Some Thoughts on Work and Time and Heaven

The Notre Dame cathedral in France has been on everyone’s mind this week. It took lots of money and loads of work hours for almost 200 years to erect a building to point people to God and commemorate the mother of Jesus. Though it was sad to see fire consume and undo a lot of hard work, I have been thinking about the 200-year-long project. 

The people who first started building the cathedral were not there when it was finished. The children of the people who first started building the cathedral were not there when it was finished. And it seems safe to say that the grandchildren of most of the people who first started building the cathedral were not there when it was finished. 
 
In our culture—dominated by what is expedient and what gets us the most pleasure with the least amount of effort—my mind skips a beat in the face of a project like this.
 
My mind wonders at how the original architects' plans must have been extremely inspirational, in order for those who never knew them and lived more than 100 years after them to continue working on their project. 
 
My mind tries to grasp the beauty and power of long-term planning, and working on things that are much bigger than any one of us has the capacity to accomplish within our allotted time on earth.
 
And my "pastor mind" contemplates the beauty of playing our part in the building of God’s kingdom. 
 
In the face of our own frailty, and our culture's fog, it is easy to faint and lose heart. It is easy to forget that Jesus’ vision for our lives, and the Church as a whole, is a most spectacular, beautiful vision. He has been working on it, and continues working on it, and He will not stop working on it until the day of completion. 
 
So, as you do your work this week, whether it is for pay or for free, for family or for company, remember these words: “Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.”
 
Soon and very soon we will see that all the little work that our little lives have accomplished in Jesus' name is building a most magnificent kingdom-city-garden-building-family just like Revelation 21:10-22describes.
 
I pray the intimate passion of Maundy Thursday, the sacrificial love of Good Friday, and joy and surprising triumph of Easter, all settle into your souls and into your homes this weekend.

David

Noticing God's Fingerprints

I was driving near our church today when I saw a coyote run across Central Avenue. A few hours before that, I had been driving down Glendale Avenue when I saw a peacock run across the street. Seriously. A bright, colorful male peacock running across busy Glendale Avenue. Of course, my friend and I jumped out of  his truck and tried to catch it. It hopped a fence into a yard that had a statue of a peacock, and we thought it must be home. And we also thought, “Weird. Who has a peacock statue?”

So, what does it mean when you see two animals like these in such a common human place, but an uncommon peacock and coyote place? 
 
In one sense, it means that there is a peacock and a coyote that live near the church in central Phoenix. (It also means the coyote has not found the peacock, or else I would not have seen the peacock.)
 
In another sense, it means we live in a wondrous, wild, desert-city situation.
 
As far as my relationship with God, it could mean He is trying to get my attention. It could be God’s way of showing off. It could be that God wanted me to become aware of the negative effects of urban sprawl. I don’t know exactly what it all means, but what I do know, is God loves to show up in our lives. 
 
He loves to cross our path. He loves to dwell where we dwell. He loves to show off His goodness and creativity in our lives from time to time.
 
And He doesn’t just want to show up at church.
 
The whole concept of the “Other Hours,” is that God doesn’t want to make you good at church, He wants to make you good at the other hours of life. He wants to show up in your relationships, to show up in your work situation, to show up in your finances, to show up in your rest, to reflect His image through your sexuality. God wants to show off His beauty and power and love for you and our world. 

God is omniscient and omnipresent, which means that He is an expert in every field, and fully present in every field. (For further study, look at God’s omnipresence versus His manifest presence. Both are true and wonderful.)
 
I pray that today, as you go about your normal routine, and as you’re driving down your same old streets, you would notice God’s fingerprints. That you would see God move in the mundane. That you would feel the wind of God's Spirit fill the sails of your soul in the ordinary parts of your life.
 
David
 
P.S. Don’t forget to join us this Sunday as we answer the question, “Should you quit your job?”

Get Wisdom!

Recently I sat down at Einstein’s Bagel shop with a man named Frank Seekins. Frank is a counselor by trade, but he is learner/teacher in life. I asked to meet with him because, over the years, he has shared bits of relationship knowledge with me, which has produced relationship understanding in me, which has produced relational wisdom for me and my relationships. And, oh, how sweet wisdom is!

Proverbs 4:7-9 says it this way:

Above all and before all, do this: Get Wisdom!
    Write this at the top of your list: Get Understanding!
Throw your arms around her—believe me, you won’t regret it;
    never let her go—she’ll make your life glorious.
 She’ll garland your life with grace,
    she’ll festoon your days with beauty.”

Festoon is a weird word, but it's fun to say and it has a meaningful connotation. Basically, it means wisdom will cause your days to be rewarded and celebrated. 

Remember the story of Solomon's first court case as the new, young king of Israel? Two women claimed a baby was theirs. There was no DNA testing or any other way to clearly prove what the truth was, so Solomon commanded the baby to be cut in half. At first everyone was aghast, but one of the moms cried out for Solomon to spare the baby's life. She told Solomon to give the child to the other mom.

Now everyone moved from aghast to bewildered, except for Solomon. Solomon heard the cry of the mom who was willing to give up the child in order to spare its life and knew she was the real mom. Instead of cutting the baby in half, he commanded that the baby be given to the mom who was willing to give up the child. Solomon now knew she was the true mom.

