The Ridderings arrived!

On Tuesday, Mike, Amy and Delaney (and Apple) Riddering arrived in Ougadougou, Burkina Faso.  Below is Mike's first letter detailing the events of their first few days in the capital city. It is well worth reading. Let me encourage you to keep them in prayer!

You officially have Missionaries on African soil! It has been a wild few days. The flights were long, and we feel a little beat up, but we are all here and accounted for. The first leg of our journey went from Miami to Paris. The plane was delayed so we had to run through the airport after we picked up our dog from baggage and try to check her in for the next flight. We ended up making it with minutes to spare. Then we left France and landed in Niamey, Niger where we had to sit on the runway for an hour before taking off once again to Ougadougou. The good news is that the Ouagadougou airport has had some major improvements since I was here last year! They actually had a luggage belt instead of the former "Mountain 'O Luggage" that you had to climb and pick through in the past. A huge difference!

Then we knew we were in Africa. We had 30 people trying to help with luggage and helping escort us to the 60 taxi drivers outside trying to drive us. We were able to negotiate a fair price for 2 Taxis (one for us, one for luggage). After my taxi driver asked me to step out and help push start the taxi, we were on our way. Driving through Ouaga is a life experience that I look forward to Jose enjoying! They whisked us away with luggage tied to the roof, luggage in the seats, and 4 white people and a dog hanging on for dear life! We arrived at a missionaries home here in the capital that we rented for a few days while they are state side. End day one!

We woke the next morning and were greeted by a local that the missionaries recommended. He speaks good english, and was able to show us around town a bit. We went to the market and around town to look at housewares and other little items that we will be needing for the house in Yako, as well as getting our cell phones. After going to 3 different cell phone companies, we found one that actually had 2 phones in stock. YAY! Being that the cell phone purchase itself was a few hour process, we decided to call it quits for the day and head home and prepare to go out to dinner for Amy's birthday. 7:00 rolls around and we go to dinner at a place very near here called Gondwana. After a great dinner with our new friends, most of us were ready to retire. My brain on the other hand was zipping on eastern standard time still, so I was wide awake until well after 2 a.m! Being that I forgot to find a converter for the chargers on the computers, we were down to facebooking on I-Pods (If i was a little more "hip" of course I would have had many options for electronics at this point........ I did not. :) End day 2!

Today was day 3. I woke up early, and hit the road with our friend Johoachim. That's when Amy had the great Idea of taking the truck and taking a look around town. It was fun for the first hour or two, but was difficult for the next three as I tried to find our way home. SO LOST!!! Yes, it was dark and late, but we made it home. I realized how useless a road map is, if streets dont have any names! WOW! Cant wait to go to Yako! We leave for our home in Yako tomorrow at noon. We will spend Christmas there at the orphanage with the children and 2 short term missionaries from Germany! We will then return to the capital on January 3rd to begin 2 weeks of language lessons.

It is quite the adventure that God has us on! One thing that I have certainly learned is that there is never a dull moment when were living a life submitted to God!

Looking forward to sharing with you soon!

God Bless


Mike, Amy, Delaney, (and apple too)



Men, We Need Each Other!

As iron sharpens iron, So a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.  Proverbs 27:17

As men, we pride ourselves in being independent.  Women may need each other's support, but not us. We are fully capable of making our own decisions, finding our way without asking for directions, meeting our own needs and protecting our families.  We simply don't need anyone else, right? WRONG!

Although, I am confident that I could come up with many reasons why we need each other's support, the most important is that we need to keep each other on track.  We need to be accountable to one another, especially in the area of sexual purity and marital fidelity.  Recent statistics show that 50% of married men are unfaithful to their wives.  50%!  That's one out of every two; two out of every four; four out of every... well,  you get the math.  What a heartbreaking statistic.

In a recent blog post, Albert Mohler, who is the President of Southern Seminary in Louisville, KY spoke about how important a man's church is to his ability to overcome sin and temptation.  You can read the entire article here... http://www.albertmohler.com/2011/12/05/for-christian-men-the-lessons-of-herman-cain/.  Here is what Mohler wrote...

Christianity is not to be lived in isolation. We are called together into congregations of fellow believers, living together in submission to Christ and growing together by the ministry of the Word. Christian men desperately need the strength and accountability that comes through faithful membership in a Gospel church.

The congregation must provide moral protections as well as moral instruction. The men of the congregation, old and young together, must be a band of brothers ready to pray for one another, to encourage one another, to confront one another, to admonish one another, to protect one another, and to stand together in faithfulness to Christ.

Do your Christian brothers know of your practices, patterns of life, and principles of conduct? Are they ready to defend you should an accusation come? Do you regularly seek the counsel of your brothers in deciding how to conduct your marriage, your business life, and your professional practices? If not, you are in trouble already.

