"I'm Just Kidding"

Why is it that we have to learn lessons painfully for them to make an impact on us?  I like to kid and joke with people.  If you give me a hard time, then I'm going to give it right back.  I often find that this allows us to be more human and then talk about more important things.  But many people are hurting by that kind of joking, even though they don't show it.  I had a friend confront me about this very thing many years ago.  He was hurt by the things I had said to him in jest, even though he was doing the same with me.  His heart was much more tender than mine and while he didn't show it, my words were serving to make him feel betrayed and broken by me.  I was stunned and had to face the reality that my joking was a source of pain or irritation to others.  That is a painful lesson for me and one that I have to have repeated to me.

I know I am not the only one who does this.  We often say hurtful things, then mask it with, "I'm only kidding" or "bless his heart" or a multitude of other phrases.  Most of the time, we don't really mean to hurt anyone, we are simply enjoying the moment.  We find something that seems humorous and we bring it up.  While others may be laughing, we don't think about the person who may be crying on the inside.  We never think that we might just have broken the heart or the spirit of someone who was struggling with a damaged soul.  Maybe they grew up in a home where they were never encouraged and never knew if their parents were ever proud of them.  Maybe this person just experienced some painful rejection this week and our words sound like more rejection.  Maybe this person has always battled having a low self-image and has masked it behind humor.  Maybe this person is afraid of emotional/spiritual intimacy, so they keep others at a distance.  The bottom line is, we never really know what someone is going through in their personal lives.  If our conversations simply stay on a surface level, we will do more harm than good.  We forget that sticks and stones do break our bones, but words destroy our spirit.  And once those words are out, they can never be taken back.  We will never see the tears we cause, but those tears are real.

Ephesians 5:3-5 puts is this way:  "But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people. ⁴ Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. ⁵ For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a person is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God."  Those are extremely strong words written to those of us who claim to be followers of Christ. 

James 3:5-6 reminds us, "Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts.  The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body.  It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by Hell."

Technology has made it easier for us to be critical with our words.  We send out a scathing tweet about an anonymous category of people because someone just did something we didn't like.  We posts messages of Facebook that seek to run down and find fault with those who hold a different view than our own.  We deride people who have taken an oppositional position from us without caring about the demeaning words we use to describe them.  We send a text that we think is humorous to someone, but it is really hurtful to them.

This morning, the group of pastors I pray with weekly were discussing this. One of the pastors had a parishioner leave church vowing never to return because of this joking and jesting.  Something was said to this person as a joke, but it was hurtful.  I wonder how many more people have left the church because something was said to them in just, but the words broke their hearts.  They probably never said anything to anyone.  They just left and never came back and now will never go to any church again because they don't want to be hurt.

Would you begin to examine the words and you say and the manner in which you say them?  Would you vow to have deeper discussions with people, rather than just talk about surface stuff?  Would you seek to make amends to anyone you may have offended?  Would you be the one to use your words to build up people rather than find fault and tear them down?  This is a much more difficult road because we would rather feed the flesh than put ourselves at risk.  But our desire should be for our words to bring healing and encouragement.

Perhaps we can allows Psalm 19:14 to be our guide:  "May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in Your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer."

Underdogs

It has been almost a year since I last posted on a "Sip from the Well" and did not plan to write another blog for a while, but this past week a handful of people asked me why I don't post any more.  So after praying about it, I decided it might be time to write again.  However, I make this caveat:  The "Sip from the Well" is intended for the members of Hillcrest Baptist Church.  This doesn't mean it may not benefit anyone who wants to read it, but it is geared towards a specific audience.  On Sunday, we may have something happen in church or during the sermon or in the life of one of our members.  I may devote one blog to an issue that those not attending Hillcrest may find confusing or offensive.  Just remember the context of this blog is to help benefit the faith of those involved at Hillcrest Baptist church.  How, having given the appropriate disclaimer, on with this week's Sip.