Bam. All the aghast and bewildered feeling immediately gave way to wonder at the wisdom displayed and joy at the justice executed. Solomon’s wisdom brought great reward and celebration to Solomon and the nation he ruled.

We at Living Streams are committing ourselves to getting wisdom this year. We are currently doing a sermon series called “The Other Hours” to help prime the pump for our getting of wisdom. We have launched an online curriculum as a well of wisdom for our people to draw from.

And I want to encourage you to add one more avenue of getting wisdom. Set up a meeting with someone you respect who has knowledge or understanding in an area you want to gain wisdom. And bring a pencil and paper. 

All the best,

David

Go and Get Yours

"Experience is the best teacher, but it doesn’t have to be your own."

That's a true statement, but a dangerous one. 

I am the youngest of three rowdy boys. I learned a lot from my brothers about what to do and what not to do. Each of their losses were lessons for them and for me. Yet, the lessons I learned from their experiences produced a head knowledge, not a heart knowledge.

The difference between head knowledge and heart knowledge is summed up in the difference between knowing about a person and actually knowing the person. Personal experience is much more impactful. 

The same is true with Jesus. 

I have noticed a trend in our world today where everyone is listening to teachers, bloggers, tweeters and podcasts and learning about Jesus. There is unprecedented access to a lot of good information these days. (Including our own Livingstreams.online, where you can get great studies on relationships, work life, parenting, and prayer.) But if we are not careful, we will miss out on being taught by Jesus Himself. Jesus is bidding us to come and get our own. 

Now this may sound funny from a preacher who gets up most Sundays to share with my church family what Jesus is teaching me. I am thankful that I am in a position where I have to go and get something from Jesus each week for preaching; but on my best weeks, I remember I need to get something from Jesus for my everyday life.

My friends, the veil is torn between God and us. The wall of enmity built by our sinful shame and God’s righteous wrath is broken down. And all the wisdom, understanding and knowledge we could ever need for fullness of life is ours because of Jesus. 

So today, when you hear His voice calling you, go and get yours. 

David

The Spirit World

In last Sunday’s message, I pointed out that there is a spiritual world that coincides with our physical world. If it weirds you out, don’t worry, it totally weirds me out also. Yet, I have heard many stories that prove what the Bible teaches about the spirit world is true.

I was with a guy in our church last week who has been pursuing Jesus more vigorously of late. He shared with me about an intense, spiritual darkness that he could see in his bedroom at night.

Another friend told me that he had a vision of being taken to the top of a mountain, where he fell off the mountain. Then, as he was falling off of that mountain, he saw his person split in two. One part went back to the top of the mountain and the other part kept falling. Since that vision, the panic attacks and anxiety that he had struggled with for 20 years have never come back.
 
I know there are many more stories out there confirming what the Bible teaches about the spiritual reality of life. Some of the spiritual experiences people have had were good, some were bad, some are resolved, and some are still unresolved. What follows in this email is my best effort to give some practical things that can be done when you sense that there is a spiritual battle taking place.
 
Stand With Endurance on Firm Ground
In Ephesians 6 we are taught to stand, stand firm, and then after that, stand some more. The rest of the chapter tells us where we should stand. When the darkness is oppressing us, we need to stand in the truth, stand in righteousness, stand in faith, and stand in the Word of God.
 
Fight With Heaven’s Weapons
In 2 Corinthians 10 we are told to fight with heavenly weapons instead of earthly weapons. This may sound strange at first, but heavenly weapons are things like righteousness, joy, peace, and God’s word—while earthly weapons are things like self-pity, complaining, negativity, and blaming.
 
Sing To Remind Yourself—and the Enemy—Who God Is
Another passage of the Bible tells us a story about how God wants us to fight our battles. 2 Chronicles 20 tells a story where worshipers and musicians led God’s people into battle with the enemy. I have found that singing a chorus about Jesus or His promises can be a powerful weapon in my spiritual battles. One of my favorite songs to sing or listen to in the battle is by LOVKN.* 
Click here to hear the song. 

I pray you gain all the victory in your life that Jesus won for us through His death and resurrection. 

David

*Check out LOVKN here: https://lovknmusic.com/home 

The Other Hours

I am feeling a bit like Ebenezer Scrooge these days. So far this year I have been visited by what seem like ghosts from my past. They’re not really ghosts, they are just people from my past who happen to be coming to Phoenix for conferences. Because of creepy Facebook they know where I live and wanted to get together while they were in my town.

The first guy who reached out to me was a friend I made working at a camp in Bellingham, Washington during the summer between my sophomore and junior year of high school. He was—and still is—a good guy. As we had lunch he brought to the forefront of my mind memories that had been lying dormant in the way back corners. It was invigorating and funny to remember the younger me. It was interesting and funny for him to get to know the older me. He was a bit shocked when he found out I was a pastor. (For some reason it is very common for everyone who knew the younger me to be shocked that I am a pastor. Ha ha!)
 
