Washington, DC (day 3)

The trip has been great and meeting with people who represent us and this country. Here are a few pictures of our last day. I can finally say the trip is complete!

Here is the King of the Tapados! Why that face?!

Here is the king again in front of a secret service cop car.

Here is the tomb of the unknown soldier. I need to get home because I might just end up in the tomb of the unknown husband.

See you Sunday!

Washington, DC (day 2)

These pictures are from the inside and outside of the capitol with my son, Sebastian. God is good!

I was able to meet with the Montebello Representative, Grace Napolitano. The five minute meeting I was granted turned into over an hour! I was blessed beyond my wildest imagination! Keep us in prayer and today is FULL of learnings, meetings, and tours.

See you Sunday... in the meantime, enjoy the pictures!

panch

Washington, DC

I am on my way to Washington, D.C. I’ve only been there one time, and that was only for literally two hours.

While guest speaking in Delaware, Loren (assistant pastor) and I parked our rental car in a rail station parking lot and rode the rest of the way on the Metro to the very heart of the historical city. To our right, the monumental Capitol building; in front, the White House; to the west, the grand Washington obelisk pointed us to the Lincoln Memorial, and my favorite, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall. While there are sooooo many wonderful places to visit, I coerced Loren to prioritize our visit and run to "the Wall." It was a very impressive and emotional visit.

This time around I’ll be able to not only have more time, but I have been personally invited to participate with a local association, with the privilege of visiting the inner circles and special non-tourists visit and orientation tours of the Capitol and meet and rub elbows with several of our lawmakers. One whole day is set aside for a conference chock full of prominent speakers and Christian politicians sharing the platform.

Pray for me, would ya?

My Father is wealthy, that's why!

Twenty years ago a small home fellowship was birthed on California Avenue, near the famous East L.A. landmark, Krazy Kone signage on Whittier Blvd. When the group made the move later on to a local community center to accommodate the budding fraternity, we were all shocked when we had to cough out the exorbitant, outrageous amount of $250 for a three month rental fee!

Today, as I joined our staff and our church broker in a ‘walk through’ over another potential property for sale across the street from the church, and as I was catching some of the din of sale price, down payment, monthly payments, ad nauseum, I just chuckled silently. “Doesn’t anybody know we ain’t got no chump-change?” Millions. Friends, we’re now talking about millions of Washingtons!

But I wasn’t worried one bit…no sireee. Not for a second. I’ve been through this road more than a few times now. In the past, Calvary Chapel Montebello has already bought three large buildings, several homes, about 5.5 acres in all, with virtually no money at all! Really. Our first church building created equity, that equity was used to ‘buy’ the second building, and the second building… well, if you ever played Monopoly, I think you get the picture.

I’ve just got word that ‘we’ have just put a bid for 1.8 million Washingtons on the 1.9 acre property this afternoon. I am simultaneously laughing and crying at God’s benevolence and His awesomeness and trippy methods. If you make CC Montebello your home church, would you just smile and pray with and for me. I’ll do all the crying. I love it!

Flashbacks...of the good kind!

Flashbacks for me are usually ‘fleshflashs.’ There are too many, and most of them attempt to overpower, derail and discourage me from my daily activities. But in some occasions, like last week, I was relishing, reeling through the years, caught in a moment of merriment and delightful consideration. A church member burned a CD for me of old skool worship music (Sweet Comfort, Denny Correll, Keith Green, Love Song, etc). Oh, my…the music grabbed my mind, and it conjured images of 1975-1980…years I remember so well. Those were years of zeal, joy, pizzazz, zest and contentment in the things of the Lord. It was an invigorating, divine injection, reminding who I am in God, and a constant aide memoire that He still loves me!!!!!

Last Sunday our church was blessed in hosting Love Song for a 39 year reunion and I was doubly blessed when I was asked to join them and jam! Oh, what a striking, beautiful flashback.

Tonight, another assured flashback: The talented lady of worship, Rita Springer, will join our prayer fellowship.

The Power of Kindness

I know she saw me. But the aged, wheelchair-bound lady didn’t dare ask a stranger for assistance. No doubt she was perturbed that she had to park her specialized van away from the easy-curb-access ramp. I was convinced some malingering oaf took advantage of the designated parking space, it happens at our church, so why it wouldn’t happen in the public arena?

