Trust and Friendship between Men

Tonight our men from Calvary Chapel Montebello will be meeting for their first summer meeting of FMO, For Men Only fellowship. My prayers and thoughts are with them and for them.

The FMO organizers chose to go with a book by Tom L. Eisenman, The Accountable Man. A very good choice, I might add.

I was given the book about a month ago. It’s an easy read, and very meaningful. I hope and prayerfully desire that the contents of the author’s main directive, ‘Accountability,’ would be grasped, and then fully cultivated and developed by all of our church men.

James, inspired by the Holy Spirit, stated something very powerful, intended for all Christians, but much more applicable, in our case, for man to man and their intended accountability with one another: “Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much” (James 5:16). Healed? Healed from what? The contextual content, commencing from verse 13, is a spiritual, healing restoration and not limited to the physical. Prayer, oil-anointing, confession, admission and fellowship are all intertwined, completing a mutual concern for one Christian to another, in order to battle discouragement and downfall.

All of the subject matters needed for a genuine friendship and healthy relationship are wonderfully and properly treated by the author: Genuineness, Honesty, Authenticity, Trust and my favorite one, Vulnerability: “Vulnerability is a quality of conscience. It is reflected in a man who is sensitive, able to be wounded by personal sin, willing to be shown where he is wrong. It is the quality identified in 1 Timothy 1:5 as having “a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.” A sign that a man is maturing in this quality of conscience is that he will be quick to admit sin and error even before he is confronted with his wrongdoing. Vulnerability describes a willingness to open one’s life up to another. This is an area of struggle for most men. If we are at all insecure about ourselves, we will be tempted to cover up the truth or color our life situation to make ourselves look better. We might admit a certain area as a trouble spot in our lives, but then we pretend to make progress in this area when we’re really up against a wall.”

For the last two weeks many of our men have been genuinely excited about their personal involvement in this coming week’s Somebody Loves You Crusades in Lost Angeles. In light and view of the current newspaper headlines, the event is a breath of fresh air to the morally-smoggy city of angels.

Praying for our men and SLY, bigtime!

Special Date

Saturday afternoon: All of our unmarried children were busy, busy within their own personal worlds: Basketball-tournament, sleep-over, ministry-involvement and art-exhibition…Millie and I are alone for the whole day!

No cooking. No driving Miss Daisy chauffeuring. No housecleaning. No laundry. Nothing!

Millie hates and loves whenever my spontaneity over-governs my emotions and my head and heart decides on impulsive decisions. Decisions to spend time with her and her alone!

We drove down to Sunset Beach, off Pacific Coast Highway. A small, quaint, non-air-conditioned Italian restaurant was just what the good doctor prescribed. Bon Apettit, signora!

After dinner, Millie and I walked to the beach and kicked it for a while. It’s the small things in life that are now bringing satisfaction, personal joy and contentment to my existence. My wife has now become my best friend.

Love you, Mil. 143!!!

CHRISTMAS IN JULY

It’s that time again! It’s so traditional in our communities in and around East L.A. to remember our G.I.’s by providing Christmas care-boxes for our boys in harm’s way, specifically Iraq and Afghanistan.

I am told that the custom started during World War II by a few women, whose sons were KIA, but wanted, nevertheless, to bless the yet living sons of some of the neighborhood soldiers, airmen, sailors and Marines.

I can vividly recall opening some care-boxes myself; although our Amtrac unit was not in action at the time (1971), we were able to receive some of the precious, superfluous items. Oh, man…beef jerky; baby-wipes and pop-tarts (taste good cold!); Q-tips and Tabasco sauce! Thank-you-Lord!

Our fellowship has multiple enlisted men and more than a few officers, church members on active duty, and right in the middle of the Iraqi and Afghanistan wars as I write. Mothers and fathers and relatives and friends of members of the armed forces in both of these theatres of conflict, will be heading this memorable and honorable endeavor through our church and its members.

Why in July? From experience, we know it’ll take about eight to nine weeks for care-packages to be delivered (security-screening procedures and other logistical measures have to be met accordingly by the military, and understandably so; we wouldn’t want our armed forces to be jeopardized or compromised by ill-intent).

So, in order for the precious cargo to be delivered, precisely, by late November or December, the packages must be ready for delivery by September. As we kick-off the campaign Friday, July 4^th, we only have two months to collect, inspect and scrutinize and sort out and disperse accordingly all the donated, non-perishable-goods. Hoorah!

