Totally Deleted!

I love the power of the delete button. With one simple click I can make a whole data set disappear from my screen. I thought I was obliterating the data from my computer as well, but I found out that I was wrong. An IT geek that I know informed me that when I delete a file it is only removed from the directory structure and sent to my computer’s trashcan or recycle area, where it can be easily retrieved.

The deleted file remains in the trashcan until it is written over with a new deleted file. But even then the file is not totally deleted. Recovery specialists can still re-create files that have been deleted and overwritten up to 10 times. Not even reformatting your computer will ensure that everything is totally deleted.

There are data deletion tools that act on your computer files like a paper shredder, pulverizing the file into bits and scattering and rearranging them so that it becomes very difficult to reassemble the original file. However, even these deletion tools cannot always totally delete file information. The only sure way to permanently delete data is to destroy the hard disk.

Our human mind often holds onto data that we would really like to delete. Especially at this holiday season when we are approaching the New Year, it is natural to look forward with anticipation, but too often, also to look back with regrets. Increasingly as I talk with people, I find more of them struggling with regrets that they can't totally delete.

When they should have hope for their future they're stuck with remorse for their past. They’re plagued by thoughts like: “If only I'd…,” “What was I thinking?” “I wish I'd never…,” “Why did I do that?” These self-condemning thoughts recycle in their minds, robbing them of peace, hope and joy. It becomes impossible for them to move forward. They can’t give themselves a break because they are stuck with data from their past.

Father God designed the human mind and He understands how our mistakes and remorse make lasting imprints on our thoughts and create negative feelings about ourselves. He has a perfect program to set us free by totally deleting our past regrets. The program is called “forgiveness.”

Father God assures us: “For as high as the heavens are above the earth so great is His love for those who reverence Him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.” (Psalms 103:11–12) He completely forgives us and removes our mistakes and regrets from His memory.

But He doesn't stop there. He totally deletes that self-condemning data from our memory as well. He promises: “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.” (Ezekiel 36:26) He completely replaces our old heart that is indelibly imprinted with our mistakes, and gives us a brand-new heart free of all remorse and regret. We have a “clean slate,” and can look forward to our future with hope and joyful expectation!

If you find yourself recycling a lot of old data as you approach the New Year, why not let Father God totally delete those old files, give you a new heart and put His Spirit within you? Only He can set you free permanently!

Please join us this Sunday at 9:00 AM or 11:00 AM for worship and a powerful message as we close out this year with thankful hearts.

Pastor Che

Overcoming Love

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that.
Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that.”
Martin Luther King Jr.

I stared at these words quoted in a tweet from NBC reporter, Ann Curry, a few days ago. I was still struggling to comprehend the horrific tragedy that had occurred at the elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut. That anyone would break into a school and shoot innocent 6 and 7-year-old children was beyond my understanding.

Like most Americans hearing the news, I wanted to hold my children and grandchildren close, thank God for their safety, and offer some type of comfort and consolation to the grieving families in Newtown. In her tweet, I could see that Ann Curry was suggesting a powerful way to overcome the evil represented in that act of terror, by responding with kindness. She called the proposal, “26 Acts of Kindness,” and stated, “Please consider performing 26 acts of kindness in memory of the Sandy Hook victims.”

Her suggestion immediately went viral and responses began to pour in, as hundreds of thousands of people worldwide chose to respond to the evil act with good. One person tweeted they were buying homeless people lodging and breakfast. Another person was leaving anonymous gift cards on cars in a parking lot. A Texas man bought coffee for everyone in the city of Newtown. A group of women in Atlanta were collecting teddy bears for all 400 children in the school. A young child reported buying school lunch for a friend who had no money. Someone else was putting money in expired parking meters.

On and on it went, people doing random acts of kindness for strangers and most of the time doing them anonymously. What a wonderful way to drive back darkness and hate, with the light and love of kindness and good acts! So simple and yet so powerful! Immediately I thought of Romans 12:21 which says, “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”

I began thinking about the first Christmas and the hardships that Israel faced under Roman rule. Imagine for a moment being a conquered people, having your city occupied by foreign troops, and being commanded to participate in a census that you know is going to increase your taxes. Many of your rights have been taken from you, but you have no recourse. There are no laws to protect you.

Imagine how dark and despairing your life would be. Constant oppression with no way out. But Father God was not overwhelmed by the cruelty and evil represented in the Roman Empire. He possesses a love that overcomes all evil no matter how great. His response was to send His Son, Jesus, to become one of us, so He could show us the heart of the Father, and demonstrate the overcoming power of the Father's love.

Christmas is a love gift from God to each one of us. He says to us in our times of personal discouragement, disappointment, pain and despair, “My love for you is more powerful than any evil or darkness you can ever face. My love for you is everlasting and I will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5) He promises us in Romans 8:37, “In everything we are more than overcomers through Christ who loved us and gave Himself for us.”

Say yes to God's overcoming love this Christmas, and let Him show you how that love will drive out the darkness in your life, and in the lives of those you love.