Guys, the truth is that we need each other.  Let me encourage you to find someone to whom you can be accountable.  Choose a friend that can be your accountability partner.  Join a men's small group.  Meet with one of your pastors.  Find someone that can give you biblical and godly counsel.  If not, you might find yourself so dull that your testimony and ability to be used of God may be lost.

What's So Amazing About Grace?

Without a doubt, one of Vickie and my favorite authors is Philip Yancey.  He has written some tremendous books which have really spoken to my heart and challenged my thinking.  My favorite though, is his heart-gripping description of God's benevolent love for His creation titled "What's So Amazing About Grace?"

In this book Yancey "explores grace at street level.  If grace is God's love for the undeserving, he asks, then what does it look like in action?  And if Christians are its sole dispensers, then how are we doing at lavishing grace on a world that knows far more of cruelty and unforgiveness than it does of mercy?" (From the jacket cover)

In a world that is starving for grace, we Christians need to be more gracious, more loving and more compassionate than anyone else.  Although, our society constantly is seeking for justice, we need to remember that Christ's death on the cross "broke up the logjam between justice and forgiveness."  Justice has already been served.  All that is left for us to demonstrate is God's love.

Let me challenge you to read this book.  Yancey's ability to weave a story and to convey truth will keep you transfixed.  In the process your heart will be challenged to look for ways to lavish God's amazing grace on those, like you, who could never deserve it. 

Tomorrow Hollywood Community Church is commissioning Mike and Amy Riddering as missionaries to Burkina Faso.  I AM SO EXCITED! Although I served more than ten years as a missionary in Mexico, and for four years as a director at a missions organization, this is the first time that I have the privilege of being a "Sending Pastor."  Below is an article that I wrote more than ten years ago.  It perfectly explains the privilege and the responsibility that we have in sending the Ridderings to the mission field.  

The Importance of the Sending Church

BIMI World, Volume 2, 1999

Without a doubt, one of the greatest privileges and one of the most awesome responsibilities that God can entrust to a local congregation is to be the sending church for a missionary called to the mission field by the Holy Spirit. Biblically speaking, it is a more intimate fulfillment of the Great Commission. It is one thing to give your mission dollars; it is more difficult to give your children. Nevertheless, that ought to be the goal of every local church.

Of course, we know that Paul and Barnabas were the very first missionaries and that the church of Antioch was the first sending church. Therefore, Acts 13:1-4 narrates for us the beginning of what we now consider the “modern missionary movement.” Let’s notice several principles that are found in this passage.

THE HOLY SPIRIT CALLS

As one studies Acts 13, it is evident that the principal character in this passage is the Person of the Holy Spirit. Someone has aptly called Him the “Commander and Chief of Missions.” As the church at Antioch maintained a spirit of prayer, the Holy Ghost began a work of missions in the heart of that congregation that has become the foundation of our modern missionary movement. Let us remember first of all that in Acts 13 it was with the Holy Spirit that missions originated. It was not an Antiochan or Pauline concept. The idea to reach the world with the Gospel began in the heart of God and was passed on to man by the conviction and direction of the Holy Spirit. We must never take credit for something that He is doing.

Secondly and equally important is the fact that the Holy Spirit continues to call men to the mission field. Many times, as seen here in Acts 13, He calls the best and brightest. Honestly, it can be difficult for a church to “lose” their most faithful members to the mission field, but just as a sovereign God was able to fill the spiritual gap on the foreign field, He is able to raise up additional laborers to take their places. Thank God for the fact that the calling and directing ministry of the Holy Spirit did not cease with the passing of the apostles.

THE LOCAL CHURCH SENDS

Though the Holy Spirit is the Commander and Chief of missions, we must never minimize the importance and the place of the local church. Apart from the Holy Spirit, no other person or organization ought to have as much influence over the direction and decisions of the missionary as his local sending church.

Biblically, the sending church has several responsibilities that are outlined in Acts 13. The first responsibility has to do with recognition. In Acts 13:2 the Holy Spirit commanded the church to separate Barnabas and Saul. The idea conveyed is that the church leaders must be in tune with the Holy Spirit in order to recognize when God’s hand has been placed upon a certain individual to perform a certain task. How is that done? By prayer and fasting! I wonder what would have happened had not the church at Antioch been seeking God’s power and direction through prayer and fasting? Would they have recognized the fact that God had a special ministry for Paul and Barnabas? Would God have had to look elsewhere for His first missionaries? How many missionaries today are not being sent to the field because their local church through prayer and fasting has not recognized the hand of God that has been placed upon their lives? Let us take seriously the command of Matthew 9:38 and pray that God would raise up missionaries for the whitened harvest fields from our own congregation.

