The new Superman movie, Man of Steel, is out.

The success of superhero films is amazing: Spiderman, Batman, Ironman . . . the list goes on. Superman has always trumped the lot of them, as he, according to the old TV show was, “faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, able to leap tall buildings in a single bound,” (plus fire comes out of his eyes).

Remember the words, “Look! Up in the sky. It’s a bird. It’s a plane. It’s Superman!” The problem, of course, is Superman is fiction.

But there is a “Superman” in real life. He’s called Dad.

Not just any dad. I am talking about a dad who stays married to his wife and raises his children to follow God and be responsible—a dad who is a godly role model and leader in the home. That, to me, is a Superman.

Now, in another time that kind of behavior was expected. But in our upside-down culture, fathers are M.I.A. As one expert said, “We are in danger of becoming a fatherless society.” And that singe fact is what causes most social ills in America today.

1n 1960, fewer than 6 million children lived in single-parent families. Today that number is 22 million.

Consider these alarming stats:
• Fatherless children are 100¬-200% more likely to have emotional and behavioral problems.
• A child who comes from a fatherless home is 68% more likely to use drugs or alcohol, more likely to become sexually active at an early age, and three times more likely to commit a violent crime.
• 63% of teenagers who attempt suicide live in fatherless homes.
• 71% of high school dropouts are from fatherless homes.
• 90% of all homeless and runaway children are from fatherless homes.
• 85% of all youths sitting in prisons grew up in a fatherless home.
• Fatherless sons are 300% more likely to become incarcerated in state juvenile institutions.
• Fatherless daughters who marry have a 92% higher divorce rate, and fatherless sons are 35% more likely to experience marital failure.
• Fatherless daughters are 53% more likely to marry as teenagers, are 111% more likely to have children as teenagers, and are 164% more likely to have an out-of-wedlock birth.
• 80% of teenagers admitted to psychiatric hospitals come from fatherless homes.

James Merritt said, “The most endangered species in America is not the Spotted Owl or the Snail Darter, but the responsible Father.”

So, you can understand why I say fathers who are present are like superheroes!

If you are a man standing by your wife and children today, may I say on behalf of a grateful country, thank you! It gives me hope for the future.

Please join me in prayer for Pastor Rick Warren and family.

Few understand the challenges and heart-ache that those who battle with depression and intrusive thoughts experience. Pastor Rick’s 27 year old son, Matthew, had been suffering for years and in a moment of despair took his life.

There are no words of sorrow and comfort that are adequate at a time like this, but we do have The Word which tells us that God is love and that in Christ there is redemption. And we have the assurance that the Lord God, Immanuel, is with Pastor Rick and his wife Kay and family.

Pastor Rick is a godly and incredibly generous man. I admire his servanthood, stewardship and vision to build bridges to make Jesus known. He has been incredibly kind to me on a personal level.

I ask the Calvary family to stand with Pastor Rick in prayer in his grief, and in the hope of the grace of Jesus that one day we’ll be reunited in Christ!

I have never known a man like Harry Roach.

For twenty four years I have had the privilege to pastor the church that he attended.

To understand Harry, you have to understand the vertical reality in his life. The Almighty? “Abba Father” to Harry.  It’s the core reason why — even at the age of ninety two — Harry visited the incarcerated in jail and called on the sick in homes and in hospitals. The truth is, Harry Roach was the “pastor-at-large” in the City of Auburn!

In many ways I’ve dreaded this day …

Not because of any theological or salvation concern. In fact, to say that we’ve “lost Harry” is not true. When you lose something you don’t know where it is. We all know where Harry is! He is in the presence of the King and reunited with his bride, Lois. I am convinced of that!  The reason for “dread” is because I knew that words would not be enough to adequately remember and honor him.

To hear Harry pray was like listening to a poet and prophet. Elegant expressions– yet powerful!