Well-meaning Americans send care-packages addressed with: “To any soldier serving in Iraq”—oh, man, that’s so messed up. As much as you and I appreciate anyone serving in our country, we want to insure the care-packages get to the grunts, the very people on the ground, those that are in dire of need of some of these precious commodities!

Hint: As long as you have a real name and a real address of some grunt, you can send as many as twenty boxes in his/her name! Once that person receives all the packages, the brotherhood-mentality kicks-in and sharing time commences, Praise the Lord!

Vietnam and Iraq are two different galaxies, as far as the personal needs are. One of our own just returned from his fourth tour of duty of Iraq. This is his list, he aught to know!

Lotion, Q-tips, toothpaste, toothbrush, Gold bond or Shower to Shower powder, Hand sanitizer, Chap-stick, Sun-screen (#30 or higher), Shaving-cream, Disposable razors, Deodorant, Nail-clippers, Foot-powder, Athlete-foot cream, Baby-wipes, Kool-aid, Small-aluminum-mirrors, Stationery, Envelopes and stamps; Pens, pencils, Crossword-puzzles books, Beef/turkey Jerky, Canned or bagged-tuna, Oatmeal packages, Home-made cookies (TIGHTLY-wrapped), Pretzels, Granola bars, Nuts (individual packages), Pop-tarts, Tabasco-sauce (individual packets), Granola bars, New or used CD’s, New or used paperback books, White athletic socks, disposable cameras, Thank-you cards, head-lamps, Batteries (AA or AAA’s) and lastly, Frog Toads Scarf (once wet, it becomes cold; online purchase). Devotional books and small, camouflaged, military-issue New Testament, will also be included.

If you would like us to send a care-package to a loved one, we would love to send it on behalf of you! This is what we need to know:

1. Branch of Service
2. Rank
3. Full Name
4. Address
5. A contact name and phone number (Just in case we have to get in touch with you).

Brothers in Arms

Yes, we’re from California. And yes, we love each other….but believe you me, we’re not part of the madness, moral-aberration going on in our sad state.

Actually, Sgt. Michael Heacock, U.S. Marine Corps is in Montebello to marry his childhood friend, Lynette Rodriguez, daughter of Randy and Olga, old-time friends from waaaay back. Randy and I are former Rough-Riders from Roosevelt High (Goooo Riders Go…Goooo Rider go!)

Sgt. Heacock and Lynette will exchange their vows this coming Sunday at the ‘Happiest Place in the World’ in Anaheim, CA. It’s going to be a Pomp & Circumstance, Marine Corps, dress-blues, style wedding. Sadly, because it’s on Sunday, I won’t be able to attend their happy event. I pray and wish them God’s best.

Michael wanted to get baptized personally, publicly before his fiancé, family and close friends before his wedding. I complied readily, as I am fully aware of his limited time offered by his commanding officers back in Jacksonville, North Carolina, and because, as a former Marine myself, my heart went out for him and enthusiastically wanted to be there. What a joyous and emotional moment. Michael and I now belong to two powerful fraternities in our personal worlds.

Knowing that Michael is a gung-ho, all-the-way, hardcore, dedicated jarhead, I just knew he had to have a tatted ‘USMC’ somewhere in his body. Sure enough—a huge, glorious globe/anchor/eagle emblem of the Corps covered half of his upper chest. I gladly shared my own USMC tat, right before Michael was immersed into the water, vowing to die to self and while at it, he discovered a greater Commander in Chief of his soul, Jesus Christ—He is the real Semper Fideles.

What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died has been freed from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. Romans 6:1-9

PAPI CHULO DAY

Father's Day is an awkward day for me. I don’t know how to perform before my five children. I am old school. I never had a father! In my own family, I provide. I always do the cooking. I wash dishes. I drive and read the map. I do the nurturing and foster my children. I am in charge. I am their Daddy, Papa, Pio (as in Piolin), Pops and Papi.

“Today,” my wife, Millie, reminds me, “the kids don’t want you to do nothing. You hear me, NOTHING!” (Yeah, yeah, I KNOW… I whisper to myself).

So I came home after Sunday services and the awkward feelings kick in immediately. All of the kids seemed to be sub-contracted by the United Nations—no infighting or arguing; yelling is non-existent and the best enjoyable part: peace and minimal and nominal whispered talk.

Actually, that is my Fathers day present. A quiet meal, that’s all, man.