Then today I had lunch with another friend from the past. This was a friend of mine from Grants Pass High School in southern Oregon. We talked, and I did my best to remember names and moments that were alive and vivid to him. It was slow at first, but then I began to remember more, and with greater clarity, as he jogged my memory. Again, it was invigorating and funny to reminisce about my younger years as an immature high school boy, free from responsibility. Shockingly enough, this friend actually said he could see me becoming a pastor someday because I did have some boundaries and wisdom back then. (Ha ha again.)
 
Both of these friends knew me before I really began to be a follower of Jesus. They knew me when I was just a fan of Jesus. They knew me when I had enough Jesus in me to keep me from being really bad, but not enough Jesus in me to experience the real good only Jesus can bring.

In the past, my life was compartmentalized into the little bit of time I would give to Jesus, and all the other hours that Jesus wasn’t a part of. I thought God just wanted to make me good at “churchy” stuff. I thought that once I died, Jesus and I would be in a meaningful relationship, but for now I was on my own. Later, I discovered God was very interested in my life here on earth. I found out I could experience the presence of God and hear the voice of God anywhere and everywhere I go. Since then, God has been enriching every part of my life. 
 
This Sunday we are going to start a sermon series called “The Other Hours.”The premise for this sermon series is that God does not want to make you good at church—He wants to make you good at the other hours.
 
Please join us and invite a friend who would benefit from hearing from God and experiencing His presence—especially those who have no meaningful relationship with God.
 
God be with you and bring you peace,

David

Fragility

Alrighty boys and girls, here are some thoughts bouncing around the grey matter inside the dome of my head. 

The Living Streams family seems to be in a season of fragility. This is not to say Living Streams people are weak, dainty, or delicate. No way, Living Streams people are mighty. The fragility I am hearing about from others and noticing in myself is more like what happens after someone has undergone surgery.
 

When I tore my calf muscle last year I was amazed at how sensitive it was to any and all stress. Not only was it sensitive, but it was constantly at risk of a re-tear in the process of healing. My calf muscle went through a season of fragility as it recovered to full strength. (At least full 41-year-old strength.)
 

Over the past few months we have invited the Spirit of God to do spiritual surgery on us. Our sermon series “Origins of Innocence” was intended to challenge our core understandings about life and love and God and why. Our sermon series “Home Full of Hope” was intended to help us become aware of the negative strongholds in our past and present household context. Our season of “fasting and prayer” was intended to remove the spiritual ‘blocks’ that could be keeping us from having hearts full of hope. And last weekend’s “Freedom Immersion” retreat was basically two days of focused distilling and deepening of the last three months of Living Streams’ teachings and prayers.
 

In Galatians 5, Paul the apostle is writing to a church in the region of Galatia. He is trying to help them understand what it is like to live in the fullness and freedom that the Spirit of the Living God can bring. In the Message Translation, he describes it as a “satisfying relationship with the Spirit.” Paul tells the Galatian church that their conscientious religious efforts or their conscientious disregard for religious effort does not bring about a “satisfying relationship with the Spirit” of God. What really matters and brings satisfaction is, “faith expressed in love.”
 

So, to conclude this weekly email I want to summon all of my pastoral powers and call our entire church to a season of tenderness. Or as Otis Redding would say, “All you gotta do is try, try a little tenderness, ooh yeah…” I want us to recognize those around us may be feeling fragile as they have surrendered their hearts and minds to the Great Physician. I want us to express our faith in Christ by loving one another and to express our love for one another by showing tenderness to each other. And some of us need to remember to show a little tenderness to our own hearts and souls as God takes us from surgery, through therapy, and finally to wholeness and strength.
 

The Scripture prophecies about Jesus that, “a bruised reed He would not break and a smoldering wick He would not put out.” Let’s do what it means to be a Christian and follow His lead.
 

Peace,

David
 

Meanwhile we expectantly wait for a satisfying relationship with the Spirit. For in Christ, neither our most conscientious religion nor disregard of religion amounts to anything. What matters is something far more interior: faith expressed in love. Galatians 5 - Message Translation

Word of God Speak

Rain—and hail—and wind—and puddles! Woo hoo!
 
This is a fun day for a Phoenician. Every person I mentioned the weather to today lit up with excitement. 

Phoenicians are a rare breed. I even heard someone talking about how far we will be able to see after the storm, because the air is going to be so clear. And, like always, every older Phoenician I talk to says, “Boy, we really needed this.”

Watching the rain makes me think of the verse in the Bible where husbands are told to love their wives by “cleansing her by the washing with water through the word.” Now, I’m not the best at this. I know how good it is when my wife and I are washed in the water of God’s words, but I don’t do it as often as I should.
 
Today, as I look at the rain washing away all the dust, dirt, smog and pollution in our air, I’m praying. I’m praying that the word of God would be spoken in all the churches in Phoenix. That all the husbands would speak the word of God over their wives and children. That all the moms would speak the word of God over their husbands and kids. That all the grandparents would pray the word of God over their families. That the single men and women would wash their own minds and their friends' minds, with the word of God. And I pray the result would be mental cleansing, emotional clarity, and peaceful, easy breathing for the spirit inside us. That it would be clear that, “God is true and every human is a liar.”

