I’m suddenly wide awake. I thought I heard a sound coming from the front door. I’m a bit groggy. I lay still and listen intently. A few minutes go by and I hear nothing else. I think of the big stick I have under the edge of my bed. It’s a handy way to pound intruders into submission; all in the name of Jesus of course.

I look at the clock; it’s two in the morning. I remember two of my kids are driving home late tonight from college in Southern Cal. Maybe my sudden awakening is some kind of premonition. Maybe they have broken down and are stranded on the side of the freeway. Worse yet, maybe there has been an accident. I sit up and send them a text message asking how their trip is going and where they are at. I lie back down and cover up.

Ten minutes goes by, no reply to my text. That’s not like them. They usually reply right away if they can. Maybe one is sleeping and the other is being good about not texting while driving. A few more minutes go by. Now my mind is turning to darker thoughts. What if they are unable to reply to my text? Maybe they are off the side of the road, or hurting, and unable to get to their phone. I feel a sense of fear coming into my thoughts and heart. My mind pictures them hurt and in the hospital. Maybe the phone is going to ring any minute with the news no father wants to hear. What would life be like after losing a precious child? In the course of just a minute or two I have almost worked myself into a state of panic.

I snap myself out of it, telling myself to get a grip and relax. My phone finally vibrates and my son says all is well and they will be home in twenty minutes. Sure enough they come walking in the door and drop their bags, say hello and head off to bed. All is fine and it’s been fine all evening. No intruder, no accident, no hospital, no…

Fear is a powerful emotion. Especially fear of the unknown or fear of what could go wrong. Fear can not only make your blood pressure rise and your heart rate increase, but it can actually consume your life. In those few minutes fear could have made me panic. I could have woken Ruth up and shared my fear, or called the CHP to see if any accidents had occurred. I could have called the kids and yelled at them for not responding quickly enough to my text message. Don’t they know what anxiety their delay caused in me?

I see so many people driven by fear today. Not everyone, but it seems like there is a lot more fear floating around than usual. Fear over security issues, fear over economic issues, fear over political issues are just a few I hear about. Certainly there is always the possibility of disaster. We do live in a fallen world filled with fallen people who sometimes do crazy things.

But for us believers, followers of Jesus Christ, fear is not an option. Did you know that the phrase ‘fear not’ is used in the Bible 143 times (NASB). Obviously if God tells us something almost 12 dozen times He means it. Fear is not to be a part of the Christian’s emotional makeup. There are legitimate times to be frightened, but a life that fears the unknown or the possible is not what God intends.

The opposite of fear is courage. Courage comes from prayer and spending time with God. God told Joshua to follow Him and His word and let fear have no place in his life as the new leader of Israel. God would tell us the same today. Live a life of courage instead a life of fear. This can happen as we develop the better skills of prayer and Bible reading. God can replace fear with peace. It is clearly His desire to do so. But we have to let Him conquer those tumultuous emotions of fear and anxiety.

I need to get back to sleep. Those darn kids have kept me up late again. Next time I hear a bump in the night and my mind races toward fear I will try and stop myself right away and pray for God’s peace. Let’s all try this. The next time you’re up in the middle of the night worrying about things that could or might go wrong, try to stop and pray or read your Bible.

I love being your Pastor. See you on Sunday

Pastor Phil

Today I’m standing on the edge of a cliff.  As I peer over the side I quickly conclude it would most likely be fatal if I fall.  If not fatal, then certainly life altering.  Some falls in life lead to scrapes and bruises, this one would lead to things like brokenness and scarring.  My buddy comes up behind me and gives me a slight nudge, sending that instant fear to my brain that I might actually be going over.

This cliff is just outside Nazareth, the city in Israel where Jesus grew up.  I can imagine as a young boy he may have come to this area to play with his friends.  Boys like these somewhat  risky places. Nazareth, at that point in history, has only a couple hundred residents.  It had a synagogue where we know there were at least a handful of Jewish men living.  This city is where Joseph and Mary had landed after returning from the short trip to Egypt to escape Herod’s wrath against children.