The second principle demonstrated in Acts 13 is one of identification. Verse 3 mentions that the leaders of the church “laid their hands on them.” Throughout Scripture the idea of the laying on of hands has symbolized identification.

* Numbers 8:10 - The nation of Israel identified with the priestly ministry of the Levites.

* Deuteronomy 34:9 - Moses and Israel identified with Joshua as the future leader of the nation.

* Acts 6:6 - The apostles identified with the ministry of the new deacons.

* I Tim 4:14 - The church leadership identified themselves with Timothy’s call to the ministry.

In each of these cases those that laid their hands upon God’s servant recognized, identified and supported the mission and the ministry to which God had called him.

This is what we find taking place in Acts 13. After having recognized the fact that God had a very special task for Paul and Barnabas to perform, the Antioch Church identified themselves with their ministry. From henceforth, they would be bonded and united together in the task of sending the Gospel to the regions beyond.

The third principle mentioned in Acts 13 is that of releasing. Verse 3 mentions that after the church at Antioch recognized God’s call upon their lives and identified themselves with their ministry, that they sent them away or released them from local church responsibilities. Tragically, many a deputation missionary has struggled because of having to continue his ministries within the local church while trying to raise the necessary support. The Antioch church allowed Paul and Barnabas to completely dedicate themselves to the ministry to which God had called them.

As believers and members of local churches we have a tremendous responsibility to reach our generation with the message of redemption. I do not believe that the Great Commission is an impossibility! God has given us all of the personnel and the resources needed. Let us as pastors and leaders pray fervently that laborers will be sent out from our midst to reach the whitened harvest field of the world, and let us unite together with them so that they will be successful in their missionary endeavor!

Perfectly and Purposefully Made

In recent weeks we have been reminded by two different individuals that you do not have to be physically perfect or mentally whole to be used of God.  As a matter of fact, God makes it clear that He takes pleasure in using the weak, the unwise and even the disabled for His honor and Glory (I Corinthians 1:20-29).  What a relief to know that God wants to use me just the way that I am!

On Sunday, November 6th we read a testimonial from a college basketball player who shared how that God used our daughter Amber to touch his heart.   Through the years God has repeatedly used Amber's disability to convict and motivate others in their walk with the Lord.  Isn't it just like God to use a little girl that cannot see, walk, talk or even understand to change the lives of others.  Needless to say, we are proud parents!

This Sunday Bernadette Todd will be our special guest.  Doctors once said Bernadette Todd would not live past the age of eight due to an infantile form of Muscular Dystrophy but God had other plans for this remarkable lady. In the face of a daunting childhood plagued with physical pain, being the target of relentless ridicule and personal ostracism, Bernadette pushed back against seemingly insurmountable obstacles and emerged triumphant.

Bernadette has not allowed her disability to keep her from fulfilling God's calling upon her life.  In the past few years, Bernadette has traveled to many countries around the world, including the Philippines, Hong Kong, India and Bolivia, sharing her testimony.

The truth is that Amber and Bernadette are not mistakes. They are God's perfect creation, formed exactly the way that He wants them to be.  That truth is clearly seen in Psalm 139:13-16 

You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb.  Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!  our workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.  You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. You saw me before I was born.  Every day of my life was recorded in your book.  Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.

I don't know how these two ladies testimonies affect you, but they challenge me.  If two beautiful ladies that struggle with disabilities can be used of God to powerfully share the message of the Gospel, don't you think that God can use us as well?  Let me challenge you to follow in Amber and Bernadette's footsteps - allow God to fulfil His purpose and plan for your life!

HCC is on a Mission to Fulfill the Great Commission

At Hollywood Community Church, we take the Lord's command to make disciples of every nation very seriously!  To say it succinctly, our mission is the Great Commission.  We exist to make passionate disciples of Jesus Christ, both in Hollywood, Florida and around the world. 

November is a HUGE missions month for our church family.  Here are several of the mission's activities that will be taking place in the next few weeks.

Haiti Missions Team - November 4-11

Led by Dan Whiteman, our Haiti Missions Team will be ministering in the coastal city of Corail.  Please pray that God would enable them to be a blessing and an encouragement to our Haitian sister church.  They will give a report on their return.

Operation Christmas Child Sunday - 11/13

Last year our congregation collected more than 1050 gift shoe boxes for boys and girls around the world.  We are hoping to do that many or more this year.  Remember that statistics show that one out of every three children that receive a Christmas box trust Christ as their personal Savior.  Let me encourage you to fill out least three boxes.  Lets reach children for Christ this Christmas!