Today, as you watch the rain come down and bead up on your windshield, try to remember all the Bible verses you can. Ask the Lord to use those verses to cleanse your mind once again of anything and everything that is not of Him. And, if you are feeling the need for some deep mind and soul cleansing, I can’t emphasize enough the Freedom Immersionopportunity this weekend. There a few more spots, if you register by midnight tonight.Click here for info and registration.

Oh, word of God speak
Would You pour down like rain
Washing my eyes to see Your majesty 
(Mercy Me)

David

God Loves Romance

What? That’s sounds weird.

Well, where do you think romance comes from?
 
The Bible, which claims (and proves itself over and over again) to be God’s word, is full of romance. There is even a book of the Bible completely devoted to romance. Like I said in the beginning, God loves romance. 

Now, for those of you who do not have a Valentine today, don’t get all offended and hurt right now. Romance is a part of God’s good creation, and romance is something God wants us to know and appreciate, whether we experience it or not. We are unable to fly, but when we see a hawk soaring high in the sky, we are filled with wonder and appreciation for our Creator. So, though we may not experience romance, we can marvel and be filled with wonder and appreciation for our God, who loves romance. 

So, what is romance?
 
Romance is defined in many different ways in our world today. Many definitions are false and twisted, and have led to many bankrupt relationships and sickening exploitation. The definition I want us to focus on is: “A quality or feeling of mystery, excitement, and remoteness from everyday life.” I love that. 
 
The mystery of romance comes from the vulnerability and uncertainty of giving something of yourself to someone and awaiting their response. I remember how nervous I would get as a young guy calling a girl I liked. There was mystery in how she would react. Would she be glad I called? Would I sound like an idiot?
 
The excitement of romance comes when the person you made yourself vulnerable to responds with their own vulnerability or responds in a way that makes your vulnerable feelings turn to secure, excited feelings.

This makes me think of when I first told Brit how I felt about her. Whew, that was a scary moment for me. And to make matters worse, she didn’t say anything in response. She was quiet for what seemed like forever. While she sat there with an adorable little smile on her face, I was feeling concern rise up in me. It seemed like she was holding her breath with delight, but the silence made me tense. I finally said, “You gotta say something, Brit! How does that make you feel?” She smiled even more adorably and said, “It makes me feel good.” 
 
The remoteness of everyday life comes when you are caught up in each other so much that the world around you fades from your awareness. Unfortunately, this makes me think of all those times I’ve seen couples on the beach, or at a concert, or in the park, making out and having no clue that people who did not want to see them, could see them. However, it also makes me think of how far away all my worries and concerns can feel when I can get some time alone and become focused on my wife. The delight she brings me, and the childlikeness I feel when we are able to be just the two of us, can melt away all the grown-up heaviness of life.

Now, please don’t think this is easy for us. Our schedules are full, our house is full, our heads are full of ideas all the time, and our family is always full of all kinds of challenges. Yet, if we can make the time, if we can not be exhausted, if we can get alone, the world and all its gravity becomes faint and fades away.
 
May the God of romance and all the things that make the Hallmark channel a huge success wrap His loving arms around your heart today.
 
David
 
P.S. For Valentine’s Day this year, sign up you and your spouse for Freedom Immersion. At Freedom Immersion, you will get to know each other more deeply, and you will learn how to help your spouse increase in their security, freedom and joy.  Click Here.

The Union of Our Union

It was nice to see a room full of American leaders all gathered together respecting the office of the presidency and the importance of governmental participation at last Thursday night's State of the Union address.

It was nice to see the moments when American leaders from both sides of the aisle could stand together in support, including singing "Happy Birthday" to a Holocaust survivor named Judah. (Judah and his family, after 10 years of being in a prison camp, were being transferred to another prison camp when the bus and everyone on it were rescued by US soldiers.)
 
It was nice to see the collective agreement in honoring the D-Day soldiers, including Joshua, who stormed the beaches on D-Day, and one year later was a part of the team that liberated the beyond-desperate prisoners of Dachau concentration camp. 

On the other hand...

It was shocking and disturbing to see the stark division over President Trump's comments on late-term abortion. (The good news is that, for the last 22 years, the number of abortions in America have gone down every year. The bad news is that there are still pregnancies being terminated for selfish, illegitimate reasons.)

It was sad to be reminded of how stuck and far apart we Americans are on issues of great importance in our world today. 

It was also sad to feel the need to listen with a skeptical mind about the truth of what was being said. 

I really love America. I am so very grateful to be able to live here and raise my family here. I consider it a great privilege and I would fight for the peace and liberties we enjoy to be preserved for those who come after us, just as many have fought to make it possible for me to live with peace and liberty today. 

The problem that I see is that, in order to win any fight worth fighting, we need the Spirit of God. “Not by might, not by power, but by my Spirit, said the Lord to a man named Zerubbabel, who was trying to build something in the desert long ago. The Spirit of the Living God has the perfect perspective to let us know what fights are worth fighting, how we are to fight, and what will bring about the right outcomes. 

I don’t know if God wants to “Make America Great Again,” but I do know he wants everyone in America to know Him and walk in His ways. And the only way we can know God is by the Spirit of God.  (Check out 1 Corinthians 2  for more on this.)

Today, be still and listen for what the Spirit of God might say to you regarding the challenging issues you are facing. And please pray that our leaders will do the same. 

