I'm Offended

Have you ever spent too much time in the sun, and was left with sensitive skin, only to have someone unknowingly come up and pat you (feels more like a slap!) on the back? Or maybe you did a few too many squats at the gym, and then your children run and jump onto your lap? One year, my husband broke his right hand. The weeks after he had his cast removed, several people at church unknowingly squeezed his tender hand in a normal Sunday morning greeting (probably with some additional force because men do that sort of thing!).

I feel that our culture is living with a sunburn right now. The opportunity to say the wrong thing or step out insensitively is so great! I have found myself apologizing preemptively when I’m with a mixed group, because every statement could be taken the wrong way. I do not think sensitivity to the feelings of those around me is a bad thing at all. But I do think assuming offense, for as many things that we are offended by, is damaging. Living with a sunburn is living with limitations.

In response to this wide capacity for offense, I find myself embracing the inevitable far too readily. I’ve said out loud, multiple times, that if there’s one thing I learned from 2020, it’s how to process being offensive. In recent prayers, I began to ask the Lord, “Is this one of the lessons you want me to have learned?” I am aware that not every learned response is one given by our Heavenly Father. After praying, and studying, I realize the answer is both yes and no.

Yes, we are entering into a day, when following Christ will be more and more offensive. If I am following the voice of man more than the voice of God, I will not be following God for long. There are certain aspects of the Gospel that will not settle in a world of subjective truth. The fact that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life and no one gets to heaven except through Him is a slap in the face to certain people - those who assume their religion or good behavior warrants them entry through the pearly gates. The idea that I can love people and have grace for people, even after they sin, is frustrating in a culture when we get to pass judgment without actually having correct information. Ideas like modesty, biblical marriage, and sexual purity are seen as subjugation, bigotry, and old-fashioned intolerance. So yes, understanding that my obedience to Christ could offend someone is definitely a valuable lesson learned.

But also, no. God is not desiring that we are offensive to be offensive. I have found myself using my awareness of a sensitive world to disregard wisdom, prudence, and compassion. The fact that I will offend someone, almost no matter what I do, does not give me license to willingly offend just to avoid the work of grace. In the book, The Bait of Satan, by John Bevere, he writes, “Jesus offended some people by obeying His Father, but He never caused an offense in order to assert His own rights.” We must pull back the curtain of our own hearts to get to the motivations behind our words and actions. Are we saying this offensive thing to experience personal gain, win an argument or satisfy something in our own heart? Or to love God, which sometimes offends?

My prayer for God’s people, today, is that we would keep learning and staying sensitive to the culture. That we would not grow callous and, therefore, fumble our opportunities to shine light into dark places. That, while we will offend because of the nature of the gospel, we do not wreck the reception of the offensive gospel by slapping a sunburned culture for our own purposes. What a day to be alive! Yes, it’s difficult, but Jesus never promised it would be easy. The harvest is plenty. Let’s be a witness, to the ends of the earth.

Candace Cortez
Executive Pastor at Koinonia Church

Why do we worship? And do we have to stand up to do it?

What is worship? Why do we worship? Do we have to stand up to worship?

The answers to those questions depend on if you are compartmentalizing worship into an activity or if you see it from the biblical perspective. At its best, worship demonstrates our love and faith in God. It also describes and illustrates our relationship with Him.

Often, when people talk about worship, they are thinking of music, but worship takes many forms. It is our tithe, our words, our actions, and our love for each other. In the book of Matthew, Jesus taught the disciples that whenever they take care of others with love, they are doing that same action to Him. You could call those actions “worship” (Matthew 25:36-40).

I grew up going to church every Sunday with my big family (there were 10 of us!). At Sunday dinner, our dad expected us to have listened to that morning’s sermon so that we could discuss it around the table. When I was 12, I began to learn to play the flute and, very soon after that, I volunteered to be an instrumentalist for our church choir. I didn't know it at the time, but I was terrible! I was just so thrilled to be making music (or a facsimile, thereof) in church. I might've sounded terrible, but I loved worshiping God and I still do. Today, 44 years later, I still play several instruments at church. Even if I didn’t have that public outlet, I would worship God with music at home by myself. It’s the best way I know how to worship Him.

Over the years, though, I’ve learned other ways to show God my love. When I was a young mother, I felt isolated from the weekly musical worship. We were transitioning from one church to another and I wasn’t involved in a worship team at the time. Besides, I was too busy with sleep and nap schedules, feedings, and diaper changes. One day, as I rocked our daughter to sleep, I called out to God because I missed playing music for him. I had compartmentalized my worship of Him into that one activity. In my heart, I felt God say to me, “Paula, what you are doing now…rocking Laura to sleep…is worship of me. You’re caring for your family and that gives me great delight.” It is a moment I have never forgotten, and I will treasure it always.

