Pastor John’s Blog

Recently the governor of the Great State of California, where I reside, said that unless something is done soon California will run out of funds within two months. Aside from making more budget cuts it appears that the main option that our state government has is to raise taxes and to do this soon. Both of these options do not seem to be the best options, especially during this time of deep economic national recession. Yet, regardless of the options and the negative impact that I believe they will have on our state, something has to be done or the state will have no funds.

How did we get into this situation? It is simple: Our state government spends too much. Our state government wants to help and invest in as many people as it can, so it funds as many programs as it can. This is something that state governments should be doing. However, there is a principle that seems to be overlooked. If you spend more than what you have you are going to get into a financial mess. This is true for governments, businesses, non-profit organizations and individuall finances. Spending beyond the budget eventually leads to a financial crisis.

Our nation has been living this way for quite some time. Our federal government spends way beyond what it brings in, a practice that has left us with a deficit of over ten trillion dollars. Ten trillion dollars! I have trouble wrapping my mind around that number. Most Americans also live beyond their means. I read recently that the average American household has a credit card debt of around nine thousand dollars. Living beyond our means is catching up with all of us. It is my humble opinion that the financial woes that have hit our great nation have been, to a large extent, the result of overspending.

The Book of Proverbs gives us some sound advice about living within our means. Proverbs 27:23-27 says the following:

23 Know the state of your flocks,
and put your heart into caring for your herds,
24 for riches don’t last forever,
and the crown might not be passed to the next generation.
25 After the hay is harvested and the new crop appears
and the mountain grasses are gathered in,
26 your sheep will provide wool for clothing,
and your goats will provide the price of a field.
27 And you will have enough goats’ milk for yourself,
your family, and your servant girls.

Although today most Americans have nothing to do with raising livestock the principles found in this passage are fully applicable to the twenty first century. Verse 23 begins by saying, “Know the state of your flocks, and put your heart into caring for your herds…” To know the state of one’s flocks means to know how many one has, how their health is and how fast they are reproducing. This is important if flocks and herds are one’s means of supporting one’s family. This means that if you are counting on living off of 500 sheep you should take the time to make sure that you will have 500 sheep to count on throughout the year. It also means that if you have 500 sheep you shouldn’t live a lifestyle as though you own 800 sheep because spending as though you had 800 sheep when you only have 500 will soon place you in an economic mess. Today most Americans are able to live beyond their means because of credit cards thinking that their income will hopefully increase and that the economy will always be strong. Verse 24 warns against this way of thinking. It says, “for riches don’t last forever, and the crown might not be passed to the next generation.” Economies change and new governments or administrations may not be as wise as previous ones have been. When one’s job is lost or there is a change in the economy it becomes very difficult, if not impossible to keep up with all of the debt. This is why if you have 500 sheep to count on for the year don’t spend as if you have 800.

The second part of verse 24 says, “and put your heart into caring for your herds…” I believe that for us today this means that we must take care of our jobs, the companies we work for, our businesses and our employees. It also means to manage well the money we earn, as well as our investments knowing that if and when change takes place in the economy or in our employment we will be ready.  Verses 24-27 are so important: 25 “After the hay is harvested and the new crop appears and the mountain grasses are gathered in, 26 your sheep will provide wool for clothing, and your goats will provide the price of a field. 27 And you will have enough goats’ milk for yourself,
your family, and your servant girls.” We are told here that by taking care of the flocks and herds they will provide for the basic necessities, such as goat’s milk and wool for clothing, for us and our families. Food and clothing here represent the staples of life and not the wants and gotta-have’s. This speaks of finding contentment in meeting our families basic needs. We begin to overspend when we get caught up in having things. I am not saying that having nice things is wrong. I do not think that it is wrong. But purchasing things that we can’t afford and do not really need gets us further into debt and places us more at risk of getting into a financial crisis.

The second part of verse 26 speaks of investing for the future. It says, “and your goats will provide the price of a field.” If you are in the flock and herd business you will eventually need to buy more land if you plan on growing your number of flocks and herds. This requires that you invest in new fields to be able one day to sustain more livestock. Most Americans spend what they do not have now to pay it back latter with high interest. Instead of investing now for their future they spend today what they do not yet have. No wonder that there are so many Americans that cannot retire at age 65, or even at age 70 for that matter. They never learned to invest for the future.