Division

So it’s about 70° outside, a soft cloud cover in the sky, the “people's open” is teeing off in Scottsdale, and the old East is taking on the new West in a Super Bowl on Sunday. Let the division begin.
 
I am a West Coast kid, no doubt. I have lived in Arizona, California, and Oregon. If I spend some time living in Washington I will have the entire West Coast covered. I have been to the East Coast a few different times and—blah, blah, blah—West is best. Go Rams.Let the division begin.
 
Our human nature loves to pick a side and create “the other.” Some divisions are funny, like my "West is best" comment; because we know we are all Americans, we just inhabit different sides of the same plot of land. 

Some creations of “the other” are beneficial, like when two or more teams try to achieve the same goal. The motivation to get it done before “the other,” or to get it done better than “the other,” can be helpful and powerful. 

SO, WHEN DOES DIVISION BECOME A BAD THING?

As long as what unites us is stronger than what divides us, division can stay in the helpful and powerful arena. The minute what divides us becomes stronger or more important to us than what unites us, the loss and damage begin. 
 
I am happy that, today in America, we can still have fun divisions about some things; but I am grieved by the loss and damage that we are experiencing in some very significant areas—areas like solutions for important and challenging issues. If we can put away our differences, find what unites us, and work together, I think we could come up with creative solutions—the kind of solutions where everyone walks away from the table feeling content. 
 
In sports, there must be winners and losers. In life and challenges, government and business, I think opposing parties should walk away feeling that they got some good things and gave up some good things. After all, we know it feels good to get things, but Jesus said it is more blessed to give than to receive. 
 
The Scriptures also teach us we need to watch out for people who try to “…smuggle in destructive divisions, pitting you against each other—biting the hand of the One who gave them a chance to have their lives back! They’ve put themselves on a fast, downhill slide to destruction, but not before they recruit a crowd of mixed-up followers who can’t tell right from wrong.”
 
Lord, please help us, our government, and our leaders to resist division and fight for unity,
 
David

Woohoo!

I have for you a few “woohoos” that I hope that you enjoy this morning.

Thanks to the faithful, generous, and, at times, sacrificial giving of the Living Streams Family, we finished 2018 with a surplus. —Woohoo!

Thanks to the participation of our people and the provision of our Savior, we have heard countless, wonderful testimonies during our fasting and prayer season. —Woohoo!

Thanks to the NFL scheduling a weekend off prior to the Super Bowl, many of us will have a lot less stress this weekend. —Woohoo!

Thanks to Jesus, who’s peace guards our hearts and minds and is not dependent on our understanding, we can find rejuvenating rest in the midst of whatever challenge or storm we are in. —Woo - double - hoo!

I pray this weekend you take some time to be still, allowing Jesus to fill your heart and your home with His peace.

David

The Power of Forgiveness

Warning: If you are sad, this email may make you sadder at first; but keep reading and it will hopefully make you happy and hopeful.
 
Since I am the lead pastor, I always know the plan for the church service. I know the message. I know the timeline of the service. A lot of times I am the one who makes the plan in the first place. I know who is speaking, on what topic, and for how long. (I also know who is speaking too long and who is off topic. And it is usually me.) So, why did I find myself so stirred up last night at our Wednesday Night all-church prayer meeting? 
 
The plan was to talk about forgiveness and pray in regards to forgiveness. The prayer time was going along just fine until I found myself overcome with a combination of sadness and hurt regarding my father’s suicide. I have forgiven him many times over the last 20 years, so this was a surprise for me. 

After his suicide, the first thing I needed to forgive him for was for leaving me without the security, strength, and support he had always been in my life. (He was an incredible dad.) Later, I needed to forgive him for leaving my mom to pick up the painful pieces of the shattered life his suicide left her with. (Which she did well because she was incredible as well.) However, last night I found myself needing to forgive him for leaving my girls without the powerful, beautiful, and enabling love he gave to everyone that knew him. 
 
They would have been so much better off for having known him. They would be so much richer in their souls by going on adventures with him. He would have loved them so deeply and delighted in them so much that their cups would always be running over. Like I said, he was a great dad. But instead, he stole that from them, and from me. 
 
I know he did not know what he was doing. There is no way he could have known the full consequences of his actions. I know that painful night he bit into a great deception of suicide was a moment of weakness. So, like Jesus, I can say, "Father forgive him, for he didn’t know the full extent of what he was doing." 

Jesus does not ask us to excuse those who wrong us, but He does ask us to forgive them. 
 
Now here is the not sad part. As soon as I let go of the seeds of unforgiveness trying to take root in my heart, the healing of Jesus came.That is the way it works with Jesus. You give Him the bitterness, resentment, unforgiveness, pain, and shame, and He plants in you seeds of freedom, healing and peace. It takes time for those good seeds to grow up into full, fruitful trees; but those who continually forgive will see it come to pass. I have in the past and, because of last night’s prayer time, I have the opportunity to do it again. 
 
Today I pray that your family, home, relationships, and your soul would all be filled with the powerful gift of forgiveness. 
 
We’ll talk more about that on Sunday.
 
