Back To Your Future?

“If only…..”  Have you ever said that to yourself?  The holidays are a wonderful time, full of social gatherings with family and friends, and warm memories of past celebrations.  For many, if not most of us, our memories include some “if only” moments that make us laugh or perhaps, wince.  “If only I hadn’t made that comment to my wife about my mother-in-law’s gift, ‘Well this tie is certainly going to the back of the closet never to see the light of day!’  Then hearing my mother-in-law’s voice, directly at my back, say with forced cheer: ‘Eggnog anyone?’”  Oops!

Sometimes our “if only” moments are more painful.  “If only I had said no to that first drink.  I was doing so well on my recovery program.”  “If only my ex and I had remained civil, we wouldn’t have spoiled the day for the kids.”  “If only I’d spent more time talking with my dad.  How was I to know he’d have a fatal heart attack 2 weeks later?”

How often have you wished you could go back into the past to change the present and future?  Wouldn’t it be great if that were actually possible?  You could clean the slate, get a fresh start and have a better outcome.  “If only” the past was accessible and correctable.

I think this common desire is part of the reason the 1985 sci-fi comedy, “Back to the Future,” was the most successful film that year, and has become an enduring classic.  You remember what happens.  Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox), a typical teenager in a typical southern California suburb, is accidentally transported in time (that incredible DeLorean) back to 1955, where he meets his parents as teenagers.  In a comedy of errors, his teenage mother has a crush on him, and he must get his parents to fall in love, or his very existence is threatened.

Of course, he does it.  But the way he does it has a positive impact on his parents’ future, so when he returns to the present, his parents are now in-love, physically fit and highly successful.  I think most of us who see the film, think “If only.”

I love Christmas, because every year it reminds me that there is a real “If only…”  There is a real way to erase the past mistakes and regrets, and change the present and future.  God knew that the human race needed an opportunity to redo the past after Adam and Eve made the wrong choice in Eden.  So 2,000 years ago, He sent His son, Jesus, into the world, born as an infant. His mission: to undo the wrong of Adam and Eve, and become the right through His obedient life, that sets all our past right. 

By going “back to the past” 2000 years ago, and meeting and receiving our Savior, we can eradicate our “if onlys” and transform our present and future. “Anyone who comes to Jesus Christ has become a new person.  Their old life is gone, and a new life has begun.” (2 Cor 5:17)  God has literally made it possible for us to go “back to our future!”

Make this your most memorable Christmas ever!  Accept God’s free gift of Jesus Christ and let Him take you back to your incredible future!

Please come join us this Sunday at 10:30 AM as we continue to discuss the significance of time.  My sermon, “The Fullness of Time” is part 3 of our Christmas series.

Down and Out in Bethlehem Hills

Joe sat silently, staring at his calloused, weathered hands, lost in thought.  “My father was right,” he said with a sigh.  “He said I would work with my hands all my life and so far I have.”  He sighed again more deeply.  

He never dreamed 27 years ago when he took a job as a night security guard that all these years later he would be in that same position, just barely getting by.  He was now middle-aged, a time in life when he should have something to show for all his efforts, but he didn’t.  He felt stuck in a boring existence, completely dead-ended.

And now the family would be gathering for the annual feast and the pressure was on to spend money they really didn’t have.  Rachal, his wife would be negatively comparing their modest status against that of more affluent in-laws.

Sam, his brother-in-law would dominate the dinner conversation boasting about his latest construction work on some elegant residence.  Uncle Morey and Aunt Liz would continue their decades long, non-stop bickering and everyone would have to watch Grandpa to make sure he didn’t drink himself into a rage.  It was supposed to be a festive time, but to Joe it felt as dull and predictable as his meaningless life.

Does this sound familiar?  As we approach the holidays, many people are excited and full of anticipation. Many others struggle with another year of unfulfilled dreams, disappointed hopes, and a deep sense of futility, as they feel stuck on the treadmill of their life. 

They may feel lonely, alienated from family, or dreading negative encounters with a former spouse about how to share child visitations over the holidays.  Lost opportunities of holidays past overwhelm them with sadness, crowding out the enjoyment of current celebrations.