For almost twenty nine years, our kitchen dining room table at most times is rambunctious, a cacophony of sorts that even some guests get spooked; as they don’t know, or unable to differentiate if we’re actually yelling or essentially that’s just the way we communicate, resorting each other with high pitched decibel barks.

At times our gathering seems like a mix of a country auction, church potluck and street vendors, each selling their tales with a remember-when-Dad stories? “Hey, how ‘bout when dad was snorkeling, spotted a huge turtle, got a hold of it and went for a ride! Or “how ‘bout when the old Volkswagen van broke down on our way up to the mountains and ended at Santa Claus Village and had the time of our life. And no, not in Santa’s Village! And no, not even because dad charge everything in his plastic card. But the highlight was the scary thrill of going back down the hill mountain with the engine off, just depending on those cheap shoe-brake pads for the way down, praying in tongues that they would not to wear down (a nervous hilarious din erupts!)

While seating and musing about the Lakers game tonight, suddenly, and expectantly, one of the kids starts untying one of my shoes. Soon his sister joins him and veers to the other side and assigns herself to the other shoe. One of the older girls takes off my coat, tie and shirt. Only mama is assigned to slide my trousers off, but not before making sure that my replacement "loose clothing" is right next to me for the immediate magic-like show: Clothes off…clothes on! "Relax, old man. Kick it" Sebastian says.

The pizza man arrives and everything inside the delivery boxes looks and smells good… ahh, one sinful exception: no chili pepper flakes! No serranos, no gueros, no jalapenos, auuuuugh! Man, this is Southern California! Whattupwiththat?! Well, thank God Millie always has a stash of a bottle of Tapatio. What a wonderful day.

Our Heavenly Father was honored this morning at church.

This earthly father was blessed in our house by all of his children and spouse and friends.

My traditional, solo annual jump in the frigid pool, clothes and all, was not to be. I was joined by Sebastian and Alex’s friend/boy, Martin. Wooooohooooo! Well, for me was hoooorah!

And from my married daughter, awonderful photo card. Love you all! 

PAPI

http://jasminestarblog.com/

Happy Fathers Day!!!

Happy Father’s Day to all!

Annually, My daughter Zoe and I get some very special treatment around this time of the year—Birthday and Fathers Day.

Because our family members’ schedules are so frenzied and hectic, plus me teaching Sunday mornings, we opted to hang and fellowship Monday evening.

But late in the evening, I dragged my fourteen year old birthday girl out of the house and we went to go see/sleep Kung-fu Panda movie; I slept. Zoe watched and laughed and ate most of the popcorn and candies (her highlight); then off for some average, so-so pricey pizza. EVERYTHING IS EXPENSIVE in this place. I asked myself, “What soaring gas prices?” Money is flowing everywhere.

I enjoyed people-watching. And today was really fun! There was even a music-entertainer, a toupee-wearing gentleman playing the most beautiful violin music I’ve ever heard (Well, next to Maximilio anyway, he’s one of many mariachi-members roaming Brooklyn Avenue in East L.A.).

Back to the expensive place—On a dare from birthday-girl, I politely asked the classic musicians’ assistants selling his CD’s where could I procure a similar hairpiece like their boss. I cannot, I am unable to describe, articulate in words the comical, humorous-aghast look on the ladies faces. They couldn’t deny it. That hairpiece was alive! In one song number, it shifted waaay left; then on another zippy-rapid number, it would then slide to the right side of his head. I wondered….hmmmm. Is the audience there really enjoying his music…or are they just mean-vultures waiting for that thing to fall off?

What a memorable day. I pray your day was way better. I pray your day tomorrow is a better one. GO LAKERS!!!

Jehovah-Jireh

Theology of Grace Giving

“You prayed for the offering. But you didn’t pass the collecting-plate!” This is how a recent letter commenced, written by a visitor to our church last Sunday. ‘I learned later that that’s your church policy. he adds. I am sure many appreciate not being put in the uncomfortable position of being seen not putting tithes or offerings in the passing-bag/plate. I admire your (posture of) faith, trusting that the Lord will provide.”