David

Happy New Year

“And now we welcome the new year, full of things that have never been.” 
 
This is a nice little poetic phrase that brings a smile to our souls. The only problem is some “never been” things are not welcome. For instance, for the first time in my life I have a new year’s mustache, but when my daughter Bella saw it, she cried. And, for the first time, one of the fire sprinklers in our house went off in our closet this morning—and we hope that “never been” thing never happens again.
 
But, enough of all that negativity.  My 2019 prayer for you and me is that the Spirit of the living God will awaken us to truth, knowledge, understanding, and wisdom to help us navigate the uncharted territory the new year brings. My prayer is inspired by Proverbs 2, where the writer declares that if we will be teachable …“We will understand what is right and just and fair in every good path. Have wisdom enter our hearts, and have knowledge be pleasant to our souls. We will have discretion to protect us, and understanding to guard us from the ways of wicked men.”
 
Amen to that.
 
This Sunday is the first Sunday of 2019. We will be kicking off a fasting and prayer season for our church family. We love to start the off year in this way. The fasting and the praying put us in a humble, teachable mode where God is faithful to do His teaching and impartation.

For this year’s fasting and prayer season we plan to focus on the “home front.” In addition to our Sunday morning sermon teachings, we will ask everyone to fast from food on Wednesdays and then join us at the church on Wednesday nights from 6-8:15pm. We will have dinner together at 6pm and then we will gather in the sanctuary for prayer. We will also have kids' classes for every age.

At these prayer nights, we will pray in regards to the generational family struggles we have to deal with, forgiveness and unresolved conflict we are unsure how to deal with, and how to be fully invested in the family in which God has currently placed us.
 
Happy new year to you and yours,
 
David

Selah

I became friends with Larry Bresnan my senior year in high school. Larry went to a Fellowship for Christian Athletes camp after graduation and gave his life to Jesus. Larry found peace with God, started reading the Bible, and continually told me “Jesus is alive.” Even though Larry seemed to be on a radical Christian trip, his peace and persistence impressed me. If Jesus was alive, I wanted to get to know Him as well. In January of 1970, I followed Larry’s advice and asked Jesus to be my Lord and Savior. Larry moved to Oregon, where he got married and had four children.

Twelve years later, I heard Larry had colon cancer. My friends Billy Stockton and Mike Griffiths joined me in fasting for three days asking God to heal Larry. We drove to Oregon to pray for him. I was heartbroken when he died several months later. I have always been thankful for his influence in my life, which continues to this day. I had a dream about Larry last month.
In my dream, I saw Larry with his curly brown hair, a bushy beard, and a big smile on his face. As I moved nearer to him, his face grew dark. I heard a voice say, “You cannot see his face.”
“It doesn’t matter, I know what he looks like,” I replied. I kept moving closer to Larry because I was so glad to see my friend once again.

Then a voice said, “I have a message for you.” At that moment, I realized it was the Lord speaking to me. He gave me a one-word message, “Selah.”

I woke up after the dream just after midnight. I thought about the Lord’s message for a while, and then got up and opened my Bible to read Psalm 24. Selah is a Hebrew word used many times in the Psalms. It is used after particularly meaty phrases. Its primary meaning is pause. Pause, think about what this means, wait a moment, and let this truth sink in before going further.

The editors of the new NIV Bible have removed Selah from their translation. That is unfortunate, because we need Selah now more than ever. It is a simple concept which can help us grasp truth.

A nap is a Selah in your day.

A Sabbath day is a Selah in your week.

A vacation is a Selah in your year.

A Sabbatical is a Selah in your career.

Selah helps seeds of truth take root in our hearts when we read the scriptures. Selah can help restore our soul when we are on vacation. Selah can help us understand our spouse in a discussion. Selah can prevent us from saying something we regret in an argument. Selah can help restrain us when we are angry, and restore us when we are tired. Selah is what a golf pro told me to do at the top of my backswing. Selah is what Jesus said to me through Larry in my dream.

I lay awake on my bed thinking about Larry alive with Jesus. I felt like I had seen him for the first time since he died. Then I thought about our son Matthew, and others I love who are alive with Jesus. I asked the Lord to forgive me for ever doubting the reality of heaven. My heart has been broken, and my heart has been healed, because Jesus is alive. Jesus said, “Because you have seen me you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed” (Jn. 20:29).

Christ is going to raise us all from the dead, so there is no reason to worry, or hurry. We all have battles, and we all have pain in life; Selah can help us appreciate our blessings as well. Psalm 24:7says, Lift up your heads you gates; be lifted up you ancient doors, that the King of Glory may come in. Who is this King of Glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle.

Looking Forward

If you know me, you know that I like to rethink things. I like to look for the unseen and unforeseen elements in things. I like to try to buck the trends, and almost always adhere to the less-is-more concept. This is true of how I view church, as well.

Traditional thinking tells us there are two ways to measure the status of a church.  One is to measure the amount of people attending the Sunday morning services. Another is to measure the amount of dollars being given to the church. In those two areas we have seen wonderful increase in 2018. But since I tend to rethink things, we have been paying attention to something I like to call “Body Life.” 