Bernadette Todd - 11/13

Bernadette Todd has a riveting story to share about her life long struggle with Muscular Dystrophy. She knows first hand, God’s amazing grace and transparently tells of her journey from despair to faith. With her personable down-to-earth style and sense of humor, she captivates and challenges audiences of all sizes. Utilizing the platform of her wheelchair, the pain of her childhood and the miracle of her survival, Bernadette delivers a powerful message that transcends racial and cultural borders worldwide and builds a bridge between people and the love and hope of Jesus Christ.

Mike & Amy Riddering Commissioning Service - 11/20 



Our own Mike and Amy will be leaving for Burkina Faso at the end of the month.  On November 20th we will celebrate their commissioning service.  It will be a time of joy, tears and prayer as we send the Riddering family to Africa to fulfill God's call upon their life.  You will not want to miss this service!  Here is the link to their web page - http://reachburkina.blogspot.com/2011_04_01_archive.html

It is going to be a great month at HCC! Let's pray that God continues to use us to impact the world with the Gospel!

Are you getting enough rest?   Quite frankly that sounds like a question that your mother would ask you, but for a Christian it certainly is a legitimate one.

I admit that word “rest” means a lot more to me now than it did when I was a teenager.  Back then, I could stay up all night and not think a thing about it. Now though, I notice myself beginning to fade around 9:00 pm, and I’m definitely a “gonner” by 11:00 pm. So when I hear the word rest, my ears perk up.

Most of us tend to equate rest with taking time off of work, sleeping in late in the morning, taking a vacation at the beach, or maybe taking an afternoon nap.  True rest, though, is not found in vacations, hobbies or time off, but in Jesus. He is our rest! 

That truth is clearly seen in Hebrews chapter four.  After writing about Israel's inability to enter into the rest that God offered them in the land of Canaan, Hebrew's author challenges us, the readers, to enter into God's rest - Let us therefore be diligent to enter into that rest (4:11).

Surprisingly, the admonition that God gives to rest is based upon two very familiar verses that we do not associate with spiritual rest.

Hebrews 4:12 - For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.

Hebrews 4:16 - So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most. 

Yes, as Hebrews four states, there is a rest that remains for God's people.  The best way to experience it, though, is not to plop down in your most comfortable chair and grab the TV remote.  No, the two activities that produce the most leisure and stress reduction are prayer and Bible study.  So, as your mother used to say... "Get some rest!"







No One Understands You Like Jesus!

“Doesn’t anyone understand me?” Although, you might not verbalize such a sentiment, I am confident that you have felt that way at one time or another. I certainly have! Most would agree that one of the great frustrations of life is that of being misunderstood.

Yet, we can be completely certain of the fact that Jesus always understands us. There is no experience that you may face, no emotion that you can feel, nor is there any temptation that you can battle, that Jesus does not fully comprehend. He identifies with your hurts. He feels your injuries. Why, it doesn’t matter what you have gone through (except for sin), Jesus can say, “Been there and done that!”

Jesus empathizes with human experience not just by knowing about it but by entering into it. God chose to send the Son into the world so that He would have firsthand experience of mortal life. John 1:14 says that the “Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” The New Testament presents Jesus as so fully identifying with the human experience that he faced the same enemies that all human beings face: sin, disease and death.

2 Corinthians 5:21 - God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Hebrews 4:15 - This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for He faced all of the same testings we do, yet He did not sin.

Knowing that Jesus understands us so completely, we are exhorted to  "come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most."  Let me encourage you so take advantage of such a great friendship.  For truly, no one understands you like Jesus.

Ambidextrous Faith

It is said that Gregory of Nicea often praised his friend St. Basil for having "Ambidextrous Faith." You may ask, "what is ambidextrous faith"?  In Gregory's mind, ambidextrous or two-handed faith was the ability to trust God no matter what was taking place in one's life.  Gregory further commented that St. Basil accepted the trials of life with the same faith with which he accepted the pleasures of life.  Both, he believed, came from God.  Wow!  Now that is the kind of faith that I desire. 

As many have documented, it is much easier for us to trust when the path is clear, when the provisions are sure and when the problems are few.  But, how necessary is faith when the outcome is certain?  Anyone can believe, anyone can trust in the face of certitude.  It is during the moments of uncertainty and doubt that faith  truly becomes necessary.

I would remind you that Hebrews 11:1 states that faith "gives us assurance about things we cannot see."  As Philip Yancey says, "the invisibility of God guarantees that I will experience doubt."  Quite honestly, I struggle with that statement, because I always want to believe.  I never want to experience doubt. Yet, I must confess that there are moments, hours and sometimes even days when my faith is not as strong.  As I mentioned in my last blog, it is the skeleton in my closet. 