In Luke 4, we fast forward to Jesus just after his thirtieth birthday.  He has come back home to Nazareth and is sitting in church on the Sabbath.  As is the custom, someone is asked to read the Scripture for the day and on this particular day the synagogue leader hands the scroll to Jesus, who is now old enough to read the sacred texts aloud in front of the congregation.  Jesus reads a passage from Isaiah that declares the Messiah’s arrival. The Messiah will usher in the ‘favorable year of the Lord’.  After reading the scripture He rolls up the scroll and calmly announces that this promise of God has been fulfilled today in their very midst.

The men of the church immediately get agitated.  He… he’s… he’s claiming to be the MESSIAH! How dare this young man have the audacity to read such an important passage and claim himself as the fulfillment. That is over-the-top blasphemy.  Luke records for us that the men of the church grab Jesus by the arm, march Him out of the city gates, up to the top of the only high cliff in town and let Him know in no uncertain terms that they intend to throw Him over the edge.  Justice for anyone who falsely claims to be Messiah.

This morning I’m standing on the very cliff they intended to toss Jesus off.

The problem was they did not understand Jesus.  He was not their picture of the Messiah.  In their mind, the true Messiah would arrive in Israel full of power, glory and aristocracy. Jesus was just a guy from a poor family that lived in a small town. The common saying of the time was, ‘Can anything good come from Nazareth?’ It wasn’t a town that produced much.  It had neither famous inhabitants nor significant industry.  It was not a place a politician would likely stop while on the campaign trail.  It was out of the way, small, and culturally insignificant.  Even its residents didn’t believe it could produce the Messiah.

Jesus did not look and act as they expected the Messiah should, so they rejected Him.

Think about this for a moment.  The townsfolk had heard about His miraculous birth to Mary and of their family travels to Egypt and back.  They had heard of the story of when Jesus was twelve and stumped the priests in the temple with His brilliant questioning.  They had watched His life for thirty years!  But they just could not grasp that the Messiah would be so common.  The true Messiah would act so differently than Jesus acted, therefore He could not possibly be ‘THE ONE’. So they decided to end His life in a cruel and premature manner.

As I have followed Jesus in my life I have experienced what those church folks in Nazareth discovered. I have discovered that sometimes God acts differently than I expect Him to.  Just when I think He is going left,   He goes right.  Just when I expect Him to give clear direction, He remains silent. Just when I need Him to rescue, He seems to be fussing over someone else and I feel alone.  Just when   I need Him to heal, He seems to leave me in the waiting room.

At times like these I have the same decision the folks in Nazareth had.  I can embrace this new understanding of Jesus and His plans for me, or I can ‘throw Him over the cliff’ and get on with my life, doing it my way.  My immediate heart response to God moving differently than I  expect Him to is to grab Him by the arm,   walk Him to the edge of town, and shove.

However, the spiritually mature heart will resist such temptation and allow God to work in His time and in His manner.  We can choose to still worship, serve, and obey God even when He works in ways I do not currently understand. This does not mean I won’t feel the  confusion, doubt, or even pain of the process, but we can work at remaining patient to see the end result of His plan. So let’s get Jesus ‘off the cliff’ and back into the rightful place He    belongs. He will be better glorified and we will be better off in the long run.

I need to step away from this precipice. I’m getting vertigo.  I’m getting back on the bus.

I love being your Pastor. See you on Sunday.

Pastor Phil

Today I sit in the snow and I am freezing cold. I open the box; pull out the little book inside. I flip through the book to the next empty line and I sign my name and write the date. I pass the book to my buddy and he enters his John Hancock. We close the book, put it back in the metal box and shut the lid. There, we’ve done it. Mission accomplished. My name is in the book! What a great feeling. Anyone else combing through the pages will see my name, scribbled among so many others.

This is my third attempt to write my name in this book. I failed the first two tries, but have finally succeeded. I’m proud of the effort and determination I was able to muster to write my name here. I sit for a few minutes with a deep sense of satisfaction. My buddy and I shake hands and congratulate each other. Physically this is the hardest thing I’ve ever done. And I did it just to get my name in that book. After a short time we pick up our gear and head back down the mountain trail.