I grew up in a household where there was only one college for which your could cheer:  Wake Forest.  Growing up as a die hard Wake Forest fan, I have a soft spot in my heart for the underdog.  So two weeks ago, when Wake played the University of Indiana (Another college with a lackluster football history), I held out hope that we would come away with a victory.  Alas, it was not meant to be as the Demon Deacons fell to the Hoosiers.  So this past weekend, these two underdogs took on two top dogs:  Indiana played #1 Ohio State and Wake played #5 Florida State.  Indiana came within a few plays of upsetting the nations top ranked team.  Wake came within a pass of tying Florida State, but the pass was intercepted in the end zone with 20 seconds to play.  Valiant efforts were put forward by two overmatched teams.

For the past four hundred years, the Church in America has enjoyed status as a top dog.  The American experiment has been predicated of people of faith in Christ and the laws of the land have reflected this.  The Church has had favor in the eyes of the law and our government to a very great degree.  Churches have been protected and had favored status when it came to property and tax decisions.  This has actually been a huge anomaly for the Christian faith because throughout most of her history, the Church has been persecuted and maligned.  In most of the world today, being a Christian makes you a minority and can cost you your life.  Muslim countries and countries with dominant Catholic populations have consistently tried to silence New Testament Churches.  Most Americans in my generation have no idea what true persecutions looks like because the authority the Church has held in our history.

What a difference ten or twenty years can make?!   We now see the pendulum begin to swing away from the Church being a protected entity to the Church being a persecuted entity.  Most people who live in the South would strongly disagree with me on this point because churches are in abundance.  However, where we live in California, the local governments have turned antagonistic towards the Church.  There are not churches on every street corner and many churches what used to be on street corners have found their properties taken by local governments using eminent domain.  Churches do not generate tax revenue and in these trying financial times, tax revenue drives local municipalities.  Only one church I know of in the area has been able to construct a new building and that was done after  exorbitant "fees" were paid at every juncture of the construction project.  In our area, only 4% of the population goes to church on a Sunday morning.  So the Church has become an underdog in our area.  It's just a matter of time until this flows to the rest of the country.

Before you think I am whining or complaining, I am actually celebrating.  For far too long, the Church in America has been an impotent messenger of the Gospel.  With our declining influence, we have utilized the latest trends and tried all types of methods to make our church services more inviting to those who are not "regular attenders".  We have researched methods of church growth, which usually just shuffle the deck and bring Christians from other churches to our church.  The numeric growth of the Church has been stagnant and in decline for many years.  I don't think having better programs will end the decline.  I don't think trying to adjust our standards to the standards of the culture will end the decline.  I don't think lower the Biblical views on life will end the decline.  I don't think using slick marketing strategies will end the decline.  I don't think starting new small groups will end the decline.

So what will end the decline?  This is the reason we are studying the book of Acts on Sunday evenings because the keys are found in simply imitating the early church.  Throughout the book of Acts, there are two factors which increased the growth of the church.  Those two facts are really not programs and can't be programmed by the church.  They are not slick, marketing tools.  They are simply the keys the Holy Spirit brought about in the body of Christ.  Those two keys are needed today, if our church is to make a difference in the world.  Here are the two keys:  (1)  Prayer and (2) witnessing.  See?  I told you they weren't slick and definitely not earth shattering.  They cost no money, but involved dedication, passion and a deep reliance on the Holy Spirit.  I know, prayer and witnessing don't really grab our attention.  There must be something else we can do.  The book of Acts gives us prayer and witnessing as the foundational pillar that God gives the Church to affect change and impact the world.

Can Hillcrest implement this strategy?  That has been my fervent prayer for the past few weeks.  The underdog church in America needs to reevaluate the vision and strategies she has been using for the past few decades.  Our culture is looking for something real and genuine.  The upbeat music, light shows and talks by styling pastors are not fooling anyone.  Our culture wants to see lives that are changed.  They want to see people with peace, joy and faith that sustains them in trying times.  God is moving us to underdog status so we will stop relying on the weapons of the world and begin to rely on God Himself.  The ancient world was impacted by the power of God released through His people praying.  That world was impacted by uneducated people sharing how Jesus had changed their lives.  The same can happen in our communities and neighborhoods if the Church will embrace her underdog status and begin to truth the One who is greater in us than the one who is in the world.  Will you become devoted to prayer and witnessing, trusting in the Holy Spirit to do what only He can do?  The world is waiting to see it!