However, our observant visitor also expressed his sadness over the exclusion. So are we! Giving of our tithes and offerings IS a part of our worship services, and truly a visible, expressive way to appreciate our Jehovah-Jireh (God-provideth) for all of His provisions. However…keep in mind that we’re in East Lost Angeles. Throngs, surges of new visitors come each week, visitors not accustomed to biblical principles in Christian giving and tithing and free-will offerings, most of them are aghast at the thought of anyone getting ‘ripped-off’ by the church. And I can’t blame them! In our and around our community alone, we have a profusion, an endemic onslaught of ‘protestant-churches’ that preach a bankrupt God, an impoverished God that needs our help for Him to help us! What an absurd and blatant, biblical distortion, and all in the name of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And, so as not to be lumped together with some of these entities of deceit, we made a wonderful sacrifice just to trust the Lord completely.

About five years ago, corporately, Calvary Chapel Montebello (CCM) made a very bold move, a decision NOT to pass the plate. It’s a mind-blower, man! In our community this omission speaks a thunderous, muted testimony. God provides!

We have convenient “Agape boxes” at every entrance of our church-building. It would be trivial and trifling to describe what our pastors and elders discover at the end of the day in these love boxes; at times, the contents are so potent that it brings some of our pastors and elders to tears and praise and admiration by what the Lord does through His people.

A Grace-giving-theology handout is right next to every agape-box.:

Prescription for Grace-giving

1 Corinthians 16:1-2 “Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given orders to the churches of Galatia, so you must also do: On the first day of the week let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper, that there be no collections when I come.”

1. Giving should be regular - “First day of the week”

2. Giving should be systematic - “Lay something aside”

3. Giving should be proportionate - “As he may prosper”.

Attitude in Giving

1. Cheerful, not Grudgingly! 2 Cor. 9:7

2. Willingly, from the heart - (Exodus 25:2; 35-36:2; Ezra 2:68-69)

3. Non-Compulsive - By force, emotionalism, pressure, guilt! (Induces animosity)

4. Motivated by Love and Generosity. (Luke 21:1-4 widow’s mite; 1 Cor.13: 3)

5. Guarded and private: Matthew 6:3-4

6. Give with simplicity - Romans 12:8 NKJ

7. Give honestly

8. Give freely - Matthew 10:8

9. Give because of Agape Love - 1 Corinthians 13:3

What Grace-giving IS NOT

1. An “investing” formula for material goods and/or wealth

2. “To get something back”

3. Manipulated, motivated, or coerced by emotional appeals.

4. Compulsion by tradition, customs or ritual.

5. Out of peer-pressure, “Everyone is doing it!”

6. When giving is not in accordance to your prospering.

7. “Removing” guilt (thus the term ‘guilt- money’)

Grace giving Criteria

1. Regeneration- you must be ‘Born-Again!’ A personal-relationship with God.

2. Understand the Principles and Standards of Grace-giving- 2 Cor. 9:6-15

3. Must possess Christian maturity- 2 Corinthians 8: 5

4. “No strings attached” - giving without a hidden agenda. Matthew 6:2

5. Grace-Giving is something we are, not something we do.

Failure of honoring God with our giving

1. We rob God! (Read Malachi chapter 3)

2. Forfeit the blessings promised in Malachi 3:10!

3. Contradiction—to claim to have experienced the Grace of God in forgiveness and yet to be ungracious is a contradiction of New Testament truth. “Freely you have received, freely give.” Matthew 10:8

4. Suspended Growth - Failure-to-thrive to Christian maturity.

5. The Sin of Forgetfulness - See Deuteronomy 8:11-20

Give and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you." Luke 6:38

Happy Feet in LA CALIFUSA (Los Angeles, Ca.USA)

Having the pleasure and privilege of teaching a weekly bible study in Spanish, I find that there is an additional side benefit in such endeavor. You’ve probably heard the true adage, ‘Two languages…two cultures.’ Though I am bi-lingual, and my lengua-franca of habit, however, is English, I am still blown-away by the vast, immeasurable profundity and vast riches of the beautiful Spanish, Latin language, laced with its melodic and romantic nuances. Reading God’s Word in Spanish always, I mean always, prompts me to be more, acutely attentive and sensitive to the words of our Lord. Could it be that I hear my mother’s loving, authoritative voice, and/or the tongue of my forefathers in it? At other times, I am conduced and reduced to tears by its poetic, theological force of language, and by the constant, unconditional, relentless message of amor agape!

Last night, while teaching at Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa from the 10^th Chapter of the Book of Romanos, Paul the Apostle referred to beautiful feet: ¿Y cómo predicarán si no fueren enviados? Como está escrito: ¡Cuán hermosos son los pies de los que anuncian la paz, de los que anuncian buenas nuevas! (And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things!")