The metal box with the book sits at the summit of Mount Shasta; just over 14,500 feet above sea level. I’ve finally summited on my third try.

My first attempt was two years ago. We were camping nearby and tried to summit because it looked fun. After getting about half way between base camp and the summit my son and I turned back, realizing we were ill prepared for the wind and cold. The second attempt was last year. I made it to the base of Agony Hill, about two miles from the summit. I was out of water and dehydrated. I turned back disgusted with my lack of planning and preparation. But I knew I should not go on.

This year I trained harder. I hiked the Cool canyon many more times. I was in better physical shape. I also prepared myself mentally. I was determined to not turn back for any reason. We woke up at base camp this morning at 3:30 am, ate a light bite of bagel and peanut butter, then, with headlamp on, we started up the steep slope. We found the tracks of the hard core climbers who left base camp an hour before us. We followed their trail and used their steps in the snow. The wind howled, altitude sickness set in, the pre-dawn air was crisp. But we kept a steady pace. When the sun came up we began to sweat more. The wind made the sweat turn cold. But we kept going. We climbed Agony Hill, dropped our back packs, and could see the summit ahead. A few hundred yards from the top we dropped our outer gear to lighten our load as much as possible. We climbed the last of the trail and spotted the metal box. We sat, rested, drank some water, and wrote our names in the book.

It took so much time, energy, preparation, and determination to get my name in that book. It made me excited and proud to know that I had accomplished something significant and it was recorded for posterity.

My name is also in another book; a better book. In this book I don’t actually scribble my name, someone else writes me in. In order for my name to be in this book someone had to climb a mountain. Not a snow covered mountain but one covered in trash and smoldering ashes. That mountain was name Galgotha. Jesus was the climber. He didn’t carry a backpack full of food and drink, but instead carried a wooded cross up that mountain. I know it was physically the hardest thing He had ever done. He was exhausted, bleeding, hurting, fainting as He climbed.

But He was prepared to summit Galgotha. He had the strength of the Father and the angels behind Him. When He summited there was no box, there was no book. There were Roman soldiers who took Him and nailed Him to the cross He carried. For six hours He hung on that crossed, then He breathed His last, and died.

Jesus scaled that mountain so that my name could be written in His book. Instead of opening the book of success and writing His name He opened the book and wrote my name, and your name. He climbed the mountain of Galgotha in my place, in your place. He accomplished that feat so our names could be in that precious Book of Life.

As a result of my name in His book I am guaranteed a spot in His everlasting kingdom. He never erases names from His book. Those names are forever the roll call of heaven. I am so glad that I did not have to climb His mountain. I would have turned back every time. I’m also so grateful that He summited Galgotha and that He did not giver in or give up. And when He cracked open the summit book He wrote my name, and your name, and every name of those men and women who have given their lives to Christ. AMEN!

Jesus was the greatest mountain climber of all time.

I need to get moving. I need to descend to where it is warmer and I can breathe easier.

If you’re ever at the summit of Mount Shasta, and you are writing your name in the book, flip back a few pages and see if you can find my name there. Before you head down, pause a moment and thank Jesus for climbing His mountain so many years ago. And thank Him for writing your name in His summit book, the Book of Life.

I love being your Pastor. See you on Sunday.

Pastor Phil

When you and I decide to walk with God we enter into quite a challenge. We move onto a harder life path, a swim upstream. Sometimes the struggle is fierce, and, at times, it may not seem worth the effort.

One summer when I was in college I got a job with the California Corp of Engineers. My friend Patrick and I traveled to various lakes around our state and set up booths to take recreational surveys. When people exited the different parking areas we asked them what activities they had participated in that day. It was a fun summer job.

One of the lakes we worked was Lake Isabella, located in the mountains just outside Bakersfield. As you drive up the winding road into that small community there is a sign that warns visitors to stay out of the river because it is dangerous. That summer I think the sign showed the number 54; signifying how many people had in fact drowned in that section of the Kern River.