It is precisely in those moments of weakness, when I cannot see and when I do not understand, that I must blindly trust.  As Paul says in II Corinthians 5:7 "We walk by faith and not by sight."  What we need is not just a one-handed faith.  But we desperately need to be ambidextrous!  We need to trust God with life's pleasures and we need to trust God during life's problems.  We need to trust God when there is plenty and when there is little, when I am healthy and when I am sick, when I understand what God is doing as well as when I do not understand.  Regardless of what is taking place in my life, my faith is strong.

Lord, please give me anbidextrous faith!

The Skeleton in My Closet

When I was interviewing for the pastor position of Hollywood Community Church, I was asked several times by both the pulpit committee as well as the Leadership Team if there were any skeletons in my closet.  The obvious meaning being that they wanted to know if there were any hidden sins, secrets or temptations that when exposed would bring shame to the church and reproach to the cause of Christ.  Thankfully, God has graciously allowed me to not become victim to any of the things which have brought down so many of my ministerial colleagues.

This week, though, I was reminded of the fact that there still may yet be a skeleton in my closet.  Philip Yancey in his book Reaching for the Invisible God said that "doubt is the skeleton in the closet of faith."  The simple truth is that every believer has times when his faith is weak. Many of the great characters of faith in the Bible had their moments of doubt.  Abraham feared for his life in Egypt and lied about Sarah being his wife.  Job's friends were shocked and angered by his willingness to freely express his uncertainties and hesitations.  The demoniac's father in Mark 9 asked the Lord to help him with his unbelief.  Even the disciples pleaded with the Lord to increase their faith.  So yes, I also must confess that there are moments when my faith is weak and the skeleton of doubt hides in my closet.

Do you have times when you seem more skeptical than trusting?   Take heart in the fact that you are primed and ready to experience a growth spurt of faith.  For it is truly in the moments of doubt that you have the greatest opportunity for your faith to grow.  So take your skeleton out of the closet and realize that it is nothing more than a hard structure upon which living tissue can grow.  Allow the Lord to increase your faith.

Romans 10:17 - So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing  by the Word of God.

Oh, how I love Your Law!

I recently finished my bi-annual trek through the book of Psalms. As I usually do, I took a couple of days to read and study Psalm 119. This Psalm is known and loved by many. In addition to the fact that it is recognized as the longest chapter in the Bible, it also repeatedly expresses the love that David has for God’s Word. As a matter of fact in almost all of the 176 verses David reiterates the love he has for God’s commands and statutes.

One of the verses that always speaks and challenges me is Psalm 119:97 – Oh how I love your law, it is my meditation all the day. For some reason I never took the time to figure out what part of God’s Law David was referring to. Was he speaking of his love for the Genesis account of creation, or the Israelites exodus through the Sinai Peninsula or maybe even to the Psalms that he was writing? Although, it does not take a seminary degree in Old Testament studies to figure it out, I never really thought about it… until my latest reading.

Suddenly, it hit me; David was referring to God’s sacred instructions, both those that are abbreviated in the Ten Commandments, as well as the amplified version found in the book of Deuteronomy. That was significant for me, because quite honestly, the book of Deuteronomy is not one of my favorite Old Testament books. I don’t think that I have ever stated, “I love the book of Deuteronomy!” Yet, David did, more than 170 times in Psalm 119.

God viewed the book of Deuteronomy with such importance that the people of Israel were required to read the entire book together every seven years (Deut 31:10-13). Even more important, Deuteronomy 17:14-20 instructs each king, as a representative of/example for the people, to write out for himself an entire copy of the law at the beginning of his reign. Wow! How significant is that?

As I thought and meditated on that which gave joy and delight to David, I was convicted by the lack of enthusiasm and dedication that I place upon my own systematic reading. Can I say along with David that I take great delight in reading God’s Law? Would our congregation enjoy reading the book of Deuteronomy out loud? What if I had to write out by hand an entire copy of the Law or the New Testament for that matter?

Lord, help me to say along with David, “Oh how I love your law, it is my meditation all the day.”

Is All Truth "God's Truth"?

One of the more popular topics of debate within both secular and spiritual circles is whether all truth comes from God or if there is secular truth that does not originate from the divine.  Many question if there are two different types of truth?  Is there spiritual truth and secular truth?  One author probed if there is truth with a capital "T" and truth with a small "t"?   

Jesus addresses this issue several times in the Gospel of John. 

John 14:6 - I am the way, the truth, and the life. Noe one can come to the Father except through me.

John 17:17 - Make them holy by your truth, teach them your word, which is truth.

Jesus Himself is the personification of truth.  All truth points to God and finds its foundation and its significance in Him.  2 +2 does not equal 4 without God.  The reality and the consistency of that fact is based in the reality and the consistency of God. The fact that our body needs oxygen to survive; or that color is a reflection of light; or that pi is a mathematical constant whose value is the ratio of any circle's circumference to its diameter are all truths that point to the reality of all powerful God.  God is truth and all truth comes from God.