To me, “Body Life” is measured in the amount of unity, participation, and testimonies produced. 2018 has been an incredible year of “Body Life” at Living Streams. Through our pray and fasting nights, kinetic missions, sermon series, volunteers, deacons, food pantry, groups, summer camps, youth activities, 3-to-5 Hang, pastoral care, hospital visits, weddings, funerals, baptisms, baby dedications, and online community endeavors we have experienced inspiring unity, seen broad enthusiastic participation, and heard countless testimonies of “Body Life.” We are rejoicing. 

As I look forward to 2019, the faithfulness of our God, creativity of our leaders, and the encouragement of our congregation has me very excited. Last year we focused on seeing the potential energy for good in our church become kinetic. Next year we plan to focus on the home front.

We want to see people grow in their understanding of God’s heart for them and their families. We want to see the hearts of the parents turned toward their children, and the hearts of the children toward their parents. We want people to understand God is not interested in making us “good at church.”   He is interested in making us good at the other hours—the hours we live outside of church. We want to see the deceptive ideas normalized in our sinful society give way to the grace and truth found in the Bible.

God bless you and yours, 

David

Living Debt-Free

I love rain in the desert. I like the way it looks as it brings cleansing and clarity to all the colors, while surrounding them with a soft, grey hue. I like the way it smells as it brings the soothing fragrance of creosote into our dusty desert air. And I like how it stirs up the giddy in all of us sun-scorched Phoenician folk. 

I know not everyone feels the same way. For those prone to melancholy, rain can feel like a wet blanket. For those whose roof is prone to leak (like mine was last summer), rain can be a frustration. And for those in areas prone to flooding, if there is enough rain, it can be a threat to their safety and security.

In the sanctuary last Sunday the words of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount rained down on us. As those words fell on us, it was interesting for me to notice how some heard the words like a refreshing rain and others heard His words as a threat. In this email I hope to offer some helpful thoughts to the intensity and challenge found in Jesus' Sermon on the Mount. We read the portion found in Matthew 7:17-47 

In this passage Jesus is teaching His apprentices the standards of the kingdom of God. We get excited about this until we read the actual standards. If you get angry with your brother, you are guilty of murder. If you look lustfully at someone, you are guilty of adultery. If you divorce someone, without proof of sexual immorality,  or remarry someone who is divorced, you are guilty of adultery. Yikes! And—wow! Intense and challenging! Those words hit all of us, and can leave us feeling a bit undone, unworthy, and uncertain of what to do next. 

I think we need to see this passage with the perspective that sin brings about a debt. Jesus is teaching us that each time we get angry, get lustful, get divorced, get remarried—we incur a debt.

In God’s economy, not only do our actions have consequences, but our thoughts do as well. When those actions or thoughts are sinful, we incur a debt with God, a debt with our fellow man, and a debt with our own souls. This does not mean that Jesus wants people to walk around with a heavy weight of debt and guilt on our backs. He teaches us this so we will realize the heavy weight we are carrying is a guilt debt which can be removed by forgiveness. He wants us to acknowledge our wrongs so we can make them right. In the kingdom of heaven the righteous right the wrongs. Living in Innocence before God is living debt-free.  

So, where we have been angry and incurred a debt of guilt, we should stop what we are doing and go make it right: ask God for forgiveness, ask the person for forgiveness at the appropriate time and in the appropriate way, and forgive ourselves, releasing the power of shame and guilt on our own souls. Where we have been lustful or immoral, we should stop and make it right in the same way. And when we have broken a covenant of marriage, we should get clear and free before God, fellow man, and ourselves before we move into a new covenant.

God wants us free to flourish. Jesus did not teach these hard truths to make people feel beat up or cast out. He taught these truths because they are the road map to freedom and flourishing. Being right with God is what your soul is, and always has been, longing for. Being right with God is what Jesus died on a cross to make possible for you. Being right with God requires us to be honest and to right the wrongs that we have done. Being right with God brings the refreshing rain of His Spirit onto our sin-scorched souls.

Jesus Came for the Sick

In a book I have been reading lately the author discusses a psychological defense mechanism called dissociation. (I know that sounds boring, but bear with me a moment.) 

Dissociation is the splitting off of a group of mental processes from the main body of consciousness. 

The first example is from a story about a missionary who was mauled by a lion and lived. When David Livingston would retell his story, he would say that he felt no pain as the lion chewed on his flesh. Instead of pain his mind was transfixed on the amazing and vivid detail of the fur on the lion’s face. As a defense mechanism his mind disassociated from the pain because it was too much to bear. 

The second example he gives is heart wrenching. A lady he was counseling said when she was a little girl her mind would disassociate when her grandfather would come in the middle of the night to sexually abuse her. She said she would sing lullabies or say nursery rhymes to herself to focus her attention elsewhere. Brutal!

Though dissociation can be helpful as a defense mechanism in moments of trauma, it is not a default mechanism for other situations. Sometimes we shut off or neglect certain aspects of our life because of past pain. The trouble is, Jesus came for the sick and not the healthy. Jesus, the lover of your soul, is deeply interested in your broken, bruised, painful, dissociated parts. He is a healer and is relentless in His desire to make you healthy and whole. You can fight Him off and continue to live a fragmented life, but it will be exhausting and frustrating under the weight of His passion for you. 