If the government of the State of California would only learn to operate within ita budget we would not be in this economic mess. I fear that once taxes are raised on us californians our state government will only spend more. They are spending today what they do not have, and are taking from our future and the future of our children.

Prop 8 has been a very controversial proposition. Since the passing of this proposition on November 4, 2008 that amends the California State Constitution to say that in the State of California marriage is between a man and a woman the opponents of Prop 8 have not ceased to protest. As I watch these protests on the news I can’t help but feel compassion for the gay community. As a pastor I find myself torn wishing at times that I could bless the marriage union between two people of the same sex, but knowing that I cannot for the following reasons.

As a Christian the Bible, God’s Word, is the highest authority that I must live by, and it frames my beliefs, my practice and my worldview. I have searched scripture diligently to see if somehow over the course of the last two thousand years Christians have misinterpreted scripture and have been wrong in considering homosexuality a sin. I have also searched scripture to see if marriage between a loving gay couple that has taken a vow to live a monogamous relationship would make a gay relationship acceptable before God. However, I have not found any support in scripture for homosexuality or gay marriage. In regards to gay marriage this is what I find in God’s Word. Speaking on divorce Jesus had this to say in Matthew 19:4-7:  4 “Haven’t you read the Scriptures?” Jesus replied. “They record that from the beginning ‘God made them male and female.’ 5 And he said, ‘This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.’ 6 Since they are no longer two but one, let no one split apart what God has joined together.” Marriage here is defined as the the joining of a man and a woman by God. Jesus went all the way back to the beginning of God’s creation to explain that God’s plan for marriage is for a man and a woman (cf. Genesis 2:18-25) to be joined together by God to share a lifelong relationship. Well, I ask myself, if God joins a male and a female in marriage, can he join male and male or female and female? The answer is no because Jesus silence on the issue of same sex marriage leaves no room for same sex marriage. It is not even considered as a possibility in scripture. According to what Jesus said in Matthew 19:4-7 God does not join same-sex couples in marriage.

What about monogamous heterosexual or homosexual relationships where, although there is no marriage, there is a commitment by two loving, consenting adults to stay true to one another? Jesus addressed a couple that I believe fits this profile. This is seen in a conversation between Jesus and a Samaritan woman that took place at a well. At one point in their conversation Jesus asked her, 16 “Go and get your husband,” Jesus told her. 17 “I don’t have a husband,” the woman replied. Jesus said, “You’re right! You don’t have a husband—18 for you have had five husbands, and you aren’t even married to the man you’re living with now. You certainly spoke the truth!” (John 4:16-18). In those days it was the man that divorced the wife. Not the other way around. Just about any reason could justify a divorce. This Samaritan woman had been rejected five times by men. In those days it was really difficult for women to get a job and sustain themselves. If a woman was divorced by her husband he kept everything including the kids. In order for a divorced woman to survive she had to remarry or fend for herself in some other way. This Samaritan woman married five times, perhaps for love, but more seemingly to survive. Since most rabbis permitted women to marry no more than three times it must have gotten to the point where this woman no longer married but found someone to live with. This couple shared their lives together and was having sex. Although the woman acknowledged that she was not married she was living as though she was. The question that I raise is, was Jesus condemning her sin when he asked her to get her husband or was he overlooking it? Was he giving her a break because she was in an ostensibly monogamous relationship? Or, perhaps, because she had exceeded the number of times that the rabbis believed a woman should remarry? If he was allowing her to live in sin then one could argue that since gay couples are not married by God that he will at least let them live together. However, by pointing out that the man that she was with was not her husband Jesus was pointing to her sin and her need to drink of the living water that he was offering her. Jesus never condoned fornication or adultery. In fact, In Mark 7:21-23 he said, 21 “For from within, out of a person’s heart, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, 22 adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, lustful desires, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness. 23 All these vile things come from within; they are what defile you.” Jesus was not condoning her sin but was instead calling her to a better way of living.