The challenge, though, is not just to be aware of that fact.  John Piper addresses that particular issue in his web blog...http://www.desiringgod.org/resource-library/taste-see-articles/all-truth-is-gods-truth-admits-the-devil

Alongside “All truth is God’s truth,” we need to say, “All truth exists to display more of God and awaken more love for God.” This means that knowing truth and knowing it as God’s truth is not a virtue until it awakens desire and delight in us for the God of truth. And that desire and delight are not complete until they give rise to words or actions that display the worth of God. That is, we exist to glorify God (1 Corinthians 10:31), and merely knowing a truth to be God’s truth does not glorify him any more than the devil does.

The simple realization of the fact that all truth is God's truth is not enough. Truth should point man to God.  Real truth, when properly understood should give us a glimpse of our Creator.  It should give us a desire to better understand and to more intimately know Him.   

It was the psalmist that said, "the heavens proclaim the glory of God.  The skies display His craftsmanship."   The magnitude and the beauty of the heavens point people towards the reality of a personal God.  How sad when scientists and humanists alike view truth in all of its magnificence and yet reject the Author of that truth.   Once again to quote John Piper: "All truth exists to make God known, and loved and shown."

So be amazed at the beauty and the precision of the universe, discover the exactitude and the miraculous functionality of the human body, seek to understand the laws of physics and thermodynamics.  Let me encourage you, though, to not stop there.  Allow the truth of God to result in a greater personal love an dedication for the God who is the Author of it all.

Thankful for a Healthy Heart

Psalm 139:14 - Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!  Your workmanship is marvelous - how well I know it!  

Several weeks ago I took my annual stress test and echocardiogram to evaluate the condition of my heart.  These annual cardio check-ups are due to the fact that twelve years ago I suffered a heart attack and underwent triple bypass open heart surgery.   Yes I know what you are thinking, how could such a young and physically fit guy have heart problems?   Well, let's just blame it on my mom's side of the family. 

For the past eleven years I have passed each of these annual exams with "flying colors."  Everything was smooth sailing up until this year.  Several days after this year's stress test I received a call from my cardiologist's office saying that something appeared to be abnormal with the nuclear imaging.  I needed to have a heart catherization.  

You have no idea what such news does to me.  Although I may appear to be courageous and full of faith on the outside, I must confess that I am a huge wimp on the inside.  I immediatly jumped to the worst conclusions and convinced myself that I had just a short time to live. Yes, now was the time to get my affairs in order because I was not going to live much longer.  :)

Last Monday they performed the heart cath and to my surprise (and lack of faith) everything was fine.  There was no need for open heart surgery, stents or any other procedure.  I was going to live!

There is an amazing and miraculous part to this story.  The heart catherization revealed that one of my three bypasses had collapsed. You would think that such an occurance would have caused a shortflow of blood to my heart and a potential heart attack, but that was not the case.  In my doctor's words, "my heart fixed itself."   The surgeon stated that other collateral veins and arteries picked up the slack for the collapsed bypass so that my heart not only did not suffer damage, but it is as strong and healthy as always. Of course you and I know that my heart did not fix itself, God fixed it!  Isn't that cool?

I am so thankful that I serve an all-powerful God that has not only cured my wounded heart, but He also cleansed my sinful heart.  Hallelujah what a Savior!

 

Miami Herald Article on Hollywood Community Church

http://tinyurl.com/3hmyzpg

Should a Pastor be a Theologian?

Recently, I was recommended an article by my friend and missionary Mike Todd on the debate as to whether a Pastor should be a Theologian.   The editorial begins with a joke that I trust that you will find as amusing as I did... 

The story is told of two seminary professors who were walking in a cemetery when one said to the other, "Look, two men are buried in this grave." His colleague asked, "How do you know?"

"Because the tombstone says, 'Here lies a pastor and a theologian.'"

Is theology just for professors?  Do pastors have the responsibility to not only understand theology but to teach it to their congregation as well?  Those questions are clearly and biblically answered in this article that was written more than ten years ago.  http://www.founders.org/journal/fj43/editorial.html.  Let me encourage you to take the time to read it. 

Key Quote:  "Theology is best learned in the crucible of life and ministry, which means that a pastor must regard himself as a life-long learner and student. To aid in this process, a pastor should regard the study of theology and the discipline of thinking theologically ongoing responsibilities of his calling."

As the author Tom Ascol states, "Recovering the pastor-theologian model is not optional for a ministry which is committed to being biblical. God's Word requires pastors to see themselves in this light." May God help those of us who are honored to bear the title of "pastor" to be committed to a strong biblical theology.

Proud Parents!