Harry’s prayers revealed intimacy, and an awe, of the Almighty! So authentic. So personal. So powerful. So undeniable! His prayers revealed deep “spiritual DNA” that as I listened to them, I often thought to myself, “this prayer is nothing short of a running dialogue with the Heavenly Father.”

But for me, his “voice” — was how he lived his life!

His voice was his deeds, priorities and his love in action. His voice was his consistency. His voice was his perseverance. His voice was his love for Jesus and his faith. Many would be surprised to know that Harry had unique physical limitations in his wrists and hands. Yet I’ve never known someone that did more good in personally touching peoples lives.

Because of these things I have to say, Harry Roach’s life, speaks for itself!

It speaks of the glory of the King that won his heart at the Cross. His life speaks of the grace of Jesus. His life speaks of a servant of the King who continues to worship and serve Jesus even as I write this.

Harry embodied the writing of the Apostle Paul who penned at the end of his life, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” (2 Tim. 4:7) He chose to expend his energy in the fight of faith, love, compassion, and in the community of Jesus Christ followers until his final breath. He is a Legacy Maker! He was, and is, a true “son” of the Father in Christ.

This Saturday, April 6th, at noon, we gather to give thanks to God for the incredible gift of life in the person of Harry Roach.

INFLIGHT

I just got off a plane from Orange County Ca. and while inflight passed the time reading the book “WorldView” by my good friend Greg Laurie. I thought to myself, “I’d love to turn this into a blog!” But since I could not write it any better, I thought I’d simply share the opening remarks of Greg’s book. I couldn’t agree with it more!

WORLDVIEW BY GREG LAURIE

“One of the most depressing situations I encounter in my ministry is when I’m talking to someone who has been a Christian for years and then find out they know virtually nothing about the Bible.

Sad as that might be, it’s a reality that I encounter more and more these days. It’s become one of the biggest problems we see in the church today–an astonishing ignorance of what Scripture actually teaches.

People just don’t know what the Bible says.

George Barna, a longtime student of America’s religious beliefs and behavior, described the situation in a recent article, calling it a “crisis of biblical illiteracy.”

A crisis?

Barna wrote,

“How else can you describe matters when most churchgoing adults today reject the accuracy of the Bible, reject the existence of Satan, claim that Jesus sinned, see no need to evangelize, believe that good works are on of the keys to persuading God to forgive their sins, and describe their commitment to Christianity as moderate or even less firm?”

Barna went on to point out that the most widely known verse among adults and teen believers today (and just recently quoted on national television by the president’s press secretary) is “God helps those who help themselves.”

The only trouble is, the verse isn’t in the Bible.

Barna’s study revealed that fewer than one in ten believers possesses a biblical worldview as the basis for his or her decision making and behavior.

Do you have a biblical worldview?  Why is that so important?

Christian philosopher Francis Schaeffer once wrote: “As Christians we are not only to know the right world-view, the world-view that tells us the truth of what is, but consciously to act upon that world-view so as to influence society in all its parts and facets across the whole spectrum of life, as much as we can to the extent of our individual and collective ability.”

Greg Laurie

WorldView

Learning To Think And Live Biblically

Kerygma Publishing

It’s been an incredible time of prayer on Wednesday nights with the church family and I am reminded that when God wants to do something great in the world, He first stirs his people to pray! This was the case with the early church. Prior to Pentecost when Peter preached the Gospel and 3,000 turned to Jesus in Jerusalem, the early church had been in prayer for 10 days!

And I think of what took place during the “Jesus Movement” of the late 60′s and early 70′s …

Kay Smith, Chuck Smith’s wife, began praying. She prayed for hippies! Hippies she would see at the beach and around town. One of them happened to be none other than Greg Laurie. She would pray for Greg as he walked home from school.

I also think of the “Revival In Wales “ 1904 …

A young man by the name of Evan Roberts heard one of the men in his church pray, “Lord, bend us …” It resonated with him. He began praying, “Lord bend me” and the Lord did and it changed his outlook. Soon he was praying the Lord would give him 100,000 souls!