The word hermoso is translated in the English as beautiful, an adjective used to describe things as possessing beauty. However, in Spanish there’s a plethora of words to simply describe the effortless beauty: Bonita, preciosa, chula, belleza, etc…Hermosos, then, makes better appreciative sense, because after a careful reading of the reference quotation from the prophet Isaiah, Chapter 52, the feet are not just ‘beautiful,’ but are acted upon or influenced by somebody or something; behaving in an unnatural way intended to impress others—that somebody was the Lord and that something was the mystery of the unveiled, powerful message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ (Romans 1: 16-17).

Isaiah was foretelling about a time when the Messiah would return and redeem the righteous remnant during an extreme turbulent time of judgment; joyful songs will erupt when the Lord returns; He will have comforted and redeemed His people. In Paul’s time, the feet of those proclaiming and announcing and heralding the Good News, were also bringing joy, freedom and consolation to God’s people—Salvation by grace through Jesus Christ. Indeed, an hermoso sight indeed!

Speaking about beautiful feet, this coming June 27-29, hundreds and hundreds of feet, led by Raul Ries, Pastor of Calvary Chapel Golden Springs, California, will be invading the city of Los Angeles with the same message of hope, love and salvation. Somebody Loves You Crusades (SLY) http://www.somebodylovesyoula.com/ will invade the city of ‘Lost Angels’ with an extraordinary outpouring of God’s love and torrid grace.

Calvary Chapel Montebello will join SLY forces in the forefront of this engaging spiritual battle. The prince of darkness cannot stand happy feet! Especially hermoso feet! Who Loves You, Baby?

The Bible says so...

Let your conscience be your guide...God helps those that help themselves, Thou shalt not kill…money is the root of all evil… All roads lead to Jesus. What do all these saying have in common? They’re biblical truths, right? No. Deadly wrong.

"God helps those who help themselves" is probably the most often quoted phrase that is not found in the Bible. This is actually a quote from Ben Franklin and it appeared in Poor Richard's Almanac in 1757. In fact the Bible teaches the opposite. God helps the helpless! Isaiah 25:4 declares, "For You have been a defense for the helpless, a defense for the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shade from the heat..." Romans 5:6 tells us, "For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly." In terms of salvation, we are all utterly helpless. Nothing we can do on our own can remedy this situation (Isaiah 64:6). Thankfully, God is the helper of the helpless.

The Sixth Commandment reads, Thou shall not MURDER

The LOVE of money is the root of all evil.

"I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. Jesus Christ John 14:6

Let the conscience be our guide? What if the conscience of a man/woman is blighted, tainted, mucked, evil, twisted, equivocal, distorted, perverted, unnatural, etc. How can anyone be led, guided, in what is noble, right, moral, life in godliness and holiness? As Peter the Apostle exhorts his readers in 2 Peter 1:5-7 “…Give to all diligence, (and) add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love.

The Bible teaches that God has placed basic principles of His Law in every person's conscience (Romans 2:14,15). This operates whether or not the person ever reads the Bible or even has been told anything about God.

Shakespeare: Macbeth - “Better with the dead, whom we, to gain our peace, have sent to peace, than our torture of the mind to lie in restless ecstasy.”
Richard III - “O coward conscience, how dost thou afflict me!”

Ogden Nash - “There is only one way to achieve happiness on this terrestrial ball, and that is to have either a clear conscience, or none at all.

Genesis 1:26-27 declares, “And God said, 'Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.' So God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him; male and female created He them.”

Human beings were intended to have a relationship with God, and as such, God created us with both material and immaterial aspects (No physical substance; not made of matter). The material aspects are obviously those that are tangible: the physical body, organs, etc., and are considered to only exist as long as the person is alive. The immaterial aspects are those which are intangible: soul, spirit, intellect, will, conscience, etc. These characteristics are considered to exist beyond the physical lifespan of the individual.

Paul the apostle said that conscience is an inward capacity humans possess to critique themselves because our Creator provided this process as a means of moral restraint for His creation: A Critique Conscience that regulates a person in process of development.

Is a clear conscience important as a Christian believer?

1. Your fellowship with God - You won’t enjoy God’s presence.

2. Your faith—a guilty conscience and a strong faith just don’t go together (Heb. 10:22)

3. Your prayer life—Hindrance

4. Your desire for God’s Word—a troubled conscience can rob a person of his natural appetite for natural food, how much more for spiritual food.