That's What Service Looks Like

"Then the righteous will answers him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?  When did we see you a stranger and invite you in or needing clothes and clothe you?  When did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?'  The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did it for me."

-Jesus of Nazareth in Matthew 25

This same Jesus who said the above also told us that the greatest in His Kingdom would be the servant of all.  He then set the example as He served His followers by washing their dirty feet after a long day on the road.  Ultimately, He set the example of service as He died on the cross for the sins of humanity - Even those who would deny His existence or warp what He said to fit their own agenda and even those of us who have received that gift of grace.  The essence of the Christian life is found in a deeply planted passion to serve others.  When we experience regeneration, we now have a heart which is thrilled to serve others...not because we HAVE to but because we are compelled to.  We find our greatest joy and satisfaction in life when we see others touched by the love of Jesus through our service.

We live in a self-centered world.  People have become takers, whiners and complainers.  Just read most Facebook posts and you will see people venting, pointing out the flaws of others and posting articles which slam other people with a different world view.  We live in a country which has become deeply divided by race, region, politics and so many other ways.  The one place where this doesn't happen is in the church.  Each Sunday, it is refreshing to see an incredible mix of people coming together to worship Jesus and minister to each other.  So what does service look like?  Here are a few glimpses I have seen in the past few weeks:

-Service looks like followers of Jesus filling shoe boxes with toys, supplies and gifts for children all over the world whom they will never meet.  A church of only 75 on a Sunday morning collected 80 shoe boxes to give to Samaritan's Purse so that unknown kids in unknown corners of the world could know the joy of receiving an unexpected gift - And maybe the gift of salvation.

-Service looks like followers of Jesus bringing boxes of pie crust mix to give to the Telegraph Center in Oakland so those who are need could have a dessert on Thanksgiving.  If not for Hillcrest Baptist Church, the Telegraph Center would only have food for a meal and not for dessert.  The East Bay Baptist Association has over 140 churches/missions, but Hillcrest is the only one who gives food to this outreach.  Service is a desire to help people in need, even if we will not see or meet those people.

-Service looks like followers of Jesus getting together to go and visit those in our church.  They are attempting to visit all of our church members and see what needs there may be and how we can meet them.  They want everyone in our church family to know they are loved and deeply cared for.

-Service looks like children who are so excited about coming to church that they invite and bring their friends.  This past Sunday evening at TeamKid, we had sixteen children in grades 1-6.  Seven of those kids have no family at our church, but they come and learn about Jesus.  One of those was being brought by her neighbor (Who is a member of our church) and this young girl said, "I love this church".

-Service looks like followers of Jesus caring so much about the witness of the church that they clean the church every week.  These members give up their time to sweep, mop, vacuum, dust, empty trash and do so much more.  No one thanks them and most people don't know they are cleaning, but they serve Jesus.

There are many more examples from Hillcrest Baptist Church that help us understand what service looks like, but there is not enough room in this blog.  As Pastor of this church, I want to thank you for your service.  I know if many churches, a small number of people do most of the service, but that isn't the case here.  Thank you for all the ways you serve in Jesus' name and the way you touch lives each day with the love of Jesus.  One day, you will hear from THE King, "Come, you who are blessed by my Father, take your inheritance, the Kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world."

The Strength of the Kingdom

This past Sunday, we had the wonderful opportunity to honor a woman who is faithfully serving the Lord at Hillcrest.  Doris Hurst turned 80 and we celebrated her birthday.  Unlike many people in her age category, she is still going strong.  She is still teaching the children in our preschool Sunday School class.  Each week, she comes up on Thursday to prepare her classroom and then shows up 30 minutes before Sunday School to welcome every child.  She has ministered to so many families over the past several decades and is still making an impact.  At the end of the service, we called forward everyone who has been taught by her or whose children have been taught by her:  Over 90% of the congregation came forward.  As we laid hands on her and prayed for her, I was thrilled to see how one life can impact so many others.