Vickie and I are so proud of the way that God is using our two sons.  Both Justin and Mark love the Lord and are called into full-time ministry.  God has blessed them with a unique situation in that they are on the pastoral staff of the same church.  Justin has served as the Worship and Youth Pastor at Grace Pointe Church's Naperville Campus for the past four years.  Last year Grace Pointe hired Mark to be the Youth Pastor at their Plainfield Campus.  How cool is that?



This past Sunday they were eached asked to preach at their respective churches. Below you will find the links where you can find both of their messages.  Let me encourage you to take some time and listen to their sermons.  I am cofident that you will be encouraged and challenged in your walk with the Lord.

Justin's message - http://www.gracepointenaperville.us/media.php?pageID=15

Mark's message - http://www.gracepointeplainfield.us/media.php?pageID=29

Dare to be a Disciple!

Today at Hollywood Community Church we began a new series of messages from the Sermon on the Mount.  We have titled the series The Character of a Disciple.  The premise of the series is that the Lord, in this His signature message, outlines the characteristics of those that call themselves His disciples.  

To be a disciple of Jesus Christ is not a responsibility that we should take lightly.  To the contrary. such a role should only be accepted with a sense of reverence and heartfelt obedience.  I am afraid that there are way too many "Christians" today that desire the advantages of salvation without the accountability. They long for God to bless them while they long for the world to accept them.  They seek the rewards of discipleship without fulfilling the responsibility of discipleship.  It is that precise point that the Lord addresses in Matthew 5-7.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer in his classic book The Cost of Discipleship addresses the reason why Jesus' disciples were called blessed.

Therefore Jesus calls his disciples blessed.  He spoke to men who had already responded o the power of his call, and it is that call which has made them poor, afflicted and hungry. He called them blessed, not because of their privation, or the renunciation they have made, for these are not blessed in themselves.  Only the call and the promise, for the sake of which they are ready to suffer poverty and renunciation, can justify the beatitudes (p. 106).

The fact is that the disciples realized that the characteristics of discipleship went hand-in-hand with the acceptance of the call.  In other words, their obedient response to the Lord's call to discipleship included a willingness to surrender themselves to him and to his will for their life.  They weren't looking for the easy path nor were they giving a half-hearted commitment.  They were all in.

How about you?  Have you realized that the call to discipleship is a call to commitment?  Are you all in?

Jesus said it this way...

And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.  Luke 14:27

So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.  Luke 14:33

Let me encourage you to take the discipleship challenge.  Dare to be a disciple!

What are You Reading?

Back in January of this year my oldest son, Justin, challenged me to increase the amount of time that I dedicated to reading and to personal enrichment. He had made a personal commitment to read 35 books this year and dared me to do the same. Bravely, I accepted the challenge. Now, I must confess that I am behind the pace that I need to be on, but in the process I have read some tremendous books and some not-so-good ones. Below is a brief synopsis on some of the books that I have read this year.

Radical

David Platt challenges 21st century Christians to trade in the selfish and misguided goals that have been labeled "The American Dream" for the purpose of using their time, talents and possessions for a global purpose. This is an excellent book that I highly recommend for our church family.

The Reason for God

This is tremendous book on contemporary apologetics. Tim Keller, pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Manhattan, answers many of the questions that are being asked by today's post-modern world: Why does God allow suffering? How could a loving God send people to Hell? Why isn't Christianity more inclusive? This book might take you some time to carefully read, but it is well worth the effort.

Deitrich Bonhoeffer

Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy

Deitrich Bonhoeffer was an emminent Pastor, theologian and author that lived in Germany during the 1930's and 40's.  He is best known for his classic book The Cost of Discipleship. In this book you will not only read about Bonhoeffer's ministry, but also his involvment in the assassination attempt on Adolf Hitler.  This is an extremely enjoyable book, especially for those that enjoy reading about WWII history.

Love Wins

Without a doubt this is one of the most controversial and debated books of 2011.  Rob Bell, who had previously written Velvet Elvis, takes a critical look at the beliefs of evangelical Christianity. He completly deconstructs everything that we believe the Bible teaches about Heaven, Hell, the death of Christ on the cross and our eternal future.  By no means do Bell's belief's fall within mainstream evangelicalism, and I would find them to be heretical.  As Pastor Kevin DeYoung declared in his critic of the book http://tinyurl.com/4mje4xd Bell is weak in his exegesis, history, eschatology, Christology and soteriology.  In other words, he is trying to reinvent what we believe as evangelical Christians.  

Other recommended books:

The Cost of Discipleship - Deitrich Bonhoeffer
Crazy Love - Francis Chan
Forgotten God - Francis Chan
A Hole in Our Gospel - Richard Stearns

Confessions of a New Pastor

In just a few weeks I will complete my first nine months as Pastor of Hollywood Community Church. Although I have been in ministry for almost thirty years, this is my first Senior Pastorate in the United States. It has been a remarkable experience. Below are some random and sometimes rambling observations of my first nine months as a pastor.