On one of our days off, Patrick and I wanted to go fishing and catch some of the nice sized trout we had seen other fisherman pull out of the river just below our campground. As we headed down to find a good spot we saw a large boulder sticking out in the middle of the river and decided to fish from that rock.

As I waded out to the large boulder the water became swift and strong.  When I reached the boulder and started to climb up onto it I could not get a grip because underneath the water level the boulder was covered with moss and slime, making it impossible to get a footing and pull myself up. I was then swept into the rough current and taken downstream.

Now, growing up in Auburn I have swam in many streams and rivers and was comfortable in water. But at this moment I found myself in serious trouble. At this particular spot the river was running down a narrow gorge about fifteen feet deep and the water was tumbling over and over again. The water immediately pulled me down and held me about four feet below the surface. I kicked and paddled trying to surface and catch a breath, but every time I got close to the top the tumbling water pulled me down once again.  I knew I was in a bad situation.

Then my mind did a funny thing. Later I found out it was the usual thing, but my mind began telling me to do something that didn’t fit the circumstance. As I labored to get to the surface my legs began to fatigue, and my mind instructed my body to stop the struggle, to close my eyes and take a rest. Blackness began to close in on my peripheral vision and my mind repeated the command to simply relax and take a nap. Take a nap in the middle of the river?!?!

But at that precarious moment something else kicked in. My will finally spoke up. My will to live shouted louder than the voice of rest. As the blackness began to close further in I chose to obey the command of my will, and kicked hard one more time and was able to break the surface and get half a breath of air before being drug under again. Just about that same moment there was a bend in the river and it changed from deep and narrow to shallow and wide. It finally smoothed out. I kicked to the top and took in several deep gulps of air. Looking ahead I saw a tree branch in the middle of the river, and climbing onto it, got out of the water to regain my composure. After a few minutes of rest I jumped back in and swam easily to shore in the smooth current. I had almost drowned, but instead survived.

Sometimes, when we decide to live for God and really try and walk close to Him, we face the harsh current of temptation, resistance from the world, or discouragement from life’s difficulties. As we fight to stay on top of our spiritual vitality we may hear a call from our human nature to simply take a rest, to stop the struggle and give in to the circumstance. It’s not always easy to live for the Lord, just as it’s not always easy to live with Him on a daily basis. There are so many other voices pushing and pulling us down into discouragement and compromise.

But at such moments we do have a choice. We can give in to those thoughts beckoning us to give up or give in. If we listen to those thoughts a great opportunity dies; a chance to grow and see God work in us in a special way. On the other hand, we can fight, kick, and paddle to stay close to Him and allow Him to fill us with His Spirit. He wants to use His Word and His Spirit to help us reach the surface of our struggle. Philippians 4:13 is true when it says, “I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me.”

My hope for us all for 2013 is that we would choose to rise above the struggles and succeed. When the raging river comes and its current is strong, choose life, His life. Never give up, never give in. Just ahead of you may be a bend in the river and a smoothing out of the stream. In 2013 let’s spend time regularly meditating on God’s word and in prayer. This gives us the tools and experience to stay close to our rescuer, Jesus Christ, when we fall into an unwanted circumstance or temptation.

Does anyone have a story of survival that can be illustrative of their spiritual journey? Let’s share stories this month on how God has rescued us. I’d love to hear what God has done in your life.

Now I fish from the shore…

I love being your Pastor… See you on Sunday.

Pastor Phil

Last month we opened a discussion about which two vital Christian virtues demonstrate our faith is more than fervor. We want to have a faith that has real substance to it. In our world today there are so many ‘causes’ and ‘passions’ and we want to be careful to not simply throw faith in Jesus into the sea of public opinion or trendy ideas.

But which Christian virtues show faith to be genuine and authentic? As I read the New Testament, and listen to people new to their walk with God, two stand head and shoulders above the rest.

The first, and foremost, virtue is that of LOVE. Jesus said in John 13:35, ‘By this all men will know you are My disciples, if you have love for one another’. Did you get that? ‘all men will know’ tells us that one of the most significant witnessing tools we have is love.

