Gotta crawl before you walk

I've been reading your comments on how frequently the staff should blog and I think either 1x/mo or 1x/wk is what we'll talk through. Most are leaning toward 1x/mo. And I'll see what we can do to drop the sermons(video/audio) on there as well.

Recently, I've been reminded of how good it is to just simply be a witness. I was looking at Paul's last letter of his life, 2 Timothy, and he tells Timothy, "As for you, always be steady, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry." Now most of us have heard parts of this but it's the next 2 verses tied to v. 5 that caught my attn. verse 6 says, FOR I am already on the point of being sacrificed; the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." Paul says verse 5 because he's on his way out....to be sacrificed! He's inspiring Timothy even near his deathbed. And then what I imagine would be on his tombstone if he had one--I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. We think about fighting the good fight of faith, we normally think of the challenges we face to stay close to God--the issues that come up at work, at home, etc. But Paul fought the good fight in terms of verse 5--he was steady, he endured suffering, he did the work of an evangelist, he fulfilled his ministry to get the gospel out, to mentor leaders, etc.

People around us are dieing in more ways that we can possibly see. They need Jesus. Let us continue to be "salt and light" in both word and deed.

How bad do you want it?

Hey Pasadena Church Family,

How many of you are actually reading this blog and want a pastor to give commentary on the passage for the day? I'm game to write at least 1x/wk but I'm not sure about the other pastors. Let us know if you want something daily or weekly or what?

Peace.

Brad

Reflections on I Kings 12-14

It's amazing how Jeroboam's "sin rampage" messed things up for Israel and Judah. And God's punishment is severe--"anyone belonging to Jeroboam who dies in the city the dogs will eat"(I K 14.11). The main person who seems righteous in these chapters is not the kings, the people or the prophets. The sin only intensifies as Israel resurrects the worship of 2 calves(I K 12.28), priests that weren't Levites(I K 12.31) and Judah under Reho. adds the Aherim in the high places again on every hill and male cult prostitution(I K 14.23ff). It's bad! Both Israel and Judah are on a very slippery slope into deeper and deeper forms of sin! The main person who seems righteous is Jeroboam's dead son, Abijah(I K 14.1-12)! I K 14.13 says he's the only thing pleasing to Lord. I Kings is a GREAT book in terms of battling sin and not to worship anything but God. Yet, even with all of this sin goin' on, God will remain faithful and persist with His people!! And we will see a king, Asa, who "did what is right in the eyes of the Lord, as David his father had done."(I K 15.11) Despite David's debacle in II Sam 11, he repents(Ps 51) and the standard for Kingly righteousness still comes back to David. blessings!

A Reflection on I Kings 11

On Tuesday, I received a phone from a number I did not recognize. On the other line, I heard a woman screaming and crying uncontrollably and after she caught her breath, she said, "Brad, it's Maria, your neighbor. Come quickly, I need help!" Immediately, I ran out over to her house. Her front door was wide open with the keys still in the lock and I could hear her sobbing in the other room. I ran to her and to my amazement, her hand was stuck in a window, one of those old Craftsman Style windows with the latch and the double sliding windows. She was screaming and shaking because 4 of her fingers on her right hand were stuck in between the 2 windows and she couldn't get them out. I rushed over to try and pry them out but I couldn't budge the window. It was one of the most nerve-wracking experiences I've ever gone through because she screamed louder every time I tried to get her free. Thankfully, she had enough sense in her mind to point me to a screw driver. I grabbed it, put it in between the 2 windows, and pried her hand free. Her hand was completely smashed, she cried in gratitude and in pain all mixed together and I helped her to the couch because she almost passed out from being light headed. I got her a cup of water, some ice, called her husband and Fina(we can always count on "Nurse Fina"!) and waited for her to calm herself and tell me what happened. She went into great detail about what happened while I rushed her down to the ER but apparently, she had her hand stuck in between the 2 windows for over 30 minutes! One of those old windows they meant to fix but never got around to fixing. She had made several phone calls to family and friends but nobody was available. Fortunately, by God's grace, she got my cell from her husband the night before and she called me and I "just happened" to be home. God's timing is amazing, isn't it? We got her to the ER and she suffered from hair-line fractures in her fingers but thank God, her hand will be ok in a month or so.

I think there are times when our "hand gets crushed in the window". Things seem like they're going relatively well and then our hand gets trapped in the old broken window. And we're stuck with no way out. But of course, God in His mercy, who sees every hair on our head, brings a friend to pry us free.

I share this because as I've been reading through I Kings, it strikes me that there is some parallel. I Kings 1-11 is an INCREDIBLE section of Scripture and we'd be her for days to comb through and mine every incredible gem....but if you like buried treasure and you like hunting for buried treasure, you'll find some of the greatest riches in the Bible buried in the pages of I Kings 1-11.