This is the model Jesus set for us while He was on the earth.  He simply invested in twelve men and those men invested in others.  The Kingdom of God has grown and grown until it has reached us.  I know many people who like to discuss and argue great theological questions.  They enjoy finding fault with those who theology doesn't quite measure up and nit pick on them.  However, the strength of THE church is not found in these Wannabe Church Guardians.  The strength of the Church is found in servants like Doris.  The servants who humbly going about investing the basic truth that Jesus loves us and is our Savior are the ones who are changing eternity.  There are countless and unnamed millions of saints faithfully serving the Lord as best they can.  They won't get notoriety on this earth and they don't have the theological pedigree to argue with the Wannabes.  These humble saints really are the ones on whom the Kingdom is built.

I am grateful that we had the opportunity to thank Doris Hurst for being such a Godly example for us to follow.  I am thrilled that my sons have had their first taste of God's love at the hands or Doris Hurst.  I pray that you will be a servant like Doris.  Remember that you are the ones who have an impact on the Kingdom, so keep grinding.

Getting Called Up

In professional baseball, players who are drafted have to prove themselves and earn their way on to a major league team.  Only one player has ever been drafted and gone straight to the major league team without spending time in the minors.  His name is Bob Horner and it happened for the Atlanta Braves back in the 1970's.  All other players have to prove themselves at each level before they can advance, so by the time they make it to the major league team they have already played years of baseball for their organization.

Here is an example from the San Francisco Giants of those steps a player must take:

A Short-Season:  Salem-Keizer Volcanoes

Low A:  Augusta Green Jackets

Advanced A:  San Jose Giants

AA:  Richmond Flying Squirrels

AAA:  Fresno Grizzlies

Elliot Blair speaking with Thaddeus before a San Jose Giants' game

So a player may take as many as five or six years to advance from Salem-Keizer to San Francisco and the majority of minor leaguers will never play an inning for the major league team.

Three weeks ago, we had a player from the San Jose Giants share his testimony during Sunday School.  Elliott Blair is a 46th round draft choice of the Giants who had spent most of last season and all of this season at San Jose.  He shared about his walk of faith with us and it was an honor to hear how this man of God is following the Lord.  Well, last week, Elliott got called up to AA Richmond.  We actually saw him play at Stockton on Monday and he gave one of his broken bats to Thaddeus. Two days later, he was on his way to Richmond and played his first game on Sunday.  He also go his first hit on Sunday and we pray that he will advance to San Francisco so he can be a witness for Christ.  But now he has to prove himself at Richmond before he can advance to Fresno.  He is still a long way off from the majors, but he is getting closer.

Elliot at Hillcrest Baptist Church

I wish we would take the same view of our maturity in Christ.  Unfortunately, we just presume that if someone has been coming to church for a certain amount of years then they must have grown in their faith.  So we then give them ministry assignments and hope that it sticks.  Many of us even think that God should see us as faithful, even though we have never proved our faith or our steadfastness.  Unfortunately, I know many Christians who have been coming to church for years but still are immature in their faith.  They have not grown, but feel like they are mature.

Here are what I have seen are the marks of a maturing saint, one who is trying to advance from Low A to Advanced A or from AA to AAA in their faith.  you probably have other marks, but these are mind:

-He is faithful in small group participation (Whether that is Sunday School or weekday small groups)

-He is in God's Word every day.  He has a devotion time or quiet time (Whichever phrase works for you)

-He is accountable to others who are walking with the Lord.  He has invited them into his life to check on him or call him on things.  He doesn't get upset when lovingly confronted by one of these mentors.

-He is pouring himself into the lives of others.  It may only be one person, but he is helping others grow in their faith.  We always grow more when we are leading than when we are being led.

-He is sharing His faith.

So how are you doing?  Baseball calls the minor league system "Player development".  Maybe we should call discipleship "Saint Development".  The Church is dependent on raising up new leaders and we must continually be developing stronger disciples.  Those disciples are the one who build up the next generation of followers.  All of us should desire and aim towards making it to the majors and our church should help us in that development.  If you are a member or attend Hillcrest Baptist Church and would like to develop as a saint, give me a call and let's start you on that journey.

