Born to Reign

He's only a few days old, and yet the entire world is aware of his existence. He has done nothing to merit it, but one day he will be king. I am sure you have heard by now, he is Britain's new Prince, George Alexander Louis, and he was born to reign.

Like most newborns, there is much speculation about what he will look like. Of course he will resemble his parents and many computer composites have been generated suggesting how he might look as an adolescent or young adult. While his looks may be a matter for speculation, his upbringing is not. He is already a prince, and he will be brought up to be a royal.

As Prince George matures, he will have to master royal protocol and learn how to live in the public eye. He will discover that his life is not really his own, that he was born for a larger purpose than simply living as a privileged prince. No doubt his earliest learning will be instruction under the watchful eye of his parents, but he will have to be given opportunities to practice his royal skills outside the safety of the palace.

Eventually Prince George will be sent out on solo missions where he will represent the monarchy and the British Commonwealth. He will also be expected to use his position and influence to sponsor various charitable causes in Britain and around the world. He will take on increasing responsibilities throughout his lifetime. Unlike most people, he will never retire, because his job as a royal will never end.

When we are born again into the family of God, we become divine royalty. Like any child, we begin to resemble our father, God, and our brother, Jesus Christ. In fact we are told in Ephesians 5:1, “Be imitators of God, as beloved children.” As we mature in Christ we go from one spiritual level to another and we increasingly manifest the nature and character of our Father God. In 2 Corinthians 3:18, the apostle Paul states, “And we all, with unveiled faces, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.”

At first we are instructed and nurtured within the comfortable environment of our divine family, the church. However, we cannot simply sit and receive instruction forever. We must move out into the world and put into practice what we have learned. We must be doers of the Word, and not hearers only. (James 1:22)

Jesus fully expected that we would not only learn about His life; we would live it. He instructed us before He ascended, “Go into all the world, and preach the gospel to all creation. And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues… they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.” (Mark 16:15, 17, 18 b)

We were born again into God's royal family to represent His kingdom here on earth. He intends that we will actively establish the culture of heaven on earth. As divine royals, this is our purpose and our destiny, for we were born to reign.

Please come and join us this Sunday at 9:00 AM or 11:00 AM. I am having a “Family Talk” with our congregation, and my topic this week is “An Apostolic Center.” I want to share the vision God has placed on my heart for HRock Church as an apostolic center, and focus on the next step as we go to a new level in the supernatural.

Pastor Che

Where Is Justice?

The trial dominated the news, but the “not guilty” verdict in the Zimmerman case has left many now feeling dominated by a sense of injustice. A few days ago I heard a political analyst make the following statement, “It was a fair trial, but I don't think that justice was served.” The outbreak of protests across the country indicates that many people share her opinion.

While the trial was conducted in accordance with legal standards, and a jury determined that Zimmerman should be acquitted on the basis of self-defense, many still feel a sense of moral outrage. It doesn't seem “right” that Zimmerman, who could have prevented the altercation by not following Martin, appears to be getting off without bearing any responsibility for his actions. Yet under the laws of the state of Florida, Zimmerman didn't do anything illegal.

While many feel he was motivated in his actions by negative racial stereotypes, no one but Zimmerman actually knows what was in his mind and heart that evening. Unfortunately, our judicial system is limited in how deeply it can probe into the mind and intentions of another human being. We can only approximate true justice at best, and sometimes that leaves us deeply unsatisfied.

All of us have been in situations where we experienced a sense of injustice. Maybe it was the fight we got into as a child that was actually started by the other kid, but we received the blame. Or a fellow employee used one of our ideas to gain favor with the boss and didn't give us any credit. Perhaps it was that speeding ticket we got when we were simply following the rest of traffic. Those of us who are minorities know the sense of injustice we have experienced at being treated differently.

There are no easy fixes for the sense of injustice because there is no universal agreement on what is just. Only God truly knows what was in the mind and heart of both Zimmerman and Martin that evening, and that is why only God can truly determine what is justice. Scripture makes it clear that God notes all the thoughts and intentions of each person. Deuteronomy 32:34–35 states, “The Lord says, ‘Am I not storing up these things, sealing them away in My treasury? I will take revenge; I will pay them back. In due time their feet will slip. Their day of disaster will arrive, and their destiny will overtake them.’”

We need to understand that God's vengeance proceeds out of true justice. It is holy and righteous, and free from self-gratification or payback. It differs from human vengeance that all too often is motivated by a sense of injury or a feeling of indignation and the desire to inflict pain on another. Human vengeance frequently only perpetrates further injustice.

I think we would all do well to remember the words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. nearly 50 years ago at the March on Washington. He said, “In the process of gaining our rightful place, we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred. We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force.”

I pray that no matter what your views on the outcome of the Zimmerman trial, that you will remember that God is just, and in the end His justice will stand. And if you have suffered a personal injustice in some situation, God sees and knows it, and He will establish justice, true justice, not human vengeance.

Please join us this Sunday at 9:00 AM or 11:00 AM. My dear friend, Winkie Pratney, will be our guest speaker with an engaging and timely message.

Pastor Che

“Let's Do Lunch…”

When I first moved to Los Angeles from the East Coast in the 80s, it took time for me to understand that when someone said, “let's do lunch,” they weren't inviting me to share a meal. You see in LA, “let's do lunch” is a socially accepted way to end a conversation, just as “Hi, how are you?” is to open one. It has the appearance of an invitation, but no substance.