On October 31, 1904 Evan brought his four-point message to his home church. #1 “Is there any sin in your past that you have not confessed to God? On your knees at once. Your past must be put away, and yourself cleansed.” #2 Is there anything in your life that is doubtful – anything that you cannot decide whether it is good or evil? Away with it. There must NOT be a cloud between you and God. #3 Do what the Holy Spirit prompts you to do. Obey promptly, implicitly, and with unquestioning submission to God’s Spirit. #4 Publicly profess Christ as your Savior.

His cry became “Bend the church and save the world!”

As matter of public record, the culture in Wales changed! Taverns closed. Gambling went out of business. Prostitution houses shut down. Families were reunited. Friendships restored. Debts paid. Divisions in churches were healed.

I encourage you, set time aside intentionally in the Lord’s presence, with an open Bible and an open heart. Be like Moses who said, “Here I am …” And remember, while the Lord wants to impact the world by people coming to know Jesus Christ and having an intimate relationship with Him, it begins with you and it begins with, me. 

The Lord is with you, and loves you!

Often in the Bible, God’s people fasted immediately before a major victory, miracle, or answer to prayer. It prepared them for a blessing! Jesus fasted. In fact, Jesus expected His followers to fast, and He said that God rewards fasting.

However, fasting is not commanded by God, it is totally voluntary!

What is fasting?

Fasting, according to the Bible, means to voluntarily reduce or eliminate your intake of food for a specific time and purpose accompanied with prayer. As we begin 2013, I want to invite you to participate in what we’re calling a “First Fruits Fast” from Jan. 7th-26th.

The purpose is 5-fold:

#1 To give the Lord the “First Fruits” of your attention in 2013 by saying, “Lord speak to me!”

#2 Re-fall-in-love with Jesus! “…but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.” (2 Peter 3:18)

#3 Get ahold of the churches “12 Core Values/ Beliefs” and pray accordingly.

#4 Pray for your loved one’s and those who need Christ.

#5 To take a prayerful stand that as you face the year 2013 — the source of your life, strength and provision is the Lord who is faithful!

You can fast and pray in a variety of ways (before beginning any fast, be sure to consult your physician).

#1 There is the “Full Fast” – which is drink only.

#2 There is the “Daniel Fast” – which is: no meat, no sweets, no bread (only water, juice and vegetables).

#3 There is the “Partial Fast” – from 6:00 am to 3:00 pm (or from sunrise to sundown) – which can be a “Full Fast”, “Daniel Fast” or where you give up at least one type of food.

The type of fast that you choose, the length of the fast, and whether or not you choose to fast at all, is entirely up to you.

Onward in 2013 confident in God’s unfailing love and provision!

The Lord is AWE-SOME!

I was recently reading the book of Isaiah and found this great promise. Enjoy!

“Do not remember the former things, Nor consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing, Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness And rivers in the desert.” (Isaiah 43:18-19)

Hanukkah begins tomorrow December 8th and our Jewish friends all over the world will be celebrating it.

I have to admit that at this time of year my thoughts go back to Jerusalem, not so much Bethlehem. I find myself particularly thinking about John 10:22. It says it was winter and Jesus was in Jerusalem atop the Temple Mt. commemorating the “Feast of Dedication” (Hanukkah) and He was there because He is “the Light of the world”.

Feast of Dedication? Hanukkah? Festival of Lights?

I’ll explain.

It was the year 175 B.C. and the defilement continued for ten years. A Syrian leader named “Antiochus Ephines” conquered Jerusalem murdering hundreds of thousand of Jews. Antiochus was a man shoulder to shoulder with the “Hitler’s” of history. Yet Antiochus was particularly delusionary — for he made himself to be God, calling himself “Theos-Ephiphenes!” In this way he is a type of “Anti-Christ” who is on the horizon. 2 Thess. chapter two identifies this man who will stand in the Temple in Jerusalem and claim to be God. Antiochus not only defiled the Temple by claiming to be God but he butchered a pig and smeared its blood all around the altar and temple, even forcing the high priests to drink the blood. Meanwhile, a Jewish family by the name of Macabee’s spearheaded a revolt against Antiochus. One of Macabee’s son named Judas, played a particular role in the other-throw.