Now love is both a truth and a practice. In this instance Jesus is referring to the latter. Loving others in practical ways reveals true faith. They will know we are His disciples. Loving the unlovely; loving the unlovable; loving the outcast; loving the stranger; loving the vulnerable. Loving them in tangible ways. Jesus mentions practical ways such as visiting them, feeding them, clothing them, forgiving them, honoring them, assisting them.

People can literally see Jesus in you and me when we love one another. This act of servant hood is a virtue that marks authentic faith. The practice of loving one another demonstrates that our faith in Jesus is real! It is also the magnet which draws people to Him.

The second virtue is also found within the words of Jesus. John 14:15, ‘If you love Me, you will keep My commandments’. This is referring to the virtue of OBEDIENCE; Following Jesus with both heart and hands. Striving to walk the walk, not just talk the talk.

There seems to be this idea today that passion and enthusiasm equals obedience. Our motives are just as important as our actions. As long as I want to do the right thing, it does not really matter if I actually do the right thing. Maybe we are getting this idea from our culture. We do hear more about how intention is above action. We are hearing that life is more about our heart’s intent, than our actual physical acts.

The virtue of obeying Jesus in our actions is the second demonstration that our faith is genuine. Jesus does not state that our desire to obey Him is proof of our love. He clearly lets us know that the act of obedience is the proof in the pudding.  Our choices in life reveal our true commitment. Jesus does not look only at heart intent and lip service, He actually looks at actions.

The word obedience conjures up different ideas in our minds. Simply put, obedience implies we face hard choices in life; doing things our way or His way. Obedience, as a faith virtue, implies that when faced with this choice we choose His way. We keep His commandments. And in doing so we validate our faith.

Two virtues: Love and Obedience; Two ways to test ourselves to see if our devotion to Jesus is simple enthusiasm or the genuine stuff. Have we loved this week in a practical way? Have we faced the decision to do something our way or His way and chosen the latter? When was the last time we consciously loved in His name? When was the last time we consciously obeyed instead of give in to our way? Test yourself to see how authentic your faith really is.

Thanks to those who commented on the blog site. Please feel free to do a follow-up comment.

I love being your Pastor. See you on Sunday!

Pastor Phil

Today I’m with about eight thousand people at the local sports arena. I’m sitting in a small suite watching the show. I’ve only had the chance to sit in a suite once before, at a professional baseball game. I received a call this morning asking if I could possibly take two young men to this exciting event. These two fine guys have been through a lot lately and they really wanted to come see their favorite athletes, so I agreed to bring them.

They knew the players by name; names like John Cena, Ryback, and Sheamus. Don’t recognize those names? Then you must not be into the WWE. That’s right; tonight I’m at the Friday Night Smack Down of Wrestle Mania! It’s a four-hour spectacle of huge men pretending to throw other huge men around the ring while a fake referee pretends to maintain order. I’ve never attended one of these events before, but looking around at the fans, their costumes, their signs, and their chants, this is big time entertainment. It was the craziest event I’ve ever been to. The boys I brought knew every participant and gleamed with excitement whenever the next match was introduced.

The theme of the evening was on the topic of Respect. One wrestler openly disrespected the CEO of WWE and the entire night was spent not only watching several matches, but watching how this disrespectful individual would be dealt with. By the end of the evening the villain had been put in his place and respect was restored to the WWE. Ironic isn’t it? The message was actually very clear: Respect others, especially those in authority.

As I sat there watching thousands of fans cheering, standing, and waving their banners I wondered if they really knew it was only a show. These fans were as passionate as any professional sporting event I’ve been to. The difference is that this one was all preplanned and rehearsed. Outcomes are predetermined and winners are declared back stage during practice time. I wondered if all these people knew it was an orchestrated event.

Then a thought hit me. I wonder if we Christians are perceived in a similar way as WWE fans are. Are we perceived as enthusiastic devotees following a set of fake beliefs? Many unbelievers and faith critics view our belief system as ‘phony’. ‘There is no proof of God existence’ they would say. ‘Following Jesus is simply a way to cope with life, but He himself was no greater than Socrates or Aristotle’ might be their view.