As Joe sits and contemplates another uneventful, forgettable night like so many thousands he has experienced before, there is no way he can imagine the incredible turn his life is about to take.  Joe is not a contemporary, but a shepherd in the Judean hillsides 2000 years ago.  His occupation places him at the bottom rung of the social ladder in his culture.  Shepherds are considered to be ignorant and not too bright.  Their protracted time in the fields and offensive odor means they are banned from many social settings, and their lives are largely isolated and lonely.

But Luke 2:8-11, 13-14 describes what Joe is about to witness:  “That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep.  Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of God’s glory surrounded them.  They were terrified, but the angel reassured them, ‘Don’t be afraid.  I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people.  The Savior has been born today in Bethlehem.’

Suddenly the angel was joined by a vast number of other angels praising God and saying: ‘Glory to God in the highest heaven.  Peace and goodwill to men on earth.’”

God chose to make the most significant birth announcement ever to insignificant, lonely men.  He focused His love and attention on these forgotten and sad souls, by sharing this great joyful news with them first.  They were front and center on His agenda.

It’s 2000 years later, but God has not changed.  No matter how forgotten or lonely you may feel, no matter how hopeless your life may seem, God loves you and wants to fill your life with joy.  You are front and center with Him, and He longs to give you the greatest gift of all: abundant life in His Son, Jesus Christ.

Come join us this Sunday at 10:30 AM to continue this discussion of God’s greatest gift.  My sermon “Joy to the World” is part 2 of our current Christmas series.

Is Your Security Leaking?

Just how secure do you feel these days?  If you are like most Americans right now, your answer is probably, “Not very.”  Virtually everyone has had one or more of their sources of security spring significant leaks in the recent economic downturn over the last few years.  Whether the market value of your home or retirement fund has shriveled, or you are currently un or underemployed, you feel less certain about what the future holds.

And if these types of resource drains aren’t enough, we get reminders frequently of other ways our security can be violated.  The security systems of our computers or on line accounts can be hacked into, revealing our personal information to identity thieves.  Our debit or credit card numbers can be lifted from ATMs and other card-swiping devices that have been tampered with.  The latest target during the holidays is giftcards that have been altered.  You buy the card and someone else checks by phone and spends the balance as soon as it becomes available.

Even security systems, long thought virtually invincible, have sprung significant leaks.  Currently a quarter of a million classified and top secret US documents have begun infusing the internet, courtesy of Wikileaks.  They contain everything from too candid comments about foreign countries and their leaders, to sensitive information about back door agreements between nations and behind the scenes negotiations.  Increasingly, it appears that nothing and no one has any degree of security they can count on.

Security leaks are not new.  It might surprise you to know that even God Himself has had to deal with a security leak.  It happened 2,000 years ago.  God had established a plan for a quiet invasion of earth by His Son, Jesus, arriving incognito as a newborn infant.  He would be born to two ordinary parents, Joseph and Mary, in a nondescript town, Bethlehem, during a major political event, a national census.  He would arrive under the radar and anonymous.

But several dedicated astronomers, read the stellar encryption and knew something monumental was about to take place.  They traveled to Judea, the land of Jesus’s birth and created a serious security leak by asking the king, Herod, “Where is the one who has just been born king of the Jews?”

Now tipped off, Herod was upset, as he certainly didn’t want a rival to the throne.  As a clever politician, he decided to use the security breach to his advantage.  He told the foreign astronomers to return after they found the infant king and disclose his location so he, Herod, could also go and pay homage.  But of course Herod had no such intention.  He was really planning to kill the child.

The astronomers found Jesus and presented him with costly gifts.  But God gave them a disturbing dream, and they decided to leave Judea without reporting back to Herod.  Their secret departure gave God time to warn Joseph to take Jesus and Mary and leave Judea altogether.  Their costly gifts no doubt financed the journey. 

God dealt with this major security leak.  He saved Jesus’s life, because after Herod found out he had been duped, he ordered the death of all male infants under 2 years old living in Bethlehem.  Satisfied he had eliminated the threat, Herod never realized that Jesus had secretly survived and would live to fulfill His divine mission.