Once Antiochus was removed, the focus became the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem!

It was 164 B.C. the 25 of Kislev(some believe Dec. 25) but there was not enough oil to burn the seven branched Menorah in the Temple for an entire rededication week but to everyone’s surprise, the oil lasted eight days!

In type the miracle speaks of the new creation that is brought into existence by the Light of the World, the Messiah Jesus.

In addition, in the Jewish observance of this festival there is a ninth candle that rests in an exalted place above the other eight candles. This candle is used to ignite each of the eight other candles that produce enough light to cover all eight days. The exalted candle is called the “Shamash” candle. Shamash means “Servant”.

Jesus is THE SERVANT!  Isaiah 49:6 speaks to this …

“Indeed He says, ‘It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant. To raise up the tribes of Jacob, And to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also give You as a light to the Gentiles, That You should be My salvation(the word in the Hebrew is Jeshua or Jesus) to the ends of the earth.’” Isaiah 49:6

Jesus is the one who ignites the world with divine life by His saving grace! Jesus came to make all things new.

In a time when life feels so crammed with obligation and the stress that more often accompanies this season with its emphasis upon materialism, I like to ask myself, “Is the SERVANT(Jeshua/ Jesus ) in the exalted place in my life?”

May it be so. And may your life be lit up with glory of God in Christ. He is more than enough!

There is a story recorded in the Bible in Mark chapter seven, where Jesus put His fingers into a deaf and mute man’s ears, then spit into His own hands and touched the man’s tongue as He looked up to heaven and sighed. After this, He pronounced the man had been healed. This passage, very unique in it’s details, is one of the most misinterpreted passages in the Bible.  It is mostly interpreted to mean that, “God works in mysterious ways”, or even that Jesus is demonstrating an unorthodox “methodology” for healing that should be emulated.  I don’t think it is really that complex.

I believe that what Jesus was doing, was simply communicating with this man at his level.  The man could not hear or speak.  This story shows us that Jesus was willing to do what was necessary to be understood by this man — to be creative in order to effectively communicate with him.  He accomplished this by separating the man from the crowd and communicating through a type of sign language that involved the ears and the tongue, that He was going to heal him.  There would be no room for doubt that Jesus did what He “signed”, because the man was healed by Jesus!

Effective communication can be a challenge.  Think about it, to effectively communicate requires that both the sender and the receiver understand and perceive information in the same way.  When you add the dynamics of age, experience, culture, and education, one has to work hard at being understood.

For example, I remember many years ago when our son Greg (who at the time was about 7), was with my mother on the back porch.  They were keeping their eyes out for someone who was “on the run” from the police (who had been actively circling above our neighborhood in a helicopter).  From a description the police made known, we knew that they were looking for an “un-armed man, wearing a white shirt and blue jeans.”  After a while, we realized that grandmother and grandson were looking for two different things – Greg was actually looking for a man with no arms, because of the “un-armed man” description.  Communicating effectively takes work!

As Christians, we must understand that the most effective form of communication is love. Love will help us make the needed adjustments in our life in order to effectively communicate like Jesus did with this man. Each person and circumstance is different. When we love, we learn to change and grow in godly character.  The Bible says that love suffers long and is kind.  This means that love will cause us to retreat and be patient when there is conflict or suffering, and then love will help us advance in kindness.  It is between the retreat and the advance that we learn about each other, about ourselves, and about the Lord.  We learn how to effectively communicate and relate to others for God’s glory.

Today the Lord has someone for you to love and communicate effectively with.  Be ready to adjust and be flexible in order effectively communicate God’s love and the Gospel with others, and in so doing, you will become more like Jesus.