5. Your witness - You want to open your mouth for the Lord....but feel hypocritical!

How can we cleanse our Conscience?

1. Immediate confession of sin - 1 John 1:9; James 5:16; Ps 32; 38; 51

2. Trust in the Promise of Cleansing - Hebrews 9:14

3. Obey your conscience - James 1:22 but be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

4. Continue to walk in the light - 1 John 1:7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.

The Benefits of a clear Conscience—

Peace WITH God and the peace OF God

Peace with yourself

Peace of mind and heart

Faith, Hope and Love

Guilt-less, guilt-free, no condemnation

Emancipation! Freedom and liberty

Joyful, optimistic, secured, confident…living in truth

HARDNESS OF HEART

"We no longer have a moral compass," Hartford Police Chief Daryl Roberts lamented.

The city’s leading newspaper read, "SO INHUMANE" in its front-page cover. The chief added, “We have no regard for each other…”

The chief had released a surveillance tape of a horrific hit-and-run victim; according to media reports, a 78-year-old man is tossed like a rag doll and lies motionless on a busy city street as car after car goes by. Pedestrians gawk but do nothing. One driver stops briefly but then pulls back into traffic. A man on a scooter slowly circles the victim before zipping away. The chilling scene—captured on video by a streetlight surveillance camera—has touched off a round of soul-searching in Hartford.
Chief Roberts, who released the video this week in hopes of making an arrest in the daylight accident last Friday that left Angel Arce Torres in critical condition. The chief also told The Hartford Courant that he was unsure whether anyone called 911.
The incident happened on the early evening, about 5:45 p. m., May 30^th, in a working-class neighborhood close to downtown in this city of 125,000.

Several cars pass Torres as a few people stare from the sidewalk. Some approach Torres, but most stay put until a police cruiser responding to an unrelated call arrives on the scene after about a minute and a half.

We don’t usually think of history as being shaped by silence, but, as English philosopher Edmund Burke said, ‘The only thing necessary for the triumph [of evil] is for good men to do nothing.’

What is hardness of heart? Answer—the language is often used to designate an unfeeling state of the sensibility. But this is not the meaning of hardness of heart when it is spoken of as a crime, as a sin against God. When hardness of heart is spoken of as a sin, the terms designate the committal of the will to a false position; stubbornness in regard to the claims of God; an attitude of disobedience and self-will. In this sense we often use such language.

Lamentably and regrettably, what happened in Hartford is not an isolated case in our modern, contemporary society. The same thing just happened here in L.A.; this time the innocent victim was a nine-year old boy from Boyle Heights, East Los Angeles.

Our civilization, our society as a whole, and its godless-culture and world-view are experiencing a breakdown, a moral-collapse, if I may. As long as the atheist propaganda prospers, and there’s a deliberate attack against the Creator and His Divine Laws, society will never be able to stabilize and nourish the moral-compass that’s within all of His creation. What we’re witnessing all over our nation is the consequences, the direct consequence of the negligence of acknowledging God, His Laws and Statues and Commandments.

A similar account, an eerie parallel occurred during the time of the Jewish prophet Isaiah.

The nation, as a whole was ‘ill.’ “The whole head is sick, and the whole heart faints. From the sole of the foot even to the head, there is no soundness in it, but wounds and bruises and putrefying sores; they have not been closed or bound up, or soothed with ointment. Your country is desolate; your cities are burned with fire…” Isaiah 1:5-7

In another passage, as the seer was speaking for God, he uttered, “The earth mourns and fades away, the world languishes and fades away; the haughty people of the earth languish. The earth is also defiled under its inhabitants (Why?) because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, and broken the everlasting covenant. Therefore the curse has devoured the earth, and those who dwell in it are desolate. Therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men are left. (Isaiah 24:4-6).

I wondered outloud, ‘What would I have done, if I was in that despairing day in Hartford?' Plenty! As I watched the video footage I was shocked, but not surprised by the lack of concern and human-compassion. I know too much! God is Love. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God and God in him. And I have known and believed the love that God has for us. But whoever has this world's goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?

Go to Church this coming Sunday!

“…exhort one another daily, while it is called "Today," lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. Hebrews 3:13

ANSWERED PRAYER

Back on the saddle! After our annual, four-day, International Pastors Conference, at Murrieta Hot Springs, many of the over one-thousand senior-pastors walked away inspired, challenged and, once again, highly encouraged by our beloved Pastor Chuck Smith.