No matter how major your security leaks currently are, God wants to give you a certain future, filled with hope.  He can take any situation and turn it around for your benefit.  He quietly invaded earth 2000 years ago for this very purpose.

Come and join us this Sunday at 10:30 AM to continue this discussion.  My sermon, “The Quiet Invasion” will reveal the true mission of Jesus on earth and how you can share in its benefits.

Mettle of Honor.

Most of us dream of doing something great, of achieving something significant enough that we will leave our mark on the world.  Listen to the words of one person who has accomplished this:

“I ran through the gun fire to see what was going on with Sarge….maybe we could hide behind the same rock and shoot together.  I did what I did because in the scheme of painting the picture of that ambush, that was just my brush stroke. I didn’t take the biggest brush stroke, and it wasn’t the most important brush stroke.”

These are the words of Staff Sargeant Salvatore Giunta, who was awarded the Medal of Honor last week on November 16, 2010.  Three years ago on October 25, 2007, then Corporal Giunta, saved his fatally wounded squad leader from being captured, while exposing himself to intense enemy gunfire. 

He was cited for “his unwavering courage, selflessness and decisive leadership under extreme enemy fire that led to defeat of an enemy ambush and the recovery of an injured fellow American soldier.”  Like most Medal of Honor recipients, Giunta expressed that he did not feel he had done anything out of the ordinary.

He joins an elite corps of individuals, who are distinguished in receiving the highest honor given by the government to a member of the armed forces. Since it was established 150 years ago, the Medal of Honor has been awarded only 3449 times. It is clearly a medal to honor the mettle (the quality of exceptional courage and fortitude) of a person.  Due to the extreme bravery it honors, most recipients receive the award posthumously.  In fact, SSgt Giunta is the first living recipient since the Vietnam War in 1973.

We admire such courage and commitment.  SSgt Giunta not only displayed his own honorable mettle under fire, he also honored his squad members by considering them worthy of sacrificing his own life. 

How would it change the way you see yourself to know that someone considered you worth enough to risk their life for you?  That they esteemed and valued you so much they were willing to face certain death to see you live?  Can you imagine being that important to anyone?

Well you are!  There is someone who knows every detail about you, and honored your worth by dying to give you life.  He took the guilt and wrongdoing of all of us, and freely accepted our punishment undergoing the most tortuous death ever devised by the human mind.  On the cross, Jesus Christ displayed the supreme mettle of honor in willingly sacrificing Himself for your freedom. 

And you are so important to Him that He did it joyfully!  Hebrews 12:2b states:  “because of the joy awaiting Him, Jesus endured the cross, despising its shame. Now He is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.”

How can we honor this One who has honored us so much?  We can offer to Him what He most desires from us: our presence and intimacy.  Choosing to honor Him with our time and desire for His presence is the heart of worship.  Spend time today seeking God in worship and see how He will honor and lavish His love upon you!

Come and join us this Sunday at 10:30 AM to continue this discussion.  My wife, Sue Ahn’s sermon is “Honor, the Heart of Worship,” part 4 in our current series on “Wired for Worship.” 

Thought-Full or Thankful?

I just returned from a trip to Israel this past week, and in my absence, it was clear that the holiday season “arrived”.  Everywhere I went, I was bombarded by reminders of the approaching holidays; or maybe I should say the encroaching holidays?  Amid all the lights, decorations, plastic snow and strains of “Santa Claus is coming to town,” the heightened energy level was so thick, it felt inescapable. 

This is the time of year when our personal planners quickly fill with numerous obligatory appearances at a series of family and work-related festivities.  Time not delegated to these holiday gatherings gets consumed in preparing for them: baking traditional favorite dishes, writing and (e)mailing the annual newsletter, decorating, shopping, wrapping, shipping etc. etc.

While most of us enjoy the holiday season, we may also find ourselves caught up in the activity frenzy, and pushed into a stressed state.  Frequently this season of joy and peace becomes an endurance trial of frustration, as we search for elusive parking spots in overcrowded malls, and spend sleepless nights dreading the holiday meal with bickering extended family members.  Our anxiety rises as we wonder if our children will be delighted or disappointed with their gifts.  If we’re honest, we must admit at times we find ourselves wishing the season was behind us.  