I've increasingly noticed these days that many relationships, even in the church, are the “let's do lunch” variety. They look like friendship, but they really aren't. They are superficial, casual and temporary. They are relationships of convenience, not commitment. They are often built around shared experiences, and much of the conversation centers on movies, sports, tastes in music, tech toys etc. When there is a challenge or controversy, they often dissolve rather than weather the circumstances.

These “let's do lunch” relationships can't be very satisfying to the people engaged in them. Real relationships involve sharing your true self with someone else and being there for them. They require vulnerability and the risk of possibly being hurt, but provide the tremendous reward of being loved and accepted for who you really are.

Psychologists tell us that we gain a sense of fulfillment in intimate relationships with others. They identify 3 factors that characterize intimate relationships: closeness, communication, and commitment.

Closeness involves mutual self-disclosure. We allow our friend to see us as we truly are, and they do likewise. There is vulnerability to be sure, but also a sense of mutual acceptance. We don't have to wear a mask and try to be someone we are not. Someone else really knows us, flaws and all, and accepts who we are.

Communication means that we are able to say how we feel, whether positive or negative. We share happiness and high moments of success, but also feel free to share discouragement and times of sadness with each other.

Real relationships are built on commitment. We are loyal to one another through the difficult times as well as the good ones. Real friends confront one another when necessary and work through differences. They don't vanish when the going gets tough.

Real relationships are “let's do life” relationships. They are substantial and have depth and staying power. It's not surprising that Father God, who created us, also gives us instruction in how to have real relationships. In Galatians 6:2, He tells us to help each other carry our burdens, and be patient with each other's faults. In Romans 12:15, we are advised to be available in good times and bad. We are to be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep.

Jesus told His disciples not to disappear when they encountered difficulties in a relationship. Instead, He advised them, “If another believer sins against you, go privately and point out the offense. If the other person listens and confesses it, you have won that person back.” (Matthew 18:15)

Father God is committed to “let's do life” relationships. Jesus assures us that His relationship with us is true friendship. “There is no greater love than to lay down one's life for one's friends. Now you are My friends, and I have told you everything that the Father told Me.” (John 15:13, 15) He went on to prove himself a true friend by dying on the cross for each one of us. If you have never accepted His offer, I hope you will receive His gift of love for you today, and find in Him a “let's do life” friend.

Come join us this Sunday at 9:00 AM or 11:00 AM. My sermon is, “The Family of God” which is a community of “let's do life” relationships.

Pastor Che

No Way Out

"It appears he has run out of options. He is a man without a country." The national newscaster was referring to Edward Snowden, the former NSA (National Security Agency) consultant who began leaking top-secret information about mass surveillance programs in late May. Shortly after his initial disclosures, Snowden fled to Hong Kong seeking political asylum.

The US Department of Justice has filed charges of theft of government property and espionage against Snowden. The Chinese forced him out of Hong Kong and currently Snowden is in the transit area of the Moscow airport. His US passport has been revoked and he has no visa, so he currently is a man in limbo while he tries to find a country that will grant him asylum.

Snowden worked as a computer technical consultant for both the CIA and the NSA since 2007. He had only been working in his current consulting position 3 months before going rogue with stolen information, which appears to have been his intention all along. What's hard to understand is exactly what Snowden thought he would accomplish in his actions. It is highly unlikely he anticipated being left in his current situation with no way out.

Actually, as we just celebrated the 4th of July, I am reminded of another American who went rogue, Benedict Arnold. He gained a reputation for bravery and heroism as a general in early battles of the Revolutionary war. Later, however, he defected to the British, serving in their Army, and fled to London after the British were defeated.

Arnold lived out the rest of his life in Britain and Canada, never really becoming a full-fledged citizen of either country. In the US, he has traditionally been considered a traitor, and his name "Benedict Arnold" is synonymous with treason. In the end, like Edward Snowden, he was a person with no way out, a man without a country.

Most likely, both Snowden and Arnold felt their actions were justified and would gain them advantage and approval with some group. I'm sure neither one planned on becoming a political refugee without a real homeland, forced to live their lives in infamy. Instead of being hailed for great accomplishments, they were left largely stranded with no way out.

It's easy from a distance to look at men like Snowden and Arnold and say, "What in the world were they thinking?" However, most of us, if we are honest, will admit that we have made some decisions that we later regretted, but there was no way out of the negative circumstances we created. It might have been that major credit card purchase we just had to have, and now we’re stuck with monthly payments at high interest rates. Perhaps it was a relationship we entered too quickly, or even worse, terminated prematurely and now we live with regret.

We've all made some decisions that at the moment looked promising and "the right thing to do." Unfortunately, in retrospect, we often see how we ignored certain facts that could have influenced us to choose a different course of action. Father God knows that too often our instincts can lead us astray. He tells us in Proverbs 14:12, "There is a way which seems right to a person, but the end of it is the way of death." In other words, it's easy to get trapped in a bad decision, thinking it will turn out good, but it doesn't.

Father God wants to guide our decision-making with His wisdom so we can avoid no way out consequences. But we must be willing to receive His instruction and learn how to be spiritually parented by the people He puts in our lives.

Please join us this Sunday at 9:00 AM or 11:00 AM. Pastor David Oh will be preaching on "Being Spiritual Sons and Daughters."

Pastor Che