, but for him who for our sake died and was raised…”

~Jan Cooper

Is it in you?

2010-03-15T12:30:00.000-07:00

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled." Matthew 5:6

Hungry? Head on out to Wendy’s and Do What Tastes Right!

Thirsty? Have a Pepsi and Refresh Everything!

Still hungry? Grab a Snickers – Snickers really satisfies!

Still Thirsty? Go for a Gatorade – The Thirst Quencher – Is It In You?

There’s no end to the ways we can to appease our hunger and quench our thirst – almost unlimited products, and of course the advertising behind them. The abundance and ready availability of food and drink is astounding.

Now what about spiritual hunger ansd thirst? Do we know what it is? Do we have it? Do we know how to satisfy it?

In Matthew 5:6, why didn’t Jesus just say “Blessed are those who ‘desire’ righteousness? Or ‘strive for’ righteousness?” I believe Jesus used the words ‘hunger’ and ‘thirst‘ purposely, because they are strong words that we can understand in the physical realm, and then transfer to the spiritual. Regardless of the abundance we have, we do know what it’s like to be hungry or thirsty. At dinner time my 6 year-old is often loudly moaning that she’s “STARVING – oh, when will dinner be ready!?” Now, ‘starving’ is an overstatment, but she IS hungry – she knows what it feels like. Or an outside game of Werewolf (a favorite of our kids) is often interrupted by the cry of “I’m so-o-o thirsty!” In the phyical realm, that hunger or thirst is a real need to be met – we can think of litle else until it IS met.

In the spiritual realm, do we hunger and thirst for righteousness? Do we feel a need – a heart-felt need, a void - that cries out to be met? Do we hunger and thirst after righteousness? Or do we try so many other things - food, career, relationships, fun, money, possessions, power (the list is endless) – to satisfy that need? A hunger and thirst for righteousness can only be filled with the Word of God; with a deepening knowledge of, and relationship with, Him; knowing Him better and wanting to become more like Him. Like trying to eat a rock when we’re physically hungry (I don’t recommend it), our spiritual hunger can’t be satisfied any other way but these.

I notice that the text says “hunger AND thirst” for righteousness - not one or the other, but both. In the physical realm, being truly hungry is bad; being truly thirsty even worse (hey, we all know man can survive longer without food than without water, right?). But being both truly hungry and truly thirsty – YIKES! – where’s the nearest Taco Bell?? Yet the scripture tells us to be both hungery AND thirsty for righeousness.

So…

Hungry? Open the Bible and Do What IS Right!

Thirsty? Have a Prayer time and Refresh Your Soul!

Still hungry? Grab a devotional - inspirational words really satisfiy!

Still Thirsty? Go for a walk with God – The Thirst Quencher – Is He In You?

~Todd Bunce

Holy Dissatisfaction

2010-03-12T10:00:00.000-08:00

Two words you don’t usually hear together. Two directions that don’t usually run together.

I know what each one means, separately:

Holy: Totally of God, connected to God, for God. The real thing, perfection. Some days, I’m running on that path, powered by the Spirit, still far away from experiencing His holy presence, but closing in on it, closer to where I could be and someday will be.

Dissatisfaction: Other days, there’s an undeniable undercurrent of discontent, restlessness, dissatisfaction that flows through me. A disconnect between what I need to be working on and what I’d rather do. A subtle feeling of entitlement denied, leading to resentment. It’s a dead end, leaving me farther from God.

Experientially, the two don’t seem to meet in my life. But they can work together. They have to: Jesus told us to get the two on the same track in our lives.

How?

If I’m hungering and thirsting for righteousness, I’m on the holy path AND I’m not satisfied.

If I’m seeking Jesus and his kingdom, then I’m not content until I’m there and moved in.

If I know I’m mortal but made for eternity, then I’m crying out impatiently with the rest of creation until he finishes the job.

I will be like Him then, because I’ll see Him as He is. But for now, I’m frustrated by seeing through the glass darkly. I’m longing for some light.

The God-shaped vacuum in my heart is really not yet filled, experientially. When I’m aware of that and long to be full, then that’s a holy dissatisfaction, a good place to be.

~ Jan Cooper

Prime the Pump

2010-03-10T06:25:00.000-08:00

Are there times when you feel dry spiritually? Times when God seems distant? I think that every one of us, at one time or another, has felt like our walk with God is going nowhere. There are times when I don't want to pray; when I don't want to read the Bible. Sometimes it is as simple as being lazy. I just don't take the time necessary. It may be that it just isn't important enough. My priorities get messed up and I spend time doing other things that pique my interest, whether they should or not. Have you ever been there? Can you relate?