King Solomon has everything he could possibly want. But he had an old broken window he didn't take care of--Women and Wealth! He loved "many foreign women" and He "clung to these in love"(I K 11. 1-2). Deut 17. 14-20 reminds us Kings are not supposed to go for the gold! And they're not supposed to "multiply wives". Kings are to be holy devoted to God and to do justice in the land. And although God made Solomon the wisest in the land, the wisest ever(I K 3.12), apparently, he forgot to read Deut 17 and apply it. Apparently, he forgot to apply Ps 72, a psalm credited to his name!

Isn't this our story in a sense?

We get away from the word and we forget how to live our life.

And then the old broken windows we put off coming SLAMMING down on our hands. And then we're trapped.

Solomon never fulfilled his potential. He did some things well in his lifetime, but in the end, he did not finish well. He did not "make his throne greater than the throne of David"(I K 1.37) as was prophesied over his life. And subsequently, the "Golden Years" of David's reign ended and the Kingdom began to divide as you'll see in I K 12. May it not be so with us.

I K 1-11 makes me ask myself: What are "broken windows" in my life? Where has my "hand" been caught before? Lord, how are you leading Pasadena Church to get its house in order that we would be wholly devoted to you?

May God increase your zeal for Him and Him alone to love Him with all of your life and to love your neighbor as you know He loves you!

"Called Alongside"

Greetings Pasadena Church Community,

I am so grateful for the vision and implementation of this blog spot. I am also excited about the opportunity to dialogue through scriptures and spiritual matters. As for the Holy Spirit, I find encouragement in "his" name. "If you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever—the Spirit of truth" (John 14:15-17; NIV).

This name "Counselor" comes from the Greek word pronounced, "para-klay-tawn". This is where we get the word, "paraclete" which literally means, "called alongside". This means that the Holy Spirit was "called" to walk "alongside" us. It means that as the Christian travels on the journey of life, through blessings and challenges, through aboundance and drought, through happiness and sorrow, he or she is not alone. Even in times when we feel isolated, when it seems that no one understands, and it feels like we are walking alone, the Holy Spirit has been "called alongside" us to guide us in truth, to comfort us in sorrow and to lead us into our destiny.

I am encouraged daily, that God has not just sent to us a "counselor" as is defined by the American English definition, but He has ordained and commissioned the Holy Spirit himself to be by our side forever. This is the source of my help, my strength, my move, my press, my step, and my stride. The Holy Spirit is the source of my get-up when I fall, my flee when I am tempted, my try-again when I fail, my love-my-neighbor when my neighbor doesn't love me, my feeding-the-poor when I can barely feed myself, and my carrying-my-cross when I feel like giving up.

It is the one who has been "called alongside" who allows us to experience the Father, who promised to never leave us or forsake us, and the Son, Emmanuel, who is God with us. This is the experience of the Trinity.

Much Love,

Pastor D.

Talk To Me People!

Greetings,
This is Pastor Kerwin and I'm here to share the good news of the Kingdom of God with you. I'm interested in your thoughts about the Holy Spirit. Over the next several weeks, I'd like to discuss my personal perspective as well as hear yours. Feel free to ask the questions that you've always wanted answers to. If I don't have an answer, I promise you that we can discover it together. I'm kinda' new at blogging, but, I'm committed to sharing the gospel and "Rightly Dividing" the Word of truth with you. I'm also excited to join the other Pastors on our Church Team in sharing with you.

Peace,

Pastor Kerwin

"I'm here, aren't I?"

Luke 1:1-25

The author is careful to start out with the fact that Zechariah and Elizabeth were both faithful and obedient servants of God. He does this because their community likely believed the opposite about them. In Jewish society it was believed barrenness was a sign that God was upset - a result of divine disfavor.

But here in this story, the story of two faithful followers, God comes with literal redemption. In the eyes of their community Zechariah and Elizabeth will now 'save face'. That is, the dignity and respect that they deserve because of their righteousness and blamelessness before God (v.6) will finally see its day. This is the news the angel Gabrielle is sent to announce to Zechariah.

Notice that Zechariah's first response to Gabrielle is fear (vs.12). I relate to this personally. Often when I seek God I fear that he is going to ask something impossibly difficult of me (sidenote, this has never happened). This fear often comes from a misunderstanding of God's goodness. I tend to doubt that he really has my best interest in mind. When I do hear from him I still don't put my faith in what is being said, but instead require some proof that solidifies that the word is from God. This is exactly where we find Zechariah. The angel Gabrielle comes to him with this great news that he and his wife will have a son after years of trying. Not just any son, but one set aside to point the way and prepare the people for the coming Messiah. This is incredible news, a message of redemption for Zechariah and Elizabeth personally, but also for the Israelites (and later the world) as a whole - but Zechariah's fear keeps him from believing it.

So, he asks Gabrielle "How will I know?" Gabrielle's answer? Basically he says, "I'm here aren't I?" The proof that it will happen is in the the fact that God said it. Gabrielle came straight from the very presence of God. This should have been the only proof Zechariah needed.

Thankfully, God's word and plan is not contingent upon whether or not Zechariah believes it (and surely the moment he becomes mute is proof enough) and nine months later his promised son arrives, just as God said he would.