After a demanding struggle, trying to negotiate the curb alone, I smiled and walked towards the woman. She could’ve been my mother. Or your own mother or sister.
“Here, let me help you, please,” I offered. Successfully achieving our mutual goal, we then headed our own ways, Hallmark Greeting Cards and Radio Shack; but not before she blurted out loud, “Thank you, sir. You’re a sweetheart. There are only a few men like you left!” I just maintained my smile and nodded in affirmation. ‘God, why was there so much glee and joy after I helped this strange lady?’ I mused in my thoughts as I tried to recall why I was at Radio Shack in the first place!
Man, kindness, courtesy and benevolence are today akin to the eight-track cassette player in our society. My mind flashed: “Kindness has converted more sinners than zeal, eloquence, or learning.” What a powerful, potent and compelling force.
(Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering. Col. 3:12)

When Queen Victoria resided at Balmoral Castle she sometimes enjoyed a walk in the district incognito. On one occasion she slipped out by a side gate, accompanied only by her faithful servant John Brown, who followed behind. Along the road she came on a flock of sheep being driven by a boy, who shouted, “Keep out of the way, stupid old woman!” The Queen smiled, but said nothing, and when her servant came along he informed the lad that she was the Queen. “Ugh, well,” said the boy, “she should dress like a queen.” There were those who did not recognize the Son of God because He came in humble form.

Have you done your part today? Show a little kindness...it'll go a long way. You will feel much, much better than those you help. I assure you.

Human Sufferings

For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps (1 Peter 2:21)

“So much trouble in the world,” one great musical-poet once sang ever so lamentably.

As Christians, we are not inoculated with some kind of divine serum to deter, prevent or keep away sufferings from their malicious insurgencies to attack our personal world.

In fact, I am one of those who sincerely believe quite the opposite. Being a Christian, a committed believer, can, and will, become a fierce magnet, involuntarily attracting the alloys of the ‘Big D’s.’ Never heard of the Big D’s, you say? Maybe you’ve heard them not, but surely you’ve met them, or will meet some of them in the not too far, distant future: Disappointment, Discouragement, Defeat, Disaster, Dangers, Disorder, Disrespect, Destitution, Desolation, Disillusionment, Drugs, Despondency, Depression, Disease, Death, Disgruntled, Dread, Distress, Divorce ( Dissolution), Dilemma, Discomfort, Disorder, Devastation, Diseases…Death!
* The mystery of suffering! Suffering beyond any doubt is the commonest feature of human life. There are none who escape. There are the weird, strange, sufferings of childhood, which grow into the sterner sufferings of our manhood; and these into the special sufferings of old age. It reaches every portion of our being. Our body is held in the grip of physical suffering; our minds know the exquisite sufferings of intense perplexity, our hearts are continually all but broken in the woes of life and our wills in the spheres of intense suffering, in the intense discipline to which we are called upon to submit in life; and the inner shrine of our being is the scene of our most suffering—it casts its shadow over our life. Looked at upon the surface, all life may seem to be a comedy; but it is a very weird and pathetic comedy, for beneath this comedy lies the awful tragedy of life. *James Hasting

Eight proper ways to respond to sufferings:
1. Expect suffering— John 15:19-20—If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you, 'A servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also.
John 16:33 These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."
2. Commit your soul to God at the very beginning of your suffering—
1 Peter 4:19 Let those who suffer according to the will of God commit their souls to Him in doing good, as to a faithful Creator.
3. Don’t try to understand all the reasons for your suffering—
Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
4. Realize others suffer—
1 Peter 5:8-9 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.
5. Pray while in your suffering—
James 5:13 Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray.
Psalm 50:15 God says, Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me."
6. Don’t despise your suffering—
Hebrews 12:5 Have you forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons: "My son, do not despise the chastening of the LORD, nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him.
7. Don’t faint because you’re suffering—
Proverbs 24:10 If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small.
Hebrews 12:3 Consider Jesus Christ who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
8. Patiently endure your suffering in a steadfast way—
Romans 12:12 rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer;
2 Tim. 2:3 You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.
1 Peter 2:20 For what credit is it if, when you are beaten for your faults, you take it patiently? But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God.

“Success and suffering are vitally and organically linked. If you succeed without suffering, it is because someone else has suffered before you; if you suffer without succeeding, it is that someone else may succeed after you.” Edward Tudson