In the Bible, God makes it clear that He made us to worship Him (John 4:23-24). That's why we feel 
the best, and most at peace, when we take time to be in His presence and give Him glory, even if that occurs in our car, kitchen, or church sanctuary. From God's perspective, we are His children, dancing and rejoicing in His presence. He loves it! Our worship rises to Him like a fragrant incense. It is pleasing to Him.

"Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth. Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs."  Psalm 100:1

"Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth."   John 4:23-24

Paula Aiton is a member of Koinonia Church and a freelance writer, musician and artist. 

Her blog, God’s Glory Girl, can be found at godsglorygirl.com

Push Back

A few days ago, I heard a story that stirred something inside me. An old college alumnus shared a story on Instagram that brought to light a way of living that seems forgotten in the middle of challenging situations. 

 

My friend lives in Texas and works at the Lifestyle Christianity School. I’d encourage you to go follow him on insta if you are looking to place inspiration in your life. His handle is @chrisdonald. 

 

Chris and his wife were pregnant with their third child. One afternoon, his wife calls him at work and says that she needs to go to the emergency room because something is wrong. Chris rushes over to the hospital and his thought as he is rushing over is, “If the enemy is going to send me to the ER, I’m going to make him pay”. My friend is a Christian and believes there is an enemy of our soul that looks to kill, steal, and destroy. This enemy typically goes by the name of ‘Satan’. 

 

As Chris arrives at the ER, he immediately goes to see if his wife is okay and then, with her consent, begins praying for every person in the ER. They went home that night and had a miscarriage. Due to all the things involved with that, they had to go back to the ER. 

 

As they are in the ER for the second time, Chris’ wife says, “If the enemy is going to steal from us, let’s steal from him.” So, Chris calls a friend to meet him at the hospital and they, once again, begin to pray over those in the ER and to share their testimony. This time, a woman who was in distress, both mentally and physically, was completely healed of pain in her body and was no longer in distress. The woman couldn’t believe it and God was glorified in that moment. 

 

Chris goes on to share in his testimony that he encourages all Christ followers not to cower back in the face of challenge. There is a war we face. Not a war in the physical, but in the unseen spiritual principalities of this world (Ephesians 6).    

 

He concludes by saying, “We made the enemy pay for touching our family.” And he encourages all Christians, when things don’t go well, to take it as an invitation to crush hell with the authority Christ has given to His people. 

 

The truth is, being a Christian isn’t all about butterflies and rainbows. It’s very clear that we will face difficulty, that people will hate us, and the strategy of Satan is to destroy our faith. We will face these things, but we must remember that they don’t have to be the end of the story. 

 

I shared this testimony with a Christian friend who just lost her daughter 2 months ago. As I began to share, I saw her countenance change. There was a rekindling of faith as she responded, “I needed to hear that.” 

 

I’m sure there are many Christians facing difficulty that need to be reminded of that as well. Challenge should be an indicator to press forward in faith, not to settle for the hand that was dealt to you. 

 

I’ll leave you with the words God said to Joshua, “I will give you every place where you set your foot. Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates—all the Hittite country—to the Mediterranean Sea in the west. No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. Be strong and courageous…”

 

Blessings, 

Pastor Chad Fagundes 

Men’s and Outreach Pastor

The Truth

“Follow your heart.”

“Live your truth.”

“_____ is life.”

 

These expressions might sound and feel good, but there is an issue with these kinds of sentiments in our culture right now. It seems we are constantly being encouraged to look to ourselves and the world around us for our foundation, our purpose, and our fulfillment. And I’ve got some bad news: you will not find those things in yourself or in the world. You will find imitations of those things; counterfeits that cost you something, don’t quite satisfy, and don’t last. But I’ve also got some good news…keep reading.

 

“Follow your heart” is really just a poetic way of saying you should base your decisions on your feelings and emotions. When you say it that way, it starts to become pretty obvious how foolish it is. Jeremiah 17:9 says, “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?” Did you even need a prophet to tell you that? Your heart will always just tell you to do what feels best to you right now. Your heart is a child. And guess what? Your mind isn’t any better. Because no matter how logical and objective you think you are, every thought you have and every perspective you hold has been influenced by your experiences. And guess who processed those experiences and told your mind what to think of them? That’s right, your stupid heart. 

 

What about “Live your truth”? I understand the sentiment of being authentic or “true to yourself,” which can be a good thing. But I also understand that we have created a culture in which “truth” can be anything we want to believe. And “live your truth” is often used as a rationalization for rejecting wisdom, counsel, or correction. Essentially, it’s another way of telling you to just do whatever feels good to you. Terrible advice. Just look at Proverbs 12:15 “The way of fools seems right to them, but the wise listen to advice.” Don’t live your truth, be a seeker of real truth.