Let's let you get that call up to the majors!

The Call to Serve

This past Sunday, Hillcrest Baptist church enjoyed a milestone event as Herbert Aromin was ordained into the deacon ministry.  Why would anyone want to be a deacon?  Well, if the truth be known, the ones who deac well don't really want to be deacons.  They haven't gone looking for this office.  They have simply been faithful servants in the church who are growing in their faith.  The church recognized this and felt led by God to ask them to serve as deacon.  Herbert didn't ask to be made a deacon and he actually declined serving as a deacon for a couple of years.  Finally, he felt like he had been using excuses rather than stepping up as a deacon.  So, he left it in God's hands and allowed himself to be nominated.  He went through a process of being questioned by our active deacons and then was brought before an ordination council made up of many different ordained men.  This council felt he was qualified and recommended him to be ordained as a deacon.  So on Sunday, we had the privilege of ordaining Herbert Aromin into the deacon ministry.  This doesn't change who he is or what he does:  He will still serve as he has been doing ever since he joined the church.  however, he will now have added responsibility in that service.

Hillcrest expects her deacons to serve.  They do such important functions as opening/closing the church for ministries and events, opening/closing the gates to our parking lots, coming to the church if the alarm company calls, visiting with the pastor, staying in contact with our church members, preparing the Lord's Supper, preparing and cleaning the baptistery and are always the first ones I call when a thankless job needs to be done.  They even have to miss some of the worship service to patrol the parking lot, making sure that our vehicles are safe and sound.  Deacon is not a position of authority but one of service.  We expect our deacons to set the example for the rest of the church.  So after every fellowship or meal we have in the church, the deacons are the ones who sweep, mop and lock up after the event.  They serve in a multitude of ways that most folks in the church never see or notice, unless the deacons forget to do it.

Jesus has an expectation of His followers:  He expects us to be servants.  Matthew 20 says, "²⁴ When the ten heard about this, they were indignant with the two brothers. ²⁵ Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. ²⁶ Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, ²⁷ and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— ²⁸ just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”  Jesus has never measured greatness by a bank account, political power, popularity or possessions.  He has measured greatness by service without seeking recognition.  He set the example for us on the cross as He gave His life as a ransom for us.  So He has every right to expect service from His followers.

I am constantly amazed at people who want to meet Jesus on their own terms, not on His.  They want the benefits of following Jesus without the costs of following Jesus.  They have a convenient faith.  They are all about Jesus when they need Him, but they don't want to hear about service, sacrifice and dedication.  They want the church to meet their needs, but they never serve anyone in the church.  They rarely come to church, but when they are in the hospital, they expect the church leaders to know and show up to visit them.  They get bent out of shape when the church doesn't meet their needs.  They come every Sunday, asking for help with something else in their lives, yet rarely have they ever come to church and asked others how they could help them.  They have an immature and self-centered faith and view of the church.  They become more of a burden to the church than an asset to the church.  I have little time or use for those who have this attitude, but I love being around people who enjoy serving.  I like hanging out with them because I know I will get the opportunity to serve with them.  They push me out of my comfort zone in asking me to help meet the needs of others.  They never drain me, but they enthuse me. 

I am grateful to serve in a church with a lot of servants, whether they are officially deacons or not.  As example of that attitude is the fellowship after Herbert's ordination:  The people of Hillcrest provided a feast, even though we talked about having a light snack.  One of our members even brought his own fryer so he could fry these incredible treats.  Another member rolled and cooked lumpia.  All of the food tables showed the love and service of the Hillcrest members.  I love being a part of a church with servants.  Even as I write this on Monday morning at 7:45, one of our members has been here since 7:00 repairing some dry wall in one of our classrooms.  Thanks for living out the call of Jesus to serve.

For those of you not involved in Hillcrest:  How's your service?  In your church, have you found a place to serve and been one of the unseen servants or are you sitting back and letting others do the work?  Follow the example of Herbert and Jesus....Serve!!