Between the Ho, Ho, Ho’s, and Fa, la, la, la, la’s, a new holiday tradition has arisen: the 60 second expert interview on “Tips for Taming Holiday Stress” aired on our local nightly newscast.  Typical offerings include gems like, “use paper plates,” “travel after rush hour,” “buy prepared foods,” “set a budget,” and “get adequate sleep.”  Hardly earth-shattering!

I like the advice Jesus offered 2,000 years ago.  He had arrived with his followers at the home of his good friend Lazarus.  The size of this group would have been at least 13 and might have been 70 or more.  It was a major entertainment event, and Lazarus’ sister Martha immediately went into hyperactivity mode focusing on the preparations. Her sister, Mary, sat and listened to Jesus.  In a fit of irritability, Martha confronted Jesus demanding that He send Mary to help.  But Jesus told her, “My dear Martha, you are worried and spent over all these details.  There is only one thing worth being concerned about and Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:41-42)

What did Mary discover?  She realized the importance of spending time in God’s presence.  In the midst of her hectic schedule she knew that focusing on God, listening to His direction would reset her priorities, and relieve her stress, as she saw her tasks from His perspective.

During the holidays, especially when I begin to feel overwhelmed, I think about things I am thankful for.  I get still, and start thanking God for these things. As I do, the feeling of stressful pressure engulfing me lifts, and my attitude shifts as I see things in a new way.  I leave refreshed, energized and centered again, ready to enjoy the season. 

                       

As you go through the upcoming holidays, when you get “thought-full” (full of too many “to do” thoughts), take some time to be thankful to God for all the good things in your life.  Let His perspective give you back the joy and wonder of the season!

Come and join us this Sunday at 10:30AM as we continue the discussion on the life- giving power of God’s presence.   My sermon, “ Pursuing His Presence Through Our Worship,” is part 3 in our current series on “Wired for Worship.”

Don’t Take Me for Granted!

“Don’t take me for granted!”  Have you ever said or felt that?  I’m sure we all have, numerous times.  None of us like to feel that our actions or personhood are being taken for granted.  It leaves us feeling invisible, worthless, like a non-person.  And our typical response is frustration and anger.  We want “them” to see just how much they depend on us and don’t realize it.  “I’ll show them,” we say as we contemplate revenge.

But have you ever considered all the things you take for granted everyday…like air for instance?  Did you know, that on average, you take about 23,000 breaths per day, inhaling 10,800 liters of air? 

Unless it is very smoggy, you probably don’t even think about the air around you. You can’t see it or feel it, and the air is always there when you need it, so you just take it for granted.  But how long would you survive in a vacuum chamber?  Probably not more than a maximum of 6-10 minutes.  Air is critical for your survival and you just take it for granted.

Right now you may be thinking, “Come on Che!  Air is a substance.  Taking a substance for granted is very different than taking a person for granted.”  Of course you’re right.  But there is a person who is closer than the air we breathe, and more vital to our survival than our next breath.  He’s the creator and sustainer of everything that is.  Whether we realize it or not, He’s our protector, defender and loving best friend.  He is God, but we can’t see or feel Him, so it’s easy to take Him completely for granted.

God doesn’t like being taken for granted anymore than we do, but for a very different reason.  We get offended at being overlooked and want to pull back from the relationship.  God loves us so much that He desires intimacy with us no matter how much we ignore Him.  He understands that the more we know Him and experience His love, the more we will trust Him and allow Him to do good things in and for us.  He longs to abundantly bless us, but often we are not open to receive from Him, so we get very little.

Years ago as a new Christian, I learned it was vital for me to seek God everyday and spend time with Him.  I wanted His counsel and guidance to direct my plans, and I needed His love and encouragement.  I found it most helpful to begin each day pursuing His presence, a practice I continue to this day.  When I begin my day this way I have clarity and focus, plans come together, and I am productive and feel on top of my game.   