 

“Tacos are life!” I tend to agree with this one. But only in a humorous, tongue-in-cheek way. We all know life is not actually all about tacos, or golf, or shoes, or whatever our likes and hobbies may be. We know it’s not about indulgence, though we sometimes get out of balance on this. But what about “My kids are my life.” This one seems more sensible because, of course, your children should be a high priority! And while these higher priority things should inform how we spend our time, they are not the main thing. Jesus says in John 12:25, “Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life.” Well that sounds a little drastic! But Jesus is trying to make us understand something here. 

 

Don’t miss it. What we do in this life has eternal implications. If our lives belong to the temporary things (even the more important ones!), our lives will pass away right along with them. I love this passage from Henry David Thoreau’s “Walden”:

 

“But lo! men have become the tools of their tools. The man who independently plucked the fruits when he was hungry is become a farmer; and he who stood under a tree for shelter, a housekeeper. We now no longer camp as for a night, but have settled down on earth and forgotten heaven.”

 

Don’t let this world and all its beauty seduce you into a comfortable grave. 

 

So if we can’t follow our hearts, how do we find our way? If our truth is subjective, what is the truth? If we’re not living for anything on earth, what is life? Here comes that good news I promised you. Jesus answers all three of these questions in John, chapter 14: “Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.’”

 

Jesus is the way. 

Jesus is the truth.

Jesus is the life.

 

To know Jesus is to know all of it. And Jesus wants you to know him. Why not open your Bible and ask Jesus to make Himself known to you. And if you want to go a step further, visit a church this weekend and get connected with some people who will take the journey with you and introduce you to the Jesus they know and love. He is worth knowing!

Bryan Vickers 

Worship Pastor

The Worst Decisions I Ever Made.

Was dropping out of college the worst decision I ever made? Was walking away from a high-paying and upwardly mobile career the worst decision I ever made? Was my first marriage, both of us non-Christians, the worst decision I ever made?

           

These questions, and many like it, are very difficult to answer. Sometimes the seemingly worst decisions we make in our lives produce beautiful, life-changing outcomes. The reason for that is comes from two of my favorite words in the Bible . . . But God….

 

These beautiful words appear often in the Bible, depending on which translation you read. For example, in the Kings James Version alone, the words “But God” appear more than 40 times.

 

These words signify a situation heading in a bad direction that God redirects for good – and for His glory. Here are a few examples:

 

But God remember Noah . . .  (Genesis 8:1 NIV)

But God has seen my hardship . . . (Genesis 31:42 NIV)

…but God meant it for good . . . (Genesis 50:20 ESV)

But God will redeem me . . . (Psalm 49:15 NIV)

…but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever. (Psalm 73:26 NLT)

But God shows His love for us . . . (Romans 5:8 ESV)

 

And finally, one of my favorites: But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which He loved us even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved. (Ephesians 2:4-5 ESV)

 

You see, God is in the business of helping, seeking, comforting, saving, and yes, even judging. It is His wish that none, not even one, would not spend eternity with Him in heaven once this life is over. There is much to do so that everyone can know His message of love. He puts plans into action to accomplish that goal. And He can take any situation and turn it around.

 

Mistakes? We all make them. But God can use them for our good and for His good will.

 

For example, had I not been forced to drop out of school to support myself, I would not have fully utilized my God-given skills to gain valuable experience in the business and political world. Although my first marriage (before we were Christians) did not work, we had an amazing son. Our lives would not be as rich and beautiful without him in it. Finally, had I not left that extremely profitable career, I would have remained on a path focused on power and materialism. Instead, I was able to be present for my young children and subsequently re-join the workforce in ministry at this wonderful church.

 

We can sorrowfully dwell on the worst decisions we ever made or we can learn from them and know that despite bad decisions, God can use it all for our benefit and His glory. Do we make mistakes? Yes, but God . . .

·      knows our past, present and future

·      can always get us back on His path when we veer off course

·      creates beauty from ashes (or our worst mistakes) – Isaiah 61:3

 

Sylvia Gaston
Pastor of Connection and Development at Koinonia

I Love My Wife

If there’s one thing that COVID-19 has taught me, it’s that I’m not as awesome as I thought I was. Where I was able to hide my insecurities, failures, and inadequacies behind a wall of humor and bickering with friends, I was now forced to stay at home with my beautiful wife and our amazing son. This is not good for them.

My wife is a God-fearing woman who tells it how it is. She tells me how I didn’t wash the dishes right or how I should call back that friend because I said I would. She’s constantly pushing me to be a better person. I love her for that; I honestly do.