While reviewing our church-website incoming prayer-requests I came across the following post. It blessed so much, that I prayed that this email, prayer-request (Actually a praise!) would be indicative of the next season to come, expecting our God doing what He does best...loving His sheep.

I pray that after reading the entry that the Lord would minister to your heart; desiring that you may be encouraged and reassured in whatever you may be going through.

Name: DELETED
Email: DELETED

Request: HELLO CCM,
FIRST OF ALL I\'D LIKE TO SAY THAT I\'VE BEEN ATTENDING YOUR CHURCH NOW
FOR ABOUT 3 MONTHS & I LOVE IT! I AM ASKING FOR TWO PRAYER REQUEST. THE
FIRST ONE IS FOR MY DAD (Name deleted). HE WAS DIAGNOSED WITH
CRYPTOCOCCUS (A VERY RARE FUNGUS INFECTION).

WE WERE HAPPY TO HEAR THAT ITWAS AN INFECTION (PRAISE GOD) AND NOT LUNG CANCER! HOWEVER, THIS INFECTION TRAVELED TO HIS SPINE. HE WAS THEN DIAGNOSED WITH MENINGITIS. ACCORDING TO
THE TESTS RESULTS THE MENINGITIS HAD SPREAD TO HIS BRAIN!!!! MANY OF US
STARTED PRAYING FOR HIM TREMENDOUSLY! WE ALSO PLACED MY DAD IN SEVERAL
CHURCH\'S PRAYER LISTS INCLUDING CCM ABOUT 2 MONTHS AGO OR SO (BECAUSE
PRAYER IS POWERFUL!). HE WAS LIFTED UP IN PRAYER BY BELIEVERS!

BELIEVERSLIKE YOURSELVES, WHO BELIEVE THAT THE GOD WE WORSHIP, THE GOD WE SERVE, THE GOD WE PRAISE, IS THE GOD OF MIRACLES!

MY DAD HAD A SPINAL TAP DONE ON MONDAY JUNE 2, 2008 TO SEE IF THE CHEMO THERAPY HAD WORKED ON THE MENINGITIS THAT WAS IN HIS BRAIN.

YESTERDAY JUNE 4, 2008 HE GOT THERESULTS...AND THE DOCTOR COULD NOT BELIEVE WHAT HE SAW! ALL OF THE MENINGITIS IN HIS BRAIN WAS COMPLETELY GONE! THANK YOU JESUS!!!!!!!

WE SERVE AN AWESOME GOD; A GOD OF MIRACLES! I WANTED TO SEND THIS OUT TO YOU SO THAT YOU CAN JOIN ME AS I GIVE ALL MY GLORY TO GOD! HE IS THE ULTIMATE PHYSICIAN; HE IS THE ONE WHO HEALED MY DAD’S MENINGITIS! WE THANK HIM FOR THAT! THANK YOU LORD!!!!!!

THE NEXT STEP FOR MY DAD IS TO START TREATING THE MENINGITIS AND CRYPTOCOCCUS THAT IS IN HIS LUNGS. SO PLEASE CONTINUE TO PRAY FOR HIM! THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR PRAYERS!!

WE KNOW THAT GOD IS ALIVE, AND HE HEARS OUR PRAYERS AND HE DOES ANSWER THEM!

"THEN YOU WILL CALL UPON ME AND COME AND PRAY TO ME, AND I WILL LISTEN TO
YOU." JEREMIAH 29:12

Forgive me for pointing out our past family-crisis, Millie’s brain-cancer experience, for the umpteenth time, but I cannot help myself. During this emotional, gut-wrenching, malicious, death-bed occurrence, I remember our family had no where to go, what to do; even if we did, then what? What would anyone do? The neuro-oncologists specialists did not, and would not prognosticate a healing. Just grimaces. All we remember doing, EVERY night, every day, during this malicious episode, was just seeking God throughout the day. The bible calls this kind of prayer, supplication-prayer— supplication— a humble and sincere appeal to God who has the power to g grant a request.

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints…” Philip. 4:6 ; Ephes. 6:18

Pastor's Conference

Buon giorno!

I'm away at an international pastors conference until tomorrow. This time has been a blessing and I hope to share with you the lessons God is showing me.

His and yours,

panch