1. I love what I am doing! I can honestly say that I am having the time of my life. One pastor expressed such feelings this way, "A job may pay the bills, but a calling feeds the soul. I am so blessed that I get paid to exercise my obsession." That is certainly the way that I feel.

2. I am humbled by the love and the praise that my church family heaps on me. There is rarely a day that goes by that I am not showered by love and undeserved praise.

3. I am constantly reminded that I can only do my job and fulfill my calling by the power of the Holy Spirit. This reminder comes after regular failures of trying to do minstry by my own power.

4. I am called to model holiness. WOW! How hard is that? That just might be my most important calling and responsibility as a pastor.

5. Prayer is the most important thing that I do every day.

6. I do not pray enough! Why can't I begin every day remembering that prayer is the most important thing that I do every day? It's like I have to learn the lesson over and over again every day.

7. I need more faith!

8. There is not enough time in the day to get everything that I think that I need to get done.

9. My greatest weakness is my inability to realize that my identity is not found in my success as a pastor, but rather in my daily relationship with Jesus Christ.

10. I am continually learning the important role that the pastor's wife plays in her husband's ministry. Quite honestly, I could not do my job or fulfill my ministry without the support and the assistance of my wife, Vickie.

11. I must spend more of my time encouraging, mentoring and listening to our staff. They are an extremely talented team and they play a major role in the success of our minsitry.

12. The involvement of lay leaders and volunteers is one of the key ingredients in successful church ministry.

13. I am continually learning the importance of a long-term pastorate. I am praying that God will allow me to spend the rest of my ministry years at Hollywood Community Church.

Well, that is all for now. I am confident that I have much more to learn in the next nine months. Please pray with me and for me that God would enable me to be the servant leader and the loving pastor that God desires for me to be.

Don't Waste Your Life!

In this morning's message I challenged our congregation to use every moment of their lives, up to the last moment of their life for Jesus Christ. At the conclusion of the message I shared a letter written by Karen Watson before she left for Iraq as a missionary.

As a 38 year old Karen Watson felt God's call to go to Iraq and serve as a missionary. She sold her house. She sold her car. She sold nearly all of her wordly possessions. The rest she shoved into a single duffell bag and left for Iraq. Before she boarded the plane, she handed her pastor a letter that stated that it was only to be read in the event of her death.

Thirteen months after arriving in Iraq, she was killed in a drive-by shooting in the city of Mosul. Upon hearing of her death, her pastor opened her letter. This is what she had written.

Dear Pastor,

You should only be opening this in the case of death.

When God calls there are no regrets. To suffer was expected. His glory is my reward.

I wasn't called to a place. I was called to Him.

To obey was my objective, to suffer was expected, His glory was my reward, His glory was my reward.

THE MISSIONARY HEART

Cares more than some think is wise

Risks more than some think is safe

Dreams more than some think is practical

Expects more than some think is possible

I was called not to comfort, or to success, but to obedience.

There is no joy outside of knowing Jesus and serving Him.

I love you and my church family.

In His care,

Karen

What would your final letter say? You can read other letters and post your own on http://www.thelastletter.org/

Don't be too anxious!

Are you a nervous person? I mean, does the potential for a conflictive or difficult situation get you uptight? I have to admit that just the though of a pending and stressful event can put me on edge. I have always admired the non-sweaters, people who are cool under pressure, those who can face up to opposition and not blink and eye. That certainly is not be. I am the antithesis of James Bond. In a tense moment I am the guys with the anxious twitch, the nervous stutter, and the sweat-soaked shirt.

Yet, recently God has really been speaking to my heart about trusting Him more in those anxious moments of life. Notice a few verses that God has used to calm my nerves and rest my sweat glands.

Psalm 56:4 - I trust in God, so why should I be afraid? What can mere mortals do to me?

Psalm 57:1 - Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy! I loot to you for protection. I will hide beneath the shadow of your wings until the danger passes by.

Psalm 94:19 - When doubts filled my mind, your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer.

I Peter 5:7 - Give all of your worries and cares to God, for He cares about you.

Aren't those great verses? You see, I have learned that God intentionally puts me in moments of stress, anxiety, and perspiration so that I might run to Him. He actually wants me to forget my fears, nix my nervousness and pack away my preoccupations. So, as a recovering nail biter, my advice to you is "Don't sweat it!" Cast all of your problems on God. Realize that you have a Father in heaven that greatly desires for you to trust Him!

Let me encourage you, in the midst of the problems, trials and afflictions, allow the truth of God's Word to keep you calm, cool and collected.