I was reading in John this past week and two passages really hit home. They address the very problem that plagues me from time to time. If I want to be spiritually refreshed, there is much to learn from these two passages.

John 7:37-38, "Jesus stood and cried out, saying, If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water."

John 4:13-14, "Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again; but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life."

I want rivers of living water to flow within me and to refresh me. I want a well of water springing up in me and overflowing and making my life fruitful. God can't wait to take away the dryness in my life. God can't wait to draw near to me. In these two passages in John I learn that if I want those things to happen, then God only asks that "I drink". I need to drink deeply from the Holy Spirit. I need to listen to what the Holy Spirit is telling me. The Holy Spirit leads me as I drink from the Word of God by reading it, studying it, memorizing it, meditating on it. It's up to me.

It's my job to prime the pump. To get the pump to work one needs to pour in some water (prime the pump) and then pump furiously. The water that is poured into the pump replaces the air that was in the pipes, and then the water that resides deep within the well just flows forth as much as we want.

I prime the pump when I come to God and drink. God tells me how to be spiritually refreshed. I need to come to God and drink deeply of who He is. I need to spend time with God. I only feel dry because I am not meeting with God on a daily basis. I feel dry when I choose not to listen when the Holy Spirit prompts me.

How about you? Do you need to prime the pump? Are you drinking deeply by meeting with God daily? The first step is mine. I need to drink. Maybe you do too!

~ Pastor Dean Mellen

Time is Ticking

2010-03-08T13:03:00.000-08:00

As I sit here and write this I have the old D.C. talk song running through my head from their Free at Last record, “Time is…” Sing it with me…

“Time is ticking away, tick, tick ticking away. Time is ticking away, tick, tick ticking away.”

You will thank me later tonight when that song is still stuck running on repeat through your head. Whether we like it or not the song is right. Time is most certainly ticking away and there is nothing that can be done to slow it down. There is nothing that can be done to stop time, or press the “Pause it” button as my kids would call it.

Life moves at a frantic pace with each day bringing about an incredible amount of stress, deadlines, and responsibilities. Time seems to “fly by”. The years are short and the days are long.

As a pastoral staff team we have been intentionally studying together God’s word for the past 14 days and it has been a great discipline to take the time to do this together. We have had great conversations, which have been sparked from the time we took to intentionally study God’s word.

I would encourage you to spend some time in God’s word and find some others that you can talk about it with. Your most valuable asset is your time. What are you doing with it? Are you investing your assets wisely?

~Peter

The Flying Frog

2010-03-05T09:00:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the FBC blog! This is a new venture for us. We hope that you enjoy it and will participate in the conversation with us.

During the devotional time with our program staff we have been reflecting on the scriptures related to pride. We have been reminded that pride is subtle, insidious, and deadly. As I ponder those characteristics of pride I am reminded of the story of the flying frog.

It seems a certain frog wanted to cross a high range of mountains. He knew he could not do this on his own, so he enlisted the help of two birds known to be strong fliers. These birds had made the long journey over the mountains many times.

The birds said, “We know how to get over the mountains, but we do not know how to help you. What do you have in mind?”

The frog then revealed his plan. “Here’s what I need you to do. Do you see that reed lying on the ground? I want each of you to hold one end of that reed in your beak. I will bite down on the middle of the reed and you can fly over the mountain range with me in between the two of you.”

The two birds agreed to this strange request and off they flew into the wild blue yonder with their green passenger. They made an unusual site indeed!

After an hour or so of spectacular flight over snow capped peaks, sharp ridges, and deep valleys, a flock of geese flew near our unusual trio. Their eyes quickly caught sight of the flying frog. They flew closer to check it out. One of the geese called out, “What a genius thing to do! Whose idea was that anyway?”

“Mine,” said the frog, as he opened his mouth, “Miiinnneeee…” His voice trailed away as he fell into the depths of a canyon, never to be seen again.

Thinking about this story and its implications, I am learning:

1. You can accomplish most of your goals if you don’t care who gets the credit.

2. “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall” (Proverbs 16:18, NIV).

3. “There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death” (Proverbs 16:25, NIV).

What insights for our daily lives do you gain from this story and in particular these verses from the Bible?

Pastor Chris