Try to Hide It

Many people have heard about Watergate, but many have no idea what Watergate really was.  The Watergate was a hotel and office complex that housed the Democratic National Convention during the 1972 election.  Then President Richard Nixon was seeking re-election against George McGovern.  Nixon ordered that wire taps be placed into the DNC offices and so G. Gordon Liddy and John Dean orchestrated the break-in.  During the Watergate hearings, it was revealed that President Nixon had recordings of all White House conversations, something many presidents had done.  However, he did not manually control the recordings like other presidents had done.  His recordings were voice activated, so he did not have control.  Most White House staff members and the general public had no idea that this had been happening.  These tapes could hold recordings as to whether Nixon ordered the Watergate break-ins or not.  However, the most critical tape had 18 1/2 minutes erased from it.  This gap was during a meeting of Nixon and his chief of staff, H. R. Haldeman.  Haldeman's own notes from the meeting mentioned discussing the Watergate affair, but the tapes had been erased.  So the hearing were never able to produce a connection of Nixon to the ordering of the break-ins.  With many calls for impeachment, Richard Nixon resigned from the Presidency in August of 1974.  The irony of Watergate is that Nixon soundly defeated McGovern and had nothing to fear in regards to the election.  Trying to hide his bad choices led to his downfall and disgrace.

Fast forward to the election of 2012 and the targeting of conservative groups by the IRS.  President Barak Obama stated when the story first broke that it was simply a rogue agent in Ohio who had done this.  However, as more facts have come out, it is obvious that this was a much wider plan to target critics of the President.  Enter Lois Lerner, a Director of the IRS, who was brought before a hearing of Congress to determine what had happened and who was responsible.  During the hearings, she invoked the 5th Amendments and refused to answer any questions.  However, e-mails have been subpoenaed by Congress and guess what?  Most of her e-mails cannot be found, have been deleted and are missing.  Sound familiar?  Perhaps the proof showing the President not only know about, but ordered these actions has been "lost".  What will happen with this drama and how will it play out?  I doubt it will lead to impeachment hearings nor Obama's resignation because the standard of honesty and integrity is so low for our leaders today.  However, Obama's legacy will always be surrounded by this scandal, much as Nixon's legacy is surrounded by Watergate.

Why do we try to hide our sins and shortcomings?  Any parent can list the numerous occasions in which they caught their children red-handed and their children vehemently denied any wrong doing.  The more the children lied and tried to cover things up, the more upset parents became.  It hurts to see our children lie and then try to hide what they have done.  We would much rather have our kids own up to it and take responsibility.

I guess this is just part of our fallen nature.  Remember Adam and Eve?  When they disobeyed God, what did they do?  They hid themselves from God.  A relationship that once had been so pure and right, had now been corrupted by bad choices.  Okay, it was corrupted by sin.   It's been happening ever since because we all sin.  Some people try to avoid the consequences by denying there is a God or by thinking a loving God would never punish His creation.  But deep down, we know something is wrong in our lives.  Some people try to avoid the consequences by blaming others.  Some people try to avoid the consequences by avoiding the topic.  Some people try to avoid the consequences by numbing themselves through alcohol, pot, drugs or anti-depressants.  But none of that works.  The pain just eats away at us from the inside out.

Our model needs to be David.  David was far from perfect and he sinned by sleeping with a married woman and then having her husband conveniently die in battle.  He thought he had gotten away with it and he had hidden his sin until Nathan confronts him.  When David realizes that no sin is ever hidden from God, he is broken and driven to his knees in pain and repentance.  It is out of this anguish that he prays Psalm 51.  In verse 3, he says this incredible message of responsibility, "For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me."  He takes responsibility for his sin and then asks for God's forgiveness.

God doesn't want us to pretend we are perfect people.  He doesn't want us to deny or minimize our sin.  He wants us to be honest about our choices, our lies, our sins and own up to what we have done.  He waits with forgiveness, grace and cleansing, although we will still have to face the consequences of our sin.  So today, rather than try to hide what is wrong, how about some deep, gut-wrenching honesty before God.  I promise, you will experience and joy and peace more profound than any you have ever had before!