Regarding homosexuality in general, it is true that Jesus does not address the issue. Some have taken this to mean that Jesus did not condemn homosexuality and even see his silence on the matter as revoking what Leviticus 18:22 has to say about homosexuality: “Do not practice homosexuality, having sex with another man as with a woman. It is a detestable sin.” However, what must be kept in mind here is that Jesus never rescinded the moral law found in Leviticus. In fact, he elevated it to a new level. For example, Jesus said regarding adultery, in Matthew 5:27-28, 27 “You have heard the commandment that says, ‘You must not commit adultery.’ 28 But I say, anyone who even looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” If the commandment against adultery mentioned in the Pentateuch was not abrogated by Jesus, then neither were the other moral commandments, including the law against homosexuality. (Just to be clear here, homosexuality is a sin, but so is fornication and adultery!)

If I can find in scripture that homosexuality is approved by God then I will perform gay wedding ceremonies to the very best of my ability. But I do not find this anywhere in scripture. Not to mention that for the last 5,000 years marriage has always been between a man and a woman.

***All scripture references, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the New Living Translation, 2004 edition.***

This is my foray into the world of blogging. I have my dear friend Luis to thank for this. He and I had discussed the possibility of me blogging but left it at that. Then last week he surprised me with this blog page. Thanks Luis!

This past weekend the Church that I serve, Spirit Life Community Church, went on a spiritual retreat and used a venue in San Juan Capistrano that was new to us. The distance to the retreat site was just enough to make everyone feel that they had left their obligations behind. Plus the fact that there was no mobile phone service further distanced us from our daily obligations and allowed us to focus on the reason we had come to the retreat in the first place, and that was to encounter God in a profound way. To achieve this we scheduled four worship gatherings, one on Friday evening and three on Saturday. The gatherings were all patterned the same way. We began with praise and worship. This was followed by the preaching of God’s word brought to us by Hector Saucedo from Urban Ops who brought to us an amazing word from God each time. Hector focused all of his talks on the theme of yearning to be filled with God’s Spirit. Each time he spoke to us we all felt hungrier for God and felt a stronger need to be in God’s presence. Each time Hector finished speaking he called us to the altar where we prayed and sought God with intensity. God’s presence manifested each time in an almost tangible way. Some felt God’s presence as a warm sensation. Others felt an electrical charge go through them. I felt God’s presence as a warm thickness in the air. Some stood still and others cried with joy as we all experienced God’s presence.

I believe that followers of Christ should not leave their brains at the door when they attend church or a retreat. It is through the careful meditation of God’s word that we are able to grasp the complexity of God’s message to us and to perceive all of the rich nuances that have great applicability to our daily lives that would otherwise be missed without deep, intelligent reflection. It is through intelligent reflection of God’s word that our minds are renewed and experience growth in our lives. However, having said that, I also believe that God can be experienced in powerful ways. I firmly believe that we can sense God’s presence not just on the inside but all around us when we seek him. Worship should be both intellectual and experiential. When God introduced himself to Israel in Exodus chapters 19-20 it was profoundly experiential for the Israelites. God manifested himself to them on Mount Sinai hiding himself inside of a cloud and smoke and fire. The mountain trembled as God’s voice thundered from the mountain. As the Israelites stood at the foot of the mountain they felt as if they were going to die on account of what they were experiencing through their senses. This is experiential at its greatest intensity. In chapter 2 of the book of Acts the believers that were praying in the upper room awaiting the promise of the Father, felt the Holy Spirit enter the room as a strong wind from heaven that made a loud noise. Then they were baptized in the Holy Spirit and spoke in other tongues. Upon them appeared cloven tongues of fire. This was a highly experiential encounter with God! They saw, heard and felt this manifestation of God’s Spirit. I am convinced that we can and should experience God in powerful ways.

Most Genexers that come to Christ want to experience God’s presence. In fact, most GenX church services involve the senses to one degree or another. If you are a Genxer like me (although my parents are from the builder generation I was born at the beginning of Generation X) and want to experience God in a deeper way let me help you get started. First, prepare yourself for an encounter with God. To do this you must set a block of time to seek God (retreats are great for this). Second, spend time waiting on God. The old-time believers would call this “tarrying at the altar”. This includes worshiping God through praise and worship songs, reading God’s word and fervently praying to him. Next, yearn deeply for God’s presence. Ask God to fill you with his presence. And last, let God minister to you as you stand still fully focused on who he is. Something good will happen.

As for me, I am still sensing God’s presence in such a powerful way three days after the retreat. I feel charged with God’s anointing! I need to do this more often. There just is no substitute for being in God’s presence.