For this reason, I value her opinion. She knows me better than anybody else (except God) and she has my best interests in mind. I trust what she has to say. So, whenever she says, “Hey babe, maybe you shouldn’t wear that shirt with those pants”, I listen to her. Especially because I have a bad track record with fashion and clothing.

There have been numerous people in my life that have given me their thoughts, opinions, or suggestions. This is not a bad thing but, unwanted help can be very tiring. Especially when those people don’t really know me, don’t know my motivations, and don’t have my best interests in mind. Although I hear them out, I don’t always have to listen, and that’s OK. I don’t value their opinions as much as I value my wife’s.

In today’s world, we are very eager, and easily swayed, to listen to what somebody has to say, and we change who we are as individuals in order to comply with that opinion. But believe me when I say that there’s only one opinion that should matter the most in your life: that is what God has to say about you.

Have you ever thought to yourself, “I am a moron”, “I am not smart enough”, “I am not skilled enough”, “there’s somebody better for this job”, “I’m not educated enough”, or “I’ll never be able to do this”? Those could very well be lies that have changed your perception about who you are and, more importantly, who you were created to be.

It says in the book of Genesis, chapter 3, that when God created mankind, He said it was “very good”, not just good like everything else He made. When He made you and me, He was happy with what He created. Actually, He was very happy.

The only voice and opinion that should matter in our lives is God’s, who says that He loves us, who calls us beautiful and that we are wonderfully and fearfully made. He has set aside good works for us to do and He will help us do them. He says that we are loved. He says that He wants to show us some wonderful things. He gives wisdom to those who ask for it and He does so freely (read the book of James).

Instead of listening to the endless fountain of negativity, damnation, and inconsistency that the world has to offer, I encourage you to listen to the voice of God and believe what He says about you. In a world where everybody has an opinion, the Creator’s opinion should be the only one that matters.

 

Mauricio Paredes
Junior High Pastor

Presence Matters

The concept of being present has really taken on a new form in this century. We can be present at a Board Meeting in China while we are in our underpants at home in America. How crazy of an idea would that have been 30 years ago?

 

Being present in this day and age is not synonymous with being in close proximity. 

 

Some would argue that this way of living is dangerous to our social development. I don’t know if I would go as far as to say dangerous, but I would land somewhere in the camp of . . . presence without physical proximity is a cheap form of “being there”. 

 

Long distance relationships can work, but everyone I know that has been in one all come to the same conclusion - it’s difficult and they wouldn’t recommend it.

 

Though I’m thankful for the ability to connect with friends across the world, we must be cautious with this idea of staying distant for too long. Who we are longs for the ability to touch, smell, and be in the presence of those we love. 

 

We’ve all seen the distortion that the distancing of this last year brought. You know having a Facebook conversation isn’t the same as looking someone in the face and saying, “I disagree”. The ability to communicate has more to do with body language and the energy in the room than the words you are using. 

 

I’m not trying to convince you to stand in rebellion of the stay-at-home order that has been a part of our lives this past year. I’m simply making the point that you need close proximity connection. You need a hug and the smell of someone’s bad breath too close to your face because, believe it or not, it does the soul good. 

 

It is of the same essence that we need to be in the presence of God. This may be foreign to some but, I assure you, it is necessary for a fulfilled life. 

 

It’s one thing to learn about God in church and to read the Bible but it’s a whole new world when you experience a powerful encounter with the One who formed you in the womb. So many people have “known” God from a distance. But, as I said before, look at the fruit of distance when it becomes THE way of communicating rather than A way.  

 

These encounters with God cannot be manufactured just as authentic community can’t be manufactured. We can position our lives in a way that will consistently invite more of these opportunities. 

 

I hope to give you a starting point or a reminder of how to position yourself to have a real life encounter with Father God. 

 

Psalms 22:3 says that God is enthroned on the praises of His people. Having an encounter with God can simply start with worshiping Him. Praise is a key factor that opens the door for the tangible presence of God. 

 

I once heard it said, “If God is enthroned on our praises, I wonder who is enthroned on our complaints”. 

 

God’s presence cannot be controlled by the things we do and don’t do. But praise and worship are environments that are more conducive to the encounters we long for. 

 

There is a story in Acts 16 about two men named Paul and Silas. Paul and Silas were traveling evangelists that had just been thrown in jail and beaten. Instead of standing for their rights as a Roman citizen (which they did later in the story), they began to worship God in the midst of their chains. That worship session led to a powerful encounter that changed the lives of everyone in that jail. 

 

God’s presence matters because it has the ability to change the environment of our internals and externals. Don’t stay distanced from it for too long. 

 

I encourage you to take some time today, put on your favorite praise and worship song, and begin to invite God’s presence into your life and see how it changes things. 

 

Blessings, 

Pastor Chad Fagundes

Outreach and Men’s Pastor