How do we demonstrate that our faith fervor is more than mere enthusiasm?

Jesus gave us some insight into the answer to this question. He shared that there are two actions that must be divinely motivated. These actions are so significant that the one performing them MUST have a real connection with God. Two undeniable exercises that are the proof in the pudding that Christianity is real and authentic.

I’m going to discuss these two Christian virtues in next month’s newsletter and blog entry. But between now and then I’d love to hear your opinion and thoughts. What two Christian actions are clear evidences of authentic faith? Which Christian activities prove that our faith is genuine and undeniably real?

What do you think?

Over the next few weeks I’d like to interact with your thoughts and opinions. It will a fun discussion.

I love being your Pastor. See you on Sunday.

Pastor Phil

Dear church family,

As I sit in my office today there is a lot running through my mind. June is an ending month. Our ministry year is coming to a close as is our budget year. This is a time for looking back and being thankful for all that has happened in the last twelve months. July is a beginning month so June is also a time of looking forward and getting excited about with anticipation as to what God might do in the next 365 days. Let me share a few thoughts from both perspectives.

These last twelve months have included many exciting events and happenings. The Lord provided a replacement for Pastor Jim Galbraith by leading Pastor Greg Hummel to us. Greg has come on staff and been a huge asset in caring for people through prayer, counseling, and being our ‘church chaplain’. He, Laura, and their kids have been a great blessing to our congregation. He is also a real help to me in many ways. God has been so good to us in bringing them here. In the next few months, as he moves from part-time to full time, I know many of you will be greatly encouraged through his work.

Speaking of staff changes, keep praying for Tim and Jana Krumal and their children. Tim has been moved to disability, and Cobra for his family insurance. Tim continues to slowly improve and we are praying that God brings about his full recovery from the cancer. He has a bit of road to travel before being ready to return to full time work. He remains a member of our church staff in a voluntary capacity. Tim has communicated that he does not want to return to his specific duties that he held herebefore, but is feeling the call of the Lord to put his gifts to work in a variety of other capacities. We have agreed, once he is fully recovered, to review what he wants to do in ministry and see where we are as a body. The Lord knows the future and we trust Him to work all things out.

As Tim and Jana move to disability and Cobra it will mean that they will have more family expenses. I encourage you to pray for them. If you would like to give to their needs you can do so through our church office by contributing to the ‘Deacons Fund’. We use this fund to meet the needs of people within our congregation and those who come to us with needs. This fund is used exclusively for meeting the needs of families. Your generosity has been exemplary and I am confident that folks will continue to give to help the Krumal family.

The Elder Board has decided to replace Pastor Tim’s position with a Ministry Administration Pastor. We have about 20 ministry teams here at AGCC and those who lead these teams are volunteers. We need a Pastor to help organize, train, encourage, and lead these teams of volunteers. The Lord has graciously brought us Dave Wickstrom. Dave, Heidi, and their two children have been at AGCC for almost a year now and Dave has served as a local school administrator for the past 21 years. We are excited to welcome him to our staff on June 18. I am very excited to see what the Lord does through Dave’s work in managing all these wonderful ministry teams. At our Ministry Faire in August we expect to have about 25 ministry teams for you to choose from.

As I look forward to the next twelve months I see us doing something about our facility vision. We have been praying for more space. We have been asking the Lord to show us how to balance vision, budgets, and facility needs. Our building is used to capacity on Sundays and Wednesdays. I believe God is answering our prayer and this coming year I expect to see a plan fall into place to create more space for our ministries. God has been so good to us in so many ways.

I share all these things so that I can ask you to pray. Please pray for your church leaders who are seeking the Lord and trying to stay on top of all that is happening. Pray for wisdom and discernment that we may know exactly what the Lord is leading us to do. Pray that we will have the courage to do what He shows us. This year will be filled with excitement, filled with surprises, and filled with even bigger challenges than ever before.

In the midst of all of these changes I am filled with joy! I truly do love being your pastor. There is no place I can imagine being other than right here, serving you and working side-by-side to make Jesus more famous in the Foothills and around the world.