Please join us for a special Christmas program, “The Promise of Christmas” this Sunday at 9:00 AM or 11:00 AM. We will continue to look at “Mary's Faith, Part III” as we consider how to have a faith-filled Christmas. Merry Christmas to you and your families!

Pastor Che

Birthed in Love

Like many American families, we enjoy the tradition of hanging our stockings on the mantle over the fireplace. When our children became adults, we modified our tradition a bit to begin including their spouses. Every family members’ stocking now hangs under their baby picture. This year we have a new stocking to hang for our little Annabelle. But her picture is a little different; it's a sonogram. You see, Annabelle hasn't been born yet, she's due February 2, 2013.

Despite the fact that she hasn't yet arrived, Annabelle is very much with us, and she is very much a unique person to us. The other day, I was talking with my daughter, Joy, who is Annabelle's mother. She was telling me how she already “knows” Annabelle as an individual, and even though Annabelle has done nothing yet, Joy has fallen completely in love with her. Annabelle already occupies the hearts of both Joy and Kuoching, her husband.

The conversation reminded me of the anticipation and joy that my wife, Sue, and I shared as we waited for the birth of each of our children. And I thought back to that first Christmas and tried to imagine the excitement that Mary and Joseph shared as they waited for the birth of Jesus. How did Mary experience the personhood of God within her? We know His presence was there, for when Mary visited her cousin Elizabeth who was also pregnant, the baby in Elizabeth's womb, the future John the Baptist, leapt for joy at experiencing Jesus in Mary's womb.

We know that God was overjoyed at the birth of His Son, Jesus, for He sent a host of angels to give the birth announcement. But I think that Father God's joy on that first Christmas was also in anticipation of the future births of a whole family of sons and daughters.

We are told in Psalm 139:13–14 a, “You created my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise You for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” And again in Jeremiah 1:5, “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you, before you were born, I set you apart.”

Did you know that you were on God's mind and heart before you were ever born? That He had a plan and a wonderful destiny for you even as you were being conceived and formed before birth? Before you had ever done one thing, Father God was completely in love with you.  No matter what your personal circumstances, you were anticipated; you were wanted; you were birthed in love. God meant for you to come into being, and to be here now.

Why not make this Christmas the most unique one of your life by saying “yes” to the love of your Heavenly Father? Let God spiritually birth you in love and welcome you to His forever family. He is a Father you can completely trust.

Come join us this Sunday for a special Christmas celebration at 9:00 AM or 11:00 AM. I will be completing the series on “Mary's Faith.”

Pastor Che

The Perfect Gift

With Black Friday and Cyber Monday behind us, we are now in the frenetic homestretch to Christmas, and the search for “the perfect gift.” You know the one I'm talking about. It may be for your spouse, child, parent, fiancé or friend, but you want to get them something that they really like, something that expresses how much they mean to you.

Of course, Madison Avenue and a host of retailers are only too eager to be of help in your decision-making, pitching everything from Mercedes to the latest tech toys to this season's new perfume. They flood television commercials, online pop-ups and billboards with pictures of overjoyed Christmas recipients of their products. They make it look like finding the perfect gift is the easiest thing you can do.

Personally, I've learned after years of varying success, that I can't always identify the perfect gift. For instance, it's taken time, but I know when it comes to my wife, Sue, that I'm far more likely to hit upon the perfect gift if its sentimental, rather than clothes or perfume. This knowledge has come only through experience, and unfortunately more than a few disappointing Christmas gifts.

As a parent, the perfect gift for me was watching my children's excitement as they opened that special present which contained the toy they wanted most. We always tried to capture the moment on camera, and now that our children are grown, those memories are priceless. Now I get to share those precious moments with grandkids.

Every year as we gather around the tree surrounded by presents and full of anticipation, I am reminded that the most perfect gift will never appear under the Christmas tree. It's actually an ancient gift, given 2000 years ago, but still continues giving today. It is the gift Father God presented on the very first Christmas, the gift of His Son, Jesus Christ. It was a gift that cost Him everything, but He spared no expense, for we mean that much to Him.

In giving His Son, Father God wanted us to be assured that He loves us so much that He would never deny us any good thing. Scripture states it plainly in Romans 8:32, “He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?”

Have you ever wondered what is the perfect gift you can give to God? After all, He's “the Guy with everything,” right? Actually, you have something to give that He desires so very much. Like any loving parent, Father God wants to see our joy as we accept His gift and allow Him to give us all the blessings He desires to pour out upon us.

This Christmas, give the perfect gift to the One who deserves it most. Give yourself, your heart and your loving trust to Father God. Put a smile on His face and let Him show you how very much you mean to Him.

Come join us this Sunday at 9:00 AM or 11:00 AM for a special worship and Christmas service. We are continuing our present series, “A Faith Filled Christmas.” We will look again at “Mary's Faith, Part II,” and see how this young woman presented her perfect gift to God.

Pastor Che