If you will surrender those painful, dark areas of your past or your present, I can’t promise it will not be painful. In fact, it will probably be more painful and dark at first. But just as it takes time for the burning sun to warm the cold winter ground, in time Jesus will bring healing and warmth to those places. The pain will subside over time and give way to His comfort and peace. 

I say this will some trepidation. I know some pain can be unbearable. But so far, in my life, I have seen the love of Jesus overcome the painful sting of suicide, cancerous death, and Spina Bifida. And I pray Jesus will show Himself strong on your behalf as you open the closed doors of your heart to His tender loving kindness. 

Thank you for reading, and let me know if you would like to talk with a pastor about some past or present pain: email me

Home. Work. Society.

Right now, my life has three main compartments. I have heard people say it is not good to compartmentalize your life. They say, “Your life should not be like a frozen dinner, it should be more like a pot pie.” But I don’t really know what “they” are talking about.

I have my home situation, which is most important. I have my work situation, which is always trying to be the most important. And I have my city societal situation, which only comes to the forefront when there are things like elections or tragedies in the current events. 
 
On the home front,I have joy because Brit just got back from Belize where she and a team of Living Streams ladies put on a women’s retreat for a group of Belizean ladies. I survived the seven days of being Mr. Mom, but more importantly, all five of my children survived as well.  

My family is currently nothing like I pictured it when I was younger. Basically, the younger version of me pictured only a wife and me. I never really thought much beyond that. If you were to ask me if I wanted kids I would have said yes, but that want paled in comparison to my want for a wife.

Fourteen years ago Brit became my wife, and now we have three daughters and two foster boys making up our family picture. It is wonderful and it is full. It is beautiful and it is far from perfect. It is happy and it is hard. It is not exactly what I dreamed up for myself, but I know it is what Jesus dreamed up for me. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.
 
At work,I have joy because God has filled our tanks with clear vision, exciting provision, and good people in all our positions. I am amazed by the work that is getting done and the care, quality, and joy with which it is getting done. The Living Streams family is a joy to serve and we are experiencing communal and educational grace. God is really helping us to love one another and make room for each other.

God is also teaching us some deep, transforming Biblical concepts that in time will produce profound wholeness in our souls. I can say that confidently—not because of anything I can do, but because we have prayed, we have obeyed, and God’s word promises that we reap what we sow. We are doing the hard work of sewing the powerful truth of the Scriptures deep into our disfigured souls and God’s word does not return void. 
 
As a Phoenician American, I have joy because God is in control. Though I am discouraged by much of what I hear about political leaders, societal trends, attitudes toward Christ’s Bride, and the vices of the generations coming to the forefront, I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation. “Christ is sufficient for all things.” In other words, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” That means whatever lack may exist in me and in my world—whatever enemy may come against me in this world—Christ is sufficient.He is willing and able to get me to the other side.

It is helping me to remember there are three things that will always remain: Faith, Hope, and Love. Faith in Christ takes care of the past.  Hope in Christ takes care of the future. And that leaves us to Love, with Christ’s love in the now. Love really is the greatest.
 
See you Sunday as we continue our study of innocence and shame by looking at our sexuality.

David

Where to Find Truth

Tuesday's mid-term election has me pondering a multiplicity of political postulations. These are some of my questions:

Is it possible to write about politics without being political?

Is there any way we Americans can survive another presidential election cycle?

Is there any media/news source that can be trusted? 

Are there certain political issues that every true, devoted follower of Christ should agree on?

How in the world is anyone supposed to actually know which judges to vote for?

In commercial after commercial we are told how bad all the candidates are. News source after news source reports the good of the candidate they support and evil of the candidate they are threatened by.

Unadulterated truth is hard to come by these days. It seems we either receive blatant untruth or a version of truth that is so doctored up that there is hardly any truth left at all. And now, with trolls and bots taking advantage of our social media feeds, there is yet another level of misdirection and deception going on.

I think these lyrics ring out loud and clear of today’s political/news situation:  

"Begging the question, mongering fears,
  stroking the eyes, and tickling ears
The truth is seldom just as it appears
  when we're selling the news

The lines start to blur; I get so confused.
  The facts are simply one option to choose 
When nothing is sacred, all is consumed
  when we’re selling the news

Just sit in your chair and listen to the ruse
  cleverly crafted just for you
'Cause if we're still on the air, it must be the truth
  when we’re selling the news" 

—Adapted from a song by Jon Foreman

So, what is the solution for those of us who believe there is absolute truth, and that those who know it find absolute freedom? The good news is about the Holy Spirit.

I am so unbelievably grateful that we who are in Christ Jesus have the Spirit of God living in us. Jesus told us the Spirit of God’s job is to lead us into all truth. This does not mean that every Christ follower gets it right every time, but it does mean that we can. God’s Spirit is the spirit of truth and He leads us into all truth.

Take some time today to write out the questions you have deep in your soul. Lay this world’s fervent postulations before your Heavenly Father and His faithful word. Then, be still and listen to what the Spirit of God brings to mind. And, as always, please pray that our state and federal leaders would hear, know, or discern truth from God’s Holy Spirit as well. 

David