When I get distracted and neglect my time with Him, circumstances compete for my attention.  I lose clarity, have difficulty focusing, and get frustrated as I struggle to get things done. I start feeling anxious and irritated.  I realize I am trying to make my life work in a spiritual vacuum.  My vital contact with God is disrupted and I’m starved for His presence and intimacy with Him.  When I once again seek Him, I am refreshed and my life comes back into balance.

Don’t cheat yourself by living in a spiritual vacuum.  Seek God’s presence daily.  Let Him surround you with His life-giving blessings and experience how your life will become filled with purpose, direction and deep satisfaction.  And next time you feel taken for granted, use it as an opportunity to ask yourself, “Am I taking God for granted today?” 

This Sunday at 10:30 AM we will look at the Biblical King David who made it his life goal to never take God for granted.  He pursued intimacy with God with such passion, that God named him “a man after God’s own heart.”  Come join us and discover how David kept God’s presence first in his life.  Our guest speaker, Cindy Jacobs, will discuss “The Tabernacle of David,” the second part in our current series on “Wired for Worship.”

Now What Do I Do?

How are you feeling these days: discouraged and overwhelmed, pessimistic and depressed, anxious and confused, or joyful and expectant?

It is the morning after the 2010 elections and the results are now history.  Regardless of how we may feel about the results, we can all breathe a collective sigh of relief that we will no longer be subjected to those political attack ads!

Typical of most midterm elections, the party that was out of power has made substantial gains, but the strength of the reversal is unusual.  There hasn’t been such a large reversal of Congressional seats since the mid 1930’s when we were in the Great Depression.  Two years ago the country voted for change, and in a landslide, rejected the policies of the party now being welcomed back in a tidal wave of incumbent turnovers.  Can the political climate change this radically in just two years?

It can and will during times of great anxiety and uncertainty, when people are searching for solutions that will re-establish a sense of security and control.  Historical analysts tell us that radical shifts in political sentiment are indicative of an unstable society being tossed from political pillar to post, anxiously grabbing at straws, and looking for a quick fix to establish a comfortable status quo.

I travel the world, and everywhere I go these days I meet worried, anxious people who are experiencing the disruption of everything they were depending on.  Their lives are in a state of perpetual flux and their problems have grown to what feel like insurmountable levels.  Sound familiar?

For some, that dream house of a few years ago has become a nightmare as they are now trapped in an upside down mortgage with large monthly payments.  They agonize over whether to stay and throw their money down a pit knowing they may never retrieve it, or walk away and destroy their good credit rating.  Others have watched their retirement plans fizzle as investment next eggs eroded in value with the precipitous stock market fall.  Now retirement is on permanent hold, and they just anxiously hope they can continue to stay employed.

I meet students who are disillusioned, their education plans fading as tuition costs skyrocket.  They wonder just how much debt they should realistically take on in pursuit of their degree.  Higher education used to be the ticket to a better job and a secure future, but now students worry about what job market will exist when they graduate.  For many young adults the present uncertainties mean delaying decisions like getting a place of their own, getting married or starting a family.

As people focus on their problems, they become more hopeless and confused.  The writer of James expressed it this way:  “For the one who wavers is like the billowing surge out at sea, that is blown hither and thither, tossed by the wind.  For being a person unable to decide, he hesitates, is unstable and uncertain about everything he thinks and feels.”  (James 1:6,8)

God knows that what we attend to grows in our awareness and defines our world and possibilities.  If we focus on problems, we magnify them and give them power over us.  We become trapped in an endless cycle of worry, wondering: “Now what do I do?” God never intended for us to tackle problems alone.  He wants us to focus on solutions rather than our problems.  How do we become solution focused?  We worship God.

Surprised?  Worship is not a set of religious acts we perform together in a church on Sunday morning.  Worship is an invitation from God to become involved in a relationship of intimacy with Him, as we focus on His attributes and character.  As He grows in our awareness, our problems and pending decisions shrink, and we become acquainted with His capability and desire to assist us.  Our hope is restored and life becomes doable and joyful again!

Come and join us this Sunday at 10:30 am as we begin a new series for November, called  “Wired for Worship.”  The sermon this week is “Worship and the Kingdom.”  We hope to see you there!